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Bombardment Of Vera Cruz

Bombardment Of Vera Cruz image Bombardment Of Vera Cruz image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
May
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The fullowipg extracts fiom a Mpxi'an icport of the events f the siegr.nnri thp s irrcder of lh city. afTbrd some 'dei of the suflviing of the unfortunntn inh:ihitints. The report opens i h nn acoounfl of thp pre in ral i uii nnd dclermimlinn f n(pfrfi)ci t heing supposad that the i turo of the n'iy would bc uticmpted bv assruii!. - Ulica Diiiij Gazelte. " But days nnd nights pnsseii, and the onomv di'1 not appronfch otir wa ; remaiiiiiigc 'iicenle I behin I liis o ks, he wtn nn fiii.xious tn mensure ariris w th is, - nor venture npnn nn unoertnin rleed ol arm--, selecting as vvns in st areeaMe tn him, and most tl acivirdaii 'e with liischar :iftPr, the barbirous manivr of asissinni;ng thn uniiffending and defenctos eiti zens by n hnriiarius bomhrtrdmnt of the :iiy n the most horrible manner, throvving iiti) il 4,li)i liombS) and an innumiTlile num'ier ofbills of the larcest S)Z", iluring n'glits nnl days ; diecting liis shnt.s tn t; e puwd-r mngazine, to ter if hospii.-ils of eharity, !o the hospi. ;als f r the wounrfei, and t the piirrs lie BH a firp, wliere it was helieved the anih'iriiifs wouUi nssemh'e wih pprsuns tol pui i ont ; to the hüker.s' h'iues Hfsigimie1 hy their c'iimneys, and during t' e rrg't rniningovpr ih eiitirc city, bombs, whose lioight was perfectly graduntod wjth Itfw time of px.l..siiin, ih-,i th y m ght unite in f'Umg, and lhu- cnus." the maximum destruir ui ; lut snch infamous proi-eed njjs indica ed from the first day the ow.-irdice of the rnrrny Hi first victima werft wanen and childien, foliowei !y whole families perishing from the eiTec-ts of the explosión or unicr th ruins of their dwpling-. In a short timé the h-ispiials were crowded wiih the wonndprl, the df-ai bing .simultnnponaljr buried : with the excpption of those tinknown, wlio ciuld not be taken frum jni'qv tlm ruins. The h mis fnterr d the wa'.ls rf ihe cliurch iof Siinto Dom!' g', kling Uie unfortumts wonnid, iVglitrning nway the nurses nnd doctors; who nfter nrrivirig with Imsie.-.r.d rik at ibfl chureh at San Frr.nci-co, and the cflupal of the third "rder enroun erH the sairie di-mal f-ite; as well ns the hospital) of Bnlpn and of Loretto, where it wm nsceriained thai one lomb nssissinmed 19 innocent pprsin. In :i]l quiitPi-s perished unlbrtunate pprsons, spekinga lielter Irorn ihis frightful ''esol-iiion. whüe the wuunded relaining strength enr.ug1) to raisp ll-MttflvM, flv ing as cripple- nnd sprinklii.g the .-treet witli tlv ir blood. At tkfl seeond day of the borrnardm-nt, We werp without !read r ineat, redifced 10 a ratlon .f benns, eMen at mid!nig!ii benonih n sh-mer (,f fire, and ih light ssuing fi-om ilie projp.-tilps. By iliis time al the buildings from La Mere tu the Parraquia were relucpd lo nshes, md Ilie mpassible stieets filled witb runs, stonfs, and projectÜPS. The citizpns had proprpssively rrm-vpd to ih her süe, whe:e up to this lime hst destrucn'on had iiaj)penpd, taking sl.elrer in ihe sirpe's nnd entrie.% in such numbers th.-it ilmre wna only room ermugh to smrid on ihoir fee!. Hut ihethirH day tha ertMOy ;iliern.-.lely scntlered th"irshoi,and I now e.very s;mt was a plne of dchftr. fhtM wa ihr ac ua] condilion of the dri'late fumilies, suffering so much nrguish, wilh-'Ut ntfvice, ho;.e slpep nr food, so]. !y engaged in preserving ihp.ir üi-es, yrt m'ire gg-avaiel hv the .eflectiun of ths uncerlnn fa'e of the!r sonx and bmtheri, i-pmainiiig nn the fortifiti-ns, hoinra'urn, tvmjv.trse) with this condition of kmr narents known lo tie su'ijected to tie exp'osi'in of every bnmb upon thelr own hahii.-aion. Moaiofthe families, whosp Iioiisps had hf-n desiroyrd, had list "vcrything, -il! the1 property remaini'ig t. Mi m Ijping :he c!othe-i upon iheir lacles, heiviLis whni ihe dames diH not con-uiTie, wns huried under ihe ruins. Hundreds of persons, ns wil as fithers of numerus f.ni'lios of child en hereto'bre relvng uirn re lain incoms, to-day find tlifin:selvps wthu abe) lo lie uon. without ever ug nr clothii'g to shelter them, ■md without nnv viduals. Tiie)rii.ci)i] linkphonsps mlongerexis'ed; no provisinns conld be had, nnd e were ivithuut nay re'ail h'ip the gnrrion anl part of tlip popul tion feeding upon rit-e and b-ans colecte:) hy tha Municipal aiilhnritiati! ! ! Lpt it be rem"mbprrd thnt we had befn bl ckded onr" yeni", cntisin generil povprtv ; that our ricli nnd liet'evnlen' men, who could have consoled ininy nnd relieved more, ere nhsenr. and "ur real situ.ition enn be bost asf-ertiined hy a!l