Serna. Guerrerro adopted the yellow flag and called his army the CRINOLINOS, while Serna adopted the red flag and called his army the ROJAS. The declared result of the election was in favor of Serna, but on July 8, 1861, the State legislature ordered that a new election should be held alleging fraud on the part of Serna's supporters. The Rojos refused to respect this order, armed themselves and took charge of the machinery of the government, installing their candidate, Serna. The Crinolinos armed themselves, and soon the entire state was involved, many bloody battles occurring. It must be recalled that at this very time Mexico was threatened by the triple alliance, England, France and Spain by reason of the reform laws enacted during the Juarez administration in 1857, whereby the church properties had been declared confiscated and most of the foreign debts repudiated. The Crinolinos took possession of Matamoros early in September, driving out the Rojos, who found a refuge in Brownsville where they openly recruited and organized under their leaders. During the month of October, 1861, a great body of Rojos crossed from the Texas side into Mexico and incorporating with reinforcements sent northward from Victoria, Tamaulipas, they at once besieged Matamoros. In what was then a beautiful and prosperous city, now followed the bloodiest struggle between Mexicans known in the history of Tamaulipas. Houses were burned and destroyed, cannonading, musketry firing, and hand to hand encounters occurred daily on the streets; worthy officers and intelligent leaders were executed without pretense of a trial, and commerce was completely paralyzed from October 21 to the latter part of December. The Crinolinos triumphed but their administration was shortlived as three days after the siege was raised, Governor Vidaurri of Nuevo Leon placed his troops in command to restore order. Brownsville lived in daily dread, the firing in Matamoros being a constant menace. Hundreds of women and children came across the river, and deserters, common charges upon our people, robbed and killed with impunity. Hundreds of Mexican-Texans, and numeros Americans participated in the battles. Among those killed were Col. William Cameron, a Scotchman who owned many thousands of acres of land in Texas, and Colonel Kinney of Corpus Christi. Civil War in 1861-1865 At the outbreak of the Civil war between the states, the Texas border was garrisoned by United States various companies of the U. S. First Artillery at Fort Brown, Ringgold Barracks and Fort McIntosh, and Companies C and E of the Third Infantry, the principal officers in command being: Maj. C. C. Sibley, 3rd Infantry, Fort McIntosh; Major W. H. French, 1st and 2nd Artillery, Fort Brown; Lieut.-Col. E. Backus, 3rd Infantry, Fort Brown; Capt. B. H. Hill, 1st Artillery; Lieut. James Thompson, 2nd Artillery; and 2nd Lieut. G. D. Bailey, 2nd Artillery. E. B. Nichols, Commissioner for Texas, arrived at Brownsville on February 22, 1861, and immediately requested an interview with Capt. B. H. Hill, the purpose of which was to ask that those of the U. S. Army who were not disposed to link their fortunes with the Confederates should embark and leave the State and should turn over to the Texas authorities all government property then in their possession along the Rio Grande. An agreement was reached whereby the Federals should leave the Texas border and coast, but the delivery of the ordnance and other supplies was refused. Some of the stores and arms were burned at Brazos de Santiago but the Texans landed and took possession of a considerable quantity. Maj. Fitz John Porter, Assistant Adjutant General, U. S. Army, Fort Brown, sailed from New York on the Steamer, Daniel Webster, February 15, 1861, with provisions for the troops to embark at Brazoz de Santiago; arrived at Indianola, Texas, on March 2 and on the third off Brazos. With Companies M, Second Artillery and Companies C and E of the 3rd Infantry, he arrived at New York on the thirtieth. When he left Brazos de Santiago the Texas Volunteers immediately took possession of all the garrisons along the border, thus leaving the Confederates in entire control. On December 26, 1862, an armed party of Mexicans, some forty in number, crossed the Rio Grande at the Mexican town of Las Cuevas (directly opposite to Los Ebanos, 82 miles west from Brownsville) attacked a train of Confederate wagons with provisions, killed 3 of the teamsters, took the entire contents of the wagon train, and then recrossed into Mexico. On December 26, 1862, a party of Mexicans passed at the place called Clareno (164 miles west from Brownsville) and there killed the Chief Justice of Zapata County, Isidro Vela. Capt. Refugio Benavides of the Confederate army, with about 25 men, pursued the party after it had crossed into Mexico, killing three and dispersing the others. On April 11, 1863, a party of cattle thieves passed over into Mexico near what is now called the town of Zapata, driving quite a herd of stolen Texas cattle. Capt. Santos Benavides of the Confederate Army followed them into the very town of Guerrerro, Mexico. Although he did not capture the thieves, he drove them out of the country. Captain Benavides took with him but 30 men and was ordered by the Mexicans to retire from Mexican soil, it being alleged that he was violating the treaty between Mexico and the United States, but he refused to do so until he should communicate with the Mexican alcalde and obtain assurances of a cessation of the banditti operations on the Texas side. He, sucIceeded in this. On November 1, 1862, the Confederate forces along the Rio Grande were as follows: Rio Grande City (Ringgold Barracks) 3rd Texas Corpus Christi, 4 companies. infantry Fort Brown, 4 companies cavalry 648 men 303 men 404 men 62 men 52 men Rio Grande, 1 company mounted rifles 76 men Rio Grande, 1 company heavy artillery. Rio Grande, 1 company light battery Rio Grande, 1 company mounted rifles.. 79 men 87 men 91 men 83 men 120 men 2,005 men From the time that the Confederates first took charge of the Valley territory, they remained under the command of Col. P. N. Luckett and Col. John S. Ford until the arrival of Gen. H. P. Bee on the twenty-ninth day of January, 1863. The aggregate force at Fort Brown and between Fort Brown and Ringgold Barracks (Rio Grande City) was maintained at about 1,200 men. Many hundreds of supposedly neutrals flocked from the interior of Texas to Matamoros where those who were unable to move forward remained, and from whence many embarked to New Orleans for enlistment in the Union Army. Among others was Col. E. J. Davis and A. J. Hamilton, Union sympathizers. Davis had served as district judge in the Lower Valley for some years before the war. The Federal Steamer Honduras, arrived off the mouth of the Rio Grande on March 6, 1863, but owing to rough seas was unable to discharge her cargo or passengers until on the afternoon of March 10. Among those who landed were Col.' E. J. Davis and Capt. W. W. Montgomery, then Union officers. On March 15, at three o'clock in the morning, as Davis and others were at Bagdad, Mexico, at the mouth of the river, about to take passage to New Orleans on the Honduras, a number of citizens and confederate soldiers off duty, crossed from the Texas side into Bagdad and after a slight skirmish with those who were able to resort to arms, captured Davis, Montgomery, and several others, bringing them to the Texas side. The Mexican Governor, Albino Lopez, immediately |