una fuerza enemigo; si esta no se ha retirado sera batida hoy, yen el primer caso dicha seccion regresara manana a este punto. - Cuanto crea que puede convenir a los movimientos de V. S. se lo comunicare, esperando que V. S. lo comunicara igualmente. - Tengo la satisfaccion de reproducir a V. S. mi adhesion y constante aprecio. Dios y libertad, cuartel general en Old- Fort Abril 20 de 1836. - Vincente Filisola. - Sr. general D. Jose Urrea. [2807] [GAINES to SECRETARY OF WARJ
Headquarters, Western Department, Camp Sabine, April 20, l836.
Sir: I have the honor to report that, inconsequcnce of statements received on the morning of the 14th instant, enclosed herewith, numbered from 1 to 6, inclusively, reporting that the Indians, in part from our side of the supposed line between the United Stales and Mexico, were imboclied and deemed lo be employed in driving many of the white families of Texas Lo the Sabine, I ordered eight companies of the sixth and five companies of the third infantry lo this place, near which I met several hundred Texian women and children, with some men, retiring under the influence of great panic, principally from tfie neighborhood of Nacogdoches and other parts of Texas. Finding, on my arrival al this place, no other confirmations of the reports of actual hostilities having been commenced by the Indians than their having killed one while man, a Mr. Williams, under circumstances which seemed to afford no conclusive evidence of a spirit of general hostility towards the inhabitants, I have deemed il proper to halt upon the left bank of the Sabine, and notify the Cherokee chief Bowles and others of the determination of the President of the United Slates to punish them with the force under my command, should they attack the inhabitants of that or this border of our unmarked boundary. I have just now received the report of Lieutenant Bonnell, who has been on a visit to the Caddoes, by my direction, to ascertain whether the reports previously received from that tribe of Indians were or were not correct. His report, which I enclose herewith, confirms fully the statement referred to in my last, that one Manuel Flores, formerly a Mexican Spaniard and late a citizen of
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