and having full command of the harbor. The fortress was considered by the Mexicans to be impregnable; it mounted one hundred and twenty-eight guns of various calibres, and its walls were regarded as proof against any shot or shell the Americans could throw against it. On the land side the city was defended by walls mounting ninety guns, and so sure were the Mexicans of their ability to resist attack, that they neglected to provision the fortress and city for a siege, and also neglected to send away women, children, and other non-combatants. The American troops landed without opposition about three miles from the city and out of range of the guns, and immediately prepared for the siege. By the evening of the 12th of March the place was completely invested by the troops, and the work of landing the siege artillery was pushed as rapidly as possible.
By the 22d every thing was ready, and then General Scott sent a summons to General Morales, the commander of the Mexican forces at Vera Cruz, to surrender the city and the fortress. Immediately on receiving a refusal, General Scott opened fire from his batteries, which had been erected at a distance of eleven hundred yards. A steady cannonade was maintained all through the night and the next day. It was found that the batteries were too light and too far away for breaching purposes, and on the night of the 23d a new battery considerably nearer the city was constructed and made ready to open fire in the morning. The value and importance of the new battery was evident in a few hours after fire was opened. The walls were crumbling, and the American guns had such perfect range of the city that the whole place was covered by a destructive fire. By the 26th there was a practicable breach, and the troops for the assault had already been told off when a white flag appeared on the walls, and soon afterwards the fortress and the city were under the domination of the
