Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-05-20
AN IDEA OF WAR.


FROM THE N y. GAZETTE AND TIMES
The trophies of war thus described in letter
from Vera Cruz TO the Auburn Advertiser The
writer presents truly and without exaggeration one
Of those scenes in the progress of war which Gen
TAYLOR says is "enough TO fill the achole land
with mourning:'
''Never had | beheld such destruction of proper
I ty. Scarcely house did pass that did not show
some great rent made by the bursting OF our bomb
shells. At almos, every house al which | passed
To examine the destruction occasioncd by those
| dreadful messengers OF death, some of the fam
/ iy-if the house did not happen to be deserted
would come TO the door, and inviting me 10 enter.
point out her property destroyed, and with ptiful
sigh eXclaim ''La bO,nbd, la b0mba' the bomb
! My heart ached for the poor creatures.
during my peregrnations came TO a lofty and
noble mansion, i'll which terrible bomb had explo-
ded, and laid the whole front of the house in ruins
| While was examining the awful havoc created.
a beautiful girl Of some seventeen came TO the door
and invited me into the house She pointed TO the
! furniture OF the mansion torn into fragments, and
the piles of rubbish lying around and informed me.
with her beautiful eyes filled with tears, that the
bomb had destroyed her father, mother. brother.
and two little sisters, and that she was now left in
the world alono o, war, war, who tell thy
/ horrors? Who can picture thy deformllies?
/ .'During the afternoon visited the hospital:
Here lay Upon frucbIe beds the mangled creatures
who had been wounded during the bomba rdment.
In one corner was 4 poor deceplt, bodridden wo-
man. her head white with the sorrows of seventy
years. One of ner wi:hered arms had been blown
OF by n fragment OF shell. In another place
might be seen nanmled creatures Of both sexes,
bruised and dsiigured Ivy the falling of the houses
and the bursting Of the shells. On the stone floor
lay i little child in a complete state of nudity.
with one of lis poor legs cut off just above the
knee! The apartment was filed with flies, that
seemed TO delight in the agonies of the miserable
creatures over whom they lowered. and the means
We're hearrending:
81 went abou; from cot 10 cot and attempted td
condole with the sufferers, by whom was invar
ably greeted with kind smile. Not even this a
bode Of wre,chedness had been exempt from the
accused scctirge Of war! bomb had descended
through the roof and after landing on the floor ex
ploded, sending some twenty already mangled
wretches to the ''slecp that knows waking"
elm the course Of the afternoon the army took
possession Of the city of Vera Cruz and the streets
were thronged with our troops After visiting
every thing worthy of note, at sunset returned on
board. having received lesson in the horrors Of
war which shall not soon forget.
Yours. truly, ''E. CURTISS HiNF."
The New York papers are filed with glowing
descriptions of the proceedings in that city ON the
anniversary of the battle of Pao Alto. The iIlu
minaton must have beona most magnificent and i'm
posing spectacle-The celebration took place on the
9TH nst.-and on the next day, the memory of the
gallant dead was honored with nournful tribute
Of respect. Flags displayed at lfrnast from.
sunrise till snnset,--the churcii-bells, which the
day before, rung merry peas. toed solemn rcqu
em-aud. as the New York Herald informs us,
'"every thing wore sombre and melancholy ap-
pearance, particularly in the early part of the day,
when the sun was obscured by masses of dark. lead
coored clouds, occasionally slight shower of rain
fell and il required no great stretch Of in,acina-
7 ton to think that Nature was weeping over the
loss Of some of her .'-Uhig.
0G- The IocofOcO party. alarmed at the over
whelmng popularity of Gen. Taylor. have been
f suddenly seized with an extraordinary sympathy
for Henry Clay, and accuse the Wings Of treating
him with unmerted neglect. Henry Clay is as
dear 10 the heart of every Wing in the lard AS he
ever was, and, there any probability Of his
lection, would command the undivided SURFACES %,
the Wing party lie Goes not need the sy m7at,y
of the Locojocos at the present time, having hac
the good fortune TO enjoy their hostility throuchou
l his whole public career.
Mrs. Clara NJ. Pike, widow of the gallant Iebe
hon Montgomery Pike, who was killed at the battle
Of Little York. IN Canada. at early period oP tho
= war Of 1912. died at her residence in Boone com
ty. Ky, on the 18th inst. in the 18th year Of he,
: age
) The organ at washington. after reviewing tbs
r field Of battle, says "Mr Polk is stronger now in
g Virginia than he was when he WAS elected :
This puts W. very much in mind Of Santa Anna
II dispatches to the Mexican Congress after lis dc
- feat at Buena Vista
IS Mr. Tyler. formerly Acting President Of tio I,
II States was in Richmond. whilst Mr.. Webster wa.
there and not being invited 70 the dinner gven q
IS Mr.. w. the Richmond Enquirer thinks il was
II slight 70 80 distinguished mcm5er Of ;bc RcPubj.
can party