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Republic of the Río Grande and Texas

massacre of their chiefs could be expected to light the torch along the whole western frontier. The Mexican Federalists on the frontier also posed a problem. Consequently, Lamar determined to make a special investigation of conditions on the San Patricio-Victoria-Goliad frontier, and for this purpose he sent Colonel Samuel A. Plummer, a close friend, from Austin as an agent of the government to the southwestern frontier. Plummer was in Victoria at the time of the arrival of Cárdenas. His purpose, declared a correspondent of the Colorado Gazette,[80]  was to raise volunteers "to sweep the country between the Nueces and the Río Grande, catch Córdova, and be ready to cross the Río Grande if Mexico does not acknowledge" the independence of Texas. Actually, there seems to be no justification for concluding, as did the correspondent of the Gazette, that Plummer's ultimate objective was to wring from Mexico a recognition of the independence of Texas. His mission was to recommend measures for the protection of the Republic's frontier and to clean out the banditti. His immediate objective was to get the cooperation of the cowboys, "between whom and the American portion of the Federal army there is a great affinity."[81]  In the meantime, a number of self-constituted companies were formed on the frontier to maintain order or, more often, for the purpose of plundering.

Shortly after the arrival of the Federalists on the evening of April 7, a public meeting was called by Plummer at which some 350 persons, including President Cárdenas, assembled at the courthouse, where they were addressed by Colonel Plummer. Plummer explained the "propositions" of the Texas government and "declared his intentions." After he had finished his talk, the meeting was adjourned at the request of Cárdenas until the next evening to permit him to consult with his officers on the question of cooperation with Plummer, whose objectives seemed to coincide with his."

The next day (April 8) a public meeting was held by the citizens of the town, and it was reported Plummer had a satisfactory conference with Cárdenas.[82]  At this meeting it was resolved to give Cár-



Seven Texans were killed and eight wounded. John Henry Brown, History of Texas, from 1685 to 1892, II, 175-177.

80. R. B. T. to the Editor of the Colorado Gazette, Victoria, April 8, 1840, in Colorado Gazette and Advertiser, April 18, 1840.

81. Ibid.

82. Philip Young in his History of Mexico, published in 1847, says that a secret treaty was made between the Federalists and the authorities of Texas at Laredo,

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AFTER SAN JACINTO: The Texas-Mexican Frontier, 1836-1841
Joseph Milton Nance, 1963