Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-05-21

From the Union,

toned in this city, under date Of April gath,
gives the following circumsIanlial accoun, of
the fall of Lieutenant Porter Of the 4lh nian-
try :
The whole of Lieutenant Porter's party
have returned to the camp except himself and
the soldier who was killed by the first fire OF The
Mexicans, in the afternoon of the l0th Private
Anes, of company A. the last man of this party,
who came in on the night of the 22d, says that
he was within five or six feet OF Lieutenant Por-
Ter when he fell lie received ball which
penetrated his thigh, and no doubt parted the
artery. lie Immediately lay down, and expir-
ed very soon alerward. The soldier who
was previously killed lay within five yards OF
him.
FREQUENT attempts were made to return the
fire OF the Mexican party, but the arms OF
Lieut.. Porter's men were all wet, and would
not 90 off Private Anes renamed near the
dead bodies of Lieut.. Porter and the soldier
for some time, concealed in the dense ,hicket
the chapperaD hoping relief would come and
bear the bodies off. lie was at last, however
Obliged to make his way to camp, which he
found with great difficulty, owing to the density
of the thicket and the great difficulty of moving
through it,
The same writer adds, in relation TO Colonel
Cross
Colonel Cross's remains were found short
distance from road leading near The river
and not on the Point Isabel road, rs wrote 10
you in my previous letter. lle was striped Of
his clothing, and The flesh was picked off his
body by the vullures. II had been dragged some
distance into the thicket after the murder. 1t
was recognized to be the body Of Colonel Cross
by his teeth, part of his scalp, which had been
torn of by the vuliureS his stock, and one OF the
straps from his military trock coat His watch
his pistols, and his horse are now in possession
of the Mexican officers in Matamoras.
"Colonel Cross was killed by one Romano
Falcon, in the presence of Lieutenant in the
Mexican army, Falcon is what is called here
a commiSSioner-that is, one who is authorized
to seize all persons attempting to smugge goods
across the line. lie is commissioned by the
Mexican government but all such persons will
rob or murder any one they meet.
In the Providence Journal we find long let
ter from the camp, dated April &c, giving also an
account of Lieut.. Porter's DEATH with the follow
ing narrative of an attempt to recover his body
As soon as the news of Porters being shot
was made certain, was ordered with party
of fifty men and Two officers, TO go and find his
remains if possible, and also get hold OF the
rascals by whom he was killed. ] started at
day break, on the 3d. with two days ra-
had been with Porter. We marched the first
day twenty-five miles, and encamped, as my
guides assured me, within two miles Of the
place where they were fired on.
/ cut place in the 'chapparal,' and slowed
my men away SO snugly that you might have
passed hundred times without suSpecting
soul was near. hoped, by keeping thus un.
seen and making very early start, to come
down upon nest oi.the ScoundrelS before they
scattered for their daily scouts, and help myself
To the whole of them. After marching about
four miles, however, the next morning my
guide gave up, admitted that he was mistaken
in the trail and could give me no farther assist
ance. All the other men who had been with
Porter said the same. They, could tell me
nothing save their belief that il was in a certain
direction toward which they pointed.
My guides having thus failed me, had moth
ing TO do but try my own resources so, re-
tracing our footsteps about eight miles, struck
off right Though the 'ch0pparaP steering by
compass in the course which wonld, thought,
intersect Porlers trail. OF the difficulty of this
march | can give you but a faint idea. Most of
NY men were old Florida soldiers, and they all
declared that their worst marches in lis swamps
and hammocks were play to this.
The chapparal Is made up of variety of
strong gnarIed shrubs, or rather bushes, from
six TO twenty feet high, all bearing thorns, and
all SO crooked and twisted that you cannot look
at them without squirting; between these it Is
filled up with prickly pear, Spanish bayonet,
and an endless variety Of other plants, vines, &c.
all having the one common properly of being
full of thorns, spines and prickles. We had
often TO crawl, almost constantly to walk BEN,
nearly double.
Aller penetrating about four miles in this
manner, we came at last TO thcket of an en-.
Itrely different character, composed almost
solely of a dry, white, thorny bruSh without
leaves and so closely matted together that ii
looked as if you could hardly run your arm in.
to it. My advanced guard halted and said they
could not get through it. told them they must
Try, and by beating the bushes aside with the
butts Of their muskets, they made n place large
enough for one man 10 crawl in.
The labor of the man in front was so severe
that had to change him every few minutes,
and by the time had gone mile in this slow
and painful manner, saw from the general
exhaustion of the men that il was useless to a.
tempt getting any farther. then sent two of
them up the highest bush | could see, for trees
there were none, to discover the nearest outlet,
but in every direction they could see nothing
but chapparal.' There was nothing for it,
therefore, but to order an about face and take
the back track until we emerged from this hor-
rible wilderness OF lhornS.
MY two oiiicctS were almost exhausted and
two of the men taken sick tom the terrible
heat in this dense thiclsct, where not breath of
wind could relieve the close, sulry, unhealthy
atmosphere, and where not drop of water was
TO be had. When We got to water again every
man would, believe had ii been deep enough,
have plunged in head foremost fortunately
it was nearly milkwarm, so that an unrestrain-
ed indulgence was not likely to injure them.
My scout was entirely unsuccessful. My
guides had miSled me SO far wrong that could
not get right, and was compelled TO return on
the third day, having marched at least 55 miles
and bringing back nothing save the thornS
prckly pear needles and the ticks with which
We were most abundanly garniShed. My
knees and arms from the wrist to the elbow,
bore a striking resemblance to pncushions.
Poor Porter lies no doubt sill prey 10 the
brgandS and the only way TO obtain his re-
mains will be by bribing some Mexican to bring
them in He has left young wife and child,
utterly destitute save the pension which for
five years they receive from the noble gener-
oSiy of our country OF twelve dollars and a
half a month