Landing at Vera Cruz

their remaining troops, by ten o'clock, P. M. The whole army, (save a few straggling companies,) consisting of upwards of ten thousand men, were thus safely deposited on shore, without the slightest accident of any kind. The officers and seamen under my command, vied with each other on this occasion, in a zealous and energetic performance of their duty. I cannot but express to the department the great satisfaction I have derived from witnessing their efforts to contribute all in their power to the success of their more fortunate brethren of the army. The weather still continuing fine, to-day we were engaged in landing the artillery, horses, provisions, and other materiel. The steamer New Orleans, with the Louisiana regiment of volunteers, eight hundred strong, arrived most opportunely at Anton Lizardo, just as we had put ourselves in motion. She joined us, and her troops were landed with the rest."

"The brilliant scene," says the Rev. F. M. Taylor, in his new work, "The Broad Pennant," "the brilliant scene presented by the disembarkation of our army of twelve thousand men from the ships, so successfully and beautifully conducted, might well excite the admiration and claim the interested gaze of the beholders. The scene has never been equalled on the continent of America, and no disembarkation on record can have surpassed it for its successful accomplishment. It has been compared with the landing of the French expedition against Algiers, in 1830, which is said to have been one of the most complete armaments, in every respect, that ever left Europe. That expedition had been prepared with labour, attention, and experience; and nothing had been omitted to insure success, particularly in the means and

Description of Vera Cruz.

facilities for landing the troops. Its disembarkation took place in a wide bay, which was more favourable than an open beach directly on the ocean; and, as in the present instance, it was made without any resistance on the part of the enemy. Yet only nine thousand men were landed the first day, and thirty to forty lives were lost by accidents or upsetting of boats; whereas on the present occasion, twelve thousand were landed in one day without the slightest accident or loss of a single life. The great credit of this, of course belongs to the navy, under whose orders and arrangements, and by whose exertions it was effected, and reflects the highest credit on Commodore Conner, and the gallant officers and seamen belonging to the squadron.”

It may not be amiss, before proceeding to give an account of the siege, to subjoin a short extract from an article descriptive of Vera Cruz, from the New York Herald, the more especially as they serve to justify in some degree the opinion entertained by the Mexicans that it was impregnable.

“The fortifications consist of nine towers connected · together by means of a stone and mortar wall, which, however, is not very thick. The two towers named Santiago and Conception are the most important, as well from their size and strength, as from the fact that by their position they contribute much to the defense of the port. They are situated at that portion of the walls looking toward the castle of San Juan, and are distant from each other one thousand two hundred and seventy varas. The other towers, including the one called San Fernando, are almost equal in shape, size, and strength. All of them can mount one hundred pieces of artillery

4

Siege of Vera Cruz.

of various sizes; and save those of the middle ones, their fires all cross in front of the guard-houses, the external walls of which form part of the walls which surround the city.

Having completed the investment of the city, General Scott sent a summons to the commander to surrender, that Vera Cruz might be saved "from the imminent hazard of demolition-its gallant defenders from a useless effusion of blood, and its peaceful inhabitantswomen and children, inclusive-from the inevitable horrors of a triumphant assault." He offered in case the city and castle had separate commanders, and the former were surrendered, to agree not to fire a shot from the city upon the castle, unless the castle should previously fire upon the city. The answer to this summons was the announcement of the determination of Don Juan Morales to defend both the city and the castle to the last.

Seven ten-inch mortars being in battery, opened upon the city on the receipt of this reply, and the small vessels of the squadron approached to within a mile and an eighth of the city, and opened a fire upon it, which they continued until called off by the commodore on the succeeding day. On the 23d, three other mortars were added to the seven already at work; on the 24th another battery, commanded by officers of the navy, consisting of three thirty-two-pounders and three eight-inch Paixhan guns, all landed from the squadron, was opened with great activity. On the 25th, a new battery, mounting four twenty-four-pounders and two eight-inch Paixhan guns, was opened with great effect, making five batteries in awful activity. Such a terrible effect had

Surrender of Vera Cruz.

now been produced upon the city as to make its early fall inevitable. On the 24th, the consuls of the European powers sent a memorial to General Scott, asking for a truce, in order that neutrals and women and children might withdraw from the city. This request, preferred after they had despised the early warning of General Scott to retire, was of course refused.

On the morning of the 26th, General Landero, on whom General Morales had devolved the command, made overtures which resulted in a capitulation signed on the evening of that day. On the 29th of March, the flag of the United States was raised in triumph over the city and castle of Vera Cruz. There was one drawback to the joy felt on this occasion, regret for the loss of the brave and pious Captain John R. Vinton of the 3d artillery. General Scott writes on the 23d as follows: "Including the preparation and defense of the batteries, from the beginning- -now many days-and

* John R. Vinton, who had been brevetted a major at the time he fell, although without his knowledge of the promotion, was one of the most valuable officers in the army. He was educated at West Point, commissioned at seventeen, employed for several years on topographical duty on the Atlantic coast, and in Canada, adjutant under General Eustis, aid to General Brown, and having served with distinction in the Seminole war, and particularly at the battle near Lake Monroe, he finally raised his military reputation to the highest point at the siege of Monterey. Here he was with General Worth's division, and accompanied the troops as they passed so long under fire from the two heights, in the storming of those heights, the capture of the palace, and the subsequent street assault, where the soldiers dug through the walls of houses amid a continual fire of musketry from the house tops.

Vinton was not only highly distinguished as an officer, but he was profoundly learned, skilled in the fine arts, and a man of unquestionable piety.

Siege of Vera Cruz.

notwithstanding the heavy fire of the enemy, from city and castle-we have only had four or five men wounded, and one officer and one man killed, in or near the trenches. That officer was Captain John R. Vinton, of the United States 3d artillery, one of the most talented, accomplished, and effective members of the army, and who was highly distinguished in the brilliant operations at Monterey. He fell, last evening, in the trenches, where he was on duty as field and commanding officer, universally regretted. I have just attended his honoured remains to a soldier's grave-in full view of the enemy and within reach of his guns.

As soon as Commodore Perry perceived the land forces engaged, he ordered Captain Tatnall, with what is called the "Mosquito Fleet," consisting of the steamers Spitfire and Vixen, and five gun-boats, viz: Reefer, Bonita, Tampico, Falconer, and Petrel, to attack. Captain Tatnall inquired at what point he should engage? Commmodore Perry very emphatically replied, "Whereever you can do the most execution, sir." Accordingly the little fleet took position under a point of land known as the "Lime Kiln," about a mile from the city, where they were protected from a point blank shot of the castle. As soon as they got their position in line they opened a fire of round shot and shell at a rapid rate, and 'hrew them "handsomely" into the town and Fort Santiago.

The castle soon paid its respects to Captain Tatnall, and the powerful engines of havoc and destruction were now in full blast from every quarter, hurling their dread