Acknowledgments:
As a genealogical researcher I always enjoy discovering new things about my family. As a historical researcher I search through histories, geographies, biographies, courthouses, museums, cemeteries, archives and, wherever possible, conduct interviews. As a student, I enjoy linking my class research with my passion for family. That is how I selected this research project for my History 375 class at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Up until this project, I had only met one member from the Matamoros branch of my Cross family. Gloria Cross visited in my mother's home and shared some of her family's stories with us. Her story of her grandfather and great-grandfather having a price on his head during the revolution sparked my interest and made me want to learn more. For giving me that spark of interest I must thank Gloria Cross.
Wanting to give this project life I wished that I could interview her father, Meliton Cross, and search archival records for more information. Toward that aim, my mother and I planned a trip to Brownsville, Texas. Before leaving, Dr. Conrad, archivist for the TAMU-C archives, helped me to plan my research, then my mother and I were on our way.
From the moment we arrived in Brownsville, we were helped from every turn. I must thank Gloria Cross for giving me the idea for this work, and contacting her family on my behalf. I must also thank Yolanda Gonzalez, archivist and historian at the University of Texas Brownsville and president of the Brownsville Historical Society, for helping me find so many resources to study.
To Gloria's family I must say I was overwhelmed by their generosity and graciousness. They each made our stay a truly memorable one. Her father, Meliton H. Cross, and his wife Alicia, allowed us to interview them in their home in Matamoros. Gloria's brother, Jorje Cross gave us lunch and a tour of the "old cemetery" of Matamoros. Her brother Juan Cross gave us an interview and obtained permission to tour the family home "the Cross House." Thanks must also be given to Don Philamon Garza, for restoring the old family home and taking time from his busy schedule to guide us on a the tour of it. Acknowledgment must also be given to Abner Samuel Cross, Jorje's son, who was so kind to us during our stay.
Finally, I must thank the two people who helped me the most. Gloria's sister, Sylvia Cross, took us all over Matamoros, acting as our interpreter everywhere we went; and my mother, who insisted we make the trip and for driving the ten hours each way. This research project was an experience I will always treasure.
<hr>
Contents
Title Page.
Acknowledgments.
Table of Contents.
Map of Mexico during "Mexican War" of 1846-47.
List of Illustrations.
Introduction to the "Twin Cities on the Border;"
Matamoros, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas.
Matamoros/Brownsville and the Texas Boundary Dispute of 1846.
Matamoros/Brownsville and the U. S. Civil War.
Matamoros/Brownsville and the Constitutionalist Uprising of 1913.
The Attack on Matamoros, 3rd Day of June, 1913
Newspaper Headlines and Articles of the Constitutionalist Period.
Footnotes (Source Citations).
Bibliography of Sources Consulted.
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List of Illustrations: (*Illustrations may not be available in electronic version of text.)
1. Historical map of Mexico circa 1846-1847.
2 Photographs of persons in this work:
aJohn Cross, Mississippi planter and father of J.S.Cross.
bJohns Samuel Cross, rancher & businessman, Brownsville & Matamoros.
cLydia Foy, taken in New Orleans, Louisianna.
d. Dr. Miguel Tomas Barragan, Alcalde of Matamoros, father in law of Juan Cross.
e. Children of Middleton H. Cross of Matamoros.
f. Juan Samuel Cross, son of M. H. Cross, Price on his head by Constitutionalist Army of Matamoros, 1913.
g. Meliton H. Cross, son of Juan Cross, interviewed in Matamoros, 1998.
h. Juan, Jorge, Gloria and Sylvia Cross, interviewed in Matamoros, 1998.
3. "Casa Blanco Hotel" Museum. (Building built by J.S.Cross.)
4. Plaque found on side of "Casa Blanco Hotel" Museum.
5. "The Cross House" on Madison St, Brownsville, Texas.
6. "The Cross House" in Matamoros, Mexico. (Now owned by Philimon Garza.)
7. Runyon Photograph of Rurales in Parade, Plaza in Matamoros, May 1913.
8. Runyon Photograph of Federal Army in Parade, Plaza in Matamoros, May 1913.
9. Sketch of garrison and Matamoros in 1913.
10. Runyon Photograph of Matamoros street fortified for attack (Dr.Barragan's bldg. Doorway to Jorge Cross' café, next to Barragan's bldg.)
11. Runyon Photograph of Refugees of Matamoros, June 1913, just before battle.
12. Runyon Photograph of Constitutionalist line ready to attack Matamoros.
13. Front page of the Brownsville Daily Herald, 4 June 1913, day after attack.
<hr>
Introduction:
To do an adequate job of researching the area of Matamoros, Mexico, it is necessary to do research in Brownsville, Texas history as well. These "Twin Cities" often share the same history and the same citizenry, with residents moving across the border fairly regularly. So it is with the family concerned in my topic.
Before becoming a part of Texas, the area around Brownsville once belonged to a parcel of land called the Espiritu Santo land grant which was a part of New Spain. In 1821 Spain lost her possession and it became a part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico; and in 1836 it became a part of the Republic of Texas, in the county of Nueces. When Mexico and Texas each declared the land as their own, Texas established a fort, later to be known as Fort Brown, along the Rio Grande across from Matamoros. This area remained in dispute until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.(1)
In 1848 it was assigned to the newly created Cameron county, Texas.
Another factor in linking the two cities together in this study is the exogamy of the area. Intermarriage, or outmarriage(2)
, is fairly common here, increasing the instance of "border-hopping." I feel that the Cross family, documented herein, is an excellent example of this. John Samuel Cross is believed to have had an alliance with a mulatto woman in New Orleans before settling in Brownsville-Matamoros. When she died he married a Hispanic woman of some property (part of the Espiritu Santo grant). His son, Middleton H. Cross, married a woman of French heritage; Middleton's son, Juan Samuel, married the daughter of Miguel Barragan, Alcalde (mayor) of Matamoros; and his son, herein interviewed, married a woman of mixed Hispanic and Armenian heritage. This intermingling of cultures appears to have blurred the distinguishing ethnic identity of the two cities.
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A Cross Across the Border;
A Brush With the Constitutionalist Forces
in Matamoros.
The temperature in Matamoros was in the 90's but the room felt cool. Whether this was due to it's white, plastered walls and open floor plan, or the gently revolving ceiling fans, I don't really know. Perhaps it was a by-product of the one hundred year old shade trees outside the open windows. The trees, making a canopy between the front of the house and the courtyard walls, lent a sense of peace and seclusion as they shielded us from the busy street. The occupants in the living room were deep in conversation, sharing the story of their family's history through at least three wars.
