Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-10-20
C0.hy Of a later from General Wilkinson
10 ne Secretary at War.
HeadQuarfsrs. .Natch'tocfes,
OCTOBER i, 1906.

SIR,
yesterday morning received governor
Corder0's answer tony address OF t..e 9th
uir. copies of which You have under cover.
The varied styic OF this letter, when con-
/ trasteG with those OF governor Herrara TO
colonel Cushing AMI governor Claiborne,
combined 10 the circumstances of the Span
! Ish troops having recroSsed the Sabine 20 a
man, has induced nc on the grourd Of e.
economy and cxpeaiency also to discharge
/ the militia who had reached tiiis place, aud
to countermand those uadcr march, *
cepting 2ooat one hundred Dragons and
mounted infantry, whom ! shall retain in
service, until ! am apprized Of the deter
mnatioH OF the Captain general Sacedo,
to watch the movements OF our ncighbors
, to prevent their sinister intrigues with our
( disaHected citizens, and should they re-en-
ter our terri-oTyi to aid tile established
troops in expelling them.
( / he SPanlards raised his camp at the
Bayou Pierre on the 9th ult traversed
the country to the highway leading from
this place to Nacogdoohcs, which he in
. tersected on the c9th, abour twen;y-six
miles in my FROM, and On the 3dh crossed
the sabine and to0k post OH the light bank,
where col Gushing lett him the Ist inst
But Notwithstanding have been detcrmin-
cd 20 diminish my furcc. asths pretensious
or governor HcrTara have not been rctrac-
: ted, nor cur Jurisdiction aCknowie .!ged,
and us the position taken on the right bank
i ct the Sabine is Il n ltsTia. departure from
the state OF things at the surrender OF the
: province to us, and exposes our territory
! 70 immediate Invasion, shall continue my
+ preparations for defence and offence, and
/ TO wipe oil tire species Of stigma which
I cavaliers may atJach TO the Spanish re.
possession % the ground, from whence we
/ had driven them; TO give confidence 70 our
] iTlends, TO Confirm the waver,1< and the
d'salssc;ei aud above all, TO asserl une-
quiVocatiy the pretensions Of the govern.
ncnt, have taken post within the limits
claimed by the officers Of Spain, and in Il
Jew days shall move forward to the cast
! bank OF the Sabine, where shall wait the
answer Of the captain general Salcedo. -
! Were l required to justify this step,
( should reply, that the United States hav-
: ing forced Spanish guard TO retire from
( u position within their acquired territory,
That power protcsted against tae act, de-
lhed ,neW PretsD7 Uns and armed for the
avowed purpose Of recovering the ground
, from which they had been driven. That
Ia Spanish commander Of respectable rank,
J at the head @! q considerable force in mill
itary array, did not ony recover That
} ;round, but tool. position much nearer
10 our barrier and ar within our limits.
| That this officer claimed thc jurisdiction
! Vt the country east o. tho StJiac, 80 the
J Arroyo-HondO, and in behalf of his mas
Ger the KING OF Spain, aud declared his
! determination 90 project and defend il as
such Were we TO su,Ter such outrdges
upon the natiorm sovereignty TO pass over
without notice, injurious interpretations
might he ievclied at our military charac.
ter, and our forbearance might be con-
strucd into tacit deriiection OF our claims.
/ Under these circumstances, and to do "a .
/ way the shadow Of right which the Spa
inilrds may cndcavor to found on their
/ po,eripr occupancy, I feel il incumbent on
/ me to take possession o. the controverted
iract 20 us utmost verge, where my con-
/ duct viii be rcgulateu by that of my
ncigh5ors, who the last evening occurred
/ the spot where Col. Cushing left hnn on
/ The 1st inst. with his advanced guard
! mounted Immediately on the bank Of the RI
/ YER but YOU may rest assured, nothing