215
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
No. 2423 [184-?], ANONYMOUS The "Meongo Company of counterfeiters." 2 p.
No. 2424 [184·-?, MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR, RICHMOND? TEXAS] "Burnet-Smith the Consul at Matamoros, etc., John Cotton-." A. Df. 1 p. No. 2425 [184-? M. B. LAMAR, RICHMOND? TEXAS] "INFORMATION FROM A. RABB COLORADO [RIVER] EARLIEAST SET- TLERS" AND INDIANS TOUBLES 30 William Rabb, born Pennsylvania; moved to Illenois in 1803; in 1818 he moved to the Red River on the Arkensaw side; in 1820, moved west side of the Redriver; and in 1822, came to the Colorado, west side side, [sic] in above where Lagrange now stands; one winter there, the indians drove him down to the neighborhood where Egypt now stands. Died in 1831; in his 61st yeard of his age - He left a fam- ily & 4 children, Rachael, the oldest son Andrew, John and Thomas. Rachael married Joseph Newman, he died in a few weeks of the old man; she is still a widow. The old Lady Mrs. Rabb, died in few months of her husband. The balance of the family are living on the Colorado, in the neighborhood of their first settlemt . In 1838, Andrew was elected from Fayette Co. to Congress; and was re-elected again in 1843 - - - Col. James Ross, was in the habit of keeping the Tonkaway indians about him; he made them pick cotton for him, and gather Pecans, which he shipped to the US. When the Tonks were not thus employed, R?ss would encourage ·them to steal horses from the Comanches, and bring them to him, for which the were easily paid in Whiskey &c - This brou~ht tlie Comanchees down into the settlemts, who came in pursuit of the Tonks; & finding the tonks protected & encouraged in their depredations, the whites became involved in difficulties with the Camanches & other tribes - This was a cause of <!omplaint against Ross; - nor was it the only one. The TonkR when unable to procure horses from the other indians, would steal from the whites in the re- mote settlemts, and bring them to Ross. Many people found their hoses r sic] stolen by the Tonks in his possession. This brought upon him the clamors of the whole people. He was ordered by the Ayuneta to desist from such a course & ,:end the Indians off. He was obstinate; & the people already impatint of his conduct assembled for the pur- pose of driving the Tonk off by force. As they were passing bv hi~ door, he hailed them; they stopped : he presPnted a shot gun at them; it snapped; he tried it again, it flashed. he then drew two pistols, fired both. At this three of the party firecl upon him simultaneously,
..A. Df.
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