Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-02-17
BRILLIANT NAVAL FEAT!


S. sloop-of War Cyane, Com. Du
Ponte.
!, THE Union contains a letter from an
officer on board the U. s. sloop.of-war
Cyane, Com. Du Ponte, engaged IN inc
blockade ofthe Mexican ports on me ra'
.cific, giving an account of the bomoard,
ment Of Guaymas, and The cutting ou. -. o'
the Mexican brig Condor. from under the
artillery and nuskelry Of the enemy Oh
,he 7th of October last. The Mexican
account of this affair, published recently
represented that our forces were lnglor''
ousiy driven of.
It appears from the letter, that The
Cyane anchored mile from the town on
3i of October, when it was discovered
that two Mexican gunboats, which she
had been in search Of, were lying in front
of the Town dismantled, and their guns
landed. The Mexicans were busy haul
ing them up in front Of the town, and were
also dismanllng The Brig Condor, which
was hauled close in. A!large eoncourse OF
citizens and soldiers assembled 10 front OF
the Town to watch The Cyane, and resist
her Ian ling.
Com. Du Ponle informed the neutral
vessels Of the blockade, ofwhom. he learned
500 we'll disciplined soldiers were await
ting his attack; and that they had COM
.peIIed The American Consnl TO leave 'hree
days previous.
On the 9th, Com. Du Ponte sent flag
of truce ashore, demanding .he delivery OF
,be Two eun-boats. The Mexican COM
mandan, was given three hours to answer
when he refused t, comply with the de-
,mand, las no, COMFORTING with their MILL
:,ary or national character" tie was
then ,old lual if the military did mol evac-
ua,e the town, aud the boats were not
given up by ten o'clock the next DAY. Inc
u town would be fired on and the boats taken
.Sy force. On the morning'oI the 7!h, the
.Cyaue hauled up to wi:hln ll0O yards Of
the town, beiug as near as she could get
al high Tide, and 5000 after a reply to
Com. Du Pon,e's last communication was
received, being a peremptory refusal 10
comply. With defiance and gasconade.
Com. Du Ponte was then waited on oy
four persons, representing themselves as
neural merchants, who requested that
hostililies nigh, not Se commenced for
three days, TO allow them TO remove their
effects. They stated that Hot woman OF
child remained 10 the place, that SUI men
were under arms; and that to defer hostile
ties would not enable the Mexicans 10
throw up batteries or receive reinforce
meu,s, which turned out 10 be untrue, as
the next day 300 armedHndians, mounted.
arrived, being the advance-of "a body OF
700 to arrive on the subsequent day. Com.
Du Ponte refused the request Of the four
men, as he suspected they were colleagu-
ed with The Mexicaus. He gave them
an honr, however, but 10 sooner had they
returned to the shore than both the gun
b. ats were discovered with the Mexican
flag flying aud on fro. much 10 the regret
o" our men. The writer then details what
occurred as follows.
We at once fired two Paixhans at them,
which dispersed those that were hrlng
them. Ii was soon evident that they were
fred and we considered 80
much OF our work as done-work, too
which we..housht hazardous, as the gun
boats were hauled up aud the shore was
lined with buildings and walls that gave
protection 10 their men, and within hlty
Yards o: them besides. we could see that
tbey had prepared entertainments to cover
them, and had also the two guns tasen
from the gun. boats, and several,pieces of.
field ordinance. We felt they had yielded
10 our ability to take them, which was ac-
,ually striking TO seventy-fve men-the
most that we could have landed, and with
these they could have come to hand-and-
hand ecnilictib two feet water. Our ships
company ~as very much reduced in num-
Der, all of our mariue guard, with the lieu
tenant of marines, having been left 10
garrison the town of Los Angeles, Upper
California. We had oficered and manned
The prize schooner Julia with one lieuteh.
ant, one midshipman and Twelve men,
which, together with our sick list, LETT oar
effective force greatly reduced. !,
The writer then states the Com. Du
Pon,, in answer to the Spanish Consul,
replied that he would Hot open bis lire
anaiu, unless some offensive act was com.
mited by the inhabitants, WHO were at Ii
berty 10 return to their avocations; that
he had accomplished all he desired, aud
convinced the Mexicans that his previous
forbearance arose from desire to protect
the properly Of neu'rals.
A captain of a neutral vessel, who was
on shore Curing the bombardment, reports
.,a, the enemy had expressed themselves
cunfIlcn,ly, thai they could bea. of aoy
force lha, might attempt 10 cut out the
Condor. aud that our fire had been most
destructive TO tho buildings; that 1t was
mos, fortunately directed to cover our,
boats; tha, our Paishan shells had eSplo.
ded in The inside of a:tiduSe and turned ii
inside out, and that'so great was the force
of our 81 pound shot. that ore had eoue,
,hrough five house wats, aud buried itself