Shortly before his death Captain Mayne Reid conceived the idea of
publishing his recollections of the Mexican war, and had commenced to
roughly sketch out two or three chapters entitled "Mexican War
Memories." From these the following account in his own words is taken.
The ink was scarcely dry on the last pages when he took to the bed from
which he never more arose.
"During the first months of 1847, the look-out sentinel stationed on the
crenated parapet of San Juan d'Ulloa must have seen an array of ships
unusual in numbers for that coast, so little frequented by mariners:
equally unusual in the kind of craft and the men on board. For, in
addition to the half-score ships flying the flags of different nations,
some at anchor close to the Castle, some under the lee of Sacrificios
Isle, there was a stream of other craft out in the offing, not at anchor
or lying to, but passing coastwise up and down, beyond the most distant
range of cannon shot: craft of every size and speciality, schooners,
brigs, barques and square-rigged three-masters, from a 200-ton sloop to
a ship of as many thousands. Not armed vessels either, though every one
of them was loaded to the water-line either with armed and uniformed men
or the materials of war; in the large ones a whole regiment of soldiers,
in the less, half a regiment, a consort ship containing the other half,
and in some but two or three companies, all they were capable of
accommodating. Some carried cavalrymen with their horses, others
artillerymen with their mounts and batteries, while a large number were
but laden with the senseless material of war-tents, waggons, the effects
coming under the head of commissariat and quartermaster stores. Not one
out of twenty of these vessels was an actual man-of-war. But one might
be seen leading and guiding a group of the others, as if their convoy to
some known pre-arranged destination. Just this were they doing,
escorting the transport ships to their anchorage pre-determined.
"Two such anchorages were there, quite thirty miles apart from one
another, though in the diaphanous atmosphere of the Vera Cruz coast a
bird of eagle eye soaring midway between could command a view of both.
The one northernmost was the Isle of Lobos; that south, Punta Anton
Lizardo. To the first I shall take the reader, as to it I was first
taken myself.
"Lobos Islet lies off the Vera Cruz coast, opposite the town of Tuxpan,
and about two miles. It is of circular form, and, if I remember
rightly, about a half-mile in diameter. Its availability as an
anchorage comes from a surrounding of coral reefs, with a gap in its
northern side that admits ships into water the breakers cannot disturb.
Chiefly is it a harbour of refuge against the dreaded norther of the
Caribbean coast, and a vessel caught in one of these might run for it;
but not likely, unless her papers were not presentable to the Vera Cruz
custom house. If they were, the shelter under Sacrificios would be
safer, and easily reached. In later times the contrabandist a is the
man who has most availed himself of the advantages of Lobos, and in
times more remote the filibusters; the Tuxpan fishermen also
occasionally beach their boats upon it. But that neither buccaneer,
smuggler, nor fisherman had frequented it lately, we had proof given us
at landing on its shore by its real denizens, the birds. These--several
species of sea-fowl--were so tame they flew screaming over the heads of
the soldiers, so close that many were knocked down by their muskets.
They became shy enough anon.
"We found the island covered all over with a thick growth of
_chapparal_; it could not be called forest, as the tallest of the trees
was but some fifteen or twenty feet in height. The species were varied,
most of them of true tropical character, and amongst them was one that
attracted general attention as being the `india-rubber tree'. Whether
it was the true _siphonica elastica_ I cannot say, though likely it was
that or an allied species.
"A peculiarity of this isle, and one making it attractive to
contrabandista and filibusters, is that fresh water is found on it.
Near its summit centre, not over six feet above the ocean level, is a
well or hole, artificially dug out in the sand, some six feet deep. The
water in this rises and falls with the tide, a law of hydraulics not
well understood. Its taste is slightly brackish, but for all that was
greatly relished by us--possibly from having been so long upon the
cask-water of the transport ships. Near this well we found an old
musket and loading pike, rust-eaten, and a very characteristic souvenir
of the buccaneers; also the unburied skeleton of a man, who may have
been one of their victims.
"The troops landed on Lobos were the 1st New York Volunteers, S.
