The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-07-08
MACM ENZtE's RAID.
The Late Invasion into MexlCe and cts
InsiRnifBant Results.
tOlnclnnati Comm eroial.l
FoRT CLARK. Texas. June III. 1873

tOlnelnnatl Oomm ercialI
FoRT CLARK, Texas June %, 1878.
We left our camp on DEVILS river on the
eleventh, and got back here on the twent y.
Our force consisted OF HOO men. and was li-
yided in two columns-o one purely cavalry
t400) and the other infantry cavalry and artii.
lery 1.-TWO thrce-inch rifles and four Gatling
guns). | was with the cavalry column. can
give you better idea Of the trip by giving a
sort Of diary Of 1t. The first day. The
eleventh, we marched to the Rio Grande, but
found the river too high to cross, and had To
wait until the next afternoon, when we
crossed and went into camp on Mexican soil
On the thirteenth we marched about thirty
miles toward the mountains.
The next day we broke camp at Q q. m.
marched ten miles for water, but found only
enough TO fill the eanteens. Then the guide
was to take us to large watar-hole, but he
was so sick that he was deliriOus. and Gen
turned back and marched until 10 that night to
water We halted here only long enough 10 give
our horses q camp-kettleful apiece there was
just barely enough for that, and then marched
on until daybreak, when we found plenty OF
water and went into camp, having marched
fOfty-twO miles, and having been thirty hours
without sleep. We lay In camp all day, and
on the sixteenth we turned east to join the
infantry and wagon column, Overtaking them
on the seventeenth at the San Diego river.
That day was irtensely hot and sultry, and
two men were sunstruck. That night we had
q heavy thunder-shower, wetting us all
through. The next day we only marched six
miles, and camped. Up to this time we had
seen no Mexlcans.
On the nineteenth we broke camp at a. m .
and marched to the "Remolno' ranch, on the
San Rodriguez river, arriving there at o. m.,
and finding Col Valdaz ('Winker'). with
forty men Of the Mexican regular forces. He
and Gen. Mackenzie had a parley, In which
Valdaz said he had positive orders TO attack
u.s. Gen. Mackenzie offered to fight him
then, but Winker said he hadn't men enough
but that Gems. Nuncio and Narango would be
up in the afternoon with 400 men and he
would fight us then. Gen. Mackenzie said he
was going into camp for rest and breakfast,
but at In the afternoon he would move on.
We started at 3, and found about 200 or 300
Mexicans drawn up in line TO oppose us. We
formed line OF battle, with infantry, artillery
aud wagons In the CENTRE cavalry on each
side and the rear, and line Of skirmish-
ers In the front. We moved on
driving the Mexicans before us and
away from our front. Not shot was fired
on either side. We marched about six miles
the "RemOlinO." The next day, the twen-
tleth, we marched about sixteen miles in the
same way and went into camp. The next
day ttwenty- first we got to Moncova a Mex
lean town on the Rio Grande, about eighteen
miles above Duncan, and found the same
Mextcans drawn up to oppose our crossing.
Another parley was held, and, as they
wouldn't say what they would do, the cavalry
was ordered to advance against them, and
we charged them up a hill at gallop. You
ought to have seen the Mexieans run. Hav-
ing driven them off we all crossed the river,
and came up here In two days march. Not a
shot was fired on the whole trip, and our two
battles" were bloodless victories. / enjoyed
the whole thing hugely; 1t was regular pic
mic compared to my last November scout
What the result of all this Is to be can't say,
but we were q regular army of invasion.