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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Expert trackers and couriers and skilled fighters, |
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the Native American scouts who served with the United States Army |
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during the frontier era of the mid- to late 1800s played an |
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important part in United States history; and |
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WHEREAS, The service of these accomplished soldiers began in |
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1866, after Congress passed legislation authorizing the enlistment |
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of American Indians into the United States Army; many of the Native |
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Americans who joined the military over the next three decades |
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served as scouts, and they quickly earned respect for their |
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abilities to track the enemy and guide army forces through |
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wilderness territory; their skills proved especially well-suited |
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during the conflicts between federal forces and American Indian |
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groups that took place in the western states and territories; and |
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WHEREAS, These scouts made a valuable contribution to the |
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settlement of Texas in this era; beginning in 1870, individuals of |
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mixed Seminole and African American heritage who had been living in |
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northern Mexico were recruited as scouts by United States |
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commanders in Texas; based at Fort Duncan, near Eagle Pass, and |
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later at Fort Clark, at present-day Brackettville, the black |
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Seminole soldiers took part in battles with defiant Native American |
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groups in Texas and Mexico and helped tame the turbulent frontier |
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region of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Known for their courage and fighting skills, four of |
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the black Seminole troops earned the Medal of Honor for their |
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actions; Private Adam Payne was the first, receiving the |
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commendation for his role in a battle with the Kiowa in 1874; the |
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following year, scouts John Ward, Pompey Factor, and Isaac Payne |
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put their lives at risk to rescue their commander, Lieutenant John |
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Lapham Bullis, during a fight with Comanche raiders at Eagle's Nest |
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Crossing on the Pecos River; and |
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WHEREAS, Serving as the forerunners of the Native Americans |
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who fought so gallantly in later wars, the American Indian scouts |
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served the United States military with great distinction and |
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provided vital support for the country's westward expansion; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate August 2007 as American Indian Scouts Month and |
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celebrate the contributions of these individuals as a meaningful |
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chapter in the saga of this nation. |