The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-07 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

_
TIIIB DAY, Four o'clock.
The Arcole, Capt. !foodless, arrived in the Mersey
at an early hour yesterday, bringing New York papers
to the 14th ult., which complete the accounts pub-
lished by us yesterday from the New York Journal
of Commerce, of the 16th tilt.
General Scott having completed the investment of
Vera Cruz, summoned the city to surrender or. the 22nd
of March. The garrison having refused to comply, the
American batteries opened on the town. Owing to the
strong Norte which prevailed for five days, the naval
part of the armament was unable to take any effective
part in the operations. Upwards of thirty vessels are
mid to have been driven on shore. According to the
American statements, their bombardment told with
terrible effect; nearly one half of the city is repre-
sented as destroyed by the shells. On the 26th, the
Mexicans made overtures for surrender, and on the
evening of the 28th terms of capitulation were
agreed upon, of which the following is an abstract :
That the garrisons of the city and castle shall lay down
their arms as prisoners at war, officers retaining their arms;
that they should march out with the honours of air
saluting the flag of the city and castle from their owabli:
Wk., on striking them, at the moment the troops were rar-
rendering their arms; that the troops, regulars and irre-
gulars, should be dispersed ti their homes, upon patois
given by their own rolls, and by their own officers, not Mt
serve against the United States until duly exchanged, officers
giving at the same time their own parole for themselves indi-
vidually; that all public property of every descriptioa should
bmome the property of the United States that such por-
tions of the Mexican armament (of San Juan d'Ulloa) es
may not have been destroyed during the war, may be liable
to be restored by stipulations on the conclusion •f a do-
finitive treaty of peace • that private property is to be invite-
late, and not liable to'be taken without arrangement with
the owner ; that the religion of the inhabitants, its instito-
tions and ceremonies, arc solemnly guaranteed; that official
sod men under parole may remain in the city to settle pri-
vate affairs. not to exceed five days.
In fulfilment of these stipulations, the :genies&
troops marched out of the city on the morning of the
29th, and stacked their arms. The American columns
then advanced on each side of the Mexican line into
the town, and in a brief space the stripes and stare
waved over the city and the fort At the time of
concluding the capitulation. there were only five days'
provisions in the town, and as much ammunition as
might have served for five days. The American
Papers state that on the side of the Mexicans there
were about 1,000 killed, the greater proportion being
women and children. Their own loss they estimate
at 15 killed and 57 wounded.
The next movement contemplated by Gene-
ral Scott, is understood to be an attack upon
Alvarado. In 1825, so long as the Spaniards
retained possession of San Juan d'Ulloe, the trade of
Vera Cruz took refuge is Alvarado, which is situated
about twelve leagues to the S.R. of that city, at the
mouth of the Rio Alvarado. This transference lent a
transient importance to the place, which it lost as soon
as the Spanish troops were withdrawn. Recollection
of this circumstance may have induced General Scott
to take possession of Alvarado now as a neeensry
step to cut off all communication between the coast
and the interior. Operations, both by sea and land,
wore immediately to be commenced against it ; but the
General says in his despatch: " No lateral movement
however shall interfere with the joint movement to-
wards the capital."
General Taylor, however, seems scarcely prepared I
to take part in this joint movement. In his order of
the day issued after the battle of Buena Vista, he
states that whilst the main body of his army behaved
most gallantly, there were " not a few exceptions,"
consisting of runaways who fairly fled the field. Old
" rough and ready," in his quaint way, expresses a
hope that they may live to fight better another time.
In the north of Mexico, Colonel Doniphan is stated
to have taken possession of Chihuahua. The reports
from New Mexico are contradictory : according to
some, the insurrectionary movement of the natives
had been repressed; according to others, the Ame-
ricans continued to be harassed by a murderous
partisan warfare.
The intelligence respecting the interior of Mexico,
and the Mexican forces and government, is sufficiently
vague, and rods exclusively on private communica-
tions. A Spanish journal, at New Orleans, inserted
in its publication of 6th April, a letter, dated Tampico,
March 24, of which the following is an extract :
Private letters from the capital, written on the night of
the 18th, state that Gen. Santa Anna has just arrived in that
city. It is also stated that the revolution against the salmi.
nistratisn of Gomez Ferias had at length been terminated in
a favourable manner to the government, and that Gins.
Pen, Barragan, and Sales, who were the heath of the oppo-
sition to Gomez Ferias, had been shot. I do not know if
this last information be correct. We are anxiously awaiting
the mail to confirm or negative the report.