Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-11-20
IMPORTANT FROM THE SQUADRON.

Since our last publication, we have receir-
ed later and important news from our Squad
ron, under command of Commodore Conner.
We will condense the accounts as much as
possible, so as to present them in a readable
shape The correspondent of the New
Orleans Pieayune, gives a statement of a
second attack, made On Alyarado on the 10th
October, which pains us to inform our readers
resulted in a failure, and Alvarado is yet in
possession of the Mexicans. We give the
following extract:
owe were within ten miles of the mouth
of the river at daylight and stood slowly into
shore, it being dead calm-the Vixen and Nc
Lane towing the schooners-the Mississippi
anchored at long-shot distance and common
ced her fire. Up to this time every thing ap.
peared highly favorable for the success of the
expedition. There being heavy swell On
the bar the pilots declined taking the vessels
over. The commodore leading in the Vixen,
with the rest of the force following, passed by
the FORT each vessel firing her broadside as
she ranged ahead, with but little effect, how
ever, owing to the distance. A long eighteen
| in the Forward sent a shot directly into the
| fort-this movement was repeated with better
| success, the distance being lessened and again
the Forward made a most beautiful shot. In
| the meantime the Mississippi had closed up
and was exploding her Paixhans about the
heads of the Mexicans in a way that must
have made some of them see more stars than
| the Lord ever made One shot from her dis
mounted heavy gun Of theirs from stock
ade, this they soon remedied, but thus far all
their shot had fallen short. During the NOR
ming several of our boats sounded within half
mile of the fort, receiving the fire of the en-
envy with as much impunity as indifference
The swell on the bar having somewhat subsi-
ded at P. NJ, the line was formed as follows:
steamer Vixen, flag ship, towing gun-boats
| Reefer and Bonita steamer N1cLane, towing
the Nonata; cutter Forward and gun-boat Pc
trel then two launchers, three cutters and
barge, containing force destined for boarding
the vessels Of war, brought up the rear. The
Vixen, with her tow passed the bar and took
position within point blank range, but the
McLane stuck fast, and the Commodore find
ing himself deprived of the support of two
thirds of his force, and being unable to sustain
the fire of a twelye-gun battery with four light
pieces of his own, was obliged to retreat The
force in the boats was now exposed to heavy
fire, the shot flying thick and fast around US,
and had the Nlexicans fired grape it would
have knocked some of US into fits. We es-
capped however, with a good ducking from
the spray of the balls.
1t being now too late in the day for any
further operations, signal was made for return
to anchorage, and thus ended this bloodless
combat, bloodless not because each and every
man of us would not have shed our hearts
best to have gained the day, not because our
plan of attack was not good, or that we were
not properly led, but because Providence has
provided the enemy with such natural defen-
ces as cannot be overcome by naval attack
with such means as Com. Conner has at his
disposal The McLane is an abominable abor~
ton, Ito make use of your own word,) drawing
too much water 10 be seryiceable, and with
not sufficient power to drive her over three &.
a half knots an hour--but it is due to Capt
Howard to say that as soon as he got his ves-
sci afoat again he profered to make another
attempt 10 pass the bar, but the Commodore
declined as it was now too late in the after
, noon.
There remains one way to take this Alva-
RADIO, and, mark my words, it will be done be-
fore many weeks; meanwhile we must expect
to be severely handled by the newspapers at
home, and by people who expect us to ac'
complish impossibilities and gain glory on
field where none is to be won-although no.
man, with two ideas in his head, who wit
messed our recent defeat can attribute blame TO
: any one
e October 25.-On the night of the 10th inst,
the three steamers, cutter Forward, schooners
Bonita, Refer, and Nonata, under command
of CON- Perry, left Anton Lizardo for an at
tack on Tobasco. On the morning of the 18th,
the Mississippi made prize of the American
barque Coosa, Captain Kicking, off Alvarade
: river. and sent her in to this place upon suss
h picion of her being about to land her cargo on
k 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 in 200 pound bales, ana
It there appears good reason to suppose that II
!, was intended for Mexico. She will sail toI
Z your port on the 27th, in charge OF Passed
Midshipman Barrett, son Of one of your Tor
: mer collectors ~,
|, To-day another prize, the Yucatan schr =
n TELEGRAPH, arrived from the Tabasco expedi'
tion on the 23d. and reports the feet standing
! off the land waiting for weather to go INTO inc
L river.
The Picayune, in commenting upon the az
tack made by Commodore Conner Oh the l0ln'
), says
J. The Commodore, from bis position ~ au'
: vance on the Vixen, discovered another ME-
. L rrN-DT