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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 997 1839 Jan. 9, H. McLEOD TOM. B. LAMAR Red River County.
Below Clarksville 60 miles Jany. 9th. 1839
Dear Genl
We are recruiting our broken down horses, and equally ex- hausted selves, after a march, in my opinion unparalleled, since Do Soto's-- The Army had endured enough in their estimation to en- • titled them to return home, when the Genl. overtook them at the Trinity, and without provisions, they marched from these, thro' the cross timbers, found and destroyed the Caddo villages, and marched across a barren or dead prairie to the Brazzos- When the men became exhausted it was found necessary to return- The villages were deserted and evidently with precipitation- Buffalo Skins, a few blankets, some guns &c were left behind- When I arrived at the Trinity, (as I wrote you, I was starting for in my last, from 1\Iiller 's) I found the Army there, on the march home- That Section of Country and particularly the cross timbers, (fre.• quently represented as a sterile waste.) is the finest portion of Texas, as a body- and its bottoms are equally as fine as the Brazzos- \Ve saw large droves of Buffalo, & wild horses, by the latter I do not mean, mustangs, such as are found in western Texas,- The 1.Jk. raine cannot excel these prairies in the beauty & fleetness of its wild horses- They are said to be derived from various sources. but how- ever derived, the mustang bears no proportion to them, and they sell when caught (persons follow it as a business) for 3 to 500$- The weather was so severe, we could not enjoy the sport- I hope to soon have the pleasure of seeing you-
Your friend
H McLeod [rubric]
Genl Mirabeau B. Lamar President of Texas Houston
P. S. I have a thousand matters to talk to you a.bout, you have no idea of the extent of inquiry that has resulted from the mismanage- ment of Houston- This Section has suffered immensely, · At this time so doubtful is the community of having the line run, that men with 10 & 20 hands are moving back to the U States, from that uncertainty, a,nd fear of the Indians together- There is no emigra- tion to it-
' Yours
H McLeod: [rubric]
[Addressed]
[Endorsed]
His Excellency
Free
Col. H McLeod 9 Jany 1839 Recd. 20. Feb- My Store Jan 16th. 39
Genl M. B. Lamar President
City of Houston Mail
Texas
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