The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-01
SYSTEM OF NATIONAL DEFENCE,-ATTACK
ON SAN JUAN D'ULLOA.

| The able writer on National Defences, in the DC
] tober number OF the New York Review says ;-"The
following facts relative to the attack upon the Castle
of San Juan dUlloa, are drawn principally from the
report of French engineer officer, who one OF
| the expedition. When the plan of attack was form
ed all the French vessels towed into their POI
| sion, by two armed steamboats, belonging TO the
squadron. 1t lucky for us" says the reporter
that the Mexicans did not disturb this operation,
which lasted nearly two hours and that they permit
ted us to commence the fire. We were exposed to
the fire of one "a FOUNDER five 16 pounders seven IL
FOUNDERS, one FOUNDER, and five IL FOUNDER can
| nonades in all nineteen pieces only" If these be
| converted into "a FOUNDERS in proportion To the
weight of balls, the whole nineteen guns will be less
than twelve 81 Founders. And this estimate is too
great by full onethird, il allows three FOUNDERS
to be equal TO one "a FOUNDER, and each OF the 10
FOUNDER cannonades to be threefourhs the power OF
long "a FOUNDER, whereas, at the distance at when
the parties were engaged these small pieces were
nearly harmless The French force consisted of four
rigates 1873 guns, and two bombketches, each carry
| ing two heavy morars, During the action TWO
| of the powder magazines were blown up, by which
three of the nineteen guns on the water front OF the
castle were dsmounted thus reducing the land force
to less than equivalent of ten "a Founders. If we
estimate for only broadside of each ship we have
opposed to this number, floating force of "a guns
and four sea-mortars The principal damage in the
castle was, in all probability, occasoned by these
mortars. Not of the magazines were bomb
proof
"From the above mentioned report we learn that
the French were opposed by equivalent OF only
about one gun to nine; that the Mexican guns were
generally inefficient that their balls did not pass
through the sides OF the attacking frgates that the
principal injury sustained by the caste was produced
by the explosion of powder magazlnes, which were
injudciously placed and improperly secured that the
castle, though built OF very poor materials, was but
slightly injured by the French fire; that the Next
surrendered their works when but few of their
guns had been dsmounted, that, Notwithstanding all
the circumstances in favor Of the French their killed
and wounded in proportion 10 the guns acting galnst
them, upwards of four times great the loss
of the English at the battle of Trafalgar
eve have not before all the details Of the attack
upon the fortress of Acre but data enough have been
given to convince that no argument can be drawn
from il against the usually estimated superiority of
guns upon land. The English fleet that made the at
tack consisting of eight ships Of the line carrying 6i6
guns six frgates and soops carrying LAG guns, four
steamers, carrying S guns. and three other vessels,
whose force is given We do not know the ar
mament of the water front of this fort but from the
plans have SEEN it could have borne comparison
with the attacking force besides, the work was so
constructed that guns could not be depressed enough
to reach the main portion of the enemy's squadron
As in the preceding case, the principal loss which the
garrison sustained resulted from the explosion of pow
der magazines, which had been carelessly left expo
sed the arsenals were improperly constructed and,
moreover the gates eit Open In this case, also
the fortress was surrendered when its walls bad
tanned but little injury, and nearly all lis guns were
still effective