The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-23

'si' "ni pe iouha IN inc appendix, narhed H.
The following letter from correspondent, though
not OF 30 late date other accounts received, YET
contains details which will cause il 10 he read with
interest
| Correspondence of the Baltimore Patriot.
CAMP NEAR MATAMoRAs,
....... May ID, 1876.
Our march from Corpus Christi 10 this pIace.
| over desert prairie of one hundred and seventy
miles, was attended by so many fortunate cireum-
| stances that we began 10 think ourselves under the
special of Providence anticipated difficult
~ IN occupying and holding the rich and beautiful
country on the banks Of the Rio Grande, especially
after the cowardly conduct Of the hexcans al the
passage Of the Colorado. They met al this nyer,
sounded a parey, and pledged their words that If
we attempted to cross, they would open their ire
pecled to find them entrenched at Point Isabel
the only port on this part Of the coast and the place
TO which we had directed our proyisien ships. We
found that place unoccupied, and, ms We entered a.
oehed our transports sailing into the hsrbor. We
rhen came here and planted our flag on the banks of
the river, within 400 yards Of their batteries with
IN The discharge Of a gun on either side. Never
was country Of the same extent and value taken
possession Of so peacefully But the fortune Of war
has changed; the first blow that little force re-
ceyed was In the resignation OF one Of our able
and brilliant officers, Gen. Worth, upon point Of
honor In reference TO brevet rank and command.
The high reputation Of this officer and his unaues-
uonabe military genius, had secured the confidence
OF every officer while his personal gaantry, equal
ly well known, won for him the love and admira-
ton of every soldier in the commend AT the pas
sage OF the Colorado he the second in com
mand, and at the word forward" he and his staff
Leeds, Magruder, Dess, and Blake, plunged into
the flood and led the advance, then considered "a
foron hope,w amidst the cheers Of the troops
drawn up on the banks Of the river, and land
ed within twenty yards Of the Mexicans who
skiHed the opposite side. The enemy became
Panic-struck and fed precipitately, Such acta
as these endear the general TO the private sol
der, We could have better spared a regiment
than Gen. Worth. Immediately AFTER his depart
ure, Col Cross, an officer Of the highest intelligence
and usefulness, was basely murdered whilst riding
out on horseback, within three miles Of the camp, by
Romano Falcon, licensed Mexican bandit Then
Lieut. Deas was captured on the other SIDE lin at
tempting to gain intelligence Of Colonel Cross) and
sent into the interior as a prisoner Of war; and
Lieut.. Porter (son OF the fate Commodore, } who
went with party OF ten men into the country, on
this side, for the same purpose, was attacked by
party OF one hundred Mexicans and, after having
killed three with his own hand, was himself over
powered and shot He died fighting with the butt
Of his fowling piece. But what has given most ex-
ultaton to the enemy is the capture three or four
days since, Of two companies of Dragons after hav-
ing killed about half their number. ..
Capt. Thornton was sent out to reconnotre the
~
command consisted Of squadron composed of the
companies Of Captains Thornton and Hardee, to
which Lieutenants Kane and Mason were also at
tached-in all GA men and four officers. Captain
Thornton having marched about 81 miles up the
river, entered field enclosed by fence about eight
feet high--the usual height Of the fences we have
observed here. II had an entrance, secured by
"bars," which at that time were down. He pro-
ceeded to house in the centre of the field to gain
information, and as he reached i, the cry of"Mexi-
= 4 A n ~
he was surrounded by some 900 Mexicans Seve-
raj Hundred were already at the ''bars," which
put up and the rest lined the fences completely
He immediately charged at the bars, at full speed,
but upon reaching them found that they had been
raised SO high, and were defended by such of
infantry and ancers, that he wheeled to the right
with view Of finding part Of the fence practi-
cable, at which moment he received heavy fire
from the enemy, within a few feet OF him, which
Eiiisd Lieutenant Mason and some fifteen of his
men. Finding no other means Of escape, he
dered his squadron to follow him, and dashed at
the fence, and cleared it,, followed successfully by
only one dragoon. Captain Hardee, finding HIM
self in command of the rest now reduced to twenty,
conceived the fine idea, and attempted to execute it,
Of swimming the river, on which side there no
fence, and, galloping through the enemy's country,
to the river below and thus escape to camp.
But the fortune ofw was against him, Ae he was
dashing into the river, his horses begged and could
not move an inch in advance. There was nothing
now lett but TO surrender lie got his horses out OF
the difficulty well he could, and advancing into
the centre of the field, surrendered his party and
himself to the Cavalry General Teron, on condi-
ton that they should be treated prisoners of war,
according to the usages Of the most civilized nations
They were then marched to Matamoras, Just oppo-
site to us, when Captain Hardee was allowed to
write to General Taylor, and to send for his ser
wants, clothes, and &c. . ..,... .,..,
Meantime, Thornton was reported Dead but
three days after the affair, parey sounded at
Matamoras, and intelligence conveyed to us that
he had succeeded in making his way through q
| thousand dragons TO within six miles Of our camp,
having been fired at twenty different times; that a
party of "rancheros" had come upon him, and in
attempting to escape he had leaped his horse down
precipice of 30 feet, where the horse was found
dead and Thornton insensble. He is now, how
ever convalescent. i.8Fas.s- E.aa,
In the meantime, we are building strong fort on
the spot on which we planted our flag when we ar.
| rived here. We are determined that the flag shall
not move from its position except to the 'front.' We
shall finish the fort in two days, when wo seek the
enemy, and if he will fight, we hope TO give him the
soundest thrashing he ever had. We have 1000
| fighting men-he has about 5000, of whom 1000
| are cavalry, and about 5000 regulars.
| Tho war Is now begun in earnest and it should
not stop until we conquer the country at least to
| the mountains. will Keep you advised Of events,
unless the enemy should interrupt my correspond
ence. '''@'' OH ''H'' ' q. X.
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