On February 4, 1860, Texas Rangers, under the leadership of Colonel John S. Army troops defeated Mexican- Texan Juan Nepomucena Cortina and put an end to the Cortina Wars. According to this article Cortinistas were burning ranches, driving off horses and cattle. There were rumors that Cortina and his men were planning to attack a steamboat named "Ranchero" the boat was carrying $200.00 in gold also the military payroll for Fort Brown. As the boat made its way down the river, along the banks of the river were the Texas Ranger to protect her. An artillery attachment was aboard a well.
As the Texas Rangers headed south they came across some Cortinistas they were swimming herds of cattle across the river at Zacatal Ranch, opposite La Bolsa Ranch that was located north side of the Rio Grande. A confrontation broke out and left one ranger dead and seven Cortinistas. The Cortinistas attacked the ranchers about half a mile down from where the first confrontation had taken place. The soldiers that were on board the ranchero fired back on the cortinistas.
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The Texas rangers charged the Cortinistas forcing them back into Mexico territory, The Texas rangers went into Mexican Territory after the Cortinistas, meanwhile back at the battle laid two Americans wounded and Twenty-nine Mexicans killed and forty wounded. The following day the ranchero continued its way to the Gulf undisturbed.
The Texas rangers and the U.S. Calvary scouted the borders until the new commander of the department of Texas, Col. Robert E Lee arrived. Col. Lee met with General Guadalupe at Matamoros Garcia, a Mexican Commander agreed to stop Cortina from attacking the borders. Cortina had fled into the Mountains of Burgos he later returned and became a Brigadier General in the Mexican army and Governor of Tamaulipas. .
The History of this event fascinated me. I could not believe how much history our valley really had. Not long ago I was standing in the Santa Anna refuge South of San Juan, Texas not knowing this piece of history had been there.
