176
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
our men who were on tired horses and intirely behind us-this put the men in confusion, and the indians having made a bold charge upon us with a hot fire-in order to cover their own men who were then securing their horses-John and Andrew Tumlinson who had tied their horses in the edge 0£ the same thicket where the Indians were, got almost surrounded one of their horses being slightly hit by a ball, broke a way and joined our horses the other horse being tied with two hm;d knots, was siezed by an Indian in a few Steps of John T, whose gun would not fire-the Indian untied the ho[r]se which got frightened at him; broke loose and Joined our company the Indians followed those men a few yards and stopt, two of whom were shot down by our men They then retreated in to their thicket, carrying off their dead-we were not able to charge in to their hold without great loss, as they were too superior in number-therefore we took our stand in the fork of a sma·n creek in their -view in order to draw them out-where we could be Sheltered by a few muskeet trees; ·where we remained for some time, but without any attack- we then with drew Slowly for a few hundred yards when we dis- covered them in full chase on horse back-we then took our stand and-drove them with the loss of two more of their number; it then being after dark we Struck our course for home; as I did not wish to hazard the lives of any the Cit~zen on such unequal grounds; for we were compelled to fight them at a place of [their] own selection; and which was almost impenetreble. I have given you this detail of the affair precisely as it was tra[n]sacted, in order to show you we were not the agressers,. but were persuing our property and were fired upon first by themselves. Your Old friend Don G. Flores was robed of his horses between this and San Antonio and went home on foot as I .am informed-. I have received information from Bexar-that the Indians have stolen a great many horses from that place and that there are 200 Soldiers now in persuit of them. The fact is I believe the ·caddos Wacos Comanches and Tawaccanies are all concerned in the affair; and. unless there is some precaution- taken they will harrass the people on the frontiers of both of these Colonies; and the only means will be to keep troops of some discription on the alert from the Colorado to the Guadalupe, and thence to San Antonia which would be the means of giving information of their approach and put people on their guard so that they could protect them selves and property. I would .wish you to ta_!re these things in to consideration; and shc;ml9- you approve of the measure~use yol,lr influence to affect it, either by a Company of Rangers, or the public troops which would be a great security to the people-·of San Antonia and LaBahie. as well as to American Settlements.'
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