October 18, 1859
September 30, 1859.
I want to tell you of the deplorable condition in which our government has left us some few months since all the troops were removed from this frontier, and we have been since at the mercy of any band of robbers and assassins who wanted to come into our town.
I want to tell you of the deplorable condition in which our government has left us some few months since all the troops were removed from this frontier, and we have been since at the mercy of any band of robbers and assassins who wanted to come into our town.
We knew that the removal of the troops would be the signal for outrages upon us, and we have each day been in dread of some attack.
On the morning of the 28th instant our fears were sadly realized by the presence in this town of a band of cutthroats and robbers, numbering from 150 to 300, inside and outside the town. I was in my bed, and heard a furious shouting in front of my house but thinking that, as there had been a large fandango and ball in Matamoras the evening previous, the shouting proceeded from some of those who had been at the ball and were drunk, I took no particular notice of them until I heard shouting,
“Hurrah for the supreme government of Mexico,” “Death to the Americans,”Hurrah for Cheno Cortinas,” “Let us kill the damned Americans.” This Cheno Cortinas is the captain of the band of murders, and his name is (Juan) Nepomuceno Cortinas, “Cheno” being his nickname. The band were all Mexicans, and some of the most vile of the race. I rose from bed and got some arms loaded, and got ready to sell my life dearly, as I expected each moment and attack to be made upon my house. When I saw that they did not appear to attack me, I sent for a Mexican friend of mine, to find out what had taken place.
The robbers were all mounted and well armed. They went to the jail and liberated all prisoners, and took them on horseback through the streets, and came in front of my house with them. The entrance of this band was so sudden and unexpected that we had no time to rally and rendezvous at any place, and hardly a person had any arms loaded in their homes, nor dare any American show his face in the streets, for it was almost certain death to him so to do.
After killing these men those mentioned and liberating the prisoners, the band then appeared to deliberate what to do, and it appears that they were to proceed in their blood shed, when, providentially for us, Miguel Tijerina, an officer of the Mexican government, came to our aid with various citizens of Matamoros, and through their instrumentality the assassins were persuaded to leave the town, and for the moment quiet was restored our neighbors of Matamoros behaved in the most kind manner.
Pedro José DelaGarza, collector of customs; Joaquin Arguelles, Military Commander; Leonardo Manso, Judge; Francisco Arguelles, Revenue Officer; Francisco Fuente, ditto; M. Cordova, Postmaster; Miguel Sayas, Revenue Officer; Francisco Hernandez, ditto; Matias Longoria (late Alcalde), Luis Nino, and all the Custom House house guard, and many others whose names I do not now remember.
Gen. José Maria Carvajal was here and aided materially to get the murderers to leave the town. These gentlemen, our neighbors, deserve all thanks for their kind and prompt aid to the town to our town.
Night before last and last night they had a strong guard in front of my home, on the Mexican side of the river to come over at a moments notice.
Last night they had 100 men – 50 cavalry and 50 infantry – and we had 60 men under arms in our town, and patrolling the streets, as we had notice that another attack was contemplated last night. Nothing happened, however. We have formed a company of soldiers, and will keep on guard until we get some help from our government we sent an extraordinary to San Antonio for assistance, and in the meantime we have to be under the humiliating necessity of relying partly for help on our neighbors of Matamoros.
Humiliating indeed to the United States government that a city of a commerce annually of some millions should have to call to the aid of a foreign nation to protect American citizens from outrage and also to protect United States property. The robbers took possession of the government grounds, and there had their sentinels stationed, and inside the government grounds committed murder most foul.
The United States government... must send us help or we will have to leave here, because this outrage may at any time be renewed, and we will have to keep under arms until we see whether the authorities will or will not help us... A neat spectacle for our government, is it not?
The United States government... must send us help or we will have to leave here, because this outrage may at any time be renewed, and we will have to keep under arms until we see whether the authorities will or will not help us... A neat spectacle for our government, is it not?
8 comments:
Nobody cares!
October 4, 2021 at 8:09 AM
Speak for yourself, I do and want to know more about las pinches ratas blancas that stole our ancestor's lands.
These are always great stories to read and learn about what was going on in this area great job GRACIAS
And who did our ancestors steal it from it’s funny we always wanna stop the story where our land was stolen from us but we never wanna go back to where we stole it from someone else
Pinches llorones time don't change anything los llorones cucarachos en la casa blance y estos rateros llorandoles a la casa blanca they steal the lands and cry foul...
The climb up the white house walls and get caught and start crying bola de mamones llorones hillbillys
October 4, 2021 at 11:07 AM
The land was abandon unused not the same. The gringos (your friends) took it after agriculture and ranches were already built cattle farms and family houses were also on the lands, los rinches and judges were in favor of gringos stealing land that people lived on. Its not the same and to top if off some were murdered. Read the history don't just fart because you have an As* Hol* moron.
This is for you Montoya 🖕 for not posting my comments!
These were land grants given by the king of Spain in the early 1700's, The land grants that were granted out by Mexico were in the 1800's. These heirs worked the land and cleared it. While the gringos came with slaves to steal the land. There is the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, which acknowledged the boundaries and recognizes that these land grants were PRIVATE property belonging to the heirs to these land grants.
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