Las Cuevas War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Las Cuevas War
Texas Rangers
Date November 20–21, 1875 Location Tamaulipas, Mexico Texas, United States Result American victory; Cattle returned to Texas
Belligerents
United States	Mexican bandits
Commanders and leaders
Leander McNelly	Juan Flores Salinas  †
Strength
Unknown number of Texas Rangers	~400 irregular militia
Casualties and losses
Unknown	~80 killed

The Las Cuevas War was a short but intense fight. It happened mostly between a group of Texas Rangers, led by Captain Leander H. McNelly, and a group of Mexican fighters. This event took place in November 1875, near a place called Las Cuevas in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The Texans crossed the Rio Grande river into Mexico. Their goal was to get back cattle that had been stolen and brought to the Mexican side. However, they ended up in a battle with local Mexican forces. After the fighting, the Mexicans agreed to return the cattle to the Texans.

The Battle Begins: Crossing the Border

Captain Leander McNelly in 1875.

On November 20, 1875, Captain McNelly and his Texas Rangers secretly entered Mexico. They moved quietly through bushes and small trees. Their target was the strong base of Juan Flores Salinas. He was a local leader of the rural guard at the Rincon de Cucharras outpost of the Las Cuevas ranch.

Rangers Face Many Fighters

A big shootout began between the Rangers and about 400 of Salinas's men. The Rangers were greatly outnumbered. McNelly worried that the Mexican horsemen would surround his small group. So, he ordered his men to fall back to the Rio Grande river to make a stand.

Army Support at the River

At the river, some soldiers from the United States Army were waiting on the Texas side. These were from the 24th Infantry and 8th Cavalry, led by Lieutenant Colonel James F. Randlett. They helped the Rangers by firing a Gatling gun at the Mexicans. During this intense fight, Juan Salinas, who was the mayor (Alcalde) of Camargo, and about 80 of his men died near the riverbank.

A Standoff and Bold Decisions

Even after Salinas died, the fighting wasn't over. It became a Mexican standoff. The Mexican fighters pulled back to plan their next move, but McNelly refused to give up. He still demanded that the stolen cattle be returned.

Orders from the U.S. Army

Later that afternoon, Major A. J. Alexander arrived from Fort Ringgold. He brought an important message from Colonel Potter at Fort Brown, near Brownsville. The message told Captain McNelly to return to the Texas side of the river right away. It also said that the U.S. Army would not help him if he stayed in Mexico and was attacked.

McNelly read the message carefully. His answer was very short: "The answer is no."

McNelly's Famous Reply

As the sun set, another message arrived. This one was from the Secretary of War, William W. Belknap. It repeated the order for McNelly to return to Texas and warned that no support would be given.

In less than a minute, Captain McNelly wrote his famous reply:

Near Las Cuevas, Mexico, Nov. 20 1875.
I shall remain in Mexico with my rangers and cross back at my discretion. Give my compliments to the Secretary of War and tell him and his United States soldiers to go to hell.
Signed, Lee H. McNelly, commanding.

Getting the Cattle Back

After a night of rest, Captain McNelly moved his men to the Texas side of the river, directly across from Camargo. It was Sunday. The stolen cattle had been gathered into a pen on the Mexican side. Many armed horsemen were guarding them.

A Promise and a Plan

Diego Garcia, an official in Camargo who took charge after the mayor died, promised to move the cattle across the river by 3:00 pm. However, McNelly was suspicious. He took his men to Rio Grande City to relax and plan his next move.

At 3:00 pm, McNelly returned to the ferry landing. He took sixteen Rangers and himself, along with five horses, and crossed the river in a rowboat. This was another time they entered Mexico. This group, sometimes called the "Death Squad," included Captain McNelly, Lieutenant Thomas Robinson, Lieutenant Jesse Lee Hall, Sergeant George A. Hall, Sergeant John Barclay Armstrong, and others.

Demanding the Cattle

The group walked up the riverbank to the customs house. They demanded the cattle. When the Mexican captain said they didn't do business on Sunday, the Texans quickly took him prisoner. McNelly then brought the captured Mexican leader to the Texas side. He told him to start moving the cattle within the hour, or he would die.

Instead of the 250 cattle expected, more than 400 were brought back across the river to Texas. The herd included cattle with brands from many different ranches in the area, like the "Running W" from the King Ranch and the "Half-moon" brand from Hale and Parker.

Remembering the Conflict

After the Las Cuevas War, a stone marker was put up in Mexico where Juan Salinas died. It reads:

To citizen
JUAN FLORES SALINAS
Who fighting
Died for his country
November 19
1875

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