248
TEXAS, STATE LIBRARY
ways beg off- and would so humiliate tP-emselves that the whites would not fall upon them. Their rascalities however had become so intolerable, that the Americans at length resolved upon their exter- mination; and had them iµl assembled at Columbus on the Colorado. Whilst they were paraded in the open field, surrounded by the whites who were on the [sic] of commencing the dreadful work, when Castro, the Head Chief of the Lepans, made his appearance; and delivered s paper to the Americans from Stephen F Austin. This document was an agreement betwen Castro and Austin, that the Tonks should be turned over to the Lepans, who were to take possession of them and carry them out of the white settlemts and keep them from all further intercourse with them. This arrangemt wa@ made known to the Toks who joyously embraced the opportunity of escaping the vengeance of the American rifles which were then pointed [sic] them. Castro, had 450 warriors with him, armed and equipped for this purpose; who were called up, and the Tonks were marched off under the escort of the Lepans. They were taken beyond the Nueces, and ranged betwen that river and the Riogrande, from the coast up as high as they could ven- ture to avoid the Comanches. They remaind in that section for two years; and then returnd, gradually in small parties to their old range betwen the Colorado & the Brasos. Their return was not disagreeabk to the people, who had now, not only become too strong to fear them! and being now involved in wars with other tribes, were glad to receive and employ them as spies. The Tonks have ever since remand in the white settlemts, roamig at larj!'e still thieving, and acting They have been of the active causes of the difficulties which ensued between tht Whites and the other Indians. Finding ready salt for their horseA among the whites, and being rather checked in their operations upon the settlemts, they commenced stealing from the Comanchees, Wacoes, Tawackanay, and other tribes, and falling back upon the settlemts would sell the captured horses to the whites - The indians they robbed would follow the Tonks down into the settlements ; and feeling that the whites were encouraging them in their depredations and giving . security to them, the Comanchees &c, involved the whites in a common resentmt for these wrongs - This led a general. and permant hostility between the Americans & the Tribes .in the upper country - The Americans knowing that the encouragemt thus given to the Tonks was likely to involve them with other tribes, endeavored to arrest the traffie in horl'les with the Tonks - Capt. .Tames J Ross, ( a South-Carolinan bv birth, reared an orphan but a fine and looking r sic l man. with lit- tle education but verv brave) was appointed to nrotect the Colorado from the depredations of the Indians - he had chastised the Co- manchees, who were in thP habit of folJowing the TonkR into the set- tlements. with J!reat severitv: and was in the habit of fittino- 011 t and incouraging the Tonks in their theiving e~peditions against the Upper tribes, and would purchase the property thus captured by the Tonks. This cau11ed the tonkR to makf' hiR hom.1e a sort of rendezvous. The Ayuntamiento. with r sicl satisfied of the necessitv of stopping this course of proceedin!!, so iniuriom1 to the peace ·of the countrv, took a decrf'e (Ross beinQ' pr<>RE>nt flt the time). that the Tonks i;hould be driven out of the i::ettlE>mt: h11t. bE>forf' the authorities could Pxecute their decree. the people who had 1mfl'erd so much from the conduct of
Powered by FlippingBook