1528
Al\fERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
vertisement thereof, and then proceed to pay off such debts as may be substantiated by the proper proofs in equal proportions should there not be sufficient property to pay them all S. F. AtISTIN [Rubric] AusTIN TO SAUCEDO 1 DEAR AND RESPECTED FRIEND: Two men who havP just arrived from Nacogdoches make the following report to me. The party who went to Nacogdoches was led by Martin Parmer, who took the title of Colonel of the militia between the.Trinity and the Sabine. Burrill J. Thompson is one of his Captains. The party was com- posed of forty men, mounted and armed; some of them of very bad character. They arrested the Alcalde Norris, Sepulveda and Nugent, put them in irons, and decla.red the powers and authority of the Alcalde Norris null and void, in consequence, they said, of his unjust proceedings. They appointed Joseph Doste [Durst] Alcalde, until the people made a new selection. Parmer convened a court martial, composed of himself, as President, and his officers; they remained a few days at Nacogdoches and .withdrew to Ais Creek, and thence betook themselves to their respective homes, after having releas'ed Norris and Sepulveda. They took Nugent, an American, with them, who attempted an escape on the road, and the guard shot him. It is said that they are prefe1Ting charges against Norris, and will present them to the Government, to justify their violent proceedings. I received this information to-day. That man, Burri! Thompson, has entirely deceived me; when I knew him in Missouri, he bore a good character; but, it seems that he has joined those rebels who are attempting to take the law into their own hands, and I have nothing to say in his behalf, further than that he has turned crazy and is surrounded by crazy people. From what I could learn of that occurrence, it would seem, that the principal cause was the hatred of those people towards Gaines and Norris, and not any ill feeling against the Government. With an intelligent and impartial man to administer justice in that locality, no difficulty need be apprehended on the part of the inhabitants. There are, however, some bad and rebellious men, who must be expelled from the Country. I remain, etc. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN' San Felipe de Austin, December 4 th 1826.
1 Translations trom Bexar .Archives, 1n Nacogdoches .Archives, Texas Stnte Llbrnl'y
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