The Mexican-American War Experiences of Twelve Civil War Generals - Hardcover

by Timothy D. Johnson (Editor), Gary W. Gallagher (Foreword by), Sean Chick (Contribution by)

Long overshadowed by the American Civil War, the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) has received significantly less attention from historians partly because of its questionable origin and controversial outcome. Rather than treat the conflict with a form of historical amnesia, the contributors to this volume argue that the Mexican-American War was a formative experience for the more than three hundred future Civil War generals who served in it as lower-grade officers. The Mexican War was the first combat experience for many of them, a laboratory that equipped a generation of young officers with practical lessons in strategy, tactics, logistics, and interpersonal relationships that they would use later to command forces during the Civil War.

Author Biography

Timothy D. Johnson is the Elizabeth Gentry Brown Professor of History at Lipscomb University. His previous books on the Mexican-American War include A Gallant Little Army: The Mexico City Campaign and For Duty and Honor: Tennessee's Mexican War Experience.