TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1846-1859
268
Head Quarters, Fort Belknap, Texas December 18th, 1857
Sir,
I have the honor to make the following statement in reference to the reported presence of a large band of hostile Kickapoo said to have been seen in the vicinity of this post- On the 2nd Inst: a white man and five Kickapoo (part of a hunting party of twelve) came into this post by the advice of Mr. J. R. Baylor and others, whom they met on the prairies. in the search of lost horses -I then informed the white man (Mr Pascal Pensono a well known interpreter and guide in Missouri) that the Kickapoo had no right to come on this side of Red River and that they must leave immediately, as they were liable to be attacked by the troops- Mr. Pensono acquiesced and he and the indians with him left the post to return beyond Red River. From the 3rd to the 10th I received six communications from Mr. R. S. Neighbors, "supervising agent of Texas Indians," as- serting that there was a large camp (300 strong) of Kickapoo on the West Fork of the Trinity He also verbally informed me that he had received intelligence from the Kickapoo and that they were determined to fight if molested- Several Citizens came in and stated that they had seen the camp and that there could not be less than 300 warriors- The alarm spread in the neighborhood, and the citizens turned out under arms and in the greatest state of excitement-- Under these circumstances, I sent an Express on the 7th Instant, to the Commanding Officer at Camp Cooper, requesting him to send all his available men, to join this Command and with 50 or 60 Tonkawa and others from the Brazos Agency, to attack said indians. The next day my express returned with information that all the d'isposable men at Camp Cooper were out on scouts- Early on the 9th I sent an express to Mr. Neighbors, informing him that Captain Jones with eighty men would be on Cottonwood Creek, and that I wished him to send the friendly indians to meet him there that night-- After the departure of Captain Jones, I received Mr. Neighbors letter of December 9/57 (here- in enclosed) I forwarded it immediately to Captain Jones, in order to notify him of the supposed change of position of the indians- When at Cottonwood Spring, a white man (Mr. Mc-
Powered by FlippingBook