The Texans attempted a third major expedition that same year, Ed Burleson assembling Lipan and Tonkawa scouts in Austin, the goal of this third expedition intended to have been the Perdenales/Llano/San Saba country recently swept by Captain George Howard and his hundred men. What Burleson had wanted to do was establish a line of blockhouses, forts really, to claim the country for settlement.
Didn't happen, almost certainly due to lack of funds, the fledgling Republic being perennially broke. IIRC it would eventually fall to a bunch of foreigners, Germans, to settle that country, beginning seven years hence.
Down in San Antonio, Howard was ordered to send out patrols south and west to watch for signs of a Mexican invasion. He was unable to do so, for want of supplies, powder, and horses.
Howard did take to the field in December of 1840 with just ten or fifteen men, going after Comanches that were raiding around San Antonio, and succeeded in surprising the raiders at their camp. Among Howard's small party was one Tejano Ranger Captain Salvadore Flores. Of the group, Howard and Flores were the best mounted, their horses running ahead so that they ended up charging together in among the Comanches.
A pity we dont know where this was, because the surviving descriptions are among the more dynamic we have of any fight in this era.
From an old account in "Savage Frontier", incorporating quotes from Howard's own account....
..disconcerted at finding themselves charged upon, but perceiving their assailants to be only two in number, they immediately wheeled and fired upon them.
Captain Howard's horse was wounded, he himself was severely wounded by an arrow in the abdomen. He had thus been thrown among the enemy from his horse.
While thus wounded, his antagonist attempted to take the horse from him. A scuffle ensued in which the Capt. however was victorious. He had a revolving pistol. One cap busted. He tried another barrel, his foe fell dead. There it is, the first recorded save by a Colt revolver in Texas
Meanwhile Flores, as best I can piece together, was armed with either multiple old-style pistols, or two Colts, or a combination of the same. I'm inclined to guess the first option.
Salvador Flores closed the gap rapidly on his fleet horse. One of the volunteers managed to shoot and kill the horse being ridden by a fleeing Comanche woman. Several of the Comanches, however, quickly turned and fired upon Flores. "Flores' horse was shot dead, and in falling, fell upon the rider."
While pinned under his dead horse, Flores suddenly found himself under attack by the Comanche woman who had also been thrown from her horse. "She siezed Flores' empty gun and was laying it heavily over the prostrate warrior's head."
Knowing the gun was empty, Flores managed to shoot two other Comanches who had approached with their weapons to help finish off the fallen Tejano.
Seeing the Indian woman holding the pistol at Flores, another Texan fired and killed her. "It was unavoidable", wrote Howard. At that point the Comanches, numbers not given, fled leaving behind three dead, including the woman.
A wild and woolly scrape if ever there was one. Musta taken a cool (if sore) head to look past the woman beating you with your own empty pistol and accurately target other Comanches arriving on the scene.
Says good things about all of 'em too that the killing of that same woman would be remarked upon as "unavoidable".
Birdwatcher
