Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Bayan ya tsallaka Rio Grande, a watan Satumba Taylor ya yi mummunan rauni a kan Mexicans a yakin Monterrey, kuma ya kama wannan birni a cikin kwanaki uku, duk da cewa ba a iya gane shi ba. An soki Taylor saboda sanya hannu kan yarjejeniyar "mai sassaucin ra'ayi", maimakon matsa lamba don mika wuya mai yawa. Polk ya yi fatan cewa mamayar Arewacin Mexico zai sa Mexicans su sayar da Alta California da New Mexico, amma Mexicans sun kasance ba sa son rabuwa da irin wannan yanki. Polk ya aika da rundunar soja a karkashin jagorancin Winfield Scott don kewaye Veracruz
, wani muhimmin birni mai tashar jiragen ruwa na Mexico, yayin da aka umurci Taylor ya kasance kusa da Monterrey. Yawancin sojoji masu gogaggen Taylor an sanya su a ƙarƙashin umarnin Scott, suna barin Taylor tare da ƙarami da ƙarancin ƙarfi. Janar na Mexico Antonio López de Santa Anna ya tsayar da wasika daga Scott game da ƙaramin ƙarfin Taylor, kuma ya koma arewa, da niyyar halakar da ƙarfin Taylor kafin ya fuskanci sojojin Scott.