Ahead of the Army

An adventure chronicle of American military operations during the Mexican conflict blends action-packed episodes of distant cannon-fire, sieges, marches, and mountain passes with portraits of camp life and youthful officers learning war. The narrative follows Señor Carfora’s interactions with commanding generals, scouts, and despatch-bearers as campaigns advance from coastal skirmishes inland, encountering revolutionary upheaval and shifting governments. Interspersed vignettes describe Mexican landscapes, haciendas, and civilian encounters, while successive chapters move the reader toward the capture of the capital, combining reportage-like detail with reflections on courage, hardship, and the chaotic politics that steer the campaign.