Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-09-24

"o, uurlug which two women shall be
grinding at the mill. and one shall be taken
and the other left" Il was SO in the be-
ienguered city Of Vera Cruz. Husbands
were killed in the presence of their wives
wives were cut down beside their hus-
oanos. Parents were made cbildless in q
Single moment-children of all ages were
suddenly left orphans. Dwellings were
burned or hurled to ruins, and thousands
VINO had been in comfortable circumstances
tiii now were compelled to wander through
the streets as homeless beggars.
And as the work Of destruction went on,
Ethose same streets presented an awful sight.
Here building would come crashing
down. perhaps killing or wounding some
| unfortunate passer, and totally blocking up
the way there the angry flames of an0th-
ers tanned by violent Dorther, would roar
x,ih fury, light up the scene with a ghast.
- glare, and threaten destruction 20 ALL
!. thousands were abroad. Of both sexes and
ddsges aud shrieks. Etd6ns, ana Iamen<
tations. mingliDg with the shaking ttun-
ders of the eDcircling batteries, the burst
ing bombs and crumbling buildings, COM
pleted scene of confusion, din and horror
to which no description can do Justice.
Provisions were now becoming scarce,
and many were suffering from hunger
Most of the bakeries had teeD DESTROYED,
and there was no bread for any. Little
children, whose fathers ard mothers had
been killed, were running with terror from
one place to another, crying as if their lit
tie hearts would break, and piteously beg
ging for protection and food of all they
met. Pale, almost frantic females, of high
and low degree, were seen beside the bloody
and maDgles corpses of fathers, husbands
and brothers, wriDging their hands 10 the
widest grief-or hurriedly stanching the
blood and binding up the wounds of others
still living-or running to and fro, carrying
little bundles, or little children, in their
arms-or leading some frightened group,
and valnly seeking some safe asylum, some
place of refuge from the surrounding hor-
rors. Here some bloody object would lay
neglected, with scattered brain there
one would be crawling along. and moaning
from the loss Of leg, or a wound from
which he was actually dying. Lrters were
constantly moving through the almost i'm
possible streets, some bearing the wound
ed, some the dying, and some the dead
which had expired on the way. Officers
dashed along, carrying orders and bringing
intelligence, and squads of soldiers and
groups of policemen were hurrying from
point to point. And still the thunders of
destruction went steadily on from the bat
teries on the land and the batteries on the
sea, and still Ulua, Santiago, San Jose,
San Fernando and Santa Barbara returned
the fire, ard still the stubborn Command
ante General and his council of officers re-
fused to surrender.
Let the mind picture the terrible scene,
continuing almost without interruption for
four days and four nights, with buildings
falling, houses burning, and part of the
time with a fierce norther blowing; men
women and children being everywhere
maDgled with no retreat, no place of safe.
ty, provisions becoming SO scarce that many
felt the pangs of starvation with no do
mestic fires lighted, with no moments Of
peaceful friendship for any; old and young
male and female, rich and poor, alike in
vOlved il one common ruin the dead I'M
buried the sick in many cases unattended
and the wounded uncared for property
ruined homes desolated, loving ties sun
! dered by death /; with no future to count on
and no hope in that future with bloody
chaos reigning around, and the roar and
crashing thuuders as of ruined world /;
let the mind picture all this destruction,
desOiatioD, horror and human agony, with
THOUSAND ranllncatl0nS ana Intricate de-
! tails, and some feeble and faint idea may
be formed of the bombardment of Vera
| Cruz.
At last, when human nature could bear
no more, the signal was given for cessa-
ton of hostilities, and every battery ceased
as if by magic, and the stiffness which ems
sued seemed in comparison like the still
ness of death, Negotiations commenced
between the opposing Generals, equalization
followed, and the American army. with
drums beating ard colors flying, marched
in with the proud step of coDquerors, aud
soon from every fort, battlement and tower,
the flag Of freedom, our own glorious star
spauGled banner, was flung to the breeze:
The hitherto supposed impregnable City Of
the True Cross had fallen-an ever con-
queriug army was within its walls.