tliosn knowing yVra Crux, lo live "n hpr com'iieice, whirh had nlreTdv ben d-ad o mTny iimnilis. In the mMxt of suoh n mu'tiindi nf '.irro'-p. d B"laton and snrrnw, with tl;e hospitnls Pu!] of wnundd without i.ttendnnts ; lle dwellings fil'ed with ui. buriel corpsps ; no food, breadles in tlip wn'ls, ihe dam-gp of iIip strongpst nnd lrs de'enrie'l Wofks, with rui p.vpiring siock of cannnn ra'tridpes. ffum the cons'ani reply nf them t ihe enemv, the C'mmanHii a; Gpper-il with nucb npppnls and misf'oriunes, lelt his pouraef stinrilated and dec'nrrd his FB-olution to defend thi-i post s.i long as irerp remain'd nlive 10 men for this olije-t ; ihe oilirvrs of the line nnd the municipal B'ithoritiw asspmbled lor consuliation, nn1 the majority judg'd it tn snvp the lives of (ha ■wee1 t '-it'zens nsa led by the enpmy, whose deatli did not improve our condition. e nre vet ignorTni of the -xat number of our killed and wnunded ; but by the bpst da a we have obt.-iinerl, esiimata lyth, at Dot ls tban 1,000 ppisons. Tl. e lnniage done to (Jweüiiig1 r.nd edifices is fiveorsix millions of doll:irs,which can not be ifpnired fornviny veers." Here is an account of thö npppftrance of te city of Vera Cruz, afipr the hnnit'ai'dmpnt, as furnished bv an ofTn-prof the N.nvv. " U p werp lje firs' of nur countrmen who had ei.terpd Vera Cruz. I know not vvhnt cnme ovr me - whfther it wns the spirit ol" adventure, pr a ild nnd inxcusnhle re.-klesi e?sor brith ; I si d 'enly left uiy artv to 'Mnkecnre of ilimnselvps," and tmnii g n corntr, procpeed emirely loiie ihrough the windinf and hnlf de. serted streets. The secret dread whih I
had experienced n tirst passing lie gatewof wos gone, and l went rambling over !hc wliule lown, solitary ;md unarmëd. On; went. where the buildings torn in pico. -s. i!ic pavemenls blown iij and the pircps of bomb sliclls lyiug ibout, toTJ the cl!" 'Cl oftkese tlrcadful inissiJcs- on H-hcie Ihe bMck jalousies, overhnngitig the thoroiiglUiTs. prrsouied nn excellent 1.1U' k ing lace lor the assasein, and still nie.l. Never bnd 1 leiie-Id ttich deitruction of property. Soarcly a house did I pas that did ii"t show some grent rent mi.de by the bur.-ting of our IjoidIj shell. At almost eveiy house at uhich ' pussed to exánime the deslruclioo ocraíioned b}' tliese dreadful me-.sengeis of deatli, some oiie pf the l'itniily ,' il" t!io house did wal happen to be deserled would come to ilui duo'', and invltirtg me to enter, point ont ïheir property dflstrodj and wiih apiiiful sigliexcluiin, "La bombé. La bombaV' [the bomb! the boinL!] My hoort ached tor tl. e poor creotures. During my perpgrinátione, I cerne lo a luf'iy aiid noble mansión, n wbfch a. terrible l.omb had explodêd, and [aíd the wtiole front of the liousc in ruin?. hilé I vras ex fmining 1I10 swful havoe eieiitcd, a bcautiful girl of soinc seventeen cama to the cföor and invited me into the Shé poiiitédto the furnifure of the mansión forri iutd fragmferite, and the ['cs of rubbt'sh lying around, and nformed me) uiih hef beaufifu] oyes fllled wiili te'Sr.-, [lint the bomb had dèstroyed her iaiher, niother, brotlTer and two linie sisters, and ttiat she ivasnow leftin the vvorld alone! - O war! war! - who can lell tliy horrors? Who can picture thy defö'rmitie: .' During the afiérnoán I visited tlie hospital. Here lay upon truckle beds the mangled c real ures v.hohr.dbecn wounded during the bomba rdment. In oae corner wat: a poor, décrepít, bed rjdden oman, hi r hcad white wilh the sorrows of seventy venrs. One of her vriiheied nnus had heen blow n off b a shell. ín anoilier plai c: n igh he ; e .n mangli d creat u e of both sexes, hrui.-ed and disfigured by t!ie falling of llieir Uouses, am! burstingol' the shells. (")n tlie stone flopr lav a linio child in i complete state of nudty,with one of' i is pooi' legs cul oiïjust above the kneö ! The apattment was fiüed with ílies, that seemed to delight n tliu agón ies of the miserable creatures over hom ihey hovertd, and the moans wurc lieart-iending. I wout about from cot to cot, nnd attempted to coudole vih the sulFerers, by wlioni I was invariably grceted with a kinJ smile. Not even this a'.jode of wretcbedness liad heen exempt from il.e cursed scourge of war! A bomb had desceiined llirough the roof, nnd aller landing on l lie Qoor, ex)ioded, sendiiig soine twehty alreaíy mangleii wrelches to lithe bleep that knows no waking. In the course of the aflernoon the army took possesáian of the city of Vrera Cruz, and the strects were t'.ironged with our troops. Alter vbiting eveiy ihinsr worthy ol'notf, at sunsrt I returned on board ha i Dg received a lessöti in the horrors of war which 1 shnl! not soon forget."

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News