Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/232

196 of the national honor, on other shores, and in foreign lands; and it is something of which they may well be proud, that they have never proved faithless to their trust.

On the day of the passage of the act declaring that war existed with Mexico, Commodore Conner was officially notified of the event, and instructed to blockade the Mexican ports on the Gulf; his attention being more particularly directed to that part of the coast between the Goatzacoalcos and the Rio Grande. Several vessels of war were also dispatched, as soon as they could be got in readiness, to reinforce the squadron under his command. Anterior to this he had rendered important services to the army of occupation, commanded by General Taylor, in their operations on the Rio Grande; and upon the reception of his instructions, he prepared at once to carry them into effect. Most of the time, during the summer months, was spent in discharging the inactive, and sometimes irksome duties of the blockade, varied but rarely by any incident of more than ordinary moment. Commodore Conner made an unsuccessful attempt to capture the port of Alvarado, on the 7th of August, 1846; none of his vessels being of sufficiently light draught to cross the bar. Commander Carpenter,