The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-24
CAPTURE OF TABAsCoi
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES FROM coMMo-
DORE CONNER.


tons with a detachment from the squadron 10 the
1 river ofTabasco The objects OF the expedition
have been fully accomplished, and, by the desrue-
Il ton or capture Of all the enemys vessels, cnech
| has been given TO commerce, ny whch ihuniuons
/ Of war were, no doubt, introduced into Mexico
| from the neighboring province Of Yucaian. Much
praise is due 10 Commodore Perry for the skni ana
Judgment manifested throughout the whole expedl-
Il ton. .
The department will learn with regret the death OF
i Lieut. Charles w. Norris which took place on the
list instant, on board the Cumberland, from wound
received ut the Of Tabasco on the Doth uit lie
was an officer Of great promise, and his loss Is q
| most serious one 10 the service.
| | am, very respectfully,
| Your obedent servant,
| ID. CONNER,
| Commanding Home Squadron
Hon. JoHN Y. Masses,
Secretary Of the Navy, Washington.
PIT hksEp HTSSU UNDER NY co8sIlND ALONG
| THE EASTERN COAST OF MEXICO.
| Lien the anchorage at st. John Lizardo on the
evening Of the 18th Of October, with the steamer
"Mssissippi," having board detachment OF 200
officers seamen, and marines under command Of
Captain French Forrest, and in too, the steamer
"Vixen," aud sehooners "Bona," "Reefer," and
| "Nonata," respectively commanded by Commander
Sands, and LieutsnaDts Commandant Benham, Ster-
rett, and Hazard, and the schooner Forward, and
II
and Howard Of the revenue marine.
The next morning at daylight captured, of the
bar Of Alvarado, the American barque "Coosa, "
found in reasonable communication with the enemyj
and the same day the "Vixen" chased and boarded
| the American schooner "Portia." The "Coosa"
was despatched TO this place as prize, and the
Portia was permitted TO proceed her papers having
been endorsed. From the day Of our leaving "Al-
vsradon (the l7th)up TO the 22d, we had success
sion Of very bad wea, her. which gave me much rou-
L L. M, md
the interval, however, captured and sent In the
Mexican schooner Telegraph"
On the 23d, all the We ssels, with the exception OF
the Reefer previously separated in gale) reach
ed the bar OF the river Iabasco; and having deter
| mined on attacking the commercial town OF fronte-
ra at the mouth Of the river and the city Of Tabas-
co, situated IA miles highe,' up, placed myself on
| board the Vixen leaving the mississippi" IN
command OF Commander Adams, at anchor outnide,
i and taking in tow the "Bo nta" and FORWARD, v
with the barges containing the detachment under
/ command OF Captain Forrest, crossed the bar, the
"Nonsta" following under sail
The "Yixenn with this heavy drag steadily as
cended the stream against four-knot current and,
arriving to Frontera, discovered two steamers
(of which had received previous informatoD) firing
up, doubtless in the hope Of escape, but we were too
close upon them. Casting off her tow, the "Vxen'
proceeded ahead followed by the other vessels and
barges, and ct once the town, the steamers, and
all the vessels in port were in our possession, ex-
cepting only the schooner "Amado," which vessel,
attempting TO escape up the river, was pursued by
| Lieut.. Commandant Benham in the "Bonita, }" and
| captured.
DESTROYS Of reaching Tabasco before they would
have time for increasing their defences, the deach-
ment under Captain Forrest was placed on board the
largest OF the captured steamers the "Petrta, and
she, with the "Nonala," the Forward" and the
barges in tow and the "Vixen," with the Bonita,
left Fronera half past the next morning, Lieut..
Walsh being len in command Of the place
| After steaming all night and ncoulering various
incidents arising from the rapidly Of the current and
the circuitous of the stream, we arrived ut
the next morning in sight Of Fort Aceachappa, in
tended to command most difficult pass Of the river
On our approach, the men employed in preparing
the guns for service fed, and passed II unmolest
ed but was careful to cause the guns to be spiked
Anticipating serious resistance at this place, ar
rangemens had been made for landing Capt Forrest
with his detachment mile below the fort, to march
up and carry by storm.
At noon all the vessels anchored in line Of battle
in front of the city at half-musket range, when
| Immediately summoned IT to surrender, the boats
meanwhile being employed in securing five merchant
| vessels found at anchor in the port.
| To my summons sent by flag with Captain For
| rest, refusal TO capitulaie returned, with an
| invitation to me TO fire as soon as pleased. Sus-
pecting, as did, that this was given more
in bravado than in earnest, and being extremely re-
luctant to destroy the place, entertained the hope
that few shots fired over the buildings would have
caused surrender. Accordingly, directed the
guns of the Vixen" alone to be fired, and at the flag
staff sending order to all the vessels to avoid, 80
far as possible, in Of general fire, injury to
| the houses distinguished by consular flags.
At the third discharge from the "Vixen," the flag
disappeared from the staff. On seeing it down, or
dered the firing to cease, and sent Captain Forrest
| again ashore to learn whether it had been cut down
by our shot, purposely struck; the reply was, that
it had been shot away, and the city would not be
surrendered.
Inow directed Capt. Forrest, with the force under
his command, to land and take position in the
/ city, commanded by our guns. This movement
brought on scattering fire Of musketry from vari-
GUS parts of the city, which was returned by the
fotilla.
| Perceiving towards evening that the enemy did
| US but little injury, though openly exposed on the
decks of the small vessels, and their balls passing
| through our slight bulwarks, and experimenting,
from the proverbial heedessness of sailors, that
should they and the marines be attacked in the mar
rev streets after dark, they would be cut off by
| sharp-shooters from the houses, ordered the de-
tachment to be re-embarked. p. g.. ... s.. ID. b
In this position the vessels remained all night the
crews lying at their quarters ready to return the fire
Of the artillery of the enemy, which it was supposed
| they would have had the courage to have brought
down under Of the night to the openings of the
streets opposite to our vessels, but they left us UNI
Learning that the merchants, and other citizens Of
the city, were DESTROYS that capitulaon should be
made, but we're overruled by the gov ernor, who,
CARELESS of consequences and secure himself against
attack content that the city should be destroy
| ed rather than surrendered determined from mo-
tves Of humanity not to fire again, but to pass down
to Froniera with my prizes.
| In the morning, however, the fire was recon-
menced from the shore, and necessarily return
ed but with renewed orders to regard the consular
houses so far as they could be distinguished. In
the midst of the fire, flag of truce was displayed
on shore; on perceivng which, l caused the firing
again to cease and Captain Forrest was sent to meet
its bearer, who submitted written communication
addressed to me; a copy Of which, with copy of
my reply, marked B and c, viii be found enclosed.
As an assurance of my sincerity, l now hoisted a
white flag, and directed the prizes to drop down
the stream intending to follow with the fotilla; but,
in violation Of the understanding implied in the be-
fore mentioned correspondence, the enemy, in dis
covering that one of the prizes had dred ashore in
front Of the city, collected large force within and
| hehind the hnnaea in the vicinity and commenced