I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurances of my
most distinguished consideration.
Señor Don M. Romero, &c., & c., & c.
No. 1.
[Untitled]
War Department, Washington City, September 14, 1866.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
a communication of August 24, 1866, to Major General Sheridan,
commanding the department of the Gulf, from John B. Gauche, a
citizen of the United States, complaining that he has been compelled
to subscribe to the imperial forced loan in Matamoras, Mexico, and
applying for redress.
You will please indicate to this department any action which you
think proper to be taken by the military authorities.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of
War.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
No. 2.
[Untitled]
New Orleans,
August 24, 1866.
General: The undersigned begs leave to
bring to your notice, and through you to that of the government at
Washington, the following facts:
I am a native of the United States, and have resided and carried on
business as a merchant in Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, for
the last three years. During that time I have constantly been known
as a loyal citizen of the United States, for which the former
American consul, Mr. Pierce, (now at Brownsville,) and the present
one, Mr. Avery, will vouch.
During the present civil war in Mexico, Matamoras has been
alternately in possession of the different contending parties; and
at every change of masters a forced loan was imposed by the
commander for the time upon the commerce of the place, aliens as
well as natives. For these forced loans orders were given upon the
custom-house payable in duties, which were only good so long as the
party issuing the orders remained in power, for their successors
invariably repudiated them. In the case of the subscriber, General
Cortina compelled him
[Page 309]
to
loan him (Cortina) five hundred dollars, for which the subscriber
received an order upon the custom-house. General Mejia next took the
city and drove out Cortina. The subscriber presented Cortina’s order
in payment of duties, but was told it was good for nothing.
Then General Mejia imposed upon the undersigned a forced loan of two
thousand dollars. One thousand of this the subscriber got rid of at
a discount of twenty per cent., and of the other thousand he is a
loser.
Next to Mejia came General Carvajal, who called upon the undersigned
for fifteen hundred dollars; but application having been made to
General Getty, commanding the American forces in Brownsville,
through the intercession of that officer the peremptory requisition
of Carvajal was changed into a request that the undersigned would
give whatever he pleased. Fearful of the annoyances which would have
been the consequence of a refusal, the undersigned gave General
Carvajal two hundred dollars.
General Carvajal has very lately been [expected] by one of his
officers named Canales, who is for the moment in possession; but
there are three other officers, Hinojose, Cortinas, and Negrete,
around Matamoras, all seeking to get in, and whichever of the four
succeeds in holding possession, we, the merchants, are sure to be
assessed for a forced loan.
It is hoped that when the attention of our government is awakened to
the true state of things, a stop will be put to these robberies of
our citizens by the banditti who wear the Mexican uniform. For my
part I am the loser already, as above stated, of nineteen hundred
dollars, and have the best reason to apprehend that I will be still
further plundered. It is the established and inveterate system of
governments in Mexico, a system disgraceful to civilization as that
which formerly prevailed in the Mediterranean under the piratical
rule of the Dey of Algiers.
The undersigned believes that it can be only corrected by an
energetic display of power on the part of our government.
All of which is most respectfully submitted by, general, your very
obedient servant,
Major General Sheridan, Commanding the Department of the
Gulf.
