Late and important from the Rio Grande
the siege of Matamoras.
interesting Details.
The Houston (Texas) Telegraph publishes a lengthy account of the siege of Matamoras, taken from an advanced copy of the Brownsville Flag, of November 28. We condense the following from the Flag's article, omitting merely such portions as would prove of no interest to our readers: ‘ On Thursday last, the fight was carried on with great energy, the forces of Carvajal, making some headway towards the main plaza, which is the decisive point. In all Mexican towns, the plaza is the main point of defence and attack; and while that is held, the assailants never consider themselves victorious. In the instance now under consideration, General Garcia is the commander of the city forces, and his headquarters are on the main plaza of the town. His position is fortified by barricades across the streets leading into the square, and by breastworks upon the tops of the surrounding houses. By means of these barricades and breastworks, he has command of an entire block of buildings in every direction from the plaza, and as a matter of course, the assailants have not crossed the second street from the square.
On the southeast corner of the block to the south of the plaza a new and spacious theatre was being built. This building Garcia has fortified in the most formidable manner, having loop-holed the walls and having barricaded the streets on both sides. The tops of all the houses adjacent are filled with sharpshooters to pick off stragglers, and to protect the battery (one gun) below from assault. These defences effectually intimidate all charges, for if the assaulting party could even take the barricades, the sharp-shooters on the tops of the houses would kill all who had the temerity to attempt to hold the position. These sharp-shooters are out of danger, being stationed behind heavy brick parapets, loop-holed for musketry. The fortifications around the theatre are called the Malakoff.
On Thursday last a picked band of Rojos, 300 strong, made a splendid charge upon the Malakoff, but were repulsed with considerable loss.
On Thursday the cavalry of Caravajal made their appearance in front of Brownsville, for the first time, and took command of the opposite landing to the main ferry. Don Andreas Trevino, Don Jose Maria Aldrete, and some other officers whose names we have not learned, came across the river to Brownsville and rode up into town, and were warmly received by their friends on this side of the Rio Grande. A Mexican flag, which was raised in the boat, was very properly stopped by Lieut.Col. Buchel, who has all the time acted with the strictest regard to our neutrality in the difficulty between the people of Tamaulipas.
The forces of Caravajal, after taking possession of the landing and the guard-house on the other side of the river, made a dash down the bank of the river, towards the lagoon, in order to intercept or cut off all communication between the forces of Garcia and the river; but a force having sallied from the city to meet them, a skirmish took place in the cornfield, just opposite Fort Brown, in which Garcia's troops were victorious, for they stopped the progress of Caravajal's cavalry.
’ Several skirmishes, brought on by sallies of the besieged, or assaults of the besiegers, took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Referring to Saturday, the Flag says:
‘ It was either on this day or the day before, that the Rojos captured our friend, John Treanor, a Scotchman, but a naturalized American, and put him in prison, because, as they said, he had taken too active a part in favor of Garcia and the Crinolinos. On Friday, we omitted to state, Mr. Etienne Bres, a French citizen, was accidentally killed.
’ On Monday Garcia's cavalry drove back the besiegers.
We quote the Flag again:
It was on Monday, also, that Mons. Bruzon the Consul of France, under whose flag many Confederate citizens had sought protection, solicited from our authorities that an attempt should be made to compromise the differences, or else to procure a truce, that foreigners might save themselves and property.--Col. Buchel immediately dispatched Captain P. L. Buquor to open negotiations. Captain Buquor went first to Gen. Caravajal's camp, where the proposition was immediately accepted. Capt. Buquor found some difficulty in entering the lines of Gen. Garcia, but ultimately succeeded in effecting a parley, which resulted in his being introduced to Gen. Garcia. The proposition for an armistice was not very favorably received at first, but was finally agreed to, and twenty-four hours set as the limits of the armistice.
As a matter of course, this truce was instantly inaugurated, and hundreds of people made a simultaneous rush to rescue from the town of Matamoras the goods and property which they had fondly considered beyond the reach of harm.
Our citizens, unfortunately, had quite as large stocks of goods in Matamoras as in Brownsville, and the trouble was that these goods were in the most exposed part of the beleaguered city.
We are fearful that but a small portion of the immense stocks of merchandize in Matamoras have been saved, as the confusion and pre-occupation of everybody was such that merchants could obtain but little assistance in the transportation of their effects.
