Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/508

452 of the city, or in the neighboring villages. Several skirmishes took place, in the course of which a number of the light bamboo cottages were burned by the Americans. At length the latter became nearly worn out with incessant watching and fighting, and the Vixen was dispatched to Commodore Perry for assistance. She returned on the 29th of June, with a reinforcement of 100 sailors and marines; and on the 1st of July 3 force of 200 men, consisting of ninety marines, under Lieutenants Slack, Shuttleworth and Adams, the crew of the Spitfire under Lieutenant Porter, and a number of officers and volunteers, from the Scorpion, Ӕtna, and Scourge, with two field-pieces, marched against Timulte, a small village four miles from Tabasco. About five hundred of the Tabasco militia, under Generals Chigané and Garcia, were in ambuscade near the town, and fired upon the party as they approached. The contest Was brief. The guns were fired but twice before the enemy were seen scattering through the bushes in flight. The sailors and marines pursued them till they were quite exhausted, when orders were given to return to Tabasco, where they arrived at sunset, having captured a large quantity of arms and ammunition, and killed and wounded from seventy-five to one hundred of the enemy, with the loss of only two men killed and four wounded. Commodore Perry retained possession of Tabasco until the 22nd of July, when he ordered the place to be evacuated, not caring to expose the health of his men by the permanent occupation of the city. Many of the inhabitants, through fear of the ragged and half-starved soldiery, who had previously been quartered on them, accompanied the American vessels to Fronteira, where Commander Van Brunt was directed to remain, with