The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-21
Altl1mnnn Qispatcb.
SATURDAY MORNING DEC. a. 1851
LATE AND IMPORTANT FROM
THE RIO aRANDE
THE STEGE T. OF MA HOPAS
INTERESTING DETAILS

IN tefeSt 10 our readers.
On Thursday last. the fight was carried on
Win great energy, the forces Of Carya Al,
making some headway towards the main
piazza, which is the decisive point. In all
Mexican towns, the plaza is the main point
OF defence and uttaCk, and while that is held,
the assaiiants ts never consider themselves vic
toriOuS. In the iG6tance now under conside-
ration, General Garcia is the commander Of
the city forces, and his headquarters are on
on the main plaza OF the town. His position
Is fortified by barricades across the streets
leading into the square, and by breastwoTks
upon the tops of the surrounding houses. BY
means OF these barrcade3 and breastWorks
he has command of an entire block OF build
sngs in every direction from the pla.a and as
& matter OF course, the asSallants nave not
crossed the second street from the square.
On the southeast corner OF the block to the
south OF the plaza q new and spacious thea
ire was being built. This building Garcia
h85 fortified iii the most formidable manner,
having loop 0led the walls and having bar
ricadcd the streets on both sides. The tops of
all the houses adjacent are filled with sharp
shooters 10 pick of stragglers, and 10 protect
The battery zone gum below from assault.
These detences etfectually intimidate all
charges, tor If the assaultng party could
even lake the barricades, the sharp shooters
on the tops OF the houses would kIll All who
had the teilerlty 10 attempt to mold the posi-
tloh. These sharp shooters are out of danger,
being stationed f,ehind heavy brick parapels,
lOop-hOled for muaketry. The fortifiCatlous
around the theatre are called the Malakoh
On Thursday last picked band of kol0s,
3o0 strong, maue u spleu did charge upon t!lt.
MalakoN, but We're repulsed Wi III con 5idera ols
loss.
On Thursday the cavalry Of Carayaial
made their appearance in front of Browns
Vile, Tor The INST time, and took command OF
the opposite landing to the main ferry. Don
Andreas TreYlnO, Don jose Maria a ldrete
and some other officers whose names we have
not learned, came across the river 10 Browns
Vile and rode up uto own, and We're warmly
received by their friends on this side OF The
Rio Grande. A Mexican flag, which was
raised IN the boat, was very properly stopped
by Lieut.. Col. Buchel, who has ali the time
acted with the strlcteSt regard to our neutral
ity III the difficulty between the people Of la
maulipas,
The forces OF CaravaJal, after taking pos
session OF the landing and the guard house
| on the other side OF the river, made a dae h
down the bank of the river, towards the la
COON, ia oroer to ~ tercept or cut off al COM
| munication between the forces of Garcia and
| the river but q force having sailed from the
| city TO meet them, skiTmiSh TOOK place in
| the cornh eld, Just opposite Fort Brown, in
| which GarCia's troops Were victorious, Tor
| they stopped the pro sIess OF CaravalaIs cav
| airy.
| Several skirmishes, brought on by sallies
| OF the beslesed, or assaults OF the besiegers
| took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
| Referring to Saturday, the F'aq says:
1t was either on this day the day before
| that the RoJos captured our friend, John
| Treanor, a Scotchman, but \ naturalized
| American, and put him III prison, because rs
| they said, he had taken TOO active 4 part in
| favor OF Garcia and the Crinolinos On Fri
| day, We omitted TO state, Mr.. Etiep ne Bres, a
| French citizen, was accidentally killed.
| On Monday Garcia's cavalry drove back
| the besiegers.
WeQuote the Fla9 again.
| 1t WAS on Monday, also, that Mons. Bruzon
| the Consul of France, 0nder whose nag many
| Con federate citizens had sought protection,
| iGi tnI },
| should be made to COR promise The differ
| ences, or else TO proHuTea a truce, that foreign
| ers might save themselves and property
| Col. Buchel Immediately dispatched CAPTAIN
y. L. Buquor to open ncgOfiations CAPTAIN
| Buqu0r went first 10 Gen. CaravajaI's camp,
| where the proposition was im n edlP tely &C :
cepted. Capt. Buquor found some difficulty
| in entering the lines of Gen. Garcia ont Il l.
| timately succeeded in etiecting par lev
| which resulted III his being in troduced TO
| Gen. Garcia. The proposition for al armis
| tice was not very favorably received at first
| but was finally agreed to, and twenty. four
| hours set a the limits OF the armistice
As matter OF course, this truce was in
! stantly lnaug urafed, and hundreds of people
| made Il simultaneO eOus rush to rescue from the
| town OF Matamoras the goods and property
| which they had tondly considered beyond tho
| each OF harm.
