Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1846-12-04

sounded within half mile of The fort. re-
ceiving the fire oflhe enemy with as much
| Impunity as Indifference. The swell on
! the bar having somevha, subsidized a, one.
the line Of attack was formed as follows /:
steamer Vixen. flag ship, towing gun boats
Keeler and Bonita steamer aicLane, tow
ing the NoGaa, cutter Forward aud gun
boat Petrol then two lunches, three cut.
tiers and barge, containing force des-
tined fer boarding the vessels of war,
brongh. up the rear. The Vixen, with
her tow, passed the bar and took position
within poin! blank range. bu, the McLane
stuck fast. and the Commodore finding
himself deprived of the supper, OF two
thirds OF his force. and being unable TO
sustain the fire Of 4 twelve-gun battery
with but four light pieces of his own, was
obliged 10 retreat. The force in the boats
was now exposed to heavy FIRE, the sho.
flying thick and fast around US. and had
the Mexicans fred grape, it would have
knocked some of us into fits. We escap-
ed. however, with good ducking from
The spray Of the balls.
|, being now too late in the day for any
further operations, signal was made for re.
turn to anchorage, and thus ended this
bioodless combat, biootless. no, because
each and every man of US would not have
she'd our hearts best blood to have gained
the day. not because our plan Of attack
was no, good, or that we were no, prop
er!y led, but because Providence had pro-
vldcd the enemy with such natural defen-
ces as canno. be overcome by naval al
tack with such means as Com. Conner
has at his disposal. The McLane is an
abominao'e abortion, 10 make use of your
own word) drawing too much water TO be
sersicable, and with not sunicen, pow err
10 drive her over three and a half knots
an hour-bu. is due to Capt. Howard to
say that as soon as he got his vessel ahoa,
again. he proffered to make another at
temp. TO pass the bar, but the Commodore
declined. as it was now too late in the af-
ternoon, and the weather was threaten
ing.
There remains one way 10 take this Al
varaco, and, mark my words, it will be
.ifpa hefese eo~os s,yeelvr, r~.e.rer.e,A y, en-.
newspapers a. home, and by people who
expec. US to accomplish impossibiliies,
and gain glory on field where none is TO
be won although no man, with two ideas
in his head, who witnessed our recen. de-
lea, can attribute blame 10 any one.
October 25.-On the night Of the l6h
the three steamers, cutter Forward,
schooners Bonita, Refer and Nonata, IN
der command Of Commodore Perry. lief,
Anton Lizardo for an attack On Tabasco.
On The morning Of the l7!h, the Missls-
sippi made prize of the American bark
Coosa, Capt. Ilickling, off Alvarado river.
and sen. her into this place upon suspicion
of her being abou. TO land her cargo on the
Mexican coast. This vessel was cleared
from New Orleans on the Sd inst, for
Havana. by Messrs. Wylie & Egana, with
1000 bales of cotton. put up i'll 200 pound
bales. and there appears good reason to
| suppose that it was intended for Mexico
She will sail for your port on the 9th. in
charge Of Passed Midshipman Barrett, son
of one Of your former collectors.
To-day. another prize. the Ynca!an
schooner, GEL TELEGRAPH" arrived from
the Tabasco expedition on the Odd. and
reports the fleet standing off the land
waiting for weather 10 60 into the river.
| We have some trining incidents con.
nectcd with the subjects touched upon II
the above letters, winch were not writer
for publication, but may not be wilhou
their interest. Don Thomas Marin, one
of the most accomplished officers in ,h'
Mexican Navy. commanded the fortlfca
lions of Alvarado. The paper conia'nin,
his report of the attack has been accident
" mislaii or we would give the whole o
il; bu, it is in the usual style of Mexica'
REPORTS. He declares that he is ready 70
us again a, any moment, and this proba
Div is true. The Commodore, from hi
position in advance on the Vixen. discov
cred another Mexican work half mi!
further up the river, or lagoon as it ma
more properly be called, where three gun
were mounted in ba,terey, and suppor,e
by gun.brig and two gun-boats, servin
rs water baieries. Perhaps il was th
. discovery Of these additional means OF dc
fence which Influenced the Commodor
not to persis. in his attack without the SUP
port of more of his force. In the repoI
, Of Senior Marin the loss Of the Mexican
, is no, mentioned, blu. he speaks Of the los
of one Mexican officer who was not Q
duty, but in the streets of the town, ha
a mile back Of the fort. lie was a captal
in the Army and was struck by she
J from the Mississippi, and we need not sa
: was almost annihiated. Another she
4 from the Mississippi set the Mexican co
: ors on fire in the fort, but they were speet
: lily replaced.