The Battle of Palo Alto marked several firsts in American history a new generation of professional soldiers--Ulysses S. Grant, George G. Meade, and James Longstreet--provided a wealth of expert knowledge to their senior officers the military demonstrated the superior qualities of their newly introduced flying artillery, one that would see fruition during the far greater epoch of the Civil War and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy experienced their first major test. p The battle was essentially an artillery duel that pitted highly effective U.S. cannon against Mexican cannon of antiquated design. The Americans rapidly deployed at will two field batteries, each consisting of six- and twelve-pounder guns and howitzers. Two eighteen-pounder siege guns, periodically hauled forward by teams of oxen, contributed to the decimation of the Mexican infantry. In contrast, Mexican four- and eight-pounder guns lacked the maneuverability and range needed to check their aggressive adversary. p Al