The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-14
HUNTER.
Recklessly Brave, He Took Several Towns
Almost Single-Handed.

keckiessIy Brave, He Took Several Towns
Almost Single-Handed.
An incident occurred during the Mex
lean war showing how American cour-
age and ~intrepidity may sometimes run
to extremes. Vera Cruz had fallen,
and General Scott, in order to make n
better movement toward the interior,
needed horses badly. Singularly enough,
he called upon the navy to help supply
the deficiency. There were plenty of
Mexican cavalrymen in and about AL
varado, n an advance upon the place
by and and sea was determined upon
in the hope of securing the horses. Gen.
eral Quitman, with his brigade, had or
ders to proceed by land so as to keep
the horsemen of the enemy from max
ing their escape, while Captain Aulick
n Lieutenant Charles G.. Hunter,
commanding respectively the Potomac
and the Scourge, were sent up the coast
to appear in front of the town.
The idea was that an attack should
be made simultaneously by the land
n naval forces, but Lieutenant Hun
ter was not aware of this, and as his
boat was much faster than the Potomac
he arrived at the place of rendezvous
long before his superior officer. When
Captain Aulick finally got there he no.
ticed a great commotion in the harbor
The Albany, a blockader of duty, came
out n announced that Alvarado was
taken.
by whom?" asked the commander
of the Potomac.
by Lieutenant Hunter of the
Scourge," was the reply.
The Scourge was avery small steam
er. carrying only n u n 40 men.
Lieutenant Hunter had run up pretty
close to the place, and observing evil
dence of wavering on the part of its de-
a.
then dashed in and took possession.
The Mexican horsemen, whose capture
was the main object OF the expedition,
were frightened off before General
Quitman could intercept them, but
Lieutenant Hunter. all unmindful of
this, placed a garrison of one midship-
man and two men in the town and hur-
ried up the river to Tlacotalpan, anoth-
er town, which he also promptly
bagged.
When General Quitman arrived at AL
varado and the place was gravely hand
ed over to him by Midshipman Temple
and the rest of the army of occupation.
he laughed heartily, but not so Commo-
dore M. c. Perry, when he heard of it,.
The commodore vas very angry, and
determined to punish Hunter, but ii
vas no easy matter to catch him, as
he was continuing his victorious career
III hhtf eP ~ ave. DNhN ch sah
ing all the rest of Mexico which had
been left u~nconquered by Taylor and
Scott. At last he was ~apprehended.
placed under arrest and court-mar-
tailed. He was sentenced to be repri-
manded, and the reprimand was to be
read from the quarter deck OF every
vessel in the squadron.
The reprimand was prepared by Com
modore Perry himself. and was a hui
morous affair, although not so intended
by hat austere officer. In effect II
ran something like this:
who told you to take Alvarado? You
were sent to watch Alvarado, not to
take 1t. You have AIKEN Alvarado with
but a single gun and hardly a marine
to back you"
Then it was announced that the
squadron would oon move against Ia
basco, but that. as a punishment, Hunt
er should not be allowed to accompany
1t. but instead dismissed n sent home
in disgrace. And sent home he was.
Old residents of New York Will re-
member how the people made a hero OF
Hunter on his arrival, giving him
swords and dinners. and securing for
him the command of the schooner Tan
ey, in which he afterwards cruised In
the Mediterranean. AS long as hi
lived the gallant officer was always
spoken Of as "Alvarado" Hunter.-New
VarL Grn