Imperial Valley press., 1914-05-05

washing toii, ~. ~, hsy INV
fever-port of Vera Cruz had been
captured four times before Uncle Sam
seized it on April 81. Once it fell to
General Winfield Scott, once to the
allied forces of France, England and
Spain and twice to the buccaneers of
the Spanish Main.
know several men today who were
present at the siege of 1S47. 1t is
probable none of these veterans Oh
the first Mexican struggle will see
service this time, although / have
just seen letter from Brigadier- Cen
eral Horatio G. Gibson, U.S.A., retired,
eighty-seven years old, in which the
venerable fighter offers his sword to
the Stars and Stripes and refers to
Major General Leonard Wood as spon-
ser for his physical and mental abil-
ity. General Gibson served through
the Mexican, Civil and several In
dian wars.
1t was March 7, 1S47, when the fleet
bearing General Scott and his little
army appeared off Mexico's principal
seaport. The troops landed without
much trouble after the city had been
bombarded, but it took sanguinary
siege of thirteen days to capture the
defenses. Trenches were dug and
regular operations conducted.
So our troops this time commence
their march toward the capital with
much less of handicap than General
Scott's.
While the troubles of the United
States which eliminated in the Civil
War were brewing, Mexico grew ar
rogant to this country and to Europ-
cans.
The crowning insult was President
Miramon's seizure of $630,000 in spe-
cic 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 revolt
in the North. He overthrow Miramon,
but the foreign troops kept on their
way. On December IA, 1861, Vera
Cruz was seized by Spanish force
under General Prim. The result was
the elevation of MaXimilian to the
throne and, after the European troops
mad been withdrawn, the unfortunate
Austrian's execution.
Tie pirates with force equal to a
respectable army captured Vera Cruz
in 1888. They burned, slew and robbed
for many days before they were driv-
en- to their ships. In 1712 the notorious
buccaneer kings Laurent and Van
Horn seized the port and held it ten
days. They killed hundreds of Mexi-
cans, carried away women captives
and did an immense amount of dam
age.
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"
was much amused by the ill-in-
formed if well meaning persons who
cried out that Dictator Huerta hao
given sufficient reparation for the in
suit to the flag at Tampico by his
meagre and half hearted apology.
From the files of the Navy Depart
meng have dug up report from
Commander ]. Blakely Creighton, u.
S. N, commanding the Oneida. who
witnessed Japan's atonement for an
offense against our bluejackets. 1t
reads:
"Hiogo, Japan, March ID, 1868. Hon.
Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Unit
ed States Navy, Washington, D. c.
Sir: have the honor to communicate
the particulars of the execution Of
the japanese official Tati Zanzutaro,
retainer of the Matsdaira Bizen, No
Kami, who ordered his troops to fire
OI Ibc IOitiSHSio az tiiio Pi1SC VII
the 4th ultimo.
"This execution was witnessed By
me at the request of our Minister,
Gen. r. B. Van Valkenbergh, and is
as follows:
~ left the Legation at about 9 p. m.
in company with the officers attached
to the foreign legations and proceed
ed to Hiogo, where we were met by
a guard, who escorted us to the temple
where the execution was to take
place.
"There was large number of peo-
pie on each side of the street leading
to the temple, and quite a number
of soldiers drawn up inside and about
the temple. We were shown into 4
room adjoining the japanese officials
where we were asked if we wished
to question the person about to be