Sylvia turned, speaking to her father, "You were born in Brownsville, right? In the little house?"
"I was born on Adams Street. The house on Madison was Juan S. Cross', I think," replied Meliton.
"That was Johnson Cross," my mother supplied. "You were born in 1914, during the revolution. How old were you when the family returned to Matamoros?"
"About five or six. I remember . . ."(3)
We spent many pleasurable hours listening to the stories of dead family members and viewing the portraits of the last hundred and twenty years. A family which bears an eclectic mix of races through their veins as they lived through many cycles of violence and prosperity in Matamoros history. It all began in the early 1840's when my third great grandfather, as family tradition relates, had a fight with his oldest son.
John Samuel wanted his father to free his slaves. The fight resulted in John Cross senior giving his son a little over $2,ooo, a musket and powder and a family bible then telling him to leave. What would a plantation-born young man do with his new independence?
John Samuel Cross, it seems, chose to go to sea, possibly with his uncle, Captain George Warren Cross. Later, in New Orleans, he is believed to have married a mulatto woman from Martinique. (This picture was found in the family collection and bears the name Lydia Foy on the back and bears the engraving "Clarke's Art Gallery" with a New Orleans address on the front.)
By this time trouble had started brewing on the Mexican border of Texas. Our earliest record of John S. Cross being in the border area is the 1850 Census for Brownsville, Texas(4)
. It is believed that he arrived between 1846 and 1848. Perhaps it is merely coincidence that "on November 17, 1847, (General Zachary) Taylor found himself aboard the steam boat Colonel Cross, (on the Rio Grande) writing a letter to"(5) a friend in New Orleans.
John may have fallen in love with the area or he may have seen the economic potential, but for whatever reason, he decided to remain in the booming "Twin Cities," for he again appears in the census of Cameron County in 1860.(6)
In 1860 he is listed as a farmer with a $3,000 value to his name. This indicates that he prospered greatly in the area, as he had increased his property value by fifty percent in just ten years. Meliton Cross, great grandson of John Samuel Cross, said that John Samuel owned three ranches and drove cattle to the north before he had set up his businesses in Matamoros.
Evidence proves this to be true, for I found record of it in several sources. One such record states, "Soon after the Mexican War, when the lower Rio Grande Country became available to settlers, he brought his family to this vicinity and began the business of stock raising. By 1859, when the cattle industry was too uncertain by the state of the country, and wholly unprofitable by the constant losses from raids and thefts, he was forced to abandon it."(7)
(Shortly after this paper was written my mother was contacted by the Historical Society of Brownsville. While building a new road in North Brownsville they uncovered some graves on land once belonging to one of the Cross ranches. Archaeologists were called in and they were hoping for some identification of these remains.)
Shortly before Civil War erupted in the United States, J. S. Cross moved to Matamoros, Mexico. From Chatfield's book we read that he "settled in Matamoros in 1857 . . . and in 1862 he opened a small store."(8)
This influx of Anglo settlers into the town of Matamoros is further explained in Boom and Bust, "Matamoros was stimulated by the double benefits of its free trade zone and the Dixie wartime trade . . . in the early 1860's."(9)
In reference to J. S. Cross they stated, "J. S. Cross was a Louisiana planter who transferred to the delta and switched to cattle ranching"(10) and "J. S. Cross, a Cameron County rancher, in 1862 opened a dry goods store occupying half a block on Matamoros' Abasolo Street, as well as a Matamoros bakery."(11)
The move into Mexico was a profitable one as he expanded his assets and set up businesses on both sides of the border. Today, there are two historic buildings in Brownsville's el Globo ("the Balloon") district which are attributed to J. S. Cross. One is now a museum, called the Casa Blanca Hotel on East Madison and 15th street, and the other is a house at 911 East Madison.(12)
Here I would like to point out that my mother and I have found a discrepancy in the historical records of Brownsville. J S Crossmentioned his el Globo properties in his will, filed in 1900(13)
, leaving a residence there to his widow. It is claimed by the historical register that these two buildings were built in 1906. Either the buildings were built earlier than their records indicate or they were built by another J S Cross of the period. This could have been his son Johnson Cross, his grandson Juan S Cross, or even John's widow, Jesusa Santellana Cross, since she was the one who inherited the property.
As earlier stated, John Samuel left ranching, in part, due to bandit raids and theft. I have no idea how he may have been affected during the occupation of Juan Cortina. According to Donald J. Mabry and Robert J. Shafer, the border covered 1,200 miles and was rampant with "brigandage, smuggling, and cattle rustling." They further stated that Brownsville had been taken over by one of these bandits in 1859. "In 1859 the band of Juan Cortina (a sort of Mexican Robin Hood) occupied Brownsville, Texas, and provoked the Texas Rangers and the U. S. Army into pursuing them into Mexico."(14)
From these raids we follow history into the Civil War period of the United States.
During the Civil War the Confederacy depended on the export of cotton to support their war effort. As the Union blockaded ports and all confederate ships Matamoros became a key player in the confederate economy, taking advantage of the Zona Libre. "The heretofore quaint old Spanish town presented the very picture of a busy commercial mart . . . Ox and mule teams from the Texan side of the river were busy hauling the precious staple of the Southern States (cotton), which put all this commerce in motion."(15)
At this time Matamoros could almost compare with a bank, as it acted as a broker between Europe and the Confederacy. As cotton flowed out of Matamoros, Arms and Ammunition were among the chief imports of European goods which were sold to the Trans-Mississippi division of the Confederate Army.
I believe it was during the civil war that the small mercantile business of John S. Cross developed into a major wholesale concern. By the year 1893 he was featured in a book about the area, called The Twin Cities of the Border. On the inside cover of this book he had placed a prominent advertisement which read, "J.S. & M.H. Cross, Wholesale Merchants. Dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots, Shoes, Hats and Notions, Winchester Arms and Ammunition."
John's taxable property in 1892 Brownsville was extensive, being the highest of the Brownsville residents. His net worth would have been higher than this if we take into consideration his Matamoros properties which would not be taxable in Texas. The tax table and land-holdings were listed as follows:(16)
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Cross, J.S.& M.H. ................................$56,000
Bloomburg & Raphael........................... 53,150
Cavazos, Estate Maria Josefa................. 48,625
N.Y.& Brownsville Improvement Co..... 48,100
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J.S.& M.H.Cross .....................7,198 acres
Mrs.Henrietta M.King...........334,469
John G.Kennedy....................304,779
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Another indicator of their prosperity is in Matamoros, where Middleton H. Cross built a large house for his wife on the corner of Calle Siete (7th Street) and Calle Herera.
