The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-02-03
THE BORDER ROvERS.
Interesting Account of the Manners of
the Mexican Rsiders-The Geography
ofth . amOus Region-The Slow Mo-
lions of the Militnry-Vshat Must be
Done to Insure Pence and Safety.

lFrom the New Orleans Bulletin
Our sanctum was pleasantly invaded
on Thursday morning by our friend
Mr.. Paul Waterman, who has just re-
turned from visit to the Texas border,
that turbulent section which has of late
attracted so much attention from both
the General Government and the au-
thorities of our sister State. Mr.. Wat
erman during his stay visited all the
principal points along the Rio Grande,
and during the course of our CONVEX
sation with him, we CLEANED the follow
ing items which may prove of general
interest to our readers:
What is generally known as the Tex
as border, extends from the city of
Brownsville to the PecOS Mountains, a
distance of over 500 miles by land, and
in direct course; if, however, the dis
lance be measured along the tortuOus
and winding Rio Grande, it would reach
fully three times that number of miles,
owing to the extreme irregularity of its
course throughout the entire distance.
The river on both sides is lined by
bluffs, ranging in height from 90 to 35
feet, and in order to facilitate the cross
ing of cattle, deep gulleys
have been cut in these bluffs by the
Mexican raiders, though when driving
the cattle from Texas it makes but little
difference how high these bluffs are, or
whether there be any pathways cut
through or not; the great thirst of the
cattle, they being kept from water for a
long while, urges them to plunge into
the shallow stream below, through
hich they can easily wade to the OPP
posite shore. Along the entire border
there is a road running on the Texas
side, into which the pathways and roads
from the interior all merge at last; and
if this were perfectly patrolled, the dan
gers which constantly threaten the in
habitants of the interior would be great
ly lessened. As it is now, it is unsafe
for any person to travel unaccompanied
by a strong escort; any traveller met by
the raiders is liable to be most brutally
murdered, and instances are known
where the innocent have been quartered
and mutilated in the most horrible man
ner, without any reason except the fear
that they might make known the where
abouts of the raiders.
About one-quarter of the distance be-
tween Brownsville and the Pecos Noun
tains is situated Ringgold Barracks,
where the United States soldiers are at
present stationed under command of
Gen. Potter, who has immediate charge
of the border; but these troops are SO
few in number, and the discipline so
poor, that they afford little if any pro-
lection against the treacherous and dar-
ing MeXicans. There are about five or
six hundred men, equally divided be-
tween Brownsville and Ringgold Bar
racks. The entire district of Texas is
in command of Gen. Augur, whose
headquarters are San Antonio, fully $50
miles from the Rio Grande, safe dis
lance from the scenes of danger or
trouble.
The Rio Grande rarely, if ever,
reaches a greater depth than two and
one-half or three feet, and therefore Of
fers but little protection as border
line, and is no obstruction whatever to
the crossing of cattle in any numbers
or at any time. The officers of the Rio
Bravo have discovered the shallowneSS
of this "great stream" in a very unsat-
isfactory manner-their vessel being
now aground at Brownsville in about
three and one-half feet of water. The
country bordering on the river is cover
ed for long distance inland by a spe-
cies of vegetation peculiar to that cOun-
try, known as chapparal," a very
tough and prickly shrub, which grows
to height of between eight and ten
feet, and offers an irresistible Obstruc-
ton to travel; the cactus plant also
grows there to about the same height,
and is an equally troublesome impede
ment to man or horse. In order to
reach the river, roads have been cut
through this shrubbery and offer the
only means of intercourse with the in
terror. All the ranches for some miles
inland are occupied by Mexicans who
are unquestiOnably accomplices of the
raiders but who never allow themselves
to be caught in any OUeH act of depre-
dation, merely affording a harbOr of
safety to the raiders when occasion de-
mands.
One of the greatest sources of trouble
is to be found in the fact that very many
of the raiders are renegade Texans,
who, when driven across the river, claim
Mexican citizenship, which is of course
readily granted; they thus avoid the
extraditiOn laws. When Col. McNeily
had the fight at Palo Alto, in which Is
of the thieves were killed, eight of them
were discovered to be native Texans,
who had Joined the ranks of the raiders
for purposes of plumber and gain; Of
course they are readily received among
these bandits, as they are well posted
as to the best localities to seek for prey.
Whenever a grand raid is made the
crossing is generally effected in the
neighborhood of the mountains, and
after completing sort of semi-circle,
sometimes going within Il very short
distance of Corpus Christi, they return
to the river and recross, almost under
the very walls of RinggOld Barracks.
The object of these raids is not the Sc
curing of the cattle for food or sale, but
for the purpose of getting their hides,
and the military claim that if even a
stricter watch were kept upon the Dor
der the thieves would kill the cattle
when taken, and strip their hides off
there, thus rendering their escape easier
and less fraught with danger to them
selves.
The successful protection of this in
tested border can never be accomplish
ed under the present management. The
Rio Grande is only one hundred yards |
wide from bank to bank, and the actual
stream measures not more than one
hundred feet, always forbade. Add to
this the fact that the residents on both
borders are Mexicans, undoubtedly in
sympathy with the raiders, not hesitat-
ing to say that the entire country there
abouts is theirs of right, and they do not
really recognize the force of any treaty |
that deprives them of it, and it will
readily be perceived that large force
of well-equipped and well disciplined