Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-08-12
NAN bOkEN, ARKANSAS, SATURDAY MORNING A1cI7s1

side of tho river and placed them in order of bat.
tie. He then sent message to Col. Snively re.
questing conference with him on the north side
of the river, promising him safe passport TO re.
turn to his command. liz compliance with this
request, Col. Snively. accompanied by one man.
crossed the river, and to his great surprise, was
informed by Capt. Cooke, that he considered him
within the territory of the United States that he.
Cooke, had an overwhelming force, that we were
completely IN his power-invited him to examine
III hlS nowi'zers, and concluded by telling him that
80 iuireo MS command to surrender their aims
Wth'n one hour, or he would open a fire upon
them. 1t was in vain for COL Snively to expos.
.uate: IN vain that he told them tIat the time wns
Closing the river and getting back TO his COM
mand, the ford being nearly mile below.) Capt
Cooke finally consented however, to permit the
one hundred and fre men to retain ten guns. COL
Snlveley finding him inexorable left him to re-
cross the river, telling him that he would mako
every effort to persuade his men to surrender
their arms He had proceeded but few yards
when Capt Cooke sent two men after him, and
when he returned told HIM that he would accom-.
pany him: Col. SnveIy su7posng he intended to
come over himself, with perhaps few attendants;
ou' 10 The surprise of our Commander, Capt.
locke ordered his whole force to march, crossed
the river, came within three hundred wards of our
| v,
ing his howitzers so as to rake our encampment,
an before we were apprized of his demands.-
lhe man who accompanied Col. Snivelv, was
then commissioned to inform us of the terms on
which Capt. Cooke demanded our arms; our sur
prise upon hearing them cannot be imagined
Ono hundred and five men with only ten guns
for defence from our enemies and to supply us
with provisions. for at this time we were nearly
oestitGte) during march of five or six hundred
miles through wilderness, and hostile country.
we We're completely appalled, at the prospect be-
tore us: add to this, we had just received certain
Information that there were eight or ten thousand
Comanchees within two or three days march Of
US, whose character was too well known to hope
for anything but hostility from them. Indian
massacre and starvation on the one hand sta red us
IN the face, on the other one hundred and ninety
SIX Dragons with glistening sabres and ba avonet-
ed carbines, and two howitzers charged with
Palxhan shot, ready to cut 10 pieces, rendered
our situation extremely perpIexing. In this d-
lemma, we concluded to demand of Capt Cooke
that he should receive prisoners of war, and
conduct US to the settlements in the United States
We did so; received no answer from Capt. Cooke.
and IN a few minutes COL Snively ordered us to
ground arms which order was Immediately obey
them, and also deprived us of our side arms, and
in one instance eren of a knife, he sent us word
that sire must accept his terms haze ,corSe' II
still remains buried, and perhaps ever will, in the
dark mind of Capt. Cooke. what those worse
terms could have been. Ten men took the guns
which Capt. Cooke SO literally granted us, and he
ordered the rest of them TO the United States side
of the Arkansas. As nigh appeared, there was
an alarm in our camp, that Mexican force was
approaching. Col Snively sent over request to
Capt. Cooke that he would furnish US guard for
the night; TO this request he received no answer.
The next morning Capt. Cooke sent over COM
pany of Dragons, and requested Col. Snivey to
march his men over the river; he complied, and
being paruded in front of Capt. Cookies command,
he, Capt Cook addressed US by the appellation
Of friends. and told us that he had concluded to
furnish al escort to as many of US wished to
go 10 Missouri to accompany US TO place of safe
ty. About fifty Of Us determined 10 90 with the
escort, and the remainder under Col. Snively pre-
ferred the attempt TO make their way &c the set
Elements in Texas, with the hope, perhaps, that
they might be able to overtake the party under
Capt. Chandler. Capt. Cooke having divided the
ten guns, giving five to Col. Snivey's party, and
five to The party going 10 Missouri.
Thus we separated, Capt. Cooke with the COM
plasance Of a polished bandit wishing COL Snive-
Iy pleasant Journey and p1edgiag has honor that
the Indians would not attack him. A prospect of
pleasant journey indeed! with only five guns,
through thousands of Comanchees and other hos
tile Indians
When we who were going 10 Missouri had ar
rived at Ash Creek, (having stopped few days at
rawnee Fork,) party of our men who had left
with Capt Chandler, overlook US, from whom we
learned that the disarmcd party before they over
LOOK Capt. Chandler's command. were attacked
py party OF Comanchee and Kioway Indians,
ana lost several horses that on the next day after
.ne attack, by mere accident, they were joined by
,he party under Capt. Chandler, and the whole
oody Oh the same day. after they united, were
tasain attacked by a much larger force than on
.he preceding day, who evidently supposed, from
f .'e weak defence which had been made on the
uay before, that they all, nearly all, un-
arnied--that in this attack one man was killed,
ano one severely wounded, that his recovery was
considered extremely doubtful, and about fifty
norses taken, that two others of our men had been
k'eo lt was confidently beeved) whilst acting
us spies, one OF their scalps having been exhibited
I oy an indian TO our men during the attack
, hey also stated that they considered it extremely
doubtful whether, in their defenceless condition
one half of them would ever reach their homes
= Arrived at the Cotton Wood Fork. Capt. Cooke
g ascertaining that we had moro than the five guns
which ne had restored TO us, (somo of the party
. VINO had come up having brought guns with them,
sem company of Dragons to our camp with
ofdes 10 take from US all of our arms. Some o