THE SURVEYOR'S FIGHT.

The surveyor's fight occurred in October, 1838. From nine o'clock in the morning until twelve at night, twenty-three men, from a ravine, fought several hundred Indians. Seventeen of the surveyors were killed, six escaped, three of them wounded.

On the night of January 1, 1839, at the residence of Mr. John Morgan, six miles above the present town of Marlin, George Morgan and wife, the wife of Jackson Morgan, Jackson Jones, and Miss Adeline Marlin were killed. Mrs. William Morgan was left for dead, but revived and escaped. Three children also escaped. Ten days later, seventy Indians attacked the houses, a few miles below, of John and Benjamin Marlin, who, assisted by two men, killed seven Indians and caused the remainder to flee.

What is known as Bryant's defeat soon followed. Fortyeight citizens, under Captain Benjamin Bryant, pursued these Indians to Morgan's Point, above Marlin. A fight took place in which Bryant lost ten men killed and five' wounded. A disorderly retreat was the result.

In January, 1840, an entire party of thirteen men, escorting the family of Mr. Webster to their intended home in what is now Williamson County, was killed, and Mrs. Webster and child carried into captivity.

Questions.—What source of trouble had the surveyors in 1836? What precaution had Burnet taken in the same year? Had Houston continued it r What of Lieutenant Erath's fight? Of Lieutenant Wren? Give an account of Eastland's campaign. What other massacres can you mention? What occurred in February, 1839 r Who succeeded Felix Houston in command of the army? What responsibility did President Houston assume? What were the foreign relations of Texas? What occurred to Captain Karnes in 1838? What took place on the Kio Frio r Describe the surveyor's fight. What occurred on the night of January, 1839 t What occurred ten days later? Describe Bryant's defeat. What others can you mention?

CHAPTER XLVI.

Lamar's Administration.

A General election was held on the first Monday in September, 1838. General Houston being by provision of the constitution ineligible to reelection, Mirabeau B. Lamar was elected President, and David G. Burnet VicePresident, their terms to continue three years, when they would be ineligible to reelection. The third Congress assembled in Houston on the 5th of November, 1838, and the inauguration of Lamar and Burnet took place December 10th.

The Congress provided rangers for frontier protection. Fifty leagues of land were set apart for a university, and lands to each county for school purposes, as recommended in Lamar's inaugural address. Friendly trade was inaugurated with Northern Mexico; the land, judiciary, and probate laws were improved; immigration encouraged; and, as an increase of the navy, on June 27th, 1838, they received the schooner San Jacinto, in August the two schooners San Antonio and San Bernard, in October the brig Colorado, and later the steamship-of-war Zavala.

On the 17th of December, 1838, while a representative from Brazoria, Colonel John A. Wharton died. From his

first landing in the country, in 1829, he was a leader in every move that looked to the independence and glory of Texas—a brave soldier, an incorruptible patriot, a pure man, and one of the finest of American orators.

Vice-President Burnet, in his eulogy before Congress, said: "The keenest blade on the field of San Jacinto is broken."

After a session of two months and nineteen days Congress adjourned on the 24th of January, 1839. They had provided for the location, survey, and platting of the National Capital, to which, in honor of the "Father of Texas," they gave the name of Austin. It was located in the pathway of the Indians in passing up and down and across the country. The men employed from its first location to its completion, and the reception of the government archives in October, were guarded by rangers. It has since been twice rechosen by popular vote as the capital of Texas. By the end of December it had fifteen hundred inhabitants.

The fourth Congress met in Austin on the first Monday in November, 1839. They established, with certain reservations, the common law of England as the rule of decision; a law regulating the marital rights of husband and wife; and the descent and distribution of property of persons dying without wills. They created two travelling boards of commissioners to visit each county scat, examine the records of the county boards, hear testimony, and decide the legality of every land certificate issued. This was a very important provision, and resulted in great good.

This Congress also passed a bill reserving from location the lands in the Cherokee country for sale as a basis of credit for the redemption of treasury notes, afterwards known as exchequer bills. The discussion of this bill called forth in its advocacy by General Houston, a member of this Congress, one of the most eloquent speeches of his life. They also enacted other laws connected with the public policy of the government.

President Lamar said the Cherokees and associate bands had no legal or equitable right to lands, and the provisional government bad taken for granted that their immiorarion was unsolicited and unauthorized. In truth thev had drifted iuto the country and were a nucleus for disaffected Mexicans and bad people, and were always a menace to Texas. This ground was taken after these Indians were charged with murders and other outrages against the whites.

THE COBDOVA KEBELLIOX—CHEROKEE WAR.

Lamar's administration was confronted bv the Cordova Rebellion, begun i n 1838, and by a general hostilitv among the Indians in all parts of the Republic.

Cordova and Flores, among the Cherokees in 1837, were emissaries under Flh*°Ia in Matamoras, and, after him. in 1838, under General Valentino Canalizo, with the purpose of joining in the war of extermination against Texas. On the 7th of August, in 1838, General Rusk learned that more than one hundred Mexicans, headed by Cordova, were camped on the west side of the Angelina River, and, on the 10th, that three hundred Indians had joined them. Rusk placed a small force at the lower crossing of that stream to intercept them On the 10th President Houston, who was then in Nacogdoches, and had issued a proclamation to the insurgents received a paper from them, with the signatures of nine of the leaders, disavowing allegiance to Texas, and claiming to be citizens of Mexico. On the same day Cordova moved to the wilderness of the Upper Trinity, while the great body of his followers dispersed. Cordova remained hidden in the wilderness until March, 1839, in constant communication with the Indians, who continued their depredations.

General Rusk, learning that the enemy were in force at the Kickapoo village, now in Anderson County, moved in that direction, and at daylight on the I6th of October, 1838, attacked, and, after a short but hot "^agement, charged upon them, when they fled, Rusk pursuing. Eleven warriors were killed and a large number wounded. General Rusk had eleven men wounded, but none killed.

On the 27th of February, 1839, Canalizo repeated to Cordova the pledges and instructions that had been made through Flores to the Indians in 1838, to continue their depredations upon the whites. At the same time he enjoined upon them to keep at a distance from the United States frontier.

Cordova's Defeat.

Cordova left his retreat on the Upper Trinity in March, 1839, with an escort of seventy-five Mexicans, Indians, and negroes, to visit Matamoras and confer personally with Canalizo and Flores on the affairs of Texas. On the 26th his camp was discovered at the foot of the mountains, a short distance north of Austin. News of this was speedily conveyed to Colonel Edward Burleson, thou at his home in Bastrop. With eighty of his Colorado neighbors he started to intercept him in his western march. Having found his trail, the pursuers travelled rapidly until late in the afternoon of the 29th, when the scouts discovered the camp about six miles southeast of Seguin. Cordova promptly formed his men, and the opposing parties fought from behind trees until the moment for which Colonel Burleson was watching arrived, when he ordered a charge. This was followed by a flight and pursuit, when, at twilight, Cordova disappeared in the Guadalupe Bottom. He lost over one-third of his men. Burleson had none killed, but several wounded. Having crossed the Guadalupe, where now stands New Braunfels, Cordova passed north of San Antonio, previously encountering a scouting party of Captain Mathew Caldwell's rangers, and wounding three of them dangerously. Caldwell pursued as far as the Nueces, but Cordova escaped across the Rio Grande.