The Abbeville banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, April 21, 1847, Image 2
Ft am the N. O. Dell a, of the 7 th inst.
The Advancc to the Capital.
The veteran Twiggs has already advanced
on the road that leads to the capital
of the Aztecs. He commands the vanguard
of the ariny which is to realize the popular
idea of revelling in the halls of the IMontezumas.
Our own Smith leads the division,
with his gallant rifles, and a nobler corns
w * 1
has never marched under our banr.jr ; and i
a strong body of" regular infantry and artii- 1
lery, amounting, in all, to 2,(500 strong,
bring up the main body. Thirty miles
from Vera Cruz, the river Antigua is scanned
by a noble bridge, built of stone, with
lofty arches, and guarded by a strong fort
which commands the road for a long distance,
This bridge is associated with some
of the most gallant displays of Mexican
courage and patriotism. Here it was the i
brave Victoria, with a small band of peas- ,
ants, kept at bay the Spanish armies, and j
cut off the convoy of their treasures and i
provisions, me post is a strong- one, and i
if defended with skill and vigor, will give J
our army much trouble. It is said that La
Vega commands the force at the Puerte !
Pactional, and is determined to justify by
some brilliant deed the high expectations
excited by his manly bearing at Resaca de
la Palma. But it will be vain. The impetus
which our military strength and con- .
fidence have received from the previous
success of our army, will bear it triumphantly
over all the obstacles of Mexican
valor and fervor. This bridge passed, the
road lies open, nnd unobstructed to the
lovely city of Jalapa.
Here our hardy veterans, accustomed to !
tnc low marsny valley ol the Kio Grande !
and the arid plains of Couhuila and Nuevo |
Leon, like the redublicuu army of Napoleon,
after passing the frigid and rugged heights
of San Bernard, and pitching their tents in
the smiling vale of the Arno, will suddenly j
find themselves transported into a region of j
surpassing beauty, fertillity and salubrity, j
Here tlu=y may stretch their war-worn :
frames on beds of roses and violets, and
feast their senses on all that is rich at beau- ;
tiful in nature. The cool, bracing air j
of the mountain mingles with the soft, ;
health-giving breeze from the Gulf, and the 1
combination produces an atmosphere of per- '
T\ntn'i I crwrivwr Hnrn * ?* ! t 1? '
jjukuui k^uiu ?vm uuti\ inu puor ;
peasants with the various produce of this i
rich valley, with inexhaustible supplies of !
lucious fruit and nutritious food. But delightful
as the scene and its pleasures are, i
our army should not rest here longer than ;
to refresh tired bodies and repair the damage J
of the hard service on the sandhills of Vera j
Cruz, and of the march from the sea-shore.
A summer encampment would be highly
detrimental to the morale of our army ?
The hardy nature and rough h.ibitso' our
soldiers would run riot in the luxurious
i ~r t..i 1
uuuiiuiuiLc ui juici|)u, unwaru, onward, !
must be the cry. Continual activity is the ;
Hue secret of military discipline.
Soldiers are always happier, and more !
obedient and docile under the oxcitement of i
a march, than when in camp under the j
dominion of idleness and ennui. There is !
no reason why our army should stop for ;
any length of lime at Jalapa. The summer j
in this high region is mild and temperate, the j
road is level and beautiful, and the country I
through which it passes is fertile and pro- J
ductive. In ten days ourarrny could march i
i T _ 1 .1- - ----- -r "
irum 10 ine cuy 01 Mexico. Here,
we think, the enemy would offer no resistance.
the city n-.t admitting of any effective i
defence against artillery. If the Mexicans
were determined not to yield their Capital
without a blow, it would be struck before
our army arrived within sight of the city.
But with a force of 20,000 strong, we do not
apprehend any serious difficulty in taking
the Capital. Once possessed of this famous
El Dorado of our soldiers, this magnificent
city of the noble race, who fell beneath the
bloody sword of Cortez, we shall then beprepared
to listen to the overtures of the
enemy for peace, or if such overtures are
not made with all due humility, to take possession
of the whole Republic as the lawful
spoils of war, and to govern Jt with the laws
of our Repulic.
