180 



CADDO 



[b. a. e. 



During the 18th century wars in Europe 

 led to contention between the Spaniards 

 and the French for the territory occupied 

 by the Caddo. The brunt of these con- 

 tentions fell upon the Indians; the trails 

 between their villages became routes for 

 armed forces, while the villages were 

 transformed into garrisoned posts. The 

 Caddo were friendly to the French and 

 rendered valuable service, but they suf- 

 fered greatly from contact with the white 

 race. Tribal wars were fomented, villages 

 were abandoned, new diseases spread 

 havoc among the people, and by the close 

 of the century the welcoming attitude of 

 the Indians during its early years had 

 changed to one of defense and distrust. 

 Several tribes were practically extinct, 

 others seriously reduced in numbers, and 



ANTELOPE, A CADDO 



a once thrifty and numerous people had 

 become demoralized and were more or 

 less wanderers in their native land. 

 Franciscan missions had Vjeen established 

 ainong some of the tribes early in the 

 century, those designed for the Caddo, 

 or Asinais, as they were called by the 

 Spaniards, being Furisima Concepcion de 

 los Asinais and (for the Hainai) San 

 Francisco de los Tejas ( q. v. ) . The segre- 

 gation policy of the missionaries tended 

 to weaken tri))al relations and unfitted 

 the people to cope with the new difficul- 

 ties which confronted them. These 

 missions were transferred to the Rio San 

 Antonio in 1731. With the acquisition of 

 Louisiana by the United States immigra- 

 tion increased and the Caddo were pushed 

 from their old haunts. Under their first 



treaty, in 1835, they ceded all their land 

 «nd agreed to move at their own expense 

 beyond the boundaries of the United 

 States, never to return and settle as a tribe. 

 The tribes living in Louisiana, being thus 

 forced to leave their old home, moved 

 s. w. toward their kindred living in Texas. 

 At that time the people of Texas were 

 contending for independence, and no 

 tribe could live at peace with both op- 

 posing forces. Public opinion was di- 

 vided as to the treatment of the Indians; 

 one party demanded a policy of extermina- 

 tion, the other advocated conciliatory 

 methods. In 1843 the governor of tlie 

 Republic of Texas sent a commission to 

 the tribes of its n. part to fix a line be- 

 tween them and the white settlers and 

 to establish three trading posts; but, as 

 the land laws of the republic did not 

 recognize the Indian's right of occupancy, 

 there was no power which could prevent a 

 settler from taking land that had been cul- 

 tivated b_v an Indian. This condition led 

 to continual difficulties, and these did not 

 diminish after the annexation of Texas 

 to the United States, as Texas retained 

 control and jurisdiction over all its public 

 domain. Much suffering ensued; the 

 fields of peaceable Indians were taken and 

 the natives were hunted down. The more 

 warlike tribes made reprisals, and bitter 

 feelings were engendered. Immigration 

 increased, and the inroads on the buffalo 

 herds by the newcomers made scarce the 

 food of the Indians. Appeals were sent 

 to the Federal Government, and in 1855 

 a tract near Brazos r. was secured and a 

 number of Caddo and other Indians 

 were induced to colonize under the 

 supervision of Agent Robert S. Neigh- 

 bours. The Indians Ijuilt houses, tilled 

 fields, raised cattle, sent their chil- 

 dren to school — lived quiet and orderly 

 lives. The Comanche to the w. con- 

 tinued to raid upon the settlers, some of 

 whom turned indiscriminately upon all 

 Indians. The Caddo were the chief suf- 

 ferers, although they helped the state 

 troops to bring the raiders to justice. In 

 1859 a company of white settlers fixed a 

 date for the massacre of all the reserva- 

 tion Indians. The Federal Government 

 was again appealed to, and through the 

 strenuous efforts of Neighbours the Caddo 

 made a forced march for 15 days in the 

 heat of July; men, women, and children, 

 with the loss of more than half of their 

 stock and possessions, reached safely the 

 banks of Washita r. in Oklahoma, where 

 a reservation was set apart for them. 

 Neighbours, their friend and agent, was 

 killed shortly afterward as a penalty for 

 his unswerving friendship to the Indians 

 (Ind. Aff. Rep. 1859, 333, 1860). Dur- 

 ing the civil war the Caddo remained 

 loyal to the Government, taking refuge 



