"C"
FROM MEXICO?
Vera Cruz papers from the 15th February
to the 9th of March, have been received at
the Navy Department, from which the
Union takes several extracts.
In the City of Mexico, at the latest dates,
anarchy and civil war appeared to be prevailing.
The "Diario, of March 5th says.?
t{ The firing continued yesterday between
the troops of the Government and the insur
ssurgcius irom meir respective positions ?
It was violent between the Cathedral and
La Profesa, and between San Fiancisco
and Hospital de Terceros.
"It is stated that yesterday a column of
the Government troops respectively attacked
San Diego, and another column Li Profesa,
and another San Domingo, and retired
with small loss.
The belligerent forces, it seems, have not
suffered much. The greater part of the
killed and wounded were among the people
passing along the streets."
A session of Congress had been summnnpil
llllt hnivl It.* mnrntliiin n It ?f otcnmVvlii.l
who fiiccd the dangei of the "bulls which
were flying in all directions. It was resolved
to adjourn to the National Academy of
Fine Arts, where the meeting took place
on the 4'li uIt.,but there was still no quorum.
The Governor of Pueblo has offered its
resources and tho troops belonging to it,
to sustain the Government against the
pronunciamenlo of the national guard of this
capital. The same ofllr has been made by
Senor Olnguibel, Governor of the State of
Mexico, who, in addition, odors an asylum
in the capital of that State, or any of its
towns, to the supreme authorities of the nation.
On the 4th uIt. the general-in-chief of the
insurgent troops, Don Matins Pena y Barragan,
published a proclamation, in which
he acknowledges Gen. Santa Anna as president
of the Republic, declares null an !
void all contracts which have been or rnny
be made by the Government since the 27th
of February, and that all who shall pay any
sums to it shall be required to repeat the
payment: it declares null also employment
or promotions which m.iy be granted by
the Government, as likewise the penalties
which it may decree against individuals in
public employment, who have taken part
in the insurrection.
"La Prensa" the paper published in Jaiapa
calls the pronunciamento which took
place in Mexico on the nifflit of the 2Gth
ultimo, " the most scandalous event which
could have occurred to heighten the scene
of detestable commotion, thanks to which
th ?se fatal men of revolutions have succeeded
so often in placing the country on ihe
brink of an abyss." It says that the government
is supported by the greater part
of the garrison o' Mexico, while the lorce
of the former consists only of the regiments
Independencia and Hidalgo, the battalion
Victoria, and part of the corps of Mina, of
sappers, and of Cachieomula.
On the 15th February the people^and
military of Oaxaca pronounced against the
Government of Serior Arteaga, who had
shown himself very zealous in carrying out
the law relating to church property. The
" pronunciamenlo" was successful, and the
Government of A tteaga overthrown, after
some little bloodshed. The people insist
-f. I--. I I .1- T '--..I
tiiui me iavv ui 111 u i liu j.-iriuary ?ue
church properly sh-iII not be executed.
The State of Puebla has passed tlie following
decrees, viz:
1. The general Congress shall be petitioned
to revoke the decree in relation to
church prepcrty.
2. No Jaw or regulation looking to the
disposition of the church property shall be
executed.
3 The State protests against raising the
u extraordinary contingent" imposed upon
it, in proportion to its resources.
The Indicador of the 24th of February
has a pnragrnph to the fallowing eflVct:?
"SenorSuasez Iriarte has resigned his office
aa Minister of Finance. Having now no
Minister of Finance, of Foreign Relations,
or of War and Murine, it may be said we
are without a Government.
Incidents at Bucna Vista.
We yesterday conversed '(says the Delta)
f with a gentleman, who was present at the
battle of Buena Vi3ta. In addition to the
facts already published, he related to us
much interesting memoranda.
The coolness and bravery of the Mississippi
and Illinois valunteers, were, he say?,
beyond alTpraise. While .fifthting in line.
' the front rank knelt on one knee, taking deliberate
aim, and doing dedly execution.
Colonel Bevvies, of the 21 Indiana regiment,
finding that his men faltered early in
the action on the 23d, withdrew from them
in disgust, and taking a rifle joined the Mississippi
regiment in the thickest of the fight.
It is due to the Indiana regiment, however,
to that they subsequently rallied, appealed
to as they were by Captain Lincoln
and others, and fought bravely.
THa thrAA mini ttrWrtli flin Mn?!non? ???!
