240 I have given Capt. Ford authority to call any amount of men into the service he may deem necessary to meet the emergency, until the result of the Regiment Bill shall be made known here, and until the Rangers shall take the field under the authority of the General Government, if raised, and if not, until such time as adequate protection is afforded our suffering fellow citizens by some other means. There is no doubt the Indians had congregated, and were making preparation for a general attack on the frontier, and friendly Indians, at the time they were attacked by our Rangers, and friendly Indians; During the absence of the command on this expedition, there were innumerable depredations murders and thefts committed, which have been calculated to create the wild- est excitement amongst our people; The Indians of the upper or Comanche reserve, at Camp Cooper are believed to have partici- pated in these outrages from the best evidence we can collect; By all means you should insist on the removal of the agent there, to whose inefficiency much of the trouble is to be attributed from the Indians of that reserve; unless it is done the authorities of this State cannot be held responsible for the consequencies, with- out a cessation of these complaints, which seem to be so well grounded; If it is the intention of the President to order out the Texas Regiment, why is it not done? the existing evils are un- bearable, and besides, it is unjust, that our State should be taxed with this, at best, but temporary protection, which she is now compelled to afford without the assurance of. obtaining remuner- ation for it hereafter from the Federal Government, whose duty it is; aggravated by this recent defeat there is but too much reason to believe, that a general descent will be made and our entire line of frontier broken up and devastated, without some prompt and early action by the authorities at Washington, You will therefore confer with the President and Sec. of War, and urge them to action with the least possible delay. I have the honor to be very Respectfully
Your obt. Servt
H. R. RUNNELS
To the Texas Delegation in Congress
May 28th 1858. Letter of the Gov. to the Texas Delegation in Congress. Recorded page 122
[Endorsed:]
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