Annexation of Texas--Causes that led to annexation--Message of the
President--General Scott's letters regarding William Henry
Harrison--Efforts to reduce General Scott's pay--Letter to T.P.
Atkinson on the slavery question--Battle of Palo Alto, and of Resaca
de la Palma, Monterey, and Buena Vista--"The hasty plate of
soup"--Scott's opinion of General Taylor--Scott ordered to
Mexico--Proposal to revive the grade of lieutenant general,
and to appoint Thomas H. Benton--Scott reaches the Brazos
Santiago--Confidential dispatch from Scott to Taylor--Co-operation of
the navy--Letters to the Secretary of War as to places of
rendezvous--Arrival and landing at Vera Cruz, and its investment,
siege, and capture--Letter to foreign consuls--Terms of
surrender--Orders of General Scott after the surrender.
The Congress of the United States, on February 27, 1845, passed joint
resolutions providing for the annexation of Texas, and they were
approved by President Tyler on the 1st of March. A convention was
called by President Jones, of Texas, to meet on the 4th of the
succeeding July, to consider the matter of annexation to the United
States. The convention ratified the proposal, and prepared a
constitution for Texas as a State in the American Union. The question
of annexation was submitted to a vote of the people of Texas and
ratified by a large majority. On December 29th following, a joint
resolution of the Congress of the United States was passed, which
declared Texas admitted as a State into the Union.
It may be interesting to take a retrospective view of the causes, or
rather the means, by which this important measure was brought about.
In the winter of 1842-'43 there appeared in a newspaper published at
Baltimore a letter of Mr. Thomas W. Gilmer, a member of Congress from
Virginia, urging the annexation of Texas. He argued among other things
that the British Government had designs on Texas; that it proposed a
political and military domination of the country, with a view to the
abolition of slavery. At this time Texas and Mexico were at war. It
was at once charged by the opponents of the scheme of annexation that
Mr. Gilmer, who was known as the close political friend of Mr. John C.
Calhoun, was simply acting as the mouthpiece of the latter. It will
be remembered by those who are conversant with the proceedings of
Congress that Mr. Calhoun, in the Senate in 1836, had offered some
resolutions looking to the annexation of Texas. Mr. Webster, who was
known as opposed to the measure, was the only member of President
Harrison's Cabinet who remained with President Tyler. He resigned his
portfolio as Secretary of State, and was succeeded by Mr. Hugh S.
Legaré, of South Carolina, who, dying very soon after his appointment,
was succeeded by Mr. Abel P. Upshur, of Virginia. Both of the latter
named were known friends of the annexation scheme. There appeared not
long after the publication of the Gilmer letter, in the Richmond
Enquirer, a letter from General Andrew Jackson to Mr. Brown, in reply
to a letter of Mr. Brown, in which he indorsed a copy of Mr. Gilmer's
letter and asking General Jackson's views on the subject. General
Jackson's reply was a thorough and hearty approval of the proposed
immediate annexation of Texas. General Jackson's letter was dated from
the Hermitage, his residence near Nashville, Tenn., March 12, 1843.
The letter of General Jackson produced a profound effect throughout
the country. Although out of office, old, and in the retirement of
private life, he exercised more influence than any man living in the
United States.
Mr. Calhoun succeeded Mr. Upshur as Secretary of State, and he was
known as a friend of annexation. Mr. Van Buren, replying to a letter
from Mr. William T. Hammett, a representative in Congress from
Mississippi, announced his opposition to the immediate annexation of
Texas, because it would produce a war with Mexico. He expressed
himself in favor of the measure when it could be done peaceably and
honorably. Mr. Clay announced his opposition to the measure. In
December, 1843, the British Premier, Lord Aberdeen, in a dispatch to
Sir Richard Packenham, British Minister at Washington, denied that
Great Britain had any design on Texas, but announced (which was
superfluous, and not germane to the charge which he felt called upon
to deny) that "Great Britain desires and is constantly exerting
herself to procure the general abolition of slavery throughout the
world." This provoked a correspondence between Mr. Calhoun and the
British Minister. In his annual message to Congress at the
commencement of the session of 1843-'44 the President expressed
himself very strongly in regard to war being waged by Mexico against
Texas. The proposed treaty for annexation was rejected by the Senate
June 8, 1844, by a vote of thirty-five to sixteen. Mr. Benton
presented a plan for the peaceful acquisition of Texas, but the Senate
refused to adopt it.
