36
STATE L!BR.\RY
TEX.\
Saldaiia with hi party would act according to orders, as also that of Salinas & Rodrigue , thete was nothing now to embarrass my march, and accordingly, having gratified the Cojo with one of the horses which I had l?romised him, advettiug to him that be should not in future permit thi class of people in hi country, or that he •hould at least promptly inform your E. of every thing of this nature that might occur, which, in proof of his incere friendship for the Spaniards, he promised to do. I proceeded the following day with the rest of my divi. ion to r avasota, where I recd. on the 19th of Octr., Joe Salinas official, (of same date) which I inclose original, Doct. ~o. 2, informing me that having fallen in with the party of Lieut. Andre Saldai'ia on the trail of 3 Indians, they continued. their march to the confluence of the River 'ava ota & Braso , where they found encamped 22 Americans, only two of which they made prisoners, owing to the circumstance of aid Americans discoYering them first; from the e 2 they learned that 10 more were preparing meat a short distance above, between the 2 Rivers, and proceeding immediately in pursuit they surprised & made them prisoners, tak- ing from them the property noted in document No. 3. This small Banditt[ 1) I doubt not is a part of that which the titled Gehl. Long is collecting at Nacogdoches, who, according to accounts from the prisoners, had left a few days previous for Galve ton, to bring 1"0re men, artillery, supplies & money to pay tho e now our prisoners; and I am confirmed in this opinion by the prisoners calling themselYes Lieut. Cols., Capts., Lieuts. etc. of Genl. Long's Republican troops of Texas, but thanks to the most High, at the very time when they mere most elated "''ith their boasted union, the blow of chastisement so richly·merited by their audacity & presumption, fell suddenly upon them. And 110w; satisfied that the country above indicated had been we11 reconnoitered; that we had captured a part of those who ..o wantonly trampled upon us; and believing that those which, through the assistance of a country so broken, impervious, & full of impene- trable thickets as to render pursuit impos. ible, had e_.eapec1, would efectually fly the country, notwithstanding the detachments or under Salinas, Saldaiia & Rodrigues we1·e still out, I prepared to march with 300 men & and all pcssible ha te upon Xaeogdoches; taking with me 1 piece of Artillery, 4 packs of Amunition for same & 7 rounds[ f] for musquctry; leaving the remainder of my division to guard the equipnge, with orders to proceed to the Trinity, except the be. t mounted of alinas' & Saldafias' detachment. which houlcl hasten to join 111c, for the purpose o'f marching- upon snid point (. •acogdoche ) with all po sihle brevity, a well a to pr<'Ycnt the fugitives from the Brasos rallying aud coll<'cting a re isling forrP, as to surprise & capture the few which my ,pie rcporte1l lun·in~ seen at Mlid place(Xs.). I also left orders for aldaiia that im- Mediately upon joining the main[ '1 camp, he should take chnrgr of same, and after. tarting- those vho should follow and join mP, ho hould order en ign Tnrciso Sanches with n clctnchmcnt of 50 men, to aclvancc & tllk{' position at the cro. sing on the Trinitr <'nllcd Las Qnchas, [ T] with ol'der. to enpt.ire nil goers & comers. or tra<ln'i
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