away from his body by the vultures. On the 23d, a board of officers assembled to report upon his death, and came to the conclusion that he was attacked and stripped by the banditti of Romano Falcon, and afterwards slain by that desperado by a blow upon the head from the butt of his pistol.

Late in the evening of the 24th, the remains of the unfortunate colonel were committed to the grave, under an escort composed of a squadron of dragoons and eight companies of infantry, the whole commanded by Colonel Twiggs. The infantry occupied the front of the procession, the dragoons came next, and the body followed, drawn by six horses on the wheels of a caisson, and enveloped in the flag of his country. Next came a solitary mourner, the son of the deceased; then a war-horse in black led by dragoons, followed by all the officers who were not upon duty.

From the opposite bank of the river, and from the enemy's works, groups of officers and soldiers looked upon the procession, as the body was borne and laid in its resting-place at the foot of the flag-staff, upon which the flag was at half-mast. Colonel Childs in an impressive manner read the burial-service for the dead,three volleys were fired over his grave-the flag was run up to its former position, and the dead was left to his repose in silence.

Like his predecessor, Arista, when about to assume the command in Matamoros, insidiously endeavoured to corrupt the American soldiery, by disseminating the following artful address, the original draft of which was subsequently found among his baggage when his camp was captured on the 9th of May:

"General Arista's advice to the Soldiers of the United States Army.

HEAD-QUARTERS AT MATAMOROS, April 20, 1846.

"Soldiers! You have enlisted in time of peace to serve in that army for a specific term; but your obligation never implied that you were bound to violate the laws of God, and the most sacred rights of friends! The United States government, contrary to the

wishes of a majority of all honest and honourable Americans, has ordered you to take forcible possession of the territory of a friendly neighbour, who has never given her consent to such occupation. In other words, while the treaty of peace and commerce between Mexico and the United States is in full force, the United States, presuming on her strength and prosperity, and on our supposed imbecility and cowardice, attempts to make you the blind instruments of her unholy and mad ambition, and force you to appear as the hateful robbers of our dear homes, and the unprovoked violators of our dearest feelings as men and patriots. Such villany and outrage, I know, is perfectly repugnant to the noble sentiments of any gentleman, and it is base and foul to rush you on to certain death, in order to aggrandize a few lawless individuals, in defiance of the laws of God and man!

"It is to no purpose if they tell you, that the law for the annexation of Texas justifies your occupation of the Rio Bravo del Norte; for by this act they rob us of a great part of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and New Mexico; and it is barbarous to send a handful of men on such an errand against a powerful and warlike nation. Besides, the most of you are Europeans, and we are the declared friends of a majority of the nations of Europe. The North Americans are ambitious, overbearing, and insolent as a nation, and they will only make use of you as vile tools to carry out their abominable plans of pillage and rapine.

"I warn you in the name of justice, honour, and your own interests and self-respect, to abandon their desperate and unholy cause, and become peaceful Mexican citizens. I guarantee you, in such case, a half section of land, or three hundred and twenty acres, to settle upon, gratis. Be wise, then, and just, and honourable, and take no part in murdering us who have no unkind feelings for you. Lands shall be given to officers, sergeants, and corporals, according to rank, privates receiving three hundred and twenty acres, as stated.

PAREDES' PROCLAMATION.

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"If, in time of action, you wish to espouse our cause, throw away your arms and run to us, and we will embrace you as true friends and Christians. It is not decent nor prudent to say more. But should any of you render important service to Mexico, you shall be accordingly considered and preferred.

M. ARISTA,

Commander-in-chief of the Mexican Army."

On the 23d of April, General Paredes issued a proclamation of defensive war to the people of Mexico, from which we make the following extracts:

"At the time Mr. Slidell presented himself, the troops of the United States occupied our territory, their squadrons threatened our ports, and they prepared to occupy the peninsula of the Californias, of which the question of the Oregon with England is only a preliminary. Mr. Slidell was not received, because the dignity of the nation repelled this new insult. Meanwhile the army of the United States encamped at Corpus Christi, and occupied the Isla del Padre; following this, they then moved to the point Santo Isabel, and their standard of the stars and stripes waved on the right bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte, opposite the city of Matamoros, blockading that river with their vessels of war. The village of Laredo was surprised by a party of their troops, and a small party of our men, reconnoitring there, were disarmed. Hostilities, then, have been commenced, by the United States of North America, beginning new conquests upon the frontier territories of the departments of Tamaulipas and New Lean, and progressing at such a rate, that troops of the same United States threaten Monterey in Upper California. No one can doubt which of the two republics is responsible for this war: a war which any sense of equity and justice, and respect for the rights and laws of civilized nations, might have avoided.

"I have commanded the General-in-chief of our forces on the

Northern frontier, to repel all hostilities offered to us, which is actual war against any power making war on us, and calling upon the God of battles, He will preserve the valour of our troops, the unquestionable right to our territory, and the honour of those arms which are used only in defence of justice. Our general will govern himself by the established usages of civilized warfare. With orders from me to prevent, if possible, the effusion of blood, it he will intimate to the General-in-chief of the American troops that he shall return to the other side of the Rio de las Nueces, the ancient limits of Texas. Those nations interested in preserving the peace of so many years, and who may be injured in their commercial relations with the Mexican republic, will perceive the hard alternative to which they are reduced, by the politic invasion of the United States, and they (the nations) must succumb or defend their existence thus compromised. I solemnly announce that I do not declare war against the United States of America, because it pertains to the august Congress of that nation, and not to the Executive, to settle definitely the reparation which so many aggressions demand.

"But the defence of the Mexican territory, which the United States troops invade, is an urgent necessity, and my responsibility would be immense before the nation, if I did not give commands to repel those forces who act like enemies, and I have so commanded. From this day commences a defensive war, and those points of our territory which are invaded or attacked will be energetically defended.”

On the 24th, a grand review and great military rejoicing, announced the arrival of Arista in Matamoros. In the evening a parley was sounded on the Mexican side of the river, and a messenger brought to General Taylor the following letter directed to "the General-in-chief of the forces of the United States encamped opposite Matamoros."

"MEXICAN ARMY.

ARISTA'S LETTER TO TAYLOR.

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"The course of events since the annexation of Texas to the United States was declared, has been so clearly hostile to Mexico, and so foreign to the dignity and principles which the Americans have proclaimed to the world, that we come to the conclusion. that their policy has changed, and their moderation is turned into a desire of aggrandizement, enriching themselves by humiliating their neighbours.

"The respect and consideration that friendly nations show to each other have been trampled upon, by which reason the justice and excessive moderation of Mexico shine forth still more. Pressed and forced into war, we enter into a struggle, that cannot be avoided without failing in what is most sacred in man.

"Political discussions do not appertain to military men, but to diplomatic agents; to us belongs the part to act, without it occasioning any surprise that the troops under my command should not wait for anything else to give battle.

"We Mexicans have been calumniated as barbarous, in the most caustic and unjust terms; the occasion has arrived to show what we are, and I do not believe that in the troops under my command there will be any cause to confirm such suppositions, as they will cause to shine the feelings of humanity and generosity that distinguish them.

"For the first time, I have the honour to offer your Excellency my great consideration. God and liberty!

MARIANO ARISTA.

HEAD-QUARTERS, MATAMOROS, April 24, 1846."

This official communication was accompanied by a polite private note, in which General Arista announced his intention to conduct the war in which they were about to engage according to the laws which courtesy and humanity impose on modern civilization.

We have now traced the progress of events from the first mis