373
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAllfAR
templated resignation, and will now make mention of other subjects some of which may not be devoid of interest. · · I learn that l\faj. Burton is using his best endeavors to excite "the people" against your administration charging you with having invited him to accept the appointment of Secy at War on the resignation of General Johnston, and after he had spent several days in the office examining the books and papers prep7,raiory to his entering upon the discharge of the duties officially, to his great surprize you gave the appointment to another- He professes to feel disgusted with all of the executive measures and speaks of procuring a press in order that he may lay his own grievances before the good people, and enlighten them upon the causes of their own sufferings- These things I gather from public conversations- I have not had the honor of seeing the suffr>r- ing and injured patriot myself. I understand that he notifies his constituents that he shall not be a candidate for the Sena[te] at the coming election unless strongly solicited. He cannot be elected. Some Indian depredations have been committed in this vicinity since my return. A man was wounded in his own house in the evening about 25 Miles north of this place by a party of three Indians He made his escape however with his wife and child, but the Indians plundered his house and macle their escape. They were pursued several days by a party of whites but the heavy rains raised the streams so as to compel them to abandon the chase- Their course was towards the upper Trinity & they are suppoEed to be Cherokees or Caddoes- Two days since a man by the name of Wright and another named Buffington were killed at night by a similar attack They resided between the Angelina and Naches [Neches] rivers about 20 miles Southwest of this place- Another man in the same house was wounded- The women and children escaped by running into a grove of timber near the house- The Indians then pillaged the house and set it on fire-both bodies were consumed in the flames- Imme- diate pursuit was made and the party was soon overtaken in a dense cane-brake on the Naches river-but the Indians escaped leaving their horses, baggages, and even guns. They were going towards the Cushatta Village and were either Oushattas or some more openly hostile Indians harbored among them- I learn since my arrival here that many of the Beluxies, Choctaws and Alabama Indians have returned to their former haunts on the Naches and Angelina Rivers below the San Antonio road, some of whom have been for some time past our avowed enemies- The Beluxies in particular were enlisted under Cordova and not one of them re- turned until last fall or summer-I think it would be well to notify the whole of them to remoYe beyond our limits, and to warn the Cushattas that they will be considered as enemies when found out of the bounds of the territory assigned to them- I am confident that , the whites residing near them particularly the relations of the persons recently murdered will attack any of th~m wherever they may see them- I saw Major Augustine yesterday (the recently appointed Land Com- missioner) who informs me that the examinations to detect fraudulent
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