Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-05-19
From the Second Edition Of the Enqurer' OF wa. io'
IMPORTANT NEWS!
MATAMORAS DESTROYED !!
700 Ncxicans Killed

lar al Point Isabel-iHacs on hS Ca"p--hs
pulse Of he .NeTicans, and pcSr'e''0" y -"1'@
n0rds,
The steamship New York, Captain WlnuIe
arrived in port on Sunday evening, having ieU
Brasos Santiago the afternoon Of "Wednesday, .ns
9Th instant Her news is important, ana % ny
most gratifying description ,, . We'd
Our last previous accounts came down 70 " ~
nesday the 29th ult Captain Walsei, u Js.hsI
Texas Rangers having come in,u his desperate
nm The evening OF the 2Sh ult from ms uesPei' avg
snconn,er with the Mexican-, had volunteered 10
e eas.v desna,ches 10 General Taylor. we now
learn bv The New York, that in that desperate az
iemp,-so desperate as 10 he thought fool-hardy-
A~tpl,v succeeded. General Taylor learned from
him me critical situation in which Point lsabel
was placed, and the imminent danger OF ~ uelns
carried BY an overpowerins force OF 'hc MN
cans. He promptly determined upon d NJ. :. :
ment which should protect Point ISABEL anu ie'
establish his communication win ms supPiits.
Accordingly the evening OF Friday, the iirsl IN
slant he lett his camp, opposite MatamoraS, WIN
The main body Of his forces, determined 20 cuI
his way through, leaving behind him Tor inc de-
fence ofthe works, opposite Matamoias, oel"eeh
700 and 500 troops.
This movement ofGeneral Taylor upon POINT
Isabel was effected without encountefins sinSc
Mexican. In place OF moestins him' lhey con
centrated their troops about The camp winch nc
had just left. - NH. a.
matched Can't Walker back 10 the Camp ior m
ieIlipence. The gallant Ranger executed ms
commission with success, returning 10 ROM lsa-
beI The afternoon of the 9Th. He reported thai the
Mexicans. taking advantage OF the supposed
weakness OF the camp, commenced an auack up.
an !, in front The morning OF Sunday, The 81, win
all their batteries from the opposite side OF ne IT,
yer and simultaneously with deldcnneu' -
their forces on this side The Rio Grande, 10 'iie
rasr The Americans holly returned The fire
Tho ,uacl, in The rear was Immediately ePuseu,
and in less than thirty minutes the Mexican Dat
,eries were silenced, and the city Of Maiamoras
ha,,ered down. The loss 10 the MexlcanS III me
ac,;on i variously sci down. While no account
makes i, less than 200, the latest report IN regard
10 il which sc find in the Charleston News cat
ries il as high as 700. The Americans lost out
single man il i said, who was kiiied uy d shei''
None we're wounded-so admirable was me s.a'e
Of the works before Gen. Taylor eit them. Inc
iown Of Matamoras is complete ruin; there are
scarcely houses enough lei' s'dnuihS y sei'e
hospitals for the wounded.
This attack and repulse however, is consider
81 but the opening OF the campaign. Cannonau-
ING was distinctly heard at times, down 10 Inc
bonr of the departure OF the New YORK uehe-
raj TAYLOR sci forth on the 9th instant 10 return
10 his camp with ample supplies. The Galveston
News states that when he let Point ISABEL mere
was NOT The slightest doubt entertained ihat ne
would have 10 cut his way TO his entertainments
through vastly superior numbers OF Tue enemy,
who were known to be posted IN large forces
among the almos, impossible thickets OF chapar
raj on the road, with determination TO cut hlin
of. if possible in his attempt 10 regain ms othef
forces The number OF The MexicanS is entirely
vague and uncertain, though all the statements
agree in estimating them al moi less man ten
thousand. while many accounts put Their num-
beers al Is or 20 thousand. All accounts agree
also in stating that the Mexican forces were "a
pidly hocking in from all quarters. How many
crossed The river could not be told, though Inc
News thinks il would be reasonable 10 presume
that large part of their forces would De brought
INTO reouiston 10 dispute the march OF General
TAYLOR They could not bat see the importance
OF cutting him of, and would doubtless employ
all their advantages OF local knowledge, sAiii III
horsemanship, and all their Acknowledged re-
sources in stra,agem 10 accomplish lheit ooJtCI
Gen. TAYLOR anticipated formidable ana uesl's-
rate opposition 10 his march, bnt determined 70
accomplish il or perish.
