Mount Sterling
Oct. the 24" 1838

Colonel J. R. Lewis

Dear Sir: A few days after you left for the west our difficulties commenced again. A party of Mexicans and Indians surprised the families of Keelows at the Sabine and murdered several, (say) 16 persons are missing. General Rusk immediately approached the neighborhood with what men he could collect, about 80 in number. On arriving at Lacy's he ascertained that a large collection of wild Indians and Mexicans were embodied near about the Kecapoo Village. He immediately summoned all at hand to join him and accordingly we turned out, overtook him at Fort Houston, where together with the forces of the fort we were enabled to number about 220 men with whom we set out on Sunday the 14th instant, and the 15th at sundown we encamped at the aforesaid village about 600 yards from the enemy, unaware at the time of our proximity to them although our spies had seen some two or three, but it was not long before we began to find out that we were near them.

We had encamped in a hollow square, our horses waiting and with real silence and without fires. However notwithstanding our precautions, about nine we discovered them trying to ring fire us, but luckily they failed. The air was damp, the grass much trodden and the fire would not take. They lurked around our camp all night, our sentries firing on them occasionally through the night until the peep of day told the story. Just as it became light enough to draw a bead they opened their fire on us with all that fury and savage yell peculiar to a Northern Indian. They kept up the attack endeavoring to surround us until about sunrise, when the General ordered a charge. They gave away and fled leaving eleven dead on the ground, one Cherokee, two Mexicans, some Cadoes and some Cochataes. We, on that occasion, did not lose a single man. Had eleven wounded in consequence of which we were unable to keep up our victory. Returned to the fort with the wounded carrying them about 30 miles in litters, a very severe job it was. However we got them there safe and are all agitting well. We had forty or fifty horses killed and wounded, amongst them I had the misfortune to lose my Mitchell Bay and you the Dikes Sorrel that had been furnished by Mr. Rawls. I had the satisfaction of commanding a company of our neighbors all of whom came out safe.

Rumors from the Cherokees, got by Rawls, say that the enemy lost (say dead, 28 men) all of which I have no doubt is true from the circumstances of the great quantity of blood found on the ground numbers of them have either been killed or wounded. How we came to suffer so little is hard to account, except by the way of the great precaution taken by our general. Their force has been various, by estimates. Some think there must have been several hundred. I however, have thought there could not have been more than about one-hundred-fifty men judging from the reports of the guns, from the traces they left and the ground they occupied. As to the yell, one might have thought there was a thousand. Our men fought like tigers. I did not see one single instance of cowardice. Before this action took place, Mabitt, who commanded at Houston had had several skirmishes with them in which several, say 4 or 5 was killed on a side equally divided, which had encouraged them very much and no doubt led them to make this formal attack on us. Since the latter, some two or three days after, a party of them attacked Mr. Edens house in Houston County and killed some 7 or 8 women and children after which they burned down the house over the dead

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bodies. What will be the result hereafter God only knows. General Rusk is
making every effort to give them a general round from different quarters and
I believe has enlisted the Cherokees and Shawnees, who yet profess friend-
ship.

You will please excuse this letter written as it is pellmel. I
was anxious to give you all the news as early as possible and have had no time
to arrange it in due form. I am now writing late at night when you know I
seldom ever do except on an occasion of this kind. Tell Mr. Humphreys I
would have been glad he had been with us. They might have said when he re-
turned to the U. S. that he had had one Indian fight in Texas by the by
this is the severest I have ever seen or heard of in Texas. A great many
think we had the greater part of the Cherokees to contend with, which is not
at all improbable as we have heard of another being wounded besides the one
that was killed.

Mr. Rawls has been here with us since the commencement and is now
gathering his crop, has all my hands to help him, will finish getting in the
corn today. The settlement west of us are either all forted or run off.
Our neighbor Colonel Luckett made exit with his family from the commencement.
There is no one left but Mr. Lewis and the Aid who, by the by, since the
fight took place is preparing for the next campaign. The Indians may look
out now for Brakers. Mr. Sevier got all safe. Mrs. Durst joins me in
offering you and family our most sincere respects.

John Durst