From the Georgia Constitutionalist.
The Fallen llcroes of fiuena Vista.
The most gloaious victories are oftenest
those which are purchased with the blood
of the rilont gallant heroes.
Such victims become thereby, more fondlv
anil rirnlirllv /.Viooriahorl Ktr tVio !
# J M..V4 |1> V V*4VV???MUU WJ IUU IKIllUliai
heart. The gloom of sorrow throws a halo
of romantic interest around the recollection,
~' / lllid^akes deeper and holier that feeling
\ of pride and admiration with which the
??all$nt achievement is contemplated.?
Those, who fall amidst the victorious shouts
iy 6f'their exulting companions in arms become
former "Identified with the noblest of
' natiottai" feelings. . Their fate is sadly
ffiourned, and their raem&ites tenderly cherishedyfoy
a grateful country.
^ has <>or nation beep called on to
feel more sensibly, the dear pride at which
,r its reputation for heir&ic valor, has been purchased,
than on the occasion of the late bat*
are calle&siiponv to mourn the
. low of 8%> ofg6liant;*pirjl$ of
land. > Some were . peculiarly objects
^,#frftterest, and that fate h to be deplored
v v from more than ordinary considerations.
The gallant Lincoln, too, in whose veins
flowed the choicest blood of the revolution?
a decendant of the brave General Lincoln,
had already become endeared tohisconntiy,
Ktr Vila Yyo 1 I o ? ? ?- * * - 1 ' r 1
?..? buimuii^ vjn iiiiuuitr ueiu 01 glory.
He was already pointed to by her as one of
her joung heroes..
There was another whose very name
awakens a thrill of emotion and enthusiasm,
from one end of the Union to the other.?
The name of Henry Clay is a spell that has
charmed into admiration millions of American
hearts. It is identified with all the
great events in our country's history for the
last forty years?it has shone bright among
.i ?i
iuu uiiijuiuov iii niu guuuxy 01 great names
?and it has shone unditnmed by dishonor?
unsuspected of want of devotion to his country.
Men have differed from his opinions,
but no generous inind ever doubted that his
ardent nature was imbued with the soul of
patriotism. His voice was often rung like
a clarion through our land, in his country's
cause, when foreign aggression called lor
I'ebllkfV It rnll?rwl IIII tlio nhiimlnf
? -I' U> il<-l
sons, and prepared the hearts of the people
lor war, when insult and outrago were perpetrated
upon our flag. That voice, still |
rich and musical as 'when it charmed a !
listening Senate and crowded gallaries, has
been recently heard to regreal, that age 1
had so far enfeebled his arms as to prevent j
its being raised in this war against Mexico,
" to avenge the wrongs of kin country
Many have been the offerings that he
has laid upon the altar of his country?the j
last is that of his son. Paternal influence
might, possibly, had it been exerted, have
deterred him. But such were not the lesson.5?
iniirrht henpntli thn rtirnl nf
Ashluiiu. Col.Clay inherited aspiriteager
for his country's service, and worthy his
illustrious sire. He was among the first
of the gallant band that went forth from the
great valley, to obey their country's call,
andVas alas, among the first to seal his
patriotism with his life's blood. Green be
theturl over the graves of the fallen heroes
of that well fought field, and long be their
memories cherished by a grateful people.
" There is a tear for all that die.
A mourner o'er the humblest grave.
But a nation swells their funeral cry
And Triumph weeps above the brave."
General Taylor.
it : ?i- -- ?- *' i
tuauji iin[uiii?.'s tiru iiiiiuu us 10 uiu cany
history of Taylor. They show that Gen. j
Taylor, who achieved the four great victories
in one campaign, " worked" up from
the white epaulette on the left shoulder to
the douhl* epaulette of gold, and the yellow
leather?from the lowest to the highest
"Hp conffcs from an ancient Virginia family,
which emigrated from England, with our j
friends of liberty and settled in the eastern j
part of Virginia, near two centuries ago?
a family which has since been greatly (lis- j
tinguished in its various branches, and
which included within its various connections
such names as James Madison, John
Taylor, of Caroline, Judge Pendleton, Gen.
