PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 107 three days they would visit Carlos Rancho burn it down kill all the 1\Iexicans belonging to it and as they said make a clean turn of every kind of cattle on the perarie by this time they may have accomplished their object.- When I arrived at Carlo's Rancho the citizens had a rumor amongst them that I was sent as a commissioner to enquire into the situation of the frontier and to learn the whole matter connected with the cow stealing party, they received me with open arms imploring me at the same time to make a fair statement of their grievences to Executive I told them I would certainly comply with their wishes but that I did not hold the office of commissioner this mistake arose from the suspicions of the Robers-I am convinced that there is not less than three or four hundred men in.gaged in this business directly and indirectly- there are several persons of standing in.gaged in it silently and now about two hundred actively in.gaged scattered west of the San Antonio River, one of them told me they had their expresses better regulated than any Regular Army that has ever been in the country there is some ten or a dozen now on the Atuscosa gathering up a drove of cattle from among those belonging to the citizens of this place, if I thought my proceedings would be sanctioned I would put them down, the Mexican Citizens her[e] say it will not do for them to take up arms against the Americans no matter how agrivated the circumstances may be but that they will leave it to the Government to redress their wrongs; a Gentleman upon whos[e] word I can safely rely states that :M:ajr Roman intends makeing a descent upon the Rio Grande and take :M:atamores his object is plunder he intends the cow drivers shall be his Troops but has no idea that his intentions are yet known-I have been informed that sixty mule loads of Powder has been delivered to the Comanchee Indians by the' Mexicans high up on the Rio Grande- l see by the Telegraph of the 4th Inst that MaJr Ross has Reported to the War Department from San Antonio if so I must deny the correct- ness of his report by saying that he has not yet arrived in San Antonio a report has just reached here that he is still in Gonzales and half of his horses are lost- I would not have said a word on this subject, had I not known that the Government was directly opposed to persons driving in cattle from the Rio Grande-
With the highest respect I remain Your Most Obt Servt Jno Browne 2nd Leut & Asst Qr Mr
[Addressed]
ON SERVICE
To
Hugh McLeod ~
Adjt Gen'l
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