“The Best Soldier”: Robert E. Lee's Mexican War Heroics

After watching him perform so valiantly as an officer in the Mexican-American War, General Winfield Scott would publicly declare Robert E. Lee to be “the very best soldier that I ever saw in the field.” This is the story of what Lee accomplished as a middle-aged scout and engineer in the Mexican campaign. From his role in securing victory during Winfield Scott’s Veracruz campaign by perfectly siting and building batteries to helping scout and lead assaults at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, and Chapultepec, Lee’s Mexican War record is one of heroics, immense skill, and indefatigable energy. We discuss all his heroics, and how what he learned during the Mexican-American War shaped his Civil War generalship, from his audacious assaults with split-up forces to his reliance on talented scouts and improvised field works. We also cover Lee’s heroic feats in depth, from when he hid under a log as Mexican soldiers sat nearby in the Cerro Gordo, to when he crossed the deadly Pedregal thrice in a night to save 3500 Americans, a feat Gen. Scott called “the greatest feat of physical and moral courage performed by any individual, to my knowledge, pending the campaign.”

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This episode traces how Robert E. Lee, still a peacetime engineer in the United States Army, was sent into the Mexican-American War and transformed by it. It begins with Lee at Fort Hamilton in New York, frustrated by slow promotion and garrison duty, until orders finally send him to Texas for field service under General John E. Wool. From there, the episode follows his first hard lessons in logistics, surveying, road-cutting, and improvised river crossings.

A major early set piece is the march through northern Mexico, including Lee’s night ride at Agua Nueva, where a reported enemy army turns out to be a herd of sheep. Lee rides alone to verify the rumor, returns with the truth, and prevents a panic. The campaign then shifts to Winfield Scott’s Veracruz expedition, where Lee joins Scott’s inner circle and helps plan the first major amphibious landing in American history.

At Veracruz, Lee argues for siege warfare instead of a costly assault, then designs and builds Battery No. 5 under fire. The episode also highlights the danger he faced during the siege, including a near miss from friendly fire, and the presence of his brother Sidney Smith Lee among the naval gun crews. Veracruz eventually surrenders after the American batteries breach the walls.

The story continues through the mountain pass of Cerro Gordo, where Lee is sent to find a way around Santa Anna’s position. He hides beneath a fallen log while Mexican soldiers sit above him, then returns with a route that helps the Americans turn the flank and win a decisive victory. Later, at Contreras and Churubusco, he crosses the Pedregal three times in a storm to deliver orders, guide reinforcements, and help coordinate the attack.

The episode ends with Chapultepec and the advance into Mexico City, where Lee helps design siege batteries, guides assault columns, and is promoted for his service. After the war, he witnesses army infighting in Mexico City, testifies carefully at a court of inquiry, and returns home to Arlington. The final section argues that the campaign gave Lee five lasting lessons: audacity, the value of field fortifications, flank attacks, personal reconnaissance, and attention to the psychology of commanders he would later face in the Civil War.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Lee’s Mexican War Baptism in Leadership

3:41 Lee Gets The Call to War

8:01 The Texas Coast Landing

11:18 The Sheep Scout

18:03 Scott’s Veracruz Gamble

30:25 Into the Mountain Pass: Cerro Gordo Heroics

39:08 The Pedregal Crossings

48:13 Chapultepec Assault

55:29 Occupied Mexico City

58:49 Home to Arlington

1:01:27 What Robert E Lee Learned in Mexico

Sources Referenced in this Episode:

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Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“The Best Soldier”: Robert E. Lee’s Mexican War Heroics