Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-07-20
nv THE SOUTHERN MAIL.
THETAKING OF TABAsco.

The isle brilliant affair at Tabasco, is veil de-
serving OF reading from all persons VINO al
miro Yankee yalor and sailor irankness and hu-
NOR fsats The N. Orleans DelIa.) The letter
was not Intended for publication, and IS, there
tore. written in the free and easy style Oh itenuiy
correspondence; but there is nothing IN II ina,
will not excite the admiration, sympathy ana
deep in,eres, of all our readers. The patnenc
and heart-rending complaint which concludes Inc
Letter resnecting The stubborn non.combaliveness
of The "bloody Bruno" who will not stand win
his 1900 men long enough TO be tickled by ouI
lolly tars is decidedly the richest thing we nave
read IfMr. Polk does not promote our lrieno
in his very next orders, he shall certainty neal
from us:
Sailors turned Soldiers, or Boiled Lo0ssers ASHORE
Our Fleet passing up the Tabasco River
Bruno in Ambush-Fire opened upon our
Fleet-Sharp-S Shooters Aloft-Formidabe De-
fences-Lieut. May Wounded IN Reconnoi-
tering-Fine Order preserved by our Sailors
Capls. Buchanan, McCluney and Adams
Com. Perry-Sailors Hiched to Cannon-or,
der OF March-Encounter the Enemy ana
Drive Him Before Them-Diffcult March
Grea, Excitement among the Frogs and Tad
poles-Lieut Maynard's Gallant ChaIse-The
ENEMY Rou,ed-Tall Walking-The Fort
opens upon our Steamers, which is Briskly and
Effectively Relurned-Lieu, Porter Lands and
Carries the Euemys Battery, and HOSTS the
Stars and Stripes-Capts. Lee and Bigelow-
The "Camels"-Our Troops March into the
Town and Occupy the Plaza-Songs OF The
Saiors-Damage Done by The Enemy's Can
non. o.u
FRIdATE RARITAN 9th June, l847.
Editors of Delta-You asked me TO keep mt
nutes of our Tabasco Expedition. can't go The
minutes; but il the hours will SUIT you, here lhey
are. 1t was a novel pictar, the like OF winch you
NAV meier hear tell OF again. and well worth The
expenditure of sheet OF foolscap-so will be-
gin in due form and give you every item, fromthe
battle with Bruno down ,othe steaiing OF cnlch-
en-. Just think of an army OF salts suddenly
transferred from The ship 10 the shore The ioea
alone is enough 10 fix ones attention ana eAcus
The risible organs. One thousand tars transmos-
rifed into soldiers Shouldering muskets. form
ing into platoons, marching BY word OF command
-TEyes right, and face Corporal-the word or
der is only a caution" &C. They went through
the exercise beautiful. Dragging artillery through
swamps, chaparral, on bitches and IN dllches,
where horses would have toundered. Oh Il was
a beautiful sight, and this is The ptctMr Design
presenting to you, and is pronounced 10 be The
most novel and interesting OF the war. Iaoasco,
YOU must know, is fine city, situated on high
bluff on The right bank of the river, 80 miles from
its mouth, The river is narrow, the banks high
and steep, and covered with trees, chaparral and
flags, interviewer with hanging vines and The den.
sest foliage have ever seen. Fifty determined
men could have swept every one OF us from Inc
decks as we passed up wnhou! our ever seeing
an enemy. The channel runs close To the right
bank Of the river which looked Immediately
down on our decks. packed with men. lie YES
sells frequently become entanSlcd among Inc
branches Of the trees, and IN ms way aoou' H'i-
night. several men were swept ou OF the boats
and from the decks of the vessels Then with
the burning oil the blue lights Qhe preconcered
signal tor any accident) and The rowing about OF
the boats in this sepuIchra glare OF the light 10
pick up the lost, rendered the whole scene striS-
inely picturesque and intensely exciting from the
beginning 10 the ending Of the expedition.
