Existing comment:
Mexican-American War:
North Carolina native James Knox Polk served as president from 1845 to 1849. He favored expanding the United States and pushed for the admission of Texas to the Union; the purchase of California and New Mexico; the acquisition of Oregon; and locating the boundary between Mexico and the United States at a place favored by Texas. Fighting broke out between Mexico and the United States over the border's location.
With the onset of war, President Polk called for North Carolina to raise a regiment of about 1,000 men in local companies across the state. Initially, more than that number volunteered. But enthusiasm for military service wanned when the men learned that their enlistment would last not just twelve months but for the "duration of the war."
The state eventually deployed a smaller regiment than originally planned. Unfortunately, it was plagued with discipline problems and saw no active service. Even so, the volunteer regiment lost approximately a fourth of its members to disease and disabilities. Other North Carolinians in regular army units fared better, and a number received praise for their valor. For many of these soldiers, the war provided valuable training for a looming conflict. |