Hunt, &c. General Taylor's father was j
one of the most daring of those enterprising
pioneers who settled 4 the dark and blood
ground' which defines the Indian word Kentucky,
and many anecdotes arc told of his
prowess in desperate eucounters with the |
savages.
" lie became also a man of eminence in
civil life, and was a member of the Electoral
Colleges which voted for Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe and Clay. He died on
his estate near Lexington, in 1826, leaving
four sons, of whom ' Old Zack' is the third,
and, we believe, one or two daughters. The
eldst son, Gen. James Taylor, who was a
Quartermaster-General, in the army during
the war of 1812, now resides at Newport,
Ky., at the advanced age of eighty years.
" His more distinguished brother was
born in Kentucky, two years before its admission
into the Union, and is now, therefore,
about fifty-six years of age. Having
a stout, vigorous frame, he was early distinguished
for feats of manly character, and
many amusing anecdotes are told of his
achievements in the sports of boyhood.
The same foresight, firmness and decision
which has since so attracted public admiration,
arc said to have characterized his
whole course through all the shifting circumstances
of life. Soon after the affair of the
Chesapeake and Leopard, previous to
the war of 1812, he, being then eighteen
years of age, received trom Mr. Jefferson
(in 1808) the appointment of Lieutenat in
the seventh infantry, and commenced that
! military career which has now been crowned
with imperishable fame.
" His strict o1 ^ervance ot duty, and discipline
soon commended him for promotion,
and at the opening of the war of 1812,
we find him a Captain in his regiment.
Hflvinrr Kon*? nr?*??nnfA/J ?5
ly&v/ii i;nil uoicu Willi lilt? CUIIHIliillU
of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, with a
garrison of fifty men, he greatly distinguished
himself in that year, by his successful defence
of it against a formidable attack by
a large body of Indians, and was rewarded
by the President with the brevet rank of
Major. His well known skill in indian
warfare, acquired in his brilliant career in
the Northwest Territory, secured for him
the command of the First Brigade of the
Army Of'die South, and it was at the head
ofohaliftvision that ho won the bloody batLake
Okee Chobee, during the Flori4*
campaign of- 1838, and for which
WHS Wvoforl
Generaii^^-fter ^our or years arduous
service in the swamps and hammocks of
was assigned to the command of
department of Fort Jessup, where
Texas and the Eio Grand found
^B^^ii marriage with a lady cf Miry.
!?PPP*r*';
?
land, Gen. Taylor has one son and two
daughters, one of whom is married to Col.
Davis, of the Mississippi regiment, who was
severely wounded at Buena Vista. But to
pursue his military career further, in the
midst of the glowing enthusiasm of the
country over his brilliant achievements in
Mexico, would be idle, and the receipt of
the Southern mail, as Ave write, compels us
A 1 IV- 1? - . ll. . 1 *
I 10 oeier a nonce 01 cue nigncr quaimcs
I which commend him to the confidence and
j respect of his countrymen.1'
From the N. O. Picayune.
Later from Vera Cruz.
March 29. 1847.
i This has been a proud day for the Ame!
rican army. The garrisons of Vera Cruz,
; and of the much talked of and dreaded
Castle of San Juan de Ulua have vacated
their quarters and retired into the interior,
and the stars and stripes float gracefully
I wherethis morning was to be seen the
green, white, and red of the enemy. The j
S!)Ot selentnrl fnr tlln I'prpmnnv r?f Inviritr !
-J ?- ~"J J " "o
down arms was a plain extending back from
the city walls, in the direction of Malibran.
Our army was drawn up in two lines facing
inward, and occupying a mile in extent.?
Gen. Worth appeared on the field, in full
uniform, to direct the arrangements and receive
the conquered troops. The morning
was very clear and pleasent, and our ar.ny
was in admirable condition. A detachment
of sailors and marines added much to the
effect. At ten o'clock precisely the well j
known sound (heard under similar circumstances
at Mouterey) of bugle, fife and drum,
played as Mexicans only can play them, j
and as nobodv else oup-ht to do it. was heard
, J O 1
in the direction of the great gate, and the
Mexican army soon began to appearx the
column passingbetween our lines: Women
and children accompanied the troops, bearing
heavy burdens. Their army halted
between our lines, stacked their arms, laid
down their colors and equipments, and then
marched ofF, our troops (those detained for
I the purpose from Worth's division) marched
into the cit}' at the same time, with colors
flying, and the bands playing natural airs.