President Tyler in his last message again referred to the war between
Mexico and Texas, and said: "I repeat now what I then said, that after
eight years of feeble and ineffectual efforts to recover Texas, it was
time that the war should have ceased."
When the convention of the Whig party met at Harrisburg, Pa., December
4, 1839, to nominate a candidate for the presidency, General Scott's
name was presented. He had addressed a number of letters to members of
the convention urging that, if there appeared any prospect of success,
Mr. Clay should be selected, and if not, that the choice should fall
on General William Henry Harrison. The total number of votes in the
convention was two hundred and fifty-four. Of these, General Scott
received the votes of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and
Michigan--in all, sixty-two. The States which had voted for General
Scott gave their votes eventually to General Harrison, who received
the nomination. General Scott said of General Harrison, "But the
nomination and success of General Harrison," if his life had been
spared some four years longer, would have been no detriment to the
country. With excellent intentions and objects, and the good sense to
appoint able counselors, the country would not have been retarded in
its prosperity nor disgraced by corruption in high places. No one can,
of course, be held responsible for sudden deaths among men. A single
month in office ended President Harrison's life, when the plaint of
Burke occurred to all, "What shadows we are, what shadows we pursue!"
In June, 1841, Major-General Macomb having died, General Scott was
called to take up his residence in Washington as general in chief of
the army. Among his first orders was one which put a stop to arbitrary
and illegal punishments in the army.
An effort was made in the House of Representatives of the next
Congress in 1844 to reduce his pay, but being resisted by Charles J.
Ingersoll, of Philadelphia, and ex-President John Quincy Adams, it was
voted down by a large majority. Mr. Adams, in the course of his
remarks in opposition to the resolution, said that he "felt bound to
declare that he did think it a very ill reward for the great and
eminent services of General Scott during a period of thirty odd years,
in which there were some as gallant exploits as our history could
show, and in which he had not spared to shed his blood, as well as for
more recent services of great importance in time of peace--services of
great difficulty and great delicacy--now to turn him adrift at his
advanced age.... That he could not for a moment harbor in his heart
the thought that General Scott, if he had received from the Government
thousands of dollars more than he had, would have received one dollar
which he did not richly deserve at the hands of his country."
On February 9, 1843, he wrote from Washington to T.P. Atkinson, of
Danville, Va., in reply to a letter from that gentleman, asking his
opinions on the question of slavery. Mr. Atkinson was the son of an
old friend of General Scott, and the letter was written to him as a
probable candidate for the presidency. He took the position in this
letter that Congress had no power under the Constitution to interfere
with or legislate on the question of slavery within the States. He
argued that it was the duty of Congress, however, to receive, refer,
and report upon petitions which might be presented to it on the
question of slavery, as on all other questions. He did not blame
masters for not liberating their slaves, as he thought it would
benefit neither the masters nor the slaves. He, however, held it to be
the duty of slave owners to employ all means not incompatible with the
safety of both master and slave to meliorate slavery even to
extermination. He held that, with the consent of owners or payment of
just compensation, Congress might legislate in the District of
Columbia, although it would be dangerous to contiguous States.
He also, in March, 1845, in reply to a letter from J.C. Beckwith,
corresponding secretary of a peace convention, wrote that he always
maintained the moral right to wage a just and necessary war.
In March, 1845, as stated, Congress passed a joint resolution for the
annexation of the republic of Texas, and in July of that year
Brigadier-General Zachary Taylor, then commanding the first department
of the United States army in the Southwest, was ordered to Texas. He
embarked at New Orleans with fifteen hundred troops, and in August
established his camp at Corpus Christi. Re-enforcements were
dispatched to him rapidly, and in November his command amounted to
about four thousand men.
On March 8, 1846, General Taylor, under orders from Washington, moved
his army toward the Rio Grande, and on the 28th of that month encamped
on that river opposite the Mexican city of Matamoros. He here erected
a fort called Fort Brown, which commanded the city of Matamoros. The
Mexican troops near Matamoros were at the same time busily engaged in
fortifying the city. General Pedro de Ampudia, who commanded the
Mexican forces at Matamoros, on April 12, 1846, addressed General
Taylor a note requiring that within twenty-four hours he should retire
from his position at Fort Brown and march beyond the Neuces, stating
that the governments of Mexico and the United States were engaged in
negotiations regarding the annexation of Texas, and that a failure or
refusal of General Taylor to comply with this demand would be regarded
by his Government as a declaration of war on the part of the United
States. General Taylor replied in substance that he was there with his
army under orders of his Government, that he declined to retire beyond
the Neuces, and that he stood ready to repel any attack which might be
made upon him. Soon after this correspondence General Mariano Arista
was placed in the command formerly held by General Ampudia, and in
May, with an army of six thousand men, he crossed the Rio Grande and
attacked General Taylor at Palo Alto, and was signally defeated.
