on the right and the volunteers on the left, enclosing the extended field in a hollow square, with an opening nearest the city, through which the Mexicans were to enter. In a short time the sound of mournful music announced that the enemy was approaching; and looking toward the city we beheld his columns moving out in good order, and in the direction of our army.

On they came, the poor, crest-fallen, half-starved, emaciated creatures, marching to the most mournful strains ear ever heard; the long dejected looking files of troops, accompanied by the inhabitants of the city-women and children, the old, the young, the crippled—all bearing off their little treasures. Some were seen staggering under the weight of old trunks, others loaded down with bags of meal – -no doubt their little all. I need not say that I sincerely sympathized with them in their deep distress; and as I looked around upon many poor pale sorrowing faces of the females, my heart ached for them, and I involuntarily breathed forth a curse upon the inventor of

war.

After the soldiers had stacked their arms, and while they were waiting to be paroled, I came down from the hill where I had been seated, and strolling around among the columns of Mexicans, was surprised to find so many fine looking men and officers among them. They had the appearance of being well disciplined, and their arms and accoutrements were in a most excellent condition. Although I was entirely alone and wore the uniform of the navy, not an insult was offered to me; and whenever I thought proper to salute one of their officers, the civility was always promptly and courteously acknowledged.

On I went in a spirit of wild recklessness, stopping to exchange an occasional smile or kind word with the pretty senoritas, with their large dark languishing eyes, raven tresses hanging down almost to the earth, and with their swelling bosoms more than half disclosed to view. Suddenly looking up, I for the first time discovered that I had left our army, and all assistance far behind, and that I was alone in the very midst of the armed and swarthy hordes of the enemy, and directly before the principal gate of the city. To add to my uneasiness, I perceived many dark and threatening glances cast toward me from the sullen column of soldiers; and I have no doubt,

that had they not been restrained by a fear of their officers, they would have sacrificed me on the spot to gratify their thirst for revenge. But let me feel as I would, it was no time to show indecision; so I walked quietly along the walls, examining the loop-holes for musketry, and speculating in my own mind, whether some one of the enemy might not lie concealed behind them as at Monterey, and take a fancy to make a target of me. I can testify from personal experience, that the spot on which I stood at that time, was not a bed of roses. Had I been made the victim of some deadly marksman, who, at such a time, could ever have ferreted out the assassin ?

Just at this moment, to my great relief, Mr. Crossan, a very brave and accomplished officer, accompanied by three others, came up, having like me wandered on in advance of the army. After a brief consultation, it was decided to go on at all hazards. Accordingly we crossed the old bridge, and after passing over a ponderous arched gate-way, found ourselves in the almost deserted streets. We were the first Americans that entered Vera Cruz.

What a scene of distress and desolation met the eye at every turn! For nearly a week the American army had rained a ceaseless shower of bombs into the ill-fated city, and not a street, and scarcely a house, remained unvisited by these terrible missiles. The pavements ploughed up, beautiful dwellings shattered into masses of ruins, signs of every description broken in pieces, and fragments of shells lying around in every direction-these told of the havoc which had been made with our enemies. The few people who remained in the city, seemed completely cowed down, and beaten out with constant fatigue, anxiety, and want of sleep; and as we passed along the echoing streets, they looked out of their broken windows timidly upon us, as if expecting insult and violence. For myself I sincerely sympathized with them in their poignant distress; and even had I possessed the power, I would not for the universe have injured one of the poor pale faced creatures of that many sorrowed throng. There is something in deep distress which claims a kindred feeling in the breast of humanity.

I soon separated from the rest of the party, and wandered alone over the entire city. During the whole of my peregrinations, I was treated with the greatest respect and kindness; and whenever I

stopped before a house to gaze upon the damage done by a shell, some of the inmates, if the building was not deserted, would come to the shattered door, invite me to enter, point out their furniture destroyed, or the time-worn walls stained with the life blood of a father or a mother, a sister or a brother.

