Year: 1859

| Al v
CHES.


We find in "The National American" the follow
ing interesting letter from young native of Har-
| ford county.


CoNCIos CREEK, New Mexico, July 6'59.-DEAR
-Having an opportunity to send letter into
| Santa Fe this morning by Col. Clements | concu-
| ded would write to tell you of recent events
which are of quite an interesting nature.
| The second day of July has been rendered more
! memorable day to me than the tourth-for on that
| day |, with some of our party, were captured by
! the Comanches. But now out of their pow
| er, and shall take care to remain so-though you
had better believe that was in fix something
like that of Richard III when he exclaimed, ''mv
kingdom for horser' Uncle s., young man,
named Wheeler, and myself, were out on the line
surveying, about seven miles from camp. We had
three Mexlcans with US, two ofwhom had rifles,
the only ones we had with us. Wheeler and my
sell had our slX-shooters, uncle s., for a wonder,
being unarmed. We were scattered on a line a
mile long, therefore in bad fix to be charged up
on by nifty Comanches. Wheeler, myself and one
OF the Mexcans, were just half mile from uncle
s.. | was sitting down. the rest having Just come up
to me from another corner. Just then looked up
and saw body of mounted Indians coming in
sweeping run directly towards As soon as
saw them jumped up and called out, "there come
the Comanches." | then ran to where the Mexican
was, and took the gun from him. having but little
confidence In his using it properly iu case of emer-
gency; we then started towards uncle S.. that is
Wheeler and myself


The Mexican stood still crossed himself &c and
begged for mercy. We had gone about a hundred
yards when we saw it was use to run. as they
were last gaming on US, and we afoot in the open
prairie, so we Stacked up and walked along looking
back every now and then to see how close thew
were, expecting in five minutes to be pierced with
arrows. On glancing back once saw one of them
within thirty yards of me, with his lance poised
in his hand. He was about hundred wards ahead
OF the other Indians. Immediately turned cooked
my rifle, which was a splendid one, and took aim
with the intention OF shooting him. He threw
himself behind his horse from me without dismount-
ing, as IS their custom on such occasions and
covered his head with his shield; but his horse be-
ing somewhat unmana@eabe, turned half way
round, exposing his riders body. | then drew aim
for the second time, but found could not spring
the trigger of my rife. on account of havipr on a
pair of thick buckskin gloves-the Indian siunipu
to me all the time not to shoot. | then commenced
taking off my gloves, when he fed back to his par
ty Here they all came to halt, there being about
fifty of them, some dressed in the most hideOus
manner, some entirely naked and painted; some
with buffalo horns their heads; others with
horses tails tied to their hair behind in every way
hideous looking sight


They then separated into two divisions and sur
rounded u.s. We were at that time about four
hundred yards from where uncle S. was standing
He having no arms at ALL and being on foot out on
the open prairie, seven miles from camp, said he
felt rather mean. After they surrounded rs 7 con-
Guided not to shoot until the last extremity-know-
ing that if | killed one of them death would be
certain. kept them off awhile with nv gum but
seeing could not get away, and not wishing to ex-
asperate them, lowered it. They rode IN to us
and told us to go to where Uncle s. was standing
which we did. This was about ii O'Clock They
kept us there until about O'Clock in the evening
holding council what to do with us. Their first
decision to take us over to their camp but we
would not go, as we would rather have been shot
there than be delivered up to the suuaws Uncle
). was confident that they intended to kill u.s. and
he had great deal of experience with Comanches
having been IN several fights with them within the
AG hap pInuo Nd 1fz4I /
siX-shOoters on, he told us to commence SHOOTING
them down as soon discovered that was their
intention. As for himself being totally uuarmed
he would have been obliged to submit quietly to
what might come.


just as we thought they had decided to kill u.s. an
old Indian rode up and talked to them long time
After while they all put their arrows up in their
quivers. They then asked us how many men were
IN our camp. We told them two, which was really
alias Col Clements and one man had rone for
provisions, and two more had gone hunting. There
fore, you see, we were rather badly fixed to be in
the midst OF savage and hostile tribe, numbering
as those who ought to know, say. ten thousand
warriors. We had no escort. it not being ready;
we went without it, which was great folly, as the
Comanches said they would kill anybody who un-
dertook to survey their lands. The whole Comanehe
nation concentrated in this part of New Mexico
having been driven mp this way by Major Van Dorm,
in his vigorous campaign against them There
were five hundred of them within few miles of us
when we were at work. We saw their signs several





watching us.


When they found there were only two men in our
camp thev concluded they would 90 there, instead
OF to ther. own to which had refused to go
Ihey told us to 60 and we started, they keeping
close behind They wanted us to run, but we would
not, so they made each of us get up behind one of
them and ride. The one was riding behind was
very tall, stout fellow, with buffalo horns on his
head. He was riding fine horse, and galloped off
mile and a half in advance of the party. | was
thinking all the way how easy it would be to shoot
him and take his horse and make my escape, as |
had my revolver and could have ierked it out and
killed him before he would have known of nv move
ments. knew if did, it would seal the doom of
the rest of my party, so kept quiet.


After they had started for our camp they de-
spatched some of their men after their chief; and
we were not in camp long before he came He
was very surly, and snorted about considerably
He held long talk with Uncle s. through his in
terpreter, but before he commenced to talk the
matter over, he ate whole venison ham, fried a
pint OF sugar, and pone of bread which our Mexi-
can cooks cooked for his majesty's dinner He
then entered into negotiations. which ended after
long time by himself and the rest of the Indians
taking tea with u.s. by their making us give them
everything we had and then telling US we might co.


We started that night about sundown, and are
now in the settlements. We are not going back on
Red river any more, even with an escort, as we
can't get one large enough to do anv good We
were getting ready to start back this morning with
Capt. Claiborne's two companies of mounted men,
but we were disappointed by his receiving a dis
patch from Santa Fe, ordering him elsewhere. We
were going back more with the intention of fight
ing those Comanches than anything else. We could
have taken him right to their camp but as he has
been ordered away with his command Col. Glenn
ents is going to Santa Fe to have the contract trans
ferred to some point where there is not so much
danger.


An old squaw the chiefs wife, was in our camp
exhibiting all the curiosity generally imputed to
women. She had her fingers stuck in everything,
and wanted everything she saw She was very
busily engaged taking straps, hame strings, &c.
When discovered what she was about took them
all away from her. We were afraid they would
want to take our mules, but they made no such de-
monstratiOns. | suppose they thought we would
not give them up without a fight, which was our
determination.


Every body is surprised to hear of our escape, as
it is the custom Of the Camanches to kill every
white man in their power. Capt. Claiborne says
we should not feel very vindictive toward them as
they exercised more clemencY toward us than
is their wont. The Comanches are now in tight
place, and could easily be conquered if the United
States government would attack them in this Terri
tory They all here now, and have no other
place to 60, as they have been driven from Texas
and are afraid to go north account of the Utahs
powerful tribe hostile to them They would have
killed us all if they had known the most of us were
Texans The first thing they wanted to know was
if we were Texans. We told them we were not
that we lived in Santa Fe, which was fact. They
then took the Mexicans aside and nterrogated them
privately; but they did not betray us, as we were
afraid they would: but told the Indians that we
were all married and had families in Santa Fe
which, of course was not so. =" X


Yours T. S. ARCHER.


TRAVELLING THIEVES.