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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
each one after smoking rubbing himself all over - This is continued until three pipes of tobacco are consumed, the Chief carefully preserv- ing the ashes - Consultation then commences - it is determined how long they shall occupy their position - when they shall move their encampment and where the shall reencamp &c - If any person ar- rives during the council either from another town or from an expedi- tion, the crier announces it to the Chief - who orders that he be sum- moned to appear - he then presents himself without speaking to any person in the town until after he has passed through the same cere- monies of smoking - He then tells whence he comes his adventure~, the news he brings &c - Which the crier communicates by shouting thro' the town - When a person dies suddenly the family to which he belonged immediately gather up every thing belonging to them and burning it and kill the horses belonging to the geceased scarcely re- taining sufficient to enable them to remove, all the friends commence shouting and uttering dismal howls, and if the deceased be a person of distinction the friends all contribute somthing, some a horse, some a dog & which they kill supposi!}g that they accompany him to the new world to which he goes - As soon as the funeral ceremony is closed they all strike their tents and remove to a new position - the friends of the deceased go and reside with another tribe for the space of a year or till the mourning is over -
[Endorsed] Comanchee Indians by Ruis a Mex- ican at Bexar
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No. 2429 [184-?] ''W. F. HENDERSON'S FIGHT WITH THE KIC[K]A- POOS 1839" 33 [Some] time in the year 1839 W. F. Henderson of Jackson Ten- nessee [no] w a Resident of Te~as went up to the Three Forks of Trin- ity with a party of Thirty inclndin~ himself to locate lands. At th [is] time about one hundred & fifty Miles from the settlm[enlts af[ter] being engaged a few day [s 1 at his work a large party of Kickapoo In• dians supposed to be about 200 in number approached Him & party about noon of the work day and warned Him to leave saying that no serveyor should locate the lands. Henderson cndeavourd to pacify them but failed. The Indian chief told him that he must leeve or fight and that he gave him some few minutes onlv to decide. Henderson re- plied that his mind was made up to fight ·rather than leave- Where- fore the chief returned to the Main body of his party to announce Henderson determination. The preporation for fight among the In- dians was so plain as to induce Hendenion to take a position in a ravine near at hand usinP- their mules & packs as a breastwork. In a few minutes a i:reneral charge was made by the whole Indian force which was repul,:e<l the Indians losing several men. H suffered no loss of men from the charge but his mules were killed at this moment
11 Anonymous.
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