266 command 31 Men-leaving three men in charge of the camp-- and was joined at Brazos Agency by 107 men of the Brazos Re- serve Indians under their own captains, but the whole under my command- I started from Brazos Agency on 17th Augst. and as there had been some 40 or 50 head of horses stolen from that Re- serve-in the last three or four days before starting, we scouted the country thoroughly, until we arrived at the crossing of "Big Witchita, where I thought proper to send a detachment, under the command of "Chul.e.qua" (a Reserve Indian) of 21 men in pursuit of a large trail leading in a northerly direction. I then scoured the country with my own command in a north east direc- tion, until I arrived in the vicinity of Fort Arbuckle, where I was compelled to obtain supplies, which were promptly furnished me by the commissary at that Post.- From information received by my guides, I learned that the Wichita's above Fort Arbuckle had in their possession, American Horses, which had been stolen from our frontier, I was unable to recover them while there, but was assured by the U States officers, that every exertion would be made to recover the horses, and to return them to their owners - Being short of supplies, I thought it proper to return to Camp Runnels on Clear fork of Brazos, where I arrived on the 10 inst, having met with my immediate command no hostile lndians.- Chul-equa and his command returned this morning, bringing with them 60 head of horses, and mules, captured from Buffalo Humps band of Comanches. He had no fight with them, as when about to attack a party of some 40 or 50 warriors, he was met by a Witchita chief, with information that peace had been made be- tween the Texain authorities and the northern Comanches, which of course, stopd the fight. Our men, knowing that such rumors were in circulation when they left, thought it possible that the chief's staement was true, and that the hostile Indians were desposed to give up stolen property and settle down on the Witchita Reserve. Some of our men had discovered in their camp some of the Brazos Reserve horses lately stolen, and upon de- manding them, they refused to give them up. They also learned that a stealing party had arrived in Camp the night before with over 100 head of animals stolen from the Texian frontier. While councilling with the Comanches, Chulequa learned, that large bodies of hostile Indians, composed of Kioways, Comanches, Chy- ennes & Keechies-were encamped near. Antelope Hills on the Canadian, with the declared intention of making a descent upon this frontier. As he discovered while in Council, that the coman-
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