medium ol' Thos. F McKinney Esqr. which I hope _you duly received- As dispatch was lhe principal point of this undertaking , and as lhe Commillee were wilhoul necessary means for lhe expedition I found myself compelled lo undertake the same with my own resources and those my friends-A Schooner was bought and armed with five canon, also arms, ammunition, clothing, and equipments were purchased for one hundred and fifty men, of which lhe expedition was lo be composed. Provisions for three months, also supplies of cannon amunition and arms, with lhe view lo serve in lhe field, were likewise bought I will in due lime present you with an official slalemenl of the whole- The Sehr., troops, and equipments, were ready in fifteen or twenty days, and we sailed from New Orleans on the evening of the 6th Nov last with the aforementioned one hundred & fifty men Previous lo our departure from New Orleans we senl to Tampico two Commissioners with lhe view that in unison with the Federalists in said port they would be ready and in a slate lo assist our undertaking al the moment of our landing-The principal charge which said commissioners had, was lo gain in our favor the troops garosoning lhe Fort al the bar for the purpose of enabling us lo affect an entrance into the river without danger. As regard this point it was allained inasmuch as the Commandant as well as the troops were well disposed towards us- After a voyage of seven day we arrived off the bar of Tampico and hove loo with intent lo shew our friends the preconcerted signal At or near 4 P.M. the steam boat came alongside when to my astonishment I "discovered the Capt knew nothing of our combination, altho' il was one of my principal plans Lhal he should be informed of it-As this requisite was wanting, and as I did not know whether the garrison of lhe Fort was favorable lo our cause; I delayed an entrance into the port unlill evening in order lo conceal from the soldiers in the forl the troops on board, and the character of the vessel under cover of darknes-This was lhe cause of the steam boat and schooner :striking on the North bar near the fort where it was impossible lo gel them off- I now give your Excely the causes which prevented the p1:rsons·(who ought lo have been at the bar in cxpedation of my
107
Powered by FlippingBook