Today marks the 165th anniversary of the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican-American War. Thomas Gooch’s Mexican War pension file reveals he fought in the Battle of Buena Vista. His pension application, dated 6 Feb 1882, states that he “was a corporal in…the 1st Regiment of Arkansas Volunteers in the War of 1846…That while in the service aforesaid…near a place called Saltillo Republic of Mexico, on the 23rd of February 1847, from hardships and exposure contracted chronic diarrhea. Also at Battle of Buena Vista in a charge made by lancers, suffered loss of finger of left hand. Said disabilities still continue and greatly disable him for manual labor, he now asks a pension.”
An account of the Battle of Buena Vista is found at:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/mexicanamericanwar/p/battle-of-buena-vista.htm
and the official report of the battle is found here:
On Granny's Trail 