Mexican Artillery - Mexican-American War

[Thunderchicken]

Hi all,

I'm getting around to putting some artillery together for my Mexican-American War project. Am I right in thinking the Mexicans didn't use limbers for their artillery but instead used civilian transport? I've been reading a book on the war by Ron Field where he mentions it but in no great detail. 

Does anyone have any examples of what was used? It'll help me decide what to buy and where from.

Cheers. 

[FifteensAway]

Did a brief Google search and the 'best' I could find was from Cracker Barrel Miniatures - which shows Mexican limbers pulled by oxen teams and what might be civilian drivers.  I also found this link: https://library.uta.edu/usmexicowar/item?content_id=177&format_id=1 that briefly discusses Mexican artillery being in a bad state generally but nothing specific about limbers.

Not sure if that helps.

[Thunderchicken]

Thanks, that does help. I can see where to go with it now. 

[sepoy1857]

I seem to remember from waaay back in the Yahoo! Mex-American war group in the early 2000's that the Mexican artillery was in pretty bad shape; unpainted wood gun carriages; they hired civilian drivers to transport the guns from place to place and then place them before battle. There was no mention, but they must have had limbers to carry ammo/powder etc. and ox teams sounds about right too.

[Thunderchicken]

I seem to remember from waaay back in the Yahoo! Mex-American war group in the early 2000's that the Mexican artillery was in pretty bad shape; unpainted wood gun carriages; they hired civilian drivers to transport the guns from place to place and then place them before battle. There was no mention, but they must have had limbers to carry ammo/powder etc. and ox teams sounds about right too.

Cheers, have found a few more articles that confirm this. I'm basically going to use a French limber (as they used French guns from the Napoleonic era) pulled by oxen with a civilian crew. 

[MGH]

They also were much slower firing than their American counterparts. Part of it was their training, fire drill, etc. Each crewman had his specific duty - fine, makes sense but after each man did what they were supposed to do they then were expected to go stand at their original position when gun drill commenced. Only then would the next guy do his bit and then when he was back in his spot, the third guy.

Most artillery crews want to be firing as fast as feasible, this sort of drill did not help.

[Thunderchicken]

That's interesting. Tanks MGH.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Perhaps not only the Mexicans...

This is an illustration of the battle of Palo Alto from the Time life series The Old West - The Mexican War.

The date of the plate isn't referenced - but ox pulled limbers are an unusual thing to include if not without some factual basis I'd say. Bauer's book has the same plate in b&w with more detail -".... William H Churchill's heavy battery in action..."

[Thunderchicken]

Thanks. I know the US used civilian drivers for the baggage trains but wasn't aware that extended to the artillery.