This Victorian, built in 1885, still stands and has recently been restored by philanthropist, Don Filamon Garza. The mansion had been empty for many years, rumored to be haunted, until Garza purchased it from Louis Cross of Mexico City. The Victorian splendor of the home has made it a landmark of Matamoros as it stands surrounded by the squarish brick buildings that are its neighbors.
Don Filamon Garza graciously lead my mother and I through the Cross house, telling us some of its history as we went from room to room. Some of the opulence of the home are still evident in the moldings, ornate bookcases, furnishings, and the old family portraits of Middleton H. Cross and his wife, Odowessa Maria Lamarque. Don Garza(17)
keeps an office in the room in which he is most proud. The library. Tall, beautifully carved, cherry wood bookcases, filled with antique volumes, line the walls of this room. Judging by the books the family left behind, they were well educated.
While the restoration was in progress, one reporter said this about the library, "One of the most interesting rooms is the library. Books written in French, English and Spanish line the shelves. There is even one of the first editions of the Encyclopedia Britanica. Plenty of light comes in through the great windows, and comfortable chairs wait for someone to sit, and read the books."(18)
By examining the Cross house in Matamoros, and the evidence found in books of the period, the Porifiriato years seem to have been very kind to the Cross family. Perhaps the Cross businesses received concessions from the government of Porifirio Diaz, as did most foreigners of that time. But, for whatever reason, Middleton H. Cross found it incomprehensible that anyone would want a revolution. Perhaps the naivete in his perceptions were common to the area, for it is said that Matamoros had better interrelations than most of Mexico.
Since Matamoros and Brownsville are often linked as "sister-cities" we may find the reason for his outlook in Boom and Bust which states that "Brownsville actually enjoys a more relaxed atmosphere between its Anglo-American and Mexican-American . . . Due in part to the fact that a generation of emigration from the United States had taken place in the delta while the local Mexican families were still in total control, and also in part to the continuing social prestige of certain left-bank Mexican families, there were enough Anglo-Americans and Mexican-Americans interested in acculturation and intermarriage to create a degree of ethnic relaxation in Brownsville from the first."(19)
Jorge Cross described his great grandfather's attitude as, "he could not understand how anyone would want to change things. He could not understand why people would revolt to get land. When the Constitutionalists took Matamoros, my great grandfather was a businessman. The fact that he was not a large landowner on the Mexican side of the border was what saved him. The Constitutionalists left him alone because he had jobs for the workers. Even after the constitutionalists took over, and many had fled, he remained in Matamoros to take care of his businesses and they left him alone."(20)
Not everyone was so lucky.
Between the time of John Samuel Cross' death in 1900 and the constitutionalist attack on Matamoros in 1913, many distressing things had occurred in Mexico. The elite class lived a life of elegance while the poor kept getting poorer. The regime of Porifirio "Strong Man" Diaz depended on the economic investment of foreign capital. To attract the foreign money he had to offer economic incentives such as no taxation, plenty of land rights, and cheap labor. Laws were passed which confiscated all lands which had no clear title, (most lands had never had titles, but had been lived on and improved over generations). The loss of their lands caused farmers to seek employment to be able to support their families and pay their taxes. Artisans and skilled workmen lost their market to the big foreign manufacturers who could produce for the mass market at smaller prices.
The middle class were not exempt from hardships, either. In fact the vast majority of Mexico's population faced problems of one kind or another. The poor were now landless, unable to grow the crops needed to feed their families. Laborers who dared to demand humane treatment were ruthlessly crushed. The middle class were disenfranchised, unable to compete with foreign goods on even the internal marketplace. The elite resented foreign capitalists who received subsidies, tax exemption, and favorable contracts.(21)
While the Porifiriato staged elegant parades and entertainment's, the rest of the nation was simmering to a boil. "In other lands the middle class had been swelled and benefitted by the coming of industry. Here the producers and traders for the internal market lost ground as their reservoir of purchasers became steadily impoverished."(22) Dissatisfaction led to violence and Diaz had to increase the size of his federal army, and his famous rurales, in an attempt to retain control of the country.
Into this cauldron of resentment and anger came economic crises', crop failures, and political turmoil--all were ingredients for explosive violence and the demand for reforms. As though a pressure cooker had been set above too high a flame, the eruption called revolucion splattered across all walks of life. "Three occupations, Moline Enriquez had observed tartly, were open to educated mestizos; government employment, the professions, and--revolution."(23)
From this point revolution moved rapidly with power constantly changing hands. Porifirio Diaz was chased out of Mexico by Francisco Indalecio Madierro in May of 1911. He became the first president of post Diaz Mexico. By 1913 Victoriano Huerta assassinated Madierro in a bloody coup d'etat and seized power for himself. Still the people were not satisfied and several rebel factions continued roaming the nation. In the South of Mexico Emiliano Zapata continued to rally the people with a call for Land reforms. In northern Mexico were the Constitutionalists who were led by three leaders; the radical Francisco "Pancho" Villa from Chihuahua; and two moderates; Venustiano Carranza of Coahuila and Alvaro Obregon of Sonora.(24)
It is with the Constitutionalists of northern Mexico that the family of Middleton H Cross came in contact. To better examine the impact of the Constitutionalist attack on Matamoros, I read the Brownsville newspapers for the year 1913. Going by the results of this form of archival research I uncovered an error in one of my textbooks.
In Mexico Since Independence, John Womack Jr., professor of History, Harvard University claimed that the Constitutionalists took Matamoros on 14 May 1913.(25)
However, plotting the progress of the Constitutionalists in the Brownsville Daily Herald, for the Months of April through June, I found that the attack did not occur until the morning hours of 3 June 1913. Since I do not read Spanish, I had to depend on Brownsville's English-speaking newspaper to catalog the events which led up to the attack on Matamoros.
While gathering material for this research work I found that pictorial histories of the revolution are available. One such book concentrated on the photographs of Constitutionalist take over of Matamoros. These photographs were taken by a postcard photographer named Robert Runyon.(26)
These pictures made an impact on me because they brought the revolution to life, much as did the article we read, titled "The Soldadera as Mexican Amazon."(27) Upon Runyon's death his photographic collection became part of the University of Texas holdings. These pictures can be viewed online at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/txuhtml/runyhome.html.
In Runyon's photographs we see the Rurales as they pose during a parade through the main plaza just a month before the attack. In another we see the Federal army in the main plaza, possibly in the same parade (http://runyon.lib.utexas.edu/n2c?urn:utlol:runyon.00020). The federal forces were probably being led by Major Esteban Ramos during this parade, for he was in command of the garrison in Matamoros at this time. This type of display must have given the citizens of the city a sense of safety and security. This is born out in the headlines of the Brownsville Daily Herald.