General Arista retreated on the next day to Resaca de la Palma, where
he was again defeated and his army routed, and he retired across the
Rio Grande. General Taylor was now promoted to the rank of major
general, and on May 18th took possession of Matamoros without
opposition.
On September 9th he arrived at Monterey with about six thousand seven
hundred men, chiefly volunteers. General Ampudia held the command here
with ten thousand regular Mexican troops. General Taylor assaulted his
position on September 19th, and after five days of almost continual
fighting General Ampudia surrendered. General Taylor then transferred
his headquarters to Monterey, but guarded the city of Saltillo with a
strong force. He was about making an advance on San Luis Potosi, when
a large portion of his force was ordered to join General Scott at Vera
Cruz.
Concentrating his forces, some five thousand in number, he learned
that General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was concentrating a force of
twenty thousand men at San Luis Potosi, with a view to attack him. On
February 21, 1847, he took position at a mountain pass called Buena
Vista, a few miles from Saltillo, where, being attacked the next day
by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna, he defeated them, and
Santa Anna retreated to San Luis Potosi. This brief statement of the
magnificent and almost unprecedented campaign of General Taylor is
necessary to understand the part taken by General Scott in the war
with Mexico.
General Scott was notified early in May, 1846, that he might be
ordered to assume the command on the Mexican frontier. He expressed
his disinclination to this duty, because it was, as he expressed it,
"harsh and unusual for a senior, without re-enforcements, to supersede
a meritorious junior, and that he doubted whether that was the right
season, or the Rio Grande the right basis, for offensive operations
against Mexico," and suggested a plan to conquer a peace, which he
afterward planned and executed. Political reasons to some extent
delayed action in sending General Scott to Mexico, and his views on
the proper campaign in Mexico were not approved by President Polk.
General Scott thought that unless his plan met the full approval and
support of the Government, it might result disastrously, and
expressed the sentiment, which became afterward a byword, that
"soldiers had a far greater dread of a fire upon the rear than of the
most formidable enemy in the front." The President declined to order
him to the command.
Pending these affairs, the Secretary of War one day called at General
Scott's office and found that he was absent. General Scott, on
returning, learning that the secretary had called, wrote him a note in
explanation of his absence, saying that "he had only stepped out for
the moment to take a hasty plate of soup." This was also made a
byword, and was used with a view to injure General Scott, or rather to
ridicule him by his political opponents when he was a candidate of the
Whig party for President in 1852. The successes of General Taylor had
endeared him to the whole country, and his praises were in every one's
mouth. Congress passed a resolution of thanks, with a promise to
present him with a sword in recognition of his services. General Scott
wrote to the Kentucky senators, to Hon. Jefferson Davis, and others in
Congress, suggesting that instead of a sword the higher honor of a
gold medal should be voted him, and this suggestion was adopted.
General Scott made an indorsement on the resolution of Congress voting
this medal, recommending that it be made in the highest style of art.
About this time he was called upon by some Whig members of Congress to
inquire if General Taylor was a Whig, and if he would not be a proper
person for the Whigs to nominate as their candidate for the
presidency.
General Scott spoke of him to these inquirers as a man who had the
true basis of a great character--pure, uncorrupted morals combined
with indomitable courage. Kind-hearted, sincere, and hospitable in a
plain way, he had no vice but prejudice, many friends, and no enemies.
He also related an anecdote showing General Taylor's unscrupulous
honesty and high sense of honor.
General Scott made repeated requests during the summer and autumn of
1846 to be ordered to Mexico. On November 23d he received the
following order:
"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, _November 23, 1846_.
