the Urrea relative to the Champion and Luisiana, attributing the act to ignorance. Dallas exacted a like communication from the Port Captain who had likewise disavowed the act. The Port Captain alleged that neither he nor Filisola had authority to admit such matters in writing, and referred him to the general government. Then Dallas addressed the Port Captain as follows:

"Having carefully studied your communication, I find that the only point to which it might be necessary to answer is that relative to your lack of power to guarantee that the humbling and outrageous infraction of the existing treaty between the United States and the Republic of Mexico, committed by the naval forces of the latter in the capture of various American merchantmen shall not be repeated. By virtue thereof, it is my duty, and you may rest assured, Sir General, that with profound regret I take this step, to leave sufficient forces on the Mexican coast to protect the commercial interests of the United States against future aggressions."

Some lengthy correspondence took place between the two governments which soon brought about a better state of feeling, however, and the matters complained of were soon passed over.

Texas

CHAPTER III

Not satisfied with the act of Santa Anna in surrendering his forces at San Jacinto, and believing it to have been an act of treachery, leaders of the Mexican army sought to reopen the affair and with that end in view assailed San Antonio, Texas, on the fifteenth day of September, 1842, carrying away with them as they retreated 60 prisoners.

The Texans, hastily but poorly organized, immediately followed the Mexicans to Laredo, about 220 miles northwest from Brownsville, and from there marched down the river to a point opposite Mier, Mexico.

On December 25-26, 1842, the Texans, some 261 in number, attacked the Mier, Mexico, garrison, and had practically won the battle, according to the statements of Gen. Thos. Green, of the Texan forces, when, after a parley under a flag of truce they, 242 men, surrendered to the Mexicans. This surrender was impelled by a shortage of provisions and ammunition. In the battle of Mier, the Texans lost 16 killed and 8 wounded. The Mexican loss is unknown, but Gen. Green estimated it to be 250 killed and wounded.

It was while these 242 prisoners were on the way to Mexico City overland that the Texans overpowered their captors and effected their escape. Of those who escaped 176 were recaptured. By order of Santa Anna they were made to draw beans, there being one black to every ten white. The person who should draw a black bean was to be shot. Seventeen were executed. Capt. Ewin Cameron, a sturdy Scott who headed the expedition and after whom Cameron County, Texas, was named, drew a white bean and was entitled to his liberty, but by orders of Santa Anna he was executed near the City of Mexico. Some years later, after many had scaled the steep walls of their prison, the Castle

of Perote, east of Mexico City, and had escaped, the remnant of the band was released and allowed to return to Texas1.

American Invasion Not long after the Mier affair, the of Mexico Texans became restless and sought annexation to the United States. The Mexican government objected and when, in 1845, Texas effected her annexation, the Mexicans repudiated the act and gave the American charge de affairs his passport. This brought about the war which soon followed.

Anticipating a rupture with Mexico, the United States sent Gen. Zacariah Taylor from Fort Jessup, La., to Corpus Christi, Texas.

In February, 1846, General Taylor started southward with part of his forces from Corpus overland, sending his supplies and munitions by the boat Woodbury, and the remainder by sea to Brazos de Santiago and Point Isabel (about 20 miles east from Brownsville). On his march south the army encamped at Rancho Santa Gertrudis, then occupied by Mexicans but for many years past the home of Mrs. H. M. King, the largest land and cattle owner in the South. Thence southward he traveled parallel with what is now the line of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway to a point on the Arroyo Colorado called Paso Real, about 34 miles north from

An amusing episode in connection with the IRON HAND in Mexico is the case of a Mrs. Hernandez, wife of a Captain under Gen. Adrian Woll. Woll, who had been named as Military Commander of the State of Tamaulipas, with headquarters at Matamoros, sometime during the year 1854, decreed to exile all officers or citizens who had taken part in the adoption of the "PLAN DE AYUTLA" (It is interesting to note that this decree demanded the abdication of Gen. Santa Anna.) Many of the exiles, known as "LIBERALS" sought refuge in Brownsville, Texas, and through the medium of a periodical called El Rayo Federal which they circulated freely throughout Matamoros by private means, they violently attacked Woll and his methods.

