The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 59, July 1955 - April, 1956 Page: 17
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Indian Raids on the Lower Rio Grande, 1836-r837
become the theater of operations for the intrusive tribes. Because
of the heavy demands made upon the military establishment for
horses, materiel, and money during the recent campaigns in Texas,
it was impossible, without assistance from the citizenry, for the
commandant general to mount any sort of a campaign against the
Indians. He, therefore, asked the governor for assistance, and the
governor responded by forwarding the request to the various
municipalities. He asked particularly that the municipality of
Matamoros call a junta of the principal men of that jurisdiction
requesting that a list be drawn up including the names of all who
were willing to contribute for the purpose.'0 Presumably, since
there is no record of any campaign against the invaders, the
results were not satisfactory to the commandant general.
Instead, the raids increased in intensity. On August 5, 1836,
a group of persons signing themselves only as "the Afflicted Ones"
(Unos Adoloridos) published a supplement to the Matamoros
newspaper, El Mercurio del Puerto de Matamoros. Complaining
that the Indians now had the daring to come within gunshot of
the army residing at Matamoros, killing and capturing horses,
murdering eleven persons, and seizing their families, the signa-
tories observed that "these depredations have not moved the
courage said to belong to the soldiers of Mexico, when they see
the outrages perpetrated on the property and safety of their fellow
citizens, for whose safety they have been supplied with arms and
are maintained at public expense." It was admitted that General
Jos6 Urrea at Matamoros had sent out a small force, but that it
was of insufficient size to stop the invaders. "Fighting Indians
who rob and steal," it continued, "is preferable to fighting civil
wars over points of government." The final bitter allegation was
that the Indians, triumphant, would be more daring than ever
now that they had approached safely the very walls of the mili-
tary station of Matamoros."
The depredations continued through 1836. It was reported to
the Matamoros newspaper El Mercurio in September that the
"barbarous" Lipan-Apaches had come as far as the north side
of the Arroyo Colorado. Reynosa was reported in misery, and
10FernAndez to Ayuntamiento of Matamoros, May 1i, 1836, in ibid.
x1Supplement to El Mercurio del Puerto de Matamoros, August 5, 1836 (copies
of this newspaper are in the Matamoros Archives).
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 59, July 1955 - April, 1956, periodical, 1956; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101162/m1/29/?rotate=90: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.