Gentlemen: In reply to your note of this morning, asking my opinion as to what force of Texas rangers will, for the present, be necessary to be kept in the service for the protection of this frontier, I have the honor to state: In my opinion, the two companies of rangers now in the service of the State are sufficient. I have but one company of cavalry at my disposal, and this force I consider entirely inadequate for the security of the frontier, as I am not authorized to cross the river into Mexico, where the marauders recruit and organize, and to where they flee for safety when pursued.
The ease with which incursions can be made from the other side will make it exceedingly difficult to give protection, unless the troops are authorized to occupy the opposite side of the river.
S P. Heintzelman,
Major U. S. Infantry, Com’g Brownsville Expedition.
Messrs. Angel Navarro and Robt. H. Taylor,
Commissioners, State of Texas.
Sir: From and after this date your movements and the troops under your command will be directed by Major Heintzelman, or other commanding officer of the U. S. army on this frontier. You will, therefore, obey all orders emanating from such officer.
Respectfully,
A. Navarro,
Robt. H. Taylor,
State Commissioners.
Captain J. S. Ford,
Com’dg Texan Rangers on Rio Grande frontier.
Sir: I avail myself of a few moments time before the departure of the steamer to advise you of an engagement with the outlaw, Cortinas.
On Friday, on my march from Rio Grande City to this place, at the same time guarding the steamer Ranchero, on her way also from Rio Grande City to this place, she was fired into from the Mexican bank of the river, at a rancho called the Balsa; the fire was promptly returned from the steamer, with a small piece of artillery which she had on board, after which she landed on this side of the river. Just at this time I met Captains Ford and Littleton with their companies on their march up the river, when a hasty consultation was had, and it was resolved that the troops should cross the river in pursuit of the enemy, which resolution was promptly, executed and about sixty men, consisting of detachments from Tomlinsons, Fords, and Littleton’s companies, crossed to the Mexican side and attacked the enemy in his position, which consisted of a barricade, and after a sharp conflict of about one hour and a half completely routed him. The enemy had about 200 men and I think lost about 25 or 30 men. No Americans were killed; one wounded mortally and two slightly.
I had, on my way down, previous to the firing into the Ranchero, several skirmishes with the enemy on this side, and took from him some two hundred head of beeves.
The time is so short that I cannot furnish details; by next steamer I will transmit you a detailed report. I am very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm. G. Tobin,
Major, Commanding Rangers.
His exc’y Gov. Sam. Houston, Austin Texas.
Dear General: The Mexicans since yesterday’s fight, of which I have no report as yet, are arming everything that can carry a gun, and I anticipate much trouble here. I have therefore thought proper to keep Tomlinson’s company in service until I hear from you; I think it necessary; I believe a general war is inevitable, the authorities of Matamoras have armed the populace, some of whom were in the fight on Friday; new arms have been distributed to all the rancheros, so I apprehend trouble. I shall therefore take the responsibility to retain Tomlinson until further orders from you, which I can get, if you write by return mail, in twelve days.
Truly yours,
Robert H. Taylor.
The undersigned, one of the commissioners appointed to investigate the causes, origin, and progress of the disturbances on the Rio Grande river, begs leave to make the following condensed report of the facts substantially contained in our report submitted to your excellency, dated at Brownsville, Texas, February 4, 1860.
We have come to the conclusion from our observation and from testimony of divers persons, that the difficulty was originally occasioned by a private feud between Juan Nepomucena Cortinas, and sundry individuals of the county of Cameron.
We find the testimony taken that this man Cortinas, is a thief and a murderer, as an indictment for murder has been standing against him since the year 1850, and he never has been arrested. In the month of July last, he had the audacity in open daylight, in the streets of Bownsville, to attack and shoot the city marshal, and rescue a person from the hands of said marshal.
