Battle of La Ebonal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of La Ebonal
Part of the First Cortina War
Date December 13, 1859 Location Near Brownsville, Texas, United States Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Mexican Paramilitary Forces Cortinistas
Commanders and leaders
Samuel P. Heintzelman	Teodoro Zamora
Strength
290	~400
Casualties and losses
2 killed 5 wounded	~16 killed

The Battle of La Ebonal was an important fight in December 1859. It happened near Brownsville, Texas. This battle was part of the First Cortina War. After some earlier conflicts, a rebel leader named Juan Cortina led his group into the hills. They set up defenses near several cattle ranches.

The United States Army sent soldiers to the area. Major Samuel P. Heintzelman led these troops. Their mission was to stop all resistance. A battle started on December 13 at a ranch called La Ebonal. The fighting lasted for a few hours. The American forces won and chased away Cortina's followers.

What Started the Fight?

The First Cortina War began on September 28, 1859. Juan Cortina led about 75 men into Brownsville. He wanted to challenge the town marshal for past disagreements. After causing some trouble, Cortina's group freed prisoners from the jail. They also took weapons and supplies.

The Cortinistas then went to Rancho del Carmen. This ranch belonged to Cortina's mother. It became his main base north of the border river. On October 12, the sheriff of Cameron County arrested Tomas Cabrera. Cabrera was a friend of Cortina and had joined the Brownsville raid.

Cortina was very upset about his friend's arrest. He warned Brownsville that he would "lay the town in ashes." He demanded Cabrera's release. The people of Brownsville quickly built defenses. They made a barricade to block the main road.

They also formed a small group of 20 fighters. This group was called the "Brownsville Tigers." They went to Rancho del Carmen but were quickly defeated. Cortina's 300 rebels captured their small cannons. Cortina set up a base for his cannons outside town. He placed his fighters close enough to be seen from Brownsville.

However, there was no direct battle in the town itself. Cortina fired a cannon shot each morning at 6:00 am. Over the next few weeks, more people joined Cortina. Some were Mexican criminals who escaped prison. Others were Native Americans from the Tampacaus tribe.

Texas Rangers Get Involved

Cortina's group grew stronger every day. The people of Brownsville asked for help. A group of Texas Rangers arrived. They were led by Captain William G. Tobin. Cortina knew the Rangers were coming. He planned to ambush them.

On November 11, Cortina was seen heading toward Brownsville. He led about 200 men. The American defenders quickly prepared. But Cortina decided not to attack. He quietly went back to his base.

The people of Brownsville became very worried. With help from the Rangers, Cabrera was taken from his cell. Sadly, he died in Market Square. In response, Cortina harmed three of his American prisoners. He then ambushed a small group of Rangers. This happened near the Palo Alto Battlefield.

Three Americans were killed and four were wounded in this fight. It lasted less than an hour. Captain Tobin then burned the village of Santa Rita. Later, he attacked Rancho del Carmen. But Cortina won again. The Rangers were forced back to Brownsville. About 100 Texas Rangers left and went home. The remaining Rangers waited for more help.

The U.S. Army Arrives

At this point, the United States Army stepped in. On November 13, General David E. Twiggs ordered Major Samuel P. Heintzelman to Brownsville. Heintzelman started his journey from Old Camp Verde in central Texas. Many of his soldiers came from far away. They came from places like Kansas and Virginia.

Heintzelman told most of his men to meet him at Fort Merrill. Others were to gather at Fort McIntosh in Laredo. Then they would march to Brownsville. The Major left Camp Verde on November 14. He arrived in Brownsville just before midnight on December 6. This was a long journey of 332 miles.

Heintzelman had several groups of soldiers with him. These included two artillery batteries from the 1st Artillery. Lieutenants Douglas Ramsay and William Montrose Graham, Jr. led them. He also had a company from the 2nd Cavalry. Captain George Stoneman was in charge. Two companies from the 8th Infantry were also there. Captains Arthur Tracy Lee and Charles Downer Jordan led them. More soldiers were still at Laredo.

During this time, Cortina's group grew to about 400 men. They also had some cannons. However, they were not well-trained soldiers. Major Heintzelman believed Cortina had about 300 to 350 men. Only about 100 of them rode horses. The Texas Rangers thought the number was at least 600.

The Battle of La Ebonal

After arriving, Major Heintzelman moved his troops into Fort Brown. He let his soldiers rest for a few days. He also organized the Rangers and local fighters under his command. He waited for more cannons to arrive from Brazos Santiago.

On the morning of December 13, Heintzelman was ready. He began marching 165 men west. They followed the Rio Grande road to Rancho del Carmen. The weather was cold and a little rainy. Two miles outside of town, 125 Texas Rangers joined the soldiers.

