The defeat of Cortina's Band.
--The
Laredo correspondent of the
Corpus Christi Ranchero furnishes the annexed particulars of the defeat of Cortina's band, which has been already noticed by telegraph:
On the 22d May, a company of Mexicans from
Texas, attached to
Col. Ford's force, and under immediate command of
Capt. Behavides, with forty men of his company, attacked Cortina, who was encamped about one mile and a half from
Redmond's rancho, with about seventy men, and completely round him — killing seven of his men and wounding several, and dispersing the place; he got a great many horses, saddles, guns, &c.
Cortina passed on the 20th, about nine miles below, and had
Capt. Benavides completely hemmed up in Redmond's house, hoping to starve him out, and firing on him from time to time.
One of
Benavides' men volunteered to take an express through the enemy at
Laredo, and
Lieut. Callaghan started from there at 8 o'clock P. M., and arrived here at 9 o'clock next morning, riding sixty-five miles in thirteen hours, accompanied by
Don Bacilto Benavides and several citizens of
Laredo.
With twenty men of the company he met, about two miles from here, Cortina's advanced guard, but ran through them, completely dispersing them; they having left their horses, saddles, and a great many of them left their guns.
In five minutes after arriving, they, with
Capt. Benavides, went out to attack Cortina, and the above was the result.
Cortina escaped with about ten men into
Mexico, and never stopped until he got about 12 miles beyond
Guerrero.
It was a short, but brilliant fight, and one for which
Capt. Benavides' company deserves a great deal of credit.--Cortina, it not attacked so promptly, in a few days would give as much trouble, and cost the
State an much as he did last year, as nearly all the inhabitants of
Zapata county and a great many persons of
Guerrero were with Certina, and holding him with '76.
sources.