On the 28th of September last, we find this man Cortinas, at the head of a band of forty outlaws, at daybreak, attacking the county jail, killing the jailor, one Johnson, and a Mexican, in whose house Johnson sought refuge; killing a young man by the name of Neale, and a man in the garrison named Morris. He then deliberately paraded the streets of Brownsville, demanding that the citizens should give up to his vengence certain men named. Immediately afterwards he fortified his mother’s rancho, collecting around him all the ruffians he could from both sides of the river and bid defiance to the authorities. Sometime in October last he was attacked in his defences. A part of his forces met a party of Captain Tobin’s command, and defeated the latter at Palo Alto. On the 14th of December last, Major Heintzelman, United States army, joining the Texas troops with his command, completely routed Cortinas’s force. After that he recruited his band to four or five hundred men, and concentrated his force at Rio Grande City, and on the 27th of December last, that same gallant officer, Major Heintzelman, with Captains Ford and Tobins, of the Texas troops, completely routed him and dispersed his force, and it was supposed he was entirely broken up. Since then he has been encamped eight miles above Matamoras on the Mexican side of the river, recruiting and sending his parties into Texas stealing cattle and horses and replenishing his commissarat, ready to cross as he may think proper.
All this, we believe, is known to the Mexican authorities. It is our opinion that the authorities on the Mexican side of the river are cognizant now, and have been all the while of his movements, and that his men have been armed by them, and he has been furnished ammunition, and received aid and comfort from the beginning. His parties cross the river daily in squads of two, three, or more, and at night have driven across the river stock, horses, and cattle, to the amount of more than a thousand dollars.
We believe that Cortinas is sustained by Mexican money and arms. He is kept for the purpose of aiding the reactionists or priest party, in the event of the ratification of the McLean treaty. He has, we have no doubt, between Camargo and Matamoras, five hundred men subject to his order; they are stationed at the crossings between the two places. When our troops move up or down the river they can be seen at any time in armed parties of ten, fifteen, and as high as fifty, and they have appeared on the opposite bank and defied our troops. Such is the state of affairs on the Rio Grande. The ranchos or farms are destroyed or abandoned; the cattle and horses, as far out as the arroyo Colorado, have been driven off; and, in fact, the whole country from Brownsville to Rio Grande City, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, is an utter desolation. The Mexican families have, with a few exceptions, crossed the river, and are encamped, many of them, without house or shelter. There is no security for life or property on the Rio Grande except at Brownsville or in the immediate presence of the military. Finding this state of things when we arrived at Brownsville, and Major Heintzelman being absent at the time at Ringgold barracks, we concluded that the United States force, joined with two companies of rangers, would afford protection to the frontier; and finding Captain Tobin’s command without organization, muster-rolls, or anything like discipline, we ordered Major Tobin to Brownsville for discharge. We concluded that these companies were not entitled to a major. We discharged Captain Walker’s company on the day _____ of January, and mustered a new company under the late law.
On the 1st day of February, instant, we discharged Captain Littleton’s company, and after a reorganization, mustered it in again. Rolls are herewith transmitted. Captain John S. Ford is the senior officer, and will command under instructions from the United States officer commanding that frontier.—(See our order dated February 4, 1860, and also letter from Major Heintzelman, as to the necessity of keeping two companies in the field.)
Attached we submit a copy of an order of the governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico, to General Guadalupe Garcia, military commandant of the line of the Bravo, directing the dispersion of Cortinas’s band. But the state of feeling toward Americans is so hostile that the Mexicans cannot check him. Nothing but anarchy and discord reigns in Mexico, and, in our opinion, the only way to stop these disturbances is to occupy the right bank of the Rio Bravo. In this we are sustained by the opinion of the military commandant. This boundary line is worse than an imaginary one, and to defend what we already possess, it is necessary for us to adopt a line of defences west of the Rio Bravo.
The feeling against Americans on account of former fillibustering expeditions, together with the bad feeling engendered by the treaty of the Juarez government, is such that we can no longer live as neighbors in peace.
