Mexican War Part 2

Below: Mexican irregular lancers charge American infantry. The lancers were converted from Timpo Mexicans and Airfix cowboys. Bullet loops were removed as these belong in a later era.

              Here also are the Jalisco Lancers; they are Timpo Action Pack Napoleonics. The US infantry were made from Airfix British Napoleonic with cut down shakoes and putty added. The tails on the coats are largely covered by equipment. but were trimmed where needed. The officer is a converted Accurate ACW Blanket rolls were beefed up with putty.

                    Some US infantry have been made with straw or felt broad brimmed hats.

                           One US infantryman has lost the top part of his hat which I'll repair later.

People often thin of this Mexican War as an unfair one where big, bad USA crushed little Mexico but in most battles the Americans were greatly outnumbered. The causes of the war were unfinished business after the Texan War of Independence a decade earlier. The Texans had long running border issues with mexico, which did not accept the border. this was inherited by the US when Texas the texan application for joining the US was accepted. The US also had designs on sparsely populated California, Arizona and New Mexico

.The weapons on both sides were not too dissimilar. the exception was that some US units now had percussion muskets instead of flintlock. the Texas Rangers ( which was a para-military unit and not just law enforcers) had revolvers that gave them an edge at close range. Most important, the US horse artillery gave a flexible edge over slower moving Mexican artillery. Many Mexican cavalry also employed the lance, which gave an edge in combat.