The Dermott news., 1914-04-30

While the battle that resulted IN the
taking OF Vera Cruz was not severe
one as battles OF the past have been
counted It was OF character TO test
the courage OF men who were called
upon TO face the steel jacketed bullets
OF foemen hidden behind walls and on
housetops. and before II was over Il
American sailors had paid for the vic
tory with their lives and another 80
were seriously wounded.
While the Me1icans suffered more
severely, the number OF their casual
ties has not been ascertained. but the
best estimates obtained by Capt VII
liam r Rush OF the battleship Florida
indicate that In the engagements OF
Tuesday and Wednesday their dead
amounted to about $50. No person
knows how many Mexicans fell
wounded. as q large part of them were
taken away and hidden by friends
Dead Lay in Streets.
In the streets about the plaza Thurs
day lay fifteen or twenty bodies,
majority OF them attired in citizens
clothing. Some OF the men evidently
had been dead since the engagement
OF Tuesday and the tropical heat
made their immediate disposal i'm
perative One OF the first orders given
after the town had been captured was
to bury the Mexican dead in trench
AT the sea end OF the streets leading
from the plaza.
When the city was taken the order
was given TO advance carefully and
search every building for men bearing
arms. Scores OF prisoners were taken.
most % them protesting volubly. many
Historically. that they We're not guilty
OF any unfrtendliness whatsoever
toward the Americans.
Expected to Be Executed.
Accustomed as the MeXtCans are 70
their own contending forces shooting
Immediately all prisoners taken, the
captured men could not but believe
that they would receive no less dras-
tic treatment at the hands Of the
Americans
The guns found in houses were
thrown By the marines and bluejack-
cts from the upper balconies OF the
houses t. the pavement below.
The most spirited action Of Wednes-
day vas the taking Of the naval aead-
envy Aside from that fight there WAS
no definite organized opposition en-
countered by the Americans
Americans Under 40, Fire.
A hot fire was poured into the ad.
vancin9 Americans from the naval col
lege. which for time held them back.
but a few well-directed shots from the
cruisers chester. San Francisco and
Prairie tore gaping holes ii the stone
walls and sileuced the rifle fire OF the
Mexicans inside The bluejackets
then were enabled TO proceed with the
task they had in hand.
a squad OF soldiers. despite the
sheling it had received Tuesday, con
t!nued to give considerable trouble To
the Americans from the Benito Juarez
tower After they had been sileneed
and removed from the tower it was
discovered that the soldiers had con
tinued aghting for lack OF ability TO
do anything else The shells from the
warships Tuesday had torn away the
stairway in the tower and the men
had been compelled To remain in II,
Mexicans Evacuate Hotel
It vas not until late Tuesday that
an IN
of the hotel received written orders
from outside the city to evacuate their
position The order was obeyed by u
portion of the 100 men who were oc-
cupvlnE the roof and vantage points
in the interior, but a small portion of
the band determined to dlsobey the
ord,-s of their superiors and fight TO
the last These men, however, surren-
dered Wednesday morning. a lieu
tenant who was in command Of the
MeNieaus was led out prisoner, and
although he had fought desperately,
ne trembled and turned pale in the
belief that he would be summary
executed.
None of the American women were
mistreated by the Mexicans during
their occupation of the building. A
few OF the women assisted the Next
cans in caring for their wounded
Old Tower Held.
In the fghting in the center of the
inner harbor, San Juan de Ulua, an
ancient stone fortress, flew the Next
can flag throughout the attack. The
commandment and 60 armed men and
30O workmen in the navy yard peered
from the embrasures at the Prairie,
lying 500 yards away, and the other
ships Smelling the naval academy. In
the dungeons remained 500 prisoners,
the echoes of the guns on the ships