Were only yielded by Lieut.
desperate ^si?tance. i jwo ofa
were killed?the carriage wheJB
them were brokeh-^dnd the ml
the guris were all, but one sjBfljlifr^agfc
down. Gen. Taylor, compliraMi^||ig
O'Brien on the field for his brrBL^^^^v^j
Captain Washington's bat?
^st^orable po-ition.^ It
grape," says old Rough and Ready, " and
that will secure their safety." Bragg tried
me prescription, ana touna it to have the
best effect.
Colonel Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi,
is idolized by his regiment; and, as one of
them said, he would lead them to h?1. Believing
that on the 24,there would be a fight,
and being unable to walk on account of the
would in his foot, ho ordered that he be carried
out to their head in a waggon.
Colonel Yell, as we have already told our
readers, was lanced to death. His horse
j became restive, his bridle broke, and he
! carried him into the midst of the enemy,
where a latice pierced him through the head.
Colonel Harden, before being killed,captured
a flag from the enemy, which, with
I his horse, he requested should be sent home
i as a last memento to his wife.
Nothiri" rnnlrl ronfrnttt mnro stMinff.
! n ? > ? _ " ""o |
ly than the humanity of the American sol- j
; tlicrs and the cowardly ferocity and roguish !
' propensity of* the Mexicans. The Ameri- j
| cans shared their biscuit and water with the j
wounded Mexicans, and were often seen to |
Jay them in a position least painful to them, j
The Mexicans on the contrary, cowardly
killed our wounded men when they met
; them, as in ihe case of Col. Clay, they strip- j
ped and rohbed several of our officers and
, many of their own.
! Among the prisoners takon were two who ,
! were deserters from our ranks. They were
brought before General Taylor who order
eel the wretches to be drummed out beyond
the lines. Such rascals, he said, might do
for Santa Anna?they-would not suit him?
1 and it would be wasting powder and shot to
shoot them. They were therefore drummed
to the tune of the Rogue's March.
' A bullet having passed through the breast
of General Taylor's jacket, lie re marked
that the balls were becoming excited.
Tlic Asiatic Cholera.
The distresses of Europe are causing us
to forget the scourge of Asia. The famine
in Ireland and Scotland seems to be almost
at our very elbows. Men, women, and
children, speaking the s ime language with
ourselves, are dying by thousands for lack
of bread. And the end is not yet. Without
the merciful interposition of Providence,
iins work or death may go on for months
Let there be another harvest lilce the last
and who will venture to foretell the scene,
of the coming year?
But let us turn for u moment to Central
Asia, and watch the progress, slow but resistless,
of the Icing of terrors in another
form. Early in 1846 it was announced
that the cholera had commenced its raga'
gi-s in Khorasan, the eastern province of
Persia. About mid-summer it reached
Teheran, where u swept ofr ten thousand
souls in a few weeks. Going out from this
centre of influence and power with a divided
force, as from a conquered capital, it
4 ? I . . I A 1 V 1 1
iuuu iiju gre.n ruuus norm, soum, ana west,
spreading dissolution and woalonijitscourje.
Soon it lays Ispahan under contribution?
Bagdad is compelled to yield up seven
thousand of its inhabitants; and in the
whole pishalic thirty thousand fell before
! their n-lentles? foe. Tabreez_ was spared
; till the 7th of October ; but then it paid
: dearly for its reprieve. In lorty days nearly
seven thousand souls were hurried to the
I grave. Three weeks later, Oroomiah was
smitten by the hand of the same fell dcj
stroyer ; and two thousand persons shortly
! became the trophies ot his power.
i H<-re the disease was stayed in its west- :
; ward progress by the mountains ofKnor- |
j distan , but with the ready skill of an able
general, it changed its lino of march and
; proceeded south, scattering its deadly ar|
rows on every side, and threatning very
i soon to find a practicable pass to Asia
I Mwior and Europe. Indeed, in watching
; the ad vance of this formidiable enemy, we
| have been constantly reminded of the tac- j
tics of war. It is careful to seize the groat !
roads for its lines of communications. It ;
moves forward with a solemn and measured |
tramp, as if in no haste, and yet sure of
success. It attacks the great centres of
business, as being the strong points which
are in no case to be left unassuiled. When
i it enters the walls of a populous city, it
moves al.m'j, from street to street, and ward
to ward, as if treading upon the rear of a
slowly .retreating foe. In about forty days
its works is done, and ii emerges once more
into the open country, and pursues its appointed
journey.
