New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-01-16
Capt. Ross, Rseporf.
lie EEcENr FTaur wlYfT THE coaannrIIr,s.

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Wseo CRY. Jaruars {, 1851
sFr-~f take great pleasure III communicating to
your E7cellency the result Of the expedition wish
/ informed you desired making against tae CO.
mancses, in my report Of December s. @
lief ny station on the 1lth with forty men OF
my corzpany, which was all my available force
and twenty men Of y Company 2b Cavalry, from
Camp Cooper, under Sergt J. W. sPsngier. On
the morning. of the l2ta, faet with Captain Jack
Cnyington and q gallant company Of 50 citizens,
with whom J was aBxi6fs to e0operage. With cur
combined f6rces we took up the line Of march for
Pease river, Guided by Bfr. Stewart, of Belknap,
brave and hardy frantiersraan Of fnEca expert
ence in Indian fighting, ard a superior knowledge
Of the Indian country.
Pease river, haTtBg Travelled 1pi for two days. and
on the morning Of the 10th made an early start,
leaving Capt CuTingtonis command id camp
of his men having lost their horses dnring the hight
and had proceeded but few miles, when came
upon fresh trail, which at once recognized as
that of Indian spies, as it led to and from ele-
waited position on the prairie, from which they
could obtain commanding view OF the surround
ing country hence, ] concluded their village conid
not be very far off, and after dispatcnjng man to-
inform Capt. Cuvington Of the discovery i Had
made, and requesting him to push forward with his
company, left my company to proceed on the
trail, while / rode forward with sergt- spangler to
a prominent peak Just in advance of usy on the OPP
posite side of the river. Upon reaching the de-
sired position we most agreeably surprised to-
find that within 200 yards OF the village,
consisting of eight Or nine grass hHts which the In
diaus, Is in number, were just deserving. I gave
the signal for the men to advance, and BY the time
they were fairly prepared for the engagement, the
Indians, unconscious of our presence, had gotten
out on level plain, and were never appFized Of
our approach until we were within 200 yards of
them, in full charge, consequently many of them
were killed before they could make any pFepara-
ton for defence. Several however, were we'll
mounted, and succeeded in getting about Two Tales
from the village before they were killed, fighting
with great desperation all the while yes the sur
prise was so great to them that they were never
enabled to gain self possession enough to shoot
their arrows with much accuracy or precision,
hence none of my command were hurt in the CON-
fiGt my horse, and that of private James ireland,
were both wounded with arrows; II Indians we're
killed, and the Of the Chief and white woman
and child taken prisoners.
take great pleasure in saying that all my men
acquitted themselves with great honor proving
worthy representatives of true Texas vaof. OF
more than twenty were able to get in the fight,
owing to the starved and jaded condition Of their
horses--haying had grass after leaving the VI
cinity Of Belknap, excepting g dry sedge, J, which
the Buffalo had refused, and portion Of the time
| we fed them on cottonwood bark.
During the engagement Lieut.. Keliiher saw one
| Indian mounted on feet pony. andsin advance Of
| the others, and surprising it to be a }st warrior
bod' he started in hot pursuit, eager for single
handed contest but after race OF two miles he
came up with what he had supposed q formidable
adversary, and was just in the act Of firing, when.
white woman threw up her baby and cried
| "Americano.n She had been with them from child
| hood. Lieut.. Sublett captured the son of the
chief and took him up behind his saddle, but seeing
there were others trying to make their escape, he
| threw him off, and he was Afterwards taken up. by
| Z. P. Donohoe.
Lieut.. Someryille came very near being killed by
| the chief, who had disrnounted, evidently d8teE-
| mined to sell his life as dearly possible Lieut.
S. endeavored to charge by him and shoot, hnt his
hofAe made short halt, when the Indian. 100 snre.
of his victim let fly his just as Lient. s. fell
over on the opposite side of his horse.
l had made proposition to present the agst man
who should kill and scalp en- Indian with Colts
| revolver, and after the battle it was awarded TO
MIR. c. R Gray.
I AS for the men Of the I'd Cavalry, who were
with me, it is enough for me to say that they were
of :" H company, and under Seargeant Spangler,
than whom a braVer man never lived This was
one of the companies which, while commanded by
the intrepid Capt N. G. Evans achieved for MAY.
Van Dorm SO many gallant and glorious victories.
Much credit is due Capt Evans, from the people
of Texas, for his willingness at all times to e6ope-
rate with those who desire TO chastise the guilty
savage. g
The papers Of Henry Riley. who, believe, was
killed about two months ago, were found in the
possession of these Indians. Also great many
articles of clothing, and the Bible of Mrs. Sherman
who was killed by them the last foray they made
upon the settlements. About forty head Of animals
were taken, two of which were claimed by citizens
belonging to Capt CuPington's company, one Of
them had been stolen six months, and the other
| two years. Is
| The white woman informed me that the warriors
had run the horses that had been stolen bE them
during their mauy visits to the frontier, directly
4 to their main village where there were at that
time some traders from New biexieo trading fol
stolen property, taken from the citizens of Texas
Also that hrty-ffye worriorS had left the camp OF
village three or four days before I reached it, fol
arother stealing excursion in Texas, which proved
correct, for | was informed as came down thai
thrty-three were counted ip5taboye the Gomanehe
Peak.
Cant Commanding Texas Rangers