Battle of Palo Alto

While in Brownsville recently, Martina and I visited the site of the Battle of Palo Alto. We are not exactly military enthusiasts, but we do occasionally visit the sites of famous battles. For those not familiar with it, the Battle of Palo Alto was the first major engagement of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and it was largely a cannon battle. The US, though outnumbered, won the battle due to agile cannon maneuvers.

I had always thought that the old paintings of the battle were stylized, but after visiting the place, I quickly realized that they were not as stylized as I originally believed. What struck me was the sharpness of the grass, the abundance of cacti, and the size of the soaptree yuccas in that part of the country. Although I did not see any, there must have certainly been rattlesnakes present. For the soldiers it must have been miserable trying the cross the battlefield much less fighting the enemy.