And whither is it tending ? Will it pause
upon the sultrc plains of Mosul ? YVill it
stop its career of conquest under the walls
of old Byzantium? Or will it sweep over
Europe, finishing the sad work which famine
has begun? And for us there is another
question, more interesting still. Will
the broad Atlantic arrest the march of this
dreadful foe? In 1832 it proved to be no
barrier. Will it avail us now? These
enauiriesare not nronoundpd with tho vipiu
of exciting: premature and groundless fears;
but rather th it we may look the danger in
I the face, ascertain its nature and extent,
jtnd do whatever true wisdom may enjoin.
I Boston Traveller. v
.1
f
k
I
t*
i
? i) $ INJf? H,
ABBEVILLE C. H., S. C.
Wednesday, April 14, 1817.
Coltou market.
Charleston April the 2d from 10 to 12
1-2. Hamburg, Apr'l 2d, from 10 to
11 3-4 cts.
JCr* Mrs. White will accept our thanks
for the mess of Green Peas sent us, the first
we have seen this season.
From Vera Cruz.
We have devoted much of our paper this
week, to news from the Volunteers, which
we are certain will be read with interest.
It appears that the loss of the Americans in
the bombardment of Vera Cruz, was only
7 killed aryl 58 wounded, none of our company
have received a wound. The breach
was made in the S. E. part of the wall in
i Gen. Quitman's division, by the Naval battery.
Col. Harney did not attack La Vega
as it was reported, but a body of 300 rancheros,
which he dispersed with considerable
slaughter. Gen. Scott will march im
j mediately upon city of Mexico. Gen Q,uitman's
Brigade was to have left on the 30th
, ult. for Alvarado, Our legiment is in this
: brigade.
I
j The Mexican loss is said to be 500 many
of whom nre women and children. Great
injury was done to the city.
Important from Santa Fe.
The following exciting information is
contained in a slip from the Independence
Expositor, of the 25th ult:?
i Thomas Caldwell, Esq., hasjust got in
from the plains, and confirms the sad intel
ligence of the massacre at Taos. Gov. Bent
and vventy-finc Americans, are the victims
of a cold bloode'd assassination.
Among the dead is L. 1. Waldo,a citizen
of our country, and brother to Capt. David
; Waldo, of Co!. Doniphan's regiment.
! - Mr. Caldwell left El Passoon the 12'.h
of January, and Santa Fe on the 3rd of
February?he saw nothing of Captain
Sublette, and heard nothing ot his where1
abouts. He left Col. Doniphan in possession
of El Passo waiting for the artillery to
I arrive, when he intended to move for Chihuahua.
Nothing was known in New
Mexico of the change in General Wool's
position.
Mr. Caldwell learned from a reliable
: source that they had declined putting Mr.
I Magoffin on trial for treason, and that he
| was at large in Chihuahua.
i The insurrectionists consisted ot about
i 2,000 men, and started for Santa Fe. Col.
Price sent out about 300 men to quell them;
they met about t-venty-five miles from Santa
T7? ...I - - - I 1 ? 1
r r, wiiuu mi engagement iooic place?tne
Mexicans drew up 2,000 strong, but at the
first fire from our brave Missouri boys, 36
of them fell dead, and the balance fled.
Capt. Morim, of Platte who was in command,
puisued them through the Moro valley,
and burned to ashes every house, town,
and ranchero in his path. The inhabitants
fled to the mountains, where they are bound
to starve, as Morin leaves them nothing
whatever to subsist on?a iust retribution
for their assassination of innocent people.
As Mr. Caldwell was passing out, he
heard at a distance the sound of artillery,
and learned from rumor in the edge of the
settlement that the American army had
whipped them worse than ever. Captain
Hendley, of Ray county volunteers, was
the only one killed on our side, and some
seven slightly wounded.
The following additional items are from
a letter from Independence to the St. Louis
Un'0":? -J _
No doubt the city of Taos is now in nsnes,
as our Missouri boys bad caused the smoke
from their burning houseBjlp-iisceod frpm a
thousand hills ; the inhabitants.in the Moro
valley, men, woman, and children, had fled
to the mountains.v Mr. Caldwell left Col.
DomiPHAN at'rEl Passo on the 12th of Januarj^Wairiflg
for the artillery companies to
strive,. When he intended to march for Chihuahua.
Ho thinks that Donipiian, ere
this, has taken Chihuahua or has been taken
himself. We may await with trem
bling anxiety a long time, I'fear, for the
result of this hazardous expedition.
From tbe Army.
