Captain Van Buren followed the trail by Fort Ewell, and well down toward Corpus Christi, day and night, until the Indians, exhausted and used up, halted, on an open plain, unsaddled their horses, mounted bareback, and offered battle.
Their number was double that of Van Buren's detachment, but he attacked them fearlessly, and in the fight was mortally wounded by an arrow which entered his body in front, just above the sword belt, and came through the belt behind.

The principal chief of the Indians was killed, and the rest fled.

Captain Van Buren's men carried him to Corpus Christi, where in a few days he died.
After our removal to La Pendencia a similar pursuit of savages occurred, but with more fortunate results.

Colonel John H.King, now on the retired list, then a captain in the First Infantry, came to our camp in pursuit of a marauding band of hostile Indians, and I was enabled to put him also on the trail.

He soon overtook them, and killing two without loss to himself, the band dispersed like a flock of quail and left him nothing to follow.