The MARKER States:  800 tribal people and 500 Texicans battled here.

What is not stated is out of the 800 tribal people, 400 to 500 were women, children ,and elders.

Texican regular and Texas Rangers were a fully armed unit. However, the tribal people had only 16-24 rifles and pistols.

When Mirabeau B. Lamar became President of the Republic of Texas, he wanted the various tribes out. It was just as Mirabeau had done in Georgia, years before, when converting tribal lands to white lands. In doing so, Mirabeau directly refused to honor Sam Houston's agreement with the tribes. Mirabeau sent word to the Chiefs and Leaders of his plan - - leave Texas or be killed.

Duwali, Gatunwali, Big Mush and other Chiefs / Leaders asked for time to gather their belongings and crops. In his greed for expansion and control of Texas, Mirabeau would not wait.

Lamar orders the Secretary of War, Albert Sydney Johnson, and General Thomas J. Rusk, to run them out of Texas. Some say Mirabeau stated, "JUST KILL THEM ALL!"

Long avoiding confrontation with the Texican forces, Chief Bowles ultimately respected the wishes of his people to fight to the end against their removal from East Texas. Thus, our annual honoring of the Battle of the Neches.