The Life and Wars of Gideon J. Pillow

6. Leonidas

6 Leonidas The fall ofthe City of Mexico ended major hostilities. Some fighting would continue as Scott sought to extend the zone of American occupation and to secure his lines of communication, but mostly it would be guerrilla and counterguerrilla activity. Gideon Pillow remained in his quarters almost a month, "hopping about my room with crutches," waiting impatiently for his broken ankle to mend and venturing out only by carriage. Like his fellow Americans, he marveled at the city, "gorgeous beyond description," "the most remarkable City in the New World." As he had done at Camargo, Pillow made a point to visit and revisit the wounded of his division, who welcomed him warmly. 6 Leonidas The fall ofthe City of Mexico ended major hostilities. Some fighting would continue as Scott sought to extend the zone of American occupation and to secure his lines of communication, but mostly it would be guerrilla and counterguerrilla activity. Gideon Pillow remained in his quarters almost a month, "hopping about my room with crutches," waiting impatiently for his broken ankle to mend and venturing out only by carriage. Like his fellow Americans, he marveled at the city, "gorgeous beyond description," "the most remarkable City in the New World." As he had done at Camargo, Pillow made a point to visit and revisit the wounded of his division, who welcomed him warmly. Suffering from his own wound, Pillow cut a lock of his hair and wove it into a clasp which he mailed to Mary in October. "While you live never part with it. If I should return to the bosom of my tenderly loved family as I confidently believe I will under God's providence, be allowed to do, I shall be grateful to see it clasp the arm of my angelic wife, whom I will then clasp to my bosom. If (Oh God how painful the thought!) I should be denied this happiness, then wear this token, in remembrance ofhim who never loved any other." By mid-November Pillow had put away his crutches and began using a cane. The break healed slowly, however, and his lameness depressed him. It was not until the following February that he could report he no longer walked with a limp. He was overly optimistic, however. His limp and pain would return.l Meanwhile, Pillow had his minion Reynolds in Vera Cruz watching for official dispatches and procuring brandy and indispensable American newspapers. Pillow took time to write home, not only to Mary, but to his children and friends. He wrote twelve-year-old Gideon, Jr., admonishing him to work hard and to behave himself. This extraordinarily competitive father instructed his wife to tell young Gideon "his Papa has a deep interest in his beating all the boys of his age and class at school in every thing. Tell him that his Pa hopes he will live to constitute his pride and to emulate his Deeds in the field."2 Sometime in October, Pillow learned of the Englishman James Walker. This young man, a teacher ofdrawing at the Mexican Military College in Tampico, found himself in the City of Mexico, recuperating from yellow fever, when Scott invaded. He got away from the city somehow andjoined Worth's staffas an interpreter. As the Americans advanced inland, Walker found time to sketch battle scenes, and when the capital fell he set up a studio, intending to enlarge his sketches into paintings. Quitman got to Walker first, and Walker's painting of the storming of Chapultepec featured Quitman's division and the general himself. This would not do at all. According to Quitman's staff officer, George T. M. Davis, Pillow came by Walker's studio.and offered him $100 for the painting, "conditioned upon its being remodeled to meet the representations made by General Pillow as to that battle."3 Quitman 's version triumphed, but the enterprising Pillow found a way. He had Walker paint another version of Chapultepec, this one featuring Pillow and his division. He was delighted with the result and sent it off immediately to Polk. "It is a beautiful painting which I sent to 108 : Leonidas Suffering from his own wound, Pillow cut a lock of his hair and wove it into a clasp which he mailed to Mary in October. "While you live never part with it. If I should return to the bosom of my tenderly loved family as I confidently believe I will under God's providence, be allowed to do, I shall...