General Scott landed with his army, there were between two hundred and fifty and three hundred cannon in the city and castle. The latter was garrisoned by near two thousand men, and in the former there was from three to five thousand. As at Monterey, many of the streets in the city were barricaded, and the houses and walls pierced for musketry. The officer in command of the town and castle was Juan Morales, governor and commanding-general of the state of Vera Cruz.
The debarkation of the troops was fixed for the 9th of March. The surf-boats were launched, and carefully numbered; and early in the morning of the appointed day. most of the troops were transferred from the transports to the vessels of war, to avoid crowding the contracted anchorage between Sacrificios and the main land with too many sail. At eleven o'clock the
was three times bombarded by the Spanish, then occupying the castle of San Juan. In the latter year the castle itself was captured by the Mexicans, and the city enjoyed a season of repose. It was again besieged by the ministerial troops in 1832. In 1838 both the castle and town were blockaded and taken by the French; whose vessels, however, were allowed to take their position undisturbed. After this last attack, extensive improvements were made in the fortifications of the city, and in the castle itself. During the summer of 1846, it was generally supposed that the squadron under Commodore Conner would at — tempt the capture of San Juan de Ulua; but it appears, from the letter of instructions pf the Secretary of the Navy, dated May 13th, that the naval force in the Gulf was not thought to be strong enough to make the effort. It is stated in a letter written by an officer in the American army, that the Mexican commander of the castle sent word to Commodore Conner, that he might bring his fleet up and fire "until there was not a shot in the locker, and he would promise him not to return a gun until he was done." The castle was very strong, without doubt, and the Mexicans were confident of their ability to hold it; but they would have found it a difficult task to resist the skill and bravery of the army and navy of the United States, although its reduction was effected without putting them to the test.
