Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-03-13

money necessarily expended By the Govern
ment and troops
Ia conclusion, I have respectfully to say
that / have always, so far as i knew them,
carried out the views of the Secretary ana
Commanding General and shall still 40 SO 10
the best of my ability; and 1t is a source OF
modification add regret TO me 10 nho nave
failed in this instance.
Very respectfully. your ob't. ferVent,
ID. E. TwIGGs,
Brevet Major General o. s. Army,
40 Commanding Department
To Col s. CooPER. .-& -
Aeliutant Gen'I q. S. Army, Washington.
IL was not thought proper to countefmahd
this order, because OF the high military au
tbority upon which il was made, and because
it was believed that the movement would
have already been made before orders To fhe
contrary could reach the troops. There was
no we'll founded reason to appreheDd any
danger from the withdrawal of the garrIsons
until the 10th of October, 1859, Information
reaehed the Department that Cortinas, with
band of desper-does, bad, on the 9th OF sep
tember. entered Brownsville and murdered
several citizens of the place. besides commit
ting repeated acts of plumber. This Inl"rha
ton came through Gen. Twiggs, the oiflcer Id
command of that department. and TO whoin
application was made for troops to- prottct
ed upon the disposition of certain troops
which he thus explains: al shall order one
company of infantry to the junction of inc
LeOna and Frio rivers. and one TO Some point
below Fort Duncan. A detachment oil ar
tillery has b. en- ordered to scout between
Forts Clark and Duncan. and a company oi
cavalry from Camp Hudson 10 the same
poikt-"
In addition to these movements. orders
=
Twiggs TO re occupy Fort Brown Immediately
with two Companies from Fort Clark. On
the 29ih of October this Information WAS
communicated to Hon. John Hemphill Sen
ator from Texas. in response to r,qnest oi
tie citizens of Brownsville, asking for pro-
tecIion.
Disturbances, however, seemed to increase
at Brow neville, and in consequence oil COM
mnuicaiions from the above-named Senator.
and firm The ciiiZcns OF the town. relative
TO the disastrous state of affairs on the Rio
Grande. received on the 3rd of November.
1859. orders were given from this department
| To- move one Company OF artillery from Baton
Rouge to Fort Brown, which order was
promptly executed.
On the 18th of November the following dis
patch was received from Gen. Twiggs: NO
veuber IL, 1859. Gen. Twiggs reports that
an express had just arrived at his headquar-
been burnt and one hundred Americans kill
ed Iy Cortinas He ordered out seven COM
panies of foot and two of horse, under Major
Hrintzelman. to take the field"
This alarming state of affhirs thus set forth
by the commanding General seemed to de-
mand that prompt and active measures should
be taken by the d. partmsnt, aud orders were
at once issued by telegraph TO Col. Sumner
TO send from Fort Leavenworth two compa-
MES of light artillery and three companies OF
foot. and similar orders were sent to the COM
maUder al Fort Monroe to send six cOmpa-
MES of foot with all speed to the Rio Grande.
But the following despatch from the com
manding General came just in time to pre-
vent the above movement of the troops: mo
vember 81, 1859. Gen. Twiggs reports that
the reports concerning Cortinas prove to lie
mostly false; the order sending the troops to
Brownsville has been cnuntermanded'
Very great and perpl-xing difficulties pre-
scented themselves in the progress of these
events to determine upon the proper line OF
action to pursue. Cortinas was represented
alternately as a Mexican bandit. leading Mex
lean invaders, and as a citizen of Texas. mere
ly engaged in private feud. backed by and
opposed to citizens nf bis own Slate. But
abont the disorder and growing feeling oil
hostility between the Mexicans and Amer-
cans there could be no doubt, and therefore
il was deemed proper to concentrate such Il
force on the border as the means and men at
the command Of the Department would au-
thOriZe.
1t is certain that whatever may have been
the origin of the quarrel, or who the parties
to il at first, it has now grown foi mdable
and dangerous proportions. The band OF
Cortinas increaeed rapidly, until its numbers
reached over five hundred men. and he post
ed himself on the banks of the Rio Grande.
there keeping up constant and friendly inter-
course with the Mexican shore, and maintain
ing an attitude of determined hostility to all
Americans So things remained until the
oath of December, when Major Heintzelman.
with one hundred and fifty regular troops
and one hundred and eighty Texan v9lun-
fecrs. fell in with Cortinas, strongly posted,
ard after sharp engagement, routed him
completely, taking his guns, camp e9uipaRe,
and munitions. aud killing about sixty of the
baIditti. Cortinas fed with his shattered
band to the Mexican shore where he still re-
mains, insulting aud firing upon Americans
across the river IN defiance OF Mexican au-
thOrity, IL they attempt tn exercise any. which
is greatly questioned by many intelligent
men having good opPoI tunities TO observe.
whilst maTauding parties oil bis nrn cross the
river continually for the purposes of theft
and plumber.
This state of affairs. as understand il. con-
stitutes the foundation of the report of the
Co nmiSsiuners rent by the Governor OF Tex
as tn the frontier to examine into all the facts
connected with disturbances on the border.
Aud up"n their report he declares that Texas
has been invaded. and b. calls for The Sin
t'rposition Of the Federal arm" for the pro-
lection Of the c'tiZrus OF the State.
THIS call of the Governor is the first which
has yet been made by the authorities Cf Tex
a. for any assistance in these disturbances
from this Government no doubt because it
was considered by them, up to thi~ time. II
matter involving local laws aud interests
rather than such as p.rtaiaed 10 the honor or
interests of tn" Ccniederacy.
But upon this call uf the Governor If Tex
as, and upon the uLdeniable proof of gross
ouIrages committed upon our soil, did not
b, state to OF der concentration of ali the
force upon the frontier which the eXigencIes
of the service elsewhere would allow.
Very respectfully, yolr obedient servant.
JOHN Is. FLOYD.
To the PRESIDENT. Secretary OF War.
AUSTIN, Feb 10, 1850.
SIR: ! have the honor TO forward by my
friend Gen. Forbes Britton, Assistant Adj
jutant General of the State, and prominent
member OF the Stale Senate. esbatches which
| deem of importance. aud desire that his
Exc,licncy the Presidl nj shall consider the
contents thereof
tlepiore the situation of Texas. An empty
treasury The Indian troubles unexampled fer
L.. l,.t t,.n and fha lat..vS from N,.xi-