By comparing the place names of these headlines with the map at the front of this essay you can plot the progress of the Constitutionalist revolutionaries as they marched toward Matamoros.
<LI> 1913 APRIL 12 "NO FIGHT IN MATAMOROS."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 14 "REBELS ROUTED."
Headlines of the area remained optimistic as they cataloged the progress of the Revolution. Always they seemed to hold the belief that it would be put down long before it reached them. The fact that Victoria successfully defended itself against the Constitutionalist forces in April would have bolstered their faith that the uprising would never last long enough to reach them.
<LI> 1913 APRIL 21- "RURALES TURN AGAINST HUERTA-THREATENED CITY OF VICTORIA,
<LI> 1913 APRIL 23 "ATTACK MADE ON VICTORIA--REVOLTING RURALES ATTEMPT TO TAKE TAMAULIPAS CAPITAL
I can imagine the citizens of Matamoros saying,"Victoria is a long way from here," as they went about their business. Then more towns were taken by the swarming masses of the Constitution-alist forces. Casso Lopes, Burgos and Mendez fall. Still, they must have thought,"it is far away."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 23 "FIGHT BETWEEN FEDERALS AND CONSTITUTION- ALISTS AT CASSO LOPES RESULTS IN FEDERAL DEFEAT. . ."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 25 "TAMAULIPAS TOWNS TAKEN--BURGOS AND MENDEZ, 125 MILES SOUTHEAST ..."
By this time the president is getting desperate. More and more of the army are beginning to take sides against General Huerta. He then invests heavily in his soldiers, raising their salaries in an attempt to maintain their allegiance to him. Then Jose Pena takes Carmargo and marches toward Rio Brovo and Reynosa. But of course, "that is far away."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 "MEXICO RAISES SOLDIERS' PAY--MEN IN FEDERAL ARMY NOW RECEIVE $1.50 PER DIEM-- BEST PAID SOLDIERS IN THE WORLD . . ."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 "CARRANZISTA MOVEMENT-BAND UNDER COL.JOSE PENA AT CAMARGO MARCHING TOWARD RIO BRAVO AND REYNOSA."
It was about this time that Runyon's photographs of the military parade in Matamoros was taken. Crowds gathered in the plaza to watch as rurales and the federal soldiers of the garrison put on a marvelous show. Their uniformed precision, and military superiority would have bolstered the confidence of the people as Huerta struggled to retain political power.
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 ". . . RAPIDLY GROWING FRICTION BETWEEN HUERTA AND DIAZ ARE CONFIRMED . . . ALL THE FORCES IN MEXICO CITY ARE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS . . ."
<LI> 1913 MAY 8 "VICTORIA PROTECTED.--REVOLUTIONIST ATTACK WAS REPULSED . . ."
Steadily the Constitutionalists drew nearer. Their voracious appetite increased with each town they conquered until, finally, the revolution was no longer far away. At last some of the residents took heed. In the next few days a thousand or more people fled across the Rio Grande to Brownsville. But, still, most Matamoreans remained. Their confidence in the garrison, under Major Esteban Ramos, and in their mayor, Dr. Miguel Tomas Barragan Flores, seems astounding.
<LI> 1913 MAY 10 "REBELS MARCH ON RIO BRAVO--SCHEDULED TO ATTACK TOWN TONIGHT AT LOMA ALTA, 30 MILES AWAY . . . RIO BRAVO DESERTED . . .THE PLACE MAY BE BURNED."
<LI> 1913 MAY 12 "MATAMOROS IN SUSPENSE ALL DAY.--DETACHMENT OF 200 REPORTED WITHIN TWO MILES . . ."
By the fourteenth of May Matamoros had set up barricades in the streets, fortifying itself against possible attack. Despite these precautions, Major Ramos preached that attack would not happen. That an agreement met
<LI> 1913 MAY 14 "MATAMOROS IS BARACADED"
<LI> 1913 MAY 15 "HOUR OF BATTLE DRAWING NEAR"
<LI> 1913 MAY 17 "RECOGNIZES HUERTA-SPAIN, AUSTRIA AND FRANCE SEND AUTOGRAPH LETTERS TO NEW ADMINISTRATION."
For a week, rumors were flying that the Constitutionalist forces were camped just two miles outside of the city. This allowed Major Ramos and the townspeople a lot of time to marshal their resources and strengthen their fortifications.
As the Constitutionalists drew threateningly nearer, residents began to take heed. In the next few days a thousand or more people fled across the Rio Grande to Brownsville. But, still, most Matamoreans remained. Their confidence in the garrison, under Major Esteban Ramos, and in their mayor, Dr. Miguel Tomas Barragan Flores, seems astounding.
<LI> 1913 MAY 19 "ALL QUIET IN H. MATAMOROS--THOUSANDS OF MATAMORENSENS SHELTERING HERE MAY RETURN.
<LI> 1913 MAY 21 "GATLING GUNS FOR MATAMOROS"
<LI> 1913 MAY 21 "BLANCO AT RIO BRAVO"
<LI> 1913 MAY 23 "BLANCO BEGINS EASTWARD MOVE"
<LI> 1913 MAY 30 "CHARGES AGAINST CITY OFFICIALS . . . (Blanco makes charges against) BARRAGAN"
<LI> 1913 MAY 31 "RAMOS DOES NOT EXPECT ATTACK-- DECLARES CONDITIONS WILL BE SETTLED IN MATAMOROS BY MONDAY AND BUSINESS MAY BE RESUMED.-- BELIEVE BLANCO HAS WAITED TOO LONG TO ATTACK HEROIC CITY, WHICH IS NOW THOROUGHLY PREPARED."
On the first day of June General Lucio Blanco of the Constitutionalist Army, and his chief of staff, Major Francisco J Mujica, drafted a letter to Ramos and Barragan in Matamoros. Copies of this letter were distributed through the streets of Brownsville. It was Carlos (Danache), attache in the office of the United States Consul J. H. Johnson of Matamoros who delivered a copy to Ramos and Barragan. When Barragan asked why the American's delivered the letter for Blanco he was told, "the message had been delivered to the consul by an American citizen, and that since the Matamoros authorities threatened to kill any messenger who brought a demand for surrender from the Constitutionalist camp Consul Johnson agreed to have the letter transmitted to the authorities.
<LI> 1913 JUNE 2 "REBELS ARE NEAR CITY"
<LI> 1913 JUNE 2 "SURRENDER OF PLAZA DEMANDED--GENERAL BLANCO THROUGH UNITED STATES CONNSUL J.H.JOHNSON WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PLACING A LETTER BEFORE RAMOS.-- Barragan OBJECTED--SMILED WHEN HE READ MISSIVE BUT VOUCHSAFED NO REPLY THREATENED DEATH TO MESSENGER SKILLFULLY EVADED.
