First Battle of Tuxpan

The First Battle of Tuxpan was the first of three small battles fought during the Mexican-American War at Tuxpan, Mexico. Part of the American's Mosquito Fleet Campaign.

Background

After the fall of Veracruz, Commodore Matthew C. Perry, commander of the U.S. Home Squadron, decided to move against the remaining port cities along the Gulf coast. Only the ports of Tuxpan and Tabasco remained that had any significance to the U.S. blockade.

Battle

Sailing with the Mosquito Fleet and a landing party of 1,519 men, Perry first moved against Tuxpan which was garrisoned by 400 soldiers under General Martin Perfecto de Cos and guarded the Tuxpan River.

On April 17, Perry reached the mouth of the river. The next afternoon, while Winfield Scott was engaging Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo, a detachment was landed downriver while Perry led the rest of the landing party upriver to secure the rest of the town. Cos put up little resistance and withdrew from the city by 3 p.m. Perry held the city for four days before returning to his ships and moving further upriver.

Two ships were left at Tuxpan to blockade the city while Perry moved against Ciudad del Carmen which fell on May 16, 1847.

References

• Nevin, David; editor, The Mexican War (1978)
• Bauer, K. Jack, "The Mexican-American War 1846-48"

External links

• Roll of Honor - U.S. Casualties of Naval Actions in the War with Mexico