The following units and commanders of the U.S. and Mexican armed forces fought in the battle of Cerro Gordo from April 17–18, 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The U.S. 1st Division and 1st Brigade, 3rd Division remained in the rear at Veracruz.
United States Army of Invasion: MG Winfield Scott
Headquarters Acting Inspector General: Lt. Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchock Chief of Engineers: Major John L. Smith Chief Topographical Engineer: Major William Turnbull Chief Quartermaster: Captain Robert Allen
Division Brigade Regiments and Others2nd DivisionTwiggs' Official Report
MG David E. Twiggs
Asst. Adjutant General: 1st Lt. William T. H. Brooks 1st Brigade
Col William S. Harney Battalion, 1st U.S. Artillery: Major Thomas Childs Companies B, F, G, H, and I (equipped as infantry) 7th U.S. Infantry: Lt. Colonel Joseph Plympton Mounted Rifles: Major Edwin V. Sumner w Apr 17, Major William W. Loring 2nd Brigade
Col Bennet Riley 2nd U.S. Infantry: Captain Thompson Morris 3rd U.S. Infantry: Captain E. B. Alexander Battalion, 4th U.S. Artillery: Major John L. Gardner Companies A, D, F, G, and H (equipped as infantry): Voltigeurs: Colonel Timothy Patrick Andrews Artillery Light Battery K, 1st U.S.: Captain Francis Taylor (3x 6-pounder guns and 1x 12-pounder howitzer) Rocket and Howitzer Battery: Major George H. TalcottAmerican Quarterly Register and Magazine p.5713rd "Volunteer" Division
MG Robert Patterson
Asst. Adjutant General: 1st Lt. William H. French 2nd Brigade
BG Gideon J. Pillow w Apr 18
Colonel William B. Campbell Independent Company of Kentucky Infantry: Captain John Stuart WilliamsA History of Kentucky and Kentuckians p.262 1st Pennsylvania Infantry: Colonel Francis M. Wynkoop 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry: Colonel William B. Roberts 1st Tennessee Infantry: Colonel William B. Campbell 2nd Tennessee Infantry: Colonel William T. Haskell 3rd Brigade
BG James Shields w Apr 18
Colonel Edward D. Baker 3rd Illinois Infantry: Colonel Ferris Foreman 4th Illinois Infantry: Colonel Edward D. Baker 2nd New York Infantry: Colonel Ward B. Burnett
Mexico Gen. div. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Division Brigade Regiments and OthersDivision of the East Ampudia Brigade 3rd Infantry 4th Infantry 5th Infantry 11th Infantry Vasquez Brigade 1st Light Infantry 2nd Light Infantry 3rd Light Infantry 4th Light Infantry Juvera Cavalry Brigade 5th Cavalry 9th Cavalry Morelia Cavalry Coraceros Cavaalry Rangel Brigade 6th Infantry Grenadiers of the Guard Libertad Militia Battalion Galeana Militia Battalion Pinzon Brigade Atlixco Militia Battalion Zacapoaxtla Militia Battalion Matamoros and Tepeaca Militia Battalion Arteaga Brigade Puebla Active Battalion National Guard Battalion Canalizo Cavalry Division Jalapa, Chalchicomula & Orizava Squadrons
As actually deployed Right – Gen. L. Pinzon – 5th Infantry, Atlixco Battalion (total 500 men) and one artillery battery (7 guns) Center – Navy Capt. B. Araujo – Libertad (400 men), and Zacapoastla (300 men) battalions and one artillery battery (8 guns) Left – Col. Badilo – Jalapa, Coatepec and Teusitlan National Guard companies (250 men) and one artillery battery (9 guns) Camp of Matamoros – Gen. Jarero – Matamoros and Tepeaca Battalions (450 men) and one gun
Battery on the road – Gen.br. R. Diaz de la Vega-6th Infantry (900 men), Grenaderos Battalion (460 men) and one Art. Battery (7 guns)
el Telegrafo (hill) – Gen.br. C. Vasquez, Col. Lopez Uraga, Col R.Palacios (artillery) – 3d Infantry (Col. Azpeitia 100 men) and one artillery battery (6 guns)
Reserve in Camp at Cerro Gordo- Gen.div. A. Lopez de Santa Ana – 1st, 2d, 3d (Gen. Banenili) & 4th Light (Ligero) (1,700 men), and 4th (Col. Lopez Uraga) & 11th Line (780 men). Artillery reserve (probably one battery of 5 guns), general park, hospital, baggage etc.
Cavalry at Coral Falso – Gen. V. Canalizo -Hussars Squadron, 5th & 9th Line Cavalry, Morelia & Coraceros Regiments, Jalapa, Chalchicomula and Orizava Squadrons. (Juvera and Canalizo Brigades?)
Notes: Manuel Balbontin, a Mexican artillery officer during the war (La Invasion Americana 1888) does not cover the battle. Mexican Artillery batteries usually had 4 guns. Batteries with larger guns had fewer than this. Guns were grouped together by size, i.e. a battery of 4 four pounders ( 4-4 lbs.), or a battery of 3 twelve pounders (3-12 lbs.) A total of 43 guns would indicate about 11 batteries. Col. L. Palacios was killed while commanding artillery. Naval Capt P. Ruiz y Baranda, Naval Lt. F. Fernandez, and Capt. V. Arguelles and Lts. M. Camacho, B. Arnable & J. R. Cobarrubias were all captured commanding artillery. Naval Capt. Godinez and artillery officers Malagon and Olzinger were also present. Battery commanders? Naval Capt. Araujo, above was probably a battery commander also. Or, about ten battery commanders. GMT Games (unsure of sources) posits Pinzon with 7 guns (1- 12 lbs., 2-8 lbs. and 4- 4 lbs. about two batteries), Araujo with 8 guns (4- 8 lbs. and 4- 4 lbs. about two batteries), Badillo with 9 guns (3- 8 lbs. and 6- 4 lbs. about two batteries), Diaz with 7 guns (4- 16 lbs. and 3- 8 lbs. about two batteries) Vasques with 4 guns (4- 4 lobs. one battery), Jarero with 5 guns (1- 8 lbs. and 4- 4 lbs. about one battery). Or about ten batteries.
References