<hr>
- - - - - [ Document 1.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "The Constitutionalist Demands at Matamoros. 1 June 1913"
"A printed copy of the message was circulated and sold on the streets of Brownsville yesterday afternoon. Translated it reads:
"From the camp of the constitutionalist forces to the Commander in Matamoros, I have my forces at the gates of this city and am resolved to take it at all costs. I have sufficient means: but I do no desire to sacrifice the lives of Mexican citizens who always do the best they can for their country. Consequently, with these humane sentiments which prevail throughout my forces, I call to your attention the futility of defending the plaza; for I (____) the means by which to take it each day join at my camp new and numerous citizens anxious to take part in the campaign which their duty as citizens has imposed upon them and to triumph over the militarism which has usurped the national government. "Our army has been well covered with glory wherever we have fought in this part of the country; the war gains from one boundary of our territory to the other.
"On the other hand your condition is constantly deteriorating; because in the twenty days that my columns have been in this section, they have not found one single soldier to reinforce you. Renosa Camargo, Mier, Guerrero and the entire line of the railway as far as Pesqueria Chica, is in our power and not one single man of those have we met who responds to the cause of the government of Huerta, to come to the rescue of these places. The sympathies of public opinion are in our favor. The justice of the cause which we defend is manifested by all of the cultured people of the earth in refusing to sanction by recognizing the so-called government, {____ting) from a scandalous, shameful and perfidious treason. Why then do you persist in defending a rotten regime; why do you permit yourself to destroy strong men in a work the sole object of which is to sustain a traitor and a regime of militarism which will not be tolerated by the Mexican people? "I hope this note will be interpreted by you as a call to your patriotism, if it be that this sacred sentiment is not extinguished in your heart and that the plaza will be delivered to me without firing a single shot, in which case we will give all guarantees to the civil and military authorities and to all volunteer and regular soldiers who lay down their arms.
"The decision that you give this request may be sent to this headquarters in front of the city with a white flag with the surety that your envoy will have all possible guarantees. Your silence will be interpreted as a negative, in which case we will prepare to take the city, making you responsible for all which may succeed. "I present to you my attentive consideration, Liberty and Constitution.
- - - General Headquarters in front of Matamoros, June, 1, 1913.
- - - Lucio Blanco, General.
- - - Maj. Francisco J Mujica, Chief of Staff.
- - - - - [End of Document 1 ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<hr>
The time was now at hand. Neither side would back down. Each side had placed their chess pieces on the playing field in the game called war, and each had followed the accepted model of warrior etiquette. Major Ramos had made General Blanco an offer and General Blanco had returned the offer with one of his own. Major Ramos and Mayor Barragan held firm in their decision to defend the city of Heroic Matamoros. General Blanco held firm in his decision to attack. It was time for the game to begin.
I wonder, now, what went on in that room after the attache left. Did Barragan have doubts as to the garrison's ability to defend the city? Did they feel they had been backed into the proverbial corner? Perhaps they wasted no time in checking their men, the major going over last minute plans with the men under his command, the mayor having one more talk with his police force and the volunteers who had remained behind to assist in the defense of their homes and property. Did they underestimate the strength and manpower of the constitutionalist army or did they believe that reinforcements were on their way?
Whatever they thought, whatever they did for the remainder to that Monday in June, the tension was mounting. And a long night of waiting had begun.
<hr>
Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico:
Tuesday, 3 June 1913:
10:00 AM At ten o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, the first signs of the battle were noted. Two groups of Constitutionalists were spotted as they began taking attack positions. One body of three hundred men were seen through a clearing to the west of the electric light plant and (another) in a southerly direction." Then a third group with sixteen men, made their appearance on the bank of the river.
10:30 AM At ten thirty the first shot was fired just to the west of the electric light plant. Within moments there was fighting to the south, and on San Fernando road as well as at one of the federal garrisons. Then a dynamite magazine was exploded, destroying several houses.
Sometime, early in the battle, the ports between Matamoros and Brownsville were officially closed and the International bridge became the principal point of observation and information on the United States side of the river.
1:00 PM Word arrived in Brownsville that four federas were wounded in the fighting. These four men were brought to the International bridge for medical assistance by the Red Cross. Major Ramos was seen leading his men with shouts of "Vivas" for the Huerta Supreme government when he was shot by Lieutenant Falcon of E. B. Guerras (Constitutionalist) command. He made it to the International bridge where he was treated and taken to a house on 14th street and Madison (possibly to the J. S. Cross building which is now a museum). It was also reported that Mayor Barragan had come to the bridge but was not allowed to pass. It was later heard that he had been shot.
1:30 PM Federal troops were forced to abandon their positions as General Cesarion Castro stormed the trenches around the electric light plant enabling the Constitutionalists to capture it.
2:00 PM There was a break in the fighting and eight more wounded federals arrived at the International bridge for help.
3:30 PM Three federals and a group of about eighteen revolutionaries began fighting in front of the customs house on Calle Santa Cruz near the International bridge. About thirty shots were exchanged, some of which actually struck houses on the U.S., side of the river, then the federals fled, one of whom had his horse shot out from under him.
3:40 PM General Castro and twelve men took control of the International bridge.
3:50 PM About twenty federals advanced under a white flag, thinking the town had already fallen. Meanwhile approximately four hundred federals and volunteers were trapped in the main plaza fighting the Carranzistas from their trenches.
5:15 PM The fighting was still going on, but it was all concentrated around the Plaza Hidalgo.
Wednesday, 4 June 1913:
3:00 AM Seventeen hours of fighting came to a halt when the regulars and the volunteers in the trenches around the plaza had finally exhausted their ammunition, but still they refused to surrender.
5:00 AM Blanco's men advanced on the trenches under cover of gunfire, but none of the defender's returned fire.
6:00 AM It was not until six o'clock on the morning of the fourth of June that the city of Heroic Matamoros officially fell into the hands of the Constitutionalist forces.
6:15 AM Blanco and one hundred of his men rode down to the ferry and lifted the embargo. Thus opened, crowds later flooded the bridge to check on the status of Matamoros. Then began the gruesome process of gathering the dead from the streets and placing them in funeral pyres. Only eighty dead bodies were accounted for but the casualties in dead reached in excess of a hundred.
