New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-17
THE TOWN OF BAGDED CAPTURED
A GUNBOAT I'm THE FIGHT
THIRTY KILLED ON EACH SIDE

We have before us the Matamoros Ranchero of
the 9Th inst, and we nd the following quoted in
its columns, as from an extra of the 5th:
Yesterday several Ioficers and men from the
Federal side Of the Rio Grande crossed at Clarks.
vile during the day and took up quarters at Bag
dad apparently for the night. Shortly after mid
night the guard at the ferry and along the river
were surprised captured and disarmed by the
party above mentioned. Such lighters as were at
hand were Immediately taken possession of, and
with them nearly the entire military force at
Clarksville were crossed over in two separate
bodies, making in all some 400 men, mostly ne
groes.
The garrison of Bagdad. containing about It's
men, were completely surprised and captured.
The commander of the post and the captain of the
port were taken prisoners while in their beds. IL
is said the latter was killed and the former made
his escape OF the truth of this there is some
doubt
Upon taking possession of the town, the work
of pillage and plunder was Immediately inaugural
ed Every lighter in the place (some fifty in num-
ber,) was taken possession of, and as rapidly as
each warehouse could be gutted, the contents
were loaded up and Immediately crossed to the
American side.
The gunboat Antonio was called upon to surren
der she answered their demand with q broadside
which scattered the flibusters in hurry. Shortly
after, second demand of the same nature was
made which was answered in the same manner and
with like result. She was on her way up the river
| An Austrian sergeant on board the Antonio was
killed. At daylight the French men of-war in the
harbor opened fire, compelling the filibusters to
| take refuge in the upper part of the town. At
last accounts the flibusters were in possession of
| the town.
The deaths were reported to be thirty on each
sids. 1t is stated that the ilibusters were under
command of one Col. Reed.-that one r. Clay
Crawford, being at Brownsville, upon receiving
| information of the capture of Bagdad, started for
the scene of action post haste
| Mexico, the invader is on your soil, with pur-
poses hellish and plots damnable. Let him be
welcomed with bloody hands to hospitable
| gravel
The Ranchero of the 9th has a long article headed
who wants war?n and responds that it is first,
the noisy politicians just for the purpose OF
making capital; secondly, " the newspaper man, y
because the talk about it makes his paper sell
thirdly, the Othelloes whose occupation would be
gone without it, fifty thousand army officers y
yes, an hundred thousand of them together
with that army of contractors who fatten upon
the blood of fallen comrades who rob from gov
ernment and people, and steal from everybody
and everything" Our Matamoros contemporary
thus concludes the article:
In the fourth place, the informed people ant
government of the United States don't want war
The thoughtful cabinet, legislators and people ar
in their hearts opposed to war on anybody or 70
any purpose. They may, it is true, try to blu
Napoleon, Russell and Maximilian, but they hav
no notion of steering the greenback ship into an
DGuBT StOTIl lHey ult hi4 tpodiu anu well NM,
that the slightest puff of war wind would carr
, them all down to the deepest depths of bank
J, ruptcy. What they cannot accomplish by thei
!, faYorite game Of bluff, they are not going to al
tempt in any other way, even though all the dems
: gogues, editors, army officials and contractor
/; Should howl war to the dismal end of time
y The Ranchero aims at being quite sarcastic a
the expense of Gen. Weitzel. Referring to hi
, amendment of General Orders No. 8, in which h
+ had spoken Of "Mexcan authorities instead
" Matamoros authorities" it calls on him furthe
8 to amend the order, by expunging what he said
!; it about the suppression of the Ranchero. TIL
!, it tauntingy says looks very much like desire
I prohibit the liberty of the press on the other sid
/; of the hio Grande.
= Our contemporary notices with satisfaction Il
D announcement of Gen. Weitzel that he would e.
ecute all offenders caught making unauthorize
attacks upon Mexican territory and people.
The Ranchero states that all the immigran
N who leave Cordova pronounce it the garden
d the world, possessing all thesadvant' of ho
it the torrid and the temperate zones, without al
d of their Objectionable characteristics. Some for
o. plantations have already been colonized.
The French consul, in Matamoros, has called
N meeting of the French, Italian and Swiss inhal
,e tants of the place, "on matters of grave impc
sI tance," which we may readily suppose to relate
the defense of the city, and perhaps to t
" recovery of Bagdad.