The Mexican War, 1846-1847
When President James K. Polk first declared war on Mexico in 1846, Kentucky men were eager to volunteer their services by enlisting in the Louisville Legion, also called the Louisville Light Infantry. This would be the martial engagement to define a generation of men, boys who had been raised by fathers and grandfathers who had earned their stripes in their own wars. So many men volunteered that the Legion was nearly rejected from enlistment. Knowing their willingness and readiness to fight successfully, Governor William Owsley convinced Secretary of War William Marcy to accept the militia. They were sent to Louisiana to be shipped to Mexico in May of 1846.
There were several troops enlisted in the Legion during the Mexican War who were not native-born citizens of the United States. Many soldiers were born in Germany and emigrated to the United States. German immigrants arrived by the hundreds of thousands into the United States during this decade. In response, a strong nativist sentiment swept through the country amongst Anglo-Protestant citizens. The call to arms by President Polk gave German Americans the opportunity they needed to assimilate into Anglo-American culture and gain their social citizenship. By volunteering their services to the armed forces, these immigrants had the potential to gain social citizen status amongst their fellow Americans.
During their 12-month assignment to California and Mexico, the men of the Legion saw little combat comparative to their time at camp. Just as in all wars, some men deserted the Legion, citing frustration or missed pay as their reasons for leaving the service. For the men that stayed throughout their assignment period, they fought under General Zachary Taylor at multiple key engagements, particularly the Battle of Cerro Gordo and the Battle of Monterey. They occupied Monterey for the remainder of their assignment. They were mustered out in May of 1847 at the end of their assignment and welcomed home “with every mark of affection and tendered…the enthusiastic welcome of the people.” Their victorious engagements in Mexico, while few, were remarkable enough to garner strong feelings of pride in Kentuckians for the men in arms.