The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926 Page: 194
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
dread of imprisonment, it might be a far greater punishment to
the two chiefs to commute their sentences to life imprisonment."
Such also was the opinion of Judge Soward, who in a letter to
Governor E. J. Davis,52 on July 10, 1871, concurred in the opinion
of Agent Tatum and asked the governor to use his executive clem-
ency and commute the sentences of the Indians. This the gov-
ernor did on August 2 of the same year, and the two prisoners,
under a guard furnished by General Reynolds, were delivered to
the warden of the penitentiary at Huntsville, Texas.
The imprisonment of Satanta and Big Tree seemingly restrained
the Indians from raiding on Texas. During this time but few
raids were reported by the department commander of Texas and
the people of the state were in hopes that they had seen the last
of them. This might have been the realization of their hopes had
it not been for the persistent demands of the Kiowa that their
chiefs be given up, which, coupled with the importunities of those
in favor of the "Peace Policy," were sufficient to bring about the
freedom of the chiefs.
Leading up to the freedom of Satanta and Big Tree, the In-
dians were asked to send another delegation to Washington to
see the President. The Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Comanche, Kiowa,
and Apache had become so menacing in their war preparations
that it was deemed advisable to select from among them some of
their leaders for this trip.63 Although some of the tribes re-
sponded promptly, the Kiowa were disposed to ignore the invita-
tion.54 Their consent to such a commission was finally obtained,
however, when they were promised that their imprisoned chiefs
would be allowed to meet and confer with them at some point
along the way. At last a party consisting of Lone Wolf, Woman
Heart, Red Otter, Dohasan, Sun Boy, Stumbling Bear, and one
other agreed to go.5 Some delay in starting for Washington was
"Letter, Tatum to Lanham, given in Wilbarger's Indian Depredations in
Texas, 509.
"Governor Davis, the "carpet-bag" executive of the state, was not in
accord with the sentiment of the frontier people when he commuted the
sentences of the two Indians.
"Captain Alvard, Commissioner to the Kiowa and Comanche, told the
Indians that before Satanta and Big Tree were released all raids on
the Texas frontier would have to cease.-Annual Report of Bureau of
Indian Affairs, 1872, p. 136.
"Ibid., Report of Agent Miles, p. 250.
"Ibid.194
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926, periodical, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117141/m1/214/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.