On the 18th The squadron anchored off the river
Tabasco, and on the l4th, all things being ready,
we made sail. The steamer Scorpion, bearing
the Commodore's broad pendant, having in Tow
The Washington and Vesuvius, followed by the
steamers Spitfife, Vixed and Scourge, towing The
E.na, Srombol Bonita and Capt Tayor's lii.
lie vessel, the Spiihre, with the patent India rub
Der Camels, Tor lifting our vessels over the shoals
and distractions thrown across he river-lhe
boats of The squadron, about SO in member, tow
ing astern of all, presented beautiful sight
About shutdown we left Fronlera, and with an
occasional interruption from the oyerhanelns
branches sweeping our men overheard, we pass
we captured canoe with Two Indians, from whom
we learned tina, Bruno lay in ambush, with a large
force, at two favorable positions al points ID or
20 miles further up. The tops were at once fill
ed with sharp-shooters, and officers were KEEP.
alof, on the look out. The place designated as
the first point Of attack being passed without in
terruplion, were beginning 10 feel secure, when
heavy voiley opened on US ffom the banks
In an instant the fire was returned from the heavy
guns OF the Scorpion, Washington and Vesuvius
and from the small arms on deck and alof,.-
Lieuts Blunt and Ganscyoort, commanding field
pieces mounted in launches towing aslcrn Of the
Vesuvus and Washington. sung out, go ii
boots" and lei drive, and the way those little
pieces danced aboutlhose launches decks as these
gallant fellows fired voey alter voey, is nothing
10 you. The firing lasted about ten minutes; the
big escopeta balls whizzed through the rigging OF
the old VeSuvius 10 The most mournlul strains.
Il was melancholy feeling, loo, Emusic always
makes one sad,) 10 be standing still and be shot
at like dog and not see an enemy, and have no
place behind which 10 dodge your devoted body.
Thought OF getting behind The mainmasi; but wo!
wo! was me- there found big buck negro &C.
cupying The place. You know that cared no.
thing about my own lie, but it would have dis
tressed my Sally sorely TO have been hit in The
head. Strange to say, but one OF our men was
wounded, the balls nearly all passing over us.
The awning of The Scorpion, was told, was
cut up pretty badly. The Vesuvius' sides were
pretty we'll peppered; but for the foresight OF The
commodore, in stalioning sharp-shooters aloit, we
must have suffered severely-bnt they had heard
OF our being armed with the revolving rifle, and
bad mos, awful horror of exposing themselves
TO i,s effects. They were afraid Of raising their
heads 10 take aim, for fear Of showing themselves
10 the men alofl, and being shot. This nice little
brush was monopozed by the three vessels nam
ed, all the rest being some miles aslern. We
learned in Tabasco that Bruno commanded here
in person. We kept on up The river, and anchor
ed al shutdown al place called The Devils Bend.
About two hours alter, the rest OF our forces came
up and anchored in line astern. At this place
we expected the most formidable opposition
Here 10 long reach of a mile and quarter in
length. The liver narrows, and an obstruction
thrown across the bar, with strong breas,work
commanding il, made my heart 60 "pit pat pilti
pat.n as thought OF the morrow, and the distress
of nv Sally, should Mexican pill enter my sto-
mach. AS the shades OF evening stole over US,
we were fred upon again from the bushes, the
discharge breaking mans leg on board OF the
Vesuvius. We opened the big guns on them
again, cleared the woods of the mosquitoes, and
went to bed
Al daylight. Licuts. May and Alden we're sent
ahead some 100 yards or So TO sound un the bar
and examine the distractions, which could be
seen projecting out of the water. This was peril
Gus undertaking, but they went boldly 10 work,
when a shower of balls were poured down upon
them from the breastwork and bushes. Lieut..
MAYS boat being in advance, received the fire, Sc
verely wonnding him and several OF his crew, com.
pelling the boats to return TO the vessel. The or
der was then given for the forces TO embark in The
boats and form into line, three deep, in The mid
die Of the river. This was done with great des-
patch, aud beautiful order. Capt. Buchanan
was particularly noted for The beautiful style and
celeriiy with which he brought his division inlo
line; his men were the best equipped in the expe-
dition. Whatever Buch does, ne does we'll
whether in The fighting line, or horsins mid
else Capts. McCuney and Adams were like
wise remarked for the GOODNESS and decision with
which they gave their orders, 10 the confusion
~ 49, " h=;ss;ss