Year: 1859

The frontier settlers of Northwestern Texas were


at last accounts, suffering the natural consequence
| OF the lawless and unscrupulous attempts made BY
| Baylor and his men to exterminate the Reserve In


dians. 1t appears that, not satisfied with his frs


futile demonstration, this swashbuckler of the back


woods actually succeeded in persuading some six Of
| seven hundred simple minded settlers - many Of
them honest, peaceable men, no doubt-that the Re-
| serve Indians were accountable for all the depreda


tons and outrages that have been committed on the


frontier for years past and that the present and fu


ture safety of their families demanded the immediate


extinction OF the Reserves without the delay of their
peaceful removal by the Federal Government which
had been promised. Baylor encamped a second


time near the Agency, and his force was so strong


that the Indians and the small force OF United States


troops at the post were hemmed into the steckade,


Where disease resembling cholera broke out among
them and made sad havoc with the Indians, A


number of the soldiers attacked by it, but their


cases did not result fatally, while about forty of the


red men persisted in short time. Fortunately, in
subordination and panic were at work in the camp
OF the beslegers. The officers would not obey the


orders OF Capt. Baylor, and the men in their turn


treated the orders of the officers with contempt or


lofty indifference. They appeared to comprehend
that the cause in which they were engaged was
bad one, an unjust one and they availed themselves
OF the first plausible excuse for abandoning it, A
report Was circulated that Major Van Dorm was in
the neighborhood with large body OF troops to re-


eve the beeagured stockade and that on his arrival


Bayors men would be attacked, and if defeated the
Indians--a formidable number of whom were with
the Major on their return from the Comanche cam.
'paign-would be let loose upon them without re.
straint. panic was the consequence, and in a few
hours the camp of the besegers was deserted, and
the frontiersmen in full retreat for the settle.
ments.


What representations they made on reaching their
homes does not appear, but according to the paper
published in Bell county, the panic spread, and the
population commenced desertng their farms and the
outpost towns and seeking safety places farther re-
moved from the frontier line. The roads, it is said
were crowded with wagons conveying families and
such household goods as they could snatch mp from
their houses. They had left their property to be
pundered and their crops to PERISH all in obedience
to senseless terror caused probably by the failure
of Baylors demonstration against the Upper Reserve,
and the stories circulated by his men that there was
imminent danger of hostile incursion by an army
of ferocious and yindctive savages


little reflection might have satisfied any sensible
man that any fear of such an attack was altogether
The Reserve Indians, notwithstanding
the fact that several of their people had been mur
dered not long since, in cold blood, by parties of
Texan Rangers, are easily restrained by the agents
and the troops who have them in charge, and they
show no disposition to wreak the bloody retribution
supposed to be inseparable from the red mans ideas
Justice The panic among the settlers has probably
subsidized ere this, and they have no doubt returned
to their homes. The result of this business should
show them the folly of permitting, and perhaps en-
bands Of reckless men to set the laws Mt
defiance and take the making power into their
own hands.