No. 428.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Foster.
Department
of State,
Washington, April 13,
1875.
No. 213.]
Sir: I transmit a copy of a letter of the 7th
instant and its inclosure addressed to this Department by the Secretary of
War upon the subject
[Page 898]
of
depredations in Texas by Indians from Mexico. The facts stated in the
communication tend to confirm the impressions of the Department which have
already been conveyed to you as to the impolicy on the part of the Mexican
government to keep within their territory Indians properly belonging to the
United States.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 213.]
Mr. Belknap to Mr.
Fish.
War
Department,
Washington
City, April 7, 1875.
(Received April 9.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit, for your
information, copy of report of the commanding officer of Fort Duncan,
Texas, of depredations supposed to have been committed by Mexican
Indians, including the report of a scout, made by Lieutenant Markley
Twenty-fourth Infantry, and map of the country traveled over.
Very respectfully &c.,
[Subinclosure 1 in No. 213.]
Lieut. Col. Shafter
to Assistant Adjutant-General.
Headquarters Fort Duncan, Texas,
February 22, 1875.
Sir: I very respectfully report, for the
information of the brigadier-general commanding the department, that a
party of Indians, live to seven in number, have been recently raiding
within a few miles of this post.
On the 14th instant, they attacked a couple of herders near the stone
ranch between this post and Fort Clark, capturing several horses. On the
16th inst., near the Pendencia road, and about fifteen miles east of
here, they attacked a Mr Vivien, citizen, wounding him in the hand;
after following him some distance, he succeeded in frightening them away
by shouting for help. About a mile from where the Indians left Vivien,
they came across a Mexican with an ox-cart, and attacked him. Finding
that he was unarmed, they went up to the cart, pulled him out, and made
him take off his clothes, kneel down, and then shot him through the body
with an arrow. It is reported by Mexicans that on the 18th, near the
mouth of the San Pedro, about fifty miles below this post, just as the
Indians were about to cross into Mexico, they were attacked by two
Mexicans their horses taken from them, and one little boy they had
captured from a ranch near by retaken. In the fight, one of the
Mexicans, a resident of Presidio Rio Grande, was killed. The Mexican who
was shot through the body with an arrow is now in post-hospital. He
states that the Indians spoke Mexican fluently, and that he knows them
to be Mexican Indians. From his description and that given by Mr.
Vivien, and the appearance of the arrows, those best able to judge of
such matters pronounce them to be Lipans or Mescaleros. The Mexican
troops recently on this frontier have all been withdrawn to Monclora. I
have not, therefore, reported the raid to the authorities on the other
side. It is reported that a large camp of Lipans and Mescaleros is now
some distance above Ramolino, and it is well known that Mexicans from
the other side are constantly trading with them.
The first alcalde of Piedras Negras recently came from their camp with a
number of horses which he had gotten from them. Lieutenant Markley,
Twenty-fourth Infantry, with two Seminoles, were sent out in pursuit of
the Indians, but too late to accomplish anything. His report accompanies
this letter.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. R. SHAFTER,
Lieut. Col.
Twenty-fourth Infantry, Commanding.
[Page 899]
[Subinclosure 2 in No. 213.]
Lieutenant Markley
to the Post-Adjutant.
Fort
Duncan, Texas, February 22,
1875.
Post-Adjutant:
Sir: I have the honor to make the following
report of a scout: On the forenoon of Thursday, February 18, 1875, I was
ordered by the lieutenant-colonel commanding to take my detachment of
Seminole negro scouts and five days’ rations, and proceed to the
Pendencia, where Indians had appeared, and then use my judgment. I
arrived with ten men at Ferry’s ranch, on the Pendencia, that night
about 11 o’clock, and next morning consulted with Mr. Ferry, an
intelligent man, as to what was best to be done. The result was that I
thought they were Mexicans, or Mexicans and Indians, from the
neighboring districts of Mexico; so I determined to follow the trail,
though sixty hours old, so as to be able to report upon it. The Indians
had on Thursday evening, 16th, attacked a Mexican, driving a cart, on
the road that I came, about fifteen miles back. I returned to that spot,
took up the trail of seven horses leading about south. Owing to the soft
ground and the frequent scattering of the Indians I was two days getting
to the Rio Grande, about forty-five miles, near Pegauche. From the
articles dropped by them I then believed them to be Indians, not
Mexicans, and four men from the ranch at that place, known to my men,
informed me that they had a fight with these same Indians, drove them
off, and they had gone down the river about thirty-five miles to
Refugio, when they had a fight with the people there, killing one
Mexican, and then had gone off eastward into Texas. The next morning the
trail would be four days old. My judgment was that I might as well
return to the post, which I did on Sunday, February 21, (thirty
miles.)
The Indians abandoned and dropped on their trail a pony and new Mexican
saddle-tree, (brought in by me,) and pieces of United States blue kersey
clothing, new stockings, and new boots, with legs cut off, and a filthy
shirt, sewed with sinews, (mentioned as possible clues to their
recognition.)
I inclose a map of the country traveled over by me.
Very respectfully, &c.,
A. C. MARKLEY,
First Lieutenant
Twenty-fourth Infantry,
Commanding
Detachment Seminole Negro Scouts.
