Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-11-19
geraps If Distotgg y
From the Marion American.

-, From the Marion American. ...
THE PALMRFToEs IN MEXICO.
& BY oNEsoF THE TWO HUNDRED.
- NEW sERlEs-So. Y
,..Haye,ye sharpened your swords for the battle
And the morn of the conflicts breaking "
s--On tAe evening ofsthe 9Th of March 1916,
sixty ships lad moored at the rendezvous, at
Anton i.izardo, ten miles south OF Vera
Cruz. Gen. Scott had been delayed three
weeks beyond his expectations, and tor an
ent;,s month the Vera Cruzans had expect,
ed our arrival every day. TWAS indispen,
sable to the health of the army, and to the
success Of any advance into the interior that
Vera Cruz should be taken, by the lst OF
Nav. and the army advanced as far as sew
epty miles into the interior, where the "table
lands'saford security from the yellow fever
Not day was to be lost, and at once prepa-
jrti jrrations,s rlr,s were made for landing
,,Tbe weather was mild, and beautiful. Our
ships were about two miles from land. We
could distinctly see the Mcxicans at the lit
tie rancho of. Anton Lizardo, and see horse
men riding along the beech Before us
spread out a brilliant and picturesque pano-
rarnie view of the interior. Just above the
beach rose range of hills covered with, the
dense chaparrel far beyond them stretched
out a chequered champaigne, rising gradual
" to mountain peaks and beyond all a hun
dred miles distant rose the snow-capped peak
Of Orizaba, its frigid snow-hetds glistening
in the bright rays of au uuclouded sun: on
the south rose up the blue mountain caps oil
Yucatan. which reflected the waves of the
blne.naeifc. Ten miles to the north rose the
tall and glittering church-spires OF Vera
Cruz, its red walls, its frowning battlements,
and its mountain sand-hills. A thousand
wards out in the gulf, stood the grim castle
Of San Juan de Ulloa, guarding like huge
Cerberus, the water-gate to the city. Just
out of reach of the guns Of the castle our
-bloekading squadron was lying at anchor.-
In the bay were few merchant ships Of
neutral nations, and armed ships of France,
England, Spain, and Belgium. The 9th Of
March was mild and lovely day 1t was,
believe, the christian sabbath, and it was
natures sabbath too The tropical sky was
without a cloud; the gulf was still, and un'
ruffed by wave; there was all around
solemn stiffness. Nature herself seemed
awed and hushed at the contemplation oi
what man was about to dc.
On the 7th the expedition came very neal
being thwarted by an accident, which would
have left the army without a General ofhcer'
Gen. Scott assembled all his Generals,
Patterson, Pillow, Quitman, Worth, Shields,
and Cadwallader, on board small steamer,
and made a trip of reconnaissance around the
city and castle. Venturing too rashly with
in range of the guns sof the castle, number
of shells were thrown at the little vessel, and
from the explosion Of two of them, she mar.
rowly escaped destruction. y single shell
might have sent her to the bottom, and all
the Generals with her. Such disaster
would have spread confusion and dlsm*y
through the army, and most probably have
caused the expedition to be abandoned;
disaster from which fortune rescued US, lr
spite of the indiscreet temerity Of our Gen
eral. There need not have been such an ac
commandment on reconnaissance; nor II
fact was it necessary that Gen. Scott shoulc
perform such duty in person.
The gallant little Steamer, came BACK t(
Anton Lizardo safe and sound, with ''al
aboard" and was heartily cheercd by th'
army. w., a.
On the 9Th, the troops were put on boart
the naval vessels and transports, and tn
landing would have been effectedon that day
but was postponed on account OF an apprc
hended norther. x,
Early on the morning of the 9th the lice
of transports, under the armed escort OF seV
eral of our naval vessels spread their canvas
and bore up to the city. 1t was a grand
cav, and animated scene The decks OF al
the vessels were crowded with soldiers ant
spectators,-eager to see every movement
and every moment expecting to hear th'
guns of the Castle, or a masked battery OF
the beach open on u.s. We bore up bravel.
towards the castle, and the cannoniers stoot
by their guns with lighted fires, ready tt
belch out their fury upon US. But havin!
come within four miles of the castle, ou
ships suddenly changed their course, ant
anchored behind the little Island of Sacrlti
clos. which was three miles from the city o
castle. 1t was the best point for the landing
being just beyond reach of the enemy
guns. -,
The fleet anchored about thousand yard
from the beach. We certainly looked TO