The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-18
ON THE RIO GRANDE.
Description Of the Robbers Strong
hold in Mexico.
HOW THE TEXANS ARE ROBBED.
Losses, Direct and Indirect, Sustained
by the Settlers.
MORE TROOPS NEEDED.
General Ord's Views of the Cues
ton of Cattle Stealing.
MORE TROOPS NEEDED.
r H E l. A S Il r AID 81.


Texas Is continually raided into by armed bands OF
Mexicans or Indians. and sometimes by mixed bands
of both at ono point another from tho mouth OF
DEVILS River. 100 miles Of San Antonio 70 tho
mouth Of tho Rio Grande. the great boundary line.
For the past year there has been less cattle steal
Ing than usual on the Lower Rio Grande--say from
Ringgod Barracks down, distance Of 100 miles--the
cause Tor which will be elaborated elsewhere. The
stealing OF stock from RuRgold Barracks up the river
for distance OF 200 miles, comparatively moderate.
The accompanyn ing map contains tho section OF country
In Texas That Is visited by Mexican and Indian bandits
every full moon each raid invariably involving the
loss OF horses and frequently tho lives of their
ers, the hardy lrontiersmen OF Western Texas
THE STRONGHOLD RoBBERs.
The home Of The indian bandittiin particular and
their safe retreat whom hard pressed lies in Mexico
between degrees OF longitude 100 and l03 and south Of
the Rio Grandc River, between those degrees, Tar
IS the twenty eighth parallel, containing OF
,bont ten thousand square miles. 1t is in aud to the
iouth OF tho large horseshoe bend OF tho
Rio Grandc, described on tho above map
and is bounded on the north, cast and wost
BY the State OF Texas This port ion
Is at tho present day the only territory In North
America that is absolutely terra incognita, now that
the United States scouting and surveying parties have
explored and surveyed tho stakei Plains. Among all
fully drawn charts prepared by tho Austrian and
French engineers during tho days OF tho III starred
Empire there ia not that pretends to furnish tho
slightest geographical statistical Information about
This eveno dscoaocdo 1t is barely possible that tho
records OF Franciscan Jesuit orders OF tho curly
days OF the conquest may contain description Of it,
otherwise It has mover boon trod by the foot OF any
human being except tho savage Lipans Mescaleros
ana other hostile Indian tribes Tho Mcxicans them
selves are afraid to venture into IT, All that Is known
Of this territory Is that 1t Is very mountainous and
rugged being cut up In all dircctlons by gorges and
Canyons and also that is very poorly watcrcd as it
has no streams flowing into the Rio Grandc.
THE INDIANS MERE cArsrAws MxxlcASs
. the Indians living in these inaccessible, barren
hills Tcxas Is tho from which they draw not
only all the horses and cattc they require for them
selves, hut enough to supply that entire portion OF
Mexico Owing 10 the wear and tear OF unccasing rev
outon the supply OF horses In particular has become
exhausted, consequently stealing horses from Texas
has become very lucrative business. With all due
respect 10 our Mexican neshbors thoy are lacking In
the courage, endurance and activity requisite to mako
these raids success do not believe that thcro s
my falling of in tho intention, but when 1t comes 10
tEe performance the wicry, hawkeycd Kickapoo who
will turn on his pursuors ana fight TO tho death with
the zeal Of an ancient Crusader by Infinite odds tho
superior Of his employer-thc eifeminatv mongrcl.
whose energies II so they nigh, DO called are OK
pended In revolutions that remind OF the SNOWFALL
tights OF schoolboys at the North.
N1@ how RAID INTO TEXAS IS ORGANIZED
IN the eastern border Of the unexporcd region
already described a number or smnll Mexican
towns, tho names of Of which are San Fernando
Kcmclino, Santa Rosa and zarngossa The only trade
or business activity Of these partially animated grave
yards $50 incomprchensiby dun they is the traffic
that is carried on In horses stolen from Texas The
Indians, several hundred families in number accord
ing to the best authorities used live In and about
tho Mexican GOWNS, but ever since General Mackenzie
broke up their housekeeping arrangements at Reno.
ino several years ago. they have preferred the moro
salubrious atmosphere of the mountains. whcro
United stotcs cavalry cannot penetrate Those In
dams however, do all their trading and OBJ
tain all their supplies, arms ammunition &c at
these Mexican villages The expense OF the trip.
OF supplying ammunition and provisions (for there,
VIII DC time Tor hunting and fishing picnics during the
raid is borne by the Mexican hidalgo often govern
mcnt Official The Indian raiders, and the few Mex,
cans who accom- pnny them. the hope of becoming
their equals tho higher branches of horse stealing
are paid, as general thing, by tho day. In some
cases percentage is allowed the net procceos: the
greater the number OF horses stolen tho Smaller tho
percentage alloyed Your correspondent has read n
letter from perfectly reliable gentleman In one of
those Mexican towns, a German by the way who men
lions incidentally that the muchachos (boys youth,
instead of taking advantage or tho last ful moon had
struck, giving for tho demand for morn
favorable terms that tho last raid tho Texans had
captured one OF their number, a Mexican named
Jesus, and had hung him. But this Is a depression.
WHERE AND how THEY INTO TEXAS
BY reference to the map your readers Will perceive
lino OF hills extending from the mouth OF tho Pccos
River cast in the direction of San Antonio This limo
Of hills and the country TO tho north OF it, thanks to
The activity Of the Indians and the strict neutrality
preserved by the Mexican government 20 h.
Chains, arc totally uninhabitcG. The country to tho
south OF these hills and between thcm and the Rio
Grande Is the paradise OF the American stock raisors
Along the banks OF tho Hondo, scco, sabn, Blanco
turkey and other creeks flowing south from this
range OF hills arc the large stock ranches on which
are raised tho nnc horses that tho raiders drive off,
mere arc tue caoas ana homes OF tho pioneers Of that
rrcprcss,be army Of immigrants, steadily pushing
westward and before whose advance the Mcx,can must
give way, sooner or later the Indian has already
To all intcn ind purposes this range Of hills Is the
frontier and Will continue to remain 30 until by |
some means or other this brgandagc has been put
top TO- for great many families havo boon !
obliged TO TALL back into the more ,h,ckiy settled por
usually consisting Of about thirty men, supposlng |
In Indian like Sambo to DO and brother
mersc from our sister Republic II they had unex-
'cctcdly become dissusled with her, somewhere be-
wccn the mouths OF the Devils and the Pccos rivers
md Immediately take 10 the hills on the south OF
which are the horscs that do belong 10 them vet
Following along this limo Of hills tho bsndilti some.
lines approach within thirty ive miles OF San Antonio
dividing usually, into several small parties, the in
adcrs sweep through tho valleys driving tho horses
hat do not belong TO them and taking the scalp OF |
my one who may chance to DO In the way.
LAYING irosh horses, and being able, owing to their
knowledge Of the country, to ride day aud night, IL
5 no wonder that before the pursucrs, who have no
rcsn horses and who havo 10 Ito over at night can
vertake tho thieves they are safe and sound on the
Mexican side OF that sacred stream, the Rio Grandc
ringing thor sheafs with them, 30 to speak, They
sualy recroas the Rio 0rande about $50 miles below
he point where they enter Texas and al point whore
here towns and cities into winch thcv ~ g,r