The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-05-08
SOME SIDELGHTS ON THE MEXICAN WAR
BY A VETERAN.

De'en captured four times before Uncl
Sam seized 1t on April Fl. Once it fel
to Gen. Winfield Scott, once to tn
alFed forces of France, England an,
spain, and twice to the buccaneers O
the Spanish Main.
know several men today who wer,
present at the siege of 1S47. 1t i.
probable none of these veterans of tn,
hrst Mexican struggle will see service
this time, although / have just seer
a letter from Brig. Gen. Horatio G
Gibson, U. S. A., retired, eightysever
years old, in which the venerable
nghter offers his sword to the stars
ana stripes and refers to Major Gen
Leonard Wood as sponsor for his
physical and mental ability. General
Gibson served through the Mexican,
civil and several Indian wars.
1t was March Z, 1S47, when the feet
bearing General Scott and his little
army appeared off Mexico's principal
seaport. The troops landed without
much trouble after the city had been
Dombarded, but 1t took sanguinary
Siege of thirteen days to capture the
oefenses. Trenches were dug and reg
ular operations conducted.
So our troops this time can com.
mence their march toward the capital
with much less Of handicap than
General SCOTS.
While the troubles of the United
States which eliminated in the Civil
war were brewing Mexico grew arro-
CANT to this country and to Europeans.
The browning insult was President
M1ramon's seizure of $500, 900 in specie
from the British consulate. Great
Britain, France, Spain and Prussia de-
cided to move. Meantime the great
Benito Juarez, the General Washing
ton OF Mexico, was conducting a re-
volt in the North. He overthrow Mira.
mon, but the foreign troops kept on
their way. On December IA, 1861.
Vera Cruz was seized by a Spanish
force under General Prim. The result
was the elevation of Macmillan to the
throne and, after the European troops
mad been withdrawn, the unfortunate
Austrian's execution,
The pirates, with force equal to a
respectable army, captured Vera Cruz
IN 1853. They burned, slew and
robbed for many days before they
were driven to their ships. In 1872
the notorious buccaneer kings, Lau.
rent and Van Horn, seized the port
and held it ten days. They killed hun. |
dreds of Mexicans, carried away WON. |
en- captive and did an immense
amount of damage.
To this day the nurse girl of Vera
Cruz, seeking to still the fretful child.
says: BE quiet or l will give you to
Van Horn"
Reparation for One Insult,
! was much amused by the ill.
informed If well-meaning persons who
cried out that Dictator Huerta had
given sufficient reparation for the in.
'ult to the flag at Tampico by his
neager and half.hearted apology.
From the files Of the navy depart.
nent have dug up a report from
commander ]. Blakely Creighton. U.
). NJ, commanding the Oneida. who
witnessed Japan's atonement for an
'nense against our blueiackets. 1t
eads:
Hiogo, Japan, March IA, 1851
Ion. Gideon Welles. Secretary Of the
United States Navy, Washington
}. C.-Sir: have the honor to com.
aonicate the particulars OF the execu.
lon OF the Japanese official Tati Ian. {
utaro, retainer Of the Matsdaira Bi.
en-, No Kami, who ordered his troops '
D fire on the foreigners at this place
n the fourth ultimo.
This execution was witnessed nv
le at the request of our minister Gen {
!. B. Van Valkenburgh, and was as
,llows:
left the legation at about 800
m. IN company with the officers at.
'ched to the foreign legations and =
roceeded to Hiogo, where we were
let by guard, who escorted us to
le temple where the execution was
take place. 8
There was large number of
'ople on each side of the street lead. o
g to the temple, and quite a mum. u,
y OF soldiers drawn up inside and -
'out the temple. We were shown :,
to room adjoining the Japanese -
ncials, where we were asked II we -
shed to question the person about =
be executed. to which we answered -
the negative. They also took the p
mes OF every Official present. -
After waiting about half an hour =,
were conducted by the japanese II,
icials into what appeared to be the y,
lncipal room of the temple, which "
10 lighted with candles, and in 8,
mt OF the altar was raised a plat. r.
m OF about a foot in height, which or
tended across the room and which In
Is placed on the right of the altar h,
thin a few feet of where the execu. W
n was to take place, with the japan. on
J officials on the loft