New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-24


Lieut.. Col. Baylor, commanding the Confederate
forces at Fort Bliss TexGs. left there on the 2stt
inst. with the forces uuder his command, for the
MesiIa Valley, with tue design Of protecting the
citizens of Arj2Vna and relieving them OF the op-
preston and presence Of large force Of United
States troops, and TO prevent the further cOncen-
tration Of troops at this point.
The torce under lis coInma nd was some SOC
men as follows: Capt. StatiOrds company OF
mounted rifles IS men Capt Trademarks com
pauy of mounted rifles, 20 men; Lieut.. Bennett,
with detachment Of Capt. Tecles artillery. -
men: Ghey did not bring their cannon, hut were
lnOuntcd) Capt CoOpWO0dS S spy company, ~
lnen added to these We're a number Of the cjti-
zeus of Mesilla and Ell Paso in all, about 800
| On the night of the oath, 3 position Lad been
| taken by the Confederate troops within six hun
dred yards Of Fort Fillmore, and pckGts were
| placed out and every precaption taken to storm
the fort by surprise the next morning at aybreak.
! The plan would have beer complete success, but
for the dCSnTtiOn Of picket who went into the fort
| and gave the alarm. he frft vas alive in few
! minutes and it was evident the surprise was q
/ failure.
| The Confederate force tlen moved across the
! river, and at daylight took the town OF Santo
| Tomas. Two companies Of i. S. troops had been
stationed there, but the brls had fown evidently
in great haste. Clothing, provisions, Ammunition
ana Supplies we're left behind in considerable guam
| titles. light prisoners were taken. dssaTlDed and
1 then discharged, after being sworn not to tight
| against the Coniederacy Col. Baylor telling them
| that he would rathe; leht them than feed them
|
MesiIla. ana were received with every manifesto
ton Of Joy " the citizens EiYas ana hurras rang
| item welcome from every point. Preparations
| were mediately made 10 receive al attack from
| the U. ;. troops: and the citizens offered all the
/ forage and s1pples that they lad al Their con-
mand.
| BATTLE OF MEsEd.A.
| The United States troops were reported crossing
| the river about noon of the 25th. About O'Clock,
| the clouds Of dust indicated the ene1y were ad-
| the city. The whole force was moved to that
| point, and every preparation made to give them
| the warmeat OF receptions. Several Of the rrin-
cipal streets Of Mesiila converge at tie southern
end Of the town, the honGes forming al angle, and
| they are quite scattered, old coYFGls, and tie
| proximity Of the Cornfelds, InaEe the position a
very advantageous one for defence. The COM
panies were stationed on the tops Of the aCOb1
houses houses and behind lie corrais. CAPT Coopwoods
| company was mounted. The citizens posted them
selves on the tops Of the houses on the principal
| streets, prepared TO render tllCir assistance.
The enemy advanced to within 500 wards of our
position and halted and formed in line of battle
with two how2ters i'll the center and the infantry,
and on the wings cavalry, the whole force appear
| ing to be about 800 men. flag OF truce was then
! sent to onr position with the modest demand to
surrender the town uucoadfTi0Baly; the reply was,
| - that if they wished the town to come and take
| it, They unmasked their guns. and commenced
| firing bombs and grape into a town crowded with
women and children, without having, in accordance
| with an inyariable rule Of civilized warfare, given
notice to remove the women and children to q
| place of safety. Several shells were thrown in
different parts of the town, fortunately without do.
| ing any Injury to a single individual. Two com.
| paues ordered to take their position on the
top of the houses on the main plaza. Tie first
| shell thrown struck on the top of a building on
| which IVES stationed portion Of Captain Ieele S
| company and exploded.
| After firing couple OF rounds OF grape at the
| more advanced position Of our force, the cavalry
| OF the enemy made charge, and had advanced
lis tntCa h,,pI rJr n laL
which Capt Hardeman's company were stationed
| From 40 to co shots were fired by this company,
| killing four and wounding four of the enemy
throwing them into confusion, and finally into re
treat, their officers vainly trying to rally them
The order was given to charge four times to no
purpose, and they retired ia confusion carrying
with them the dead and wounded.
