By early April 1847, within a year of the outbreak of hostilities between Mexico and the United States, public-spirited Mexicans had to confront a somber reality. Not only had U.S. armies advanced deep into northern Mexico and gained control of present-day New Mexico and California, but they also had captured the fortified city of Veracruz on Mexico’s eastern coast and were prepared to march some 250 miles inland to the Mexican capital and force authorities to sue for peace. The grim situation forced Mexican government officials and military leaders to consider anew how they might stop the foreign interlopers in their tracks, and they decided to pursue guerrilla warfare against the invaders.
Two prominent Mexican writers immediately weighed in on the subject. Carlos María Bustamente expressed faith in the guerrillas’ potential to disrupt U.S. forces, while José Fernando Ramírez doubted whether guerrillas could be successful in the long run. Since...