; Captain Andersons company, 3rd Artillery,
; and Captain Kenriclc's of the 2d, entered
the castle, and Lieut. Van Vleit's company
*i. o.i 4 _.:i i - -i / -r-i
ui uiuou iviuiiury, iuok possession 01 r ort
Santiago, ran up the American flag- and
I fired a national salute. The effect of our
shell upon the city was now seen ; and
i proved to have been deplorable. Hardly a
house had escaped, and a large portion of
them were ruined. The shells had fallen
through the roof and exploded inside,
| tearing every thing into pieces, bursting
through the partitions, and blowing out the
windows. The killed and wounded among
the soldiery was very slight but the citizens
suffered severely. It is said that between
six and seven hundred men, women, and
children were killed and wounded, more
than three hundred being killed.
Makcii 30.
There were 106 pieces of artillery in poI
sition around the city, nnd as many more
i dismounted, many of the latter useless.?
i The enemy laid down about 4,000 stand of
! arms, and 1,000 more were found in the
city, saying nothing of the swords, lances,
! and a very large store of shell, solid shot
! and powder. The great castle is garrisoni
nri K?r t Vk o fnl 1 /-* tif i nnr r?r\ *v\ ?>o ^ -?
uu uj iuv iunuHiU^ cviiipuuiuo.?-wapmiu
; Anderson's, Captain Taylor's and Lieut.
| Van Vleii's, of the 3rd artillery under the
j command of Col. Belton. It has 160 guns
mounted,several of them being 68-pounders.
; It is a regular bastioned woik, with a deini!
lune and covered way on the sea side. A
j vast quantity of ammunition was found in
| the work. The Mexicans left their national
pets behind in the castle, and our troops
' suffered much annoyance from them last
j night; I allude, of course, to fleas and other
| vermin.
Santiago Fort, that spiteful little place
which played so warmly upon our entrenchments,
is a beautiful work, with nine guns
in barbette, most of them fine English pieces.
In fact most of their best ordinances is of
English manufacture, though they have
some fine pieces made in the United States.
Gen. Scott ordered 10,000 rations to be
issued to the suffering poor at Vera Cruz,
and it was an affecting scene to witness the
crowd of half famished creatures as they
gathered timidly around to receive their re
speciive snares. These rations will, as
Mexicans usually eat, last 5,000 people at
least four days, but it is probable that only
1,000 will partake of the provisions. The
city and castle were exhausted of provisions.
It is a characteristic of Mexicans that they
never lay in stores, but live from hand to
mouth. H.
From the New Orleans Delta, A\>ril 10th.
The Town?Castle of San Juan de llua.
The expectation of the garrison of Vera
Cruz was, that the city would be carried by
storm, and they had made great preparations
for a vigorous resistance, which would, no
doubt, have caused great bloodshed and destruction.
The streets were barricaded as
thpy were at Monterey, and loopholes were
arranged toi1 the gunners, rows of pickets
made, and sand-bags thrown across the barricades.
On the flat tops of the houses,
cannon and howitzers were so arranged as
to rake the streets. Every house was a fortification.