It then becomes those in authority in our government to take steps, to the end that at least American life and property may for the future be secure. General Guadalupe Garcia, commandant of the line of the Bravo, called on us and assured us that he would use all means in his to break up the rendezvous of Cortinas in Mexico. We believe he is not able to do it, from the fact that a large majority of the Mexicans, and those in power, too, sympathize with the bandit, Cortinas.
A. Navarro.
Gen. Sam Houston,
Governor of the State of Texas.
Statements of witnesses enclosed.
1, William Nelson; 2, A: Werbiskie; 3, Adolphus Glaruke; 4, 0.H. Carolan; 5, Charles Stillman; 6, Robert Shears; 7, Thaddeus Rhodes; 8, J. Turner.
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1.
State of Texas, County of Cameron:
My name is William Nelson. I am the clerk of the district court of Cameron county. I have lived here since July, 1848. I am acquainted with Juan Nepomuceno Cortinas. I know of an indictment pending in the district court of this county against said Cortinas since 1850, for murder. During the time that I have acted as clerk I have issued capias for the arrest of Cortinas, and, in fact, I know that there has been a capias in the hands of the sheriff ever since the indictment was found. I believe that through the influence of politicians or political manœuvering the arrest of said Cortinas was heretofore prevented. There are _____ indictments pending against said Cortinas, of which there are three for cattle stealing, and others, copies of which are hereto attached. I am satisfied that the authorities of Matamoras are cognizant of the fact of Cortinas’s men being in that city, and that they sympathize with him, and even encourage him in his movements, at least privately, if not openly; and I am satisfied that in his band there are many Mexicans from the opposite side of the river, as well as from this side, and that all of them are Mexicans or of Mexican origin. I believe that a certain movement made here in 1848, commonly known as the territorial movement, at which time a great many speeches and addresses were made in the English and Spanish languages, tended to impress the Mexicans on this side of the river with the idea that Texas had no claims to the territory on this side of the Nueces river, or at least that her claim to said territory was doubtful; and I believe that up to this time, from the fact that the Mexicans are generally ignorant of our language and our laws, are impressed with the idea that the territory or lands west of Nueces river are held by Texas by a doubtful title, and that her claim is questionable. The honorable representative from Hidalgo and Cameron county, now in the legislature of the State of Texas, took an active part in the territorial movement and made speeches. I am satisfied that the reason why Cortinas was not arrested on the old indictment was because he was known to be an influential man in elections, and that some of our officers feared him on account of his political influence, and wishing to use him for political purposes, he was treated with a great deal of leniency, more so than any other criminal in this country.
W. W. Nelson.
Signed before us this 17th January, 1860.
Angel Navarro.
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80 i.
2.
Statement of A. Werbiskie.
State of Texas, County of Cameron.
My name is A. Werbiskie; I live in Brownsville; I have been living in this county since 1848; I am well acquainted with Juan Nepomuceno Cortinas. Five or six days after the first attack of Cortinas upon the town of Brownsville, I had an interview with him at his mother’s rancho, about seven or eight miles from here; Cortinas asked me whether I was authorized to guarantee to him that he would not be molested by the Americans if he attempted to cross his stock to the Mexican side of the river; I told him I was not, but that I thought he would not be molested; he stated to me at that time that he intended to cross his property to the other side of the river, and that as to his enemies, those persons that had wronged him, that he would take revenge from them whenever he would meet them; that world was large, and that he would probably meet them at some place.
Cortinas’s stock was estimated at about three or four hundred head of cattle, and two manadas of horses, (about fifty head.) Before the difficulty of Cortinas with Bob Shears, which was in the month of August last, if I recollect right, which resulted in the shooting of Shears by Cortinas, I know of my own knowledge that Juan N. Cortinas used to come into the city of Brownsville three or four times a month, or in fact whenever he pleased, and walked publicly in the streets of Brownsville, for although I understand there was an indictment pending against him for some connexion in the killing of somebody, and another indictment for stealing, yet it seems that these things had been hushed or looked over, as he was friendly with the sheriff, Brown, and, I believe, that if that difficulty with Marshall Shears had not occurred, Cortinas would not have been troubled with the authorities of Brownsville, for it seems so from the fact that he had not been arrested before when he was often in the city, and could have been arrested.
