The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-12

&ittutnah 8ispattb.
MONDAY MORNING. .. MARCH ~, 1850
9f Oar nlexlcah Frontier:
The country has, for soaas time pase been
axitated by various runors with regard 70 ehs
inroads Of CoxrrxAs upon our Texan from
tier. and the attitude assumed b. Governor
Housros In relation thereto. On the I'D Of
February. the Senate. By . resolution, called
mon The Prssidsnt for Information relative u
the state Of affairs in that quarter, and ON tn
information required. II consists Of synop
sis made out BY the Secretary Of War, Of al
the ofIicial intelligence which he had received
respecting the matter In question to the 5th O
March, in addition to the documents from
which such synopsis was made. From thu
communication We learn that the case standl
thus, At present.
=. On the Sth day Of February, 1850. General
Twioes, commanding the Military Depart
ment Of Texas, with the approval Of General
SCoTT, but without the sanction OF the War
Department, directed the abandonment OF
three posts on the Rio 0rande, each Of
which had garrison Of single company, to
wit: Fort Brown, Fort Mcintosh, and Ring.
gold Barracks Having learned that the De-
partmeni disapproved Of this movement, Gen.
TwIeas on the 18th March, 1859, addressed .
letter from San Antonio to the Adjutant
General, in explanation Of the causes which
induced him 70 make IL. He had an extensive
frontier 10 protect, and few troops to do 1t
with. He therefore determined to withdraw
the companies from the Rio Grande, and place
them on the frontier. The enemy would never
cross over the river to our eide, whereas, on
the frontier they were continually harassing
and plu pdering our citizens. The outcry that
had been raised by the abandonment Of the
posts on the river, was nothing unusual. Posts
always implied government money and con-
tracts, and it was hardly natural for the in
habitants to see these removed from the midst
OF them without making some complaint. He
concludes by saying that he had previously to
acting, submitted the state Of the case to Gen.
tcOrT, who had approved of his design.
This order was not countermanded, nor was
there any reason to doubt its perfect proprie-
ty, until the middle of October, when informa-
ton reached the Department that CoRTINAs,
with band Of desperadoes, had entered
Brownsville on the 9th September, and muir
dered several citizens, besides plundering the
town. This information came from General
TwieGs, who had been applied to for troops,
which he promptly dispatched to the scene Of
action. Orders were Immediately given to
General TwIoas to reoccupy Fort Brown,
which he did as speedily as possible. As, not.
the disturbances continued to
increase. orders we've given, on the Sd of No
vember, to move company Of artillery from
Baton Rouge. This order was promptly obey.
ed, and ON the 10th November the Department
received a dispatch from General TwIeos,
dated 18TH, in which he said he had Just re-
ceived an express from Brownsville, announc.
ing the entire destruction of that city, and the
murder of one hundred citizens by CoRrINAs,
aud had, in conseQ uence, ordered seven compa-
MES of foot and two Of horse to take the field
Immediately. under the command of Major
HEiNTzELMAN. Upon receiving this alarming
intelligence, orders were Immediately given
to Colonel SUMNER to send three companies of
artillery and three Of foot from Fort Leaven.
worth, and the Commandant Of Fortress Mon
roe was also ordered to send on six companies.
In the meantime, a second report, dated No.
vember 2lst, was received from Gen. TwIaGs,
stating that the rumors were false in a great
degree, and that he had countermanded the
troops.
While these events were in progress, the
difficulties with which the case was surround.
cd became more perplexing every day. 1t
seemed impossible amidst the budget of con-
ficting statements that reached the depart.
ment to ascertain the true character Of the
warfare which CoRTINAs was waging. At one
time he was represen ted to be a Mexican ban
dit, fighting for plumber, and At another citi-
zen Of Texas, prosecuting a private feud,
backed and opposed by citizens of his own
State" OF one thing, however, there could be
70 doubt at all, and that was that feelings OF
the most deadly hostility existed between the
Mexicans and Americans ON the border, and
that it was imperatively necessary to concen-
trate Ms large a force as could be spared from
other important points upon the Mexican
frontier. The quarrel, whatever may have
been its origin, or whoever were the original
parties to it, at length assumed formidable
proportions. The band Of CoRTINAs, swclled
by constant accessiOns, became at last five
hundred strong. With this formidable force
the chief, or bandit, or whatever else it may be
proper to call him, took post ON the American
side OF the river, in strong position, and
keeping up constant intercourse of friend.
ship with the Mexicans on the other side. ha-
raised tho citizens of Texas without intermis.
sion. Toput an end to the alarm which his
presence and attitude necessarily occasioned
among the American settlers, Major HR1xr.
zELNAN was sent in pursuit of him, with
$50 regular troops, and lSO Texas volunteers.
~ IF hor LAT ho
him, having under his command upwards of
1--WE hundred men, In position so strong that
he apparently believed it impregnable Not.
withstanding the inferiority Of his own mum.
hers, Major HKINTzELMAN instantly attacked
him, and American valor proving as 1t ALWAYS
has proved, too much for Mexican endurance.
he succeeded in routing and dispensing his ban
ditti after sharp but short conflict, in which
~ OF them were killed. CORrINAs, leaving
his guns. camp eq uipage and munitions of war
behind him, fled precipitately to the Mexican
shore, where he rallied the remnant of his
forces, and where he still remains, String at
every American who shows himself across the
river, and otherwise annoying them a. fnr a.
he can, in defiance Of the Mexican authority
AT this critical point In tho progrees Of the
drama, old SAN HousToN steps upon the stage,
and his attitude is such rs 70 command the at.
tention Of the audience in an instant.
His first step was to send commissioners to
the frontier, to examine into the state Of AZ.
fairs there; his next to send their report to the
Secretary Of War, with a request which
sounds very much like a demand, for the aid
Of the General Government The Texas Treas
"ry, he says, is empty, her Indian troubles are
greater than they ever were, and forays are
constantly made from Mexico upon her South
efn border. His situation. ~ Governor, it
may be presumed. therefore, 10 no bed Of roses.
he rs desiro"s to avoid any course which may