MEXICAN PRISONERS. 79 



The old chief of the Witchitas (To se-quash) informed us that Pah- 

 hah-en-ka's band of the " Middle Comanches," in consequence of some 

 of their people having been killed near one of the military posts in 

 Texas, were much exasperated, and had burnt up the testimonials of 

 good character given to them by United States authorities. They had 

 always before preserved these papers with great care, and manifested 

 much pride and satisfaction in exhibiting them to strangers. To-se- 

 quash says they are now " very mad," and will fight us whenever they 

 meet us. 



July 23. — As it rained during the night, and still continues, we did 

 not move forward to-day. During the morning I sent for the chiefs of 

 the two villages, for the purpose of endeavoring to persuade them to 

 surrender to me two Mexican prisoners in their possession : one a man 

 about forty years of age, and the other a boy of fifteen. The man 

 stated that he had been with the Witchitas since he was a child, and he 

 was not now disposed to leave them ; that he had become as great a 

 rascal as any of the Indians, (which I gave full credence to,) and should 

 not feel at home anywhere else. 



It appeared, however, that the boy had only been with them a few 

 months. He states that he was kidnapped by the Kioways from his 

 home near Chihuahua ; that in consequence of their brutal treatment 

 he escaped, and made his way to the Witchita mountains, where a 

 Witchita hunter found him in nearly a famished state, and brought 

 him to this place. He says he has been kindly treated by the Witchitas, 

 but is anxious to leave them and go with us. He appears to be very 

 intelligent, and reads and writes in his own language. 



In a talk with the chiefs, I told them that the American people were 

 now on terms of friendship with the Mexicans, and in a treaty we had 

 obligated ourselves to return to them all prisoners in the hands of In- 

 dians in our territory, and to prevent further depredations being com- 

 mitted upon them ; that the principal chief of the whites (the Presi- 

 dent) would not regard any tribe of Indians as friends who acted in 

 violation of this treaty ; that he confidently hoped and expected all the 

 tribes who were friendly to our people would comply strictly with the 

 requirements of the treaty, and giv*e up all prisoners in their possession. 

 I then requested them to release to me the boy, and told them if they 

 did this I should make them some presents of articles that had been 

 sent out by the President for such of his red children as were his friends. 

 They hesitated for a long time, stating that the boy belonged to a 

 Waco, and he loved him so much that it was doubtful if he could be 

 persuaded to part with him. Whereupon I told them that if they re- 



