Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-10
INDIAN WARS In TEXAS.
Bowie's Indian Fight An Expedi-
ton in Search Of the Famous
Las Almagnes Silver Mines.
A Party Of Eleven Whites Attacked BY
One Hundred and sixty-Four Te-
huaoana and 0addo Indians,
About Forty Redskins Killed and
Thirty Wounded, while only About
One White Man was Killed
written for the Gazette.

vi Nue "a Ol NONel0OeT, 1881, party /
OF eleven brave and adventurous I
spirits, consisting Of Rein p. Bowie, |
James Bowie, David Buchanan, Robt.
Armstrong, Jesse Wallace Matthew
Doyle, Cephas Hamm, james Coryell
for whom the present county of
Coryell was nsmed-Thos. McCsslin |
and two servant boys, Gonzales and
CHARTS, OF whom Rein p Bowie |
and his brother James were the
leaders, set out from San Antonio TO
search for the long abandoned silver
mines Of Las Almagnes which were
supposed TO be situated near the old
Spanish mission of San Saba i'm Me
nard county and which tradition said
were OF fabulous richness. Their ex-
act location had been forgotten and
lost sight OF by men, and for many
years they remained hidden and I'M
worked except perhaps to q very linn
lied extent by the surrounding tribes
of Indians, who guarded Them very
closely.
For seventeen days the party trAv-
eled steadily, making ia daytime care
ful exploration OF the strange country
along their route and grouping
around their campfire in the early
twilight Of the evenings, talking ,un-
til far into the night of the treasure Of
which they were in search, only retir-
ing 10 their rude touches TO dream OF
the Rliitering ore which they would
soon possess and of the many luXUries
they would beenabled TO obtain with 10
No hing particular occurred to mar
the plea of this gay company Of
fortune seekers until the 10 h, on
which day, says ReZiu p. Bowie,
Whose narrative we quote:
About 10 a. m. we were overhRuled
| by two COmanche Indians aud MeXi'
can captain who'had struck our tTail
and followed It. They stated that
| they belonged to Isaonie's party, u
chief of the Comsnche tribe, six
teen in number, and were on
their road to San Antonio with
3 drove of horses which they had
taken from the WacOes and Tehuac0-
mas, and were about returning them
10 tn cir owners, citizens of San An
tonic. After smoking aud talking
with them about one hour aud maxi
Ing them q few presents Of tobacco,
powder, shot, etc, they returned to
heir party who were waiting at the
Llano river. We continued our jour
ney until night closed upon us, when
we encamped
The next morning between daylight
and sunrise the above named Mtxi'
can captsin returned TO our camp, his
horse very much fRtlgued, and who,
after eating and smoking, stated to Us
that he had been sent by his chief
I-aOni-, to Inform US that We were fol
lowed by l2i Tebuscans and Waco In
dians, and forty Caddls bad Joined
them, who were determined to hsv'
cur scAlps at all risks. lisa
them all the previous afternoon anC
epdeayored TO dissuade them from
their purpose, but they still peTsisOe e
aud left him enrHged, and pursued Ou
tTAil. Asa voucher for the Truth q
the above, the Mexican produced hi
chiefs silver medal, which is common
among the natives in such cases
He further stated that Ills chic
requested him to say that h
bad but sixteen men badl.
armed and without ammunition
but that II we would return al Joil
him such succor % he could give US b
would. But knowing that the enem
lay between. us aud himTwe deemed
more prudent TO pursue our journe
and endesvOr 10 reach the old fort o.
the San Saba river before night, whic
d az then about thirty miles distant
The Mexican then returned to hi
party and we proceeded on. ThTougi
out the day we encountere
bad roads, being covered with rocks
: and the horses I. ct being worn out
we we're disappointed in not TeachiD
the fort. In the evening we had som
!, little difficulty IN picking out IN &c
u yantageous spot where to encGmp "a
p the night. We however, inside choiC
n of the best that offered, which YVES
cluster of liveoRk trees, some thirty
l. forty In numb~r, about tins size Of
o mans body To the north OF thel
- was 3 thicket Of lveOsk bushe
about ten feet high, forty yards
y length and twenty in breadth To Il
d west at the distance OF thirty i've
forty yards ran stream OF water
NJ The surrounding country was s
n open prairie interpreted with q le
lTees. rocks and broken land The ira
which We came on lay 20 the east
- our encampment After taking Y
precAution 70 pre- psre our spot I
defense by cutting 3 road inside u
= | thlckeb OF Dubueff NO ASNoiNN =,
=. horses aud placed sentiDels Tor u
night. We we're now distant 8
miles from the old fort above me
= TONED, which was built by the Spa
4, iards ia 1852 for the purpose OF p
q teeting them while work Ing the silV
- mines, which are mile distant.
= few years after 1t was attacked by y
: ComRnche indiana and every soul p
= to death. Since that time
! has never been occupied ! WI
., ia the fort is church While
% had we reached before night, I v
y cur Intention TO have occupied 20 q
~ fend ourselves against the Indian
+" The fort surrounds about one acre
lend under twrlyefoot stone VS.
Koihing occurred throughout I
ye night aud sc lost no time In I
2" morning 10 making preparations
~ continuing our journey to tbs fort, q
= when In the seI Of starting We disco
=. cred the indiana on our trail 70 tbs e
q "a a ~ =