New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-13


@ef. Corii"a's Decision in AZ Csiion
C"sc-Highwny Robbery.
from Our Special Correspondent
| MATAmoRos. Nav ~. 1864
From the arrivals that almost daily occur Of
refugees from the interior Of Texas who pass through
Ills city on their wgy TO Brownsville interesting facts
are learned as TO the condition Of that State The diff
cues they lave to encounter escaping are greater
than Is supposed. For example the party mentioned in
my last letter who set out from tho vicinity of Austin,
went along through the Guadalupe Mountains on the
ComaDche frontier crossed the Ro Grande above Eagle
Pass aud reached here after ride Of 500 miles Tho
greater port of the gIst 800 miles was through wild
and broken country infested by hostile Indians and
desGde Of almost everything necessary to support life
The remaining 800 miles they travelled through the most
arid and desoate portion OF the Mexican frontier whore
even stock ranches are far apart where the water is
and and where for horses when to he had
at all costs the moderate in coin Of s6 per bushe
From Austin to Brownsville by the road usually trsv.
eled in time of peace. the distance is only $50 miles
For months past no party loyal Texans could hope
escape By t. not only because OF the risk Of being
caught by the Rebel pickets, but on account of the
scarcity OF water and above ALL OF grass Hence II H.
through desert snd dangerous region. to accomplish
that distance. Were your readers only TO party
Of them ride into this city all ragged and weather.
beaten Gs they are. with their horses almost broken
down from hard riding and scanty food yet with their
rifles and revovers in high order and ready for instant
they woulo in Some sort appreciate the difficulties
with which the loyal men of Western Texas
have had to contend. Still they continue to run
the gauntlet and come out The accounts they
( rive Of the present condition Of what the
Rebels style the Trans Mississippi Department (Which
consists just now Of Texas and small portion Of Ar
kansas aud Western louisiana, are worthy of note
They state thai tie entire Rebel force in that depart
ment does not exceed 5000 men, ell Of whom except
the garrison at Galveston and some TOO under Coils
| Ford aud Benavides which are on the Rio Grendo,
above Rnggold Barrecks) are now Alexandria,
La Megruder has scarcely oorporaps guard left with
him al Houston The leaders have hopes OF srccess
but think that with si'uar Encouragement part
TO that which has prevailed for the last eighteen months
they proong the contest for year. They report
shat Rebel paper is worth hye cents on the dollar.
TINT the prospects for crop excellent and that
there is still remaining IN Texas, though much of it Is
unginned and siill more unbGlcd cotton enough TO
make Of least 2oOOO0 bales. Though baggng and rope
continually going mp from this place TO Piedres Ne
gras sufficient quantity has not yet been rot into the
country ~ pnt up the cotton on hand. Cen t. Il.
Nichols and Others WHO constitute the Cotton Board,
long since bought Is 900 bales all Of which they
pected 10 haul on wheels by the nrsi of next month.
ON reflection these figures do not seem 10 ne 70 be
too hiQh The cotton crop Of Texas in ls60 amounted
" over $50 go bales snee then. owing to the block
ade scarcely than the crop Of lsd or amount
equal to IT, can have been got out The crops Of lso2
and ls63. owing TO the demand for breadttuhs oeca
sioued By the war must have been somewhat smaller
but much the price Of cotton has been high and
Ne In those years 10000 at least more negroes were
brought into Texas than we're there before. The NUN
Der Of negroes employed by the Rebel military to make
their orhcGons could not have been equal TO the one
half Of the field hands brought in. OF course the $4,000
negroes already In IeAas IN 1850 and the remaining hall
OF the field hards imported have not been idle
during the past two years. Beside corn, &C., they
must have produced cotton than would equal the
largest amount heretofore produced in year in time
Of peace As not 5000 bales have ron the block
ade by way OF the Calf or been burnt or captured
Il halo N.ll ont
through Mexico is soeius highly probable that thore are
not less than go go bales yet left in Texas
1t much 20 be regretted that this too il not burnt
No who has witnessed the operations IN the Depart
ment Of the Gull for the past eighteen months can
doubt but that he'd there been cotton len arms
would have made some progress. even though opcrat-
ing ON the worst conceivable plan.
