New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-25
Juan COrfina.

| NOEuluhe
I The news from the Rio Grande is GET
ting to be exciting. Hostlllities down Their
are assuming decidedly business look w,
expected as much when Belknap recently
suggested that Texas might do something
toward protecting her own border. Tha
| Ia the favorite sport in Texas, and the hard
riding Texan ranger is q very energeti,
fighter. When licensed to go on the wal
path against Mexicans or In0ians, he takes
mis- meals and maps in the saddle, and mani
tests very little ambition to build up q
reputation for knowledge Of international
| law and military etiquette. His ready re-
! sponse to Belknap's petulant hint indicated
that somebody would get hurt soon. Then,
on the other side, there is that terrible fe,-
low, Juan NepomucenO Cortina. When he
swears that he will have revenge by de
| vastatiDg the Texan frontier, it means some
thing Only a brief summary of what he
has done is needed to indicate what he can
do.
Cortina is a native of the Sierra Madre
mountains, over fifty years old, five feet
seven inches high, swar.hy, broad shout
dered, and with piercing black eyes. Pre-
vlous to our Mexican war he lived with his
mother on rancho near Brownsville, and
was locally cele ebrated for his horsemanship,
his skill with the lariat and pistol. and the
assiduity with which he devoted himself to
gam duu COCh h-klRuJlUX. w Qen InS
Mexican war began he became a courier
spy and bushwhacker in the Mexican SER
vice, and soon made a reputation which
chung to him after the war, and caused him
to be feared and stunned oven in time Of
peace. He waylayed and murdered Colonel
Trueman Cross, United States Quartermas-
ter General. This was the first bloodshed
ln General TaylOr's army of observation.
Lieutenant Porter and three other men soon
oft far folf NV
hatred of Americans has never tagged for a
moment since. Ia 1859 he witnessed the
shooting Of Mexican in Brownsville by
the city marshal, named Spears. Cortina
advanced upon Spears, spoke to him, and
then deliberately shot him in the face Es-
Gaping to Matamoras, he soon after reap
peared at daybreak with thirty mounted
and armed Mexicane in front Of Browns
vile Jail. The jailer, brave Connecticut
volunteer who had remained in Texas after
the war. refused to give up the keys, and
killed Mexican who attempted TO take
them from him. The next moment he was
pierced with bullets and hacked to pieces
with Mexican eabres. Cortina then I:ber-
ated all the prisoners, Mexicans and Amer
leans, in the Jail, enrolled them in his band.
and retreated at the head OF nearly 100 cut
threats. after numbering another citizen
pamed Neill, against whom be had grudge
AAo " nS tuC UCSlhuIHk VI = EtudCKdDle
career. in which, as bandi, chief and scourge
OF the Texan frontier, he has ever since re.
maneC the ruling spirit in the Mexican
State OF Tamaulipas. Taking position at
his mothers rancho, and issuing pronun-
ciamento promising to retake the land Of
his people as far as the Nueces, he soon had
over 5OO fighting men, and with these and
others who tiocked to hi. standard, he occu.
pied and desolated the frontier Of Texas for
five mi ~ Ill IL
against him by Mexican and American
authorities. With 20G0 men, artillery and
munitions Of war, he kept Brownsville in a
state OF siege. conscvipted Mexican resi-
dents, seized United States mails. drove
immense herds of stock to Mexico. mu,.
dered citizens in every direction and fought
numerous bloody battles and skirmishes
with inferior bodies of Texan Rangers.
At last small body of United States ir. !
fantry. artillery and cavalry. npder Major |
Hein'zelman and Captains Stoneman and |
Ricketts,, came to I'd. assistance of the
rangers and drove Cor:ina from q strong
position near the old Palo Alto battle |
ground. after sharp fight. Cortina, now
feeling strong enough to revOlution;y. !
Iamaulipas. make himself king OF the Dor. |
der and return to Texas with larger army.
marched up the river 20 Rio G-ande City.
expecting to Dlunder and recruit as he |
went. and finally TO march upon Matamoras |
aud make himself master of Tamaulipas.
by declaring for the church party. He was
by the Americans at Rio Grande
City. on the Mexican side. His forces were
scattered, with the loss of sixty slain on |
the spot and many more killed in the pur. |!
suit oD Mexican soil. With a fragment of |
his command, he recrossed the river and |
again commenced his plundering opera.
lions, but was again Overtakeu and routed.
with heavy loss by the rangers.
This pursuit of Cortina and the battle on |
the other side of the river caused great ex. |
eltement in Mexico. where his exploits had I
been exaggerated and hailed as patriotic.
General Twiggs, however. adjusted the
1lfhculty with the Mexican authorities, and I
Cortina, defeated Of the end he aimed at.
retired to rancho where he lived in great
,tyle and protusion upon his stolen wealth.
During the French invasion he played
patriot. rallied his old banditti, seized the
yubernatorial chair OF Tamaulipas. and
'hot all who questioned his authority. The
French deposed him. He proposed to de.
,iare for them if they would leave him un.
disturbed in his little despotism. They re.
used. and he began murderous and |
guerilla warfare on his own
look, and kept it up until they forced him
o take refuge inside the lines of the United
states forces. then wag!ng war against the
Since the war he has constantly retained
he attachment of the lower and criminal
lass OF border Mexicans, and by his aggres.
i've and domiDeering acts has intimidated
he educated and aw-abidlng citizens of
amaulipas. His followers have kept IN !
he old occupation of cattle. stealing from
'exa. in spite of the Mexican government.
n defiance of its authorisy and it's troops,
7ho are marching against him, he is armips
0 revenge the punishment Of his raiders.
nd to repeat his Texan campaign of 1859 |
With nearly the whole Mexican population
Tamaulipas at his back. he is capable of
IMMENSE mischief, and if he eludes General
'ncro, or whips him, :here will be warm
ork IN Texas. The sooner the better, be.
ause the exercises will conclude with warm
ork on the Mexican side Of the line and
ldden death to Cortina. As this latter is
le sine qua non Of peace on the border,
ng up the curtain and let the play 90 on
t all possible complications between the
vo North American republics, Cortlna
wing is the most danoernus -Knusne ~. |