The Siege of Veracruz took place from March 9 to March 29, 1847. On March 25, the Mexicans called for a cease-fire to discuss surrender terms. Mexican officials pleaded that the women and children be let out of the city, but heroic US General Winfield Scott refused, believing this to be a delaying tactic and kept up the artillery fire. After the surrender and occupation of Veracruz, US troops marched on to capture Mexico City.

On a recent PBS documentary about the Congressional Medal of Honor, it was said that every officer who went ashore during the Siege of Veracruz was awarded this highest military award of the USA.

The Trio uses the old (18th-century?) folk song "Green Grow the Lilacs." Before writing this march, I had never heard the tune, but I wanted to use it because, despite it being a waltz, I'm amused by the apocryphal etymology of the epithet "Gringo," which is said to have originated during the 1846-47 war when the Mexicans often heard the invading Yanqui soldiers singing that song -- "Green Grow the Lilacs."

An old band director (the late Rex Hall, a fine composer, too) I once had said that when bands performed battle music like this (and the 1812 Overture) the drummers would fire shotgun blanks into barrels. (I doubt if that's now practiced anywhere except perhaps in Texas.) There are many battle marches that were once popular at Civil War reenactments staged throughout the USA.