GENERAL WOOL AND THE CHIHUAHUA ROAD In 1846, General John Ellis Wool amassed an army of 3,400 troops in San Antonio to invade Chihuahua, Mexico. Departing from Camp Crockett crossing the Medina River and passing through Castroville and Quihi, Wool’s plans changed after receiving orders to support general Zachary Taylor’s forces in Saltillo, Mexico. General Wool’s original path to Chihuahua mirrored Mexican General Adrian Woll’s 1842 retreat to Mexico. Most of this route became the Chihuahua Road. Commercial trade in Castroville increased due to the town’s central location along the route, and it remained a major thoroughfare for westward travel because of its plentiful water for horses and mules.