Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-12-27

| We cppy the f'uo~ Ing account uf the at.
tos aud capture al the Castle oi San Juan
lie ut,.a. toy The French fleet, cornmun icat
t"ihe New Oiieans Bulletin, hv an officer
'i,hc U. ). revenue cutter Woodbury..
;. KEvENuE CUrrEm w WOODBURY..
December Z, 1898.
Having been an eye iiness Of the en-
.as-nIen tsbeiw cen the Castle IL ST. Juan de
Uii"A and the French biurkaiiny squadron
,"'ier the c'"nm,u,l 0f Rear A,.nuai G..
Bd"di", ~ Vera Cruz, l have penned The
hd',Ai"g account of the same, and " hich !
ha'e dn~tird :" yru i"r "bstev.r purpnse
"n may think pr"rer To make If il. 'fhe
2Uh day al November was fixed upon ioi
the fua' issue al the message Ia the aleNi
can Go,erEment from the French Admiral
According Io reports, in the morning u eau.
'ier had Arrived, bringing their answer !;
which was, War 10 the blade, AMI from
The blade Ia the h,t." During the morning
he F,rnrh squadron proceeded, with three
d"uinc banked i.igares. four sin"ps OF war,
as many bugs and hunh vcss, Is, and tnuk
their ia,si,i"n abreast 81 the Castle, wiihnut
any inirrrupiinn, AT shuu, one mile distant
HE weather. beng very fine, aud perfectly
calm.
a, hall pas, 9, u. NJ the homhardmenl
from the French fleet commented; al thai
instant The Mexican cuIos were h.isied ON
lie Castle, and the Il e promptly ,eiu,u-d..
The hra was cont inued 10y boil sides WITH
"II ce>saii"n ;Iil between The hours at 4 aud
0 L. NJ when the h",nhs fem the French
fleet having taken efleci, two severe expln.
s,"ns tn"k place ~ the Castle, which Ter
some time completely envelnpeh il in sm,uke
L Jl,ust M
which was situated IN the high
est battery, from which the waimest fire
wa| Kept up, was entirely demolished. The
other explosion took place IN the lower bat.
iefy, h"rying IN their ruins upwards OF 200
men, and di'mounting upnaId- OF 40 pie
ces at artillery, according To the accounts I
received from t"~n. The firing from both
sides continued until s o'clock, at which
'ims that fr"ln The Castle ceased.
The next morning 10y despatch from
town, we were iniurmed that The lass in the
Ca>iie was 4UU men killed aud wounded, a.
m""g "hon were 80 officers. The second
/" command of the Castle, CD. Celia, al the
battalion Albania, being among the number
k Ille;i
From The French squadron no authen,i.
'"i'rti'aiinn has teen iecen ed of their los
yei you may iorm an opinion when 1 as
sure you that the Iiigai- Jphigiuie alone re-
cei,ed upwards "i 100 'uun,i shot, acco,d
10y Ia The reI'nri at an "iIicrr al The Quilted
Sl"ies sl'"p "i war Ere, who visited the
+ rench admiral On the mofning alter tie
ac'I"n Dnri.g the night, flag was srni
from the Castle tn the French Admiral, de
tii''tiing cessation at hosiIliiirs, for the
PURPOSE OF extracting the bodies oi those
i'ird and wounded from the ruins caused t.,
the eSil,-i"n. The same morning heiweeu
he nj y
ieh The squadron, & proceeded Ia the C.s,Ie
The French having possession Of the Castle,
The town must either capItu!aie or he de-
sir"yrd nevertheless, II Is veil fortified in
all IT'S passages, every siIeet being hairicad>
rd. HE troops are numerous. aud apoear
Ia he in good spirits.
A officer Of French vessel Of war in
formed US that the Castle had capi,uI.tcJ
and tina, at II O'clock the French flag would
he boosted; which was accordingly done al |
o'clock, under a general salute from the
WI lie squadron, consisting 81 81 vessels Of
AL classes, Including TWO steam ships
se capiIulai"n says that the French are
in frn'ain IN ILs,r.sInn IT The Castle; the
.'i-Xi. an authorities retain toll possession of
The city, EXERCISING all their functions az
before; 1000 irnnps "ni, To remain, The bal
hnCe &" =" Iiiu the in,eiIor.
Was given i""nde's'"r that The French
Ad"i'a' had issued CIrcuiars 10 all Tie Cons
t"i- opening the l'"ii l" all Gags.
ie InierI'f nt the Castle AID almost all
he tower "n'ic ;es. are de>'i", I'd t., .heeX.
i'i">''">. aud The effect "i the n",nhs The
''nI>In'g t.! single bnnl. - - lbs de.
>iI"J'd ii,r "i.srts.i"I, a. ne mention
ed, has, ug nuini'-r ~ troop. 10 the ruins.
The Prince DE J IN, He Ia command -,
HE >ipop at war ''Cte"ie,' neh.,ea - u
'i"si gallant manner, which came un,.e.f my
imm-diat- observation, as | was ~ I,l.n pi--
i"l SHOT "f The French fleet " hen the BON.
tar !meht C"n,trenceh.
Thus has ihis celebrated Castle, hereto.
I"re dremrd ,mp'"gnable, ielhci 10 pet
" ioroe si;er 5 / 2 htuIs' totuharhmrnr
] he nunte: al shot fired from the French
-qradr"n IL said To lie upw ards Of 5000, aud
tom the Castle abrui 700
MR.. 81 EvENsoN AND MIR. o',oNNELL.