The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-04-21

NSSAio"' VI SiAiolatiiS5 tllo Sloiy VI lholI
brethren at Monterey, by slaughtering our
men from behind the safe defences of thick
stone walls, and from the secure terraces of
the houses, it was no doubt disappointment
that the streets of Vera Cruz were not
made to run with the blood of innocent wo.
men and children, who would be Stained in
the inevitable confusion of the storming of
SO strong place. This was the ambition
Of Morales; but fortunately, the effective
ness of our shells brought the citizens to
their senses, and they united, as well as the
National Guard, in protesting against any
further resistance. Morales saved himself
from the chagrin of dcspotism by resigning,
and General Landero, second in command,
succeeded him-and he, with more wisdom
and regard for the lives of the people, prof
tered the capitulation of tho city. The dam
age eanddcstruction caused by our shells, cspc.
cially by those shot from the naval battery,
were awful indeed. The houses in Vera
Cruz are mostly built of coral rock, and yet
the PaiXhan shot would pass through as ma
ny of them as lay i'll their range: Those
which struck the roofs would pass through
two or three stories, and then burst, destroy
ing every thing around, and in some instan-
ccs actually throwing down the sides of the
houses.
The castle was not at all Injured: one
man was killed by a shell. This immense
fortifcation, covering eleven acres of ground,
was well supplied with ammunition. There
larger than any used by our army, and two
hundred of the finest guns in the world.
Many of these were made at Harper's Fer
ry, III this country, and some of them quaint,
old Spanish brass pieces, dated as far back
as 1921. The strength of this famous cas-
tic has not been exaggerated. 1t was just
remark of an officer Of the British fleet, in
reply to an inquiry of Com. Perry, whether
he thought it could be taken by naval
squadron, that "with thousand British or
American seamen or soldiers to man the
castle, it could blow to atoms all the na,ics
of the world, before they could make an i'm
preston on its walls" The city would
have been utterl untcnable without the cas-
tie. 1t could not have been occupied an
hour under fire from the castle. In taking
possession of this ratification, many valua-
bic Mexican documents, tending TO throw
some light upon the intentions of the Co
vcrnment, and others furnishing valuable
historical information respecting the castle,
and also relating the political history of the
officers. We look forward to their publica.
ton with no little curiosity and interest. All
the valuable provisions in the castle were
tilched by the storekeepers and suffers, who
lived within its walls.
The Matamoros flag gives the following
incident of the battle field at Buena Vista.
The heroes OF it are the veteran Mississip-
plans, under Col. jeff. Davis, and the hero
ic act is uncqual!ed in the annals of war
fare, and although no act could add to the
reputation of this gallant regiment, it serves
to show the stuff they are made Of Drs.
Bennett, of Covington, KY, and garrison,
of Port Gibson, Mississippi, stood sponsors
tall OF which they saw, and part of
which they were.''
The lst Mississippi regiment, under COM
mand of Col. Jefferson Davis, coated itself
over with immortal glory. Originally, it
numbered $50 some odd, but suddenly trans
ferrcd from the comforts and genial atmos-
phere at home, to the almost vertical sun of
Brazos Island, last August, disease made
trightful ravages among its men. What it
lost in this way, in conjunction with the
killed at Monterey, and those discharged in
consequence of wounds, reduced it to con.
siderably less than four hundred strong.
With this diminished force, (weakened still
more by the extraction of the Tombigby and
Carroll county companies which guarded
Gen. Taylor's tcnt,) this skeleton regiment
sustained, and repelled, with immense
slaughter, a charge of three times their
own number of Santa Annals best lancers.
The lancers first bore down upon the Indi-
ana regimcnt-we forget which one-and
dispersed it, The Missippians endeavored
to rally them, but before they could do so,
were in turn themselves charged. Colonel
Davis contrary to all customs, instead of
forming in a hollow square, stretched out
his men in the form of crotchet. The
lancers came up at q rapid gallop; but SO
perfectly astohished was, not only the chief
officer, but his men, also strangea mode Of
receiving charge Of cavalry, that they in
voluntarily halted. For a few seconds they
gazed upon the unruffled CONTINGENCIES Of