The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-22
ON THE RIO GRANDE.
Investigating the Raids on tho mexicnn
border.


General Ord, commander of the mill
tary department of Texas, was examined
as O witness before the select committee
of the United States House ON the
Texas frontier troubles, and gave to the
committee very full and intelligent ac-
count of the cattle raids to which the
rancheros on the American side of the
Rio Grande for 500 miles along the
river and for $50 miles back from it are
subjected, as we'll as of the remedy
which he would recommend for them.
According to the generals statement
the country which is the scene of these
border forays is separated from the
river by very extensive belt of under
growth forest, or chaparral, which forms
screen and shelter for the cattle
thieves, VINO live by plunder, and which
renders it next to impossible for mill
tary patrols or military posts to inter-
fere with them. There are two classes
of Mexicans living on the Texas side,
the one consisting of intelligent, honest
rancheros, who are as much opposed to
these raids as the American portion OF
the population is, and the other consist
ing of worthless fellows, many of them
outlaws or deserters from the Mexican
army, who work occasionally on the
ranches and who act as spies and in
formers for their cousins, or compadrcs,
on the other side, when they cross the
river on their cattle-stealing expeditions.
It is the intelligence which they receive
from these fellows which enables them
to avoid the routes by which they might
be intercepted on their return with
their booty.
On their own side of the river these
bands, which sometimes number from
one hundred to one hundred and fifty
men, are in league with the local au.
thorities, their recognized chief being
Cortina, so that all facilities are given
to them for disposing of their plunder,
and such thing as restoration OF the
stolen cattle is never thought Of. The
national government OF Mexico is not
to be blamed, in General Ord's opinion,
for this state of things, first. because
the system of the government is to let
each State take care of its own affairs,
and second, because the Mexican SOL
diers have strong tendency, whenever
they get near enough to the border, to
desert their colors ard cross into Texas.
The Mexican government is, therefore,
powerless in the matter, and the State
government of Tamaulpis seems to re-
gard these frontier forays as part of the
established order of things essential for
the good of the community. The only
remedy, therefore, for the evil is-and
it is one which the general is urging on
the War department-to increase the
cavalry force on the Rio Grande and give
him authority, when his troops come on
the trail of one of those thieving bands,
to let the pursuit be continued to the
Mexican side of the river, and let tho
troops deal out summary punishment on
the robbers.
He thinks that whatever opposition
the local authorities might make to such
o practical course, the general govern
ment of Mexico would not make any.
He says that now. in one of tho more
northern States, chihuahua, himself and
the Mexican con1mandant have mutual
by which Indian expedi-
tions are followed on either side of the
river, and that on some occasions tbs
American and Mexican troops have co.
operated in their movements against the
Indians, rations being supplied by his
orders to the Mexicans. He is conf
dent that the only feasible mode of put
ting down these forays is by following
up the robbers in the way he recon-
mcn1s.