Heintzelman wanted the Rangers to scout ahead. But they were afraid of ambushes in the thick bushes. As they got closer to Rancho del Carmen, the Rangers hesitated again. Judge Davis, who was with the group, convinced some to keep moving.

When they reached Rancho del Carmen, it was empty. Cortina's strong defenses had been left behind. The Rangers then spread out as planned. They took positions on the sides in front of the soldiers. After moving two more miles, Heintzelman saw one of Cortina's men. He was waving a Mexican flag in the distance.

Seconds later, Cortina's group started firing. They shot a "four pound ball" down the road. This came from their positions at Rancho la Ebonal. Heintzelman's artillery fired back right away. But the American gunners were new to live firing. At first, their shots went too far. But after a spotter climbed a tree, the shots became more accurate.

A cannon fight continued for some time. Not many people were hurt on either side. A piece of shrapnel hit Judge Davis's saddle. Another piece wounded a man's leg. A third piece killed a mule and set an ammunition wagon on fire.

Pushing Forward

After weakening the rebel positions, Heintzelman decided to attack. He had the Rangers get off their horses. He sent them to attack one side of the enemy. The infantry (foot soldiers) and cavalry (horse soldiers) attacked the other side. The artillery stayed on the road in the middle.

Neither attack moved very fast. This was because of the enemy fire and the thick prairie. As the Americans slowed, Cortina's group attacked. They hoped to capture the American cannons. But the Americans fought back with their guns. They found eight dead rebels afterward.

One Texas Ranger was killed during this fight. Two others were wounded. Two soldiers were also wounded. When the fighting stopped, Major Heintzelman told his men to rest. They rested for two hours before moving on.

The rebels tried to stop them again. This happened a short distance from La Ebonal. They made another stand four miles further up the road. This was at the ranch of Jesus de Leon. In this fight, both the Rangers and soldiers defeated Cortina's group. Most of them fled further up the river. Others crossed into Mexico.

One more Ranger was badly wounded. Another was hurt by an accidental gun discharge. Heintzelman reported seeing eight more dead Mexicans at the De Leon Ranch. But it was hard to know the exact number of casualties. After another stop, the group continued.

They found a path where the rebels had dragged a cannon. This was near Cortina's Rancho San Jose. It was 15 miles from Brownsville. The rain was getting heavier. So Heintzelman decided to camp for the night. He planned to follow the path the next morning.

The Chase Ends

The march started again after 8:00 am. The Rangers took their time breaking camp. Soon after, the Americans heard Mexican bugles. They were sounding the retreat. Heintzelman ordered his men to hurry. But they found no more of Cortina's group.

The Major correctly guessed that Cortina's army had scattered. So he turned his soldiers around. They went back to Fort Brown. They arrived later that evening. The Texas Rangers burned several empty homes on the way back. Heintzelman later said, "The Texas Rangers were burning all - friends and foes.... We would undoubtedly have done better without the Rangers."

Heintzelman later learned that Cortina himself was not leading the rebels during the battle. Cortina had gone north with 200 men to set an ambush. He left his assistant, Teodoro Zamora, in charge. But when Cortina heard the cannons, he rushed back. He arrived too late to join the fight.

What Happened Next?

After returning to Brownsville and the fort, Heintzelman let his men celebrate. They had a barrel of beer captured during the fight. The next morning, many visitors congratulated him on his success.

There were rumors that Cortina was planning another attack. He might attack Point Isabel and destroy the steamships there. Also, the Texas Rangers were arguing about who should lead them. Some wanted Captain Tobin, but others preferred the newly arrived John Salmon Ford. Heintzelman liked Ford better because he had discipline. Tobin let his men act wildly.

A meeting decided to send one company of Rangers to Point Isabel. This was to protect the port. The other Rangers went north to scout Los Fresnos and Las Norias. Captain George Stoneman also took his cavalry company to patrol the Rio Grande.

Meanwhile, Heintzelman talked with Mexican officials in Matamoros. He discussed Cortina and relations between Mexico and the U.S. Heintzelman even reviewed 700 Mexican Army troops. Then he returned to Texas.

Around the same time, a local rancher named Henry Clay Davis arrived. He told Heintzelman that Cortina was still retreating west. He was "burning and plundering as he went." Captain Stoneman and the Texas Rangers reported the same thing. Because of this, Heintzelman prepared for a second march up the river.

The expedition left on December 21. They headed west. On December 27, they met Cortina's group again. This was in the Battle of Rio Grande City. This was the main battle of the war. During the fighting, the rebels were surprised and defeated. They lost many weapons and equipment. About 60 of their men were lost. The First Cortina War ended soon after this battle.