American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-07-04
COMMANDMENT OF TAMPICO BY THE U. S
SHIP ST. MARY'S,

! SHIP ST. MARY'S.
We find the following letter in the Norfoll
Herald, received by a gentleman in that city
dated ."Tampico, June 18Th" but as we hay,
already published accounts from there to tn,
18th, we are inclined 10 think the statement
hoax-a second edition of the bombardment o.
Matamoras:
U. S. SHIP ST. MARY's,
Off Tampco, June IS, 1916.
The war grows apace. On the Sth inst, W.
discovered the enemy erecting another fort or
the North side ofthe entrance to the river, ant
at one O'Clock, P. NJ, we got the ship under
weigh under top-saIs, stood in, and wher
within mile of the fort and gun-boats, the
latter three in number, and tonninr about one
hundred, opened a fire upon the boat. BEING
on lee shore and in shoal water, we were not
able to fire more than eight shot, before it be-
came necessary to claw off, which we did, but
at three o'clock returned and continued the
| firing until we had fired 10 shells, and 20 round
! solid shot. In the last recontre, the enemy re-
turned our fire, with about ten shots from Is
pound guns, four of which passed near US, two
fell directly under our "foGe feet" one passed
between the fore and main top-mast, and one
over the fore foot, the others fell at distance.
The first shell which burst over the fort.
elected every soldier from the neighbourhood
the whole of them taking Immediately to the
wood. One of our shells passed between one
OF the schooner's masts, and exploded beyond
her, fragment having struck the bowsprit and
bulwarks, tearing both considerably, as we
have learned, since the fight, One corner of
the custom house was knocked down-a house
on the north side of the river, was fired by
the explosion of SHE'LL and soldier at the
Fort on guard, by the bursting ofanother she'll,
exchanged his musket for racancy, it having
been shattered without believe, iniuring his
valuable person. Having driven the party
from their embryo fort, we returned 10 our an
chorage at half past three.
We were not satisfied, however, with this en-
gagement, for yesterday we projected plan for
cutting out the gunboats, and accordingly at
dusk hosted out all boats, arrived there, the
launch barring nine FOUNDER in the bows, and
at 10 l-2 O'Clock P. M got under weigh and
brought the ship nearer the Shore about one
and half miles Oft takes longer time to
describe the minutig of this affair than | can
devote to it now. We had desired to make the
attack before the moon rose, but could not. At
l. o'clock she was lifting her head above the
horizon when our five boats left the ship, every
thing having been previously arranged by our
gallant Captain. Mind you, we not only had
the difficulty of capturing three heavy gunboat'
with so or more men in each, and to quell
Fort, OF which we had to pass within fifty yards
but there was a dangerous bar te be crossed
but first TO be found We pulled into the shor
with muffled oars, literally feeling our way, 70
at one time we would be quite in the breakers
and then too far sea-Ward, with strong tide
beneath and bright moon above us, every
thing seeming to conspire against our daring ex
petition. In seeking our way to the mouth OIL
the river we were obliged to pass near the shore
for distance of 300 yards, and the noise con-
sequent upon the difficulty of finding our way
through passage of which we knew nothing,
betrayed US to the sentinels along the shore,
who rapidly communicated with the encamp-
ment, and it conveyed intelligence to the gun
boats so that unknown to US, our foe was watch
ing our every movement. However, at about
l A. NJ. we had dscoveredthe narrow entrance
TO the mouth of the river, and were pulling in,
when, within two hundred yards of the Fort,
near where we had to pass, much to our sur
prise, as you may imagine, bang! went dozen
muskets, and the balls whizzed about our ears.
We laid on our oars, and in five minutes after
the firing of muskets commenced, the guns in
the launch were trained and ''let drive.n A
gun rather heavier from one of the gun boats
succeeded to this; the shot passed clear of us,
and the gun in the launch was loaded and fred
again, when the firing ashore ceased. There
were also fired from the launch few carbines.
AT this time we had not passed the point,
and after getting inside we should have been
obliged to pull at least 800 yards before reach
ing the object of the expedition. The enemy
being already on the alert and with superior
force, it would have been almost madness to
proceed, and the object would not have COM
pensated for the sacrifice we should have made
Besides, the passage through which we had to
pass was not wide enough to admit the boats
except in single file, so that the gun boats
would have raked US fore and aft before we
could have come along side of them. IF VIC
had passed the Fort believe we should have
carried the boats 10 a certainty. We had with
US So men and marines; the LIST and I'd Lieu
tenants, Master and all the Mids, except two
We returned to the ship at Q A. NJ, much ia
tigued and disappointed. | will write -
by this conveyance, and tell him Of the next
days fight. Yours, sc.
AN ERROR CoRREcTEp. In a published list
it was stated that Gen. Cass is the only sur
Viving General Of the war of 1918. General
Thomas Flournoy, is still living and in excel
lent health, in the vicinity of Augusta, Ga
He retired from the army many years since,
and resumed the practice of his original pro-
fassion-the Law Oflate years he has deyot-
ed much time to the culture of the grape and
the making of wine, in which he has been
very successful.
ANOTHER GREAT FIRE IN CANADA. A gen.
tleman who arrived at New York on Thursday
morning, from Montreal, states that, just before
his departure from that city, intelligence had
been received from Quebec, of most destruc-