The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-12

Cruz not from the fear that he would impar I,
our forces important information in relation to the de
fences OF the city.
i From the Picayune. April A.
/ Especial correspondence of the Picayunel
/ LINES OPPOSITE VERA CRuz, March II, 1877,
o'clock, p. IN.
GENTLrMEs 1t would be wrong to say that there IS M
eus Surfing IN situation like this where between
around an enemys stronghold 1t will be long before .
similar event VIII occur and for the that are
ovey moment 10 be Witnessed they would if fully de
scrbed afford for daily blanket Sheets Lei a.
Sanc up some OF The outlines OF todays operations for in
soe' leaving thousand interesting items unchoncled.
Last night those who fortunate enough not 10 be on
na retired TO their blankets in the sand with every pros
peer OF good sleep but hardly they stretched
Speope do not uudess here) before tremendous norther
opened upon US blowing down tents and bnrying every
hng In the sand To illustrate the matter win tell YOU
how your humble found himself this morning.
Alter considerable labor soon after the wind the
succeeded In pinning down. that il could not
blow awaybut the sand could shut out covered
my head the blanket and went to sleep On endea "
orng kick of the covering this morning found il wa.
no go Tor was completely buried in sandat least
eet Our hail. ears and neeh tor the bane, ovsr o"
oe thrown y on during seep9 We're filed with sand.
post near the city, was killed to-day by fragment Of the
wall Knocked OIL by cannon ball Our neighbors the
icuary the ais asna ali dov our par
Two hundred shots, suppose, without doing other harm
nloars were taken TO the entertainments little after sun
syS nhd a Inc other guns viii be placed in bat
notice the genemen for they have been firing us for th
teen days and do not believe there is in the lines
who has not shell burst his head We will soon
shells. ~
Among the ordnance be used by us in the attack are
SIX cohorn moriars, made of brass and stamped with
crown and &c R"-ophes from the affair that came of
long time ago Saratoga They fitted into wooden
beds, each OF which is furnished with handles In an
assault they can be conveyed rapidly by hand the
walls, when they shells nio the town. Their
cabre Judging from appearances must b, about 5-nch
ii o'cloek, 2. m.-They seem to know in that our
people are planting the batteries Every and then they
open with ther howitzers, and then let volleys of
r5 Tier is considerable force Of Mesieans 10
dently ready TO strike when the bah opens IL.
LANES OPPOSITE VERA Cnuz March q, Isf7.
At2 o'clock, to-day, Captain johnson, ofthe Topo
graphical Engineers sent with white flag and letter
Gen. Scott, lminonng the town to surrender. This
measure, OF course, simply polite way of informing
frends in the city thai intended the COM
pents that had received during fifteen DAYS from
their batteries. Captain proceeded along the beach, with
interpreter and bugc unured the white flag the
walls and the bugle sounded in such SEES made
and provided, when several Mexican officers advanced and
the ranking officer received the letter. with the information
politely given that The reply must be returned within
hours. During his absence, Captain J. and three
Mexican officers seated themselves upon the white flag
hs sand tor n oa
upon matters and things in general AT the end of hour
Johnson in kind of afeconate sub rosa manner that
Gen. Morales would the Yankees DID before he would
think of giving up ''heroic Vera Cruz" Captain J.
exchanged the aectionae assurances of respect
and eternal friendship with the officers paying them in
chateau de limekn,' which hid him from their view be
fore of their batteries opened upon entertainments
At halt-past M our mortar batteries {seven lOinch
mortars and four 6nch cohoms) opened upon the
The first five six shells did explode properly but
uzes immediately arranged and of forty
has since failed The entrencment batteries
opened, the Mexcans commenced firing from the five city
batteries and from the castle and lis ouworks Their fire.
from mortar, howitzer and round shot, ncessan and
their shot fell like hail nPonour ntrenchments in few
moments the steamers pitiirc and Vixen, and five gun
boats, the whole under command of Capt. Taa, of the
navy ran in close TO the lnekin, and opened beautiful
fire with large Paixham upon the and castle.
Nothing could have been done more handsomely, and
were actually use) could have fred 50 often or with so
much effect at that distance large portion OF the shells
dark, when the gun-boats and ceased.
The fire of the enemy slackened shutdown. Our
the artillery, under Capt. vntoa, assisted by Leuts Van
vlet and Harry - Soon after our batteries opened,
posed position to Wines the edec, d our shells Major
remarked Capt ", with enthusiasm, as you pass the
duty accurately and he started and followed haltng
instant TO speak 10 Capt Blanchard and Lieut. Nichols,
under Major Scott, were the entrenchmens as sup
porting pry and just he had egained his position an
and him on The back Of the head and be fell dead upon his
back with his crossed upon his breast Thus fell
army could boast Of happened be present evening
when Gen. Worth informed him that he had had him de-
tailed for this post honor, and witnessed the pleasube
emotions with which he received this mark of confidence
from the brave officer whom he much admired and
again this evening when the sad of his death
reached Gen Worth who, deeply affected, after
deed his horse and visited the hents was sin
cercly attached to this noble officer do believe he had
enemy) and, with his other friends in the
my and in civil life gfieve deeply the loss which the
try, the army and society have sustained by his death
Morning of March 23.-Our played upon the city
all night every shell taking effect This morning Captain
Tntna, with his little eamersand gun boats, again OPEN
ed upon the enemys batteries and the city, and kept
from the castle proving for them The Mexicans
fired fast for awhile and have since continued pour in
occasional shots from their several batteries. Our
batteries keep their work regularly, the shell all falling
and bursting in the city Last night several large guns,
from the navy, taken round battery, and will
open the morning They will be worked by officers of
the navy. H.
Editorial correspondence Of the Pcayune.l
. .st- .asf3H4lf CAMP BEFORE VERA CRrz,
March 3D. 1919 o'clock, night
We have just had regular alarm and in camp,
all owing a report that 1000 Mexican cavalry
the lines into the city The at the quarermasers
department exciting and most mdcrous. Seven full
companies OF the odds and ends of campwagoncrs host
uenerhily and
no-were collected and armed and every preparation
made annihate the 1000 cavalry aforesaid but
enemy appeared, and the whole affair ended in less than
smoke. Isl
Another excitement which had some foundation, came
from the direction of the city. In way number of
small matched buildings the city walls, caught fire
about hour and what with the dyness OF the
the wind, immense sheet of bright Hae high in
the heavens The ud glare lit up every dome and trct
within the walls and for space the scene OF in
conceivable grandeur Some of the ignorant thought the
citizens were going to make a second Moscow OF Vera
Cruz-some tho1ght thing, another. The real
cause of the conhagraton is yet mystery. All is
dark and gloomy in the direction OF the city save when the
fuse shell, in its curvated flight, is by the
wachul locker
The officers the navy busy dragging their heavy
pieces up the battery prepared for tem working by
night well day trust they viii be ready TO open to-
Yours, &c., G w. H.