THE AMERICAN CONFLICT.

VOLUME II.

I.

TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO.

THE frontiers of Texas, Mexican | from New Orleans to San Antonio, and savage, were guarded, prior to and assigned to the command of the the outbreak of Secession, by a line of department, it was doubtless underforts or military posts stretching from stood between them that his business Brownsville, opposite Matamoras, to in Texas was to betray this entire the Red River. These forts were force, or so much of it as possible, located at average distances of one into the hands of the yet undevelhundred miles, and were severally oped traitors with whom Floyd was held by detachments of from 50 to secretly in league. Twiggs's age 150 of the regular army. San Anto- and infirmities had for some time nio, 150 miles inland from Indianola, excused him from active service, unon Matagorda Bay, was the head til this ungracious duty-if duty it quarters of the department, whence can be called-was imposed upon the most remote post-Fort Bliss, on and readily accepted by him. Withthe usual route thence to New Mex- in 90 days after his arrival' at Indiico-was distant 675 miles. The anola, he had surrendered' the entire whole number of regulars distributed force at and near San Antonio, with throughout Texas was 2,612, compri- all their arms, munitions, and supsing nearly half the effective force of plies, to three persons acting as

our little army.

When, soon after Mr. Lincoln's election, but months prior to his inauguration, Gen. David E. Twiggs was dispatched by Secretary Floyd

"Commissioners on behalf of the Committee of Public Safety," secretly appointed by the Convention which had just before assumed to take Texas out of the Union. The

Feb. 1. The Convention met this day at Austin, and at once passed an ordinance of Secession, subject to a vote of the people at an election to be held on the 231 iast.; the ordinance, if approved, to take effect on the 2d of

March. Texas was therefore still in the Union, even according to the logic of Secession.