The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-09


United States, and The Documents accompanying H. which
were laid before tho Senate Tuesday H rsisGive .
Indian and other depredasops 90 the borders q
To TIE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES -
In compliance with the resolution Of the Senate Of tho
$50 Of February, is0c transmit to that body commu
Dcaon Of the Secretary Of War furnishing AL the infor-
nation requested in said resolution. Y
WAR DEPARTMENT, March 8, 1890
SIR In answer 10 resolution OF the Senate Of the 2Sd
utmo requesting to be furnished with "any communca
ION which "msy have besr received from the Governor
OF the Safe OF Texas, anu the documents accompanying it,
concern pg alleged hosties existing the Rio Grande
and that State respectively have honor state that
IN preparing The papers called for by tbs resolution have
% @1 nss q perhaps Ok Inn
progress Of the troubles that border With this view
have made y nopss Of the transactions they appear
from papers on file in this office, but which are not sent
TO the Serate because they have not been called for
will appear from these documents that nothing could
exceed the contrariey Of statement and opnion even
amongst those having the beat opportunity Of kno wing
One thing lonly 10 certain, and that that from small
beginning these difficulties have rapidly increased until
hey seriously threaten the peace Of the two countries
On the 9th day Of February 1882 Breyet Major General
D E TwRes, then commanding the Military Department
without the sanction Of the War Department, issued
6ers directing the abandonment Of Fort Bro IN, Rnggold
Barracks and Fort Mcintosh, posts on the Rio Grandc,
Zach garrisoDsd by single company Of noops
The reasons assigned by General Twiggs for breaking
up these posts are given 10 comnnnlcsticn received
HEADQUARTERS DrrARrxExr OF TEXAS,
SRI have heard Dcidensly mot cSicisE ,Sss he De-
IN w.s not S Scr M r ~ he
Lieut. qsSs.. ding hs army and hi. ysrSs
SsSusI informed The Secretary q was 5'oush your saics
movements were not buried 10 order o give tune was
rot Sy the ,ssc,s.ry for e Ds
making daily nrosds upon DAabaats and having 90
%
frontier there not nor ever has besn danger q He,
nh.bisni.; and The cutlery Is. .rooos solely
S az ssu "a ad
plenty Of Indian ssns sssn Ths ciisos IN .As Vicinity q
ing portion q he mmss necessarily enpendsd By he
have respectfully ssy that have always
81 e. % sas o.. s. q s ret
my ability; ard source I0rticaon regret !, me
your 'f ssssi Major General ua,.s
Adiutant General U. 8. Army, Warrington.
It not thought proper countermand this order,
because Of the high military authority upan which was
made, and because II was believed that the movement
would have already been made before orders the
reason to apprehend any danger rom tho wndrsws Of
garrisoDs until the goth Of October, 1859, nfor
nation reached the department that Costinas with .
tember, entered Brownsville and murdered several
citize ps Of the place, besides committing repeated
Of plumber. This ormaon came through General
T~iegs, the officer in command Of that department,
and whom application made for troops protest
the place. The General promptly determined upon the
shall order company Of infantry TO the junction Of
the Leona and FRO rivers, to point below
Fort Duncan. detachment OF artillery has been Or
dered TO scout between Forts Clark and Duncan, and
company OF cavalry from Camp Hudson TO the same
point"
In addition to theac movements, orders were given
from this Department 70 General Twggs TO reoccupy Fort
On The 18th Of October this Information was conauni
cated to Hon. John Hemphi, Senator from Texas, in
response TO vt of the citizens OF Bro wnsve asking
for projection.
Disturbances, however, seemed 10 increase Browns
vile, and in consequence Of communications from the
above named Senator aud from the citizens Of the town,
relative the state OF affairs the Rio Grande
received the 3D. Of November 1885, orders given
rom this Department to move one company Of artillery
from Baton Rouge to Fort Brown, which order was
On the 18th Of November the following despatch was
received from General Twiggs;-' November II, 1867
General TWiggs reports express had just arrived
at bic headquarters with information that Brownsville had
bes burnt, and hundred killed by Cort-
He ordered companies Of foot and two or
borse under Major HeintzenaD, to take the neld"
This alarming sate Of affairs thus set forth BY tho COM
harding General seemed TO demand that prompt and
active measures ahould DO taken by the department.
orders were at once issued by telegraph TO Sumner
to send from Fort Lesvenworth two compau f light
artillery and three companies Of ioot and orders
cent to the at Fort Monroe send six
companies Of foot with all speed 10 the Rio Grande. But
the following despatch from the commanding General
came justin time TO prevent the above movement Of the
TO II asso. Twigss report, tbs that
couptermapded"
Very great and perplexing difficulties presented them
selves IN the progress Of these events TO determine upon
the proper line Of action 10 pursue. Cortnas repre-
snd a. citizen Of
private feud backed by and opposed TO citizens Of his
state But about the disorder and growing feeling Of his
ty between the Mexicans and Americans there could be
ooubt and ther efore dee ned proper
rate such force on the border as the means and AZ
the command of the department would authorize.
II ceran that Whatever may have been the origin or
the quarrel or who the parties 70 1t ct first il has
grown TO formidable and dangerous proportions Tho
band OF COItiDas increased rapidly, until its numbers
reached five hundred annd posted himself
the banks Of the Rio Grande, there keeping up
slant and friendly intercourse with the Mexican shore,
and maintaining an attitude of determined hostility
70 ell Americans so things remained until tho
path Of December, when Major Heintzelman, with
hundred and nifty regular troops, and hundred
and eighty Texan volunteers, fell in with Cornss strong
y posted, ard after sharp engagement routed him
TONS and killing about sixty Of the banal,ti. Cortinas
ed with his to the Mexican Shore where
across the river in defiance Of Mexican saorty they
attempt to exercise any, which Ia greatly questioned By
many intelligent men having good opportunities 70 OBJ
continually for the purposes OF theft and plumber
This state Of affairs, rs understand II, constitutes the
foundation Of tho report fhe Commissioners sent BY
the Governor Of Texas to the frontier examine into ali
the facts connected with the dur the border
upon their report he declares that Texas has been
invaded and be calls for the nterposition or tie feder
ann for the protection Of the citizens OF the State
This call Of the Governor 10 the nrst which has yet
been made by the authorities Of Texas for any assistance
in these dsur Dances from this government doubt be-
considered BY them, up to this time, as
matter involving local laws and interests rather than
such perained to the honor interests Of the Con-
fedeIacy.
But upon this call Of the Governor Of Texas and upon
the undenabe proof Of gross outrages committed upon
soil did not hesitate to order concentration Of all
the force upon the frontier which the exgeusles Of the
service elsewhere would allow Very respectfully, your
JoHNkB. FLOYD, Secretary Of War.
To IHR PRxapnx
ArsM, Feb. IL, 1850
SR-I have the honor to forward by my friend General
Forbes Brtcn Assistant Adutant General OF tho Sate
and prominent member Of The Slate Senate, dispatches
which deem d importance, and desire that his Excel
lenry the President aha conader the contents thereof
deplore the situation Of Texas An empty treasury,
the Indian troubles uncxampcd for the last years. and
the orsys from Mexico southern borders, we'll
calculated to impress the mind Of the Executive Of
State Of Texas with the intricaces Of the attitude which he
has, justice 10 his fellow citizens aud humanity To a.
sumo should the fcderalarm BE- speedily raised and
extended in behalf OF our suffering frontier