The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-28

A RECITAL OF THE INDIAN WARS
IN A RECENT PUBLICATION
Corrected BY One who Was There
and Participated In the
Datt1es.

A hook has recently been published by
Daniels OF Austin entitled Texas indian
WAR; and Pioneers OF Texas" by Brown
tn a handsome and costly publication
but contains some inaccuracies, which mill
tate against it's rhetorical value.
In reciting the events of the indian cam
paign Of 1853 this book states that Shap-
leigh Ross, father OF Ex-Governor s. l..
Ross, was in command OF an expedition
against the comanche Indians. That Cap
tain Ross was himself dressed as an Indian
chief, and that he was assisted by Captain
J. s. Ford OF the United States army.
Captain Robert Golfer. an old and we'll
known citizen OF Houston. was In this ex-
petition MS an orderly sergeant In Cap
tain j. s. Ford's company, and he says the
above statement, intended to be historical.
is inaccurate in that Captain Ford and not
Captain Ross commanded this expedition;
that Captain Ford was never member OF
the United States army. and that Captain
Ross was not attired as an Indian chiei,
but simply as frontiersman.
''since the publication is so misleading,
viii give you the details OF that e%pedi-
stlil freeh In my memory, though the
events occurred nearly forty years ago
"When John Henry Brown was engaged
in collecting the data for his history OF
Texas he came to me at Dallas and
gave him the details OF that expedition, and
| in the second volume VI his History OF
Texas the incidents are correctly given.
| 1T was In 1858 that Captain ]. S. Ford,
| known as "Old Rip" was commissioned by
| N on N
| frontier forces, which included several
companies which were In service at that
| time. | was orderly sergeant in Captain
| Ford's company. In May, 1858, Captain
Ford organized a scout TO follow the In
| dians to their headquarters. wherever that
might be. This took 10 men, consisting
Of his troop and others. Captain Shaplegh
Ross was then Indian agent at the Brazos
reservation. lie Joined Captain Ford with
100 or more of his friendly Indians. Ford
was the commander OF the expedition and
| Captain Ross was his gallant assistant, and
a drawer or better man never lived These
friendly Indians that Captain Ross contrib
uted to the expedition were rationed and
| cared for by Captain Ford Just as were the
| other members OF his troop.
I'VE marched from sid Fort Belknap and
commenced the expedition from there. On
May II we saw the Indians buffalo hunting.
watched their course and followed them,
and on the morning OF May IL. a little be-
fore sun up. we arrived at the Canadian
river and there saw the main camp OF the
Comanches scattered along the Canadian
river valley, They were under the uoo-
rlous chief Iron Jacket" buffalo
Hump" another chief of his band, was
camped twelve miles below. We crossed
the river and attacked Iron Jacket and
forced him to retreat. About noon he was
| reinforced by Buffalo Hump and his band
the two forces making nearly 600 Indians
We whipped them out and captured abou,
forty or fifty squawe. young bucks and
children aud about 400 horses.
Captain Ross deserved great credit for
the manner In which he handled his friend
~ Indians. They fought we'll under his d.
rection and did good york. Captain Ross
4 was II gallant old frootersman and Their,
were none who were Drawer
Captain John S Ford commanded that
expedition and that fight. and history
should give him credit for IT,"