Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-01-26
THE FILLIBUsrER CRAWFORD

As we predicted would be the case. the flli-
buster Gen. Crawford has been brought up
with round turn by Gen Sheridan, as re-
ported elsewhere per telegraph This General
Crawford reached Brownsville, Texas, some
time in last December, from the North, with
authority to recruit an American division for
the Juarez army in Mexico, which division
was to be commanded by him. He established
recruiting Offices at that city and elsewhere
appeared TO be flush of money, and recruited
rapidly. 1t was given out, perhaps for effect,
that number Of Union generals We're engaged
in Gen. Crawford's schemeS-Gen. Lew Wal
lace, Logan, and others-but they do not at any
rate seem to have had faith enough In him and
his enterprise to join him.
In view of these operations of Craw ford, ( Gen.
hejia, commanding the Imperial forces at
Matamoras, levied a forced loan of 100000
on the merchants there, payable by drafts on
the Imperial treasury. On the 22d OF Decem-
Der, General r. Clay Crawford, assuming the
style of Major General commanding dated an
order under the head of "Republica Meiicana-
Division Americana" under which he appoint
ed officers for his army, by an asserted authori-
ty from the Mexican government to raise and
equip division of troops for the Mexican SER
vice. Some time about the middle of the same
month, a schooner, laden with arms and NUM-
tions of war, went ashore near Bagdad Mexi-
CO, and was seized by the Imperialists The
TACT was Immediately reported TO Gen Clark.
at BraZos Santiago, and he was asked to see it
returned to the owners. On the 5th Of January
some men crossed from GAINESVILLE, Texas, into
Mexico, surprised and disarmed the guards
along the river, seized lighters and entered Bag
dad with force about one hundred strong,
principally negroes. With this force thew
Inn rial
strong, at Bagdad, Quilted the warehouses, pill
LACED the place and sent the plumber to the
American SIDE. They summoned an Imperial
gunboat TO surrender and fired into her, killing
one man. The French gunboats fired into
the fillibusters and drove them from the front
of the city; but they held that portion not
covered by French guns. General Reed is
said to have commanded the assault, and
General Crawford is reported to have gone
TO his aid from Brownsville, when the battle
had been won. A detachment of the 1Isth
colored infantry was sent over to protect
American citizens on the It'll, and WAS
relieved by n detachment of the forty
sixth colored infantry, under instructions to
withdraw in case the lmperalists made an as
sault. General Crawford was next reported
10 have gone to New Orleans for supplies and
endorsements, as though he expected to car
~ on his fillibuster operations on U. s. soil
without any hindrance. But our Govern
ment, while sympathzng with the Liberals
of Mexico, could not permit such a wanton
violation of our neutrality laws as Crawford
had entered upon with his soldiers of fortune,
and has very properly put sudden check
upon bis exploits.
Bagdad is town at the very mouth Of the
Rio Grande, on the Mexican side. Matamoras
is twenty-f miles up the stream and
Brownsville is directly opposite, on Texan
soil The Mexican towns are in the State OF
Tamaulipas.