Another party of thirteen of their most experienced woodsmen was to proceed direct to the Sabine, keeping near the old trace, and, if practicable, obtain access to the Indians; visit their towns, and endeavor to ascertain their disposition towards the settlers on this side of the Sabine, as well as any information that might lead to a knowledge of the intentions of their warlike operations. These parties reh1rned previous to my leaving the prairies: the first made no discovery worthy of note; the second, when within twelve miles of the Sabine, met an acquaintance'with his family on their return from Texas to the Sulphur-prairie settlements, and who had passed on his way directly through some of the principal Indian towns. He stated that he found them entirely deserted; not a human being did he see among any of them; that the old and helpless were secreted in the neighboring woods; the chiefs and warriors were assembled at some point on the Sabine, and that a Mexican officer of rank was among them; that every thing seemed to indicate, and bore the appearance of, a war movement in some direction; that the principal chief had directed a council to be held on Monday, the 2d instant, after which, it was the general opinion that the designs of the Indians would be developed. He also reported that the Caddo Indians were massacring the Americans residing in the Upper Brazos, regardless of age or sex. After obtaining the above information, the party deemed it useless to proceed farther, but to reh1rn and make report. The foregoing I derived from Mr. James Clark, an intelligent and enterprising citizen of the Sulphur prairie, who was one of the party; and who is clearly of opinion, from his knowledge of the Indian character, (having passed twenty years in this country, and a greater part of his time lived with them,) meditated mischief somewhere; and he is apprehensive their designs are upon the Sulphur settlements and along down the south side of Red river. As a pretty sure evidence to justify this conclusion, he says it has been a subject of general remark among his neighbors that not a Cherokee, Delaware, or Shawnee, had been seen this season in any part of the settlements; a circumstance indicating a material change, as they have heretofore been in the usual habit of hunting along the borders, and among the settlements, at this season of the year.
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