Combat· Mexican-American War
Perry's capture of Alvarado
The easy taking of a town that had twice defied the squadron, accomplished as Perry's first stroke in command.
Alvarado had repelled Commodore Conner's attempts in August and October 1846, and when Matthew Perry relieved Conner as commander of the Home Squadron, one of his first acts was to move against it again in support of the Army. On 1 April 1847 Marines and sailors from the squadron landed and took Alvarado with little resistance, the defenders no longer able or willing to hold out. The capture closed a frustrating chapter for the squadron and consolidated American control of the central stretch of the Mexican Gulf coast. No casualties resulted. The bloodless success was a tidy beginning to Perry's tenure, clearing a point that had embarrassed his predecessor and securing the coast for the larger riverine and amphibious operations he would soon undertake.
Podcast episodes on Mexican-American War
Record no. 353