Nor was it the Mexicans alone that suffered. The foreign residents of the town not expecting a bombardment, but an assault from our army, had remained at their residences; and, to use the phrase of the indignant British consul, were caught like so many rats in a trap.' That gentleman informed me that for a whole week, he had not taken off his clothes, and had scarcely slept a moment during the whole of the bombardment. 'Whenever,' said he,

a person did lie down to obtain a little rest, it was with the comforting thought that in all human probability, a great bombshell would come down through the roof of the house, and take up its quarters by his side as a bedfellow.' He went on to say that during the second night of the bombardment, he collected together quite a large party of his friends, if I remember rightly some twenty in number, ladies and gentlemen, who took refuge in the parlor of a large stone house, which being very strong was thought to be tolerably safe against the incursion of the shells, though they could be heard crashing into the city like a hail-storm. But while the party were congratulating themselves upon their probable security, they heard a dreadful crash upon the roof of the house, which made its firm walls tremble, and in an instant the terrible missile landed directly in the centre of the room, and exploding with a blinding glare and deafening noise, shattered down the building, and destroyed twelve of the unfortunate inmates. In fact no place was safe; the palace of the grandee, and the hut of the wretched peasant, shared one common fate.

In the afternoon I visited the hospital where the wounded were lying; some of them in the last mortal agonies, some with their arms blown off, others with their legs broken, and all horribly mutilated. The old, the young, the rich, the poor, male and female, had been gathered in from all parts of the city, to this vast receptacle of pain and suffering. Heart rending moans arose from every quarter of the building, and clouds of flies almost darkened the air-I turned in horror from the sickening sight.

Before night the town was filled with our troops, who kept pouring in, regiments at a time; and a constant stream of baggage wagons were entering at the different gates, from the scene of the capitulation, loaded with the arms and accoutrements of the vanquished enemy. As the vehicles passed me rattling over the ruined pavements, with their glittering freights, on their way to deposit them for safe keeping in the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, I could not but think of Longfellow's beautiful and truthful lines.

Is it, O man, with such discordant noises,
With such accursed instruments as these,

Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices,
And jarrest the celestial harmonies ?

Were half the power that fills the world with terror,
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts,
Given to redeem the human mind from error,
There were no need of arsenals nor forts.

Sierra Gordo.

The following incidents concerning the battle of Sierra Gordo are taken from the New Orleans Delta.

The Generosity of our Soldiers.-The kindness of our men to the wounded of the enemy was as conspicuous as their fortitude under suffering. After the battle was over they could be seen on every side lifting the poor fellows into easier positions, supplying them with water, and binding up their wounds. Sturdy fellows, who a few minutes before were charging against the enemy with the most destructive fury and savage determination, were now transformed by victory into kind nurses, who watched over and assisted their wounded enemies with the most tender care and solicitude. The circumstances too, were not calculated to arouse very kindly feelings on the part of our men. The cowardly advantage taken by the enemy in raising the white flag after they had killed so many of our men from their secure defences, and just at the time when a bloody vengeance was to be taken for the severe loss we had incurred, caused an almost irrepressible excitement and hatred in the bosoms of our They could scarcely be kept off until the enemy were

men.

disarmed, and then they were perfectly safe. American soldiers, resolute and irresistible against an armed foe, would not raise their hands against one unarmed and defenceless.

Major Sumner.-Major Sumner, who led the rifles in the attack of the 17th on the enemy's advanced position, made a very narrow escape. In the charge, he was struck on the head by a musket ball. The bullet was flattened to the thickness of a dime, and retained on its surface the print of the major's hair, and yet, strange to say, excepting the severance of an artery, he sustained no serious injury. The artery was taken up, and at the last accounts the major was doing well. This excellent officer--accounted one of the best tacticians and disciplinarians in the army-may certainly felicitate himself on the strength of his craniological defences. He will never find any difficulty in getting a liberal policy in any of our life insurance offices.

The Soldiers of Vera Cruz.-The defenders of Vera Cruz, who were released on their parole, are viewed in a very unfavorable light by the Mexican government. Morales, Landero, and other of the officers who were in command at Vera Cruz, have been arrested for cowardice, and sent to Guanajuato, to be imprisoned and tried. Morales is especially charged with exhibiting feelings of friendship for the United States, and with having declared publicly, in Jalapa and elsewhere, that it was vain to resist the Americans; that they were better guardians of the happiness of Mexico than her own rulers. He advised the ladies of Jalapa to remain in town, and assured them and the people generally, that they would suffer no harm or outrage from the Americans. We sincerely hope this assurance of our gallant enemy will be fully justified by the conduct of our troops. Thus far, General Scott, we understand, has succeeded in maintaining excellent discipline and subordination in his large force. No robberies, no devastation or outrages of any sort have marked the course of his army. The houses on the roadside were left undisturbed, the cattle and provisions of the poor farmers, the little stock of merchandize in the stores—even the decanters in the grog shops, on the return of the owners-who fled at the approach of the army—were found just as they were left, with the single exception that a few of the decanters were emptied.