. There was, too* an abundance of
amunition; and no doubt, had the city been
stormed, thousands of persons would have
been killed, and our army especially Would
have suffered disasters fkr niore heart-seuding
than any. vyhich have yet occurred in this
war. It was ^the^ ^ ^Vg ^tr>;
y.:'
' v'' .' f, VV'-'C
4
bombardment. To the mercenary soldiery
who garrisoned Vera Cruz, and who were
desirous of emulating the glory of their
brethren at Monterey, by slaughtering our
men from behind the safe defences of thick
stone walls, and from the secure terraces of
the houses, it was 110 doubt a disappointment
that the streets of Vera Cruz were not
made to run with the blood of innocent women
and children, who would be slaincd in
the inevtiable confusion of the storming of
so strong a place. This was the ambition
at" Mnviilna l?nt (nrlimntoltr tlw? ofllmlivn
i ncss of our shells brought the citizcns to
1 their senses, and they united, as well as the
| National Guard, in protesting against any
further resistance. Morales saved himself
from the chagrin of despotism by resigning,
and General Landero, second in command,
succeeded him?and he, with more wisdom
and regard for the lives of the people, prof- :
fered the capitulation of the city. The dam- j
age and destruction caused by our shells, espe- :
cially by those shot from the naval battery, !
were awful indeed. The houses in Vera
; Cruz are mostly built of coral rock, and yet
the Paixhan shot would pass through as many
of them as lay in their range : Those
| which struck the roofs would pass through
iwo or mroc stories, ana men uursi, destroy- j
I ing every thing around, and in some instan- |
I ces actually throwing down the sides of the j
| houses.
The castle was not at all injured: one
man was killed by a shell. This immense
fortification,covering eleven acres of ground,
was well supplied with ammunition. There
were more than a thousand 12-inch shells,
larger than an}' used by our army, and two
hundred of the finest guns in the world.
Many of these were made at Harper's Ferry,
in this country, and some of them quaint,
i old Spanish brass pieces, dated as far back
as 1021.' The strength of this famous castle
has not been exage rated. It was a just
remark of an officer o? the British fleet, in
I reply to an inquiry of Com. Perry, whether
| he thought it could be taken by a naval
; squadron, that " with a thousand British or
j American seamen or soldiers to man the
j castle, it could blow to atoms all the navies
| of the world, before they could make an im;
pression on its walls." The city would
| have been utterly untenable without the cas|
tie. It could not have been occupied an j
j nour unacr a rue lrom tlie caslle. ill taking !
; possession of this fortification, many valua- i
blc Mexican documents, tending to throw !
some light upon the intentions of the Government,
and others furnishing valuable
historical information respecting the castle,
and also relating the political history of the
Republic, came into the possession of our
officers. We look forward to their publica- J
! tionwithno little curiosity and interest. All j
[ the valuable provisions in the castle were
j lilched by the storekeepers and sutlers, who
| lived within its walls.
The Matamoros flag gives the following
incident of the battle field at Buena Vista.
The heroes of it are the veteran Mississippians,
under Col. Jeff. Davis, and the hero
ic act is unequalled in the annals of wartiire,
and although no act could add to the
I
reputation of this gallant regiment, it serves
to show the stuff they are made of, Drs.
Bennett, of Covington, Ivy., and garrison,
of Port Gibson, Mississippi, stood sponsers
?"all ot which they saw, and part of
which they were."
The 1st Mississippi regiment, under command
of Col. Jefferson Davis, coated itself
over with immortal glory. Originally, it
numbered 980 some odd, but suddenly transferred
from the comforts and genial atmosphere
at home, to the almost vertical sun of
Brazos Island, last August, disease made
frightful ravages among its men. What it
lost in this way, in conjunction vyith the
killed at Monterey, and those dis?mrged in
consequcncc of wounds, reduced it to considerably
less than four hundred strong.
With this diminished force, (weakened still
more by the extraction of the Tombigby and
Carroll county companies which guarded
Gen. Taylor's tent,) this skeleton regiment
sustained, and repelled, with immense
slaughter, a charge of three times their
own number of Santa Anna's best lancers.
The lancers first bore down upon the Indiana
regiment?we forget which one?and
dispersed it. The Missippians endeavored
to rally them, but before they could do so,
were in turn themselves charged. Colonel
Davis contrary to all customs, instead of
i 11 '
iorming in a nonow square, stretched out
his men in the form of a crotchet. The
lancers came up at a rapid gallop ; but so
perfectly astonished was, not only the chief
officer, but his men, at so strange a mode of
receiving a charge of cavalry, that they involuntarily
halted. For a few seconds they
gazed upon the unruffled countenances of
the riflemen opposed to them, but feeling
there was no time to lose, the order " Adilanie
V [forward] was pompously given.
