Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg (Mexican War) (1817-1876)
Criticized for his inability to win battles during the Civil War (1861-1865), North
Carolinian Braxton Bragg, writes historian William S. Hoffman, was the man of
the hour during the Mexican War (1846-1848).
During the conflict, Lieutenant Bragg commanded an artillery battery at the
battles of Fort Texas (later known as Fort Brown), Monterrey, and Buena Vista.
(At Buena Vista, Bragg fought alongside his future enemy and invader of North
Carolina, William Sherman.) For his exemplary performance, the twenty-eight
year old Bragg received commendations from his superiors and a promotion to
the rank of captain. At Monterrey, Bragg’s precise artillery fire stopped the
advance of Mexican troops through the city streets. Reporting on what
happened at Buena Vista, General Zachary Taylor believed Bragg’s cannonade
against vastly superior numbers had “saved the day.”
Bragg’s performance inspired the telling of patriotic stories. In the heat of battle,
Taylor had supposedly ordered, “A little more grape, Captain Bragg.” Whether
Taylor said it or not, Americans repeated the story and the command as a
testament of American bravery, determination, and victory.
Back to North Carolina in the Mexican War Veterans Pages