Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest, Vol. IV

TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916

438

extent and during the last year 1879, there were fifteen or twenty raiding parties in Texas. Seven persons murdered, several hundred horses stolen and many cattle killed by them. The state troops had six engagements with them and pursued twelve parties unsuccessfully. On 30th of last month one of the companies was in pursuit of a party of Indians which had stolen thirty-five horses from a ranch on the upper waters of the Brazos River and the scout had not returned at last account. There are no United States troops on our frontier from Ft Concho to Ft Elliott a distance of some three hundred & fifty miles. Two companies of the frontier battalion are now operat- ing in that region and their reports show that twelve or fifteen parties of hostile Indians have been on that part of the frontier during the last year. The Indians who have committed the dep- redations in Texas for the last six years were mostly from the Fort Sill Reservation but some were from Ft Stanton and some were from Mexico. Reports and papers on file in this office show that the fol- lowing depredations have been committed by Indians in Texas since 1865. viz. 407 men, women, and children killed, 76 wounded, 81 women and children carried off, 19 other parties of citizens attacked, 43,392 cattle, 20,521 horses and mules, and 2430 sheep and goats stolen, 2 U. S. mail coaches plundered, 9 wagons and 2 trains of wagons plundered and burned. I am well satisfied that many depredations have been com- mitted which were never reported and of which there is no rec- ord anywhere, for the reason that during the greater portion of this time it was not the duty of any one to make such reports and the settlers on the extreme frontier rarely reported the dep- redations. I have myself seen several hundred abandoned ranches on the frontier, on many of which people had been murdered or carried into captivity and the houses fences etc. burned by the Indians and of them very few were ever reported. Since 1874, 150 bands of hostile Indians have been known to be in Texas. The reports of the operations of the troops in the State service since that time show 97 bands pursued, 26 engagements, 77 Indians killed, 29 wounded, 3 captured 23 Mex- icans killed and 3 wounded, 6871 horses and cattle recaptured and restored to owners. During most of the time the frontier battalion has been in the service, another force, mustered as special police, has been

Powered by