THE STATE OF UNCERTAINTY ALONG THE BORDER IN 1864

(Ed.'s Note: With, buta year left before the Confederate States of America surrendered to the Union forces, South Texas was awash in rumors of a Union force of raiders leaving Brownsville on their way to Austin or San Antonio to attack those cities. 

The rumor - that was credited to Santos Benavides, the CSA commander in Laredo - and that spread through Central Texas like wildfire - was not true, but it did shed light on some of the events on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

In the Feb.16 issue of the Weekly Telegraph, from Houston, editor E.H. Cushing urges the residents of Austin and San Antonio to go to the rooftops and kill the rumored raider forces. Then he cites a private letter indicating that Matamoros was peaceful under the guidance of Tamaulipas Governor Juan Cortina and that no such force had left Brownsville.)

"The whole force of 1,500 comprising negros, Mexicans and Yankees, is to be wiped out. We hope our citizens in Austin will take a lesson from their neighbors in San Antonio, and will be equally prepared to meet the enemy on his approach to the Capitol.

"To be forewarned is to be forearmed" and the good people of San Antonio cannot complain that they have not had timely notice of this expedition, as it is just 17 days since it was reported to have started from Brownsville.

"We saw a private letter from Matamoros this morning dated 18 January, but it did not even allude to the getting up of any expedition, which is somewhat singular; and as nothing has been seen or heard of them since their reported departure, it is more than probable it is nothing more than a beef-stealing foray, which will not extend beyond the coast county.

"The letter alluded to from Matamoros says (Juan N.) Cortina is Governor of Tamaulipas and fills the office most ably. We are rather surprised to learn from a gentleman who saw him lately that instead of the greaser bandit, which we had supposed him to be, he is a man of superior attainments, gentlemanly deportment, and quite competent to fill the officer of Governor, as well, if not better, than many of his predecessors

"Things were all quiet in Matamoros, business has commence again as usual and everything bid fair to continue to move along peacefully and quietly. There was no truth in the French having made any demonstrations before the city as reported.

"The order from General Smith, prohibiting all further business intercourse with Mexico, has caused a general advance on everything here in the price of anything imported, while Confederate money is rated, in business transactions at not less than 20 to 1.

"Under this order, not a bale of cotton or a yard of calico can cross the Rio Grande until the settlement of the difficulty pending, in relation to the seizure of cotton is settled."