Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: I hope that my next letter will inform you that Vera Cruz with its celebrated Castle is in our possession. The moment we are Masters here, I presume that we shall be marched into the interior to some healthy position. Genl. Scott suggested that, the day of the summons. I was dining with him on that day; the summons was sent by Capt. Johnston, Topographical Engineers. Great enthusiasm prevails throughout the Army, and all cheerfully perform the duties required of them. The Companies are sometimes on duty three days in succession, as was the case with "G" Co. last week, but there was no grumbling. And, although they were on duty all day yesterday and last night, there was no exhibition of dissatisfaction when I mentioned that they would be on the same duty to-morrow. An Army with such feelings will never flinch from the performance of any duty. I shall leave the remainder of this sheet for this evening's news, as I hope to have a half hour to myself, in which I shall resume, for this evening at least, my delightful night's chat with you. Evening. Nothing of interest to communicate to-night. I have just returned from a visit to Col. Totten, the Chief Engineer, to see his map of the City. Lt. Scammon has kindly furnished me with a copy indicating the points of most interest to us in our operations. I sincerely hope that a few days firing will show them the inutility of longer delaying the surrender, and that the taking of this, connected with Genl. Taylor's glorious whipping of Santa Anna, will have a favorable effect in tending to an early termination of this un- fortunate War. I think that killing people is a very poor way of settling National grievances. I hope that we shall stay long enough in Vera Cruz for me to procure you a few articles of Spanish brass, etc.,...