Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-03-07

the Mexican flag was waving over his
tent, and he was rapidly receiving rein
forcements.
Affairs remained in this state until the
arrival, on the 18th of December, OF
Major S. p. Heintzelman of the First
Infantry, with five officers and III men,
artillery, cavalry and infantry. These,
with $50 rangers, drove Cortina from
his stronghold, killing two of his men.
A ranger was killed and two artillery
to the Ringold barracks, where he in
trenched himself with his full force.
About this time Major John S. Ford ar
rived from the interior with forty-fiye
rangers. He, with reinforcement of
forty men, defeated Cortina. Cortina
had 900 men engaged, of whom Ford
killed sixty and wounded fifty without
losing man, but with fifteen rangers
wounded. Cortina next day made his
appearance at Guerrero, Mexico, whence
no proceeded down the Rio Grande, re-
organizing his stragglers, and finally
hating at La Bolso, thirty-five miles
above Brownsville, where he was sup
piled with volunteers, arms and ammu-
milton from Matamoras. Major Ford
encamped on the river, where he abided
his time in patience until Feb. 4, when
Cortina, with $50 men, opened on the
steamboat Ranchero, which was descend
ing the river, laden with valuable
cargo, including $780, 600 in specie. He
had already succeeded in grounding the
boat, whick was protected only by ten
armed men, when Ford crossed theriver
into Mexico with forty-nine men, at
tackled Cortina, and, after sharp bat
tie, forced him TO retreat in disorder.
In this fight Ford only had two men
wounded, while Cortina's loss was TWEEN
ty-nine men killed and forty wounded.
Major Ford pursued Cortina almost to
the gates of Matamoras, where he was
influenced to halt under guarantees of
prompt and energetic measurers on the
part Of the Mexican authorities. BY this
distinguished service Major Ford in after
years earned the esteem of Gems. Grant
and Sherman.
Cortina continuing to be demonstra-
tive, though not aggressive, Breyet Col.
Robert T.. Lee, commanding the De
partment of Texas, on April z, 1860,
addressed a letter to the authorities of
Reynosa, Mexico, holding them respon-
sible for depredations committed by the
bandit upon American citizens. The
Mexican authorities knowing the deter
mined character of Robert u. Lee,
forced Cortina, who had laid waste in
Texas an area of 100 by 80 miles, to re-
treat to the mountains, on the decliv-
tiles Of which he hung for upward of
he &C har1ffff tha nd
jury at Brownsville having in the mean
time found twenty-six indictments
against him for theft and murder At
the outbreak of the war against Maxi
milian's empire, Cortina found himself
at the head Of his hosts, monarch of
the mountains. He first espoused the
cause of Macmillan, but afterward went
over to Juarez, to whom he rendered
services, by which he won the spurs of
a Major General.
In 1870 he returned to the border rs
Governor of Tamaulipas and military
commander Of the line of the Bravo. In
vested with power, supreme and despot-
ic, he gave the frontier people the al
ternatives of quasling the indictments
against him, in which event he proposed
to recover his patrimony, or OF encoun-
tering irregular warfare. Citizens of
Brownsville who believed that their in
terests would be best subserved by a
lasting peace with Cortina, petitioned
Gov. Il. J. Davis for clemency, but
others, whose interests and feeling We're
different, got up counter petition, and
the Governor declined to act. Cortina
then resolved to prey without ceasing.
He had under his command what he
called 0the Eagles of the Sierra Madre
Mountains, and lawless men sought 10
gain through him the advantages of
political power and of unrestrained Ii
cense to plumber Texas. Then was in
augurated an organized system of raid
ing the Texas border by lawless bands
and detachments of Mexican soldiers
that was only comparable to the forays
of the Bashi-Bazouks. These armed
bands would leave Mexico generally in
pairs, come together at point agreed
upon, then round up from 200 to 1000
head Of cattle and drive them at q run
into Mexico. The spirit engendered by
such business led to the murder of
travellers and of all persons in the line
of the raiders march, OF whose support
those raiders were not certain.
During this saturnalia of crime, which |
lasted FIVE wears, the residents of Horne
vile, chiefly retired volunteer army OIL
GERS and soldiers, were all murdered;
four Custom House officers were treach-
erously shot down at their posts, and a
named McMahon, native
of Missouri, was dismembered and left
to die on the prairie. In fine, only such
Americans escaped the torch and sword
as abandoned their homes to seek pro-
lection under the guns of Fort Brown.
1t was estimated that 100000 head of
cattle and 5000 horses were stolen, as
the effect of which the price of beef fell
in Matamoras from &c. to 1c. a pound,
and American horses were gambled off
at fandangos.
The United cavalry detailed to oper-