Mr. Pierce to Mr. Seward
Sir: Since the arrival of the federal troops (6th November) affairs on this side of the Rio Grande have been in a most complete uproar. Immediately upon the arrival of troops at Brownsville, General Cobos, the reaccionario, crossed over, and with a small force seized the governor (Ruiz) and other officials and placed them in confinement, making himself governor, R. Vila military commander, and Colonel Juan N. Cortinas, who created a disturbance and fight in Brownsville several years ago, second in command. After reigning twenty-four hours, Cortinas discovered that Cobos and Vila were endeavoring to get up a pronunciamlento in favor of the French, and he accordingly ordered his men to take them out and shoot them, which was done. Cortinas then proclaimed Jesus de la Lerna governor, and released Ruiz from prison, giving him two hours in which to leave town, referring the whole matter to the general government. In the mean time Ruiz went off to the interior, and as Lerna had been the cause of the revolution two years ago, Ruiz was sent back again to take his seat, with a large escort of regular troops. Lerna, who had arrived in town, supported by Cortinas, made preparations to defend the town, but after ten days’ talk on the subject, on the first day of January it was agreed that Ruiz should take the chair, and the troops of both parties should go to Tampico to fight the French, and until they should be ready to start Ruiz should hold one side of the town and Cortinas the other. Everything remained quiet until the afternoon of the 12th, when Octiviano Cardenas, who belonged to the Cortinas party, went to the palace, in company with two other officers, and insulted the governor. In arresting him he fired his pistol off among Ruiz’s soldiers. He was immediately seized, led out, and shot to death. This again started a correspondence between the contending parties, and at 9 p. m. the same evening the fighting commenced in the streets, one party using six pieces of artillery and Ruiz using two. The battle lasted until 11 a. m. on the 13th, when Cortinas took possession of the palace and town, and Ruiz and his friends fled to Brownsville, and at present we are without a governor.
During the night of the 12th, finding that robbing was being carried on in some parts of the town, and I having about a million of dollars in specie under my charge, at 10½
p. m. I applied to Major General Herron, commanding the forces on the Rio Grande, for sufficient men to protect our property from thieves and robbers, and he immediately crossed over a large force, who remained by us until morning, when I sent all the money to Brownsville, and the troops retired.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.