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Among the visitors of the newly opened city were tourists who were in search of souvenirs. Many such people picked up the numerous spent cartridges but left the unexploded dynamite bombs alone. The dynamite bombs were described as "made of pieces of cast iron pipe, six inches in length. Each had a long fuse sufficiently long to carry the bomb as far as a man could throw it before exploding. The dynamite was soaked with gasoline, and upon exploding would burst into flame. In this way several buildings caught fire."
One reporter for the Brownsville Daily Herald gave a recap of some of Heroic Matamoros' bloody history, stating that she had been in so many battles that she could almost be called Warlike Matamoros. Matamoros had been the scene of so much bloodshed that she had earned her title as Heroic Matamoros. The author ended his article with a depiction of the desolation found in her streets that day and the claim that what Matamoros now needed was peace.
The carnage of war was evident in the funeral pyres. One reporter described them as, "Here a hand, there a leg, over yonder a head, right there a torso, right under your feet a bloody and swollen foot protrudes and over all a pile of green mesquite with fitful flames creeping in and out and licking at human flesh crackling with the rendering of muscle and fat."
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I found it interesting that one of the first things promised after the battle was that the bull ring, which had been destroyed by fire, would be rebuilt at triple its present size once things quieted down in Mexico. Other than the bull ring property loss was estimated at about ten thousand dollars. The bank had been looted but it was not proven as to whether the perpetrators were Blanco's men or some of the fleeing federals.
Of the prisoners taken by the Constitutionalists, the U. S. government pleaded for the lives of the fourteen federal soldiers who had valiantly defended the American consulate during the attack. Blanco acquiesced to sparing the lives of twelve of them; the two lieutenants who were among the fourteen, were court-marshaled and shot.
When asked about rumors of looting, Major Zertuchie stated, "that is not our way of doing business. I have had to take my pistol and stop men from looting and have also stopped them from executing summary vengeance against an enemy." Major Zertuchie was also asked about Mayor Barragan, to which he replied, ". . . Dr. Barragan escaped to the woods early in the afternoon and was seen by some of his men to cross the river sometime about midnight. As Dr. Barragan couldn't swim he was practically carried across by two men one on each side swimming and supporting Barragan between them. He is said to have reached the Huerta consul's house about three o'clock AM the night of the battle."
This statement appears to be true. Dr. Miguel Barragan, mayor of Matamoros at the time of the attack, and a force of policemen, had remained in the city to help defend it until early Wednesday morning. At that time they went to a ranch about thirty miles from Matamoros where he remained until Friday. Unable to swim, his men carried him across the river to the American side.
On Friday an emissary of the Mexican government arrived to place an offer before General Blanco. Captain Trevino was accompanied by one Rurale from Monterrey. Trevino delivered the proposition to General Blanco, in which he was offered three hundred thousand pesos and a generalship in the Mexican army. Blanco found it an insult and executed the Captain. The Rurale was imprisoned in Matamoros.
The twenty-three year old captain of the volunteers, Antonio Schazaretta, escaped during the battle late Tuesday night and was captured about fourteen miles form Matamoros on Saturday. On Sunday he was executed <http://runyon.lib.utexas.edu/r/RUN00000/RUN00200/RUN00261.JPG>. It was said that he faced his death calmly and the Constitutionalists present at his execution called him valiente muchacho, meaning brave boy. Judging by the executions, I don't blame Middleton H Cross' son, Juan, for going to America for a while, and not responding to the demands of the Constitutionalists when they wanted for questioning.
<hr>
- - - - - [ Document 2.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Constitutionalists and Juan Cross."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 7 "JUAN CROSS ACCUSED"
"Major Mujica accuses Juan Cross, the son of the wealthy head of the J.S. & M.H. Cross Lumber Co, of Brownsville and Matamoros, of aiding with his moral and financial support, the move last February resulted in the making of Dr. Barragan mayor of Matamoros, and Major Esteban Ramos commander of the garrison. Major Mujica claims that documents have been found in Matamoros indicating the accused man as connected with the affair and regarding this he said:
"We have found documents showing that Juan Cross helped morally and financially in the coup d'etat that took place in Matamoros last February. Those documents accuse him of being one of the men who made the move against our government in favor of Huerta, and which brought forth the appointments of Dr. Barragan and Major Ramos as the civil and military heads, respectively, in this city.
"Nevertheless, if in any way Mr. Cross can prove to the contrary, we shall be glad to have him come before our staff and discuss the matter. If he can prove his innocence he may return to Matamoros and continue the affairs of business here. However, it has been decided that if Mr. Cross cannot prove his innocence of this accusation, we shall be forced to exclude him from Mexico.
"With a great fortune at his command we fear his presence here would be dangerous to our cause, as he has the means with which to become a powerful enemy."
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<hr>
Juan Cross took his family to Brownsville, which is where his son Meliton Horacio Cross, was born in 1914. Though Juan and his family returned to Matamoros in later years, the family was in exile from their home for over eight years. Meliton's grandfather, Dr. Miguel Barragan, was in exile for almost twenty years, at which time he stood trial in Matamoros, under another government, and was found innocent of the charges which had been leveled against him. It was then ordered that his expropriated property be returned to him, and with the exception of the choicest pieces, most of his property was returned.
In speaking with Meliton's son, Jorge Cross said that his great grandfather "never really wanted to be mayor that last time. He had been alcalde twice before and, because of the turbulent times no one would take the job. The people had loved him and had begged him to be mayor again,"
Thus was the tale of a family named Cross. A tale of family men who supported the Huerta regime of the Mexican government against the Constitutionalist forces of Carranza. They were forced to flee their homeland with prices on their heads by the new victors of a revolution.
The family traveled to Europe to get far away from the wars in Mexico, only to find another war about to erupt around them ( World War I ). Juan brought his family back to the United States and, for a brief time, they lived in New York and Boston before returning home. Here in the U.S. they faced other problems, such as prejudice and segregation. But that is a whole other chapter of family history. A chapter in the life of a family which shared a part of the history of Heroic Matamoros.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [Begin Newspaper Headlines ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Brownsville Daily Herald :
<LI> 1913 APRIL 12 "NO FIGHT IN MATAMOROS."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 14 "REBELS ROUTED."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 21- "RURALES TURN AGAINST HUERTA- THREATENED CITY OF VICTORIA
<LI> 1913 APRIL 23 "ATTACK MADE ON VICTORIA--REVOLTING RURALES ATTEMPT TO TAKE TAMAULIPAS CAPITAL
<LI> 1913 APRIL 23 "FIGHT BETWEEN FEDERALS AND CONSTITUTIONALISTS AT CASSO LOPES RESULTS IN FEDERAL DEFEAT. . ."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 25 "TAMAULIPAS TOWNS TAKEN--BURGOS AND MENDEZ, 125 MILES SOUTHEAST ..."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 "MEXICO RAISES SOLDIERS' PAY--MEN IN FEDERAL ARMY NOW RECEIVE $1.50 PER DIEM -- BEST PAID SOLDIERS IN THE WORLD . . ."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 "CARRANZISTA MOVEMENT--BAND UNDER COL.JOSE PENA AT CAMARGO MARCHING TOWARD RIO BRAVO AND REYNOSA."
