In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

• Forgotten Conflict and a Tale of Two Nations: The Battle of El Brazito
• Patrick Naughton (bio)

Introduction

It is easy to forget that the modern-day peaceful areas surrounding El Paso, Texas, and Vado, New Mexico, were once a bitterly disputed battleground between two young nations. The American 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers commanded by Colonel Alexander Doniphan and the Mexican Army vanguard commanded by Antonio Ponce de León offer a vivid reminder of this fact. The little-known Battle of El Brazito, fought in the borderland peripheries of two lands during the Mexican-American War, offers an excellent reminder about a conflict that still affects the relationship of the two countries today. Reflecting on this battle and the larger conflict it occurred in can have a healing effect when trying to understand tensions in the border areas of the Southwest. It also offers an opportunity to empathize with Mexico’s viewpoint on our shared past of conflict. Only then can these two nations truly heal, bond, and move forward toward the mutually supportive relationship that both deserve.

War Brews Between Two Fledgling Nations

In May 1846, following increasing tensions and several skirmishes over borders between the United States and Mexio, the U.S. Congress declared: “by the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that Government and the United States.”¹ Two armies would be initially formed to execute the war—the Army of Occupation, commanded by [End Page 772] General Zachary Taylor, and the Army of the West under General Stephen Kearny. Taylor would fight several battles with the Mexican Army over the next several months while Kearny mustered at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. By June, Taylor was informed by Secretary of War William Marcy that he should seize and hold Monterey, Mexico.² Simultaneously, Kearny received orders from Marcy announcing, “It has been decided by the President to be of the greatest importance in the pending war with Mexico to take the earliest possession of Upper California.”³

With the declaration of war, President James Polk was authorized “to call for and accept the services of any number of volunteers, not exceeding fifty thousand, who may offer their services either as cavalry, artillery, infantry, or riflemen.”⁴ Missouri governor John Edwards, in response to Polk’s call for troops, sought out Alexander Doniphan, a colonel in the militia, to assist with recruiting the required 1,200 volunteers from his state. Doniphan enthusiastically assumed the position and quickly recruited hundreds of men who would later become part of the 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers, many of whom were former militia members. One of thirty regiments raised across the country during May–July 1846, the Missouri regiment mustered with the Army of the West at Fort Leavenworth to begin training for combat.⁵

Organized in May and June of 1846, the Army of the West consisted of a mix of volunteers and regular U.S. troops: the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the Missouri Mounted Volunteers, the Missouri Light Artillery, Battalion Infantry, Mormon Battalion, Laclede Rangers, and various companies of the 1st U.S. Dragoons.⁶ The easiest route west from Missouri was to travel the already established and highly lucrative Santa Fe Trail. This would take the Army of the West through the Mexican territory of New Mexico to its capital Santa Fe. Understanding this, Marcy instructed Kearny: “When you arrive at Santa Fe with the force already called, and shall have taken possession of it, you may find yourself in a condition to garrison it with a small part of your command...and with the remainder press forward to California.”⁷

Departing Fort Leavenworth in July and after marching over 600 miles down the Santa Fe Trail, Doniphan and his force under the Army of the West entered the Mexican state of New Mexico unopposed. In August 1846, after receiving oaths of allegiance from the people they encountered, the Army of the West occupied Santa Fe, its capital.⁸ On August 24, 1846, Kearny wrote an official communique to the adjutant general in Washington, D.C., claiming New Mexico “as a territory of...

中文翻译：

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被遗忘的冲突和两个民族的故事：布拉齐托战役

代替摘要，这里是内容的简要摘录：

• 被遗忘的冲突和两个民族的故事：艾尔·布拉齐托战役
• 帕特里克·诺顿（生物）

我导论

容易忘记，得克萨斯州埃尔帕索和新墨西哥州瓦多周围的现代和平地区曾经是两个年轻国家之间激烈争执的战场。亚历山大·多尼芬上校指挥的美国密苏里骑兵第一团和安东尼奥·庞塞·德莱昂指挥的墨西哥陆军先锋队生动地提醒了这一事实。鲜为人知的厄尔尼诺布拉齐托战役是在墨西哥-美国战争期间在两个国家的边境地区进行的，这很好地提醒了我们仍然影响着今天两国关系的冲突。在试图了解西南边境地区的紧张局势时，对这场战斗及其所发生的更大冲突的反思可以产生治愈作用。它还为同情墨西哥关于我们共同的冲突过去的观点提供了机会。只有这样，这两个国家才能真正治愈，建立联系并朝着双方都应得到的相互支持的关系前进。

W¯¯ AR乙REWS乙切口白内障手术挽Ť WO ˚F ledgling Ñ ations

1846年5月，在美国和Mexio之间的紧张局势加剧和边界发生几次冲突之后，美国国会宣布：“通过墨西哥共和国的法案，该国政府与美国之间存在战争状态。” ¹最初将成立两支军队来执行战争-由[末页772]扎卡里·泰勒（Zachary Taylor ）将军指挥的占领军和斯蒂芬·科尔尼（Stephen Kearny）将军领导的西方军。泰勒将在接下来的几个月中与墨西哥军队进行几场战斗，而科尔尼则聚集在堪萨斯州的莱文沃思堡。到六月，泰勒已从战争大臣威廉·马西（William Marcy）获悉，他应抓住并控制墨西哥的蒙特雷。^2个同时，科尔尼收到马西的命令，宣布：“总统决定，在与墨西哥的未决战争中，最重要的是最早占领上加利福尼亚州。” ³

宣战后，詹姆斯·波尔克总统获准“呼吁并接受不超过五万名志愿人员的服务，这些志愿人员可以以骑兵，炮兵，步兵或步枪兵的身份提供服务”。⁴密苏里州州长约翰·爱德华兹（John Edwards）为回应波克（Polk）的征兵要求，寻找了民兵上校亚历山大·多尼芬（Alexander Doniphan），以协助从该州招募所需的1200名志愿者。多尼芬热情地担任了这个职位，并迅速招募了数百名士兵，这些人后来成为密苏里州第一批志愿军团的一员，其中许多人是前民兵成员。密苏里州军团是1846年5月至7月在全国各地兴起的三十个军团之一，在利文沃思堡与西方军团齐头并开始进行战斗训练。⁵

西方陆军于1846年5月和6月组织，由志愿人员和常规美军组成：密苏里骑兵第1团和第2团，密苏里轻型炮兵，营步兵，摩门教营，拉克莱德游骑兵和美国第一龙骑兵团的各种公司。⁶从密苏里州向西最简单的路线是沿着已经建立且利润丰厚的圣达菲步道（Santa Fe Trail）行驶。这将使西部军队穿过新墨西哥州的墨西哥领土到达其首都圣达菲。理解了这一点，马西指示科尔尼：“当您带着已经召集的部队到达圣达菲，并且已经拥有它时，您可能会发现自己处于条件之中，只需一小部分命令就可以驻守它……其余媒体则前往加利福尼亚。”⁷

七月份离开莱文沃思堡，并沿着圣达菲小径行进了600英里后，多尼芬和他的部队在西军的领导下毫无抵抗地进入了墨西哥新墨西哥州。1846年8月，西方军队在宣誓效忠之后，占领了其首都圣达菲。⁸ 1846年8月24日，科尔尼（Kearny）向华盛顿特区的副总理写了一份官方公报，声称新墨西哥“是……的领土”。