Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/105

Rh were nearly all what we called black men. Some were real negroes, while others were Mexican Indians, who are composed of all mixtures and of all grades of color, which is naturally very dark and coarse. I must now again speak of the surrender. It was one of the grandest sights and spectacles that I have ever seen. Yet I tell you it was hard to see the poor women with their small children strapped upon their mother's back, and with what little clothing they could carry, toddling along with the Mexican soldiers.

Everything passed off quietly; no insulting remarks or fun was made towards the Mexicans as they passed out, we looked upon them as a conquered foe, who have fought for their firesides and property, the same as we would have done if attacked by a foreign foe.

After they had all marched out that wanted to go, Gen. Worth, with his division, triumphantly marched into the beautiful city of the True Cross, with the bands playing "Yankee Doodle," "Star Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia." The Mexican flags were hauled down and the Stars and Stripes put in their place, waving in the breeze and saluted by our artillery, which caused great shouts and cheering among all the soldiers and sailors. The sailors were not long afterwards until they pulled down the Mexican flag from the flag-pole on the strong and impregnable Castle of San Juan de Ulloa and ran up the victorious American flag in its place. We could plainly hear the sailors shouting and cheering in our camp. We were all sorry that we were not allowed to march into the city and see some of the fun. Gen. Worth was made Governor and commanding officer of Vera Cruz until our army marches on to the capital. After all the excitement had died away, we were ordered to march back to our encampment, well pleased with the sublime sight—the surrender of Vera Cruz. Our loss during the siege of Vera Cruz from March 9th until to-day, was seventeen killed and twenty-eight wounded; the Mexican loss by their own report, was over eleven hundred killed and wounded, mostly all killed by the explosion of our shells and shots.