Marker Commemorates Mexican War 1846-1848

Gallatin News Examiner
August 24, 2005


At 157 years after the fact, Gallatin is recognizing its Mexican War veterans with a historical marker erected yesterday.

Located on East Main Street at the corner of Cemetery Street in front of Wendy’s, one side of the marker guides tourists and visitors to the Mexican War Monument in the City Cemetery, one of only two such monuments in Tennessee, commemorating local citizens who served in the Mexican War between 1846-1848, three of whom are buried under the Monument.

The resulting peace lead to the cessation of over 500,000 square miles of territory to the united States, including the future states of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado.

On the other side of the marker, visitors are directed to the City Cemetery where historic notables such as Governor William Trousdale, Joseph Conn Guild, Peter Vertrees and Eliza Allen Douglass − plus members of many other well-known local families − are buried.

“This is a very important occasion for Gallatin, recognizing the men who lost their lives in the Mexican War from Sumner County (which at that time included Trousdale County,” said state historian Walter Durham.

Durham said the response of the men to fight in the Mexican War was what lead to Tennessee being labeled the “Volunteer State.”

“There were 10 times as many Tennesseans who volunteered to go as the president asked for. He asked for 2,800 and 28,000 men volunteered,” Durham said.

The marker was designed by the Sumner County Historical Society’s Joel Ross and the marker text was edited by Durham.

Financing of the marker was shared between the Sumner County Historical Society, using funds donated by Sam Wyly of Dallas, Texas, and the Tennessee Historical Commission. Wyly is an acquaintance of Gallatin artist, David Wright.
Attending the installation were: Gena Carr of Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers; Gallatin Mayor Don Wright; Durham; and Ross and Thomas Richey, board members of the Sumner County Historical Society.