The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-11-21
CNunlber 81
SAN JUAN D'ULLOA.

subjoiued minute description OF this Ia
nous castle: On the termination Of the
war with Spain; sfler the miserable re-
mains Of their garrison had been sent
of 10 H,vsns, went with Two compsn'
les over The castle Of San Juan D'Uilos.
Ii Itissttemendous place if al ell well
manned No wonder il held ou, So lonf.
Had il mol been for the raging OF the
yellow fever within ts wslls snd the
wan, Of provisions, the Mexlcsns wonId
nsvcr have taken it wilhoul naval
force very superior TO the ooe hey then
possessed. though hey never since hsd
10Y force co onpsresble to that one.
sThe outer walls Of the fortress ere of
,f imense thickness-UpwSrds oil twelve
/ feet; end in the positions most eX oseo,
| he walls ere seventeen or eighteen IN
| ijeplh Of solid white sione.-- L. IS
very poIous ond rather soft sloDe, so
that baIs do not spi, or crack !, SO
much ss they quietly embed themselves
| The ou;e1 we'll, have batteries sll round
he guns srs we'll planted. with here
| and there nest corner for mor,srTts
rnner wslls are go constructed, 'hst
he outer walls a:e gained, II would s;lI'
| be at slsughierous expense 10 besle"
aer., if the garrison were al sll compe-
lent to avail themselves Of their posi-
ion.
i We catered he fortress from below
1t The principal sste, Which w'so' great
Lfensrh, snd very ski fully con'rived;
md then went siongs stone passage
(which had several gatewsys, and 'cun-
!, lingly devised' nsiow pss'e'' win
,sb stone walls On eacn side. This was
l1y a canal, or mosr. with draw bridge
ver il. We mex. arrived a, q ghs OF
!, ,airs, and passing up several vault like
scents, we gained the top of the grsrd
+, batteries. The general characteristic is
:, hat Of great strength, sud plenty oil
i oon 10 work in.--Tney mounied l2o
ong "a FOUNDERS, sIl Of brass. Iney
we're, for the most psr', IN excellent
p ,oodiiion. The morlers were oil large
,.lbre, though moi in such good ordet
D !. he euns. The powder msgaz'nss
y we're each literally dry s'one we'll,
logged ., the top wi,b blsnke's. and
:? hsving q round metal lid over 'hs
mouth ,ha, ope ned upon the batteries.
= We next descended 10 the inner
!, works, and gained The secondary walls
sd|by a clrcuilous route. bf''des The ne-
aessty 10 toe beslegprs OF hsvlnggulde'
ioIwho well knew every torn OF the works
OF ne excitement and smoke are almost
rs ee.t,io 10 produce confusion, in which
al, he voice or presence Of lhe guides
o' would be losi, and the party dashlne
Al onward gh' only arrive At dead wall
r gap looking out upon the sea- or The
y mouth of "a pounner. The mex CIR
cui,ous route Of our descent from the
ooper 10 The lower walls was entirely
,. O their batrsGes, The guns < inning q
oil us all he way, Ike so many black 'usk
j., "a we travetsed stone causeways snC
ole barrow passes. Whole regiment
LED might here he ked down, stter the.
n had conquered the outer wslls Bu
he 'chances OF wsI' are numerous; soc
,ne impeI lection 10 the greatest powe
as N( otherwise perfect may render IT in
'oI' applicable, and perhaps ridiculous. Vi
oorI arriving at their inner batteries, W
IN Ilouod the guns ina wre'ehed condition
~" They were no better than . Chinese ei
Wv lec,, calculated 10 strike terror into III
mind. But one may Imagine how veT!
~ angry The subtle srchi'ec' OF This form
"a d.hle castle would have been could n
have seen his excdllenl arrangement
the safe and nearly certain deslruc'io
;.,a OF the ASSISTANTS lhus rendered soorlIV'
ian. .We now descended very wide en-
ON steep Argh' of stone stairs which lie
- naafla