SwANTON] INiDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITTED STATES 99 



ritory of the Nabedache tribe of the Hasinai Confederation, a short 

 distance west of Neches River, and a second not far off. These 

 missions were abandoned in 1693, ref ounded in 1716-17, and abandoned 

 again, in fear of a French invasion, in 1719. In 1721 they were once 

 more established, but the Quereteran missions were finally withdrawn 

 from Caddo territory in 1731 and those of the Zacatecan Fathers in 

 1772-73. The eastern Caddo were visited by Henry de Tonti in 1690, 

 Iberville heard of them in 1699, and the next year his brother Bienville 

 crossed over to the country of the Natchitoches from the Taensa vil- 

 lages. From 1702 (or 1705) to 1714 the Natchitoches tribe was living 

 on the lower Mississippi, beside the Acolapissa. On being withdrawn 

 to be returned to their own country, the Natchitoches were attacked 

 by the Acolapissa and suffered a loss of 17 men. St. Denis estab- 

 lished a post among them in their old country in 1714, to which a 

 garrison was added. This became the most important guarantee of 

 French power in this direction and a center of both open and clan- 

 destine trade. As long as St. Denis remained in charge and con- 

 sistently afterward, thanks to his influence, the Indians in the neigh- 

 borhood were loyal and friendly, helping to defeat in 1731 a strong 

 body of Natchez who threatened the post. In 1803 Louisiana passed 

 under control of the United States, and in 1835 all the Caddo in 

 that State ceded their lands and joined their kindred in Texas, but 

 troubles between the Texans and western Indians were reflected in 

 harsh treatment meted out to the peaceable tribes to the east, includ- 

 ing the Caddo. In 1855 the Federal Government secured for them 

 a tract of land on Brazos River, but in August 1859, in order to escape 

 massacre by the whites, they made a forced march to the Washita River 

 in what was then Indian Territory, led by their faithful agent, Rob- 

 ert S. Neighbours. There a reservation was set apart for them, and 

 during the Civil War they remained faithful to the Federal Gov- 

 ernment, most of them taking refuge in Kansas. They were returned 

 to their former reservation in 1867-68. In 1872 the boundaries of 

 their reservation were defined, and in 1902 they were allotted under 

 the provisions of the severalty act of 1887. 



Caddo population. — Mooney estimates that there were 8,500 Caddo 

 in 1690, including the Hasinai and other related tribes, but I am in- 

 clined to cut this to not more than 8,000. In 1805 Sibley reported 

 about 450 Caddo proper, but in 1849 a total of 1,200 is given, probably 

 including the Hasinai. Subsequent figures are : 



Year Jjjo. 



1851 (Not including the Anadarko and Hainai) 161 



1855 (Not including the Anadarko and Hainai) 188 



1857 (Not counting the Anadarko) 235 



1864 In Kansas (not including the Hainai) 370 



1869 ("On the reservation") 284 



