Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-29

the indiana. We passed a great many /
women and children but as we did not
wish 10 hurt them we stu kept on In /
pursuit of the men. We pushed so /
close upon them that they were
obliged to leave the pack-horses they \
were leading, which we took as we 10. |
turned. We followed on after the In. |
dams Till we came 70 a perpendicular /
cliff about FIVE hundred feet /
high extending out from the river I
about six miles aud from which we
colld find no possible descent. Be |
tore Va lay a beautiful valley, along ]
the size OF which ran the river. In /
this valley ws could see numerous In |
dians on their fleet steeds.
Grinding IL impossible TO follow the
Indians further, we returned TO
the town where we had left our
companions. As our frontiers
were ever exposed to the fury OF the
Indians we determined to set them an
example of not injuring the women
and children or burning their houses
(wigwams). We remained in the viii
lage three Gays recruiting ourselves
and our horses, as we found plenty OF
corn, meat and beans, We sent
across the river for some of our friends
who had been taken sick and left be-
hind at the ravine and brought them
into town.
"There were in the village l72 wig
vans; making a calculation from the
number that usually live in wig
wan, there were a thousand inhab-
| itants living in this village. On leav.
ing we carried with us what buffalo
| robes and deer skins we wanted, be-
| at. l. oh a a
and seventy or eighty horses and
mules.
I'VE travelled together one day, when
we decided TO separate on account OF
the scarcity OF game. We now divided
into small companies, each company
| taking different route. In the COM
pany which was in there were five or
| elk OF us. Our provisions coon gave
out, and as tie game had been killed
of and driven out of the country by
the Indians and hunters, we suffered
greatly for food. We lived three days
on Rcornsand green persimmons.
AT last. after toilsome ride of thir-
ty-two days, we arrived at our homes
in safety.
a am your true friend,
"W. b. Devices
About the 10Th of June, $780, two
men, a Mr.. Alexander and his son,
We're killed by the Indians on what
was known IA the Wilbarger
trace, near where II crossed
the old La Bahia road
These men had load OF dry-goodf
and groceries which they were carry
ing to Bastrop, their place Of residence,
After horribly mutilating the bodies Of
the two unfortunate men and TQbbing
the wagon or what dry-g00ds tobacco,
ETC., they wanted, the Indians left the
place, going in the direction of the
falls on the Brazos. The dead bodies
OF the two men were soon discovered
and the alarm given, when small
party was formed who followed the
trail of the Indians up the country as
far as the west bank of Little river,
and finally after having lost their
trail followed on in the direction Of
1.-THE main branch OF Little river fifty
miles above the falls Of the Brazos.
Here an Indian, belonging u
the Caddo tribe, was taken
prisoner by lad named Barney
-. and driven into camp.
He told the Americans that his camT
was some five miles distant, that there
were two other CaddO men, two Chero
Kees and two squaws there. With thu
captured Indian for guide, they wen
10 the camp of the Indians and sue
! ceeded in taking them prisoners
| After killing the five men the scouts
E returned home, leaving the TIVE
e squaws to wall over their dead com
I panions.
"Prairie Indians, o name commonly AZ
= | piled to the migratory orroamlng tribes wa
once held sway over the extensive pralnes o
i Texas. This included the Conanches, MO
a was, Appaches, WaCOes, Tehuacanas, Iau
dotR and other kindred tribes.
: : Tho writer remembers hearing genllt
Il man q son of one OF the volunteers who nc
n oOmpanied the expedition, giving an accoun
y OF this OK Deditlon, and he said that the part!
u encamped one night on the ranks Of the 80
ladO creek in BELL county where the beauti
O, full village OF Salado Is now situated. u
4 also spoke Of the number Of bold hpr'ng
u along the banks OF tue balado. The secon
Y n ght after leaving this place be SAID the
|, encamped at the famous sulphur spTlngh
u in TaTnr asas county. j, 4. ID.