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TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916
No. 162 PETITION FROM MONTAGUE, TEXAS, TO E. M. PEASE
Montague Texas Oct 29th 1867
To his Excelency E. M. Pease Gov of Texas
Your petitioners Citizens To your excelency that for the last two months marauding bands of Indians have been in and through this and adjoining counties murdering and carrying women and children in to captivity driving off large amounts of horses Cattle and other property. That infact not a week and rarely a day but we see or hear of some depredations Committed by them that three times within the last six weeks they have been in the town of Montague and drove off all the horses that they could find, within the same time they captured the little son of Mrs Holt also the son of William Freeman and a son of Mr John Bailey all of this county and at the same time murdering and scalping or carrying into captivity women and children from Wise and Jack Counties. That these outrages have been committed mostly in day light. That they are frequently seen traveling in day light with out any effort to concealment. That the small military force sta- tioned at the post of Buffalo Springs on the frontier is inade- quate to the protection of the settlements the distance being so far from the settlements and gap between the said Post of Buffalo Springs and Fort Arbuckle bring about 125 miles the distence so great that rades can and has been made in said pass that the Troops cannot guard the same not with standing said Military Officers has made every effort in their power to give ample protection That if more and efficient force is not provided this country like Clay and other Counties west of this Will speedely disorganise and the citizens abandon the country That as to Loyalty to the General Government the citizens of this are second to no County in the State but owing to the unfor- tunate relations which have here to fore existed between the state and Federal Authorities we have refrained from all armed organisations which is so necessary for self defence against a savage foe Your petitioners would further show to your Ex-
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