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, DE'LA MOTTA, CITY PRINTER. OF ofvice on TUE BAY, IN THE OFICE BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF WHITA KER STREET, OPPOSITY T nYERON’ DRUG AND CHEMICAL STORE. — From a Philadelphia Paper. The following interesting narrative of a fight with the Waccos and Tawackanles, Indians in Texas, amounting to 164, and a party of the Americans—nine men and two wots eleven in number—is related by Razio P. Bowie, Esq. one of that party; now in this city. On the 2d of November, 1831,we left the town of St. Antonio de Baxar for the silver mines on the St Saba river, the party consisting of the following owned mops:—Razin P Howie, James Bowie, David Buchaooan, Robert Armstrong, Jesse Wallack, Matthew Dosle, Cephas Kt. Hamm, James Cornell, ‘Thomas M’ Caslin, Gonzales and Charles servant coys. Nothing particular occurred until the 19th, on which day, about ten, A. M., we were overhauled by two Camancha Italians and a Mexican captive, who had atruck oor trail and followed it. They stated that they belonged to Esaonic's par ty,” chief of the Camancha tribe,sixteen in nomber, and were on their ‘road to 81. Astonia, with a drove’ of horeca, which they had taken from the Waccos and Taw ackanies, and were about returning them to their owner, citizens of St. Antonia— After smoking and talking with them about an hour, and making them a few preacns of tobacco, powder,shot, c. they return ed to their party, who were wailing at the Hlano river. We continued our journey woli night closed upon us, when we encamped. The next morning, between daylight and son man, the above named Mexican captive re turned to our camp, his horee very act fatigued; and who, after eating sodamo king, states to us that he had been sent by his chief, Isaonie,to inform us we were followed by 124 ‘Tawackanie and Wacco ladians, and forty Caddos ‘had joined them, who were determined to have our acalpa at all risks. Isaonie had eld a all with them all the previous aferacon, and endeavored to dissuade them from their purpose; but they still persisted, and left him enraged, and pursued our trail.— As a voucher for the truth of the above, the Mexican produced his» chiefs silver medal, which is common among the pa tives in suchcases. He further stated, that his chief requested him to say, that he had but sixteen men, badly armed and without ammunition; that if he would re turn and join him, each succorss he could give us he would. But knowing that the enemy lay between us and him, we deem ed it more prudent to pursue our journey, and endeavor to reach the old forts on the St. Sabu river before night, distance thir ty miles. The Mexican theo returned to his party, and we proceeded on. Throughot the day we encountered bad roade, being covered with rocks, and the horses! feet being worn ouf, we were disappointed to not reaching the fort. So the evening we had some difficulty in pok ing wut ah advantageous spot whore to en camp for the night. We however made choice of the heat that offered, which was a cluster of live-oak trees, some thirty or forty in number, about the size of a man's body? To the north of them a thicket of live-oak bushes, about ten feet high, forty ards in length and twenty in breadth.—t to the west, at the distance of thirty-five yards, ran a stream of water. The surrounding country was an open, praire, interspersed with a few trees,rocks and broken land. Tha trail which we came on lay to the am oleur encampment.— After taking the precaution to prepare our upat for defence, by cutting a Foad inside the thicket of bushes, ten feet from the outer edge of all around, and clearing the prickly peara from amongst the bushes, we hobbled our horses, and placed senti nels for the night. We were now distant six miles from the old fort above mention ed, which was built by the Spaniards in 1752, for the purpose of protecting them while working the silver mines, which are a mile distant A few years after it was attacked by the Camancha Indians, and every soul put to death. Since that time it has never been occupied. ‘Within the fort is a church which, had we reached before night, it was our intention to have occupied to defend ourselves against the Indians. The fort surrounds about one of land under a twelve feet stone wall. Nothing occurred throughout the night, and we lost no- time in the morning, ‘to making preparations for continuing our journey to the fort; and when in the act of starting, we discovered the Indians on our trail to the east, about two hooded yards distant, and a footman about fift yards ahead of the main body, with his face to the ground, tracking. The cry of Indians was given, and all bande to arms. We diamounted, and both saddle and pack horse were immediately made fast to the trees.As soon as they found we had dis covered them, they gave the war whoop, halted and commenced ‘stripping, prepar atory to action A few mounted Indians wore resementies the around; amongst them we discovered a few Caddo Indians by the cut of their hair, who had always previously been friendly to Americans. Their numbers being so far greater than oura (14 to 16] it was agreed that ‘Khazia owls defeat out to talk with them, and endeavor to compromise rath er than attempt to fght. He according ly started with, David Buchannan,’ and walked up to within about forty yards of where had baked, ‘and nested them, in their own tongue,to send forward their chief as he wanted to talk with them. Their answer was—“how de do? how de, dot —in English, yand 9 discharge of twelve shot at us, one of which broke Boshasean's leg. Spein retained thei r flutations, with the contents of double barrelled gun and a pistol. He then took Buchanoan on his ahoplder. iand stared back to the encampment /) They then o pened a heavy fire upon pay which wound ed Buchanonn in two,more planes, slight ly, and piercing Bowie's chanting a bit .in several places, without doing ‘him 2 ° ° jury. When they found thele ahotailed. to