Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-29
L.E(ION

CONTINUED from page one)
through the Valley, when the towns
that today are concerned chiefly
with the price % citrus fruits in
eastern markets we're held alternate
" BY Mexico and the United States.
~ Union troops and ConfederRtes.
in%terspersed by bandit raids that
held whole cities captive until the
Federal troops drove off the raiders
into the mesquite thickets.
Most Of the excitement centered
around Brownsville. still the metropo-
lis Of the Valley. Brownsville, by the
way, is almost "a far south as the
tip Of Florida. Kew West is but one
hundred miles nearer the equator.
The first authentic records of any
white man in this section are in the
chronicles Of Father Olmos-you will
find when YOU visit San Antonio next
october, a great dam named after this
intrepid missionary explorer. Father
Olmos left Tampico. Mexico, in 1926
On a missionary expedition that car
RED him around the Gulf coast as
far a. Cape sable, Florida. On his
return he brought with him a num-
Der OF converted Indians and estab-
lished a colony of these new-made
Christians on the south hank Of the
Rio Grande neal the mouth.
where Matamoros. Mexico. now
stands there were Spanish settle
nents. known as Pueblo de Refugio,
about 1890. From 1900 on, the whole
section that is now the American side
was known as Matamoros Commons,
because here the citizens p~astured
their livestock on the common graz
ing ground.
The first settlement on the north
side OF the rive was established
about 1915 or 1920. II was only a
small river hamlet when Taylor
marched in on his expedition. In
lS45 his men threw Up ar earthwork,
still 70 be seen, opposite the brick
fort at Matamoros. This earthwork
later became Fort Brown.
Story Of Old Battles
Only ten miles from Brownsville,
at Palo Alto. Taylor's men defeated q
Sizeable Mexican army. And when
they had reformed after this defeat,
the Mexicans made a stand and were
finally routed back across the Rio
Grande in the decisive battle Of Re
SAGA de Ia Palma, three miles north
east of Brownsville. An unknown
first lieutenant Of infantry named
u. s. Grant participated IN both these
fights.
"In the early SOS = Colonel Robert
r. Lee was stationed at Brownsville
and later commanded the post at Rio
Grande City. During the Mexican
war a captain Of volunteers later 10
make his fame a. President Jeffer-
son Davis OF the Confederate states
... w~~ - IL nnHt
In the Civil war. Brownsville was
captured BY federal forces after three
years. During the last two years OF
the war, when IL had been recaptured
by the confederates, y was an ex-
tremelv important outlet for confed-
crate cotton and wa the port through
which most Of the medical supplies.
ammunition and other foreign i'm
ports were received.
"Matamoros in two years became q
city OF forty thousand. Other cities
since disappeared except for scatter
ing heaps Of bricks. %prospered ex-
ceedingly through dealing thus legal
~ in what otherwise would have been
~contraband. The situation was COM
plicated because Mexico at the same
time was in the throes Of the conflict
between the Macmillan imperialists
and the anti-imperialists.
Last Battle OF War
The last battle of the Civil var
was fought at Palmito, twelve miles
bslow Brownsville, thirty days after
Lees surrender at Appomattox. News
Travelled slowly in those parts, and
news of the dissolution of the con-
federacy was not received until the
day after the battle.
Just before the Civil war the Mex
lean bandit Cortina, in 1859, had been
carrying on m active guerilla cam
paign OF undertaking on the north
side Of the Rio Grande. One day he
descended upon Brownsville, at a
time when there was no garrison at
Fart Brown. He looted the city calm
iF, then established his camp about