The cfotchet was filled in an instant; and
just as they wheeled their horses, with lances
set on both prongs, the intrepid Missis
sippi Colonel, standing inside the fork,called
out, " Boys fire ! and oil at them with your
knives /'' Simultaneously with the sharp
crack of ihe rifles, a deafening shout went
up, and bowie-knifes and revolvers flashed
in the directioa of the laqces.- Strange as
it may seem, many of the landers .were ac-;
tually dragged from their fcortW
todeath^ta this ;
did bodv ftf liftMiftittnti" wA*fl hmiirin naolr;
- ->iv
. .*
Inrlin^rv 2 J i ii < ii t%
-..vutiiiu. icgiuieiu 10 say, mai moy were aitcrwards
brought up to support the Mississippi
regiment, and fought valiantly.
?tt ; , t
ABBEVILLE C. H., S. C.
Wednesday, April 21,1817. ^
.. '. ; i.. ..!
Cotton Market.
Charleston April 17th from 10 to 12
Hamburg-, Apr?l 17th, from 10 toll {*4
cts.
infr* On our first page will be found the
full particulars of the capture of Vera Cruz;
we have not giveu it as news, but publish it
to preserve it upon our file as a record of
the times. In our next we shall also publish
the particulars of the battle of Bucna Vista
for the same :purpose. These actiotys{ have
now become history, and in after years will
be read with delight?they have marked an
area in the history ot our country, and Will
grow brighter with the lapse of ages.
Ud" We have received nothing from our
Regiment since our last, and we learn by
the latest intelligence from Vera Cruz, that
no tiding had been received from the division
that marched against Alvarado. It
was thought that the garrison at that place
would resist, and in such event the town
was to have been attacked by land and water.
We certainly shall know by the next
mail what has been done.
To be Hung.
We understand that a negro boy belonging
to Mr. Wm. Pratt of this District, is
now in Jail in this place, and is to be hung
on the 14th of next month, for burning a
stable of Mr. Juun Clinkscales'.
Shall we have Peace ?
This question has been repeatedly asked
since the brilliant battle of Buena Vista
and the capture of Vera Cruz. And were
we to judge from the present aspect of Mexico,
we would conclude that she could not
hold out much longer against our victorious
arms. Stript of her arms and ammunition,
the government bankrupt and her soldiery
starving, it is worse than madness in her to
continue the unequal contest. She might as
well attempt to resist the progress of the
sweeping whirlwind as to stay the advance
of our troops, and unless our
propositions of peace are listened to, in
less than throe months, the thunders
of the American cannon will . echo
through the Palace of Montezuma, and her
proud capital be added to the list of our captures.
There are at present no indications
of peace. We perceive by the latest news
from Mexico, that Santa Anna had arrived
at the capital and assumed the reins of go;vornment,
and that he had united with Gomez
Farias, declaring it his intention to
carry on the war at the expense of the
church. If such is the case, the war may r
be a protracted one yet: a short time how--:
ever will develope this. : r
Frmii Vora f!nw
We learn from the N. O. Picayutie^ that
on the 28th ult. some men belonging to the
New York and Pennsylvania Regiments,
and four sailors from the frigate PotQmac left
the camp and went some seven or eigfc
miles into the country arpapd,;,yem.Pjro^^
when they were attacked by a body of
Rancheros and the most of their nuiftber
killed. The, remains of five of them were
found, they had been shot and horridly
jnutillated.
A stringent order was issued by General
Scott on the 1st of April, denouncing, certain
outrages which had been committed
by a few worthless soldiers in the army,
and calling upon the mass of the troopp, |
officers and privates, to assist in bringing Jo \
justice those who should disgrace oip
tional name by any violation of1 law,Whatever.
Soldiers ?re not allowed to stiray from
camp without a written permission, and
officers are forbidden to give permissions
s&ve to the orderly, and sober.
Oen. Taylor aiiilhe PrefMteMf*
atoWMlSV ao >??e?i.og dW
twnthrftughepta^Uoited Swie^ to el^