Battle of La Bolsa
Progreso, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1859 and early 1860 a series of raids on Texas settlements led by Juan N. Cortina (1824-1894) led to skirmishes with companies of Texas Rangers and U.S. soldiers. These conflicts became known as the Cortina Wars. On February 4, 1860, a battle occurred at La Bolsa Bend (ca. 1 mi. S.) between Cortina's raiders and Capt. John S. "Rip" Ford's Texas Rangers. The Rangers successfully defended the riverboat "Ranchero", traveling downstream from Rio Grande City, from an attack by Cortina's band. Cortina escaped into Mexico and later became a general in the Mexican Army. (1991)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1859 and 1860 Juan N. Cortina led a series of raids on Texas settlements along the lower Rio Grande, sparking the clashes known as the Cortina Wars. On February 4, 1860, Cortina's raiders met Capt. John S. "Rip" Ford's Texas Rangers at La Bolsa Bend, where the Rangers beat back an attack on the riverboat Ranchero as it steamed down from Rio Grande City. Cortina slipped across into Mexico, where he later rose to become a general in the Mexican Army.
Why it matters
The Cortina Wars exposed the volatile, contested borderland the Rio Grande had become after the U.S.-Mexico War, where ethnic tension, cross-border grievance, and Ranger power collided.
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Related people
- · Juan N. Cortina
- · John S. "Rip" Ford
Related events
- · Cortina Wars
- · Battle of La Bolsa
Themes & tags
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