313 oughly convinced of the rectitude of my course, that I shall shrink from no responsibility attaching to it, and shall cheer- fully submit to any penance yourself or the public may choose to inflict in the premises. I have made this communication private, because I did not conceive it proper to encumber the public record with matters pertaining to myself. I have the honor to be your very Obdt. servt. JOHNS. FORD
No. 222 LETTER FROM JOHNS. FORD TOH. R. RUNNELS
Brazos Agency Feby. 24th, 1859
Governor I have the honor to report my operations since the 16th inst. I arrived on the Clear Fo1·k day before yesterday, and was pre- paring to pay Lt. Marlin's command. Yesterday evening I re- ceived a communication from Capt. Ross announcing the fact. that a party of Indians had passed up the country with a large caballado-about 120 horses, a portion of which they stole from the Caddo Indians after day-light. I placed my command of! lieu- tenant and twenty-one in motion immediately, reached here in the night and took measures to pursue the depredators. Believing it possible the Indians could not be overtaken this side of their camp and, that my force was too small to make a successfu! in- cursion into their country I enlisted Lt. Marlin and some of his men for the trip with the promise of pay for the service rendered. Capt. Ross has afforded every facility to aid me. The Reserve In- dians are organizing men to accompany the expedition. I shall move slowly and husband the strength of the horses and use all the means in my power to ensure success. A citizen just below this has lost all his horses, and the shod tracks indicate the presence of other American horses in the caballado. An In<lian came in this morning, after having followed the trail fifteen miles, he brought an arrow, which had been shot into a horse-it is not of Comanche make. I shall try to ascertain who the thieves are by following them to their hiding-place.
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