[NATIONAL GUARD]. MEXICO. LAWS (September 11, 1846). Ministerio de Relaciones Interiores y Exteriores [caption title]. Reglamento para organizar, armar y disciplinar la guardia nacional en los estados, distrito y territorios de la federacion. [Mexico City, 1846]. [16] pp. 8vo (21 x 14 cm), stitched. First and last leaves separating. Otherwise very fine.

First edition. Not in usual Mexican-American War sources.

Dated in type September 11, 1846. Establishes rules for organizing the national guard, including who is subject to being called, who is exempt, what their scope of actions might be, organization, etc. Such units were crucial to the Mexican army because of other problems the armed forces had. Many of the recruits were of low standing or, even worse, criminals and vagrants. Most of the units were ill-equipped and poorly trained. But at this point, things were getting somewhat desperate given the Mexican defeats at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey. Even with the urgency of the situation, many in the elite were very wary about arming those of the lower classes.