THE WAR IN MEXICO. [From the New Orleans Picayne.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 131, 31 October 1846, Page 3

THE WAR IN MEXICO. [From the New Orleans Picayne.]

Deplorable News ! — From the Arm*". — Colonel Charles Doane arrived in this city at an early hour on the morning of the 23d April, from the Brayos Santiago, which place he left on the 28th ult., in the steamer Autjusta. Sixty miles west of the south-west Pass he was transferred to the steamer Galveston. He is the bearer of important despatches from General Taylor, and of a requisition upon the Governor of Louisiana for four regiments. The previous news received, that the Mexicans had crossed the Rio Grande, is fully confirmed, and a detachment of American troops had been cut off. But for the details we refer to the following account of operations kindly furnished us by Colonel Doane : On Thursday evening the 23d instant, General Taylor received information that a body of the Mexican army had crossed to the east side of the Rio Grande, at a point some twenty miles above his encampment. Early oa the following morning he despatched Captains Thornton aud Hardie of the 2d regimen) of Dragoons, with a detachment of seventy .men, to examine the country above, and Captain Kerr, of the same regiment, with a company to examine the country below the encampment. The latter returned to the camp without having made any discovery of the Mexicans. The former, however, fell in with what he considered to be a scouting party of the enemy, but which proved to be the advanced guard of a very strong body of the enemy, who were posted in the Chaparral, immediately in the rear of General Taylor's camp. Captain Thornton, contrary to the advice of his Mexican guide, charged upon the guard, who retreated towards the main body, followed by Captain Thornton, when in an instant, he found himself and command surrounded by the enemy, who fired upon him, killing, as it is supposed, Captain Thornton, Lieutenants Kaw and Mason, and some twenty-six of the men, and taking Captain Hardie and the remainder of the commaud prisoners. The Mexican commander sent into General Taylor's camp a cart, with a soldier badly wounded, with a message that he had no travelling hospital, and could not, therefore, render the soldier the assistance which bis situation required. It is supposed that the detachment of the enemy on the east side of the Rio Grande consists of at least 2500 men, under the command of Colonels Carusco and Carrabajah, both old and experienced officers, and that their object is to cut off all communication between General Taylor and Point Isabel, the depot of provisions. In the execution of this object they have fully succeeded, and have thereby placed the American army in a most dangerous position, as it will be utterly impossible for General Taylor, with the limited number of men now under his command, say 2300, to force his way through the dense cha-

parral in Tfhich the enemy are already strongjy posted. On the 22d General Taylor received from General Ampudia, by means of a flag of truce, a communication in very -offensive terms, -complaining of his having blockaded the Rio , Grande-; to "which he replied that -General Ampudia had himself been the cause of the blockade, in having expressly declared that unless General Taylor commenced his retreat ' behind the Nueces within twenty-four hours after his displaying his -flag upon the left bank of the Rio Grande, he would consider war as being declared, and act accordingly. General Taylor furthermore stated that he would rexeive no further communications from the Mexican commander, unless -couched in language more respectful towards the Government and people of the United States. General Taylor's position, in the rear of Matamoras, is sufficiently strong to withstand successfully an attack of the whole Mexican force, and commands the town, which with the batteries already mounted, could be razed to the ground in an hour's time. General Taylor has in camp full rations for fifteen days, which he thinks can be made to last thirty days, by which time he is in hopes to receive large reinforcements from Texas and Louisiana, upon, each of which states he has •made a requisition for the immediate equipment and transmission to Point Isabel, of four full regiments of militia. It is thought *by t he superior officers of General Taylor's army that 26,000 men will be required within a very short period, as it is well known that the Mexican army is daily receiving large reinforcements f i om the interior. It was supposed by the American officers that General Arista reached Matamoras on the evening ofthe22d ult. with a brigade ; but up to the period of the writer's leaving camp, no communication had been received from General Taylor or 'General Arista.