On October 20, 1847 Captain

Elie A. F. La Vallette Elie Augustus Frederick La Vallette (May 3, 1790 – November 18, 1862) was an American military officer who served in the United States Navy from 1812 to 1862. He served during the War of 1812, in the Mediterranean and Africa Squadrons, and ...

of the first-class frigate USS ''Congress'' in company with the sloop USS ''Portsmouth'' forced the Mexican garrison of

Guaymas Guaymas () is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and from the U.S. border. The municipality is located on the Gulf of Cali ...

to evacuate the city under the threat of bombardment, then dismantled the seaward defenses of the city and thereafter controlled the city by the threat of bombardment by a sloop of war kept on station at the mouth of the harbor.Richard W. Amero, The Mexican-American War in Baja California, ''The Journal of San Diego History'', SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY, Winter 1984, Volume 30, Number 1
/ref> Congressional Edition, Volume 537, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1848, pp.1074–1083
/ref> Threat of bombardment of the fort and city of

by the two ships under Captain

led to secret evacuation of the Mexican garrison and artillery at night by Col. Antonio Campuzano. Following the bombardment of the fort and city in the morning, La Vallette landed to take possession, to find the city abandoned by its defenders and most its population. With insufficient force to occupy the city, La Vallette demolished the seaward defenses of the port and left the sloop USS Portsmouth offshore to dominate the port with its guns, and collect the tariff, tonnage and ad valorem duties from ships entering the port.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guaymas, Bombardment of

Gulf of California

October 1847 events

See also

References