bring Bowie down, eight Indians on foot, took after him with their tomahawk's,and, when close upod him, were discovered,by, his party, who lashed out with their che fies and brought down four of then—the other fours retreating back to the main bo dy. We then returned.to our position, and all was still for about five minutes. We then discovered a hill to the fore east, at the distance of sixty yards, ged with Indians, who opened a heavy fire on us with loud yells.. .Their chilfon hut back, urging them in a loud and audible voice to the charge,walking his horse per fectly composed. When we first, discov ered him our guns were all empty, with the exception of Mr. Hamm's James Bowie cried out ‘who is loaded? Mr. Hamm observed. “I am.” He then. woe told so short that Indian on horseback, Hoe did so, and broke his leg and killed his horse. We now discovered him hopping round his horse on one leg, with his shield on his arm to keep off the balls.By this time, four of our party being reloaded,fir ed at the same instant, and all the base took effect through the shield. “He fell, and was immediately surrounded by six or eight of his tribe who picked him up and bore him off.. Several of these were hot down by our pony. The whole body then retreated back of the hill, out of our sight with the exception of a few Indians, who were reening about from tree to tree,out of gun shot. . _. . hey‘now covered the hill for the se cond time, bringing up their bowmen,who had not been io action before, and commenced a heavy fire with balls and ar rows, which we returned by a well direct ed aim with our rifles. At this instant, another chief appeared on horseback,near the spot where the last one fell. The same question of whom was loaded, was asked; the answer was, nobody; when lit te Charles, the mulatto,cervant, came running up with Rachaoan's rift, which had not been discharged, since he was wounded, and handed it to James ‘uwie, who instantly fired,and brought him down from his horse.He was surrounded by six or eight of his tribe,no was the last, and bore off under our fire. During the time we were engaged in defending our achyon from the Lodlana oachs, BM, acs, fifteen or twenty of the Caddo’ tribe had coccecived in getting under the back the creek in our rear, at about forty yards distance,and opened a fire upon us, which wounded Matthew Doyle, the ball enter ing in the left breast and out the back.— As soon as he cried out ,he was wounded, Thomas McCaslin hastened to the spot where he fell,and observed, “where tthe Indian that shot Doyle.” He was told by a more expenenced hand not to venture there, as, from the report of their guns, they must te rifle men.At that instant, he discovered an Indian, and while in the act of raising his piece, wag what through the centre of the body, mad expired = Ro vert Armatrong exclaimed, “damn the In dian that shot McCaslin, where is he?” — He was also told not to venture there, as they mustbé riflemen; but on discovering no Indian, and while bringing its gun up, he was fired at, and part of the stock as his gun cut off, and the bull lodged a gain at the barrel. During this time our enemies had formed a complete circle a round us, occupying the points of echt, scattering trees and bushes. The fir ing then became general from all quar ters. . Finding our attention ,oo much expos ed among the trees, were obliged to leave it, and take to the thickets. The w first thing necessary was to dislodge the rfle men from under the bank of the crock, who were within pointblank shot, ‘hie wosonn succeeded to, by shooting the most of them through the head, ae, we hid the Sivantage of seeing Uberh when they could not see us. = The road we had cut round the thicket , the night previous, gave us now an advan tarious situation over that of our enemy, as we had a full view of them in the pranie, while we were completely hid. We baf Qed their shots by moving six or eight feet the moment we had fired, as their on ly mark was the smoke of our goal. ‘They would put twenty bella within the size of, a pocket handkerchief, where, they had seen the smoke. In this manner we fought them two hours, and had one man woun ded, James Connell, who was shot thro’ the arm, and the ball lodged in the side, first eating away a bush, which serv ed it from penetrating deeper tthan the size of it. pine .They now discovered that we were out to be dislodged from the thicket, and the uncertainty of killing us at random shot; they suffering very much from the fire of our rides, which brought half a dozen at every round. They now determined to resort to a stratagem,by pottng fre to the dry grase In the praiie,for the double pur pose of rousing us from ourposition, and, under cover of the ‘ppstake, to carry away their dead and wounded, which lay near one.The wind was pow blowing from the weat.and they placed the fire in that quar ter, where iy burnt down all the grass to the creek, and then “bore off tn the right and left, leaving around our positiven space of about five acres that was untouch ed by the fire. Under cover of thin smoke, they succeeded in carrying off a portion of their dead sod wounded. In the meant ime our party were engaged in sca ndry the ay graf sek Daves” foto wounded men and baggage,to prevent the re from passing ‘overt and likewise, in ‘pulling up cocks and bushes to doswerth a purpose of a breastwork. ’ They now discovered they had failed In routing us by the fire, as they had antici pated. They then re-occupied the points ‘of the Frocks and trees in’ the prairie, and commenced another attack. They continued for some time, when they suddenly shifted ‘to the north, pod blew very hard’ We now discovered our dag gerous question, should the Iodiane ena cted in patting Gre to the small epes whigty
Newspaper Details
Savannah Republican
Savannah, Georgia, US
Wed, Sep 11, 1833
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Willis T.
USA 08 May 2026
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