The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-05-15
Capt, Tborniou's DIsns,cr,

tANP OPPOSITE MATANoRoS, !
April g, 1916
Ed' LfMc P.egymc,
knowing that in the pTcscn. excited
state Of the public mind as regards our
Mexican affairs and the welfare of our
HNe army, the most exaggerated reports
creep into the public prints. thereby car.
rying with them sorrow and anxiety into
the bosom of the friends and relations OF
many officers, deem it my duty 10 give
you hasty but correct accoun, Of the
capture of Captain Thornton and a squad
ron Of the I'd Dragons, by force Of 200
MeXicans under the command Of Gen
Torrejon. Gen. Taylor, on the 2ilh.
had received report that the enemy
were crossing the river above this camp.
Capt. Thornton, with his command, W as
sen, out on the evening Of the 2iih 10 ex.
anime the country above, and see wheth-
er there was any truth in the report
His command was composed Of Capt
!lardee, Lieut.. Kane, Lieut.. Mason, 3
sergeans, corporals, bugler, and 40
pllvaies. His Mexican guide returned
this morning, stating that he had been at
lacked at 8 o'clock on the morning Of the
2Jth by large number Of the enemy,
and that the whole command was cap,ur.
ed or destroyed. The guide warned him
iha, be was in the vicinity of the enemy
and refused TO proceed. He waited un-
til night, and none Of the party coming
in, he returned home.
About | | this morning, private Of the
party was brous ut in in cart. lie was
wounded in two places. The man who
brought him was the bearer of note from
Gen Torrejon 10 Gen. Taylo the amount,
of which was, shat on the score of hu.
mainly, he claimed the privilege of send.
ing into him two Dragons, who were
wounded in an engagement brought on
by charge from an American cavalry
officer against his command Of 900 men,
as lie had no flying hospital lie then
spoke of the rest being prisoners, and
saiG they would be treated with the con.
sideralion due prisoners of war, agfeeably
TO The custom of civilized nations From
the wounded dragoon we obtain the fol-
lowing facts: That the charge was made
in open ground; that when the command
charge was given, but few of the enc
my were seen, but as they dashed over
hill the whole command presented them.
selves; they were fred upon and imme-
dialey surrounded and taken prisoners.
lie does not know what became Of Cap
tain Thornton. Capt. Hardce and Lieut..
Mason arc prisoners and are all well.
lie reports Lieut.. Kane as shot, and it is
feared he is killed. Ten men were kill
ed. Before the car, left, one Of the two
men mentioned died. From the note G(
Gen. T., i, seems that no accuses Capt.
Thornton Of having charged upon him.
One can hardly conceive of such madness
as charging 200 men with SO, and II is
fair 10 presume that he was surrounded
aud charged to cut his way through.
Time will clear it all up. The capture
of Captain Thorntons party. and sad
death of Lieut.. Porter, aud murder of Col.
Cross, arc rather melancholy commence.
men,s of The war. say war, for there
is no doubt of its existence, and lha, un.
less an nrmislico is signed in ten days, we
must have some hard fighting. The en-
envy are collecting in some considerable
numbers, and | think their force may be
estimated with safety at 5000. Gen.
Taylor is rapidly pushing forward his
field work, and understand has sent for