Puente Nacional
Encyclopedia
Puente Nacional is a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz
. Puente Nacional is bordered by Actopan, the port of Veracruz
, and La Antigua. It stands on the railway and on Federal Highways
140
and 125. In Puente Nacional the major products are coffee, fruits, and sugar.
by the Spanish in 1806 on the camino del Rey (highway of the king), later the National Road, between Vera Cruz and Mexico City
.
During the Mexican American War the bridge was a key point on the National Road, the American line of communications of their army advancing on Mexico City
and a site of several engagements in June, July and August 1847, between Mexican guerrillas and U.S. troops guarding trains of supply wagons that crossed this bridge on their to and from the interior of Mexico in 1847-1848. The location was a bottleneck on the route with topography that lent itself to an ambush
by guerrilla forces. Following the capture of Mexico City, General Winfield Scott
established posts along the National Road to protect the route from guerrillas, one with 750 men, was located at the Puente Nacional.
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. Puente Nacional is bordered by Actopan, the port of Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, and La Antigua. It stands on the railway and on Federal Highways
Mexican Federal Highway
Mexican Federal Highways, are roads maintained and built by the federal government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation ....
140
Mexican Federal Highway 140
Mexican Federal Highway 140 is a Federal Highway of Mexico....
and 125. In Puente Nacional the major products are coffee, fruits, and sugar.
History
Nearby the town of Puente Nacional, to its south, is the old National Bridge (Puente Nacional) it is named for. Originally named the Puente del Rey, it was constructed over the Antigua RiverAntigua River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
by the Spanish in 1806 on the camino del Rey (highway of the king), later the National Road, between Vera Cruz and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
During the Mexican American War the bridge was a key point on the National Road, the American line of communications of their army advancing on Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and a site of several engagements in June, July and August 1847, between Mexican guerrillas and U.S. troops guarding trains of supply wagons that crossed this bridge on their to and from the interior of Mexico in 1847-1848. The location was a bottleneck on the route with topography that lent itself to an ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
by guerrilla forces. Following the capture of Mexico City, General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
established posts along the National Road to protect the route from guerrillas, one with 750 men, was located at the Puente Nacional.