A print of the bombardment of Vera Cruz by the United States fleet on March 21, 1847. This print depicts a naval ship surrounded in a cloud of mortar smoke firing on the fortified castle of San Juan de Ulloa and mortar shells are traced through the sky as they explode against the walls. Oswandel writes that the United States fleet fired on the city of Vera Cruz in order to draw the attention of the enemy fire, from the guns of the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa, from the American batteries on land to the fleet instead. This event allowed General Worth's division to finish building their battery on land and his bombardment on the city began on March 22, 1847 after orders were given by General Scott when his flag of truce to the city of Vera Cruz was returned. [This lithograph is from the book "Notes of the Mexican War 1846-47-48, Revised 1885, Illustrated" by J. Jacob Oswandel, page 87.]