Caravajal's Camp.--We paid a visit yesterday, during the truce, to the city, and penetrated as far as the headquarters of Gen. Caravajal, and were introduced to him for the first time. He is a very intelligent gentleman, and the fact that he is poor argues that he is honest. He speaks English ‘"like a book,"’ and claims to be a man of modern and progressive principles. He was almost unattended at the time of our visit, and was too democratic to need a guard. He walked the corridors of his quarters incessantly, and talked pleasantly while not attending to the various aids and couriers who entered the quarters. One or two Americans were about, and seemed to be talking to him to keep up time.
He spoke of the intimacy between himself and the Americans, referred us to his children, now being educated in the same Virginia college where he himself received instruction. As an episode, he stated that his two children were now armed to protect a Southern school from the invasion of the North. He declared his firm intention to take Matamoras, or to die in the attempt, and stated that in the course of events he expected to be successful without any great loss of life. Caravajal is a medium sized, heavily built man, with a pleasing and very intelligent countenance.
Gen. Garcia's Camp.--We also visited the Plaza of Matamor as and had a chat with Gen. Garcia, who is an agreeable gentleman and a most popular officer. His presence is the strength of the garrison, for our neighbors have an abiding faith in his nerve and resources. He too, speaks with confidence, and denies all bility of a failure, or all thought of a promise. He ignores any right in Caravajal more than any other private citizen, and asserts that it is impossible to treat with a rebel or a brigand. His force is strong and his entrenchments impregnable to assault. His hope of reinforcements is great, and at the utmost, he says, it is only a question of a few weeks' siege, as he contends that it is impracticable to take his position, and therefore Caravajal must leave. He has a force variously estimated at from 800 to 1,200 men in the city, who manifest an earnest disposition to fight until the bitter end.
The Appearance of Matamoras.--The lately flourishing city now looks like a grave yard, as it is only peopled in the neighborhood of the batteries, and in the streets just about the plaza. Stragglers sometimes prowl about the back streets, but they walk as stealthily as if they were robbers and assassins. It is dangerous to approach the town in any direction, for fear of the flying bullets, and for fear of the scouting parties who patrol in every direction, and fire at first sight. The stately houses that lately ornamented the town, and which were filled with costly merchandise and valuable produce, are now in ashes or threatened with destruction. The facings of all the buildings have been mutilated by the bullets that are discharged at random from a thousand guns, and Commerce street is a scenes of destruction. As we said before, too, the streets are impeded by numerous barricades, built in every direction, to prevent the assault of cavalry, or to impede the charges of the enemy.
Strangers Killed--Rumor has it that many foreign residents in Matamoras have been killed, but on due inquiry we can only ascertain the following names:
Dr. John Cameron, a Scotchman by birth, but an American by naturalization. Dr. Cameron was a man of great wealth, and of long residence in Matamoras. He was killed in defending his store from the entrance of a large party of armed men.
Mons. Etienne Bros, a French subject.
Mons. Oscar Veseron, a young merchant, but recently removed from Brownsville to Matamoras.
Mons. Francisco Bouvard, French subject.
Mr. Francis Oliver, clerking in the house of Mr. Slevers, had his legs badly shot and amputated.
The Refugees.--Every nook and corner of Brownsville is filled with the poor and desolate people who have been driven from their homes in Matamoras. The scene at the Levee yesterday was certainly the most vivid and moving that ever occurred under our observation, and frequently the boats were in danger of being swamped by the crowds who pressed into them. The addition to our transient population cannot be less than two thousand.
On Thursday the wounded of Gen. Caravajal's force were brought to Brownsville, in accordance with permission obtained from Lieutenant Colonel Buchel. The same privilege was extended to Gen. Garcia, but owing to the fact that the Matamoras folks are at home in the city, and have their own hospital, they have not seen proper to accept of the hospitality extended by our military.--Caravajal's hospital is next door to our office, and at present contains thirty wounded. We understand that there are about an equal number in the hospital of General Garcia. The killed on both sides probably number forty or fifty.
Effect on the Market--All manner of living is rising rapidly, and we actually seem to be approaching an absolute dearth. The prices of provisions are rising in proportion as the scarcity grows upon us, and the destruction of large quantities of groceries at Matamoras, and the great influx of people into that place, in connection with Caravajal's army, render it a question of some concern what we are to do for grub. The subject is too aggravating to dwell upon.
The armistice yesterday was promptly terminated at two o'clock, though there was no firing of consequence to make the fact known; but about nine o'clock last night the most terrific discharges of musketry were heard in the neighborhood of the plaza, together with cannonading and explosions. The fight lasted about half an hour, and then quieted down.
