The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume IV, part 1

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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

nine of his party attempted, contrary to his orders & advice to make their escape but were killed by by [sic] Indians as no one of them has ever been seen since- The fight continued with but little intermis- sion untill after sunset when all but nine of the whites were either killed or wounded. Henderson then with the survivors attempted to charge through the Indians & escape In the attempt five were killed the other four escaped with one wounded - Before the last charge Hen- derson & h[is) friend, Sone mutually agreed to stand or fall together Sone was wounde[d) in the knee and fell surrounded by Indians. Henderson [according?) to promise returned in the midst of th [e fight and a. bore off his friend upon his Shoulders. The In[dians a.] mu[ch] engaged [in] rifling the de[ad HJ as to favor His escape - The party made a li[tter for the] wounded man and carried him three days & [nights] without food or water. They at length came across [a par]ty of the same tribe hunting who were not apprized [of t] he fight the day before Henderson told them that [his] friend was wounded by the J onies a tribe hostile to the Kickapoos, surrendering their guns & knives to the Indians for the night & keeping a good face he lulled their suspicions. They furnished him & party with water & food night & morning & dismissed Him with many expressions of friendship - After a laborious & painful trail they reached the settlements - The same young man has encoun- tered other difficulties of like character in Texas - He is of a fight- ing stock. He had a brother who was wii::h Maj •Dade in Florida, Leut. Henderson of the Regular!army - He was the last surviving officer in that massacre continued to cheer on his men to the last al- though shot through the body and one arm entirely shattered. he managed to load hi!'l gun with the single hand & fire her off with a huzza to the last · FOR GENL LAMAR No. 2430 [18.4-?, MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR, RICHMOND? TEXAS] "Federation War." A. Df. 2 p. No. 2431 [184-?, M. B. LAMAR, RICHMOND? TEXAS] NOTES "FUR- NISHED BY WILLIAM PETTUS" UPON THE EARLY HISTORY OF, AUSTIN'S FIRST COLONY 35 Purnished bH lfilli,am Pettus-· Pettus was Born, Virginia, Mecklenburg Co. -1787 - emigrated to Alabama, near Huntsville 1815 - From alabam to 'l'exas in 1822 - March, under S. F. Amitin's Proclamation - arrived at Galveston

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