Carolina, 1st and 2nd Pennsylvania, etc, etc. One of the objects in
this debarkation was to give these new regiments an opportunity for
drilling, such as the time might permit, before making descent upon the
Mexican coast. But there was no drill-ground there, as we saw as soon
as we set foot on shore--not enough of open space to parade a single
regiment in line, unless it were formed along the ribbon of beach.
"On discovery of this want, there followed instant action to supply it--
a curious scene, hundreds of uniformed men plying axe and chopper,
hewing and cutting, even the officers with their sabres slashing away at
the _chapparal_ of Lobos Island: a scene of great activity, and not
without interludes of amusement, as now and then a snake, scorpion, or
lizard, dislodged from its lair and attempting escape, drew a group of
relentless enemies around it.
"In fine, enough surface was cleared for camp and parade-ground. Then
up went soldiers' bell-tents and officers' marquees, in company rows and
regimental, each regiment occupying its allotted ground.
"The old buccaneers may have caroused in Lobos, but never could they
have been merrier than we, nor had they ampler means for promoting
cheer, even though resting there after a successful raid. Both our
sutlers and the skippers of our transport ships, with a keen eye to
contingencies, were well provided with stores of the fancy sort; many
the champagne cork had its wire fastenings cut on Lobos, and probably
now, in that bare isle, would be found an array of empty bottles lying
half buried in the sand.
"Any one curious about the life we led on Lobos Island will find some
detailed description of it in a book I have written called `The Rifle
Rangers,' given to the public as a romance, yet for all more of a
reality.
"Our sojourn there was but brief, ending in a fortnight or so, still it
may have done something to help out the design for which it was made.
It got several regiments of green soldiers through the `goose-step,'
and, better still, taught them the ways of camp and campaigning life.
"Mems.--A fright from threatened small-pox, trouble with insects,
scorpions and little crabs. Also curious case of lizard remaining on my
tent ridge pole for days without moving. No wonder at Shakespeare's
`Chameleon feeding on air.' Amusements, stories, and songs; mingling of
mariners with soldiers. Norther just after landing, well protected
under Lobos.
"_La Villa Rica de Vera Cruz_ (the rich city of the True Cross), viewed
from the sea, presents a picture unique and imposing. It vividly
reminded me of the vignette engravings of cities in Goldsmith's old
geography, from which I got my earliest lessons about foreign lands.
And just as they were bordered by the engraver's lines, so is Vera Cruz
embraced by an _enceinte_ of wall. For it is a walled city without
suburbs, scarce a building of any kind beyond the parapet and fosse
engirdling it. Roughly speaking, its ground plan is a half circle,
having the sea-shore for diameter, this not more than three-quarters of
a mile in length. There is no beach or strand intervening between the
houses and the sea, the former overlooking the latter, and protected
from its wash by a breakwater buttress.
"The architecture is altogether unlike that of an American or English
seaport of similar size. Substantially massive, yet full of graceful
lines, most of the private dwellings are of the Hispano-Moriscan order,
flat-roofed and parapetted, while the public buildings, chiefly the
churches, display a variety of domes, towers and turrets worthy of Inigo
Jones or Christopher Wren.
"From near the centre of the semicircle a pier or mole, El Muello,
projects about a hundred yards into the sea, and on this all visiting
voyagers have to make landing, as at its inner end stands the custom
house (_aduana_). Fronting this on an islet, or rather a reef of coral
rocks, stands the fortress castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, off shore about a
quarter of a mile. It is a low structure with the usual caramite
coverings and crenated parapet, surmounted by a watch and flag-tower.
"The anchorage near it is neither good nor ample, better being found
under the lee of Sacrificios, a small treeless islet lying south of it
nearly a league, and, luckily for us, beyond the range of Ulloa's guns,
as also those of a fort at the southern extremity of the city.
"Hundreds of ships may ride there in safety, though not so many nor so
safe as at Anton Lizardo. Perhaps never so many, nor of such varied
kind, were brought to under it as on March 9th, 1847.
"The surf boats are worthy of a word, as without them our beaching would
have been difficult and dangerous, if not impossible. They were of the
whale boat speciality, and, as I remember, of two sizes. The larger
were built to carry two hundred men, the smaller half this number. Most
of them were brought to Anton Lizardo in two large vessels, and so
hastily had they been built and dispatched, that there had not been time
to paint them, all appearing in that pale slate colour known to painters
as the priming coat. Of course none had any decking, only the thwarts.
