Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-07-07
JUAN CORTINA.i
Sketch OF the Chief Of the Mexican Horse
Thieves.

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Thieves.
Cortina is a native of the Sierra Ma
DIRE Mountains, over fifty years old, five
feet seven inches high, swarthy, broad.
shouldered and with piercing black
eyes. Previous to our Mexican war he
lived with his mother on rancho near
Brownsville, and was locally celebrated
for his horsemanship, his skill with the
lariat and pistol, and the assiduity with
which he devoted himself to gambling
and cock-fghting When the Mexican
war began he became courier, spy and
bushwhacker in the Mexican service,
and soon made a reputation which
chung to him after the war, and caused
him to be feared and stunned even in
time Of peace. He waylaid and MUIR
dered Colonel Trueman Cross, q. S. @.
M. G.. This was the first bloodshed in
General Taylor's army of observation
Lieutenant Porter and three other
men soon after fell by Corti-
mas hand. His intense hatred
of Americans has never tagged for q
moment since. In 1859 he witnessed
the shooting OF Mexican in Browns
vile by the City Marshal, named
Spears. Cortina advanced upon Spears,
spoke to him, and then deliberately
shot him in the face. Escaping to Mat
amoras, he soon after reappeared at
'daybl eak with thirty mounted and
armed Mexicans in front of Brownsville
jail. The jailer, brave Connecticut
volunteer, who had remained IN Texas
after the war, refused to give mp the
keys, and killed Mexican who attempt
ed to take them from him. The next
moment he was pierced with bullets and
hacked to pieces with Mexican sabres.
Cortina then liberated all the prisoners,
Mexicans and Americans, in the jail,
enrolled them in his band, and retreat
ed at the head Of nearly one hundred
cut Threats, after numbering another
citizen, named Neill. against whom he
had grudge.
This was the beginning of remarka-
bile career, in which, as bandit chief and
scourge Of the Texan frontier, he has
ever since remained the ruling spirit in
the Mexican State OF Tamaulipas.
4 Taking position at his mothers rancho,
and issuing a pronunciamento promis-
ing to retake the land of his people as
far as the Nueces, he soon had over 500
fighting men, and with these and others
who focked to his standard, he occu-
pied and desolated the frontier of Texas
for five months in spite of all the forces
American authorities. With 1000 men,
artillery and munitions of war, he kept
Brownsville in state of siege, con-
scripted Mexican residents, seized
United States mails, drove immense
herds of stock to Mexico, murdered
citizens in every direction and fought
numerous bloody battles and
skirmishes with inferior bodies of
Texan Rangers At last a small
body of United States infantry, artil-
lery and cavalry, under Major Hintzel-
man and Captains Stoneman and Rick
cts, came to the assistance OF the Rang
ers and drove Cortino from strong
position near the old Palo Alto battle
ground, after sharp fight. Cortino,
now feeling strong enough to revolu-
tionize Tamaulipas, make himself king
of the border and return to Texas with
a large army, marched up the river to
Rio Grande City. expecting to plumber
and recruit as he went, and finally to
march upon Matamoras and make
himself master Of Tamaulipas by de-
claring for the Church party. He was
surprised by the Americans at Rio
Granae City, on the Mexican side. His
forces were scattered, with the loss of
sixty slain on the spot and many more
killed in the pursuit on Mexican soil.
With a fragment of his command he
recrossed the river and again COM
menced his plundering operations, but
was again overtaken and routed, with
heavy loss, by the Rangers.
This pursuit of Cortina and the battle
on the other side of the river, caused
great excitement in Mexico, where his
exploits had been exaggerated and hail
ed as patriotic. General Twiggs, how
ever, adjusted the difficulty with the
Mexican authorities, and Cortina, de-
feated of the end he aimed at, retired to
rancho where he lived in great style
and profusion upon his stolen wealth.
During the French invasion he played
patriot, rallied his old banditti, seized
the gubernational chair Of Tamaulipas
and shot all who questioned his authori-
ty. The French deposed him. He
proposed to declare for them If they
would leave him undisturbed in his lit
tie despotism. They refused, and he
began numbering and plundering
guerilla warfare on his own hook, and
kept it up until they forced him to take
refuge inside the lines of the United
States forces then waging war against
the Confederates.
Since the war he has constantly re-
tanned the attachment of the lower and
criminal class of border Mexicans, and
by his aggressive and domineering acts
has inundated the educated and law
abiding citizens Of Ta1naulipas. His
followers have kept up their old occu-
patton of cattle stealing from Texas in
spite of the Mexican Government. In
defiance Of it's authority and it's troops.
who are marching against him., he is
arming to revenge the punishment of
his raiders, and to repeat his Texan
campaign of 1859. With nearly the
whole Mexican population of Tamauli-
ppas at his back, he is capable of i'm
mense mischief, and if he eludes Gen.
Fuero, or whips him, there will be