La Baca Station 24th Octo. 1827
Colo Stephen F. Austin
Dr. sir, I presume that you will recollect of my addressing you
last spring from New Orleans by General Fullerton on the subject
of my missfortune in this cuntry about twelve months since—I have
again arrived in the cuntry with a view of making it my future
residence, I arrived in the Bay in July last, and with much difficulty I
compleated the transportation of my property to this station about
the 15th August, and have a second time reported myself a settler of
the cuntry, and I did expect on my arrival here that I should have
been in Saltillo before this time but since I have been
in the Cuntry I have been unable to attend to any business
whatever, two days after my arrival at this place a rising commenced
in my right hand and I presume that I have had the worst hand
that you ever saw, for three months entirely deprived of the use of it,
and at this time very sore and scarcely can use it at all. I shall
endeavor to be in Saltillo as soon as I possibly can, but there appears
to be every obsticle thrown in my way to prevent my seeking any
kind of satisfaction or the recovery of any part of my property that
I was robbed of last year on my arrival in the cuntry, on the 13th
August last I addressed a note to his Excellency the political chief at
San Antonio, by whose order I am informed my property was seized
last year, that I should visit San Antonio very soon to make a
demand of my property seized by his order, which I presume
somewhat irritated him, and in a few days after this his Excellency
issued an order to Green Dewitt Empresario of the Colony to have
this place evacuated and all the colonists removed to Gonzales
within thirty days from the receipt of the Order, which order was
received here on the 10th of September, at a time when the crops of the
Inhabitants were all standing in the Fields and myself at least 20
waggon Loads of property stored here, and not a waggon and team
in the place to take away a single article, as all the waggons
belonging to the place were then on a trip to San Antonio with a parcel of
goods brought by some Gentlemen that came in the same vessel with
me and the waggons could not possibly get back untill the time had
nearly expired. I hired a man and Horse and sent him over to the
Colorado to procure me all the waggons he could possibly get, I
also sent to the Brasses and all the Teams that I could procure was
three small waggons that could take only about 1000 lbs each, and
has made one trip to San Antone and returned yesterday, and one
of them has taken a Load back, and God only knows when I shall
get my property away, a few days after the reception of the Order
Issued by his Excellency Mr James Kerr arrived from the Brasses,
and the people finding it impossible to remove their property and to
evacuate by the time stipulated, and to leave their corn standing in
the Fields that starvation must be the result, the people were called
together, and a peti[ti]on drawn up and signed by the same and
myself, begging for longer indulgence to remove their effects and I
myself drew up one individually and beged farther indulgence to
remove my property, and Mr Kerr dispatched immediately to San
Antone with the papers, and was detained there much longer than
necessary and returned only a few days before the time expired, and
did succeed in geting the time lenghtened untill the first day of
December, at which time we are Ordered to evacuate the place, and
unless that I can procure waggons I find that it will be impossible
for me to remove my property by that time, Consequently it must
be at their mercy and will to consume it as they please, as we are
threatened in case we do not evacuate the place that we shall be
moved by force—it appears that there is nothing but oppression in
this part of the Cuntry and every thing appears to be clone to
impede me in the progress of my business and in order to dispute the
people so that I may not obtain any proof of my treatment last year,
and to drive the Americans from the cuntry, after their invitation
to them to colonise the same, this Order of his Excellency Ordering
the Inhabitants to evacuate the place immediately I think a most
unjustifiable thing and breaths nothing but oppression, the people
have made considerable improvements at the place, and I myself
have a warehouse built for the reception of property coming to the
Cuntry, and now without even having assertained that they are on
the reserved Lands as there has never been any line run to assertain
that fact, they are Ordered to evacuate the same—It will be a very
hard case indeed that the colonists should loose their improvments,
as they were entered into with the Empresario of the Government,
if the Empresario has erred it is not just that individuals should
suffer, as the Law guarantees the contracts made by their
Empresarios, consequently they should be payed for their improvments—
By the Colonisation Laws if I have any understanding at all this
station is not within six Leages of the reserved Lands—in the
unsettled state of affairs at this time I have determined that I will
remove to San Antone for the present and so soon as I may effect my
removal I shall proceed immediately to Saltillo to make some
demand for my property taken from me last year unjustifyably—I
emigrated to the cuntry being invited by the Laws of the Land to
settle myself for life in a climate more congenial to my constitution
than that of my native cuntry, and brought with me my property
and including freight, Insurance, Waggonage and other contingent
expences, will amount to between $7000 & 8000 at cost, the whole
of which has been taken from me by the officers of the Government,
except $141—which I received in the Bay for a few articles sold and
not only my property taken from me but I was actually driven from
the cuntry by an armed force—I expected that I should have been
admited into the cuntry as other Emigrants, and agreable to the
Laws, and on my arrival in the Bay I immediately reported
myself to Green Dewitt Empresario of the Colony,,and stated my
intention of becoming an inhabitant of the cuntry, and obtained his
permission to Land my property and select any Lands the Colony,
and under the Colonisation Laws I presumed that myself and
property was perfectly safe, but I was wofulfy deceived—I have been
kept out of my property now twelve months and in a state of
sufferance during that time not knowing what to do—I have every
document to prove my claim but am afraid to send them on for fear that
they should get lost, but I shall bring them myself when I come, I
ask of the Government full payment for my property with damages
and all expences that has accrued on the same—I should be pleased
to have some report on this business before I start for Saltillo, in
case any thing should be wanting in order that I may procure any
document that may be wanting, and as to my character I have as
good references as any man that ever came to the cuntry—I should
be pleased to get to Saltillo before you,leave that place, but I am
afraid that it will be impossible—you will please do me the singular
favor of having this translated and Laid before the Government,
and whatever expence you may be at shall be repaid to you on sight
I wish the Government distinctly to understand that I came to the
cuntry as a gentleman and an honest man, and not as an imposture
or swindler, and to respect the Laws of the cuntry as far as I can
understand them if I have or should deviate from them, it will be
through ignorance and the wrong information of others, let me
beg your attention to this business—
Thomas Powell [Rubric]