Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest, Vol. III

141

TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1846-1859

No. 101 LETTER FROM J. A. ROGERS TOP. H. BELL

San Antonio, Tex~s Sept 3rd. 1851

Sir

I presume, you are advised, that I was appointed, one of the three Special Agents, for the Indian tribes, and bands, within the border of Texas, and desired very much during the past summer to have seen you at Austin, and so arrange my business at two different periods to have visited you at that place, but it so happened when I could go with a view of a personal interviE:w, you were absent, I also, presume that Judge Rollins and Mr Stern my Co Agents submitted to you, the Instructions re- ceived by us jointly to govern us in the discharge of our duties as public Agents. Since their interview with you, I have in ad- dition to the Appointment of special Agent received the Ap- pointment, of Commissioner, to treat with any of the bands or tribes, of Indians within the borders of Texas. An arrange- ment was made in June by Judge Rollins, and myself, to call together the Indians at three different points, on the 10th day of October next of which Mr Stern was advised asking his co- opperations in the district of Country assigned to his direc- tion. Judge Rollins was to attend on the head waters of the San Saba at some point to be designated by him, I was to attend at some point between the Rio Grande and the Pecos. I immediately dispatched an interpreter which I em- ployed and a gentleman of high and respectable character, who was well acquainted with the different bands and tribes in that quarter, who returned after going as far as El Paso (Capt f.killman was the man) and reports that the Indians in that quarter had mostly left the Country in consequence of the long continued drouth and the want of subsistence for their stock with the exception of a few Mescalero in the vicinity of Pre- sidio del Norte. On receipt of this information, and in conse- quence of the protracted indisposition of Judge Rollins I con- sented to fill his Appointment at a point Seven miles below the old Fort on the San Saba, on the 10th of October next with a view of distributing sundry goods and presents provided for them by the United States and supply them with some pro-

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