TEXAS STATE LIBRARY broken up by the Indins [sic]. They had got ½ .mile on their way, (about 5 families going down to Stouts settlemt 35 miles below) when they were met by the Milam Guards sent for their protection- the families returned to their homes on condition that Capt. Daniels would build a Fort & give protection for 6 weeks- This the Capt. agreed to do and faithfully performd it- The fort, (the first and only one then built by Volunteers) was about 150 feet square, built of Cedar pickets doublt banked, eleven feet high with bastions at each angle. (The fort is stil there 1843) The population at that place now pole 100 votes in consequence of the protection there given. Capt. Daniel's time was mostly employd in building the fort, and sending out daily scouts- He got back to Hom:ton about the middle of Febry. }8:J9- When Bonnell was in command his orders was to scour the county thoroughly before his returnc- when he gave orders to return to Houston Capt. Daniels believing that the Country had not been suffincetly [sic] scoured, proposed to remain & continue their oper- ations- Bonnell however, ordered a rtreat f sic l home; and it so happened the murder of Morgan's family took place within an hour of the time this discussion was held & It was this very murder that occasioned Daniel's return to the Falls- Capt. Daniels arrived on his second visit at the Falls two days after Bryant's defeat- he buried the dead- being 10 in number- The circumstances of Bryant's fight are these- After the murder of Mor- gan's family, the Citizens turned out 60 in number under the Comd. of Capt. Bryant, and marching up the west side of the river, discovered a fresh trail of indians leading into the settlements, seeming to be about 100. from the horse tracks- He followed the trail till night, & discoverig a fire in the neighborhood of Marlin's house, they left the trail and went in the direction of the fire believing the Indians might have attacked their houses during their absence, but find the fire to be nothing but the burning of the praire the next day they started for Morgan's place; and when within a half mile of the place met the advance guard of the Indians- Bryant's advance charged them- the Indians fell back to a gully within ·100 yds of Morgan's house, where the main body of the indians was- The Indians all took refuge in the gully, and the fight commenced- 15 of Bryant's men dismounted & contested the matter bravely; the balance remaing [sic] on their horses- Bryant at the comencemt of the action was wounded in the arm, and immediately resigned the command to Lieut. Stroud; who gave orders for the men to dismount flank to the right & left & charge the gully- This order was not obeyed- the men on horse back refusing to dis- mount, with the exception of a few who joined those already on foot- the fire of the Indians still increasing, and stroud finding but little disposition in his men to attack the indians in the position they occu- pied, ordered them to retreat to a point of timber which wa~ too promptly obeyed, They retreated accordingly, with great precipetancy, leaving the 15 men on foot to their fate, who being too tightly pur- sued by the Indians, could not regain their horses, and 10 were killed. none was killed in the action; they were all killed in the retreat- Robert H. Breeden, from Alabama was killed by the accidental dis-
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