The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 61, July 1957 - April, 1958 Page: 273
591 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The 1850 Affair of the Brownsville Separatists
Texas had no right to extend its jurisdiction into the country
below the Nueces, they said.4
The Separatists who met in R. N. Stansbury's schoolhouse had
seen much fighting over lands of the Valley. The Mexican War
was not yet over when such litigations began in the courts. Some
persons claimed land as holders of scrip of the Republic of Texas;
others as inheritors of Spanish grants. Many of the soldiers of
General Taylor remained in the Valley claiming lands, while ad-
venturers who had followed the army also put in claims. One
such, J. N. Reynolds, claimed El Sal del Rey (The King's Salt),
a fine salt mine located in Hidalgo County, his claim being based
on land scrip of the Republic of Texas. H. M. Lewis, another
claimant, held the certificate of the Republic of Texas issued to
Maria de las Santos Menchaca. During the court contest Reynolds
bought out Lewis and took possession of the salt lake. Jos6 Car-
denas, who claimed the salt lake as inheritor of the Balli grant,
sued both Reynolds and Lewis in the United States District
Court, but to no avail.
Between 1847 and 1850, there was some rude shoving and spar-
ring among the claimants. At Santa Rita in Cameron County a
feud took place between two clans, the Weymans and the Gil-
mores, over lands adjacent to Santa Rita. Before the feud ended,
shots were exchanged, and several participants were wounded.5
Undoubtedly many of the original inhabitants who held titles
to lands under Spanish grants distrusted their new rulers and
their strange laws. On June 2, 1847, Judge Rice Garland, who
4There was hardly a trading establishment on the Texas border below Laredo
prior to 1848. Then, with the end of the war and the renewal of the high Mexican
tariff duties, many of the bigger importers of Matamoros, Reynosa, and Camargo
moved their businesses to the Texas shore of the Rio Grande. Charles Stillman
began a trading center called Brownsville; Pat Shannon put up his warehouse at
Shannon's Crossing; John Young founded Mansfield near Brownsville and Edinburg
on the Rio Grande opposite Reynosa, Mexico; Edward Dougherty founded
Ruddyville near Relampago in Hidalgo County; and Colonel Henry Clay Davis
put up his steamboat landing at Rio Grande City. The files of the American Flag
(Brownsville) for 1848 make it plain that these places were located with the
purpose of eluding the Mexican customs. It is interesting to note that the avowed
Separatists such as Stephen Powers, Richard King, Elisha Basse, R. H. Hord,
Joseph R. Palmer, F. J. Parker, and Sam A. Beldon were closely associated with
the big traders mentioned above. Beldon certainly was a big exporter of Mexican
trade goods.
5American Flag (Brownsville), November 4, 1848. The original file of this paper
for 1846-1848 is in the Library of Congress. A microfilm copy is in the Harlingen,
Texas, Public Library.273
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 61, July 1957 - April, 1958, periodical, 1958; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101164/m1/331/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.