"SIR: The President several days since communicated in
person to you his orders to repair to Mexico to take command of the
forces there assembled, and particularly to organize and set on foot
an expedition to operate on the Gulf coast, if, on arriving at the
theater of action, you shall deem it to be practicable. It is not
proposed to control your operations by definite and positive
instructions, but you are left to prosecute them as your judgment,
under a full view of all the circumstances, shall dictate. The work
is before you, and the means provided or to be provided for
accomplishing it are committed to you, in the full confidence that
you will use them to the best advantage.
"The objects which it is desirable to obtain have been indicated,
and it is hoped that you will have the requisite force to accomplish
them. Of this you must be the judge when preparations are made and
the time for action arrived. Very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
"W.L. MARCY, _Secretary of War_.
"_General_ WINFIELD SCOTT."
General Scott was impressed with the belief that Mr. Marcy, the
Secretary of War, and Hon. Robert J. Walker, of Mississippi, the
Secretary of the Treasury, had the fullest confidence in his ability,
and favored giving him the substantial direction of the war. He was
also impressed with the kindness and confidence extended to him by
President Polk, but on his arrival in New Orleans he was shown a
letter from Alexander Barrow, then a Senator in Congress from
Louisiana and a personal friend of General Scott, informing him that
the President had asked that the grade of lieutenant general be
established in the army, and that on the passage of such an act by
Congress it was the intention of the President to confer this rank,
and consequently the command of the army, upon Thomas H. Benton, then
a Senator from Missouri. This was a great shock to General Scott, and
he attributed it to political motives. He reasoned this way: "Scott is
a Whig; therefore the Democracy is not bound to observe good faith
with him. His successes may be turned to the prejudice of the
Democratic party. We must, however, profit by his military experience,
and if successful, by force of patronage and other helps, continue to
crown Benton with the victory, and thus triumph both in the field and
at the polls."
He reached the Brazos Santiago, near the mouth of the Rio Grande, in
Christmas week, and proceeded from there to Camargo, where he expected
to meet General Taylor, but, by some mismanagement or delay, his
notification to General Taylor did not reach the latter.
A confidential dispatch from General Scott to General Taylor was
opened, read, and freely discussed at headquarters at Monterey. A
duplicate was sent forward, but the party in charge of it was killed
at Villa Gran and the dispatch delivered to General Santa Anna. Taylor
had made a movement toward Tampico, and hence did not receive the
first dispatch delivered at Tampico. In the later dispatch General
Scott had written him that he might have his choice of two
armies--either remain as the commander of Northern Mexico, or
accompany General Scott in command of a division toward the City of
Mexico, with every assurance in either case of confidence and support.
General Scott anticipated the difficulty of timely concentration of
forces off the Brazos large enough to give hope of success. He thought
it necessary to have fifteen thousand troops, of which five thousand
were to be regulars, and to have the co-operation of the navy. The
time named for the concentration was the middle of January, so that
the army might reach Vera Cruz by February 1st. He had requested the
advice of General Taylor on these matters and all others in regard to
the proposed campaign. He had intimated, in a letter of November 15th,
that it would be necessary to withdraw a large number of troops from
General Taylor, and thus reduce him to the defensive, while he thought
it absolutely necessary for success that General Taylor should have a
force sufficient to act offensively in the direction of San Luis
Potosi. In addition to the volunteers and regulars at Tampico and
those moving there, he desired that Worth's division of regulars,
Duncan and Taylor's field batteries, a thousand mounted men, and all
the volunteer infantry that could be spared be sent to General Taylor,
only retaining a force sufficient to hold Monterey and protect his
communications to Point Isabel. From New Orleans General Scott had
written the Secretary of War that he approved of the rendezvous at
Pensacola rather than at Brazos for the ordnance and ordnance stores.
He also urged that volunteers be forwarded rapidly to Brazos.
Subsequently he wrote the Secretary of War asking that ships with
troops and supplies be ordered to Lobos Island. He addressed a letter
to General George M. Brooke, commanding at New Orleans, giving
detailed orders of what he required of him. He also wrote to Commodore
Conner, and made suggestions about joint operations.
Failing to meet General Taylor, as he hoped and endeavored to do, with
a view of a full and free conference, he felt compelled to issue
orders detaching from the army of the Rio Grande such regular troops
as were deemed necessary to lead the volunteers for the capture of
Vera Cruz and the move on the capital, leaving General Taylor with a
force sufficient to maintain himself at Monterey. He intended, had he
seen General Taylor, to advise him to contract his line to the Rio
Grande. General Taylor, supported by the authorities in Washington,
favored the movement on the City of Mexico from Monterey and _via_ San
Luis Potosi, but General Scott had already formulated and determined
on the movement which he made with such brilliant success. Orders were
accordingly issued from Camargo, January 3, 1847, for the movement of
troops from Monterey, and General Scott returned to Brazos Santiago.