Army or Occupation, Vera Cruz, )
. March 28th, 1847. $
I Jcnow yow wo intensely anxious to hear
from ipe,~?n4 doubtless VO(j have thought
.'.-v
v '
.* . 'l"'\ .*tl'
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!&
vstrange,
that others should have written
home before me. I assure you it has not
been for the want of inattention, but amid
the duties of the soldier, and the toils af the
camp, I have had no time even to think of
home. I hope, however, now we will have
some leisure. Yesterday there was a parley
between the beligerent parties, and today,
the city is to make an unconditional
surrender; the Castle will also surrender,
some little point only prevents them. I have
kept up something of a journal with a viewto
this letter, and I think it will be more interesting
to give you a full account of all
our doings around this place. We set sail
on the 3d of March from the Isle of Lobos,
' and the sixth we anchored with our fleet off
| Anton Lizardo. On the 9th we moved up to
j Sacrificios, near the city, and immediately
| commenced landing. General Worth,and
; his division, landed first, without opposition.
! He took possession of the heights, and en|
camped for the night. On the next day
i /-< i i i?,i
i uuuuiui i aitkiisu^ & uiviaiuu laiiuuu yi\j
I which the Palmetto Regiment is attached,)
j ?Our regiment advanced beyond General
Worth's. On the 3d day some 12000 troops
being landed, operations were commenced
in earnest. The Palmetto regiment occupied
the heights, some mile or mile and a
half from the city, driving in the out post of
the enemy. In this position our men were
cxposod to a severe cannonade from the city,
i and a sharn firn from :i horlv of T.nnoors. who
came to the hill opposite. In this skirmish
i we had some three or four men a little
wounded, and amongst them Lieut. Col.
Dickinson?-our company escaped without
a wound. The city being completely invested,
we took up quarters waiting for our
I batteries to begin. Up to the 22d we were
I exposed to an incesant cannonade from the
j city. By this time I had become so accusj
tomcd to the sound of cannon, and the whistI
ling of shells, that I paid 110 kind e? attenj
tion to them. The fire up to this time was
i _ 1 a /t* a 1 /a
aimosi meneciuai. uur army wa^ very
much impeded in its operations by a severe
norther which commenced to blow shortly
after our landing ; about the 20th the soa became
calm,and our artillery was landed rapidly
from the ships. On the 22d at 2 o'clock,
General Scott sent a white-flag into the
city, demanding an immediate surrender of
the town and castle : The governor sent
back the laconic reply " come and take it."
General Woktii was then ordered to open
i his battery?I was acting a guard for Gen.
i Patterson's battery, near to Gen. Worth
i i i i -i . *t n i
wnen ne openecs on mc cuy. 11c nrea
three shells one after the olhor, and ho stirred
up a real hornet's nest. For four hours
I set it down that it rained down shells and
balls all around us ; I am sure a ball or shell
was shot for every fifteen seconds for full
four hours: most of the shells, however,
wero ineffectual. Captain Vinton was
killed this morning ; he commanded a company
of regulars at Augusta for a long time.
The bombardment during the night of the
22d was grand beyond all description. Five
small gun boats rode up near the shore, and
joined our batteries. The shells from these
little boats were thrown with the greatest
accuracy, and I am sure great execution
? 1- l 1 .1 n.._. .1
inusi iiuvu uccu uoiri. l/unng me enuro
night there was hardly a second that a report
might not have been heard. The
wolves and panthers which inhabit the dense
chapparel were frightened them from their
hiding places, and went howling about our
camp. The next morning the fire commenced
at Revillee with renewed violence
find continuedv for the day. 24th our heavy
battery, (Gen. Patterson's division,) commenced
to fire and continued all the day,
and the way brick walls and church steeples
and domes were demolished was astonishing
: by night one of the best batteris of
the city was silenced. The firing from the
city became very scattering, whilst our mortars
play away at a fine rate. On the 25th
our batteries opened even heavier than ever
another battery from the town became si-s
lent, and in a few hours a parley was sounded,
tad every thing became calm and silent.
The Mexicahs begged a q&ssation of
hostilities until they could bury their dead,
which I suppose was very c^feiddr&ble.
General Scott told them to send their dead
a liim an/1 1>a !% ??? *!.???? TI? ! -?
?w uini) uuu uc wuuiu uuijr nit;in. nc now
ever told them, that he was unwilling that
there should be further blood shed, and that
he would give them a few hours to give up
the city. He give them moreover to understand,
that he would not be responsible for
what was done, if they refused his terms.
After two day* capitulation, the city has
surrendered unconditional. La vkoa,is in
* *
/tAmma M/l *liA ?fHJi I IrMAVVf
w?uwwu v* W9 wnpy ?u? i muvwi nvi>
what ho may do?-as yet the flag floats from
mm
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r 'ixj.Q-.U C'i-v: :: :i;;. -. ,
\ ' * ?.. . * * '
. . _ - .; : . >. '_
' C- - ;
quencc to ub ; wo can, after taking the
town, soon bring the castle to terms.
