Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-04-17
GREAT TRIUMPH OF THE AMERICAN ARMS.

on the military annals OF our country. The for-
fled city Of Vera Cruz and the Castle of San Juan
d'Ulua one Of the strongest fortresses in the world
have surrendered to the American forces under
Major General WINFIELD SCoTT. Although the
character of that veteran and distinguished COM
mander, the strength and good appointment of his
forces, and the admirable judgment, combination,
and vigor with which his preliminary measures
had been taken, had inspired the strongest hopes of
his ultimate success, yet we were hardly prepared
for triumph SO prompt, SO brilliant SO complete,
and above all, with little sacrifice Of lie
side. This last circumstance makes the event pre-
eminently honorable and douby welcome to us.
But great we sorry to learn, was the carnage in
the Inflated city. This terrible carnage Gen ScoTT
with that humanity which is so distinguishing and
bright a trait in his character, sought in vain to
avoid, and gladly arrested the first moment that the
enemy gave him the power to do so. The public
press rings with praises of this signal victory, and
Of the skill and courage by which it has been achiev
ed Party enmity itself is forgotten in admira-
ton of those high attributes of Judgment perse
verance, and valor in the veteran commander whose
youthful sword gave victory to the arms of his
country thirty-three years ago, and whose life of
service is now crowned with an achievement of
such surprising splendor From the comments of
the press we will make but single extract, and
that from the New York Evening Post, (for such is
the rapidty with which science has furnished the
means of transmitting intelligence that have had
the news of this important event already returned
to us from that city, The Post, with great justice
and appropriateness, remarks follows:
The more we look into these imperfect details SO much
the signal and brilliant the achievement appears II
take consideration the quiet preparation and of
this powerful fleet and army their almost simultaneous arrival
from different quarters the seat of action the skfu dis
embakaion OF twelve thousand without the smallest
accident the investment OF the city, and the speedy surrender
of the strongest castles in the world to forces which
had lost only sxtyve men, the enterprise from first last
will stand forth in the history Of modern nations unvaed in
the kness of its management the completeness of its
success"
Instead OF crowding our paper with all the official
papers relating to this brilliant achievement which
the Department has laid before the public, we select
only such portion of them as give all the material
facts Of the bombardment, and the Terms of Ca
pitulaton; placing first in order, however, brief
summary of the operations that led 10 the results
which these papers communicate We deem it a
proper introduction to them, for which a Friend
who participated in the siege has placed under
obligations
On the 9th of March the troops dsembarked by the
navy, four thousand being thrown shore the first trip
which formed Immediately and drove in the light troops and
pckes of the enemy and took possession of magazine and
the hills around Vera Cruz
On the 18th the investment completed, and two
tars landed.
On the 18th ten twelve mortars landed.
On the 18th the trenches were opened at night
IN
p M. and, refusal, fire opened from NOR
tars, which afterwards increased nine
On the oath the navy, having landed battery from the
ships of three 32poundes and three 6spounder Paxhan
guns opened their fire in the morning The fire Of this bat
terry, from its superior weight Of metal and the destruction it
caused drew the fire Of Of the enemys bat
eries but without effect slenced three FORTS de-
moishng Of them entirely. II manned and worked
during the whole time by the officers and of the ships
On the 25th battery Of four 2ipounders and sinch
howiizers opened fire.
On the Goth the enemy commenced negotiations for
surrender.
On the 10Th possession was taken the city of Vera Cruz
and Castle Of San Juan Uua, the enemy marching out and
laying down their the combined forces Of the army
and navy. The American flag hosed in the and CASTLE
and sauted by the troops and ships.
The number Of prisoners had been ascerained but
estimated at 4,00O comprising, it supposed Of the
enemys best troops and many Of their officers The number
Of officers in the city and castle is supposed have been
generals ls colonels 81 lieutenant colones majors 90
captains, and $50 lieutenants
During the sixteen days intervening between the disem-
bakaon and the Of negotiations there
five days of violent norhers in which all landing of stores
&c. interrupted entirely and during the days Of
open trenches there days and nights in which il
impossible to undertake any works, even, 10y
clearing the trenches and batteries Of large quantities Of drift
sand, to arrest the accumulating damage
Our total loss in killed and wounded, from the 9th the
10Th Of March, is srty Of whom fourteen Of the
Navy engaged serving shore battery and yone of the
Army.
The officers killed are, Captain John r. Vnton, ID art
ley, Captain William Alburtis I'd infantry Midshipman
Thomas b. Shubrck, navy.
The officers wounded are Lieutenant Colonel Dickinson,
South Carolina volunteers, Lieut.. Augustus s. Baldwin,
navy, slightly Lieut. Deorier Davidson infantry, slight
y; Lieut. Lewis Nel 81 dragons, severelya doing we'll
From the 18th to the 18th, before our fire was opened all
the work done (mountng guns, making trenches &c)
performed under heavy fire Of shot and shells from the CASTLE
On the 26th there a heavy norher, in which twenty
six vessels shore, and several had to away their
mass Those which went ashore far regards the
sells and their cargoes Of Government Stores almost all total
losses Two that wrecked 10 the windwad Of the castle
said to have lost all hands.
w. al. ~