[Untitled], August 24, 1866.

[Untitled]

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 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,