The Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma were fought May 8 and
9, respectively, 1846. The battlefield of the latter is about three
miles from old Fort Brown on the Rio Grande.
I
According to John Lewis, who was boss on the Collins Ranch, in Cameron
County, on which is the site of the battle of Palo Alto, seven
cartloads of pay money for the Mexican army were buried on the
battlefield. In proof of the claim, he found a part of an old-fashioned
Mexican cart while he was digging on Agua Dulce Creek, which runs close
to the battlefield.
A Mexican named Santiago in Austin claims that one of his ancestors
helped bury seven cartloads of army money on Palo Alto battlefield.
Taylor’s army was pressing the Mexicans. To save time the Mexicans had
to lighten baggage. The officer in charge of the pay-carts had orders
to bury the money. He told off his detail and ordered them to dig a
trench by a gully or little creek lined with mesquite brush. When the
trench was made, the officer ordered the money transferred to it from
the carts. While the last cartload was being put in the trench,
Santiago’s ancestor ran, for he knew that the men who made the trench
would have to follow the treasure. He had no more than got out of sight
in the mesquites when he heard shots that told very plainly he had
acted prudently in leaving.