CHAPTER XII. 

 1847. 



GENERAL SCOTT AT LOBOS LANDING AT AND SIEGE OF VERA 



CRUZ CAPITULATION AND CONDITION OF VERA CRUZ CON- 

 DITION OF MEXICO ALVARADO, ETC., CAPTURED SCOTt's AD- 

 VANCE DESCRIPTION OF CERRO GORDO MEXICAN DEFENCES 



AND MILITARY DISPOSAL THERE BATTLE OF CERRO GORDO. 



PEROTE AND PUEBLA YIELD SANTA ANNA RETURNS CONSTI- 

 TUTION OF 1824 READOPTED MEXICAN POLITICS OF THE 



DAY WAR SPIRIT GUERILLAS PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 



TRIST SANTA ANNA'S SECRET NEGOTIATIONS. 



The extraordinary genius of Santa Anna, and the influence he 

 possessed over his countrymen were perhaps never more powerfully 

 manifested than in the manner in which, amid all these disasters, he 

 maintained his reputation and popularity, and gathered a new army 

 to defend the eastern frontier of Mexico. But whilst he was en- 

 gaged preparing in the interior, we must return to the scene of Gen- 

 eral Scott's operations on the coast. The small island of Lobos, 

 about a hundred and twenty-five miles from Vera Cruz, had been 

 selected for the rendezvous of the several corps which were to com- 

 pose the American invading army ; and the magnitude of the enter- 

 prize may be estimated from the fact, that one hundred and sixty- 

 three vessels were employed as transports. On the seventh of 

 March, Scott embarked his troops in the squadron under Commo- 

 dore Connor, and on the ninth, landed the army upon the coast 

 below the island of Sacrificios without the loss of a man, and with- 

 out opposition from the neighboring city of Vera Cruz, which he 

 summoned in vain to surrender. Having planted his batteries, and 

 placed them under the command of Colonel Bankhead, as Chief of 

 Artillery, he commenced a vigorous bombardment of the city on the 

 eighteenth, aided, afloat and on shore, by the guns of the fleet which 

 had been transferred from Commodore Connor to the command of 

 Commodore Perry. The town was thus invested by land and water, 

 and although the Mexican castle, city walls and forts, were but poorly 

 garrisoned and provided, they held out bravely during the terrible 

 siege, which nearly converted Vera Cruz into a slaughter-house. 

 On the morning of the twenty-sixth, when no hope remained for the 



