The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 39
334 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Expulsion of Cherokees from East Texas. 39
of attacking the Texans if they should be defeated by Santa Anna.
Another was that, in the preceding January, 1839, General Burleson
had captured some Cherokees on the upper Colorado, on their return
from the City of Mexico, accompanied by some Mexicans, and bear-
ing a commission to Chief Bowles as a colonel in the Mexican army,
and a quantity of powder and lead, and instructions for his co-oper-
ation with the Mexican army, which was to invade Texas during the
then coming spring. And also calling attention to the murders and
thefts which had been committed on the people of Texas by the
Cherokees; and upon these statements, saying to Chief Bowles that
Texas could not permit such an enemy to live in the heart of the
country, and that he must take his tribe to the nation north of
Red river.
President Lamar in that communication said to Chief Bowles
that he had appointed six among the most respectable citizens of
the Republic, and authorized them to value the unmovable proper-
ty of the Cherokees, which was understood to be their improve-
ments on the land, but not the land, and to pay them for these in
money. I knew some of these men at the time as most worthy citi-
zens. One of them was Judge Noble, of Nacogdoches county. The
President also said to them that they could take all their movable
property with them and go in peace. But that go they must; peace-
ably if they would, but forcibly if they must.
It is proper for me to say that I have seen, in the State Depart-
ment, a paper purporting to be a communication from President
Lamar to Chief Bowles, supposed to be the, one announcing his
views as to the necessity of the removal of this tribe. Dr. W. G. W.
Jowers and myself, and one Cordra, a half-breed, accompanied Mr.
Lacy, the Indian agent, when he took the President's communica-
tion to Bowles. Cordra went along as interpreter, as Bowles could
not speak English and the agent could not speak the Cherokee lan-
guage. Dr. Jowers was afterwards a member of the House of Rep-
resentatives and of the Senate of Texas several terms. The paper
then read and interpreted to Chief Bowles contained, in substance,
what I have said, and is very different from the paper in the office
of the Secretary of State. Indian Agent Lacy lived on the San An-
tonio road about six miles east of the Neches river. Chief Bowles
lived about three miles north of Mr. Lacy.
When we reached the residence of Bowles, he invited us to a
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898, periodical, 1897/1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101009/m1/50/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.