The leading spirit in those denunciatory writings was Mrs. Hernandez. Upon being apprehended, she was arrested by order of General Woll, and as a punishment her hair was shorn, she was dressed in the costume of a man, placed astride a burro (donkey), and, thus degraded, was led through the streets of Matamoros.

Brownsville. He arrived at a point about 12 miles north of Brownsville on March 24, 1846, and leaving the bulk of his army there, proceeded in person to Fronton (now Point Isabel). There he reënforced his supplies, returned, incorporated with his entire command and proceeded south to Brownsville, then a part of the town commons of Matamoros. He engaged his army from the date of his arrival, March 28, in constructing what was afterwards named Fort Brown in commemoration of Major Jacob Brown who lost his life in its defense. In the meantime General Arista and General Pedro Ampudia, of the Mexican armies, arrived at Matamoros with a total of 5,200 men and 26 pieces of artillery. On April 10, 1846, Colonel Cross of the U. S quartermaster's department was waylaid and killed just west of what is now the site of the Brownsville waterworks. The murder was laid at the door of Mexican guerrillas. Lieutenant Porter with a squad of his men went out to look for the body. They were ambushed, Porter and one soldier killed, and the others taken prisoner. General Arista concentrated the Mexican cavalry to gather at Rancho Soliseño, south of the Rio Grande, 26 miles west from Matamoros, also sending the engineer corps and two companies of Light Artillery there. With a view to cut off Taylor's supplies, he crossed from Soliseño on April 24 and took a position on the Point Isabel road near Loma Alta (9 miles north of Brownsville). Taylor, upon hearing of this move, sent Captain Thornton out with a detachment to investigate. Thornton and his me got as far as the river opposite to Soliseño, where they in turn were ambushed. Here Lieutenant Mason and 16 men were killed or wounded and Thornton and his men taken prisoners. On the twenty-eighth, a part of Walker's Texas rangers also met a force of the Mexicans just north of the Loma Alta and in an engagement several men were killed on each side.

Taylor with his army, except some fifty men left at Fort Brown under command of Major Jacob Brown, left the Fort on the first of May destined to Point Isabel where he believed the fresh salt atmosphere would recuperate the sick, and to look after his supplies. He also wished to protect his line of communication with the Point.

Two brigades under Ampudia and Arista crossed Palo Alto from Longoreno, 10 miles east of Matamoros, on the first of May, and believing that Taylor was about to withdraw were determined to drive him and his army out of the territory. Leaving a great number of men with seven cannon to attack Brown, the bulk of the Mexican army proceeded north to Loma Alta. During the incessant bombardment of Fort Brown, the commander was mortally wounded and the garrison about to surrender. Taylor, anticipating this and having received news of the Mexican movements, departed from Point Isabel on May 7. On the eighth, the Americans and Mexicans confronted each other on the battlefield of Palo Alto, an extensive prairie 9 miles north of Brownsville, just west of Loma Alta. This prairie extends northward from the Resaca Rancha Viejo which is only 6 miles north from Brownsville. Unable to avail himself of the water in the Resaca, Taylor camped near the Palo Alto Resaca, 10 miles north of Brownsville and about two miles southeast from the Los Fresnos townsite, then a mere ranch.

Soon after the battle opened, Taylor brought his artillery to within seven hundred yards of the Mexicans and mowed their solid ranks of infantry. The Mexican right rested on the west end of Loma Alto hill and his left on the edge of an impassable marsh, a mile distant from the hill. Taylor endeavored to flank the enemy's left wing and to effect a crossing of the Resaca Rancho Viejo west of the Marsh. At dusk wheh the battle ceased, honors were about divided. When the battle began there were but 3,000 Mexican soldiers