The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 27, July 1923 - April, 1924 Page: 30

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Southwestern Historical Quarterly

The settlement of the county was retarded so that in the fall
of 1839 only about twenty-five families, in four settlements, in-
cluding the town of Nashville, remained in the southeast corner
of the county. Counting a number of young men, there were
only fifty voters at the fall election in the whole county.
No one would hire to go surveying. The persons who accom-
panied me were generally young men with lands to locate either
for themselves or for others on shares or on extra pay. The
holders of the land certificates very often lived a long way off
and were not disposed to venture into danger. I did not locate
for others, and only received the surveying fees, at three dollars
per mile in Texas money, then depreciated to three for one. It
had now become a practice all over the frontier region not to
run clear around the surveys, but to make two or three corners,
as most convenient, and give the distance to the watercourses.
Every man having lands to locate was glad to get even that much
done to have his claims located. Locaters out in the woods were
most anxious, not from a disposition against too much work, but
from the danger encountered while at it.
In 1840 some changes in this respect took place. Some of
those who had been with me were weary of the business, although
the Indians for a time gave less trouble-almost none the first
live months of the year. The two expeditions I made up to the
-first of May were more profitable than any before, notwithstand-
ing I had employed for extra guard about double the hands
needed. The contracts I had made were with New Orleans land-
owners, who were willing to pay good money for surveying.
Texas money was taken at its value in New Orleans, where all
goods imported to Texas were bought. I saw nothing of Indians
during these two expeditions, although a hundred miles out from
the settlements. But in June, with only ten men, I found myself
forced to return on account of Indians. Hostilities again be-
came general and I rejoined the service.
In January and February, 1841, I was with the Morehouse
expedition which went up the Brazos above Comanche Peak,
from there to the Trinity, and then back to the Brazos. There
were about one hundred and twenty-five whites in the party, a
hundred Tonks and fifteen Lipans. I had charge of the Indians
and about twenty white men for spies. During the expedition

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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 27, July 1923 - April, 1924, periodical, 1924; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101086/m1/36/ocr/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

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