Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-10-15
Guerrilla Attack npon BrOwnsviIIe
Tawze

Inc DroWhsYlne rag OF the lst gives the details
of the guerrilla attack upon that city On Wsdnesr
day morning, one NEPoNUCExO CORrNAs, Mexican
ontaw, with band variously estimated at from
sixty to one hundred men, armed and on horseback.
all Mexicans by nativity but most of them outlaws
from Mexico rode into the city about daylight post
ed their sentines and proceeded to pick out the men
most dsagreeable to them GEORGE NORRIS Wu.-
LIAM p NEAIE R. L. JOHNSON, CLExENTE REYES and
YHANO GARCIA were killed by them. ALEJos VEIA,
belonging to CoETNAs' gang was killed by johnson
1t is said that against JOHNSON and GARCIA they had
10 animosity; but Mr.. JOHNSON was the jailor, and
they demanded of him the keys ne refused to deliv-
them, and they killed him to obtain them. Having
obtained the keys of the JAIL they liberated four or
five prisoners confined therein for various offences,
from murder to horse-stealing. The report goes on
to say:
BY this time our people were about to pass around
the streets but the guerrilas in possession of
them and their sentinels held the garrison gates.
Soon Mexican families were seen moving their fur
niture and the females declared that the outlaws
had sent to various selected families warming them
to leave, for that they intended to burn the town
and hoist their flag q on the American flagstaff!
The few Americans here could not even pass out of
their houses TO meet together and the cries of ViUG
the various sentinels.
The news had been quickly communicated to our
neghbors in Matamoros, and as soon as heard Gen.
Carvajal, Col Miguel Tigerina, d. AgapitO Longorio
d. Bartolo Passment, and others, over to in
Quire into the difficulties. By their entreaties the
guerrias were induced to leave, yet swearing that
they had others on their list-men who had desired
to arrest and punish COrtinas-whom they mus kill
before they would dsperse. One of these was the
officer himself, who had once been wounded with
out cause, and whose further offence was that he
thought himself then unjustly treated.
At a late hour our citizens met for consultation,
and after much consideration, strong patrol was
organized, under an efficient force to protect the
city.
On Friday it was rumOred that immediate as
sault was threatened. At once every man and boy
in town assembled, with very few exceptions TO
sst in the defence. By the advice and approval of
the Committee of Safety, a detachment Of Mexican
infantry passed over under Gen. CarvaJa and stald
under guard with all night They are yet with
u.s. On the night OF the first attack, all the troops
in Matamoras and 500 of the citizens, remained
under arms all night, ready to assist IN defending
our families and homes from ruin.
Cortinas, on Friday, stopped the Laredo maili
opened it, and distracted a letter written by Mr.
Vim. Neale in answer to another informing him of
the killing Of his son.
Wednesday,, Oct sit is understood that yester-
day Cortnas with his whole band passed over the
river into Mexico. The authorities of MatamOras
had given orders to the various eacdrgadOS to dis
arm them as they crossed. Cortinas denies that he
intended to burn the town; but the demands for
spirits of turpentne which were made at several
stores on the morning of Wednesday last, leave no
doubt 10 his real intentions. We have never had,
independent of the Mexican troops, more than one
hundred and twenty men under arms here, includ
ing the foreign residents and well affected Mexicans
among us, with large amount of property and
many helpless women and children ito protect To
the loyalty and just conduct of the neighboring mi
tary and civil authorities of Mexico, we arc great
y indebted for our present security in the midst of
an infammable population of some twelve thousand
people in the two cities
Lieutenant Langdon, o. S. A. arrived here ycster-
day from Fort Duncan, Eagle Pass) He reports
that at New Monterey, thirty miles south OF Ring
gold he heard of the state of affairs here He was
informed that some outsiders for whom Cortinas
was not responsible but who had joined him, lined
the road between Brownsville and the Blanco, some
forty miles above here.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QuEsTIoN.-The following
extract from letter. dated Point Isabel, October 6
to a friend in this city, throws some light upon the
seemingly unprovoked attack of the ''Guerrilas'
upon Brownsville
You will no doubt hear of Mexican guerril'
attack upon Brownsville. The facts simply these
There are a lot of bad characters who have beer
imposing upon, numbering, robbing and maltreatng
the Mexicans. 1t got to such pass that the ran
cherOs thought 1t high time 10 strike DO" IN SCH
defense and extermnate these American evil doer'
at one blow. So they mustered abont fifty OF then
best men, made dash into Brownsville at dayllgh
on the 2Sth of September, and hunted down then
game like blood-hounds after prey. They succeeded
! in catching three of those they were after. Int
| others about five more, hid themselves when they
| found out what was going on, If there had been
| garrison at Fort Brown the thing would not hav
| hanpened as the Mexicans have great awe of III
/ "s0ldadoS" The above fifty were followed by som
Indians, and the rabble about town in general, VIII
| followed, of course, for other purpose but t
take advantage of the confusion, and plunder wha
1 disturbed no one nor the property of any one VIII
had done no harm to them previously. There is n
doubt but that our Government has displayed mos
wanton disregard for the interests of this frontier
in withdrawing every soldier for line OF over ~
| or 500 miles in extent on the borders OF countr
infested with thieves murderers and wild Indians.