Texas Cart War

The Texas Cart War was an outbreak of violence in 1857. Most of the violence occurred when American ox cart drivers attacked and hung 70 Mexican ox cart drivers. The 'war' consisted of five attacks, three in July, one in September, and the last in November 1857. All of the attacks were on roads from San Antonio to Lavaca, Texas.

Attacks
An attempted attack in 1855, as well as other sporadic attacks had occurred, and sustained violence began on July 3, 1857, when a group of disguised men attacked six carts, and wounded six drivers in Goliad County, Texas. In the second attack, on July 14, around 20 Americans attacked carts near Goliad. There were no injuries or fatalities. In the third attack on July 31, three Mexicans were wounded, and one American who supported the Mexican cart drivers was killed. In September, the fourth attack saw Antonio Delgado, a prominent local politician killed. Five men died in the third, and last, major attack. John Twiggs had, as a result of the frequent attacks, begun providing armed escorts with American government shipments. The Ambassador of Mexico to the United States complained to the United States federal government, estimating at least 75 Mexicans had been killed in the attacks.