Yanceys who served in the Mexican War (1846-1848)
 [Wikipedia Article on Mexican War]

Mexican War Participants

Charles Yancey, negro servant of Joseph Abney, emancipated and later emigrated to Liberia, Africa  [see detailed info]

James Yancey, [served from?] Missouri, [pension applied from?] Illinois, [application date?] 2/11/1893, A24229

Joseph T. Yancey & Anna, [served from?] Mississippi, [pension applied from?] California , [application date?] 4/29/1887, C10049   [Family Photo]

Romulus Yancey, from Callaway County, Missouri - see article on bottom of this page  [died June 1849]

Simon Bolivar Yancey, from Mississippi.    [died in 1853 after the war]

Tryon M. Yancey & Rosa, [served from?] Mississippi, [pension applied from?] California, [application date?] 11/4/1889, C18719    [Photo]

Info submitted from Bob Juch:  bob@juch.org

During the Mexican War, Joseph, Simon, and Tryon Yancey Jr. all went from Holly Springs Mississippi to Vicksburg and enlisted 15 Jun 1846 in Company I of the 1st Mississippi Rifles commanded by Col. Jefferson Davis (later president of the Confederacy). They went first down the river to New Orleans where many became sick and then to the mouth of the Rio Grande to assemble where Tryon took sick and went back home and was discharged 21 Aug 1846. Joe and Simon took part in the battle of Monterrey but were discharged 24 Nov 1846 before the Battle of Buena Vista. I have found nothing more on Simon except that he died in Holly Springs 17 Nov 1853.

Tryon went home and was a printer's apprentice for awhile. He went to Sonora, Tuolumne Co., California during the Gold Rush. He worked for then bought a newspaper there. He was elected sheriff for two separate terms and died in office Jan. 12, 1898. He married Rosa Bailey Crowell of Maine in California.

Joe went to California, possibly without ever returning to Mississippi. In 1850 he became one of the first policemen in Los Angeles. He later went north of San Francisco and worked with a group cutting redwoods. In 1858 he and a party of men took a steamship from San Francisco to San Pedro then overland to Arizona to work the Ajo Mine in southern Arizona. He married Anna Joaquina Ortiz in Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico on 3 Sep 1859. She was the daughter of Ignacio Ortiz who with his brother Tomás owned the La Cañoa and Arivaca land grants which were south of Tucson. Anna’s great-grandfather, Geraldo, came to Mexico from Span in about 1750. Joe and Anna moved north to Tucson in about 1860 due to the Indians constantly raiding the mules he raised for the miners. About 1868 they went to California where Joe worked on the Warner Rancho for some time. He later was a stationmaster of the Agua Callente stop of the Butterfield Stage Lines. The 1900 census shows Joe and one of his sons-in-law, Wilbur Freemont Blake, at the Vanderbilt Mine which was near where Interstate 15 crosses into Nevada. Joe died at age 70 on 3 Sep. 1904 in the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers which is now the Westwood V.A. Hospital. He’s buried across the I 405 freeway in the Los Angeles National Cemetery.

From a Callaway County, Missouri article

The Mexican War Veterans Fulton Daily Sun 2 September 1903

Old War Letter

The article which was published in the Sun last week given the names of the Callaway men who served in the Mexican war, has brought to light an interesting letter that was written by Romulus Yancey, an uncle of G. T. Yancey of this city, that was written at El Paso Del Norte, Mexico, February 4, 1847. (El Paso Del Norte is a small town across the Rio Grande river from the Mexican town El Paso.) The writer of this letter was a resident of Cote Sans Dessien. The letter is as follows and is addresses to Thomas A. Hart:

"By a gentleman who is going to Santa Fe and from thence to Missouri, I will send you a few lines giving you a description of our trip from Santa Fe to this place. Nothing much of interest occurred until Christmas day, although we had some hard times coming down.  Coming down we passed through Hornalla, a place of ninety miles without any water on the roads and as hard living as any poor souls had to bear; poor mutton and beef no better. But as said, on Christmas day, we had the prettiest little battle that you ever read of. Our company was the advance guard that day and left the encampment about two hours before the rest of the army and traveled until about two o'clock in the afternoon, when who Spaniards were discovered some distance ahead of us. Pursuit was immediately made after them and continued about two miles, when it was given up. The encampment was then selected for the soldiers, horses loosened to graze and the men engaged as they frequently are, in various amusements, when of a sudden a tremendous dust was seen rising some distance off and upon discovery it was found to be the Mexican army. When they came in sight we began forming in line of battle and they did the same. The first pass that was made an officer from the enemy's line advanced in front with a black flag and announced in a very premonitory manner for our commanding officer to go to the camp of the Mexican general. After a positive refusal, they came rearing and charging on us, firing and whooping. After their first fire our whole line dropped as if dead and I tell you, the was balls whistled over our heads was critical. On they came, thinking they had us good. When they got within 80 or 100 yards of us we raised as from the dead and let loose upon them and the way they showed their backs was no slow, for they went as fast as their horses could carry them. They had brought one piece of artillery into the field with them and fired it once when we took it away from them and at one stage of the battle the enemy charged the commissary wagons, but they were repulsed, Finding they had no show they withdraw.  They had 200 infantry in reserve but did not bring them into the engagement. The result of the battle was that the enemy had 100 killed and wounded and we had seven wounded, none mortally, and wonderful to tell none killed. We took five prisoners.

Continuing the story, Mr. Yancey told of the killing of two of his comrades by the Navajoe Indians and of the killing of a Mexican spy in crossing the Hornalla. In closing the letter the writer said that they health of the company was very bad and that nine of the Callaway company had died. The story, which had never been published before, will be valuable in making up a future historical record of the part taken by Callaway county in the Mexican war and The Sun is under obligation to Mr. G. T. Yancey for his kindness in permitting its publication.