Final answer:
The Mexican general did not send a specific message to General Zachary Taylor; however, President Polk seized a dispute between Taylor's troops and Mexican forces as a pretext to declare war, leading to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Mexican Cession.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mexican general in question did not send a specific message to General Zachary Taylor, but the context of the question likely refers to the diplomatic tensions and military conflict between the United States and Mexico before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War. Under President James K. Polk, the U.S. military had clear objectives aimed at expanding U.S. territory. General Zachary Taylor and his Army of the Center were crucial to these objectives, particularly the goal of taking control of northern Mexico. This strategic move led to a skirmish between forces under Taylor's command and a Mexican general patrolling the disputed territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande, which President Polk used as a pretext to declare war.
Furthermore, there was a historical incident involving the so-called Zimmerman Telegram during World War I, in which Germany sent a secret message to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the United States, offering support to help Mexico "reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona." However, this message was unrelated to General Zachary Taylor's actions during the Mexican-American War.
After the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 concluded the conflict, leading to the Mexican Cession, where Mexico ceded large portions of land to the U.S., including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states.