The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 25, July 1921 - April, 1922 Page: 235
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Southwestern Historical Quarterly and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Texas State Historical Association.
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The Indian Policy of the Republic of Texas
II. Immigrant Indian Tribes in Texas, 1836-1846
Tribes Forced South by Hostile _Northern Indians. The Co-
manche, Wichita, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, and a portion of the
Paronee, were pushed southward into Texas in the latter part of
the seventeenth century. The cause of this movement was the
shifting of certain hostile northern Indians, especially the Sioux."
The Comanche. It is rather difficult to locate the exact territory
occupied by the twelve Comanche tribes, because their range was
very large and they traveled on horseback with extreme rapidity
from one part of the country to another. An offshoot of the Sho-
shoni tribe of Wyoming, the Comanche by the end of the seven-
teenth century had crowded the Apache from their hunting grounds
on the headwaters of the Arkansas, Red, Trinity, and Brazos
Rivers, and occupied New Mexico and the Panhandle country.
During the time of the Republic the ranges of the Comanche were
from Chihuahua on the south to the plains of the Platte on the
north."8 Their attitude toward the Texans, and their habits of
life are discussed in the following extract from a report of the
Senate Standing Committee on Indian Affairs, October 12, 1837:
Of the Comanches your Committee knows but little, they are
however the natural enemies of the Mexicans whom they con-
temptuously denominate their stock keepers and out of which
nation they procure slaves. They are roving indians, live on
game, and have many horses. Their arms are the Bow & Lance.
Your Committee have not any evidence of hostile feelings on the
part of these indians toward the People of this Republik and do
not entertain a doubt but that a treaty of amity between this
Govt & those Indians might be effected if pressure and energetic
measures were adopted for that purpose by the Executive &
Congress of this Republic.8"
It would seem from this that the Comanches were, at this time,
considered one of the lesser tribes of Texas Indians, which could,
without great difficulty, be conciliated. The government found
later that the Comanches were formidable enemies who could
"Ibid., 129.
"Marshall, A History of the Western Boundary of the Louisiana Pur-
chase, 1819-1841, 129-130; Bolton, Athanase de Mizibres, I, 24-27.
"Indian Affairs, Texas State Library.235
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 25, July 1921 - April, 1922, periodical, 1922; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101082/m1/241/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.