Vera Cruz, April 3.
My dearest Wife,—It is now Saturday, and we have been in possession of the city one week. Great destruction was spread throughout the city by our shells. In the portion next to our batteries a shell entered every house, and almost each room of every house, in consequence of which many inoffensive people were killed. Vera Cruz is a miserable, dirty place; the streets are full of filth, and there are great numbers of poor people. Many families still keep their doors closed, though scarcely an outrage has been committed in the city. The people, though miserably poor, are very courteous and mild in their general deportment. Ever since our entrance into the city, the poor have been fed each day from our government stores, and every exertion is made to protect the whole city in its rights.
General Worth is governor of the city. The weather is rather warm, and we find mosquitoes, fleas, etc., troublesome. The city, though sorry in its sunlight aspect, is remarkably picturesque by moonlight. The style of architecture is of the Moorish character, abounding in domes and highly wrought work. I have several times wandered through the deserted streets of the city by night, filled with admiration of the gorgeous and Oriental aspect of the scene. It surpasses anything I ever saw. My health is very fine.
Vera Cruz, April 10.
My dearest Wife,—We are now preparing to march into the interior, and shall probably leave in a day or two. One half of the army are already on their way. We hope to enter the City of Mexico, and to contemplate the wonders of the capital, in one month. In the reduction of the city we have had fortune on our side. The grossest supineness prevailed in the Mexican ranks, though at times they awoke from their slumbers and poured into our midst well-directed fires of artillery. Our loss is very little. John R. Minton, a most gallant soldier, was killed on the first day of opening our fires. He was universally esteemed, and I had made his acquaintance on the first day of landing. He died for his country, before his country’s gratitude for gallant services at Monterey had been communicated in the shape of a brevet.
The burden of the day came with great weight on the officers of engineers. It is the universal sentiment of the army that they did their duty. We see it in the individual deportment of every officer with whom we are associated on duty. We had exciting times. Friends whom I had not seen since I left West Point, I shook for the first time warmly by the hand under the heavy fire of the enemy’s batteries. I met Haskin and Callender in such a conjuncture. There was not the least shrinking from duty, but each one stood up manfully to his task and did his whole duty; we all worked hard. The engineers failed in no part of their duty, and the consequence was that the loss of human life was comparatively trifling. I never worked so hard in my life. It was our first experience in the field, and I think we have fulfilled the expectations of the general and of our immediate chief (Colonel Totten).
I have already written you in relation to the city. We all long to leave so much moonlight magnificence and sunlight squalidity, and breathe the pure mountain air of Jalapa and Perote. Our troops are yet comparatively healthy. The sickly season will not come upon us for a month. Up in the mountains it is the most salubrious and delightful climate of the New World. Our troops conduct themselves with remarkable propriety. Very few cases have occurred of excesses of any kind, and all such are punished with extreme severity. Mason is in fine health, and is doing, as was to be expected, good service. All our officers are superior men, and we stand by each other like a band of brothers.
I have secured a beautiful animal in the way of a horse, docile as a kitten and very intelligent. He has a beautiful eye and head, and will follow me wherever I go. I intend to bring him home with me. I have also a very good servant. He is an old soldier. I have just returned from a ride to our old camp. There is a fine hard beach all the way, which reminds me of the beach at Newport. My little horse is very fleet, and carried me over the beach in very rapid style. How would Hazard be delighted to see him stretch out! You must tell my little Hazard about my horse. When I come home he shall ride him every day. They would soon be fast friends, I doubt not.
Have I told you that we are living in the government palace? At first we took our meals at the public house, but so much dirt and filth was to be met with everywhere that we formed a mess, and live in our own rooms. Our mess is now reduced to four, Major Smith, Captain Lee, Mason, and myself. There is a fine vegetable market close by, where we can provide ourselves; and as for meats, we have a barrel of hams. This morning I went to the market and observed quite a variety of tropical fruits; tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pineapples, plantains, lettuce, the Mexican squash, are in great abundance.
Vera Cruz, April 11.