<LI> 1913 APRIL 28 ". . . RAPIDLY GROWING FRICTION BETWEEN HUERTA AND DIAZ ARE CONFIRMED . . . ALL THE FORCES IN MEXICO CITY ARE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS . . ."
<LI> 1913 MAY 8 "VICTORIA PROTECTED.--REVOLUTIONIST ATTACK WAS REPULSED . . ."
<LI> 1913 MAY 10 "REBELS MARCH ON RIO BRAVO--SCHEDULED TO ATTACK TOWN TONIGHT AT LOMA ALTA, 30 MILES AWAY . . . RIO BRAVO DESERTED . . .THE PLACE MAY BE BURNED."
<LI> 1913 MAY 12 "MATAMOROS IN SUSPENSE ALL DAY.--DETACHMENT OF 200 REPORTED WITHIN TWO MILES . . ."
<LI> 1913 MAY 14 "MATAMOROS IS BARACADED"
<LI> 1913 MAY 15 "HOUR OF BATTLE DRAWING NEAR"
<LI> 1913 MAY 17 "RECOGNIZES HUERTA--SPAIN, AUSTRIA AND FRANCE SEND AUTOGRAPH LETTERS TO NEW ADMINISTRATION."
<LI> 1913 MAY 19 "ALL QUIET IN H. MATAMOROS--THOUSANDS OF MATAMORENSENS SHELTERING HERE MAY RETURN.
<LI> 1913 MAY 21 "GATLING GUNS FOR MATAMOROS"
<LI> 1913 MAY 21 "BLANCO AT RIO BRAVO"
<LI> 1913 MAY 23 "BLANCO BEGINS EASTWARD MOVE"
<LI> 1913 MAY 30 "CHARGES AGAINST CITY OFFICIALS . . (Blanco makes charges against) BARRAGAN"
<LI> 1913 MAY 31 "RAMOS DOES NOT EXPECT ATTACK- DECLARES CONDITIONS WILL BE SETTLED IN MATAMOROS BY MONDAY AND BUSINESS MAY BE RESUMED.-- BELIEVE BLANCO HAS WAITED TOO LONG TO ATTACK HEROIC CITY, WHICH IS NOW THOROUGHLY PREPARED."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 2 "SURRENDER OF PLAZA DEMANDED--GENERAL BLANCO THROUGH UNITED STATES CONNSUL J.H.JOHNSON WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PLACING A LETTER BEFORE RAMOS.-- BARRAGAN OBJECTED--SMILED WHEN HE READ MISSIVE BUT VOUCHSAFED NO REPLY <LI> THREATENED DEATH TO MESSENGER SKILLFULLY EVADED
<LI> 1913 JUNE 3 "BATTLE RAGES MOST OF DAY ROUND MATAMOROS!--MAYOR RAMOS HEAD OF MATAMOROS GARRISON SLIGHTLY WOUNDED FLEES TO AMERICAN SIDE OF RIVER.--FIRING BEGINS AT 10:30 LULL AT 2 P.M. ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT TAKEN AT 1:30 REFUGEES CROSS RIVER."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 4 "PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES -- PEACE PROMISED BY BLANCO. REGULARLY ELECTED CITY OFFICIALS WILL BE REINSTATED. WILL MAKE MATAMOROS HEADQUARTERS FOR SOME TIME. ALL QUIET."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 4 "ANOTHER BLOODY CHAPTER IN A BLOODY HISTORY -- HEROIC MATAMOROS NOT ONLY HEROIC IN HERSELF BUT THE CAUSE THAT HEROISM IS IN MANY MEN. UNUSUAL COURAGE DISPLAYED BY ALL COMBATANTS."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 4 "BLANCO TAKES HEROIC CITY--SEVENTEEN HOUR FIGHT ENDED 3 A.M. BLANCO OCCUPIES MAIN PLAZA 6 A.M. EIGHTY DEAD FORTY WOUNDED. BLANCO WILL GIVE PAROLE TO THIRTY PRISONERS."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 5 "170 BODIES IN FUNERAL PYRE--REVISED LIST SHOW NEAR 200 KILLED--MATAMOROS HAS PROHIBITION-- 60 MEN ESCAPE BY RUSE--BLANCO'S STATEMENTS GIVEN. SADA INSTALLED."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 5 "WILL ATTACK MONTERREY." (By Associated Press. Eagle Pass, Tex.,June 5)
"A large force of Constitutionalists are moving toward Monterey. Twelve hundred rebels from Matamoros are also preparing to march on Monterrey. It is expected the city will be attacked about Sunday. Another force of six hundred Constitutionalists are marching on the City of San Luis Potosi."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 6 "FEDERALS SENT PEACE ENVOY--MESSENGER BEARING TREATY PROPOSALS FROM COMMANDERS AT MONTERREY AND VICTORIA REACHED MATAMOROS TODAY.--BLANCO NOT INCLINED TO ENTERTAIN PROPOSITION ENVOY PLACED UNDER ARREST--TO BE TRIED TOMORROW."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 6 "SOLDIERS MISSING--PARTY OF BROWNSVILLE MEN, INCLUDING CAPTAIN HEAD AND A SQUAD OF U.S.SOLDIERS FAIL TO RETURN.
1913 JUNE 6 "REVISED FIGURES INCREASE DEATHS--RED CROSS WORK DURING BATTLE SHOWING RECORD ACCORDING TO THEIR ESTIMATE--20 HOURS ON GO PICKING UP WOUNDED.--FIVE FUNERAL PYRES VISITED IN SEARCH FOR THE BODY OF Y.G.GARZA A BROWNSVILLE CITIZEN.
