The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-01-27

oi the Americans by conqueR-Nhen the SpaniG,
armament was formed on the Rio Foiide, they
oeived that the period for the Accomplishments OF this
event h-d arrived asd therefore re!oved TO remain
neutral to avoid the ceniure of the Spanh govern
s,tnt. The militia from Rapide marched on the
petition with comfortable promptTude aui fpi:,. ,
They were principally Americans. From Ope!ouias, I
troop OF hore competed OF volunteers made up
III the eoure OF a lew days and i'll perfect
dineis To receive orders march. very handfo;:,e
corps elegantly equipped, marched alto fran he Ml
| hiiPpi territory. Th. place of rendezvous at
Natcfitoches, where there Comfortable number
ut effective troops fationed in the garrifon that
| place.
About the time when thefc military preparations
for an attack the Spaniards were making genera!
Wiiknion arrived Nachi,oches to take the COM
mand cot the American forces. Ii is thought that the
Americans would have been able to cppoie between
thirteen fourteen hundred men the Span!h ar
mameut, which from the heit authority never COLI
fitted of more than eight hundred men-'The Span
iarjs all mounted horfeback, and armed with
dagger about 4 foot long, ima.i fuzee and brace
OF piitols-'ihe body was covered By high, Hli-id
worn on the left ard made Of fcverai hides OF
| leather eloicly attached together; but by means
nvu'nerabc TO the rifle ball 4, a diitanoe, or to
the Tho, CT the common horlc pItol, in ciole engage
| nlent.
rs ioun as general Wilkinfon arrived a, Nate!.to-
ches, he opened correspondence with the governor
| ct Nontsra, who was then at Nacogdoc,ies. Col.
Cuthipg, the commander of the Fort at Natchitochcs
was fent to that place with dispatches, Ratinr in
mild, polite and detrimental language the right of the
United States the tract of country then occupied by
the Spaniih armament, aud exprelling his furprie
that the Spaniards lioud pretend to any kind Of
claim to portion OF territory which had actually
been ceded To the Americans in the ceion Of Louii-
ana that he had received poftive orders from the
American executive to repel any of the
SPaniards which might be formed this ide of the
tb
Bayou St. Pierre; that it was the wifi, of the 90.
vcrnRent TO prevent the effuion of blood by every
rational means OF accommodation, but the orders OF
the executive would be rgidy enforced provided it
became expedient.
, Col. Cufhing was politely received at Nagadoches
and treated with great hopitay by the governor of
Montera, who in reply to the communications of Ge-
neral Wlkinion, ltated in very ihort dpatch that
he was not authorized to enter upon nveitigation
of the exiting differences between the two nations
but that the dispatches of the american commander in
chief nould be nme dately communicated to the 90
vernmert of Mexico The governor of Montera
added in verbal nleiIagc by COL Cuihng, that ac-
counts had arrived from Madrid Of an amcable ne
gociation between the two countries having taken
place that the Foridas had been ceded to the Uni
ted States for esr :rHions Of 9Nrt, and that under
thoe circumstances, as it was not the deGre of his
government that blood hould be fhcd upon that oc
ca!ion, the SPani!h armament ihoud be Withdrawn
TO the wehern de of the Sabine. 1t was accordingly
ordered to paio that river.
A few days after the retreat of the Standards, an
officer belonging the army came in with dilpatches
from the governor general of Mexico They contain
ed an aniwer to thoie which had been fent to Mex-
co by general Harrara, when Gov. Claiborne and
that Officer firit opened their cerrefpondence. Thefe
dispatches were brought in twenty fix days, d;hance
of 700 leagues, and being of public nature, were O.
Pencd by general Wilkinion. The governor of Mex.
leo expreled his furpfze that the Americans fhouJd
| loy,f ind IF Oh
Spanards had occupied this fide of the Sabine ;
has Pfsa 1HeaAfEef held a omGos
the country, as the rightful territory of hi, C,,bo;
Majety and that large army had been cole 8 ed in
Mexico tor the purPoe of maintaining the claim
OF the King OF Spain that with refpe4 70
4 the American citizens who bad been taken. thew
mould be delivered up, provided it n,oud appear
that they had not violated the laws Of the country
and that the negroes who had fled TO the Sparil DO
minions fhould be alto returned to the proprie,or.
on this latt point the governor general expreed
oehre that Tome arrangements might be made he
tween the two countries with repecf to negroes who
mould leave their matters and pats into the dominions
OK either OF ,he;wo nations.
he affair having advanced to this criiis, genera,
Wilkinon dhbanded the principal part of the miIi,i,
which had been alembled at Natchtoches, EXCEPT
company OF forty men commanded By captain WeI0h
ana the Natchez troop of horie. AS the Spanifh
government however, had aerted their right 10 the
country 'yinS between the Rio Fonde and the Sabine
and had actually taken poielIion of it with confde
rable armed force, general Wilnfon conceived it to
be his duty to iuPport the right of the United States
TO that territory, in the fame manner. He accor
diEgy wrote to general Harrara informing him tina,
1t was his intention to fix his camp near the Sabine
Several companies of folders were marched towards
that river and by the laft intelligence from Natchi
toches, 1t was the intention of the general to move
the main army forward, in the courfc of few DAYS
The condn6 Of General Wilkinfon upon this coca
lion, has been highly meritorious He has acted in
the proecuton of every meafure with uncommon
moderation, promPtitude and firn,neS. Indeed very
great merit IS attached only all the officers who
have been engaged in heie operations, but to the a.
n1ereans in general who competed our little army
The principles OF patrotfm appeared to animate all
their movements which were upon all occsfions &C.
tive, lprited and courageous in a very high DECREE
Doctor Sibley has in his pofTefion a very large vo
iume OF manuierPts, containing an account Of the an
cient boundaries of this country, and eopious details
on Its civil and political hhory. ] fhaIl go to Nat
ehoehes in few weeks for the purpofe Of procuring
additional documents on the fubjea of Indian affairs
10 Doctor Sibley, am already under great oblipat
rsfor vocabularies Of fsveral Indian languaces.
expect by the fPring to be enabled 10 complete INV
collections OIL this fubjea ofnine or ton different ii
oms. copy will be preientcd to the American PHI