On their Way to the Mexican War

After the United States offered statehood to Texas, Mexico severed diplomatic relations. By May 1846, a state of war existed between the two countries, and volunteer militia units began preparing for battle. This lithograph shows the Springfield Light Guard encamped in Branford, Connecticut. I’m not sure why the Hartford lithographers E.B. & E.C. Kellogg depicted these Massachusetts soldiers rather than a Connecticut regiment. Most likely the print was commissioned by someone associated with the Guards. The Kelloggs issued numerous prints of the Mexican War glorifying the conflict. Find more in our online catalog by searching for “Mexican War.”