New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-10
MEJEA sURRENDERs THE CITY TO
ESCOHEDO
AND RnrInu8 WITH THE HoNoRs OF WAR.
INTERESTING NEWS GENERALLY.
Special Ri, o,apJe Correspondence Of the Crescent

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, June II, 1855.
The steamship Crescent, which left Brazos last
Tuesday morning, may have brought you the first
dsjointed and exaggerated reports Of the battle
near CamaFgo. II SO, it is perhaps best that got
of no report for the first news was much eXag-
gerated aud | can now give the whole of it in a
succnct and reliable form.
The merchandise train left Matamoros on the
18th Of June. 1t was escorted by General Olvera,
with about 20G0 troops, consisting of300 Austrians
200 Contra -Guerras tmostly Americans), and
the rest Mexcans; with eight pieces of artl-
Ierg. The train reached Camargo on the 18th
Friday, without having encountered any obstacles
on the wa ,.or seen more than few Liberal scouts
ia different places.
On Saturday morning, the 18th, soon after the
conducta resumed its march, some six or eight
miles beyond CamArgO, il was encountered and at.
tackled by Liberal force Of two thousand five
hundred men, including some two hundred Ameri-
cans and American negroes. These were the
combined forces of Escubedo, Canaies, NaranjO,
and IrevlnO, the last having chief command.
The train was speedily got into position for de-
fense. The Liberals first attacked the contra
guerrilias at the rear, and were repulsed but
soon the whole force charged upon the Imperial
lists. After bloody and desperate fight of about
an hour and half, victory perched on the banner
of the Liberals.
Ge1, Olvera ordered aretreat, and escaped with
and wounded and the great and valuable wagon
train, in the hands Of the Conquerors who held
besides some eight hundred prisoners including
the wounded and four hundred others civilians,
teamsters, and the like, belonging to the wagons,
During the battle, probably about two hundred
of the lmperiaists escaped to the chapparal,
After being some time in action, the Second Que
retaro Battalion of Imperialist Mexicans suddenly
deserted to the Liberal side turned their guns
against their late comrades, and materially con-
tributed to the Liberal victory. One company,
however, of this battalion, refused to desert, and
fought bravely to the end.
The Imperial loss may thus be summed up: cap
tured, 1900; deserted 400; killed, 400-total,
1000; leaving about 400 escaped out of the entire
CavalCade of 2400. The scattered ones will not
likely come together again.
The Liberal loss in killed and wounded is not
ascertained, hut it was not so great that of the
Imperial SITS. The Liberals were mostly mounted
and welt equipped, and made their charges and
fought with the greatest desperation.
The news of this dreadful disaster to the Impe
riaists spread electrically along the border, crea
ting the greatest rejoCings on the Texas side, and
not little on the Mexican side. But you must
judge how like a thunderboltit fell upon Heroic
Matamoro6. There were visible rejOiGings among
the Mexican population; but the large European
and American p0p0 alton took it quite otherwise
Gloom and CONSERVATION were to be seen in al
their faces.
General Meja was in command of the city, witt
a garrison of some six or seven hundred MeXiCans
many, Of them of uncertain loyalty. Knowing
that the Liberals would follow up their victory by
coming down upon the cty-the coast being clea
for them-and determining upon all the defense il
his power, he sent for the garrison at Bagdad con
ssting of about three hundred MeXicans-these
like wise of doubtful loyalty
These troops left Bagdad on Monday by steamer
and reached Matamoros on Tuesday morning
They were followed by about one hundred of til
residents of Bagdad, who were alarmed at tn
idea of being left without protection. The chic
of police, Victor Duprat, and his men, evaeuate
next; all the customhouse and town functionarie
except the Mexican Alcalde, followed suit; an
soon there were hardly any white people left
Bagdad. In the afternoon (Monday1 several Lbt
raj officers rode into the town and took possessio
of it, drawing up papers of agreement with Ii
Alcalde and remaining citizens, and giving pied Il
that neither person nor property should be harme
when the troops arrived. Thus far, this agre
ment has been hOn0rably observed.
The evacuation of the whites from Matamorc
became general on Tuesday, reached its height {
Wednesday, and began to sIacken down Thursda
Families, with their household goods, and me
Chandise of all kinds blocked up the ferry landir
day and night, There has been an influx of fro
three to four Thousand people into Brownsvill
and merchandise to an enormous amount, II
French were the most uneasy of all the refugee
leaving Matamoros to the last man.
All this alarm was caused by the belief that Ge
Mejia intended giving fight, and that, in the almo
certain event of the Liberals capturing the eli
they would give themselves up to murder and P
lage. But this was not to be.
On Wednesday it became known that Gen. Mel
oided to surrender the city, on condition that
and his garrison be permitted to retire peaceab
and that no violence be offered to persons
property.
General Caravajal was in Brownsville, havi
just eturned from the States. He is the rank
general of the northern border, under the Jual
government, and of course he was the legitim
officer to receive the proposed surrender.
On Thursday, General Juan Jose de la Gar
accompanied by General Getty, commanding
U, S. forces as this place, visited General Mejia
Matamoros and held lengthy conference "
him. 1t ended in Meja agreeing to surrender
the terms above stated, but not to CaraYajal.
would gurrender only to Escobedo, and Wo
fight te, the death before surrendering to any
else. General Getty was present, of course,
mediator.
ON Friday, Generals CARA and Getty az
visited General Mejia and conferred at length '
aim, This conference ended in Meja agreeing
surrender the city to Garaa, he only to comm
Temporarily, until the arrival of Escobedo.
was agreed to by Cara, who deemed it hes
sbandon the suit for Caravajal; especially as
found Meiia firm as a rock in his OF position to
officer. 30 the surrender was hxeo, leaving {
yaiaI, for the present, " out in the cold"
On Saturday three steamers, two Of them u