This negro also told me that Dr. ——­, who had been murdered on the Texan frontier, was himself a member of the Secret Band, and that he was killed to save many a better man.  That he and Scoggins had gone back to see that the widow and her family were removed; but they found, on reaching the settlement, she had left.  We had learned, moreover, that when seventy or eighty miles on her journey to her friends’, she was taken sick and died, and that she had lost her youngest child before she left the settlement.  It was further stated that the remainder of her family were at Little Rock, with a friend of her husband’s, who would provide for them till her family could either send for them, or give some directions in regard to their disposition.

The negro advised me never to divulge my opinions in relation to the doctor’s death, nor to the history of his family out west.  I told him I did not recollect their names, and therefore could not do so if I would.  He assured me that it was well for me, perhaps, that it was so; and that it could do me no good if I did.  I spoke to the negro about the lively sympathy which Edmonds had expressed for the family, a few days before I parted with him; that he had told me, in case he could procure the name and residence of their friends at the east, he would write them; and that he had asked me if I remembered them.  I told him I did not.

The negro assured me that it was well for me I had been so ignorant on the subject; Edmonds was only trying me.  Had I appeared to have known any thing, and betrayed any disposition to give publicity to what I knew, he would have prevented me, even if he had taken my life.

I discovered from the negro, that the secret band of outlaws, to whom I here alluded, had a large number of members scattered among the different tribes of Indians; that they are all about the western country, in fact, and that all are true to each other as steel itself.  The negro assured me that he could find friends at every turn; yes, those who would die for him! He was well off, however, without them, and had determined to pass the remainder of his days in living a life of honesty; hoping that, by so doing, God would forgive him, if man did not.

The negro told me much more in regard to himself and his companions.  He said he had been deaf and dumb, in order to find out what was going on.  He stood about and heard much said, which would not have been said had it been supposed he could hear, and much, too, that was at times extremely valuable to the band.

I told him that I had often noticed and pitied him.  His reply was, that he saw I felt for him, and it was none the worse for me that I did.  This very county where we were, was afterwards infested by Murrill and his gang; and it was here that, in 1841, the citizens turned out and put to death, by shooting and drowning, some forty or fifty villains.