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No. 209 LETTER FROM JOHN S. FORD TO H. R. RUNNELS Camp Leon,
Comanche County, Texas,
Governor: By the politeness of Mr. A. Price, of Cora, I am enabled to lay the following views before you.
Dec 28th, 1858. Stephensville, Erath County.
Dear Sir:
This morning brings us news from Palo Pinto county of a serious nature. Some of our citizens was out on the trail of some thieves, about our frontier lines, after some time trailing they came on some Caddo camps on the Palo Pinto; and as the whites approached the camps there was a friend a little in the rear which had no gun, he alarmed the boys and told them to look out the Indians was about to fire on them; and it appears the fight then commenced. One of our men was shot through the thigh; and one missing and never found nor heard from since-Suppose to have killed some 8 or 10 Indians The presumption is that we shall have an attact on our part of the country, and it is thought it will begin at Stephensville. We cant give you all the particulars at present. We now call on you to come to our assistance with all the help you can parade. We have plenty of provisions, powder, & lead &c. We have sent for Capt. Nelson and all his forces. We know nothing will cause him to delay. Meet at Stephensville as soon as you can get here.
W. W•. MCNEILL "By request of the Citizens"
Capt. Frost,
Cora, Comanche County" What this may portend I can not say. There appears a deter- mination in certain quarters on the frontier to make war indis- criminately on the Reserve Indians. This may be the beginning. Of course no one here knows what tribe of Indians the citizens fought. The declaration that they were Caddos will be little ques-
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