<LI> 1913 JUNE 6 "REBELS VICTORIOUS (Eagle Pass, Tex.,June 6.) "Reports received at the headquarters of the Governor Carranza this morning of the second battle between the federals and the Constitutionalists fought yesterday near Salome Botello, say more than a hundred federals were killed and the rebels lost forty. The Constitutionalists
claim the victory and the federals are being pursued toward Monterrey. It is reported that the city of Zacatecas has been captured by the Constitutionalists."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 7 "MAYOR BARRAGAN ARRIVED TODAY--ESCAPED FROM MATAMOROS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH HIS FIGHTING POLICEMEN--SOUGHT REFUGE.--THE MAYOR STAYED WITH THE BATTLE UNTIL HE SAW THAT THE CITY WAS BOUND TO BE TAKEN."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 9 "300,000 PESOS . . ."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 16 "MAY ATTACK CIUDAD VICTORIA--ATTEMPT
REPORTED BEING MADE IN MATAMOROS TO ORGANIZE 1000 MEN TO CAPTURE TAMAULIPAS CAPITAL.--MAN WHO PROPOSES TO LEAD ATTACK CONFIDENT THAT HE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL--PLANS PARTLY LEARNED."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 16 "TO REINFORCE BESIEGERS.--180 CONSTITUTIONALISTS LEFT MATAMOROS
THIS MORNING AT 3 O'CLOCK TRAVEL-LING WEST--TWO CAPTAINS COMAND.--DESTINATION BEKING KEPT SECRET BUT IT IS BELIEVED THEY WILL JOIN THEIR FORCES NOW SURROUNDING NEW LAREDO."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 16 "MATAMOROS CHILDREN--CITY SCHOOL TRUSTEES TO CONSIDER RULING OF STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION.
<LI> 1913 JUNE 16 "MATAMOROS POSTOFFICE OPENED.
<LI> 1913 JUNE 18 "AUTOMOBILE IS HELD.--INTERNATIONAL
QUESTION MAY ARISE AS RESULT OF ALLEGED CONFISCATION OF CAR IN MATAMOROS.--AUTO IS OWNED BY MEXICAN CITIZEN, BUT AMERICAN OWNER OF GARAGE FEELS RESPONSIBLE IF MACHINE IS LOST."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 18 "TWO HUNDRED MEN TO LEAVE.--OFFICIAL INFORMATION THAT ANOTHER FORCE IS TO DEPART FROM MATAMOROS TO REINFORCE LAREDO BESIEGERS.--REPORT OF FIGHT MONDAY NIGHT TOWARD COAST NOT CONFIRMED CARRANZA'S PRIVATE SECRETARY HERE."
<LI> 1913 JUNE 18 "SYMPATHIZERS INCENSED.--SAY ARTICLE APPEARING IN HOUSTON POST TUESDAY WAS GREAT INJUSTICE.
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ENDNOTES :
1. i. Ruby A. Woolbridge, "Espiritu Santo Grant," in Studies in Brownsville History. ed. Milo Kearney. (Brownsville: Pan American University, 1986), 114.
2. ii.. Randy Davidson, "Outmarriage Among Hispanics: Cameron County, 1870-1970," in Still More Studies in Brownsville History, ed. Milo Kearney (Brownsville: The University of Texas At Brownsville, 1991), 49.
3. iii.. Meliton Horacio Cross B., interviewed by author and Edith Smith, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, 25 April 1998.
4. iv.. Federal Census of the United States, 1850, Texas, Cameron County, Brownsville. p 567.
5. v.. Alan Hollander, "An Historic Hail to The Chief," in More Studies in Brownsville History, ed. Milo Kearney, (Brownsville, Pan American University, 1989), 104.
6. vi.. Federal Census of the United States, 1860, Texas, Cameron County, Brownsville.
7. vii.. Lieut. W. H. Chatfield, The Twin Cities of the Border: And the Country of the Lower Rio Grande (New Orleans: E. P. Brandao, 1893), 21.
8. viii.. Lieut. W. H. Chatfield, The Twin Cities of the Border: And the Country of the Lower Rio Grande (New Orleans: E. P. Brandao, 1893), 21.
9. ix.. Milo Kearney and Anthony Knopp. Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville. (Austin: Eakin Press, 1991.) 124.
10. x.. Milo Kearney and Anthony Knopp. Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville. (Austin: Eakin Press, 1991.) 79.
11. xi.. Milo Kearney and Anthony Knopp. Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville. (Austin: Eakin Press, 1991.) 125.
12. xii.. Betty Bay, Historic Brownsville: Original Townsite Guide (Brownsville: Springman-King, 1980). 95, 143.
13. xiii.. Will of John Samuel Cross of Brownsville, Cameron county, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Probate Record Book. Cameron county, Texas. Brownsville. Wittnessed 1900. Filed 4 September 1900. 220-235.
14. xiv. Donald J. Mabry and Robert J Shafer, Neighbors, Mexico and the United States: Wetbacks and Oil. (Mississippi State, MS: Historical Text Archive, 1997) [Database on-line]; available at http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/neighbors/sh3.htm
Chapter Three: The Long Border, 7.
15. xv.. Journal entry of Admiral Raphael Semmes, as quoted in David Johnston's "The Impact of the Civil War on the Rio Grande," in More Studies in Brownsville History, ed. Milo Kearney (Brownsville: Pan American University, 1989), 193.
16. xvi.. W. H. Chatfield, The Twin Cities of the Border: And the Country of the Lower Rio Grande, (New Orleans, E.P.Brandao, 1893), 25, 38.
17. xvii.. Don Filamon Garza, philanthropist and financier, interviewed by author and Edith Smith, at The Cross House, Calle Siete and Calle Herrerra, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, 25 April 1998.
18. xviii.. Felipe Perez, "For Love of Matamoros," The Brownsville Herald, 7 Nov 1993. sec. 1B
19. xix.. Milo Kearney and Anthony Knopp, Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville. (Brownsville: Eakin Press, 1991), 78.
20. xx.. Jorge Alberto Cross V., interviewed by author, at The Casa Blanca café, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico; 23 April 1998.
21. xxi.. Dr. Gunja SenGupta, instructor at Texas A&M University-Commerce, class lecture dated 30 April 1998.
22. xxii.. Anita Brenner, The Wind that Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution 1910-1942. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1971), 26.
23. xxiii.. Anita Brenner, The Wind that Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution 1910-1942. (Aistin: University of Texas Press, 1971), 26.
24. xxiv.. Mexican Revolution 1910-1840 Principal Figures: Pedro Paramo and the Death of Artemio Cruz. < http://www.ups.edu/faculty/velez/fl380/MEXREV.HTM >
25. xxv.. John Womack, Jr., "The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920," in Mexico Since Independence, Leslie Bethell, ed., (New York, Cambridge University Press, 1991), 196.
26. xxvi.. Frank N. Samponaro and Paul J. Vanderwood, War Scare on the Rio Grande: Robert Runyon's Photographs of the Border Conflict, 1913-1916, (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1992).
27. xxvii.. J. H. Plenn, "The Soldadera as Mexican Amazon," in Problems in Modern Latin American History: A Reader, John Charles Chasteen and Joseph S. Tulchin, ed., (Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1994), 152-159.