| Capt CoopwOod's company had been continu
| ally employed in deploying among the houses and
corrals, first appearing mounted and then on foot
and appearing in many different directions. Thi:
and other movements, and the appearance Of mer
| both far and near, at many different points, sue
| ceeded in greatly deceying the enemy as to oui
| real force. They were disheartened by their i'll
success in the charge, and as night was falling they
drew off their force IN good orQer in the 6irsGtio?
| Of Fort Fillmore.
EVACUATION or FoUT FII.s.aRT.
| At O'Clock on the morning of the 27th, Maio,
| Iynde evacuated Fort Fillmore with all his com
mand; previously destroying much valuable pro
perty and munitions Of war. The soldiers destroyed
ing, blacksmith shop, bakery, and one Of the
| Quartermaster's storerooms Lad been completed;
| burned down. The majority of the buildings were
| upiniured, and can he Immediately occupied bl
the Confederate forces. The hospital stores, 1nedi
| cines and furniture were most completely broker
up, and nearly all the arms and a large quantity O
ammunition were destroyed. great deal Of yalu
able c0nmissarv stores and other pTopcTtC wal
| unharmed, to tho amount Of several thousand dOl
| lars.
THE RETREAG.
The I. s. troops retreatcd in the direction O
| Fort Slaunton. and were seen by our scouts imme
| diately after daylight, eight or ten miles east
Los Cruces, in the mountains. The whole com
| mand of Confederate troops were ordered in pur
suit. and crowded on in full chase after the ]ngi
| tiyes. The road lay over.sthe table lands ant
mountains to pass in the QEganos chain, by way
of Sau Augustine Springs, over a route where
there was no water, anu The day vas eEcessiVe!.
! warn.
Some six or seven miles on this side Of the Sal
Augustine Springs, stragrers of the g. s. 1nfautr
were overtaken. ana the way to the Springs ha
, | the appearance OF a complete route. Guys wer
strung along the road, ana cartridCe-bONes. III
six miles TO the Springs was succession of charges
men were taken prisoners and G;isaTmed in squads
the artillery was captured, aud the greater porto
of the infantry were taken before tie main con
maud was reached.
TIE SURRENDER.
Major Lynde was camped near the San Angus
tine Springs and had still some four hundred ne
Win MN, VINO 1orlneu IN naCtlG array on the 21
pearanCe Of the Confederate troops. Advanc
was made to charge on them by our troops. an
they had reached within 800, yards, with cage
spirits for the fray, when flag of truce was raise
by the u. S. column desiring to know on what cor
ditions our commander would receive a surrender
The reply was, an unconditional surrender-th
same terms they had endeavored to dictate to TIL
? Confederate forces. This sought to be mOdfie
by the U. :. commander whchrequest was refused
further than they would be allowed two hours t
remove their women and children to n place {
safety. The US. commander finally agreed to q
unconditional surrender.
In brief, during this day eleven companies of L
5. regular troops, mounted and foot, musterin
700 effective men, surrendered to ESQ COnfederatet
, pieces OF cannon, arms, equipments, 200 cavar
horses, mules and wagons, and 2T0 head of bee
cattle. The men and officers were disappointed /
one thing alone-that the victory. was so easil
won.
All these important movements and the grea
success have been made and gained without tn
loss of one drop of blood the Confederate side
The following are the names of the Federal off
GERS captured:
Mounted Rifles, whole company captured nowl
armed with line rifles, also 270 beef cattle IN thei
charge. Captain, Alfred Gibbs; Lieuteuants, Mc
Nally and Cressy
Seventh Regiment u S, Infantry. Major Lyude
Captains Potter and Stephenson, Lieutenant
Plummer, Hancock, Stivers Brooks and Crilly
A ssistDnt Snrpnpns II & Arny Dir. Mckee IN