Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest, Vol. IV

TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916

258

that fifty families have left their homes and still they come Gainesville is now the frontier with the exception of a few families and they intend leaving it has been the most distressing time I have ever witnessed Capt John Scanland wint to Lt Col Morris to get the liberty to organize Cornpanys to protect our- selves on the frontier But Col Morris peremptorily refused with- out the Companys would put themselves under United States officers that would amount to being scalped; for before a com- pany could go to the post, after the Indians would come in, they could and would do all the mischief the~· ,vish. and be gone. If the citizens could be allowed to keep themselves in readiness they would frequently head those indian raids. Will you or Gen Reynolds upon the subject and know whether or not Lt Col Morris act.s by authority in preventing frontier organisa- tions. News has reached here that the indians made a raid on the government mill in Jack Co last week killed se,·ernl persons and got about forty government mules Yours Respectfully J. E. WHEELER County Judge C.C. fEndor11ed] J. E. \Vheele1· GainesYille ansd 15 Feh 1868

No. 173 DEPOSITION OF F. M. RUCKELEW [March 21, 1868]

The State of Texas ) ) County of Bandera )

Deposition of Francis, M., Buckelew: States that he was fifteen years old the

3d day of last Oct, 1867, About the 14th or 15th of March 1866 I was at the Gholson Place on the Rio Sabinal T was hunting a bell in company with a negro bo:v, I and the negro boy irnw some cattle run out of a thicket I then told the negro bo:v we had better go that there were Indians about, but the negro bor in~isted on hunting the bell as Mr Dm·enport would be mad if we did not find the bell, I saw something in the edge of the thicket which I thought at first was a hog, until it jumped up and ran after me when I discovered that it was an Indian. when

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