The embarkation for Vera Cruz was delayed by the non-arrival of the
troops from Monterey and want of transportation. The Lobos Islands was
selected as the place of rendezvous. This point is one hundred and
twenty miles from Vera Cruz. When the greater part of the troops had
arrived, they sailed past Vera Cruz and anchored, on March 7th, at
Anton Lizardo, from which point it was determined to make the
necessary reconnoissances.
General Scott was at this time ignorant of the movement of General
Santa Anna toward Monterey, and expected, on landing or attempting to
land, to be met by a formidable force of the enemy. On March 9th, the
weather proving good, the fleet, consisting of some eighty vessels,
including transports, moved up the coast with the naval steamers and
five gunboats. General Scott was on board of the Massachusetts, and as
she moved up, the troops from the decks of the vessels cheered him
with great enthusiasm. The anchorage was made outside the range of the
enemy's guns. General Scott had provided sixty-seven surf boats, and
in these and some cutters fifty-five hundred men--the boats being
steered by sailors furnished by Commodore David Conner--passed the
Massachusetts and repeated their cheers to the commanding general. The
whole force was landed at half past five in the afternoon, without the
loss of a man or a boat and without serious opposition from the enemy.
The remainder of the force was soon landed, amounting in all to
something less than twelve thousand men.
The following appeared in the New Orleans Bulletin of March 27, 1847:
"The landing of the American army at Vera Cruz has been accomplished
in a manner that reflects the highest credit on all concerned; and the
regularity, precision, and promptness with which it was effected has
probably never been surpassed, if it has been equaled, in modern
warfare. The removal of a large body of troops from numerous
transports into boats in an open sea, their subsequent disembarkation
on the sea beach, on an enemy's coast, through a surf, with all their
arms and accouterments, without a single error or accident, requires
great exertion, skill, and sound judgment.
"The French expedition against Algiers in 1830 was said to be the most
complete armament in every respect that ever left Europe; it had been
prepared with labor, attention, experience, and nothing had been
omitted to insure success, and particularly in the means and
facilities for landing the troops. This disembarkation took place in a
wide bay, which was more favorable than an open beach directly on the
ocean, and (as in the present instance) without any resistance on the
part of the enemy; yet only nine thousand men were landed the first
day, and from thirty to forty lives were lost by accidents or
upsetting of boats; whereas on the present occasion twelve thousand
men were landed in one day, without, so far as we have heard, the
slightest accident or loss of life."
Both the city and the castle of San Juan de Ulloa were strongly
garrisoned and well provisioned. It was General Santa Anna's opinion
that the garrison at Vera Cruz and the castle could successfully
resist a siege until the annual breaking out of the yellow fever, upon
which he depended to cause the withdrawal of the American troops;
hence he devoted himself to the collection of troops to advance on
General Taylor. General Scott says: "The walls and forts of Vera Cruz
in 1847 were in good condition. Subsequent to its capture by the
French, under Admiral Baudin and the Prince de Joinville, in 1838,
the castle had been greatly extended, almost rebuilt, and its armament
about doubled. Besides, the French were allowed to reconnoiter the
city and castle and choose their positions of attack without the least
resistance, the Mexicans deprecating the war with that nation, and
hence ordered not to fire the first gun. Of that injunction the French
were aware. When we approached, in 1847, the castle had the capacity
to sink the entire American navy." Soon after the landing was
effected, General Scott, accompanied by Colonel Joseph G. Totten and
other officers of his staff, reconnoitered the land side of the city,
the reconnoissance of the water front having been previously made.
The city was now completely invested, and all communication with the
interior cut off. A complete blockade had been established by
Commodore Conner. Several officers applied to General Scott for the
privilege of leading storming parties. They were thanked, but no
orders were given. In a meeting with his staff--Colonel Totten, chief
engineer; Lieutenant-Colonel Ethan A. Hitchcock, acting inspector
general; Captain Robert E. Lee, engineer; and Lieutenant Henry L.
