The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-03-23
FlIE CASTLE OF SAN JUAN Dull
LOA
VALENTINE.

While all arc unxiousIy waiting the re-
srI!t OF the anticipated attack on Vera Cruz
by the combined naval and military forces Of
the United States. many will read with in
icrcsl The account Of the successful bonn
bIrtt,cni OF the famous Castle of San Juan
dUlIoa. that guards The harbor Of Vera
CRUZ by the French, in November. 1875
The account of that achicvencnf,as PUBLISHED
at the time, will be found below:
On The morning If the 9Th The hnmh
vessel CIyclops and Vulc an were iowed by
the steamboats, as far as the middle OF The
shoals which bound Tire eastern side, where
they anchored. Thc Ncrcidc, commanded
lay the Admiral, the Gloric ami Iphigenic
took their places afterwards on The line. In
The meanwhile some ofihe Mexican rnvoyF
went on board tho Admirars vessel, and
sought 10 obtain rcSpi;-. Al p minutes
past two they lett the irisaIc. The signal To
prepare ipr HclI"u was Tivch al . minutes
past ;: the fire commenced. and continued
nearly iour hours without inicrmi~son.
The Prince &c Juiuvillc, unwilling 10 re
inlih an Idle spectator; asked PERMISSION 81
A :nird Baudn 90 lake Il parI in The actipn,
..nI without waiting for his reply, raised
HE ir-colurcd fla on b0lrd the Creole
discharged il LroaAsidc III the fntircsS, AMI
kept up for some time Il heavy fire. The
Creole was struck by several bullets. The
bomb shells effected most dreadful havoc
wilhia The fortress The situation OF the
Enwdcr magazine being known, shells were
thrown directly upon the spot Three Of
Them exploded with so much violence, thai
The decks of several of the French vessels, al
lie distance of more than mile. were
screwed with The fragments. Tie Cavalic-
70. one oiIhc strongest towers oil The fort.
exploded about ) o'clock. PM. The por
ions OF the tort demolished by the lrigatcs
were in a most depIordhIc condition, the
cmbrasurcs being entirely dismoulcd and
hlitcrcd to pieces. At O'Clock the guns OF
The Mcxicans were nearly al silenccd.
The irigatc La Gloric WIS then removed
hy the steamboat Mcic0re. The fire Of The
Two oth,r continued until nght'all. Just as
The lriraIc Admiral was about 10 set sail, Il
canoe approached from the fortress and de
mandcd truce, thai tho dead nd the
wounded who were buried under The ruins
might be Withdrawn. The Admiral replied
that he could not grant Il truce, but that Inc
would send Il summons 10 capilu,ate. and
1hat it were not signed by six O'CLOCK, A. NJ
Of the 18th. he would commence his attack OF
the fort and city. The terms of surrender
we're accepted, and al break Of day all The
boats OF the squadron we're sent 10 carry OF
the-est Ct the garrison, The surgeons o
fhe different vessels were likewise sent TO at
tend the wounded of the enemy, who were
subsequently removed 10 Vera Cruz.
la this acGep, which was continued two
hours and hail by two of Inc irIeates, ant
four by he third, eight thousand balls and
three hundred and twenty bombs were
thrown into the fortress. On the French
side ) men were killed. one of whom was {
midshipman, and % wounded, 2 Of whom
we're officers.
The Mexicans have suffered immensely
The Captain ofIhe Meteore. with whom We
conversed, gave us a touching description o
the carnage The shore was covered will
The dead and dying, and the Piteeus cries O
The latter were heard amid all the dir
and tumult of The battle.
In case this attack had proved unsuccrFs
full, force composed Of 500 marines and 3O'
.caunoneers was ready 10 assault the fort
and the steamboats, being furnished will
bridresto be cast upon the walls, the casil
would have been carried by assault.
We must not omit adding, that Throughout
this affair, the conduct of Admiral Baud
was IN arked by generosity. He ielraine
from firing upon The city, and though h
was strongly advised to attack the tort durini
the nioht, which would have given him a
immense advantage, he replied thathe woul
only fight the enemy in the day.
The other vessels belonging 10 the squad
ron took no share inthe action, as there wa
not roomcnough for their operations.