The brief and not very glorious annals of the Mexican War (1846-48) include certain quaintly sketchy chapters on U. S. naval operations in California. Men-of-war from England, France, Russia and the U. S. had been tacking along that beautiful coast for years, itching to hoist—and occasionally hoisting—their flags in nominally Mexican territory. At the outbreak of war the U. S. Government sent Commodore Robert Field Stockton, a fire-eating officer from Princeton, N. J., to reinforce the Pacific squadron. Mexican ports were blockaded, Mexican ships burned, Mexican towns bombarded. In several engagements Commodore...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