I think the first origin of the whole difficulty of Cortinas rising and taking arms, arose from some private quarrels which he had with Adolphe Glaruke and others, as Cortinas thought, or at least professed, that he had been treated wrong.
After he took the first steps, considering that he had done something to put himself out of the pale of the law, I believe he has become desperate, and has endeavored to do wrong as much as possible. When he made the first attack upon Brownsville, if he had been willing to do it, he could have robbed and sacked the whole town. I know nothing of the depredations that he has committed, only from hearsay. The report is that he has destroyed a great deal of property in the way of cattle, &c. I do not know of any connexion of the Mexican officials with the movements of Cortinas, but I do know that some of Cortinas’s men, and particularly some of his head men, cross over to Matamoras, and that they are allowed to remain there without being molested by the Mexican authorities.
A. Werbiskie.
Sworn and subscribed before me this 10th of January, 1860.
S. Powers,
Chief Justice Cameron County, Texas.
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3.
On the 16th of January, 1860, Adolphus Glaruke, a resident of Cameron county, appeared before me, the undersigned authority, and who, being duly sworn, made oath, and says:
That I knew Juan Nepomuceno Cortinas since eighteen hundred and thirty-six. In 1847 he was employed by a gentleman, Mr. Somerville, to buy eighty mules for him, and, after buying those mules, he started with his employer into the interior, but only nine miles from the river he murdered Mr. Somerville, and drove his mules to Brazos St. Jago, and sold them there to our government, for which he was indicted, but never arrested. In 1849 he, in company with Juan Chapa, Juan Itrocha, and others, came over and attacked a train of carts, loaded with dry goods, belonging to Charles Stilman & Bro., and robbed it of a large amount of goods, which he carried with him over the river.
In 1852 he again crossed with a band of robbers, and attacked and tied down a servant of A. T. Mason and a shepherd of T. B. Bigelow, within six miles of Brownsville, and drove off some forty head of horses and mares, and killed at the same time fourteen fat sheep belonging to T. B. Bigelow.
Since that time he has avoided the law more than before, but he has regularly kept up making his sallies into our county, and principally in the moon nights, driving off large droves of cattle into Mexico, up to November, 1858, when I followed him over the river, and found and brought back some of my cattle, one of John T. Cross’s, and two of Mr. Mallet’s, which I found fifteen miles from the river, at a rancho called Mayelles. In the spring term of our court I had him indicted for his numerous robberies, and since then he has been seeking my life, and consequently watching his movements closely on both sides of the river. I knew that he had a captain’s commission to raise one hundred men to assist the Federals at Tampico, and I further know that he did pay his men regularly two dollars per week, and that he received this money from Matamoras. All this I learned from his own men, to wit: Minguil de los Santos and Guadalupe Baryenao, both very intimate with Cortinas.
Of the shooting of our city marshal in July, 1859, I know nothing, being absent at the time.
In the month of August, 1859, I wrote several letters to Miguil Tijerina, esq , in Matamoras, requesting him to let me know whether Cortinas was really going to start for Tampico, having then his men quartered in Matamoras, and he always assured me that he was on the eve of starting, Tijerina being the commander of the cavalry.
On or about the 14th of September, 1859, I saw Tijerina in person, and he again assured me that he was going to start with Cortinas the day after the celebration of the 16th of September.
On or about the 24th of September, I again spoke to Tijerina, and complained a great deal to him about the loss of so many beeves which Cortinas was robbing to kill for his men every day, and that I for one would not believe that Cortinas ever would leave the river, and he again assured me that he was going to start him off, although not to Tampico, but to Camargo. I further know that he had crossed the river with about thirty men, with the rumor that he was leaving for Camargo, and did receive twenty horses to mount his men, and not receiving any order to march, he recrossed the river and attacked our town on the 28th of the same month.
