The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-06-29
ZETTE.
JALAPA, Mexico, May 10, ls47.


JALAPA, Mexico, May 10, lS47.
To tell you of the siege and capture of
Vera Cruz, or the battle of Cerro Gordo,
would be repeating thrice-told tale
You, no doubt, have felt proud, as an A
merican, of the increased glory to our
arms by the brilliant results of that day,
when less than l 200 men carried forti-
fed and almost inaccessible height of
1000 feet, defended by 5000 men and
six or eight pieces Of cannon. The i'm
mediate actors on that memorable day
who survived the bloody conflict were as
much astonished TO find themselves safely
masters Of the height as those of you in
the United States were that we reached
there at all. As you know the story,
will spare you the garrulousnese Of an old
soldier.
You are aware that the army followed
the dispersed and flying enemy until we
reached this lovely spot, and were right
glad 10 halt at the base, as it were, of the
Orizaba, view lis snow-capped peak, and
partake of all the Injuries that are COM
mon and abundant in tropical cities.-
Here, amidst hills and valleys teeming
with every luxury in the form OF fruits or
vegetables produced either north or south,
portion of the army have reposed for
the last month, and another portion, with
out halting, passed on to Perote, where
an officer in waiting politely handed over
the keys of the well known castle and
prison, with an invoice of munitions,
bowed, and followed the footsteps Of his
twice-whipped Excellency, who had ta-
ken less frequented road than the Grand
National which, by the by, is one of the
most costly, endaring national highways
that any country can boast of-bridges
sixty and seventy years old are as firm
and as strong as if finished but yesterday
"a monument of Spanish grandeur that
will be admired and talked of when Spain
is blotled from the map Of nations, and
her name. as it were, forgotten.
In the full tide of victory, and the coun-
try in dislnay at the terrible overthrow of
all their hopes at Cerro Gordo, the army
came TO dead halt for the want OF the
material of war = men and means OF
transportation for our subsistence. Here
$500 volunteers were sent back, as their
term of service expired in little over a
month.
Jalapa was to be garrisoned-Perote,
Puebla, and Mexico taken with about
eight or nine thousand men-one of these
cities numbering more than one hundred
thousand inhabitants! Trains had to go
and return frequently ere the remnant oil
our noble little army could advance
This was work Of time a partial sup
ply for this place and Perete, and to ac-
company the advancing forces, at last ar
rived. Ere this was accomplished the
advance took up the line of march for Pu-
ebla. not over three thousand men. Here
the Mexican Napoleon, with his re-col-
lected troops, and by forcing into service
those who had been parolcd under
pledge of their officers not again to bear
arms until exchanged, made feint at a
stand; and when four men had been
killed left the city, retreating on Mexico,
and our handful of men took possession
of one of the most splendid and beautiful
towns in the country, containing seventy
thousand inhabitants.
Thus things stand at present, and the
future TO my vision is gloomy in the ex-
treme. We are here cut off by the vomi-
to from our base oil operations; and alter
month the army in the field must de-
pend upon the country Tor subsistence,
and that army destined to fight at another
Cerro Gordo, with its numbers reduced
nearly one halfby the return OF voiun-
teers and the garrison left in the rear.
s SANTA ANNA, on retreating from Pueo-
la, it is said, will take up position at a
place called Rio Frio, where another bat
tie will undoubtedly be fought; and III
successful, there is still another at place
within two leagues OF the city. This is
asking great deal Of SIX or seven thou
sand men. They can do it, but the bles
blood of America must run in torrents
The cry now is, Victory or Death J"
We are dreadfully and most unfortu
mately crippled, alta moment when w
! want all our strength Thus it was las