CANBY, Brigadier General, Assisting Adjutant General to Hon, February 10, 1864

General Canby to Mr. Seward

Sir: The Secretary of War instructs me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, transmitting a translation of a note addressed to you on the 4th instant by Señor Matias Romero, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States, inviting attention to a publication in the New York journals, during the month of January last, proporting to be a communication containing menaces, addressed from Brownsville on the 26th of December last, by Major General N. J. T. Dana, then commanding the United States forces in Texas, to the Governor of Tamaulipas, in the Mexican republic, and also to the Matamoras correspondence, published in the daily papers, in which it is stated that Major General Herron, now commanding United States forces at Brownsville, has sent troops into the city, of Matamoras, daring local disturbances in that city, in violation of Mexican sovereignty.

In regard to the alleged violation of the Mexican territory by United States troops acting under the orders of Major General Herron, the Secretary instructs me to transmit for your information the enclosed copy of a communication this day received, addressed to the general-in-chief by Major General Banks, commanding the department of the Gulf, with its accompaniments, which present a detailed account of the circumstances under which the temporary presence of the United States troops in Matamoras was deemed imperative for the protection of the United States consulate in that city.

On the subject of the alleged letter of menace addressed by Major General N. J. T. Dana, from Brownsville, to the governor of Tamaulipas, this department has at present no knowledge. As soon as any information the subject is received it will be communicated to you.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,