MILITARY HISTORY OF THE WEST-TOC - 1996

Volume 26, No. 1, Spring 1996

Table of Contents

"Pancho Villa Rides into Mexican Legend; Or, The Cavalry Myth and Military Tactics in the Mexican Revolution," by Jeffrey M. Pilcher, pp. 1-22.

Abstract: Cavalry of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 actually fought as mounted infantry. This challenges the standard interpretation that Francisco "Pancho" Villa lost the decisive battle of Celaya because his Division of the North charged vainly on horseback against the machine guns of Alvaro Obregon's modern army.
Key Words: Mexican Revolution; Francisco "Pancho" Villa; Alvaro Obregon; cavalry tactics

"A Time for Desperate Valor: The Confederate Attack on Fort Butler, Louisiana, 1863," by James T. Matthews, pp. 23-34.

Abstract: Near the end of June 1863, Confederate forces under Major General Richard Taylor attempted to divert Union troops from the siege of Vicksburg by launching an offensive in southern Louisiana. As part of the Confederate effort, General Thomas Green's Texas cavalry attacked Fort Butler, a Union earthwork near Donaldsonville, on the night of 27 June. In a desperate assault that proved ill-advised, Green's force lost nearly half their number and failed to capture the fort.

Key Words: Civil War; Fort Butler; Confederate cavalry; Thomas Green; James Major

"Dogs of Destiny, Hounds from Hell: American Soldiers and Canines in the Mexican War," by Douglas A. Murphy, pp. 35-48.

Abstract: Unheralded, uncounted, and often unnoticed, man's best friend joined United States soldiers in the Mexican War. Descriptions of these dogs, their wartime roles, and their behavior reveal the depths of the soldier's belief in a "Yankee" destiny. Discussions of Mexican dogs provide similar insights into preconceptions and prejudices that soldiers directed toward their foes.
Key Words: Mexican War; dogs; U.S. soldiers; Manifest Destiny

"The Catalonian Volunteers on the Northwest Coast, 1790-1793: An Example of the Spanish Defensive System in North America," by Lance R. Blyth, pp. 49-65.

Abstract: Relatively little is known about the Spanish defensive system in eighteenth-century North America -- especially the Spanish defensive expansion up the western coast of North America, culminating in the occupation of Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. The actions and activities of the garrison force at Nootka, the Catalonian Volunteers, are illustrative of the Spanish system. A limited strategy led to limited operations with limited tactics. This aspect of Spain's military system has often been overlooked or misunderstood.
Key Words: New Spain; Spanish Navy; Catalonian Volunteers; Nootka Sound; Vancouver Island