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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 the outbreak of Secession, by a line of forts or military posts stretching from Brownsville, opposite Matamoras, to the Red River. These forts were located at average distances of one hundred miles, and were severally held by detachments of from 50 to 150 of the regular army. San Antonio, 150 miles inland from Indianola, on Matagorda Bay, was the headquarters of the department, whence the most remote post-Fort Bliss, on the usual route thence to New Mexico was distant 675 miles. The whole number of regulars distributed throughout Texas was 2,612, comprising nearly half the effective force of 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

1 December 5, 1860.

* February 18, 1861. He immediately and openly declared that the Union could not last 60 days, and warned officers, if they had pay due them, to draw it at once, as this would be the last.

'February 5, 1861. 2

and assigned to the command of the department, it was doubtless understood between them that his business in Texas was to betray this entire force, or so much of it as possible, into the hands of the yet undeveloped traitors with whom Floyd was secretly in league. Twiggs's age and infirmities had for some time excused him from active service, until this ungracious duty-if duty it can be called-was imposed upon and readily accepted by him. Within 90 days after his arrival' at Indianola, he had surrendered' the entire force at and near San Antonio, with all their arms, munitions, and supplies, to three persons acting as "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

4 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 23d inst.; 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.

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