The original of the letter that follows is in my possession, having
been given to me by Governor George C. Pendleton, to whom it is
addressed. It is my impression that the writer of this letter was, in
1891, connected with the Department of Statistics, History, and
Insurance, at Austin. De León could not have been “Governor of Texas
and Coahuila” in 1688, for the states were not united until long
afterward. [141]
Austin, Texas,
September 9th, 1891
Hon. Geo. C. Pendleton,
Belton, Texas.
Dear Mr. Pendleton: You will please accept my thanks for your note
of the 5th inst. I appreciate very highly your promise to obtain
for me such information as you can in reference to La Salle. I
would however, be very sorry to give you any trouble about the
matter.
I have obtained a copy of the official report made by Gen. Alonzo
De Leon, Governor of Coahuila and Texas, to the Spanish Government.
This report contains the account of a Frenchman who was reported to
be living in Texas where he had congregated several thousand
Indians together and had acquired such authority over them that
they not only recognized him as their chief, but treated him with
the greatest reverence; always kneeling when in his presence. Gen.
De Leon alarmed lest the authority of this Frenchman might be used
by the French Government to assert a claim to Texas organized an
expedition for his capture. After traveling in a northeast
direction for forty leagues from what is now Monclova, Mexico, they
reached the Rio Grande and twenty-five leagues beyond that stream,
still in the direction of northeast, they found the Frenchman, whom
they, with the use of a good deal of diplomacy and artifice
succeeded in persuading to accompany them back to Mexico. This
occurred in May, 1688; and this Frenchman is said to have been the
last survivor of La Salle’s Expedition. I have translated from the
Spanish the account of this Frenchman and De Leon’s Expedition. It
is a very curious and interesting incident in the early history of
Texas, and it was in connection with it that I wished to ascertain
if there was any tradition of La Salle having been killed in Bell
County as the Frenchman indicates....
Yours Most Respectfully,
Betty B. Brewster.