Scott, acting adjutant general--General Scott spoke as follows: "We,
of course, gentlemen, must take the city and castle before the return
of the _vomito_--if not by head-work, by the slow scientific process
of storming, and then escape by pushing the conquest into the healthy
interior. I am strongly inclined to attempt the former, unless you can
convince me that the other is preferable. Since our thorough
reconnaissance, I think the suggestion practicable with a very
moderate loss on our part. The second method would no doubt be
equally successful, but with the cost of an immense slaughter to both
sides, including noncombatants, Mexican men, women, and children,
because assaults must be made in the dark, and the assailants dare not
lose time in taking and guarding prisoners without incurring the
certainty of becoming captives themselves, till all the strongholds of
the place are occupied. The horrors of such slaughter as that, with
the usual terrible accompaniment, are most revolting. Besides these
objections, it is necessary to take into account the probable loss of
some two thousand, perhaps three thousand, of our best men in an
assault, and I have received but half the number promised me. How,
then, could we hope to penetrate in the interior?... For these
reasons," I added, quoting literally, "although I know our countrymen
will hardly acknowledge a victory unaccompanied by a long butcher's
bill (report of dead and wounded), I am strongly inclined--policy
concurring with humanity--to forego their loud applause and 'aves
vehement' and take the city with the least possible loss of life...."
General Scott's views were fully concurred in by Colonel Totten and
others of his staff, and orders were issued for digging the trenches
and the establishment of batteries. Very soon all outposts and
sentries of the enemy were driven in. General Scott had warned the
foreign consuls in the city of his proposed attack and had furnished
them safe conducts out of the city, but they had not taken advantage
of it. The marines of Commodore Conner's squadron, at his request,
were now allowed to join the army, and, under command of Captain Alvin
Edson, they were attached to the Third Artillery.
On the morning of the 10th the guns from the castle opened fire, but
did very little damage. General Robert Patterson now joined Worth on
his left, and extended the line of investment. Small parties of
Mexicans were in sight in a valley, and a detachment under command of
Colonel Cenovio approached the American camp and opened fire. The only
damage done was the wounding of one soldier. General Gideon J. Pillow,
with a part of his command and a six-pounder, opened fire on a large
stone building occupied by the enemy and known as the magazine. They
were soon driven off, and General Pillow advanced and attacked a small
force in his front, driving them and occupying the magazine.
Colonels William T. Haskell's and Francis M. Wynkoop's regiments of
Tennessee and Pennsylvania volunteers were moved on a small force on
the road to Medelin, which retired, and two companies--one of
artillery under command of Captain John R. Vinton, and one of infantry
under command of Lieutenant A.P. Rogers--seized a point known as the
limekiln, where it was proposed to plant a battery. General Twiggs
moved on the 11th to extend the line of investment, which was now
complete. General Scott then addressed a letter to the commanding
officer of the city as follows:
"HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
CAMP WASHINGTON, BEFORE VERA CRUZ,
"_March, 23, 1847_.
"The undersigned, Major-General Scott, general in chief of the
armies of the United States of America, in addition to the close
blockade of the coast and port of Vera Cruz previously established
by the squadrons under Commodore Conner, of the navy of said
States, having more fully invested the said city with an
overwhelming army, so as to render it impossible that it should
receive from without succor or re-enforcements of any kind, and
having caused to be established batteries competent to the speedy
destruction of said city, he, the undersigned, deems it due to the
courtesies of war in like cases, as well as to the rights of
humanity, to summon his Excellency the governor or commander in
chief of the city of Vera Cruz to surrender the same to the army of
the United States of America, present before the place. The
undersigned, anxious to spare the beautiful city of Vera Cruz from
the imminent hazard of demolition, its gallant defenders from a
useless effusion of blood, and its peaceful inhabitants--women and
children inclusive--from the inevitable horrors of a triumphant
assault, addresses this summons to the intelligence, the gallantry,
the patriotism, no less than the humanity, of his Excellency the
governor and commander in chief of Vera Cruz. The undersigned is not
accurately informed whether both the city and the castle of San Juan
de Ulloa be under the command of his Excellency, or whether each
place has its own independent commander; but the undersigned, moved
by the considerations adverted to above, may be willing to stipulate
that if the city should by capitulation be garrisoned by a part of
his troops no missile shall be fired from within the city or from
its bastions or walls upon the castle, unless the castle should
previously fire upon the city. The undersigned has the honor to
tender his distinguished opponent, his Excellency the general and
commander in chief of Vera Cruz, the assurance of the high respect
and consideration of the undersigned, WINFIELD SCOTT."
