History

The purpose of this study is to furnish for those interested in the history of the Indians of Texas an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the details connected with the establishment by the United States Government of the reservations in this state, their maintenance from 1855 to 1859, and the causes which brought about their abandonment and the removal of the Indians beyond the borders of Texas. In gathering the facts here presented, the writer has had the good fortune of using a mass of unpublished manuscript material. Photostat copies of the records of the Indian Bureau in Washington, covering the correspondence connected with the Texas Indians from 1846 to 1860, have served as the principal source. Transcripts of manuscripts owned by the family of R. S. Neighbors, the manuscript diary of John S. Ford, and the Erath papers have thrown much light upon the subject. All of these are to be found in the Library of the University of Texas. The State Library has contributed some manuscript material, principally from the correspondence of the governor and the packages marked 'Indian Affairs'.