The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-04-17

The Princeton smiled from Vera Cruz on
.,o 0gh uIt., and brings the glorious intelIl-
,,nce of the reduction of that City, with the
C,ale Juan dc Ulloa, and their unconditional
,nrrender 10 our arms.
We are indebted to one of the officers OF
,bc p for the following summary Of the pro-
.,cdings in this most brilliant achievement
,o"cheyement that will rebound more TO
%o glory our army and marine, among the
,.tons abroad, than any that has yet had
uoce in our annals.
The following is the narrative:
March 9-Disembarkution of troops COM
n menced. o., ..,-,
IStl-Trenches opened at night
52J-City summoned to surrender On
.oiIsoI7 mortars opened fire ofbomb shells.
\ onh-Nayy battery oftwec long 81 pound
.. md three GS Founders, PniXhan guns, OPP
led a fire in the morning--diStanc quo
N mrds.
\ 25lh-Anoher battery offour 81 Founders
and three mortars opened this day. The ma
yal lavcry opened breach in the walls Of
he rlG The fire was very destructive TO the
town.
Mh--Earlyi in the morning the enemy
proposed for n surrender.
Commissioners on the American side
Generals Worth and Pillow, aud Col. Totem.
27th-Negotiatons completed; City and
Castle surrendered; Mexican troops marched
ont and laid down their arms; American
troops occupied the city and batteries of the
Down and castle. At noon on that day, the
American ensign was hoised over both, and
was snuled by our vessels: the garrison, Of
about 1000 men laying down their arms as
g,l, Il Il
homes on parOle--fve generals, 60 superior
officers, and 270 company officers, being IA
mOng the prisoners.
the day of landing, March 9Th. is siXty-iive
persons killed and wounded. Officers killed
-Cap. John r. Vnton, I'd Artillery; Captain
AIbWtiS, I'd infantry; Midshipman II. b. Shu-
brick. Wounded-Leutenan Col Dicken-
sob, ofSouth Carolina volunteers, severely:
leutenant A. S. Baldwin,nayy sligh,ly;LieUt.
@oziI, ID infantry, slightly: Lieutenant
Lews Neil, I'd Dragons, severely. All the
wounded are doing well.
Ofthc MeXicans the slaughter is said to
have been Immense.
The commanding General was stationed in
the city, While the second in command held
the Castle.
Their regular force was about 5000, and
they had about the same ofirregulurs.
In the attack on the town and Castle, only
our smaller vessels, drawing not over nine
feet, were available: but few shot and shells
we're thrown into the Castle the attack being
mainly upon the town.
None of the enemy's missiles struck our
vessels, and Midshpman Shubrick who was
IiIIcd, was serving over a battery on shore.
With the loss ofthe city the hopes of the
cnemy fell, as they had not provisions enough
in the castle TO sustain protracted siege.
The Princeton is commanded by Captain
Engle. As she sailed from Vera Cruz, Com.
COnuer's flag was saIuted from the Castle
otSan Juan d'ulloa the Commodore is pas
senger on board. having been relieved by
Commodore Perry before the commencement
Corporations.
The New York papers give the following
additional particulars:
Col. Tolten, bearer of dispatches, arrived
at Washington on Saturday evening. A gen
arm1n who accompanied him from Mobile
informs the New York Journal ufCommcrCe
!uat there is no truth in the report OF Col
iiarneys engaging Il force of six to ten thou
Sald Mexican cavalry outside ofVeru Cruz.
loI. iiarney did however, with two or three
hundred dragons, engage and put to roul a.
bout twice that number ofthe enemy's cavnl-
N Gen. La Vega was not in command. In
other respects, the published statement is cor.
rect.
The informant further says, that during the
bombardment of Vera Cruz, between six and
seven hundred lives were destroyed, princi-
paIy Of women and children, by the shells
thrown into the city. Two shells struck the
rootot the government house. and penetrated
'othe cellar, where -four or five women of the
goyerhor's household had taken refuge,aIl of
whom were instantly killed The American
loss in killed was but twelve, including ollic-
ers and men-onIy one in u thousand The
quantity ofammunition captured in the town
ana castle was immense, greatly exceeding
Inc expectations Of our officers. The dispo-
'tion was quite general among the soldiers
who surrendered, to remain prisoners ofwar:
but Gen.Scott required their parol and march
ed them all out, officers and men, being una
hIe to provide them with subsistence as pris-
oners.
Tic line-of-battie ship Ohio, arrived while
me Commandment was in progress, and in the
ne'Snt oft, in broad day light, moved maes-
Hca,'y along, the stars and stripes f0unlng
w Tue breeze, within gunshot of the castle OF
Gan Juan, and not shot was fred at her,
sfg"'Iy to the disappointment of her officers
ana crew. who were eager TO participate in
we ray, but could not fire without orders,
GtlleSs to repel an attack upon their ship
Ien' Scott intended, two days after the capt.
uIat!on, to move one division OF his army into
sne interior, en- route for the city of Mexico,
ana orders had been issued to that effect.
LESSON. Cowardice and cruelty are
Always close allies. And of this general
u"'n' some recent incidents, afford peril
uelt and striking proof While our army
WAS WAS ehcnmped at Aqua Nueva, before the
% % OF huena Vista, young man named