On or about the 14th of October he crossed over into Mexico with his whole force, and encamped there at the Rancho Sabinito, only nine miles above Matamoras, and he and his men were greeted everywhere in and out of Matamoras, and never were prosecuted by the Mexican authority. I now know he has a camp within thirty miles above Matamoras, on that side of the river, and that a good many of his officers and men are daily seen in Matamoras, and that they are greeted instead of prosecuted. I further know that the authorities of Matamoras did arrest three men belonging to Cortinas, to wit: Justo M. Trevino, Maryelo J. Carra, and Encarnation Carrillo, but not on account of being implicated with Cortinas, but on account of thefts committed on that side of the river.
Adolphus Glaruke.
Sworn to and subscribed before me, the undersigned justice of the peace, this January 17, 1860.
William D. Thomas,
Justice of the Peace, Cameron county, Teacas, Precinct No. 7.
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4.
Statement of O. H. Carolan.
The State of Texas, County of Cameron.
My name is O. H. Carolan; I reside in the city of Brownsville, Texas; I left Brownsville last Saturday with the intention of going to Rio Grande City to settle some business with the rangers; on the day I left this place, about 5 or 6 o’clock p. m., I reached a Mexican rancho on the Mexican side of the river, which is about thirty miles from Brownsvile; three men were in company with me; Justo Trevino and his brother, José Trevino, and an American; when I reached the rancho I ascertained from the Mexicans at the rancho that Cortinas was camped about a league from there, and they advised me not to go any further, as they thought we would run a risk of our lives; I stayed at this rancho all Saturday night and Sunday; on Sunday I sent José Trevino to get some information; he returned late in the afternoon, Sunday, and reported that Cortinas was up there with about one hundred and fifty men, and was receiving reinforcements; and I ascertained that it was not safe to travel on the other side of the river, as all the ranchos above that place up to Reynosa were in arms against the Americans; Cortinas was at the rancho called La Balsa; on Sunday night late I saw Cortinas’s camp; from common report I ascertained that he had then about one hundred and fifty men; I was told this by Cheno Cabazas, a man at whose rancho Cortinas had been the night previous; on Monday morning, I ascertained that he had crossed to this side of the river about forty men; and that on the night of that day he would cross over the balance of his force; I knew several persons on the Mexican side of the river, at the rancho, who were pointed out to me as Cortinas’s men; that Monday evening I returned to Brownsville; I am satisfied from what I saw, and from all the circumstances and information obtained, that in all those ranchos above where I stopped, up to Reynosa, on the Mexican side of the river, Cortinas’s men harbored with full knowledge of the owners of the ranchos, or those who stay there; I am satisfied that the authorities of Matamoras are cognizant of the fact of Cortinas being up there, and have full knowledge of his whereabouts; I am likewise satisfied that Cortinas’s men come and go out of Matmaoras whenever they please, and with full knowledge of the authorities of the town, and even at this time there are some of his men that walk the streets of Matamoras publicly; I know of my own knowledge that shortly after the first attack of Cortinas upon Brownsville, Cortinas was publicly serenaded in Matamoras, and, from all the circumstances, I am well satisfied that the Mexican authorities and generally all the Mexicans give aid and assistance, if not openly, privately, to Cortinas and sympathize with him; on the night previous to the first attack upon Brownsville there was a ball at Matamoras; on the night of the fight with Cortinas, when the Mexicans from Matamoras fought with him, it was notoriously known here that ammunition and provisions were sent to Cortinas from Matamoras; I believe this was somewhere about the 13th or 14th of October last, and the day after the fight I heard Mexicans in Matamoras conversing about the fight and telling how the Americans run; at that time I was clerking at the French consuls in Matamoras; I understand the Spanish language tolerably well; I know that Mexicans on the other side are authorised to constitute themselves into a police force to prevent Americans to cross after Cortinas.
O. H. Carolan.
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this January 13, 1860.