To which he received the following reply:
"GOD AND LIBERTY!"
"VERA CRUZ, _March 22, 1847_.
"TO MAJOR-GENERAL SCOTT: The undersigned, commanding
general of the free and sovereign State of Vera Cruz, has informed
himself of the contents of the note which Major-General Scott,
general in chief of the forces of the United States, has addressed
to him under date of to-day, demanding the surrender of this place
and castle of San Juan de Ulloa, and in answer has to say that the
above-named fortress as well as the city depends on his authority;
and it being his principal duty, in order to prove worthy of the
confidence placed in him by the Government of the nation, to defend
both points at all cost, to which he counts upon necessary elements,
and will make it good to the last, therefore his Excellency can
commence his operations of war in a manner which he may consider
most advantageous. The undersigned has the honor to return to the
general in chief of the forces of the United States the
demonstrations of esteem he may be pleased to honor him with.
"JUAN MORALES."
The city was garrisoned by a force of three thousand three hundred and
sixty officers and men, and the castle had a force of one thousand and
thirty, making a total of four thousand three hundred and ninety. It
was certainly a brave determination of the Mexicans with this force to
resist the formidable foe who had invested them and were ready to
attack.
On March 22d, at 4.15 P.M., the mortar batteries opened fire,
and from that time the firing was continued without ceasing until the
23d, when it was suspended for a few hours. The fire was returned from
the batteries. Fire was also opened on the city from the vessels.
Heavy guns having arrived, preparations were made for getting them
ashore, but it was prevented by a heavy norther. The norther having
subsided on the 23d, six heavy guns and a detachment from the navy
were landed. On Commodore Matthew C. Perry's request a place in the
trenches was assigned to the navy. On the 24th, Colonel Persifor F.
Smith moved out to a small stream called the San Pedro and attacked
and drove off a force of the enemy.
On the night of the 24th General Scott received a communication,
signed by the British, French, Spanish, and Prussian consuls in Vera
Cruz, asking time to permit the neutrals and women and children to
withdraw from the city; to which he replied that up to the 23d the
communication between the neutrals in Vera Cruz and the neutral ships
of war lying off Sacrificios was left open to allow them an exit, and
that he had given notice to the consuls. He therefore declined to
grant the request unless it was made by the governor and commander in
chief of Vera Cruz, accompanied with a proposition to surrender. On
the 25th, the six heavy guns, the navy battery, and all the mortars
opened fire. General Scott had determined that, if no proposition for
surrender was made by the 26th, he would assault the works.
The command of the city having been turned over by General Morales to
General Landero, the latter, on the 26th, addressed General Scott as
follows:
"I have the honor of transmitting to your Excellency the exposition
which has this moment been made to me by the señores consuls of
England, France, Spain, and Prussia, in which they solicit that
hostilities may be suspended while the innocent families in this
place who are suffering the ravages of war be enabled to leave the
city, which solicitude claims my support; and considering it in
accordance with the rights of afflicted humanity, I have not
hesitated to invite your Excellency to enter into an honorable
accommodation with the garrison, in which case you will please name
three commissioners who may meet at some intermediate point to treat
with those of this place upon the terms of the accommodation. With
this motive I renew to your Excellency my attentive consideration.
"God reward your Excellency, etc., etc., etc. (on account of the
sickness of the commanding general).
"JOSÉ JUAN DE LANDERO."
General Scott notified General Landero that he had appointed Brevet
Major-General Worth, of the regular army, Major-General Pillow, of the
volunteers, and Colonel Totten, chief of the engineer corps of the
army, commissioners on his part to meet a like number to be appointed
by General Landero. The latter announced the appointment on his part
of Colonels Herrera, Gutierrez de Villa Nueva, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Robles. The commissioners met at the Punta de Hornos, and on the 27th
agreed upon terms.
[Illustration: Siege of
VERA CRUZ]
The terms of capitulation were in substance that the Mexican troops
should march out of the city with the honors of war, should stack
their arms and be paroled; that their colors, when lowered, should be
saluted. Absolute protection was guaranteed to persons and property in
the city. No private building was to be taken or used by the United
States forces without previous arrangement and fair compensation. A
Mexican historian says: "The sacrifice was consummated, but the
soldiers of Vera Cruz received the honor due to their valor and
misfortunes--the respect of the conqueror. Not even a look was given
them by the enemy's soldiers which could be interpreted into an
insult." Five thousand prisoners and four hundred guns were captured,
and with a loss of only sixty-seven killed and wounded.
