The Daily Union

Later from Vera Cruz. By the arrival here, yesterday, of the steamer New Orleans, Capt. Auld, from Vera Cruz the 7th inst., via Tampico the 10th, we have files of the Arco Iris and Sol de Anahuac, with letters from our regular correspondent up to the date of her departure. City of Mexico.—Puebla.—Not a word of intelligence either from the capital or General Scott's headquarters. We extract the following item from the Sun of Anahuac of the 7th inst.: Rumors.—We were agreeably surprised yesterday evening in seeing Capt. H. Fairchild's company parade through our streets, all mounted and equipped. The noble and imposing appearance of this company gives us the assurance that we will soon have the gratification of announcing some of their exploits. Custom-House at Tampico.—The Arco Iris of the 6th inst. says that the receipts at the custom-house at Tampico, for the months of May and June, were $70,000, the cost of collection being only a few hundred dollars. Unfortunate Occurrence.—At 10 o'clock yesterday, a man named Thomas Clarke, belonging to the 1st infantry, a prisoner in the guard-house of the palace, tried to pass the soldier then on guard, and to accomplish his purpose seized one end of the soldier's musket and made some efforts to take it out of his hands. The latter fired at Clarke, the ball passing in through his side and coming out at the back. The ball afterwards wounded another man named Geo. Evans, one of the company of mounted men under Capt. Benson, and finally grazed the hip of the sentry at the other end of the Portales, also belonging to the 1st infantry. The name of the man who fired is James Robinson. The wounded men were immediately sent to the hospital, and it is said Clarke and Evans are dangerously wounded. Alvarez.—This noted chief returned to the capital on the night of the 5th ult., when he repaired to the palace of the President, with whom he remained in conference a considerable time. [Correspondence of the Commercial Times.] Vera Cruz, Aug. 3, 1847. Gentlemen: The Fashion, or rather the harbor master, was in such a hurry yesterday, that I had not time to say even the little that I intended when I commenced my letter, or I should have said something concerning the arrival of troops, &c., &c., and the state and prospects of our defenses. We have now a sufficient garrison in the city, and a large number of troops in the camp. Whispers of expeditions to come off shortly are overheard occasionally passing between the knowing ones; and much in the way of strong intentions is achieved in the prospect. What all this foreshadows I will not attempt to predict; but as I think little is to be done, I fancy it will not take long to do it, with or without noise. The steamer New Orleans left us this afternoon for Tampico, taking a reinforcement of seventy or eighty men (Capt. White's company) to Col. Gates. The Mary Kingsland starts to-night or to-morrow for—can't say where—Nautla, perhaps; but as I have seen no sign of naval co-operation, I am inclined to fear that is not her destination. The destruction of the schooner Fraternite; the imprisonment and bad treatment of her officers, crew, and passengers; the seizure and imprisonment of Mr. Godet, a commissioner sent by the United States authorities to treat with the people of Nautla; all of which acts were perpetrated by the people and soldiers of Misautla, are yet unpaid for and unpunished. The account must soon, I think, be settled; and it is a rather ugly one for the Misautlans. A very small force would be sufficient to obtain all proper redress, and to teach the citizens of that place a lesson of permanent advantage. Commodore Perry's resources are much crippled by sickness; his hospital at Anton Lizardo containing, I am informed, nearly two hundred men. He is consequently disabled, to a great extent, from taking any important steps alone, but may do something in the way of co-operation with the army, facilitating debarkations, etc. A train is in course of preparation for the interior, and will leave in a few days, the number of troops composing the escort depending upon the arrivals for the next few days. I am glad to learn from Captain Fairchild, who arrived yesterday with his fine company on the New Orleans, that he does not go into the interior, the services of himself and men being required here, where they can be more useful. I am sorry to learn that there are no equipments for his company here, a matter that will lessen its efficiency for a short time, but for a short time only. I was the unwilling witness of a shocking scene this morning under the palace portals. A soldier who was drunk, and confined to the limits of the guard-house at that place, began to trifle with the sentinel whose post was in front of the guard-house; and as the sentinel attempted to drive him off, the drunken man caught hold of his bayonet, which was nearly touching his breast. In this position, and with a number of men near him, the brainless sentinel fired his musket. The ball passed through the body of the poor wretch who had hold of the bayonet, and wounded two other soldiers behind him; one shockingly in the hip, or groin, and the other slightly, also in the hip. The fellow who committed this senseless deed belongs to the first infantry, and is named Robinson. The drunken man is named Thomas Clark, attached to the same corps; and the other man, badly wounded in the hip, belongs to Captain Benson's company. His name, I believe, is George Evans. The haemorrhage from both wounds was excessive, and I fear that both are mortal. Clark's is, pretty certainly. Nothing is passing in commercial matters worthy of remark, except, perhaps, a recent notice from the receiving and disbursing officers of the government that no more bills on Puebla will be received from the merchants. It is surprising that these vexations are tolerated. The merchants here strain every nerve to pay the claims of our government, unreasonable as they are, and meet, in place of reasonable facilities, obstacles at every step. It is known that one or two speculators at Puebla are doing a magnificent business at the joint expense of Uncle Sam and the mercantile community; and this latest decision of the quartermaster's and commissary's departments has given rise to suspicions of collusion. No goods are expected in future. Midshipman Rogers's letter, recently published in the newspapers generally, is rather laughed at here. The terrible hardships—an outline of which is so briefly given—to which he has been subjected, look somewhat ridiculous on paper, and it is thought his case was a much stronger one while left to the promptings of Yankee imagination. I am assured by gentlemen who have seen Mr. Rogers in Perote and Mexico, that he was well dressed and comfortable in both of these places, except for a short time—not more than ten days—after his arrival in the former place. His hardships throughout—except, perhaps, while the character of his visit was under discussion—have been trifles compared with those suffered by almost every officer of the army, nine-tenths of whom would often have been happy to exchange their sand bed for his brick floor. It seems that he had just learned, when he wrote, how badly he had been treated, and thinks it must have been outrageous, for "the President has sent special instructions to General Scott in reference to a retaliatory course." This "superinduced" to the past apprehensions of being shot as a spy, awakened a spirit of revenge in his breast, and he hurls back upon the Mexicans a "synopsis of his Wanderings and privations."