Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-11-18

she ranged ahead, but with little effect
however, owing TO the distance. A Ioo1s
eighteen from the Forward, sent III,
directly into The fort-lhis moyemeo,
repeated with better success, the dis,a"~ a'
being lessened, and again the ForwarJ
made most beautiful shot. In the mean
time the Mississippi had closed I'M anJ
was exploding her Paixhans aban, ~
heads of the Mexicans in a way thai ,, NJ,
have some of them see more s,ars Is
the Lord ever made. One shot from ~.
dlsmounied heavy gun of theirs from =
stockade; this they soon remedied. h.,
thus far all their shot had fallen sbor,
during the morning several of our boat,
sounded within half mile of The for, 70
celvlng the fire of the enemy with =.
much impunity as Indifference. The swell
on the bar having somewhat subsidized n,
o'clock, the line OF attack was formed AZ
follows: steamer Vixen, flag ship. towina
gun.boa's Refer and Bonita; steamer
McLane, towing the Nonata, cutter For.
ward, and gun boat Petrol; then two
launches, three cutters, and barge. con.
tanning 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; aud the commo.
dore finding himself deprived Of the sun.
port of twothirds Of his force, and beinr
unable 10 sustain the fire of twelye.puo
battery with but four light pieces of hls
own, was obliged TO retreat. The force
in the boats was now exposed 10 a heavy
fire, the shot flying thick and fast around
us, and had the Mexcans fired grape. il
would have knocked some of us into fits.
We escaped, 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 re-
turn 10 anchorage, and thus ended this
blOodIess combat; bloodess not because
each and every man of US would not have
shed our hearts best blood 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 delences as can
not be overcome by naval attack with
such means as commodore Conner has at
his disposal. The McLane is an abomina.
BILE abortion, Ito make use Of our own
word, drawing too much water to be ser.
viceable, and with not sufficient power 10
drive her over three and half knots an
hour-but i, is due 10 capt. Howard to say
thai as soon as he got his vessel aaoat
again, he profered to make another at
tempt 10 cross the bar. but the commodore
declined, as il was now too late in the at
ternoon, and the weather was Threatening.
There remains one way 10 take this AL
varado, and, mark my words, it will DO
done before many weeks; meanwhile we
must expect to be severely handled by The
newspapers at home, by people who ex.
pect US to accomplish impossibIiles and
gain glory on a field where none is to be
won-although no man, with two ideas Ia
his head, who witnessed our recent defeat,
can attribute blame to any one.
Der. 25. - On the night OF the 10Th
inst, the three steamers, cutter Forward,
schooners Bonita, Refer, and Nonaa,
under command of com. Perry, left Anton
Lizardo, for an attack on Tabasco. on
the morning of the 9Th, the Mississippi
made prize of the American bark Coosa,
capt. Hickling, off AIvarado river, and
sent her into this place upon suspicion oil
her being about to land her cargo on 'he
Mexican coast. This vessel was cleared
from New Orleans on the 81 inst, for Tia
vana, by Messrs Wylie g. Egana, WIN
1900 bales of cotton put up in 20O pound
bales, and there appears good reason 10
suppose that it was intended for Mexico
She will sail for your port, on the 27lh, 10
charge Of Passed Midsbipmnn Barrett
son of one of your former Collectors
To-day another prize, the Yucalan
schooner "El TELEGRAPH" arrived from Tue
Tabasco expedition on the ODD, and TO-
ports the fleet standing off the land walt
ing for weather to go into the river