Coryell County Texas Archives History - Letters .....Petition For Frontier Protection 1852
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Virginia Crilley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000642 August 2, 2010, 11:09 am

Petition for Frontier Protection
Memorial #113, File Box #7, Letter B, Texas State Archives
(January 1852)

Bell County Texas
Jany. 1852

To His Excellency
P.H. Bell
Gov of the State of Texas

We the undersigned Citizens of Bell County would respectfully represent to your
Excellancy that a little more than two years since two companies of the U.S.
Army were posted upon the Leon River and made barracks with such appearance of
permanancy as gave promise to those of us that had lands in that vicinity that
we might with safety settle there. Under these impressions we have moved to and
settled our lands and others of us have purchased land and exhausted our  means
to make homes where we might feel safe from the depradating savages that
formerly infested this delightful region.

We would further represent to your Excellancy that about the commencement of the
present year by the order of Gen. SMITH the troops that we had looked to for
protection with so much confidence were put on the march for posts one hundred
and fifty miles distant being beyond the usual range of the savages from whom we
wish to be protected.  Now in as much as the Leon has been and still is the
principle thoroughfare and hunting ground of the most dangerous tribes of
indians and the protection which invited us here is gone beyond the savages who
are learking on our borders we cannot with ordinary solicity for the safety of
our Families remain at home (unless some protection be extended to us before the
opening of spring) but must go back into the older settled counties and purchase
land at prices very invonvenient for those who have expended their all to settle
homes which they have been compelled to abandon without recompence:  or to some
more favoured portion of the frontier enjoying that protection of which we ahve
been so unjustly deprived.

We the undersigned lament the necessity that compells us to solicit your
Excellancys aid in our behalf, and as all we possess and all our hopes in life
depend upon some releaf in this matter we beg that we may not be forgotten or
neglected.

F.M. Grimes
John Taylor
A. Kell
James E. Williams
G.W. Martin
James Kell
Josiah Kell
Mathew kell
Georg W. Martin Jun
Abraham Kell
H.M. Tomson
N.S. Watson
M.A. Britain
F.M. Kell
G.A. Upshaw
B.C. Stewart
H. Aiken
John Crabtree
H (or T.C.?) Crabtree
James Crabtree

Additional Comments:
F.M. Grimes.   Frederick Miller Grimes, s/o George and Eurydice Gardner Grimes.
He came to Texas around 1826 with his family and qualified for 1 labor of land
as an unmarried male.  He then fought in the Battle of San Jacinto.  Lived on
Caney Creek in Austin Co.  Family lore says he brought his family and first
lived near Ft. Gates.  Eventually they settled east of there, near the border of
Bell, Coryell, and McLennan counties.  His wife was heir to Henry Farley land
grant which is north of present day Gateville.  Not sure if they intended to
live there and didn't due to the dangers of the frontier.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/coryell/history/letters/petition68gms.txt

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