ve:::sel) from being there-Among the individuals who were already prepared lo act in our favor on our arrival was an officer belonging to the troops garrisoned in the City of Tampico he succeeded in gaining over part of the troops hut by an indiscretion of some persons who knew our plans, he was afraid the secret would be discovered-The evening previous lo my arrival they commenced movements which having alarmed the Commandant Gomez caused him to make the above mentioned officer a prisoner-And as the persons al the b:"lr were comprernisccl with the prisoner, as soon as they had the news they went lo Town lo avoid the combination being discovered-On the day we arrived possession would have been taken of Tampico without a shot provided no person had been aware of our landing. On the 15th al 2 A. M. we commenced landing through the surf every many carrying his musket, all our ammunition got wet-the vessel ha\'ing been exposed al least eight hours Lo the hea\'y sea which broke over her causing her lo leak badly-All the arms became useless and on passing an enspeelion lo ascertain if we could immediately continue our march lo the City, thus taking advantage of the enemies ignorance of our arrival, J found it was impossible lo do so before cleaning the muskets, and providing the troops with fresh and additional ammunition-This operation required lime it was commenced immediately, although the best exertions were used lo accomplish it with the utmost haste, it could not be finished till 5 P. M. al which hour we look up our line of march for Tampico through a by-path of more than 12 miles lo avoid a fortificalion by which it was impossible to pass should the enemy oppose us It was between 12 and l, 0 Clock in the night when we entered the Town-From six in the afternoon Commd Gomez knew of our landing, and it also appeared he was informed by the english Consul of our having laking up our line of march for the City, with this fore knowledge he was prepared with a force of about two hundred and fifty or three hundred men with whom he fortified the terrace roofs of three houses and erected a hallcry in the Custom House the principal point of his ddcnce- t\s my ammunition was short I ordered on no account should the enemy he fired at, but lo approac:h them as near as possible and then charge with the bayonet as soon after the first discharge of canon as practical,le; by so doing J succeeded in
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