18 Chapter 2
MID#1553
Dispute Number: 1553
Date(s): February 1838 to April 1838
Participants: 70 Mexico/2 United States of America
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On March 12, 1838, Mexico built up forces in Matamoras, Mexico, a bor-
der town directly across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas, in order to invade
Texas. Mexico also stationed warships on the Rio Grande. On April 2, US warships
moved to the mouth of the Rio Grande which Mexico declared to be an invasion. A
Mexican force that allegedly numbered 2,000 soldiers marched into Texas but were
called back in order to face an invasion threatened by the French fleet around April 11.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from April 1838. Outcome changed from
Unclear.
MID#2116
Dispute Number: 2116
Date(s): October 19, 1842 to October 26, 1842
Participants: 2 United States of America/70 Mexico
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Relations between the United States and Great Britain in 1842 were tense.
Commodore Jones, stationed in a South American harbor on the Pacific, received two
newspapers in mid-October 1842. The first was from Mexico, and it contained articles
written by Jose Bocanegra, a prominent Mexican politician known for his fiery prose.
The other newspaper Jones received was a mere blunder from Boston, asserting that
Mexico was planning to cede California to Great Britain in payment of debts. Jones
had also seen that a British fleet in his harbor had left the day before. Jones then took
it upon himself to forestall any attempt of Great Britain to take possession of Cali-
fornia. He set sail with two of his vessels for Monterey. On October 19, 1842, Jones
demanded the surrender of Monterey, and hoisted the American flag over the castle.
Over a two-day period in Monterey, Jones realized that everything he had assumed
from the news articles was false and, upon this realization, returned the castle to the
Mexican military on October 21. When General Micheltorena, stationed outside of
Los Angeles, heard of Jones’s actions in Monterey, he wrote to Santa Barbara that
he was going to storm Los Angeles and needed guns and armaments. Whether the
general’s men ever left the camp is unclear, but he heard from Jones that Monterey
was returned and replied that he would cease his hostile march on Los Angeles (on
October 26, 1842).
Coding changes: Start Date changed from October 18, 1842.
MID#1552
Dispute Number: 1552