Thus reasons the News, and accordingly anti
cipates intelligence of decisive general action.
we are greatly inclined 10 doubt whether The
Mexicans would venture 10 attack Gen. ay-
lors whole force although they 50 ou,numoer
him; but should they do so, we are confident thal
we shall have glorious victory 10 recount -
One account before rs states, however that zen.
TAYLOR had not LEFT Point Isabel, and probably
would not leave there before the arrival oi lur-
Their re.iniorcemen,s he having full confidence
in the ability OF the troops LETT IN camp TO mann
tain their position against any odds.
The arrival OF the New York at Point Isabel
was most oppor,une 1t will be recollecied that
she had nearly 200 regular troops on board
under Lieut. McPhail, Is well as several ieid |
pieces These were all safely landed. Even |
without, The arrival OF further rciniorcemenis, me
pos, al Poin, Isabel must have been so strengthen
ed as 10 place lis safety beyond reasonable doubt
Martial law has been proclaimed there and al
But ere this, further support has reached PoihI
Isabel from this city and Pensacola.
The accounts from Texas in regard TO Volun- |
teers are by no means satisfactory. The great |
est apathy seems 10 prevail throughout the coun-
Try.
Col. HAYS, Of the Rangers, with his force OF
about 400 men stationed 10 the San Antonio coun-
try, determined to march al once Tor Zen. lay
lor's camp, as soon as ne learned maj Il was III d
critical situations nor would il surprise us 10 hear
that Col Harvey, with his dragons, had done The
same thing.
While Gen TAYLOR was al Point Isabel he de.
spaiched schooner to Vera Cruz, with inieili-
gence of the proceedings upon The Rio Grande
We presume that Com. Connor will at once Tor
mally blockade every Mexican port on the Gull
With great pleasure We see II mentioned 10
The Bulletin that the commander OF Inc y. .
schooner FIirt having observed small encamP
ment OF Mex ans on the island at Inc inoutn u
the Brazos Santiago, and knowing the great
dancer az The noint al the entrance of the harbor
being in possession OF the Mexicans, landed
with his men and dispersed the camp. The rea-
der will recoect that the utmost fear was lei'
Ina, The Nexicans might fortity a position here
which would command the approach 10 foii'
Isabel
ARRIVAL. OF TIE ALABAMA-The
steamship Alabama LETT Galveston on me morn
inc of Saturday the OH, about twelve hours ai'er
The New York. and arrived early MONDAY morn
ing She brings nothing whatever later from me
Rio Grande, there having been no iuIlher ARRIVAL
from Bra2os Santiago.
TROOPS FOR THE RIO GRANDE.-
Since our las, publication The Telegraph ana
James L. Day have left with troops for bra1os
Santiago. The Galveston got OIL on SATURDAY
night, before midnight; the Telegraph followed me
next morning; and James l.. Day lel a. aoou. :
O'clock his morning. Upon these boats The seve-
raj COMPANIES Of the Washington Regiment IN
der Col. ]. B. Walton and one company OF Col.
MARKS jackson Regiment" have taken passage
for Brazos Santiago. This latter regiment was
organized By the election otthe Hon. 5. t. Marks,
as Colonel T. G Hunt, Esq, Lieutenant Colonel
and Major Fowler, late OF the army, as MAJOR oil
the Regiment.
THE LEGION VOLUNTEERED
extra Picayune gives the Official pfeceedlnss ..
the Louisiana Legion, in WHICH, on sunday, me
10th inst, they volunteered their services 10
body. for service in The war on the Rio Gfande.
An Extra from the New Orleans Bulletin says;
Capt. Walker, OF the Texian Rangers, who' II
will be remembered, gallan'ly offered 70 carry
communications from Point Isabel 10 Gen. ray
lor, succeeded in his desperate enterprise.
"Gen. TAYLOR Immediately on being made &C,
ouain,ed with The condition of affairs, determined
with part Of his army 10 march 10 Point Isabel,
and accordingly on the evening OF the st. ieI ms
intrenchmenls with from thousand 70 Twelve
tr~ta AMIR