Wishing you all success in your present Great and glorious
cause I am Dear Sir
your obedient Servt
Samuel F Marks
Jackson Louisiana August 9th 1836 (Addressed: I General Mirebeau. B. Lamar Texas [3934] [MENARD lo HOUSTONJ
Nacogdoches_, August 9, 1836. Sir: I have the honor lo present to your excellency a second report upon Indian affairs, accompanied by a communication by amy confidential agent, the whole of which I present to your excellency for perusal and information, and to be disposed of as you my deem best. On the beginning of this month I visited the Shawnee village and found the Indians as friendly as usual, but always tenacious of strict neutrality. I could gather but Little information from them that I was nol previously acquainted with. They spoke of their having a "big_Lalk" at the Cherokee village in a few days with many other Indians; and that they thought the object was for the tranquility of all the Indians. They said Lhal the Cherolees, who were foolish at first, were nol perfectly friendly; and, on my observing that their friendship was caused by the appearance of the United Stales troops at Nacogdoches, they smiled, and said that I knew what the Indians thought, without being told. Upon my inquiring if there had been any Mexican spies among the Cherokees lately, (which was the main object of my visit,) they denied all knowledge of any having been there, and said they did not believe it, though they had nol much communication with the Cherekees, and that they perceived that they were very reserved in their intercourse with them. I believe this to be fact, as you will see by a corroborating acknowledgment of the Cherokees lo my confidential agent. The four spies, said lo have been among the Cherokees, is a false report altogether, as my agent would have heard something of it while among them. The Shawnees told me that all the wild Indians of the prairies were on the Trinity, about the "forkes," and were ready for hostilities against the Americans, but that they were a cowardly set, who would steal horses and cows, and may be kill a few people, but would not do much harm. They said again that the Cherokees were friendly now, and that
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