Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-03-21
La Collie Mill and Block-house

which seem to prove that Wilkinson was an
agent of the king of Spain, paid by him to inlu-
ence Kentucky to secede from the Union and be-
come a Spanish ally.
II he was In the pay of Spain it evidently
wasn't enough to support his family for he went
back into the American army. was advanced to
colonel and within q year to the rank of briga-
dier-general and In 1895 he became commander
of the army.
Then followed that amazing period In his career
when, holding the highest military office In the
land, he was still, there Is good reason to be-
lieve, In the pay of Spain. Soon afterwards he
was involved In the Burr conspiracy. Like the
Spanish Conspiracy the Burr plot Is still some
thing OF a mystery with many angles as yet I'M
explained. Recent historical research has uncov-
cred evidence which indicates that Wilkinson.
Instead of Burr, was the arch-conspirator and
that Burr was only the tool Of the INSCRIPTIONS
commandments. According to one theory
Wilkinson was Jefferson's secret agent all along.
giving Burr enough rope with which to hang
himself before exposing the plot. According to
another, Wilkinson used Burr for his own ends.
then double-crossed him at the last to save his
own skin.
In the light of his past career, 1t would seem
reasonable to believe that Wilkinson was IN to
his old tricks-playing both ends against the
middle and quite capable Of betraying anyone
to further his own ambitious projects. But what
ever the truth of the matter, the fact remains
that although Wilkinson narrowly missed indict-
ment on a charge of treason he managed to come
through the whole affair without bearing his
just share OF the disgrace that engulfed poor
Aaron Burr and continued on his way Of play
Ing a part In important historical events.
AS commander of the army he sent Lieutenant
off upon the exploring expeditions that
won fame for that young officer. He was one OF
the commissioners who received the Louisiana
from the French and at the outbreak
OF the War of 1872 he won a bloodless victory
by capturing Mobile and ousting the Spanish
garrison there. Then he went north to the Ca
madam border to add to his %laurels, but succeed.
ed only In w~recking what little military reputa-
ton he had left.
Still the stormy petrol of the army, he became
involved In a series Of je~alousies and chickering's
with other American generals who were. IL any
thing, more incompetent than he. The result
was the utter failure of his proposed expedition
to capture Montreal, an expedition which had
every prospect of success had 1t been carried
intelligently.
In March, 1914, he launched another campaign
to "vindicate" himself. 'But instead of success
and vindication, he achieved only inglorious de-
feat In the Insignificant battle of La Collie Mil"
That was the end of James Wilkinson. He was
relieved Of his command and ordered to Wash
lngton under arrest to await court-martial. "The
wait was long. The harassed administration at.
tempting to wage war without money. without
ships, almost without soldiers, and with pener-
ais who achieved disaster with monotonous reg
ularity, had not time to waste on the trial of one
Of its failures" Perhaps If he had been tried II
would have been with the usual result. For dur
Ing his career he had been before three courts
Of inquiry on charges ranging all the way from
neglect of military duty to treason and each time
be had managed to escape with a coat of white
wash.
quietly into obscurity. He spent the next few
years writing his Memoirs" a voluminous and
verbose alibi for all the things that had ever
been charged against him, and managing his
on the Mississippi below New Orleans
Then we find him In Mexico City also adjusting
of American citizens entrusted to him
In trying to obtain a grant of land on what
8 now the site Of Galveston, Texas, from the
Spanish 'in recognition of services rendered"l
He died In 1926 and was buried beneath the
-hurch Of San Miguel in the Mexican capital.
The exact site Of his grave Is unmarked and
inknown-an appropriate end, perhaps, to the
nan who received so much from his country
md gave so little In return.
@ by Western Newspaper Union.