22 Chapter 2
and the Rio Grande. The thievery of horses and cattle, orchestrated by Mexican Briga-
dier General Juan Cortina, commander of the Line of the Bravo, was enough to draw
the ire of Texan lawman Leander H. McNelly. He assembled a group of 41 men, collo-
quially referred to as the “McNelly Rangers” to restore law and order to the area. The
men pursued as many of the Mexican rustlers as they could for the next few months.
While activities largely ceased around June and July, a flare-up of fighting between
McNelly’s Rangers and an irregular collection of Mexican militia in November 1875
is now known as the Las Cuevas War.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from April 20, 1875. End Date changed from
July 12, 1875.
MID#1544
Dispute Number: 1544
Date(s): September 26, 1876 to November 23, 1877
Participants: 2 United States of America/70 Mexico
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Mexico seized material from American ships for “back taxes” in Sep-
tember of 1876. Mexico then seized the American vessel St. George and imprisoned
Captain Gardy on October 30. Antigovernment rebels lead by General Diaz defeated
the government army during the ongoing civil war, but acts against Americans con-
tinued. On December 29, American merchants complained to their government about
the illegal acts of Mexican General Revneltas of illegally entering and then robbing
American stores. American officers offered their services to Iglesias and prepared to
invade Mexico and establish claims on January 29, 1877. The new Mexican govern-
ment adhered to the treaty made in 1868 and gave reparations to American citizens,
and by March the United States recognized the new Diaz regime.
Attacks against Americans continued though. A US consul was seized by twenty
soldiers and imprisoned on March 5, 1877. So, on April 24, US forces were massed
along the Rio Grande at Laredo, Texas, directly opposite of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
There were many border violations by both Mexican and American forces at this
point through October. On November 2, Diaz commanded Mexican forces to repel
any American invasion into Mexican territory and invasions and clashes continued
through the following March. The last militarized incident was on August 20, when
American forces committed a border violation. Tensions gradually eased after that.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from May 16, 1876. End Date changed from
August 20, 1878. Fatalities changed from Missing.
MID#1543
Dispute Number: 1543
Date(s): February 1880
Participants: 2 United States of America/70 Mexico
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (None)
Fatalities: None