[Translation.]
Señor Romero to Mr. Seward
Mexican Legation in the United
States of America, Washington,
July 6, 1866.
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to remit to
you, for the information of the government of the United States, a copy
of No. 19 of the official newspaper
[Page 177]
of the constitutional government of the Mexican
republic, published at Paso del Norte the 7th of June last, in which you
will see the official report which General Pesqueira, governor of the
state of Sonora, gave to the department of war and marine on the 10th of
May last, of the military operations of the forces of the united
brigades of Sonora and Jalisco, under his orders, and which resulted in
the taking of the city of Hermosillo, which occurred on the 4th of May
aforesaid.
This occasion to renew to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most
distinguished consideration is very gratifying to me.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
[From the official paper of the
constitutional government of the Mexican republic,
Paso del Norte, June 7,
1866.—Extracts.—Translation.]
Government and military command of the state of Sonora–Republican
army, united brigades of Sonora and Jalisco.
Under date of 8th May, General Martinez makes to these headquarters
the report following:
On the 1st instant I set out from this point to attack Hermosillo;
bivouacked in the field in front of San José de Pimas. On the 2d
reached Zubiate, and at night halted near Hermosillo; at dawn
reached the suburbs.
Before reaching Zubiate caught some scouts of the enemy; made three
prisoners; the officer in command escaped.
Two leagues from Hermosillo we met some twenty men of the enemy’s
advance; killed three, took three, and scattered the rest. Among the
killed was the commander, the traitor Captain Estrada. -Learned from
the prisoners that Hermosillo was garrisoned by about 300 men, among
them fifty of the Foreign Legion, all under orders of the traitor
José M. Tranquilino Almada.
The scouting detachment, which took the direction of Guaymas,
captured two officers— the one a Mexican, the other a Spaniard
called José de la Rosa, adjutant to Almada. He was shot; the Mexican
was forgiven.
The enemy was checked in sevaral attempts to get off. He made a sally
on the Guaymas route, which was covered by the scouting party under
command of Petronilo Silvia. On the 4th I began the attack on the
height defended by the Foreign Legion. At half-past nine we were
masters of the place; part of the Foreign Legion escaped with
Almada. The enemy abandoned more than 200 muskets, two pieces of
artillery, and their munitions. I found many dead, most of the
Foreign Legion. Our loss was small, about thirty killed and
wounded.
Some repetition of the same report is made by Colonel Morales, which
in due form is despatched to the government by Pesqueira, governor
of Sonora.
[No other mention is made of foreigners than as members of the
Foreign Legion; none whatever of American citizens.—Tr.]
