The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-03-10
FROM the Marion American.
1 he r metto giment,
Br oNE or THE rwo HUNpREp.
NO, l6.

am admonished by the lardin.s, viii,
"nT" my narrative proceeds, that, hay.
! been too mrnu,e and c,rcuu,s,.,,i.I j.,
"e'"''S' My narrative rs dragging 100
s'o",i " las Conclusion, and must be has.
'eheu hv niore rapid pace. To write
Il 'ui's would require a volume, and a
degree Ut leisure ~hlch | cannot p,,v
co"nand. This is written with y hast;
"eSs "h'ch sadly mars It's beauty, perf.c-
lon and accuracy. Ii is due To the Pal.
met'o Safe, aud her gallant regimen,
lnat MS history should be written, IN a
more solemn and enduring STYLE, than
th"se crude and careless chapters spriuu.
ing III hurried moments from tn. miJst
o' c"aoS aud confusion. Should ever
nave retose and leisure TO perf..rm this
Labor "t love-" | will discharge the
grateful duty. But now must exp.di,.
the end "t 'hcSe~chapters.
On the 29lh day of March the CITY of
Yer" C'uz an,: the castle ur Ciloa we're
surrendered /" our arms. It. WAS clear
'f'Sht calm day, succeeding a terrific
h"r'her Al ten o'clock the Mexican oar.
r's"" marc ed out to the plain Oh the
! south sue "t Nera Cruz, VIII ch WAS seI.c.
ted Tor the cerrnuny. Our arm, WAS
dr""n ny III long lines in open order, and
III the c""ire were two flags, planted in
The @ro""h. The stars an. stripes, the
eihu'em "i victory, aud white flag.
the "'n"i"rn OF reace aud mercy. The
Mexican garrison mum uterlng 5000 men
matched cut to the appointed spot, stack.
e.! Their armrs aud were then dismissed op
parole o' ':"nor. The Mexican officers
He"'ned deeply Inundated. The scene
WAS one oi thrilling interest. A deem
"ni re>perituI SILENCE prevailed during
the eui'ir crren"nv. Scarce "A word Was
spoken nnd not an act WAS done To- wound
The p'ide or the sensibrIi;y Of the Mcxi
chns. Not only wer. the courtesies ,f
war observed, bnt not word ar gesture
WAS Offered by our soldiers NJ this mor;i.
| hl"s >ceu", hui rather the sympathy of
generous NIct"rs. tor brave men ia ms.
tfn"r. i'e g"friSon had fought aud
S"ti"r"d with g-uuuue hcrul,m One
THOUSAND "t II em hnd fallen, hesiaes AN
"q'"l number uf ciI,Zeus and they had
N"'re"d"r"d nj Y when Tie call Of huu,.u.
ny sec'"d"'i III" C""vrr,ion "f d-;psir-
dad TIE, m":i ont three days longer the
Cny """ii have l.ern siorn.l. Tn.
| approach Ot rrniorccrneuts, and th. All.
p'oach ot greater enemy, the vomilo
made every day AN Object.
lhe MrA'can hngs were taken down
hy the GARRISON aud salulcl bv diSch.r-
EeS 1T artillery. la moment more up
ran tie banner Of the stars and slripes.
>aIu'ed hy the roar Of cannon, and the
wrlkiu rr'drug sh"urs oi our army.-
Words cannot describe the .hrill of pridc,
pa'r'''i>rr aud delight which the soldier
irelS IN foreign land, when he b.ho!ds
that starry ensign of his own country.
"lhe land Of the free and the home Of
| The brave
HAT flag which had strea,ned so gal.
'"ntI! III the p,rrlou. fight now Haunt.
ed as the s'g";;I ri victory over the second
strongest Caste III The wurii.
Jn't twenty DAYS after our first divs.
ION landed "e took possession ui the city
and the castle. The Mexican garrison
was sntir'img Tor food, and Gen. Scott
generously gave them 10000 ratious,
from th" stores Of our own army.
By the usage OF war, lie would have
he'd the garrison, except the Officers, in
close confinement rs prisoners of war,
but he MAS obliged 10y the Inconvenience
"i ieed;"g aud guarding them. TO let
them 20 upon parole. Many of them
broke i"r" parole, aud fought again ut
Ceoro Gor''e. but he could no, do other
w.e t"au ~ he did.
While the capture Of Vera Cruz was
on our Part brilliant acliev ement, vet It
iell bv tile folly and blindness OF lie Mex
,cans. Had Santa Anns marched To
Vera Cruz instead of Buens Vista. he
might have anticipated the arrival of
Scott, aud with 10000 men, he could
have defeated the descent upon that city.
/ nee'i not E'gne a settlement SO self e.i
dent AS ih's. To doubt il would betrav
n total ignorance of military operations.
Had he done 30, this campaign would
have determined IN disaster and disyrsc ce
IN ail probability NJ other attempt would
have been rnde towards the city 0, inte
'ror Of Mexico. the defensive policy Of Mr..
CsIhouu w"ud have prevailed, and 10
this day there would have been a state
Of war with Mexico. California would
not have been acquired, It's goId-fe,ds
not have been discovered, the compromise
Of 1850 uot have been passed, the X IN .
sas biii not passed, aud the Missouri Com.
promise not repealed. Buchanan would
no, have hrrn elected president no repub.
lIc"n party would have been in existence,
and hLndred other important events,
changing tie whole history of our coun.
Try would have been otherwise. Let no
one think ne nnciful in this opinion
All these are legitimate sequences of the
fall Oi Vera Cruz. Often hns 'he fate of
nations ana % the world hung upon the
event Of n single bsttle. The fate Of civ.
iIizstion was decided on the plain Of Mar
athnn, the fate Cf christianity upon the
plain Of Tours, and perhaps the liberty
"f these S;ates upon tue field Of York
town.