The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-06
THE UNION.

uIspeTsed
were firing them. II was soon evident that they were
| thoroughly fired, and we considered so much of our
work as done-work, too, which we thought hazardous
the gun boats hauled well up and the shore
lined with buildings and walls that gave protection
their men, and within fifty yards of them besides, we
could see that they had prepared entertainments to
boats, and several pieces OF field ordnance We felt they
had yielded to ability to take them, which actu
ally striking to seventy five men-the most that we could
have landed; and with these they could have come 10
hand and hand conflict in two feet water. Our ships
company very much reduced in number, all our
rine guard, with the lieutenant Of marines having been
left TO garrison the town of Los Angeles Upper Calfor
MIA. We had Differed and marined the prize schooner
Julia with one lieutenant, one mdshipman, and twelve
men, which, together with sick list left effective
force greatly reduced
| 1--WE set manfully at remaining work, which
TO cut out the only Mexican vessel lying in the har
bor (he neurals had hauled out as they were directed
This the brig Condor anchored within pistol shot
of the town, and within short musket range of their
troops concentrated behind the hill have before
boats Were, on account of her being more completely
covered by their combined forces, lying far
behind this hill that they could fire upon her from their
protected position without exposing themselves to the
ships guns. Our launch, with her gln-a IL pound
carronade mounted in her bows and the third cutter
called away, with their crews armed and equipped
Lieut. G. W. Harrison in command of the expedition in
the launch, with Mdshipman H. N. Crabb and Acting
Boatswan James Collins The third cutter, with Lieut.
with some extra alarm men, showed off at half
past eleven Lying their a few minutes
alongside they were addressed by Capt Du Pont in a
few pertinent remarks, setting forth the necessity OF his
sending them upon so hazardous expedition, wishing
them to show the enemy, by the of bringing out
the brig from her more exposed position, how they
would have handled the gunboats The officers and
men in the boatsenvied by all on board for such was
the enthusiasm that every man was disappointed that
not sv r 0 the the Il
the fire from the ship upon the town with round
and shell shot, concentrating the fire upon the gov
eminent buildings, which, fortunately, formed space
between this hill, behind which the military lay, and
where the Condor lying Our fire had the eff
feet to make the troops withdraw little to find greater
that shot and shells doing fearful execution by
the holes the walls of the houses As the enemy did
not open upon our boats Immediately, our fire slack
ened for fear that shell might burst before reaching
the shore, and do injury to our own people.
"When our boats boarded the Condor, the enemy, with
three cheers opened upon them with voleys Of mus,
kerry and an 1spounder charged with grape and round
shot, and culyerne situated within musket range of them
Our fire from the ship was at once fercely resumed,
approaching the Condor, combining them behind the HILL
as the whole space swept by shot and shells
Their fire was also warmly returned by launchs gun
and the small Harmed men drawn up on the deck of the
brig Her cable, though of iron, soon cut with
axe, and our heaving cheerily upon the haw
ser, running TO the kedge anchor, which they had
and off she must go In the time, the enemy's
fire became SO hot that Lieutenant Harrison ordered
the brig to be fred fearing the boats might be disabled
This work was done under showers of balls, as they
receiving the fire of at least five hundred muskets
When she was warped up to the kedge, she was taken
in tow by the boats; it was at this moment that the
enemy had exultaton, seeing the boats pulling
away from the brig and not observing the hawser which
was slack, they thought the boats beaten off, but
they the hawser tighten, and the brig follow
the boats the LIST cutter was sent to assist IN towing IN
charge of Acting Master J. f. Stenson The brig
soon out of range of the enemys musketry, the fire
was far gnited she was towed to eeward OF us, and
the boats cast off; ceased firing, officers and men
were loyously received-not man was injured, which
seemed mraculous-the briggs side, and masts were full
| nf hot and nf lam hrola
by grape shot, the only injury done seems quite
as strained and fabulous to me, an eyewitness, when
written, it must to you, that two boats, with about
fifty men, should be exposed to great fire for from
twenty to thirty minutes, without sustaining injury; but
such is the whole truth believe you may search naval
records in vain for better planned completely
executed expedition Its entire without loss is
the highest evidence of its just conception and its gallant
execution. The spirit that lighted the fires at Trpo is
still alive in our navy The old spirit is not buried but
at must be recoeced this cutting out was made at mid
day, and previous notice given The truth is, the enemy
did not open their fire upon boats until they boarded
the brig, when with three cheers they opened upon them
believing that they had every man bagged that was in
that they had them trapped from their exutaton Never
| did SET of men behave better than ours did
"The Spanish consuls letter, received in the morning.
| being unanswered, Capt Du Pont now replied to him,
saying that he would not open his fire again. unless some
offensive act committed that the inhabitants might
return TO the town and resume their avocatons that ne
had accomplished all that he had come for and would
leave and showed moreover, to the Mexican COM
mander, by the cutting of the Condor within pistol
shot of his barrack that his previous forbearance had
arisen from motives of humanity and desire TO protect
the property of neutras This letter sent shore
by boat from a neutral vessel.
awe have not been able to learn, with any reliability
what damage or loss the enemy sustained.
| "a captain OF neutral vessel informed us that the
enemy had expressed themselves confidently that they
could beat off any force that might attempt to cut out the
Condor, and that fire had been most destructive to
the buildings; that il most fortunately directed to
cover boats that of our Paiyhan shells had ex
ploded in the inside of house and turned it inside out
and that great the force of 32-pound shot
that had gone through five house walls, and buried
itself in the sixth and that six persons wounded
AS far as he could ascertain, none were killed This
person shore during the bombardment; all inter
course between the shore and all vessels n,erdced
could learn nothing satisfactorily II was reported by
neutral sailors that number OF the enemy were killed
s'On the sth, hauled out, hosted in boats, and
prepared for sea towards evening large body
of mounted men enter the townhey were received with
the beating of drums and blowing Of trumpets. These
were the three hundred mounted Indians; the assurances
of the neutral merchants that the enemy had further
resources could he receive any reinforcement for
three days, TO the contrary notwithstanding
son the morning of the 9th left the harbor without
any demonstration upon the part of the enemy"
| The legislature of Kentucky have had 10 ballots to
elect senator of the United States in place of Mr.
| Morehead, who declines reelection Messrs. Under
wood. Ietcher and Mecaf were originally mt NOM