The native American., 1838-12-29
LATEST FROM MEXICO.

From the Commercial Bulletin, December 90.
IMPORTANT FROM TAMpIco.-We are in receipt
of letter from Tampico, dated the sth instant,
in which we find the particulars Of an assault
upon Tampico. The writer says:
"Our city has had one of those hair-breadth
escapes from carnage, pillage, and death, surpass
ing any instance known in the annals Of the his
tory Of this country. by an attack the 30th ult.
at 5 o'clock, A. M. on one OF the forts. This
attack was made by the infantry of Generals Can
alizo and Cos, by their usual mode of intrigue,
the advance guard entering the fort, and halloong
the usual cry of . Viva La Federation, viva La
Gen. Urea" They were received by Gen. Urea
and Montinegro's party friends, but scarcely
had their lips given utterance to those unwished
for sentiments on the part Of those who gave the
grso, when the balance of those infuriated soldiers
were led on by the cheering cry of Cos that the
retail stores should be the fruits of their labor as
they should have an indiscriminate plunder of the
same. This cry was reiterated from all the lines
to inspire the troops to make successful charges,
which they certainly did, and obtained the summit
of their wishes, so far to gain the principal fort,
which commanded the town, and held it for two
hours. The Federal party knew, if those Of the
opposite took the town, that they had no hope OF
life Stimulated thus, they charged on them again.
and drove them from the fort with immense slaugh-
ter, taking General Piedras and eighteen officers,
and in all about four hundred prisoners, including
killed and wounded. The loss of the Federal
party did not exceed fifty, including the lamenta-
bic loss of COL Montinegro, who fell in the early
part Of the battle.
$50 inveterate were those Generals CanaliZo,
Piedras, and Cos, as to point out several of the
Americans and other foreign residents to their men
as victims of their wrath and vengeance and it
is beyond doubt that but few foreigners would
have been left to tell the tale, had they entered.
II is impossible for imagination to picture our si-
tuation as foreigners, where the Government party
Of this country nothing more or less than a
licensed band of robbers. Canalizo's party, he
being the senior officer, had the promise Of thu
plumber Of all the wholesale stores, if they would
place him and his companions in possession of the
city. But the overruling hand that does not al
ways award the battle to the strong, snached us
from the impending danger"
The writer complains that no American vessel
was at Tampco for the protection Of the Anne
rcan citizens, all of whom would have fallen
sacrifice to an infuriated soldery had the assault
proved successful.
The accounts represent the attack on Tampi-
as quite desperate and bloody affair. The
Government troops, under Generals Cos and Pie
dras, were entirely routed, with loss ofifve hun
dred men killed. The Federalists, under the
command Of General Urea, defended the city
with the obstinate bravery of men who have no
choice betw cen victory and butchery. They sue
ceeded in cspturing Gen. Piedras, the comman-
der of the Government troops. He was con-
demned TO be shot, and the sentence Immediately
executed. After the defeat the Government troops
retreated some distance from Tampico, and halted
49, md Cor inf,
From advices received by express, It seems
highly probable that hostilities will be resumed,
and regular war break out between France and
Mexico The Mexican Government has refused
to ratify the articles Of capituiatio entered into
before Tera Cruz, as signed By admiral Roulin
and Gen. Rincon, and state that the whole coun-
try shall be made sepuchre before the demands
of France are complied with. If this be true
report, we may anticipate the occurrence Of i'm
portant events in that quarter very shortly.