New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-23

of their people, and had invited the Southern
Comanehes TO join them They stated that the |
parties already formed numbered over four
hundred, and were increasing, and that some of
their young men had Joined those parties and
| already passed down the country This news
is given just as received, without any eonfirma-
| ton. Be this as it may, more troops and NUM-
tions of war are needed on our frontier
The rescued captive Is said to be an intelli-
gent youth, and says he is the son of CECILIA
| Lopez, who resides about twenty miles from
Corpus Christi About three months since he
was out hunting mustangs, with his father
| and another relative, when he was pursued by
| the Indians, struck from his horse, captured
| and carried of. After his capture, the Indians
went to Laredo, where they captured another
boy and some horses. Shortly afterwards they
killed the boy. From Laredo they proceeded
| towards the Nueces, on the Laredo road, near
where it parts from that leading to Guerrero,
and there they attacked train of fourteen
wagons, killed five Transfers, and took the
mules They then started in the direction Of
Fort Chadbourne, and were overtaken by q
| party of soldiers, when in camp, who killed and
wounded several of their number, and recap
tured the mules. The others, with the boy,
escaped. This party was composed of twelve
Southern Comanehes, who live near Fort Chad
| bourne This being the case, as developed by
this rescued captive, it may be that the story
about the Northern Comanches was got up for
the purpose of covering the late depredations
committed by the Southern Comanches.
We copy the following interesting correspon-
dence at length:
| LETTER FROM rERsrFoR F. SMITH TO GOV. PEAsE
| HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS, !
| CORPUS CHRISTI, July 20, 1854.
To has Ercellency E. M Pease, Governor of
the State Of Teras:
Sir: have been instructed by the Secretary
of War &c to call upon the Governor of Texas
| for aid should the exigencies of the service in
| your opinion require it in repelling Indian in
cursions, and in such event you will make re-
| QUESTION for such number of mounted men from
| time to time as you may deem necessary, who,
while in service, will be supplied with ammuni-
| ton, forage and subsistence, by the United
States"
If the only evil to be avoided were the direct
| injury from the Indian incursons, should not
think the contingency contemplated by the
Secretary had arrived; for so many of the re-
ports spread by the papers are to my own
knowledge so entirely fabrications, that the
case presented by the actual fact is not such as
to require more force than is now here But
there are doubtless other serious evils that fol-
low murders and robberies that have really
happened, and the greatest is the sense of gen.
eral insecurity on the frontier, which interrupts
industry, and prevents an increase of popula-
ton on the border, where it is most desirable as
| the best means of defense,
If in the opinion of your Excellency, the
presence of additional troops on the frontier is
necessary to repel actual incursions, would be
unwilling to set my own opinion in opposition
to that of yourself, who represents the belief
and wishes of the people most interested and
if in the second place, you think a feeling of
security SO necessary and beneficial to the
border settlements, could only be produced by
adding to theTtroops there, | would take your
opinion as the rule for my action, and decide
that the case contemplated had arrived, in
which l was to call on your Excellency for
mounted men.
6 But us the raising and support oftemporary
1 troops are very onerous both to the Government
and the troops themselves, it is very desirable
that they should be selected with care for the
particular service they are destined for, and
| should be well mounted and armed. 1 would
propose then that if your opinion is in favor of
calling more companies into service, that on the
| first day of November next six mounted COM
panies should be called into service, on which
| day four of them will be mustered into the ser
vice of the United States for twelve months, IN
| less sooner discharged, OF or near Fort Martin
Scott, and two Of them at or near Fort Worth.
| This would give two and q half months to raise
and organize and arm the companies; they
would be, during the winter, placed on the from
tier, and | would in the spring, as soon as the
| grass would answer, make two expeditions into
| the Indian country, and endeavor to inhict
| blow which should ensure the tranquility of the
| border for the future.
If your exeelency will sdo me the favor to
send your reply in duplicate-one to this place
to the Assistant Adjutant- General, and the
other to the care of the Assistant Quartermaster
at San Antonio, to be forwarded to me by ex-
| press on my route to Las Moras.
1t is to be observed that the troops are to be
| sc supplied with ammunition, forage and subsis-
tence by the United States" Of course they
are to provide their arms, horses and equip
ments. The supply of revolver pistols was
| limited one, and, presume, is exhausted.
| AS there has been no appropriation for paying
these men they will have to wait until the law
| provides for their case.
The legal organization off mounted company
| is as follows:
One Captain, one first and one second Lieu
tenant, four sergeants, four Corporals, two
Buglers, one Farrier and seventy -four Privates.
With high respect, your ob'dt serv,t,
PERsIFoR f. SMITH,
Breyet Major General, Com DIT.
GOVERNOR rEAsE,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, AUSTIN, TEXAS,
August 8, 1854.
SIR: / have the honor to acknowledge the re-
cept by the last mail, of your letter of the 18th
of July.
In reply, have no hesitation in saying, that
1 believe an addition to the troops now in SER
vice in this State, is necessary to produce a
feeling of security with the inhabitants residing
on and near the frontier This belief is based
upon knowledge of the many murders and
outrages that have been committed by the In
dians, within the last six months, and upon the
numerous communications that have recently
been made to me of the opinions of those inhab-
itants on the subject.