The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-12
The c.pturs Of yer. Cruz.

arnle and SPLENDID testimony to the bravery of GU
,roops and to the eminent military accomplishments OF tn
leaders under whom they marched TO battle. But tn
reduction of the city and castle OF Vera Crz--at on
How long and carefully planned, and struck at last witt
instantaneous and absolute successseems to concentrate
INTO one memorable day the glories OF whole campaign
The achievement demonstrates in our government tht
ossession of military energies of the highest order
Amid ali the splendors of this great feat of arms, nothing
more enhances our triumph than that it has been effected
Ios, without loss This is the true glory of those who
manned and of those who executed the enterprise The
veteran and distinguished general his gallant officers and
diers who have accomplished it, have performed an
ohevement the memory OF which will last till the annals
81 war are no longer studied The administration which
concerted the expedition and prepared beforehand all the
COMPLICATED arrangements necessary thus to effect it by
combination of military and naval force at an immense
distance and on vast SCALE has forever settled the ques-
tien of the military efficiency OF our government
We are glad to perceive that before this great exploit
oven the spirit OF ptsanship seems, for the moment to
nsnd its work of detracton. The following we'll
,,tsl passages from the New York Evening Post ex.
usss we doubt not the unanimous sense of the pub
lie press:
Irnder the circumstances and in the manner with which
h ,r,,ck was made, could have resulted otherwise
n tha our loss should been small This was the
asonly sixy-fvo persons injured Had the seige
been proaced and obstinate, the number Of killed and
,,onnd ed would have been large
Tie more look into these imperfect details so much
,be more signal and brilliant the achievement appears Ii
we take INTO the quiet preparation and equip
nent of this powerful fleet and army their almost stimuli
t,neous arrival from different quarters the of action
,be skf Decentralization of twelve thousand without
The smallest accident, the investment of the city, and
speedy surrender OF one of the strongest castles world
10 our forces which had lost only sixyfve men, the
mise from first to last Will stand forth the history mod
rn nations unrivaed in the skulness of its management
or the comp leteness offs success
In addition to the official accounts which we have al
ready laid before readers collect from the New
Orleans papers received by last evenings mall the follow
np summary OF the events of the investment as given by
the correspon Tents of those papers, who present at
the scene which they describe:
From the N. O. Delta, April T.
Gen Scott having completed his entertainments on the
ed ut his line, miles in length, completely
rounding the city, opened his batteries consisting OF
morars;our ipounders, and two 0-inch howtzers, at
about o'clock the afternoon of that day. The city
and castle commenced firing shot and shell from the very
moment troops were discovered taking position and
the firing between both parties, from the time bate
res opened until the night of the 25th, heavy and
uninterrupted On the 25th, in particular, the damage
done TO the city immense. battery of two 81
FOUNDERS and four 6spounders from the squadron man
ned by seamen, and commanded by officers from the
squadron placed directly In the of the city
the evening of the 22d, and opened its fire the morn
ing OF the 23d This battery told with such powerful eff
feet that OF the twelve batteries of the enemy surround
ing the city, five directed to it without having the
least effect in dampnng the ardor of those who worked
it. 1t manned by one hundred and fifty seamen, and
ed every twenty hours, from the squadron, and
universally admitted that guns in whole line were
worked with better effect This, however, is not the
only participation of gallant navy in the siege On
the evening OF the 22d what is termed the Musquto feet
consisting of the steamers Sptre, Capt Tatnall, and
Vixen, Capt Sands, aud schooners Petrol, Lieut. Shaw;
Lieut. W. P Griffin; and Falcon. Lieut. Glasson; each
vessel having one heavy gun, and commanded by Capt
Tatna moved up from the anchorage at SACRIFICES, and
took position the extreme right OF lne close in
hnf md phnlI into
They retained this position until the morning OF the 23d,
when they got under way and stood within about
quarter OF mile OF the castle, at point to the north OF
the Washerwoman shoal, that both castle and city
within reach OF their guns. They remained in this
position during two three hours firing alternately into
the city and castle, and now outstanding its close proxmi
y to the castle, and the continued fire of shell and shot
IRON that point Of the enemys defences and from Fort
Santiago at the southern extremity OF the city, not life
was lost, wound received or one of the vessels in
jured
At the expiration OF two three hours the fleet was
recalled but during the period ii engaged did much
destruction TO the city, and annoyed the castle consdera
bly, by throwing shell into it.
During the 25th extremely violent norher blew,
and the fire on both sides was suspended during the
whole day, and from batteries on the 25th being
so destructive to the city, the people clamored for
surrender. Morales the governor having declared his
intention never to surrender while it was possible to fire
gum deposed, and Landero elected in his stead
and the morning OF the 27th flag of truce sent
with am offer TO surrender the city by itself, to which
Gen. Scott replied that he could take both city and castle.
and that he would accept only the surrender OF both
The flag of truce returned but during the day negotiations
were again opened by the enemy, which utmated in the
surrender OF both the city and the castle {!
Without entering into the details OF the terms, will
Tor the present be sulcien to state that the garsons,
numbering in all about four thousand men, surrendered
prisoners OF war; and the city and castle were delivered to
us on condition that they should be preserved their
present condition until the difficulties between the two
nations are settled bya treaty Of peace The troops de-
lvered up their arms. and were permitted TO retire into
the interior condition of serving against lis again
during the war
The Goth was fixed upon as the day upon which our
army should take possessions and the morning of that
day Gen. Scott, with Cen Worth and his DIVISION
compan'ed by the chief officers of the army and large
representation from the squadron, entered and took pos
session. the enemy at the same time marching AS
Inc American flag hoisted at the plaza, and San
Juan de Uoa, salues were fired simultaneously from the
Saste, the batteries OF the city and the squadron. Gen
scott Immediately took up his quarters in the Palace, and
invested Gen Worth with the command OF the city, as
signing al the same time the command OF the castle to
Col Beon that of Fort Jago at the southern extremity
the city, to Major Wright, and that of Fort Conception,
at lne northern extremity, TO Major Scott.
ne snaliness OF our loss during the siege is wonder
lul; including Captains Alburs and vnton, of the
my, and Mdshipman Shubrck, of the Missssipp-the
latter OF whom killed while employed in the naval
battery in the OF the city Our whole loss in killed
sonly II. and in wounded %. That of the enemys gar
General Valdez among the killed The loss among
e non-co nbaants has unfortunately been very great
Inc number of women and children Killed is variously
estimated at from 500 to 1900.
Inc enemy assigns a reason for the early capitua-
non desire TO spare the blood of non conbaants and
because they OF provisions both in the city and
1e castle Several of the inhabitants of the city stated
aler It's surrender that there months provisions
mee-oul however this may be, after the terms OF capt.
aaon had been agreed upon, General Scott, being
informed OF the scarcity OF provisions the city, sent in
-FOUR days provisions for their relief
Commodore Perry, during the siege, was extremely