There is scarcely anything in history equal to this achievement of
General Scott. Throughout the siege he shared all the dangers and
hardships of his troops. He examined in person, aided by his very able
staff officers, every detail of works of defense, and gave orders for
the firing of the batteries.
One day during the siege General Scott was walking the trenches where
a heavy fire of the enemy was directed. Seeing some of the soldiers
standing up, General Scott ordered them not to expose themselves.
"But, General," said one, "you are exposing yourself." "Oh!" said he,
"generals nowadays can be made out of anybody, but men can not be
had." The point of this reply is easy to understand. General Worth was
appointed commandant and governor of Vera Cruz, with instructions to
establish and enforce police regulations, but not to interfere with
the functions of the civil magistrates in affairs between Mexicans.
He was authorized and instructed, after conferring with Commodore
Perry, to establish a tariff of duties on articles imported, to be
applied to the necessities of the sick and wounded of the army and
navy and indigent inhabitants of the city of Vera Cruz; this to
continue in force until instructions were received from Washington.
General Worth, on assuming command, immediately issued an order to the
alcalde as follows:
"Arms in possession of citizens to be given into the alcalde's
possession and to be reported to headquarters. Drinking saloons to be
closed, and not to be reopened hereafter except under special
permission. Mexican laws as between Mexicans to be enforced, and
justice administered by regular Mexican tribunals. Cases arising
between American citizens of the army, or authorized followers of the
same, will be investigated by military commissions."
To cover all cases arising by the military occupation of the country,
General Scott had issued at Tampico his Martial-Law Order No. 40, and
republished it at Vera Cruz. General Worth gave permission to the
residents of the city to leave and enter the city freely between
daylight and sunset. No duties were imposed on any of the necessaries
of life.
On March 30th a combined military and naval expedition was organized
to move to Alvarado, Commodore Perry in command of the naval
contingent. The army detachment, under General John A. Quitman,
consisted of the Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina infantry, and a
squadron of the Second Dragoons under command of Major Benjamin Lloyd
Beall, and a section of the Third Artillery under Lieutenant Henry
Bethel Judd.
The object of this expedition was to conciliate the inhabitants, and
for the purchase of horses, mules, and cattle. Commodore Perry landed
there on the 1st of April, followed by the arrival of General Quitman
very soon afterward. Many citizens fled on the approach of the troops,
and the town was surrendered to the American forces. Twenty-two cannon
and some ammunition were captured, and five hundred horses secured by
purchase. The troops returned to Vera Cruz, April 6th. A similar
expedition for like purposes was undertaken by General Harvey, April
2d, for Antigua. A lieutenant and eight soldiers were captured, and
some horses and cattle purchased. On April 3d, Brevet Colonel Henry
Wilson, with the First United States Infantry and two companies of
volunteers, was assigned to the command of Vera Cruz and the castle of
San Juan de Ulloa.
Orders were now issued for an advance of the army on Jalapa, General
David E. Twiggs, with the Second Division of regulars, to lead the
movement on the 8th, two brigades of volunteers to follow. On the 9th
Patterson's division moved, but, for want of transportation, Quitman's
brigade, Colonel James H. Thomas, Tennessee mounted regiment, Worth's
division, and the siege train were left at Vera Cruz. General Twiggs
was notified by General Scott that he had information that General
Santa Anna had arrived at Jalapa with six thousand troops, though he
[General Scott] regarded the numbers as exaggerated. General Twiggs,
on receipt of General Scott's notice, replied that the Mexicans would
doubtless endeavor to hold the pass of Cerro Gordo between the
National Bridge and Jalapa. Through Mexican sources he had information
rating Santa Anna's force at from two thousand to thirteen thousand,
and that he expected to arrive on the evening of the 11th at Plan del
Rio, the point where the Mexican advance was posted.
General Scott had received information that Generals Patterson and
Twiggs had met a strong force of the enemy at Plan del Rio. Worth's
division was ordered forward, and Quitman directed to follow in
twenty-four hours. General Scott himself now moved out under a cavalry
escort.