Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1880-06-04
THE BATTLE OF THE MEDIv
One OF the Bloodiest Buteherles Of
the Early Struggles ofTexas.

One OF the Bloodiest Buteherlcs Of
the Early Struggles ofrexAs.
From the San Antonio Express.l
Some one writing for the
Galveston News. speaking of
the battle Of the Medina, char
gcs the late Don Antonio Men
chaca, of San Antonio with hav-
ing led the Texans into Spanish
Ambuscade, which resulted in
the butchery Of the Texans by
the forces Of Arrandona. This
is wrong. In the first place,
the Menchaca who commanded
the Texans at that fight, was in
no way related to the Don An
tonic, and died many years ago
from wounds received in that
battle. In the second place.
Don Antonio Menchaca, could
have been nothing more than a
boy at the time the battle was
fought.
The fight occurred when he
was in his thirteenth year. The
following is considered as a re-
liable account Of the battle Of
Medina, with events immediate
ly connected with its history.
About ten o'clock on the
night of the 4th Of June, 1873,
Capt. Perry, in command of the
Americans, marched out of San
Antonio to meet the enemy,
who were encamped one mile
and a half distant. Having ap-
preached near the enemy's
guard, they waited in silence
till the enemy were at mathis,
when the signal to charge was
given. The Spaniards were
entirely surprised, and though
they fought calamity they could
not withstand the Americans.
who charged upon theRl with
bayonet and spear. The slaugh-
ter was very great, and when
the Spaniards fled, tl,S
thousand killed, wodndeo a.
prisoners, while the America
lost onIy> forty-scveu.
Spaniards did not stop ]
they reached the Rio Graz
Soon after this, Don jose
varez Toledo arrived in San
Antonio. He was Cuban by
birth and had been forwarding
recuits from New Orleans to
San Antonio. He was received
by the army with great respect
and elected commander-in-
chief. Scarcely had he rcstor-
ed order to the army when news
was received that another army
from Mexico was approaching.
This army consisted of about
four thousand men, command
ed by Arredondo, who took his
position on the Medina river.
and fortified himself strongly,
with decoy breastwork thrown
out in advance. Toledo i'm
mediately marched out to meet
him, having eight hundred and
fifty Americans and twice that
number Of Mexicans under
The ambush pre-
pared by Arredondo was not
discovered by Toledo until it
was too late. He ordered a
retreat, but received the reply
from the Americans that they
never retreated. They fought
with desperation, but were
nearly all cut down sVisiie try
ing to get possession Of the
breastwofk. The restretreated
and were pursued by EIisondo
with great slaughter till they
reached Spanish Bluff, where he
took seventy or eighty prison.
ers, whom he killed in a most
inhuman manner. Only ninety
three Americans reached Nat
chitoches, among whom we're
Colonel Terry and Captains
Taylor and Billiard. Thus end
ed the war Of 1872 and 1873.
The Spaniafds having been
successful, wreaked their ven
yeance upon all the friends of
he republican party
The battle ofthe Medina was
Ought on the 18th Of August
1873, after which Arredondo
marched into San Antonio.
where he perpetrated the most
,arberous cruelties upon the
inhabitants, combining IS many
IS seven hundred in one house,
Of whom died from
on the first night.
ind shutting up FIVE hundred
emales in prison and compeIl-
ne them to convert corn into
ortiIlas to feed his army.
What She Wanted.