186 incursions into our settlements, from which they never return without committing some murders and thefts. The troops belonging to the regular army, now in service in this state, have never been able to pursue them with a sufficient number to chastise them. They have either been forced to aban- don the pursuit without overtaking them, or, as was the case with the small party under Captain Jan Buser, have been de- feated with the loss of many valuable lives. These results have emboldened these tribes until they now feel very certain of escap- ing unpunished. While on this subject, I deem it my duty to call your atten- tion to the situation of the Indian tribes upon our northern bor- der. The whole Comanche tribe, with the exception of one small band, called the Southern Comanches, are openly and avowedly hostile, and are continually on the war path, making incursions into this state, and passing through portions of it in going to and returning from Mexico. This tribe, with the exception of the small band before named, have no agent residing among them. and no control is exercised over them by the United States. There is also a large number of renegades, from the various tribes residing in this state, who have congregated in the Indian Territory, north of Red River, subject to no agency or control. professing friendship to the ports north of Red River, but fre- quently making hostile incursions into this state. Besides these, many of the Kickapoos north of Red River, frequently, came into this state, with permits from the Com- manders of ports and Indian agents, ostensibly for the purpose of hunting, but they seldom return without committing some murders and thefts. Most of the murders and depredations on our frontier have been committed by the Indians here described, and hardly an instance has come to my Knowledge in which they have been punished. Occasional thefts have been committed by the small tribes residing in this state, and professing friendship to our Citizens, when they have been permitted to leave the neighborhood of the posts, but, if the policy of settling these tribes upon reservations, that the United States is authorized to select for them, is carried out, and they are compelled to reside on these reservations, I do not apprehend any further difficulty from them. In regard to the hostile tribes named in this letter, an expe- rience of several years has shown that it is idle to expect that their incursions can be restrained by the description of troops now in service in this state, to effect this, it is necessary that a
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