CH. VI.] BOMBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ. foreign consuls, etc., to retire from the city; and on the 22d, the investment being completed, and another summons rejected, the bombardment began. Aided by the fleet, which co-operated most effectually with the land forces, Scott maintained for four days, and as many nights, such a terrific rain of fire upon the place, that it was almost converted into a heap of ruins; and the loss of life was fearfully great. 443 has been severely spoken of by some writers, who have reviewed the Mexican war in its inception and progress. Military authorities, however, deem that Scott was justified in his determination, and is not liable to censure for the course he adopted. Four hundred of the garrison were killed, and six hundred were wounded; four or five hundred of the inhabitants had perished; and after some negotiation, the terms of surrender were arranged, and on the 29th of March, both the city and the far-famed castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, were surrendered to the victo Three thousand shells, weighing ninety pounds each, and as many round shot, chiefly thirty-two pounders, were thrown into the city during this bombardment. The Mexicans, whose gar-rious army. All the public stores, etc., rison in the city was about three thousand, and in the castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, about one thousand, displayed spirit enough in their resistance; but they were unprovided with artillery fit to cope with that of their assailants, and it would have required a considerably larger force than they possessed, fully to man the batteries and the citadel. On the evening of the 24th, a joint note was addressed to the generalin-chief, by the French, Spanish, and British consuls, requesting him to suspend hostilities long enough "to enable their respective compatriots to leave the place with their women and children, as well as the Mexican women and children." General Scott, however, felt compelled to refuse this request, on the ground that the neutrals might have left the place before the bombardment; and as to the Mexican women and children, his summons to the city had been disregarded, and now no truce would be allowed apart from surrender. This, which seemed to be a hard measure, in the city were delivered up, but perfect protection was guaranteed to the inhabitants. 1847. General Worth was appointed temporary governor of Vera Cruz, and discharged the duties of the post during the delay necessary to arrange for advancing into the interior. General Scott, as soon as he had made provision for resuscitating the commerce of the port, and effected the necessary arrangements, took up his line of march, on the 8th of April, for the city of Mexico, and arrived, with the greater part of his army, at Plan del Rio on the 14th. He had learned that Santa Anna, having collected what force he could, had taken up a position in advance of Jalapa, at the pass of Cerro Gordo, with the determination to stop his progress; and he hastened his march that he might prevent delay or a change of route, either of which would certainly prove injurious. After several reconnaissances, by which he fully ascertained the strength |