Major Heintzelman to Colonel Seawall.
Headquarters Brownsville Expedition,
Fort Brown, Texas, January 29, 1860.
Sir: I have the honor to report that I left Roma on the 15th and arrived here on the 21st of January with Captain Stoneman’s company of cavalry.
On the march along the main road we found all the ranchos deserted, (and many burned,) with the exception of a Mexican family at Edinburg, and another at a place called “Los Peñitos,” until we came almost in sight of this town.
At San Rosario, thirty-five to forty miles from here, five or six Mexicans were seen and pursued, but they escaped into the chapparal. These, undoubtedly, were some of the Cortinas men, as at this place the mail-carrier was stopped and robbed a few days before. This is the only place on the road at which we saw any signs of the enemy.
We have frequent accounts of small parties being on this side of the river, stealing cattle, and several individuals have been arrested who certainly belonged to them.
The three companies of the 8th infantry, ordered to form a camp near Laredo, are too far off to cooperate with me. There does not appear to be any necessity for more than one company at that point. As they are only ordered to cooperate, I have hesitated about asking them to come further down. I could employ them with advantage below Edinburg.
I will send Captain Stoneman’s company to escort from this point, some twenty-five miles above, and, with another company of cavalry to be employed above that, considerable security would be afforded along the river. Complete security can only be obtained by crossing the river into Mexico, or by more active exertions on the part of the Mexican authorities in arresting these parties. These marauding parties have the active sympathy of all the lower classes of the Mexican population. When Cortinas escaped to the other side, after his defeat on the 27th of December last, many small parties were seen, mostly unarmed. Now they are found at various points, well supplied with arms, ammunition, and supplies, and must be paid from funds obtained from the Mexican population. Small parties cross daily, steal cattle, or interrupt the travel and mails, and, when discovered, recross, being protected by their comrades on the other side. Cortinas himself was recognized by a party of rangers a few days ago, when they made a prisoner (caught stealing cattle) of one of his men, who was with him in Brownsville on the 28th of September.
The mail has now failed for the past week, and has, no doubt, been intercepted.
Every rancho owned by an American has been destroyed, and it is not safe for one to return to his home under the present situation of affairs. The Mexicans who are friendly are also afraid, and the consequence is, that although now is the time to prepare to put in a crop, not a plough is in the ground. Everywhere on the other side I saw preparations going on, or ploughing.
From the distracted state of parties at Matamoras it is idle to expect any active measures to put a stop to this state of affairs. There is not, therefore; and any movement in such a direction would prove exceedingly unpopular with the masses.
I intended to return immediately to Ringgold barracks, but I fnd it advisable to remain here until the country becomes more quiet. In Matamoras there is a strong fear of an invasion’ from this side.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
S. P. HEINTZELMAN,
Major 1st Infantry, Commanding Expedition.
Capt. Jno. Withers,
Assist. Adjt. Gen. U. S. A., San Antonio, Texas.
A report in Difficulties on Southwestern Border, House Documents, Volume 126; Volume 128, United States House of Representatives, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1860
During the 12 years following the Mexican-American War there were present on the frontiers of Texas and Mexico many factors that tended to create disturbances. The topography of the country, the sparsity and general character of its population, the lack of an extradition treaty and of sufficient national authority, wild Indians of uncertain abode, the Mexican tariff system, all caused friction and gave encouragement to lawlessness which not only retarded the development of the region but often threatened to interrupt friendly relations between the two republics. [Border Troubles along the Rio Grande, 1848-1860, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 2 (OCTOBER, 1919)]