The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-06
a.ether Revelation In Matamo.


r,o .,a +;me in the afternoon, why have
s s.a,, unable TO ascertain, Cardenas, an Of
eoar of Cortina's command, was shot IN
ny Nv oonrt of the Government House, which
wy ooeupied bv Ruiz. In q short time Cor
go whose troops were in the "I90eG &c
n.nn"",,,Ia., turned out his men and planted
.or,e of his cannon in the street near the
11onsniolt's Coffee House. Ruiz then post
II his guns in the street near the church,
:, tho north corner Of the ''PlaeG Prince
49, About dusk the bali opened by a
rrsnnonade in the very heart of the city,
withou; any previous notice having been
wen. the intervals between the cannon
sshots being filled by the irregular rine
nract;ce on the part Of the soldiers on bo,h
sides. many OF whom are perched on the
house tops, which is still kept up. II seems
that Ruiz has two guns OF large caiioer, -
i said they are 24pounders), while eofu-
ma has five, none OF which are o. q IA ~
esl;her than 9 pounds. The cannon are
NOT fired very rapidly, and appear 70 oe
Soipr much more damage 10 the hrlchs
and mortar than 10 the opposing forces
The same NAV be said OF the rliie practice.
On the whole, the fight seems 10 go on pre-
cselv like that which took place mere ne-
tween Capistran and Carva)ai tand wien
we're inessed by your correspondent 'wo
wears ago, only there IS fa'her more O q
cannonade.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, ! 'cLoeK.-ihe
sr;nr still, continues. having been sns-
ended for about half an hour upon the
crossing over OF q body Of troops from
Prownsyille. sent by Gen. Heron 10 pro-
tae, the American Consulate. after which it
was resumed. and still continues. i, is
rumored tina. Cortina here made a charge
and captured one o: Kuiz's guns, which
seems 10 be worked with more activity
iS tn elf longer.
The fight will keep up all night.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.-The fight is
oyer and Cortina is master of the situation.
Ru;z's forces have been utterly routed, and
Rni, himself. with his principal adherentS
Is said TO be in Brownsville.
When retired last night the firing was
nrogressing as usual, and was kept up. as
learn. during the whole night. Three reg
ments were sent over by Gen. Heron,
together with four pieces Of horse-artiliery
10 protect the Consulate. \ large crowd
stood on the bank at Brownsville. witness
inc the com bat as though ii were Il panora
ma. This morning the troops returned.
escpr.inc wagons laden with iron safes
filled with coin and with ya.uables cf al
sorts deposited in the Consufs office for
safety. The Consul and his family went
along. The firing still continued, though
chiefly with small arms.
more numerous and better disciplin-
ed than those Of Cortina, seem 10 have
been penned up in the block in which the
Government House is situated, and 10
have stood at bay. though firing bu. little
for some hours. AT last they gave way,
aportion marching down the the river in
good order. and though fired on, movin g
steadily forward without returning a shot,
aud the rest breaking in wild confusion
nd m, ri no farry-
site Brownsville and other points on the
river. Some were pursued by few OF
Cortina's men and made to surrender
others escaped by swimming the river
few managed TO cross at the ferry. EN-
Gov. Albino Lopez was shot through the
head.
On the whole, considering the length Of
the conflict and the amount Of firing there
have been but few killed-in ali perhaps
not over -, but that cannot be known
with certainty for some days.
Now for the explanation of the result
|! appears from the statements of Ruiz s
friends now in Brownsville, that when the
adjustment (drreglOl between Ruiz and
Serna was made, a printed copy Of which
was sent you, it was further agreed that the
ammunition in MatanOras was TO be diyi-
ded between their commanding officers
This ammunition was there, and had been
for some time in charge of Cortina. The
erinolinos state that Cortina delivered over
70 them the right number of boxes OF ann
munition, which they received without in
specton. When the fight began they open
ed the boxes, and then found them 10 con-
tain only common balls of a size unsuitable
to Ruiz's guns, rifle balls, and 10 powder.
0fcourse when Ruiz, though at the head Of
asuperior force, found that after having
tired away all the cartridges in his caissons
and in the cartouche boxes Of his men he
could get no more, it was madness to think
offghting longer. He is said to have had
600 while Cortina had only 500 men. AS
Serna is not far off he will now probably
return and act as Governor. If not, Cor
tina will assume to either occupy or till the
office, and Juarez will probably recognize
the de fdcto Government. AS the combat
ants are all liberals, he can do no better
Somuch for the last revolution in ''Heroic
Matamoras."
Time only remains for brief comment on
the conduct of the foreign Consuls, which
has been such that il could not pass with
out censure. When the hostile forces, after
peaceably occupying different portions OF
the city for some days, and especially after
tney had put forth a placard stating that
they had compromised their differences
got ready to fight, and planted their can
non in the streets on Tuesday afternoon,
these Consuls ought to have borne in mind
that the place was filled with women and
children, and with foreign merchants and
their employees-all nom combatants. II
was their duty to have endeavored to pre-
vent cannonade without notice in the
heart OF the town by the only method prac-
ncable-by uniting in request to General
Heron that he, as the head of the nearest
available force, would send over troops and
prevent fight from occurring until non.
combatants and foreign property could be
removed. 1t was no war. ii was mere
combat in a crowded town between peop,e
wishing to get the control Of the Custom.
house-and OF the same political party.
Had the foreign Consuls united in tho
request the commander of any civilized
force near at hand would have been hnund
on broad humanitarian grounds, To have
interfered, and by doing so he would liza ".
saved both property and life. 4 general
who might feel delicacy as to volunteer.
ing TO protec. more than the consulate a
hisown nation would not be apt to refuse
TO act on the broad grounds of Humanity a,
theioint request of the foreign Consuls.
can not learn that any such request wa:
made. Precedent for it is not wanting
The French commander acted ON q simila,
petition in Syria, and the world said he die
weli So did the Austrian General in re
gard to Cracow.
:, The propriety Of the move is SO obvious
tnat the question n naturally comes un-Why