"The commander-in-chief had made requisition for 150 of these boats,
though only sixty-nine arrived at Anton Lizardo in time to serve the
purpose they were intended for.
"The capture of Vera Cruz was an event alike creditable to the army and
navy of the United States, for both bore part in it; and creditable not
only on account of the courage displayed, but the strategic skill. It
was, in truth, one of those _coups_ in which boldness was backed up by
intelligence even to cunning, this last especially shown in the way we
effected a landing.
"The fleet, as already said, lay at Anton Lizardo, each day receiving
increase from new arrivals. When at length all that were expected had
come to anchor there, the final preparations were made for descent upon
the land of Montezuma, and all we now waited for was a favouring wind.
I do not remember how many steam vessels we had, but I think only two or
three. Could we have commanded the services of a half-score steam tugs,
the landing might have been effected at an earlier date.
"The day came when the wind proved all that was wanted. A light
southerly breeze, blowing up coast almost direct for Vera Cruz, had
declared itself before sunrise, and by earliest daybreak all was
activity. Alongside each transport ship, as also some of the war
vessels, would be seen one or more of the great lead-coloured boats
already alluded to, with streams of men backing down the man-ropes and
taking seat in them. These men were soldiers in uniform and full
marching order. Knapsacks strapped on, haversacks filled and slung,
cartouche box on hip, and gun in hand. In perfect order was the
transfer made from ship to boat, and, when in the boats, each company
had its own place as on a parade-ground. Where it was a boat that held
two companies, one occupied the forward thwarts, the other the stern,
their four officers--captain, first lieutenant, second and brevet--
conforming to their respective places.
"But there were other than soldiers in the boat, each having its
complement of sailors from the ships.
"A gun from the ship that carried our commander-in-chief gave the signal
for departure from Punta Anton Lizardo, and while its boom was still
reverberating, ship after ship was seen to spread sail; then, one after
another, under careful pilotage, slipped out through the roadway of the
coral reef, steaming up coast straight for Vera Cruz, the doomed city.
"While sweeping up the coast, I can perfectly remember what my own
feelings were, and how much I admired the strategy of the movement. Who
should get credit for it I cannot tell. But I can hardly think that
Winfield Scott's was the head that planned this enterprise, my after
experience with this man guiding me to regard him as a soldier
incapable--in short, such as late severe critics have called him, `fuss
and feathers.' `The hasty plate of soup' was then ringing around his
name. Whoever planned it is deserving of great praise. Its ingenuity,
misleading our enemy, lay in making the latter believe that we intended
to make landing at Anton Lizardo. Hence all his disposable force that
could be spared from the garrison of Vera Cruz was there to oppose us.
And when our ships hastily drew in anchor and went straight for Vera
Cruz, as hawks at unprotected quarry, these detached garrison troops saw
the mistake they had made. The coast road from Vera Cruz to Anton
Lizardo is cut by numerous streams, all bridgeless. To cross them
safely needed taking many a roundabout route--so many that the swiftest
horse could not reach Vera Cruz so soon as our slowest ship, and we were
there before them. We did not aim to enter the port nor come within
range of its defending batteries, least of all those of San Juan
d'Ulloa. The islet of Sacrificios, about a league from the latter,
whose southern end affords sheltering anchorage, was the point we aimed
at; and there our miscellaneous flotilla became concentrated, some of
the ships dropping anchor, others remaining adrift. Then the beaching
boats, casting off hawsers, were rowed straight for the shore, some half
mile off. A shoal strand it was, where a boat's keel touched bottom
long before reaching dry land. That in which I was did so, and well do
I remember how myself and comrades at once sprang over the gunwales,
and, waist deep, waded out to the sand-strewn shore.
"There we encountered no enemy--nothing to obstruct us. All the
antagonism we met with or saw was a stray shot or two from some
long-range guns mounted on the parapet of the most southern fort of the
city. But we had now our feet sure planted on the soil of Mexico."