Battle of Rio Grande City

Cortina's right flank was on the Rio Grande.^[1]: 271 Major Ford's Texas Rangers were to turn the left flank of Cortina (on a little hill overlooking the town) while Major Heintzelman approached with his artillery at dawn on the 27th. At daylight, Major Ford drove in Cortina's picket, forced back a reconnoitering party, fired into Ringgold Barracks, forced it back, gained the crest of the hill and found the town empty.^[1]: 273 Cortina's artillery was on the Roma road and under a heavy fog, but Lt. Fry's detachment silenced it.^[1]: 273 Cortina's cavalry charged but Ford's troops left "Cortina's bold riders...on the ground."^[1]: 273 The Mexicans started to retreat at which time Heintzleman's troops arrived and helped Ford pursue the Mexicans to the river, killing many and forcing them to abandon their artillery.^[1]: 274

Cortina's forces retreated into Mexico near Guerrero and Mier.^[1]: 275 Major Heintzelman moved up the Rio Grande to Roma while Ford marched to Brownsville forming a new company of eighty-three Texas Rangers.^[1]: 281 On 2 February 1860, Ford and his Texas Rangers were placed under the command of Major Heintzelman and was responsible for clearing "the country of robbing bands" and defending the steamer Ranchero's passage from Rio Grande City to Brownsville from Cortina.^{[1]: 280–281} On 4 February, Ford and forty-eight Rangers crossed into Mexico, confronted Cortina's forces around La Bolsa and forced them to flee.^{[1]: 282–286} Ford stayed on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande until 6 February when he received assurances the Ranchero would not be attacked.^[1]: 289 The Ranchero reached Brownsville safely on 8 February.^[1]: 289

Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee relieved Major Heintzelman and the Mexican authorities offered to restrain "their citizens from making predatory descents upon the territory and people of Texas...this was the last active operation of the Cortina War".^{[1]: 305–306}

26°22′44″N 98°49′13″W / 26.3788°N 98.8203°W / 26.3788; -98.8203