Thus you see our first move has been &
grand one, and a successful one. The
bombardment of Vera Cruz will be a matter
of history for generations to come. I
have been much pleased with the manner
in which General Scott has conducted affairs
here; almost all his officers were for
storming the city. He refused however to
w ? ' ? 1 ' ?
expose the lives of his men until he had
tried every expedient. He could have
taken the city by storm, that is certain;
but it would have been done at the sacrifice
of at least five thousand men. General
Scott has gained a brilliant victory, and
a bloodless one. It isoneof thesases in which
science has triumphed over force. I am
much in hopes after we settlo matters here,
we will soon make an end of the war so
far as we are concerned, and return again
to our homes.
Our regiment is quartered about a mile
from town. Since we have invested the
place our lure has been just as rough as it
could be, and our labor as severe. We
have no tents and have to sleep in thcopen
air. Wilson and myself live together:
we sleep on the same blanket?cover with
the same?have our haversacks in common,
and what is the property of one is
common to both. I have found him one of
the noblest fellows I have ever known?we
are together for the balance of the- canu.
paign. Our quarters at present is in_a ravine
surrounded on all sides by barren sand
heights: No vegetation except a little grass
and a low thorn bush flourishes : it is the
mn<?t flrpnru smit T Imuo n\inr coori
sun shines down on us without
any obstruction. We can see the city from
the hills : It is not so large as I expected to
see ; it seems to be a pretty, and a strong
place ; I hope to see the place very soon :
I want to see what our shells did, and the
castle: there it stands to the north of tho
city, as if keeping guard over it: It is
apparently as strong as stone can make h.
I long to see the Mexican colors lower, an3
the stars and stripes float in their place : I
will see it soon if nothing happens.
Tho lmilth r\F aiit* rnmmont 1 o romorl'i .
] m. no iiuuuu ui uwt i iliiv. itw it) tuiiiuiau!
bly good : we have lost two men since we
left Mobile: John Hall died on board the
ship off the Isle of Lobos: He was
burried there : poor fellow he has a lonely
resting place ; he was a gentleman and a
good soldier, and his death has been much
regretted. Gilkert died in the hospital
here: I know but little of him: he joined
us at Aiken: We have no severe cases
now : my own health is good, very good :
I think I could come home and pass off as
a stranger: my sun burned face, all covered
with hair, I think would pass me off!
McGowen and Maktin, are on the beach
some seven miles lrom Jiere: I have not
seen either of them for more than two
weeks. As soon as we landed I joined my
company and since that time I have been
taking it rough and tumble with them, and
I enjoy it very much.
Evening?The stars and stripes are floating
in the city > I have not heard the particulars
of the capitulation; I would uot
close this until I learned the particulars,
but I have a chance this evening to send to
the beach and my letter must go.
Camp Near Vera Cruz. )
March 20, 1847. \
Here we are sure enough, encamped
within two miles of the famous City of the
True Cross, one of thje strongest fortified
places in the wurld. We can distinctly
see its steeples and-towers and occasionally ;
feel the power of its artillery.
Wo left the Isle of Lobos on the 3rd inst,
and arrived at Anton Liaardo on the 7th,
where we remaiped several days on board
our ships, until tiio whole fleet bearing our
troopshad collected, and then sailed towards
the City and anchored just out of the reach
of the gtins of the Castle.
The army consists of about 15,000 men
and is divided into three divisions, the first
under Gen. Worth, the second under Gen,
Twiggs, and the third under Gen. JP^xi%a?
boN, Gen. Scott comtnaridirig' the
|jar Regiment is in
?P?wn" ^d^,vi?gjj}tiunr
arid Alabama' Regiments form Geft:
Brigade^ 4'-;'V>SOn
the 10th we commenced*;landing
finn. WrrnTiT lAiirlinor nflf* nnrl irmtAfld ?f *
strong resistance as we expected, the Mexicans
permitted us to land, and there lost
their best opportunity of destroying us, a
few gans only were fired from the Castle
op66 the gun boats, which protected our
men whiTst landing. So soon as landed we
commenced surrounding the City, and tfcU
lllllll llllrfiil>?illll' llf ilia liinhfa ih <1/1.
ing which, tfehad some tlwrp ilrtrawhw ^
with parties of cavalry, who
R'Mnm
fe? ,v.> ? *: *