PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
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fulfilmt of his duties as Emprernrio-had had nothing to do with norris or parmer nor in anywise participated in the public or private fueds of the day- ·what was the cause of this high handed measure against him? He was at a loss to devine. It may be supposed that what ever may have been his feelings before, that they were now pretty strongly excited. He became exasperated, and under a deep sense of the injury thus secretly contrived and publicly executed, had no hesitancy in in- dulging in strong denunciations against his oppressors. That he should under such circumstances was natural; that he should be willing to make an effort to free himself & his country•from a govermt of such baseness & oppression was laudable-- This gave rise to the Freedonian War- Hunter went among the Indians and enlisted many to join the war- Fields was active with his own Tribe- Bowls was also busy with the Indians- There seemed every prospect of uniting & combing [combining] the force of all the tribes in the affair- A cireumstance of treachry occurred however by Bowles which brought disaster on the cause- A man of notoriously bad character by the name of Bean (the same who had been with Knowlan 4 G in his enterprise) arrived in the contry. He at first favored the Fredonians, but soon changed and seek- ings Bowles, he urged upon this chief to abandon the cause, telling him that if his nation wanted Land this was not the way to get it; that he would pledge his life that if he would kill Fields and Hunter who were the leaders among the Indians, the war would be at an end and that the Govt. would give them Lands as they desired. This argumt had the intended effect- Bowles became a traitor and sent one of his men in persuit of Hunter & Fields. Hunter was met on his ,vay to Nacog- doches about 25 miles off when he was met by the assassin & shot- l<'ields hearing of the murder fled and was persued across the Sabine where he was overtaken- He was called from his camp and whilst he was conversing with the murderer was stabbed to the heart- The dMth of these chiefs ruined the prospects of the Freedonians-- Before the death of these men at any early period of the war, a nlr. Norris, brother to the infamous Alcalde, entered the town with about 40 men; the Freedonians retired into the stone building- A sharp firing en- sued in which the latter escaped unhurt whilst the former got a few wounds and fled leavig the field to the sons of freedom- 'I'he Free- donians never mustered more than 50 men-these were composed of Farmer's men and a few new comers. Proclamations were sent to Brasos and to the Red River, but that to the Brazos was intercepted and the bearer made prisoner by Col. Austin, whilst the bearer of the despatch to Red R. proved treacherous & never carried it but made a publication in the US agast the Freedonians- · The opinion of Col. Edwards is that there is some doubt whether the Governor ever wrote the letter of his & his brothers expulsion-be that as it may, the Govr. Had no right to take the grant from Edwards - The Colonization Law of the Legislature of Cohula & Texas had given it to him & he could not be deprived of it by the Govr. & e£pecially without his having by any act forfeitig it. lf he was charging a Bit per acre to the Emigrants it was only what Austin done & was then doing under the direction of the Govr.; and it was only in compliance with
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