-13tively
we returned to the camp of the main army, only to find it deserted and the
army removed twelve miles, and to reach it occupied us until late in the night.
The next day we returned to Shelbyville, having received furloughs for fourteen
days.
Having received information that the Indians had separated and that the
Caddos had gone to Soda Lake, fifteen miles from Shreveport, in Louisiana.
Col. Landrum and Gen. Rusk, with their commands, went to that place, but the
Indians retreated to Shreveport and nothing was done. This action of Landruml
and Rusk-pursuing the enemy upon the soil of the United States- was reported
to the authorities in Washington, when Gen. Gaines of the U. S. Army was
ordered to return to Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, and the Caddo Indians received
orders to leave the United States. They retired to Mexico where they remained
until the war took place between that country and the United States, when they
went to Western Texas, and uniting with remnants of other tribes, settled upon
a reservation granted them by the United States.
In 1838 Henry Cannon, a citizen of Shelby county, owned a fine mare which
was stolen by Jim Strickland, who started to return with her by a trail not much
known or traveled, between the flat fork of the Teneha and Sabine river. Ben
Odell, happening to be traveling on the same trail, met Strickland and recognized
the mare. As he was unfriendly to Strickland and going in the direction of
Cannon's it was suspected by Strickland that Odell would give information, and
the mare was turned loose and she returned to Cannon's shortly after Odell's
arrival there. Cannon had been enformed by Odell that Strickland was in possession
of his mare, and he (Strickland) learning the fact, threatened the life of
Odell. Soon after a dinner was given to the citizens of Shelby county by one
of the candidates for the place of representative in the Texas Congress. Strickland
with his friends, on the way to it, were met by Odell, who made his escape
by running. On his retreat he met with Forsythe and party, who were opposed
to Strickland, by them he was supplied with a pistol and induced to return.
Supper over, and the night coming on, dancing commenced. Strickland and
Odell went on the floor to dance at the same time, and both intended shooting
as they passed, each having his pistol against the other. Odell's pistol missed
fire. Strickland's fired, and Odell, after receiving the wound, knocked Strickland
down with his fist. Odell died next morning. Strickland was arrested,
and there being no jail, gave bond for his appearance at the next term of the
District Court. The trial was brought at a time when the best citizens of Shelby
county were ab,:ent, called away by the Kickapoo war. Three freebooters, Boggess,
Thomas and Dr. Rowan, arrested for counterfeiting, were to be tried at the
same term of the court, and by a combination of the friends of all these parties,
the whole of them were acquitted.
"The four assassins hired at Austin to go to Shelby county and murder
seventeen men, were Seekers. WVm. Wells, York and Hines, and employed by
Jno. N. Bradley and Jno. Haley. They came and commenced operations. Jim
Hall offered six hundred dollars to thenm to kill Henry Reynolds,
