Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-04-16
4 R NJ Y N B " 8
From the n. o. Delta, March 5.
Another American Triumph!
VERA CRUZ ANH THE CASTLE
" - HA "N

til the Final Surrender--Disp Osition of
our Troops since the Surrender--The A
merican Flag hOisted on the Castle and
in the EXPERIMENTATION of the enemy,
with the Surrender of Arms, Ammu-
milton, &c.--The United States Army in
the Castle and Cify--Ceremony of Surren-
der--Severe Norther, sc.
Well-the great, the invincible Castle of
San Juan de Ulua has surrendered after FIVE
days bombardment! All the newspaper para
graphs-all the sage opinions of antiquated
commodores, and closet warriors-all the fear
ful predictions of nervous politicians have
proved, in this case, TO be mere fudge. The
U. S. steamship Princeton, Captain Engle,
which touched at the S. w. Pass on the morn
ing of the I'd inst, eightyrtwo hours from
Vera Cruz, brought Midshipman Stone, of the
Raritan, Mr.. Gideon. of the Potomac, and
Mr.. McIlvaine, captains clerk. Of the Prince
ton, who came up TO the city on the toWboat
Adriatc.
By the arrival of olr friend and correspon.
dent " Mustang" we are placed in posses
sion of the following highly interesting de-
tails -
Correspondence of the n o. Daily Delta
22d MARCH, 1847.
cold, and the days exceedingly warm, which
has excited the,apprehenson Of some in rela.
ton to yellow fever; but | made dIigent in.
quiry along the whole line, in relation to the
health of the army, and find that it was never
better.
All the government horses in the use of the
officers and other persons attached to the ar
my, have been ordered to be turned-in for the
nj Of
Der of whom have been left on foot by the
wreck of the Yazoo.
From the stubbornness of mule train con.
veylng the mortars to position last night, one
Of the mortars was dropped before it arrived
at its proper place. The Mexicans discovered
it, and continued during the night an uninter
rupted fire upon it, in hopes, l presume, o
killing some of our men, if they attempted K
remove it under cover Of the night.
At 10 o'clock to-day white flag was sen
into the city. The bearer of it conveyed
message from Maj. Gen. Scott, addressed tt
Gov. Morales, commander of the Mexican
forces. This message was formal summons
10 surrender the city of Vera Cruz and thu
Castle of San Juan de Ulua, without a resor
to any further defence, as the General-in
Chief of the American forces desired to avolc
any further bloodshed. Gov. Morales replies
in very digni6ed tone and style of language
in substance, thathe was sorry to be the caus
of unnecessary bloodshed and loss Of life, Blu
that he had high and important duty to per
form, involving the honor Of his army and tn
interest of his country, and that he would no
surrender until he had exhausted every mean
Of defence.
The Mexicans, during the forenoon, set fir
to several buildings, and cleared away tn
masks to some batteries they had not hithert
exposed, notwithstanding they have kept u
a constant firing on our entertainments du
ring the process of preparation, from the Cas-
tie, Fort, Santiago, and bastion front in tn
rear of the city.
The conferences between the belligerer
forces having concluded at Q o'clock, at
> the American batterey, consisting of only
= mortars. commenced the bumbardInent of TIT
city. The shells fell into the place after tn
few first fires, and exploded with as niue
precision as could have been desired. Til
city from one end to the other, soon becam
enveloped in cloud of smoke-the vivid an
lurld flashes of the artillery, flom their cit
batteries breaking through it at brief intervals
=, and report after report followed each other
quic!, succession, until after the dusk of tn
: evening had passed, when they com
paratively ceased. The round shot and shell
fell heavy and fast at the entertainments be
hind which our batteries were planted. Lol
isiana and kentucky were represented in tn
first fire upon the city, by volunteer comps
ny from each of those states. The former b
Capt. Blanchard's Phoenix company, actin
with 5h lntantry-the latter by Capt. Wi
llam's company, acting with 9th Infantry.
Rnmors were passing 10 and fro in doubl
quick time from headquarters to the man wit
the spy glass, who duly reported all he couI
: see, which was little else than fire, smoke an
dust, but then he had "a right to Think an
an official thought in the army is worth ii
opinions Of all the sensible men in it.
= Many OF the spectators, who were far
y nough in the rear to be out of danger then
selves, expressed strong fears that the gallal
= little band, who were there as guard to II
mortars, would be compelled to return; b.
the mass felt confident that no man wou
Y leave that spot with his life-that those me
+ wen: there to perform duty to their countr
and fully understanding and approaching the
position, would prefer leaving their lifele'
bodies on the ground to returning one inc
therefrom. The only term that ever can
known to such an army as We have here
: present, in the decision of battle, is victor
. -nota victory made up of "odds and ends"-
compromising and apology-but victor
that wiz rebound to the honor of the countr
and one that those who participate in ACHE
ing may look back upon, from the oscar al
t yellow leaf" of life, with pride.
c THE NAVY.
J. AS soon as Com. Perry perceived the Iar
n forces engaged, he ordered Capt. Tatnall, wi
what is called the " Musquito Fleet" consis
!. ing of the steamers Spitfire and Vixen, al
five gunboats, viz: Refer, Bonita, Tamp!c
Falcon, and Petrol, to attack. Capt. Tatna
inquired at what point he should engage
). Com. Perry very emphatically replied
Of Wherever you can do the most executio
d sir" Accordingly the little feet took pc;
ton under point of land known as the 'Lin
Kiln about mile from the city, where TIL
: were protected from point blank shot of t
Castle. AS soon as they got their position
r line they opened fire of round shot and she
10 at rapid rate, and threw them ''handsomel,
s. into the town and Fort Santiago.
The Castle soon paid its respects to CaE
Tatnaii, and the powerful engines of haV
- and destruction were now in full blast fro
every quarter, hurting their dreadful and dea
ly missiles into each others ranks III rap
succession, which they kept up until abo
dark, when the Mexican batteries compar
tiyeIy ceased, and the s. Musquito Fleet" al
- held off for the night.
At O'Clock the party titat we're in t
trenches were relieved by another detail. I
a troops who returned from the entrenchmer
Ar were literally covered with smoke and du
;. and so much disfgured that they could no:
| RECOGNISED except by their voic5s. Shell