Assaulting Chapultepec
State Archives Division--Texas State Library

As Taylor operated in the north of Mexico, a separate army under General Winfield Scott took Vera Cruz in late March of 1847 and began a march toward Mexico City itself. Following American victories from Cerro Gordo to Molino del Rey, the only obstacle to Mexico City was the hill of Chapultepec. After storming it, United States troops captured Mexico City on September 14, 1847. Santa Anna fled the country.

Although the United States gained vast territory, the Mexican War, measured by the percentage of casualties suffered, was the costliest in American history. This was due not to battle deaths but to the incidence of tropical disease, which continued to claim veterans' lives for many years. Perhaps a third of all who fought became casualties.