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

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TEX.AS ST.ATE LIBRARY

encampmt of the Caddoes on the Clear fork of the Trinity, & killed three of them - 'l'hey were out of provisions, and after starving fot some time returned home. In November 1838 - Genl. Dyre made another campaign with 500 men - He left Clarksville on the 24 day Novr. & marched to the Clear fork of the Trinity, Here Genl. joined the army & took command. Leaving a company of men at this point with his baggage, he marched to the Cross 'rimbers, burnt a depopulated village; but findig no enemy, he retured to his baggage waggons & getting out of provisions he abandoned his waggons, and had to subsist on the oxen - He marched back to Clarksville & there discharged his men - Before Rusk, however, joined Dyre & took command, on his from Nacogdocheb, he heard that the Cadoes had just drawn arms &C from the US Govt. and were comig into Texas, he raised a company in shelby County, and Capt. Tarrant also raising a compny of 30 men from what is now Bowie Co. Rusk with Tarrant marched towards Shrieve's port and meeting with the Indians near this place, he disarmed them, drove them into shrieve's port. Sewell, Agent of the Cadoes agreed to keep the Cadoes from coming over the line again - The Arms taken from them were deposited with Sewell - Rusk leaving Tarrant behind to procure heaves & drive them on to the Army he himself proceedep. with two or three others to the army, which he joined as above stated at Clear Fork - Tarrant being detained longer than was expected failed to fur- nish the beeves for army in time, which caused Rusk to be driven to great straights for subsistence, & forced him as above stated to aban- don his waggons & eat .the oxen - no indians were killed - not even one - The weather was very cold & disagreeable, & the men suffered much - When Dyre started with his army deputed Capt. Stout with 42 men to go to the Cypress lying betwen the Sulpher & the Sabine - On the 5th. Deer. the Indians had killed a man by the name of Jos. Harris - He had been killed early in the mornig he was moving towards Clarks- ville & had stopped at Blundell's residence, & had rode about two milell on his way to an old farm for the purpose of. looking at some corn there which he wished to purchase - In a half a mile of this place he was killed - Capt. Stout arrived there in the evening & had him buried; the indians were pursued, but inconsequence of the heavy rains which fell all night & day they could not be trailed - This alarmed the settlemt; Blundle, Harris' familv and the whole settlement con- vened on the Cypress neare the Cherokee Crossing under the protection of Capt. Stout, where a fort was built called Fort Sherman - There were some 8 or 9 families here - Leaving 15 men here, Capt. Stout went to the Sabine, & thence to Lyday's settlement on th~ sulpher, which he found in a state of alarm and on the eve of breaking up in consequence of three men being killed in the neighborhood, the men were two Washburns (brothers) & another, whose name is not recol- lected. There was here an old dilapidat.ed Fort' which Capt. Stout re- paired and 1rot the familieR into it, about 14 families - Here he left ten men, & hearing that Shelton's settlemet about 15 miles below, was also about breaking- up he repaired thither. where he found the prin- ciple part of the Settlement aRsembled at Shelton's, and debating what was best to be done - Captain Stout proposed that they should build

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