1502
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
were coming on with De.lion,-! then told the Col 0 and all the people that would hear me that there was no danger, and that I Jrnew that no Indians were coming and that I felt confident the commendant had orders from Govt etc but the people were still alarmed. Dewitt Often told them they must not oppose Govt and that nil orders coming from Govt must and should be obeyed. for fear some accident might happen I took a few men in the night and went Some Distance along the road in order to meet the Commendant and to inform him the news that we had, heard, and that the people here were afraid he was coming to put them to death without mercy etc 'Wben the evening Star Disappeared I came back and again told the men there was no danger and for them to be a.t rest, that I knew Mr. Moncholes to be an officer, of the Govt and a Gent, and I then went to sleep for the bn11ance of the night. In the morning the order again was given by the Col° for no man to fire on or offer to fire, without we were first fired on. I and the Col 0 went down the river to select a place for my camp-when we had got a short distance, a boy cnme on horse back and told us the indians were coming-we returned on the way to the honsP. when the Col 0 Asked me to go and meet the Commendant and having my gun, I set it down by a tree and went on foot as fast as I could to meet the troop (Several men from the Station followed me with their ares [arms1]who layed them down and wished I would let them to go with me) which I refused to do and told them as they were strangers etc to go back; that the Commendnnt and all knew me, and that I was not afraid to go by my self-I did so and meet them some distance from the house and shook hands with several; I told the Gommendant that the people here were afraid he had come to kill etc-he told me no that he had Orders from the Chie-f etc to Dewitt, he road on to the house and demanded the guns to be put away etc, the Col 0 before I got to the house had meet them, and nltho he repeatedly told the men to put awa.y the guns, the men were in such confusion that it was for some time before they could be made to know that they would not be Instantly put to death. the armes were Laid away and on (I believe the next clay) they were taken by Delion and put under guard and have since been sent away to await the order of the Chief- The Commenclant told me that he expect the arms would all be sent back in a few days etc that he would leave some troops here to guard us untill the thing would be Determined. He took Dewitt of with him 5 or 6 others-Some times Dewitt was told that he was a prisoner, and at other times that he was free etc. my strength failes and I am obliged to lie down, my head is like a whirl wind and my friend adiew. JAMES KERR [Addressed:] Colo S. F. Austin Sn. Felipe De Austin
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