Camp at Vera Cruz Mex.
April 3d 1847
MY DEAREST JULIA
It has been longer since I wrote you last than I have ever before gone without writing, but I wanted to wait until the Seige of Vera Cruz was completed and the fighting over. You will no doubt read flaming accounts of the taking of this City and the Castle San Juan de Ulloa. Yesterday I visited the Castle and find that its strength has never been exagirated. The City is a solid compact place the houses generally built of stone and two or three stories high, the churches like most Catholic churches are very much ornamented. The whole place is enclosed by a stone wall of about fifteen feet in hight and four or five feet thick. Taking into account all the out works of the place it seems as if it would be impossible for any enemy in the world to come and drive us away. Fred is here and well. I see him evry day. I will leave the discription of the battle here to him. I am doing the duties of Commissary and Quarter Master 1 so that during the siege I had but little to do except to see to having the Pork and Beans rolled about. It is not known when the troops will leave here but they will move some place soon,
before the sickly season. How much my Dearest Julia I would be pleased to hear that Mexico has agreed to treat. I think they must do so soon for Gen. Taylor at his end of the line of opporations has routed Santa Anna and totally disorganized his army. 2 Here Gen Scott has taken the key to their whole country and the force that Garrisoned this place are all prisoners of war on their Parole not to fight during the war. —Do you recollect Dearest about six months ago I told you that another Birth day certainly would not roll round before I would be with you. Well here it is near the time and I have not started yet. I have always been so much in hopes that the war would soon end that I have not followed the desire of my Father to resign. He insists that evry officer of
-129-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: 1837-1861.
Volume: 1.
Contributors: John Y. Simon - Editor.
Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press.
Place of publication: Carbondale, IL.
Publication year: 1967.
Page number: 129.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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