English Translation
Charles Stillman
Brownsville, March 6, 1859
Page 1
Joseph McAllen, Esq.
Dear Sir,
I have the pleasure of acknowledging your favor of the 24th ultimo, which has been forwarded to me with the shipment now sent, and confirms to me the correctness of my former advice.
The shipment has not succeeded with Garza, and he has appealed to the courts in the United States for relief. The facts would take too much writing to enumerate, but in my opinion the prospects look gloomy. I am aware the Matamoros people are opposed to extending any of the facilities of importation, and have evidenced this opposition by taking every decisive step through the courts in their favor.
I am not anxious to disturb arrangements with the Matamoros officers, and deem it better to serve up goods to your agents as they come, than to enter into litigation with others. I have received the duties at 25 percent English textiles, hardware, and 25 percent cases English cottons, also dry goods—which I now certify to you.
The goods for your account, both articles, have been inspected and cannot afford to be delayed under present circumstances. I was pleased to see what I may expect to receive per clipper ship J. L. Smith this month, and I am anxious to know when shipments of warmer weather are approaching.
Page 2
Respecting cheap skins out of cattle, I now never shipped any, having generally lost on them; but this is very delicate, and by scratching it takes the grain thickness of the skins, worse than any other skins, and now have them perfect against the east wind, and intend to ship a few on trial—more worse on them this letter, and they ought to be purchased in bundles without being doubled, one on top of the other. I would not advise you to purchase at present, let me give them one other trial and I will inform you the result.
I hope your letters have left Matamoros, though I think you will see him first. McLane seems to have now over here a kind of late arrival. Please inform me of the prices of wools grown and spinning mills, &c.
I expect the Florence along about the last of this month. She brings ———— both ————. —— left Havana only nine days since, so this is not expected to come in until from the states, and I shall be at this port for some time about that time, because I do not know what sale is there for it in this quantity.
Yours truly,
Chas. Stillman
Traducción al español
Charles Stillman
Brownsville, 6 de marzo de 1859
Página 1
Joseph McAllen, Esq.
Estimado señor:
Tengo el gusto de acusar recibo de su carta del día 24 del mes pasado, la cual me ha sido remitida junto con el embarque que ahora se envía, y confirma la corrección de mis consejos anteriores.
El embarque no ha tenido éxito con Garza, y éste ha apelado a los tribunales de los Estados Unidos en busca de alivio. Los hechos requerirían demasiada extensión para detallarlos aquí, pero en mi opinión las perspectivas son poco alentadoras. Sé que la gente de Matamoros se opone a la extensión de facilidades para la importación, y ha demostrado dicha oposición adoptando toda medida decisiva posible a través de los tribunales en su favor.
No estoy ansioso por alterar los arreglos con los funcionarios de Matamoros, y considero preferible despachar las mercancías a sus agentes conforme vayan llegando, en lugar de entrar en litigios con terceros. He recibido los derechos correspondientes: 25 por ciento sobre textiles ingleses, ferretería y 25 por ciento sobre cajones de algodón inglés, así como otros artículos secos, lo cual le certifico.
Las mercancías de su cuenta, ambas partidas, han sido inspeccionadas y no pueden permitirse demoras dadas las circunstancias actuales. Me dio gusto ver lo que puedo esperar recibir este mes por el clíper J. L. Smith, y deseo saber cuándo se aproximan los embarques correspondientes a clima más cálido.
Página 2
Con respecto a las pieles baratas de ganado, ya no he vuelto a enviar ninguna, pues por lo general he sufrido pérdidas; además, son muy delicadas, y al rasparlas se daña el grano y el espesor de la piel, peor que en cualquier otro tipo, y ahora se conservan bien contra el viento del este. Aun así, tengo la intención de enviar unas pocas a manera de prueba—aunque el riesgo es mayor—y deben comprarse en fajos sin doblarse, una sobre otra. No le aconsejo comprarlas por ahora; permítame hacer una prueba más y le informaré del resultado.
Espero que sus cartas hayan salido ya de Matamoros, aunque creo que usted verá primero a McLane, quien parece haber llegado recientemente por aquí. Le ruego me informe sobre los precios de la lana producida y de los molinos de hilado, etc.
Espero la llegada del Florence hacia finales de este mes. Trae ———— y ————. —— salió de La Habana hace apenas nueve días, por lo que no se espera que llegue desde los Estados Unidos sino más adelante, y yo permaneceré en este puerto por algún tiempo en esas fechas, ya que no sé qué mercado pueda haber para esa mercancía en tal cantidad.
Suyo atentamente,
Charles Stillman
Index Tags for This Letter
Charles Stillman → Joseph McAllen
Brownsville, March 6, 1859
Primary Indexed Names
-
Charles Stillman — author
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Joseph McAllen — recipient
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Garza — involved party in failed shipment and litigation
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Alfred McLane — referenced commercial actor
Institutions / Places
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Matamoros — customs authority, courts, import control
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United States courts — venue of appeal
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Port of Brownsville — inspection, duties, shipping point
Subjects / Themes
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Customs duties and inspection
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Anglo–Mexican commercial friction
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Litigation vs. accommodation
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Textiles, hardware, cotton goods
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Hides (cattle skins) and quality control
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River and coastal shipping (clippers)
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Seasonal trade planning
Brief Analysis: What This Letter Shows
This March 6, 1859 letter captures South Texas and the lower Rio Grande at a moment of commercial tension rather than conquest. Stillman is not expanding territory or asserting power; he is managing risk in a fragile cross-border trade system.
The immediate issue is a failed shipment involving Garza, which has escalated into litigation in U.S. courts. Rather than welcoming the dispute, Stillman treats it as costly and undesirable. His preference is clear: avoid lawsuits, maintain working arrangements with Matamoros customs officials, and keep goods moving. This reflects a border economy where legal victories mattered less than continued access to ports, inspectors, and local cooperation.
The letter also reveals Matamoros as a regulatory choke point, not a passive neighbor. Stillman notes active resistance by Matamoros interests to expanded import privileges, enforced through courts and administrative action. This challenges the idea of an unchecked American commercial advance; Mexican authorities and merchants are shown exercising real leverage.
McLane appears as a key intermediary, moving between places and markets, while Stillman remains fixed at the border, coordinating inspections, duties, and timing. The discussion of English textiles, cotton goods, and shipping vessels underscores how global this “local” trade already was—British manufactures, Gulf ports, New York capital, Mexican customs, and Texas merchants all intersect in a single transaction.
Even the section on cattle hides matters. It shows how material realities—damage from scraping, wind exposure, bundling methods—could determine profit or loss. This is commerce at ground level, shaped by climate, handling, and transport constraints rather than abstract speculation.
Taken together, the letter illustrates a border world defined by negotiation, caution, and interdependence. Power is not one-sided. Markets are not frictionless. Stillman’s authority comes less from dominance than from experience—knowing when to push, when to wait, and when to accept limits imposed by law, geography, and people on both sides of the river.
This is what economic life looked like in South Texas in 1859: practical, contingent, and deeply connected to forces far beyond the border itself.
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