TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1825-1843
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possessed of large quantities of ammunition to supply the fron- tier Indians of Texas to carry on the war. He immediately started with a party of 40 volunteers, for the sole purpose of in- tercepting them and cutting off these supplies, my son was un- der him. He crossed Red River at Washita; and marched up sd. river 150 miles without overtaking them, continuing close to the river all the time, during the expedition they met various friendly indians, and molested none. This was the party com- plained of as having crossed Red River into the Chickasaw na- tion numbered roughly at 100 men. As to the charge made against the Texians of having crossed into the Chickasaw nation led by Mr. Houston, in which they are charged with having fired upon a party of Indians and kill- ing several of them-These are the facts. We received informa- tion from the friendly Quapaw, who live on Red River, at the mouth of Washita that a party of Coushatta who had frequently made descents upon the people of Texas, and engaged in mur- dering families, and stealing horses from the Texians-were preparing to make a descent upon Texas. A party of men led by Joseph Sowell consisting of four or five crossed Red River to intercept them, and actually came upon them at their camp, and did fire at them but do not know whether any were killed; the camp contained a large quantity of Larratts, such as they use for stealing horses; and not a single horse in their camp. They then returned without interrupting a single friendly Chick- asaw or Choctaw Indian: I will state in the last winter, a Mr. Dougans, four miles from Warren in Texas, was attacked by a party of Indians, Coushatta; one white man was killed. They returned the fire and killed one Indian whose Body was identified to be a Coushatta, the same party acknowledged that they lost two in that fight. Capt Joseph Sowell has since been killed, by the Indians at his own house in the town _of Warren. The party were tracked to the U. S. line on the Red River.-This was in March last about the first of the month. Late at night he heard the horses running in his Lot, and he went. out to it in company with Mr Scott, and the Indians fired on them and killed Sowell; he returned the contents of his pistol and Rifle after he was ~hot. Mr Scott immediately fired upon them and killed one in- ~tantly; believed to be a Caddo.-8 days ago a Mr David Alberty, 20 miles above Warren, was surrounded by 10 mounted indians and killed, and s~alped ancl mangled. James Saymore being on h,,rsebac·k macle his escape. I went out with a party immedi-
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