My communication of the 30th of last April, informed you of my
preparations for an attack upon the Waco, Tahuacano and Tahuiase
villages. All my arrangements were made for the 25th of this
month; the concentration of the militia was to take place at James
Cortes' house, at the crossing of the San Antonio road on the Brazos,
on the 17th Instant. The Cherokee Indians had been directed to
attack the Tahuacano village on the head waters of the Navasota,
about ten leagues East of the other villages; the best spirit prevailed
among the militia. The above arrangements were made pursuant to
your communication of the 10th of April, when, today, at 12 o'clock,
I received your reserved [reservado'] communication of the 4th
Instant, in which you order me to suspend any hostile movements
against the Indians for the present; and to send you, by the return
of the Express a statement of the force at my disposal for an
expedition ; and, also, to appoint a place where I could meet you, your
intentions being to take the field with 250 men in the month of July.
In consequence of this order, I sent, at 3 o'clock P. M. an express
to the Cherokees to suspend their operations, alleging a hope of a
treaty of peace between the Indians and the Colonists, in order to
conceal the true motive; stating to them at the same time, that they
must remain in readiness to march at the earliest notice, in case the
peace could not be affected. I had already written my orders to the
Captains of Militia, informing them that the contemplated
expedition was suspended in consequence of some hope of peace, which I
did, to give a reason for the counterorder without exposing the
true motive; but previous to these orders leaving my office, I
received, at 6. o'clock P. M. by express a note from Captain Sims of
the Company of Militia of the Brazos, District of Bravo, near the
road to Bexar, informing me that while he was executing my orders
to explore a covered road to the Indian Villages, along the bottom
of the river, to avoid being noticed on a march through prairie
lands, he discovered, at about twenty five leagues above the road to
Bexar, trails of mounted Indians, and a party on foot, leading to the
settlement. He returned at once to give information. I doubt not
but a party left their villages to attack us, and our settlements are
so scattered that it is difficult to determine upon what point they will
fall first. I have already transmitted orders in every direction to
send out spies. In consequence of this notice I have thought it
highly important not to communicate your order to suspend any
hostile movements against the Indians, because the Militia are now
ready to march to the villages, and I think, that if we are so
fortunate as to discover the party that came to attack us, it would be
advisable, after having routed them, to proceed by forced marches
to their villages, and to fall on them before they had recovered from
the terror inseparable from defeat. I hope these circumstances
will be considered a sufficient excuse for my not suspending hostile
movements as you order me to do.
If the occurrences above alluded to do not compel me to march to
the Indian Villages, I shall defer the expedition agreeably to your
orders, in which event, I think we ought to meet at the crossing of
the road to Bexar, on the 27th of June, so as to attack the villages by
the 4th of July. Thus time would be afforded me to call on the
Militia of Trinity and Nacogdoches, the Cherokee and other tribes
in that section of the country. In the meantime I shall take every
step, my situation permits, to ascertain the movements of the
Indians, etc. The number of men in this Colony on whom I can
depend is from 175 to 200; 100 men, I believe may be expected from
the Trinity and Nacogdoches; and, perhaps, 100 Cherokees, Shawnees
and other trusty tribes of that section of the Country; provided you
think proper to give orders to these tribes and the militia to join us
in the contemplated expedition
The above is in answer to your reserved communication.
God and Liberty.
Stephen F. Austin
San Felipe de Austin, May 8th, 1826.