Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-24
CAPTURE OF TABAsCO.
The New Orleans Delta has the following letter
from Navy officer, giving the particulars OF the
recent capture of Tabasco, by the expedition under
Commodore PERRY

FRIeATE RARITAS, JUNE 81, ls47.
You asked to keep minutes of our Tabasco expedition
cant go the minutes but the hours Will suit YOU mere
they Just think of army of sails suddenly transferred
from the ship to the shore, One thousand ars ransmoged
into sodiers shouderng muskets, forming into paoons
marching by word of command &C. They went through the
exercise 6eaut!fMi dragging artillery through swamps,
chaparal bitches and dches where horses would have
foundered Oh it beautiful sight, and this is the pictur
design presenting to you and is pronounced TO be the most
novel and interesting of the
Tabasco, you must know is fine city, situated on high
bluff, the right bank of the river eighty miles from its
mouth The river is narrow the banks high and Steep and
covered with trees chaparra, and flags interviewer with
hanging vines and the densest foliage have Fifty
determined men could have swept every OF US from the
decks passed up without seeing enemy The
channel runs close the right bank of the river, which looked
down decks packed with men, The YES
sells frequently became entanged among the branches OF the
trees, and in this way, about midnight several men were
swept Of the boats and from the decks of the vessels
Then with the burning of the blue lights (he preconcered
signal for any accden and the rowing about of the boats in
this sepuchra glare of the light to pick up the lost rendered
the whole skngy picturesque and intensely exciting
from the beginning to the ending Of the expedition.
On the 18th the squadron anchored oil the river Tabasco,
and the 18th, all things being ready made SAIL The
steamer Scorpion, bearing the Commodores broad pennant
having in the Washington and Vesuviu followed by the
steamers Spite, Vixen and Scourge, towing the Etna,
Sombo Bonita, and Capt Tayors little vessel, the Spit
fire. with the patent ndiarubber Cames for lifting vessels
the shoals and distractions thrown the rverhe
boats OF the squadron about fifty in number towing asen of
ALL presented beautiful sight. About shutdown we left
Frontera and with occasional interruption from overhang
ing branches sweeping overheard, passed very
gently until three o'clock next day. when captured canoe
with two Indians, from whom learned that Bruno lay in
ambush, with large force at two favorable POSITIONS at
points fifteen and twenty miles further up The tops
filled with sharpshooers, and officers kept aof
the lookout The place designated the first point of attack
being passed without interruption beginning to feel
secure, when heavy voey opened from the banks
In instant the fire returned from the heavy OF the
Scorpion Washington, and Vesuviu and from the small
deck and aloft. Leus Blunt and Gansevoor COM
handing field pieces mounted in launches towing astern the
Vesuvius and Washington let drive, and the way those little
pieces danced about those launches decks these gallant
fellows fired voey after voey, is nothing you. The firing
lasted about ten minutes the big escopea balls whzzed
through the rigging of the old Vesuvus in most moulnul
strains Strange to say, but of men was wounded,
the balls nearly all passing
The awning of the Scorpion was told cut up pretty
badly The Vesuvuss sides pretty well peppered but
for the foresight Of the Commodore in staonng shapshoo
alo must have suffered severely but they had heard
OF our being armed with revolving rifles and hada most awful
horror of exposing themselves their effects They afraid
of raising their heads take for fear of showing them
selves to the ao and being shot, This little brush
by the three vessels named all the rest being
miles asern We learned in Tabasco that Bruno
manded here in person. We kept up the rver and
chored shutdown at place called the Devils Bend About
two hours after the rest Of forces up and anchored
in line asten At this place expected the most formidable
opposition. Here is long reach of mile and quarter in
length the river naows, and obstruction thrown
the bar, with strong breastwok commanding il. As the
shades of the evening stole upon fired upon again
from the bushes the discharge breaking mans leg board
of the Vesuvus We opened the big guns them again.
cleared the woods of the mosquitoes and to bed.
AT daylight Leuts. May and Alden sent ahead some
hundred yards sound the bar and examine the
distractions which could be projecting out Of the water
This perous undertaking, but they went boldly to
work. when shower of balls poured down upon them
advance received the fire, severely wounng him and several
of his crew. compelling the boats to return the vessel The
order then given for the forces to embark the boats and
form into line, three deep, in the middle of the river This
done with great dispatch and in beautiful order Capt
Buchanan particularly noted for the beautiful style and
celebrity with which he brought his division line his
were the best equipped in the expedition Captains McClu
and Adams likewise remarked for the GOODNESS and
decision with which they gave their orders in the confusion
that must necessarily in bringing fifty sixty twelve
cared boats into line river, and under the fire of
the enemy. This is small merit think In advance of
all the Commodore, sitting quietly in his barge with his
broad pennant flying forming the conspicuous mark for
Mexican shot, and his mouth puckerng he did not
care for all the Mexican bullets in Tabasco While forming
into line heavy cannonadng kept up from the vessels
At signal given from the Commodore the ceased
firing, the men gave awful shout, seven hundred
dipped their blades into the water and thousand Yankee
tars stood on the banks of the Tabasco.
The forces were drawn up the order OF march, the
pioneers and scouting party, commanded by Lieut. Maynard
IN advance then the marines IN command oil capt Edison
then the Commodore and SUITE with his broad pennan in
font the artillery by Capt Mackenzie; and infantry, in
divisions by Captains Forest and Breese the ambulance par
y following after to pick up the killed and wounded And
you should have been here with your book gather
few scraps they fell from Jack when hching him up
the artillery :" have often been called jackass, says
one, but little did think that my mothers would
be called upon to fill the place of one Marching about three
hundred yards brought Of the woods open space
The grass and flags up to am-ps and occasional
marsh to wade through, rendered advancing painful and
aborous. We had ten field dragging after US, with
twenty rounds Of grape and canister yet finch
ed but dragged them through muck and mire until plant
ed them in the Plaza in Tabasco.
As we neared dense chapanal skirting the woods the
Mexicans opened again. Captains Mackenzie and Blu
chanan Immediately brought forward the artillery and opened
the thicke the marines and infantry advancing and
turning the fire at the time. About this time the word
along the line that the enemy advancing the right
The pieces trained them and in the firing,
when discovered to be Lieut. Maynard, with his pon
eers returning from scouting expedition five seconds later
and they had been dead The Mexcans eeated before
advanced keeping up running fire, but rarely show
ing themselves. II impossible to charge them for the
marshes and chapara there of forcing way
through the woods the underground of briers vines snakes
scorpions, and other vegetables rendered perfectly impeg
nable. We struck into ootpath, which kept until
we got in sight of Tabasco.
1t with the greatest difficulty that the artillery could be
got along and but for the ndomab energy and
Of the officers commanding them they have been left on
the road. But before such fellows Mackenzie Buchanan,
Perry, Gansevoor, and Blunt, II usethe chapaua
fell back the high flags bowed their devoted heads the bull
frogs hoped away and the artillery passed along. Our march
for three miles uninterrupted by the appear
of Mexican but the roadside wasstrewed with cartridges
beds and other indications OF peope moving in