The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-25


Vera Cruz was surrounded by wall
ana further defended b. the strong
fortress Of San Juan dc Ulloa. hav-
Ing about 100 guns. General Morales
wae in command. with 5000 Mexican
troops.
rhe location OF the city Was such
that the Mexicans recognized the i'm
purtance OF its defense quite as much
as the Americans realized the desira-
pility or securing II as a point for re
Giving and distributing supplies In
one particular nature seemed - assist
tho Mexicans, Tor. the city being sit
uated in the TERRA Caliente, or not
belt tho American soldiers suffered
much from feverS and other malarial
d disorders. 10 which the MeNicnns. De
ing acclimated were IN measure
immune. yellow fever prevailed trcre
tho year around and was so common
tnat il was much more lightly thought
Of than in regions where IL occurs as
an occasional soourse. Tho soldiers
called II Yellow Jack. and unanimously
voted this bilious gentleman tho most
powerful defender Of V-rs Cruz
Tho oNloars. however. were inclined
10 think that Yellow Jack had a po,yo--
fnl ally In certain Mexican Laverag.
called nescal. name which the Amer
icar soldicrr Ansucized into rascal.
rom The fact that those who partoox
too freely 81 IL invariably developed
Tag OF such high order that th,y
wound up in tho suardhcusc. under
the tender r1ercies Of tho provost mar
shall
Mesesl is powerful intoxicant dis
''llsd from rulke the fermente.f juice ~
the Maguey plant tAEuave Americana
Of which there were vas, plantations in
Mexico The method Ct collecting tins
Juice al that time struck me as unique
and rather rnpslatable M ioubt T.,
ne present DAY It would be pronounced
hnsenitary as Veil II Was suck.1
through tube Ia tho mouth %. nA-
i've from All incision ia tho sap bear
irs7 organ ~ the plant. and the native.
having nllcd hts mouth 20 its Utmost
capacity cmpued It's contents into
pigskln vessel After being .errnent.d
y makes palstahla and refreshing
rink Il you dent happen 10 Do &C
%Hainted n'lih Its history.
General scott had collected about
900 mon for the siege aud had taken
Ais position short distance south OF
iAe citY captain Robert = Lee OF
m. United States Engineers CORPS. win
General Woods division had been *
rFsssly requested hy General scott TO
ioin MIN here. for mis- record OF bril-
liant achievements. both as military
'nsinesr and as daring soldier. had
already attracted much attention CAP.
tain Lee Mas intruStcd with tho work
~ establishing batteries and planning
the details u tho Siege Active worl,
vas begun about March :. and so
promptly and vigorously did Ice prose
G Atc MS labors that we began the BON.
nframent II tho city on March ~
ne siege terminated by the SURRENDER
az Vera Cruz, together With tho adm
cent fortiiica,ions on March 20 Cen
eral Scott gave credit where credit We
due. FOR hc rewarded Lees services by
according him fnvcrable mention {, nc
renort 81 the siege
Stonewall then known as r J Jack
son had been ordered To Join Cenerel
Taylors army i'm the valley OF No
Rio Grande az second lieutenant. lie
arrived too late tor the battles Of Paio
Nito' Resaca dc la Palma and Monterey.
and vas ordered 10 Join General Scott
before Vera Cruz Here he saw his nrst
active service and evinced at once those
Qualities which later 80 sreatly d's-
tinsuished him as soldier-invincibl
courage and endurance. Though under
IRE for the first time. he was rs calm
L.. the midst Of d hurricane OF bullets
IS though he were on dress parade
az West Point;
~ the siege of Vera cruz he com
D
which he displayed and the Judgment
with which he worked his guns at
tsactsd so much attention that hs was
promoted to first lieutenant
ScHrreSard. Of the class Of 50 was
one OF the younger officers 70 attiact
marked attention by his dashln.s cal-
lar,ry al the Siege of Vera Cruz. 10
was. at this time. a first lieitcuant
o. engineers. one instance recan
p1. fftI
prcmrtress Of decision remarkable N
s. young an officer.
Colonel To,ten had ordered hin, To
taEe party OF sappers and DIG gud
prepare a trench according to a nro-
Tile and plan which the colonel lad
already made. Pursuant TO these or
ders Lieutenant Beaurcgard took his
the ground. After careful scrutiny of
the indicated position. he discovered
grave objections to the work as
mapped out. He climbed n tree and
made careful reconnaissance with
marine glass which convinced him that
the trench. as planned would be en-
hladed by the enemys cannon.
Here was a difficult position Cor a
subaltern ministerial officer He de-
cided promptly. however. and returned
to headquarters without so much as
sticking a spade n Nle ground. The
colonel meeting him. expressed sur
prise that he had completed the work
so soon. Beauregard informed him that
he had not begun it.
Colonel Totten inquired why his
orders had not been carried out
Beaureguard explained. but the colonel
was at first inclined to be inaredulous.
lie insisted that the ground had beer
examined. that the reconnaissance was
perfect. The young lieutenant calmly
suggested that the reconnaissance of his
superior had not. like his, been made
from the top of tree. The colonel
finally concluded to make another ex-
animation. the result of which con-
firmed Beauregards Judgment The
plan was changed in accordance WITH
tho young leutenant's views. and the
: work done from those trenches is
lnrInnslu rAc0rdnd 1leinr,.