The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919 Page: 264
521 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
expected to secure the services of the trappers and fur hunters.12
In all cases of recruiting Warfield contended that his proposed
expedition was justifiable under the rules of legitimate warfare,
and his statement of its purpose made the main design that of
annoying the Mexican frontier, intercepting their trade, and forc-
ing them, if possible, to some terms by which a peace might be
secured between Texas and Mexico. As inducements he presented
the promises of his government, and dramatically displayed a tat-
tered, bullet-pierced flag which had seen service in the early bat-
tles of the Texas struggle for freedom.'"
Warfield's Military Operations.--The contingent of trappers met
Warfield near the junction of the Rio de las Animas with the
Arkansas, in March, and it was found that many "had volun-
teered with great readiness, so far as promises were concerned;
but when performances were required, 'came up missing.' 1 A
little group of twenty-four men set out in two sections, however,
on March 21, for the point where the volunteers "from the
States" and the Texas force had been instructed to meet them in
May. An interesting feature of this march shows something of
the real purpose of the expedition. One afternoon a sentinel of
one of the sections announced the approach of a small party of
Mexicans, and immediately preparations were made to attack. It
soon became evident that the expected enemy was hurriedly re-
treating, and a detachment of Texans set out in pursuit. After
a chase of several miles, three members of the party were over-
taken, but were found to be American and English traders on
their way to the United States with a large quantity of gold and
silver. They were at once released and allowed to proceed with-
out being further molested." A few days later, three members
"Mitchell to Porter, April 21, 1843, in Sen. Ex. Doc. 14, 32nd Cong., 2nd
Sess., 112-113. Ser. No. 660.
"1Sage, Scenes in the Rocky Mountains, 244. Rufus B'. Sage, the author,
was .one of Warfield's recruits among the western trappers, and has given
some valuable, though meager information on the party's activities. For
available reprints of the portion of this book dealing with the Texans, see
Burton, "Texas Raiders in New Mexico in 1843," in Old Santa Fe, II, 309-
322; 407-429.
"Sage, Scenes in the Rocky Mountains, 248.
lIbid., 252. Sage adds, "A circumstance not likely to have happened
had we been the gang of 'lawless desperadoes,' so hideously depicted in
several of the public prints -of the day."264
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919, periodical, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117156/m1/279/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.