Report of Henry L. Thompson, August 29, 1837 - Page 3
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and then commenced burning their towns, names which
at present I cannot remember.
We then shaped our course for Sisal, which
we engaged under many disadvantages on our part
small guns, bad powder, want of shells, port fires,
congreve rockets, small arms etcetera. We stood them
a fight of two hours and forty minutes, close under
their castle which was mounted with six pieces of
cannon, calibres from eighteen to thirty two pounders
independently of some guns they had planted behind
the bushes which opened a severe fire upon us from a
quarter we least expected. I finding nothing was to
be gained from the enemy and my vessel lying in fif-
teen feet water, thought it best to weigh ancher [sic] and
get to sea to save our vessel and men.
We recd no damage from their shot, but
directing ours in as well as we knew how and we spared
that few of ours was wasted. The old Commandant
and his house smelt a little of the devil and gave up
his ship hoisted his jib and were round. But the
hot shot which we fired was merely cold shot warmed
and did not have the desired effect or we could have
burned the whole town which consisted in about one
hundred houses. I from thence took my departure
westward over the banks and close along the enemies’
coast, and from thence to the Isle of Alacrans, where
we captured the Mexican Schooner Abisha, having the
Schooner Telegeapho in company and sent them both into
Matagorda.
Aug 8th while lying in the Alacrans, at
daylight in the morning, saw a suspicious sail stand-
ing in for the land. I made signal to the Brutus to
get under weigh [sic] and chase. [I]n the Afternoon the Brutus
returned bringing in the vessel, which proved to be the
British Schooner Eliza Russel, Capt. Russel from Liver-
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Report of Henry L. Thompson, August 29, 1837. Texas Navy Papers, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.