presence of all who were there," threatening the Mexican infantry commander with a charge of the bayonet if he interfered, he shamefully mistreated her in the presence of her husband.

The unhappy woman, full of shame, resisted with all her strength; while the men were without means other than to say "that he should leave her alone, that in this country such acts were very reserved and were [performed only] with the full consent of the parties; and that to the contrary was punished severely; that this was a married woman, and that her husband was present. . . . To which the Spanish-fly Anglo-American replied, "I desire a married woman, this one is good for me." While such unheard of happenings were transpiring, one of those present determined to relate the whole to General Canales . . . who instructed "that no one interfere with that man, because he had paid 4,000 pesos into the treasury for the aid of independence of this frontier; he had rendered many services and was very enthusiastic in the cause that he defended."

Owing to the unhappy transaction [at Mier and Guerrero between the Federalist-Texans and Mexicans] which took place lately on the Río Grand[e] [reported A. S. Wright, the secret agent of Texas in Mexico], must be attributed this precipitate and unlooked for . . . [declaration of war by] the Mexican Government. I was aware that an expedition was fitting out for that Country [Texas] for the coming spring and that an invasion would be the Result if another internal revolution did not prevent it. . . . But owing to the awful fact that their Frontiers upon the R. Grand[e] now swarms with enemies of foreign blood presents a scene of such magnified danger to the country that every consideration of minor importance has been laid aside and the country with all its towns will be left to the mercy of the Bandit hord[e] who may deluge the republic and the revolting foe. [The] Government under present circumstances cannot stay the depredations of the robber; she alone is able to call upon the people in patriotic strains to lay down their domestic quarles . . . to crush the rebel Texian foe and grind to powder the more accursed traitors of their own blood attached to that hateful flag.[88]

In Mexico City the Texans were reported on the Río Grande with several schooners of war. It was said that the people of the United States were indirectly aiding Texas with means to carry on the war, and that some of the old friends of Texas in the United States had