Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest, Vol. V

165

fles are 60 miles off, and before we can send news to them of the depredation, the Indians are gone beyond pursuit. In addition to the facts in the Report of our Committee, The Indians stole last night all the loose horses grazing around the Town, and left one dead, shot with arrows, within one hundred yards of the outside houses of town-panic prevails-we have no horses among the citizens to follow them. If you can prove the Lipans to be guilty we will exterminate the race, there is no doubt in my mind that they are the depredators- Please hand the proceedings of our meeting to Ford to publish in case we have not time to copy them- Yours truly, H.P. BEE Gov. Pease-

H P Bee Laredo 13 March 1854 Recd 23 & answd 24 Mch 1854

[Endorsed:]

No. 123 LETTER FROM E. M. PEASE TOP. F. SMITH Executive Office

Austin Texas 24th March 1854

Maj Genl Persifor F Smith Sir

I beg leave to call your attention to the situation of the Rio Grande frontier. It seems, from the proceedings of a public meeting of the Citizens of Webb County held on the 11th inst. of which I send you a copy, that within the last two months, seven of their Citizens have been murdered and a large amount of prop- erty has been destroyed and stolen by the Indians, who have in every instance escaped with impunity. This state of things is truly distressing and if allowed to continue must result in break- ing up all the settlements on that river except in the Towns. I have also learned from other sources entitled to credit, that thefts and murders have recently been committed by the Indians, at places below Webb County in the vicinity of the Rio Grande, The large force of Infantry now stationed on that frontier does not appear to be any check upon the Indians. I therefore respect- fully request, if you have under your command, any mounted men that can be spared from other service, that you will order a

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