308
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 901
1838 Dec. 1, H. :McLEOD TO [M:. ~- LAMAR, HOUSTON]
Head Quarters near Port Caddo December 1st 1838
Dear General
On the 21st ultimo, I wrote you from Port Caddo, 14 detail- ing the intended movements of Genl Rusk against the Caddoes in Louisiana-\Ve marched as then proposed to the Indian Camp- found them in battle array, in front of their Camp, a,nd our advance Guard ;eceived several Shots, which however passed harmlessly over us- We had an interpreter with us, who had previously informed the Genl that the Indians were ready to accede to any terms, proposed by him, but had been instructed by their Agent, & would follow his advice, to fire upon the Company from Port Ca,ddo, who, they said, (or some of their members) had stolen most of their horses- A parley was immediately called for by the Indians, saying "they did not want to fight and the Genl & myself advanced half way & met the Cheif, & his principal man- The Genl briefly stated the cause of his passing the Louisiana, line- 15 spoke of the depradations of that tribe (Cad- does) upon our people and concluded by making the following propo- ! sition- To go into Shreveport, & deposit their Arms untill the war ' was over- or fight on the spot- The Cheif replied that if deprived of his arms, he would have no means of subsisting his people & they would starve. but he was willing to do any thing, for his safety as he was buffetted on both sides of the line-The Genl then agreed to furnish him provisions, he, the cheif remaining in Louisiana- We then parted, to meet in Shreveport the next day & deposit the arms- his horses being in the Swamp he could not start with us, but left his next cheif as a hosta,ge, and I went with him & his tribe-He did all that he had stipulated, treated me kindly, and agreed if required to go, with his four principal men to Nacogdoches & remain there until the end of the war- This, Genl Rusk declined as it might appear 1 appear [sic] like a recognition of them as Texas India,ns- So stands that matter, but you must understand these are not all the Caddoes by far the larger portion of the tribe, under Tarshar, or the Wolf, are among the wild Indians of Texas, a,t the three forks of Trinity- This Cheif Cissany, says, he has no connexion with them, and often, [as] in the present instance, is suspected of their rascalities _:_ I hear of difficulties below in Nacogdoches County and fear some Hotspur movement there may fire the whole tra-in of Cherokees & Shawnees against us, I hope not for if it is done, there will be no corn made in Eastern Texas next year- We start immediately for three Forks, the 4th Brigade Genl Dyer) will have 400 men ready to march as soon as we ge.~ there at Olarks- "No. 884. "General Rusk involved his government in considerable difficulty by this move. See Garrison, G. P., Diplomatic Correspondence of the Republic of Texas, I, 365 et seq.
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