Tom: Hopefully you read my above last in the frame I meant it in. I accept your apology and I believe you mistated a bit. In that I mean you may not have been as clear as you might have wished. Jeri Articulated my feelings better than I did I think. I apologise for that and offer my hand in friendship. Kindest reguards, Neil. PS The Mexican War started in 1846 and went to 1848. As stated above, Texas was a free republic and had been since 1836. Also as provisioned by the Treaty of Guadaloupe, Mexico was paid not only for California but for the areas encompassing New Mexico Arizona and Nevada. The war began as a border dispute namely over wheither the Rio Grande or the Nueces River was the border. Mexico had been approached dipolomatically before the incident but had declined U.S. offers to purchase the disputed areas mentioned above. Kindest reguards, again, Neil