April 6, 1863, Memphis Daily Appeal (Jackson, Mississippi)
The United States steamer Honduras, arrived here yesterday, from the Rio Grande, bringing about two hundred and sixty Texas refugees.
From Lieutenant-Colonel Stancel, we learn the following interesting particulars:
The Honduras left New Orleans on the 2d inst., and arrived at the mouth of the Rio Grande on the 6th.
On the morning of the 15th, a rebel force of about one hundred and fifty men crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, at the mouth of the river, and captured Col. E. J. Davis, of the 1st Texas cavalry, Capt. W. W. Montgomery, of the same regiment, and three soldiers.
About one hundred and fifty refugees were lying there waiting an opportunity to get on board the Honduras; they being prevented by rough weather.
Lieutenant Raditski and Captain Houston made their escape to the steamer, when they immediately started for Galveston, and brought the bark Arthur back with them.
The Mexican authorities immediately demanded the return of the prisoners kidnapped under their flag. Accordingly, on the 18th, Colonel Davis and the three soldiers taken were returned by the rebels to Matamoras. They did not return Captain Montgomery, however, and would not tell where he was. Private advices say he was hanged by the rebels, which is undoubtedly true. Col. Davis and Capt. Montgomery were taken from the house of the commandante.
The raid was made just before day on the morning of the 15th. Lieut. Col. Jessee Stancel, Capt. Hustin, and Lieut. Ruditzki, narrowly escaped the grasp of the marauding traitors. These three officers, with half a dozen Mexicans, afterward drove about fifty of the rebels from the front of the commandant’s house to the river, firing into them and wounded three or four, two of whom, it was afterward ascertained, died that same evening. Some sixty others, who lay concealed in the sand bank in the rear of the little village, now came out and had the place completely surrounded, and the officers and their small party of Mexicans being unarmed, with the exception of a few six shooters, were entirely at their mercy.
They tied Col. Davis when they got him over into Texas, but untied him when they started for Fort Brown. They also tied Capt. Montgomery on his horse. He and Col. Davis rode together until within five miles of Fort Brown, when the captain was ordered by the rebel Major Chelton to fall to the rear, since which time nothing had been heard from him, except a report that he had been hanged.
Capt. Brewer, a traitor of Northern birth, after Col. Davis was taken from the house, returned and said to Mrs. Davis, “Madam, this expedition was gotten up as much for your benefit as your husband’s. You must leave here.”
After the return of the captured officers and soldiers by the rebels, the refugees (numbering 116) were got on board the steamer. There are a number of families included in the number. About seventy-five men were left at Matamoras, not being able to get on board the steamer on account of the rebel raid.
The bark Arthur, after she had been brought around from Galveston, threw two shells into the rebel quarters, on the night of the 25th, at which time the Honduras left for this city, which place she reached on the 29th, and anchored in the river until this morning.
Col. Davis, Lieut.-Col. Stancel, Capt. Montgomery, and two lieutenants, were officers of the 1st Texas cavalry, recruited for General Hamilton’s brigade.
Col. Davis was on board the steamship Cumberland when the rebels laid a trap for her capture in Galveston Bay. He returned on her at that time to this city, and subsequently reached the Rio Grande by another route.