Our citizens, unfortunately. had quite as
| large stocks of goods in hlataruoras rs in
| Brownsville, and the trouble was that these
| goods Mere III the most exposed part OF the
| beicdgurcd city.
We are fearful that but 4 small portion O,
| the immense stocks of merchandise in Ma Ia
| mOra5 have been saved, us the confusion and
| pre- -occupa ton OF everybody was such tnat
| merchants could obtain but little assistance
| in the transportation of their effects.
| CdracajaLs Camp.-We paid visit yester.
! day, during the truce, to the city, and pene.
| trated rs far as the headquarters OF Geu
| Caravajal and were In ntroduced 10 him for the
| first time. He is q very Intelligent gentle.
| man and the fact that Ia is poor argues thai
| he is honest. He speaks English ''like G
| book" and claims to be man OF modern anC
| progressive principles. He was almost un.
| attended at the time of our visit, and was
| too democratic to need u guard. he walked
| the corridors of his quarters Incessantly, and
| talked pleasantly while not attending TO tn,
| various aids and couriers who en- tered tn.
| quarters One or two Americans were about
| and seemed 10 be talking 10 him to keep III
| time.
He spoke Of the intimacy between himself
| and the Americans, referred 10 his chill
dren, now being educated in the same Vir
| ginia college where he himself received i'll
| struction. AS an episode, he stated that III
| TWO children We're now armed to protect q
| Southern school from the invasion of IN,
| North. He declared his firm intention Il
take Matamoras, or to die in the attempt, anl
| stated that in the course OF events he ex pect
| ed to be successful without any great loss o
| life. CaraYa Jai is a medium sized, heayil,
| built man, with pleasing and very intelli
| gent cOun ntenance.
| Got. Garcia's Camp.-We also visited tn,
| Plaza OF hlatamoras and had a chat with
| Gen. Garcia, who is an agreeable gentleman
| and a most popular officer His presence /
| the strength of the garrison, for our neigh
| bois have an abiding faith III his nerve an,
resources. he toH speaks with confidence
| and denies all 1Ability of a failure, or ri
| thought of promise. He ignores an,
! right in CaravJ5H more than any other pri
| vate citizen, and asserts that it is imposs iD
| to treat with 4 rebel or a brigand. His force i
| strong and his entrenchments impregnabl
| TO assault. His hope Of reinforcements 1
| great, and at the utmost, he says, ii is only
| Quest ton OF q few weeks siege. rs he contend
| that it is impracticabie TO take his position
| and therefore Carava lal must leave. He has
| force variousiy estima ated at from 500 10 DO
| men in the city, who manifest al earneS
| disposi ton to fight until the bitter end.
| Tie Appearance Of Matansoras.-The latei,
| hourishing city now looks like grave yard
| de ii is only peopled III the neaghborhood Q
| the batteries, and in the streets just about tn
l plaza. Stragglers sometimes proWi about tn
| back streets, but they walk as stealthily as
| they were robbers and assassins. II is dan
l gerous to approach the town IN any direction
| for fear OF the rying bullets, and for fear Q
| the scouting parties who patrol i'll every di
| rection, and fire at first sight. The statel
| houses hat lately ornamented the town, an
| which were filled with costly merchandis
and valuable produce, are now in ashes o
| threatened with destruction. The facicgs O
| all the buildings have been mu ulated by III
| bullets that are discharged at random from
! thousand guns, aud Commerce street Is
| seen OF destr uction. As we said before, too
the streets are impeded by numerous barri
| cades, built in every direction, TO prevent III
assault OF cavalry, or TO impede the charge
| Of the enemy.
Siran9srs Killed -Ru,nor has it that man
| foreign residents III Matano-as have hee
killed, but on due inquiry wa can only ascer
| tain the following names:
DR.. john Cameron, u Scotehman by birth
| but an American BY naturaltz alton, DE
| CaiaeTo on was q man OF g. eAt wealth, and q
| iopg residence ia Matamoras. He WAS kiile
/ in defending his store from the entr snce Of