[From the
Houston (Texas) TelegraphMay 5.]
Our gallant Bill
Scurry, with his ‘"ragged Texans,"’ has gained another victory over the
Federals in
New Mexico.
The importance of this victory will be understood when the strategy that led to it is explained.
Glorietta is the name of a canon about is old Fort Union road.
Fort Union lies a little north of the
St. Louis and
Santa Fe road, and is about 70 miles from Santa Fe. From the east of the mountain there are two passes, one through this canon and one at Galisteo.
Fort Union, the strangest fort in
New Mexico, has been heavily not only with regulars, but with powerful detachment of
Pike's Peak volunteers: It is to be observed that
Pike's Peak is about 200 miles north of
Santa Fe, and the population is made up of adventurous men from the
Northwestern States.
They are naturally abolitionists, and, being without the ties of family, have volunteered answer to Canbys call for help against the
Texans.
There was a regiment of them in
Val Verde, and they were driven from the field.
After the battle of
Val, Verde, Sinley pushed on and occupied
Northern New Mexico, including Santa Fe. He took
Santa Fe on the 15th of March, and since that has established his headquarters there.
On taking possession he raised the
Confederate flag, made on captured U. S. flag on the
Federal had a salute fired from a captured Federal battery, and Dixie played on the of a captured U. S. band.
On the night of the 23d
Sibley, then buguerque, learned that the enemy, strong, had left Fort Union on the 22d.
It is the same we have heard via
St. Louis Prom was in command of 150 Texans at
Santa Fe.
Gen. Sibley at once sent
Major Shiro, shire forward to reinforce him, with orders to hold Canon
Glorietta at all hazard.
He also sent
Col. Scurry to Galisteo, to guard the other pass, with orders to repair to Pyrones support in case he was attacked.
The object was to guard both canons, and by which the enemy approached to concentrate bo forces and attack him, These points are but 13 miles apart.
On the evening of the 26th, Pyrom guard reached
Johnston's Rancho at the mouth of the
Canon Glorietta.
Soon after picket of thirty men started to explore the canon.
The found the enemy in ambush who at once attacked them and stock the whole picket, but one, prisoners, and sent them at once to Fort Union.
This gave Pyrom the alarm, and he at once placeable cannon in battery to command the mouth of the canon, and opened fire on the enemy holding them at bay the whole evening.
Meanwhile he sent a dispatch to
Scurry to help.
The messenger did not reach
Scurry, camp till midnight.
Scurry at once put his command in motion and reached Pyrom, in two hours and took command of the whole force, while then embraced 1,100 men. These men embraced detachments from all the movements and two sections of
Teel's battery.
It should be mentioned that Pyrom had a upon an armistice to bury the dead and remove the wounded till 8 in the morning.
On the expiration of the armistice,
Scurry opened the ball with the discharge of the guns in the mouth of the canon.
The enemy replied at once with rifles, their cannon hit in the rear.
This was kept up for half or three quarters of an hour, when
Scurry ordered charge.
Our boys drove them from their position, and then followed them through the canon, a distance of five miles. The fighting was most desperate.
The enemy had the their mountain howitzers, after the first mile.
There were four gallant charges made by boys, and three by the regulars of the enemy.
We should have stated that the enemy's forces was two regiments of
Pike's Peakers and the regulars, the latter being all old regular S. dragoons, commanded by
Capt. Howitzer, of the old U. S. mounted rifles.
Their conduct was itself equal to their reputation.
For six full hours the battle raged in the canon, when the enemy was driven from the same end they went in at.
Scurry now charged them again, and put them to utter rout, following them ten miles, when his men were too exhausted to go further, and the chase was discontinued.
The enemy left 500 men killed and wounded in the canon, and lost 200 besides.
Our loss was sixty-eight killed and wounded, including the brave
Major Raguet and
Capt. Charley Buckholts, (of
Austin,) of the 4th regiment, and
Major Shropshire, of
Colorado, of the 5th regiment.
Scurry's conduct was most gallant.
He never flagged, and was always the same Bill
Scurry, full of humor, we all knew so well.
He always carries the same laugh on the battle field he does everywhere.
He was wounded in both cheeks by Minnie balls.
Pyrom had his horse blown from under him by a shell.
Rev. L. R. Jones,
Chaplain of
Kelly's regiment, was wounded.
He was, at the time, holding a white flag over the body of a dying man and administering to him the comforted of religion.
He was severely wounded by a Minnie ball, but we trust not mortally.
During the fight, the enemy sent a flanking force and got possession of
Scurry's wagons, four miles distant, and burned them.
We have no list of the killed and wounded further than the above.
Gen. Sibley is fully alive to his situation — With a small force of fighting men now under his command, he has about 3,000 men to fight, but he has all the important points, the and an army of scouts, and is determined to cut his enemy up in detail.
Having routed the force at Canon
Glorietta, on its way to reinforce force
Canby at
Fort Craig, he has set the forces to watching for
Canby.
It was
Canby's plan to meet his reinforcements, form a junction with them, and
Sibley, but
Sibley never waits to be attacked.
At the time of the battle of
Glorietta Canby was already on his way up.
Sibley set out to meet him, and our informant believes that by the 7th or 8th of April he must have met him and had another fight.
Canby's force was about 2,800, made up of 800 regulars and 2,000 New Mexican volunteers.
Sibley was moving against him with his whole force.
If he did meet him there is no doubt he whipped him again, and is now in possession of all west of Fort Union.
Fort Craig is abandoned and blown up.
Capt. had but two guns, when
Sibley had a full battalion of 14 guns, under
Teel.
We expect to hear a good account of on boys there yet though we should be glad to see some heavy reinforcements going to the help.
We believe
Sibley will be able to maintain himself in the
Territory.
If he does, the importance of his conquest cannot be overestimated.