According "a the refugees. the Rebels have always
expected the United States forces 20 enter Texas by
ono Of the best routes that is 10 say by way or ndj-
aDoa Arkansas or Corpus Christi, and 20 march et once
into the interior sufficiently FAR 10 cut OIL Ill communion
ton with Mexico Accordingly they remove Their dc
DOT from San Antonio (Which Is only 100 miles distant
from Indianola 10 the side OF the River Brakss.
nsar the town Of Waco. THIS shows that they kstT
that Western 1eIas could not be defended Stacked
by ay oi the routes anticipated. Iley wore delighted
len they our troops first uy 10 hold Galveston,
then 10 take Sabine Pass and sD later approach BY
the longer, worse and morn exposed route through
Western Lous II they bad tue choice gwen them
70 by what rec ~ would prefer to be attacked they
would s.atct liz. though Western Louisans over al
others The dstsiace the climate the river bottoms
the impraciioabity of tie country IN case OF rain
are IMMENSE adv tages to th0m, ana are draw -
"a which woud be entirely avoided by o move nom IN.
danoa Besides, "a movement rom iSuI'i.D* sOulu
Nav. their bnse OF supplies for ammunition &C. open;
would enable them 10 send out cotton, ana win iis pro
os.ds 10 purchase sulphur saltpe'er. caps ana lead
(Which they could get nowhere esel 40 1efeto'ore'
The ruin that an attack by way Of L0uislala q would
WORK upon the LOYAL nabta OF Texas ALSO con
Alteration that would operate upon their Minds Ihfy
rnov that If the attack be made from that direction
witlout simultaneous movement 70 cut on iher re-
treat from Indiauoa they can wreak their vengeance
an an suspected Of Unionism as they fall back TO Mex
co nnd can leaye the country behind them acoareu ana
haclened waste. This they wOnld DO. .
a. has been staied in former letter tho Occupation
Of Hrovnsyile hout moving into the country rom Ia
dianoa has only diverted not cut on the cohth0aud
trade with Mexico IL Il wei enough 70 hold browns
Vile but in "A military POINT Oi view. sohtru' Irhlog
and ,urrounded by desert ~ 1t H. 1t docs no, a. AL
/ cor,ners In importance with Fort fsperanIA Wmch II
~. lev 10 Matagorda Bay, which ndianola Is SIT
mated Yet strange to tell report has Just reached
here (srd il is TO be feared that IS bnI 700 true)
~ IN order las gone forth from Banks 10 at once re.
move the garrison 70 Aie1andria ana 10 DO" up tha
ioil' .rts sore. Of folly could no further 90"
u nav M. we'll 10 remark in this connection that no
cotton could be found tho road from indiancia TO
Ausfin or San Antonio al in tiht feRioh ha'"B ~
ready been sent oni TO or thro1sn hithoo Art, ,oo
/ An important item Of news has reached ini' pace
c,or Monterey The Minister If Foreign Affairs or
President Jaarczs Government don Sebastian LtIdo
10 Tevods1 iesupd circular Ia the Officers oil Die pOt
a.. on The frontier instrncnR them 10 see 10 ~
t no articles cnntraband Of war should be allowed "
pass from Mexico into Iexnr 49,, ,..t
an ne evadcd Nevertheless, We give due cTedlt 10
President Juarezs Government for Their keeping gooa
faith with u.s. instead Of like Nidaurn opehy ptiAf
80 ARTICLES couraband of war to pass through t4o
CustOm-HOusn. II, -. hor.,oe ,,a
Oaintero John Twohig. and Others nave nsrs'oole
contracted for much lead for the ieD,ts 'ls ~ o
,,ny II Il worth 100 per cent more man inc utu Po
A. Il can only be hid from Mexico hencrioT"arI u
ys have 10 be smugged across the Rio G,ande wliol
IL very generally fordablc, at point" OUT % ~ oS
pc WeTicnn Gus ON House guards. who "lh DC DfDeu'
! n II 10 practicable. g., -, O.. a I,ts Rebel