The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-21
THE TEXAS BORDER.
The Geogrs ply Q f ih,t Famous Locality. and
Interesting Particulars Concerning 1.-THE
Customs of the Raiders, nd the Ina ctivity
of tho NIi,itary-What Must be Done to
Assure Peace and Safety.

Waterman, who has just returned from visit
to the Texas border, that turbulent section
which has of late attracted so much attention
from both the General Government and the
authorities of our sister State. Mr.. Water
man during his stay visited all the principal
points along the Rio Grande, and during the
course of our conversation with him, we
cleaned the following items, which may prove
Of general interest to our readers:
What is generally known as the Texas
border extends from the city of Brownsville
| to the Pecos Mountains, distance of over 500
miles by land, and in direct course; if, how
ever, the distance be measured along the tor
tuous 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 heigh.
from twenty to thirty-fve feet, and in order
to facilitate the crossing of cattle, deep guleys
have been cut in these bluffs by the Mexican
raiders; though when driving the cattle
from Texas, it makes but little diff
ference how high these bluffs are or
whether there be any pathways
cut through or not; the great thirst of the cat
tie, they being kept from water for long
while, urges them to plunge into the shallow
stream below, through which they can easily
wade to the opposite 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
we're perfectly patrolled, the dangers which
constantly threaten the inhabitants of the in
terror would be greatly lessened. As it is now
it is unsafe for any person to travel unaccom-
panied by a strong escort; any traveller met by
the raiders is Liable to be most brutality MUIR
dered, and instances are known where the in
nocent have been quartered and mutilated in
except the fear that they might make known
the whereabouts of the raiders.
About one-quarter of the distance between
Brownsville and the Pecos Mountains is stu
ated Rnggold Barracks, where the United
States soldiers are at present station ed 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 protection against
the treacherous and daring Mexicans. There
are abou. five or six hundred men. equally di-
vided between Brownsville and Rinegold Bar
racks. The entire district of Texas is in
command of Gen. Augur, whose headquarters
are at San Antonio, fully $50 miles from the
Rio Grande, safe distance from the scenes
of danger or trouble.
The RIO Grande rarely, if ever. re lches
greater depth than two and onehalf or three
feet, and therefore offers but little protection
as border line, and is no obstruction what
ever 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 unsatisfactory
manner-their vessel being now aground at
Brownsville in about three and one-half feet
of water. The country bordering on the
river is covered for a long distance inland
by q species of vegetation peculiar to that
country, known as the "chapparal," a
very tough and prckly shrub, which
grows to height of between eight
and ten feet, and offers an irresist-
BILE obstruction 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 inter- |
course with the interior. All the ranches for
some miles inland arc occupied by Mexicans
who are unquestionably accomplices of the
raiders, but who never allow themselves to
be caught in any ouert act of depreciation,
merely affording harbor of safety to the |
raiders when occasion demands.
One of the greatest sources of trouble is to |
be found in the fact that very many of the I
raiders are renegade Texans, who when
driven across the river, claim Mexican citi-
zenship which is of course readily granted;
they thus avoid the extradition laws. When
Col. McNeily had the fight at Palo Alto, in
which eighteen of the thieves we're 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 we'll posted as to the
best localities to seek for prey.
Whenever grand raid is made the
crossing is generally effected in the
neghborhood of the mountains, and after
com pleting a sort of semi circle, sometimes
going within a very short distance of Corpus
Christi, they return to the river and recross,
almost under the very walls of Rlnggold Bar
racks. The object of these raids is not the
securing 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 border the thieves would
kill the cattle when taken, and strip the hides
off there. thus rendering their escape easier,