WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
462
You will remain with the Indians as much as possible, or have some other person with them. Whenever they remove from one section of the country to an- other, you will, whenever you can, advise the citizens on the frontier of the fact-and in all cases, some white man, in whom you can have confidence, must accompany them. Stimulate them to guard against and watch those Indians, who are in the habit of annoying our frontier settlements by murder- ing men and stealing horses. If the friendly Indians succeed in breaking up those piratical parties, I will reward the braves with handsome presents. If they take any horses belonging to the whites and restore them to the owners, I will reward them for their bravery and fidelity. You will act in all things, so as to render all possible protection and benefit to the frontier inhabitants of Texas, and secure peace and safety to the Indians. If we have prisoners now in the possession of the hostile In- . dians, you will, if possible, procure their restoration, and advise me of any plan which may suggest itself to you, for the accom- plishment of an object so desirable to humanity. You will receive as compensation for your services, the sum of five hundred dollars; and Mr. Joseph Taylor will receive two hun- dred and forty dollars. You will report to the President as often as possible. In his absence, you will report to the Secretary of War. Sam Houston 1 Executive Record Book, No. 1,0, pp. 34-35, Texas State Library. :?L. B. Franks had been active on the Texas frontier since early in 1836. In that year he wrote a letter to the Convention, then sitting at Washing- ton, stating that because of the many Indian depredations on the frontier, he had assumed the responsibility of raising a volunteer army to go against the Indians. He also reported that at that time (March 8, 1836) he with a company of thirty volunteers and a small piece of artillery had reached the place of Mr. Childress at Nashville on the Brazos. See The Southwestern Historical Qua1·terly, XXXI, 133. TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1 Executive Department, City of Austin, February 1, 1842. To the Honorable, the House of Representatives: Impressed as I am with a sense of duty and the ~ru~ situation of the country, I cannot yield my assent to the bill to amend
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