USA > Louisiana > Sketches, historical and descriptive, of Louisiana > Part 7
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The new Spanish governor was active in organizing the government, and in establishing such military posts as tended to promote the welfare of the colony. The French code was in part abolished, and the Spanish colonial sys- tem introduced. The subordinate offices were mostly fil- led by Frenchmen, because the province was destitute of a Spanish population. This compulsive generosity, how- ever, was of great advantage; it served to secure the fi-
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delity of the officers, and to meliorate the irritated feel- ings of the inhabitants.
During the eight or nine succeeding years, few events occurred in Louisiana worthy of record. Population and improvement gradually increased. Agriculturists from the English settlements began to turn their attention to the country about Natchez, and their enterprise imparted animation to industry, and the culture of cotton became an object of importance. The example of the English excited the ambition of the Spanish colonial government, and the encouragement it afforded to foreign and domes- tic commerce, created a great demand for surplus pro- duce. Among the items of export, that of sugar was found to yield the greatest profit. Hence the planters in the Delta procured an additional number of slaves, and engaged in the culture of that article. Much knowledge of the interior was at the same time obtained, but indus- triously concealed. The Indians in a great measure ceased to trouble the frontiers, and the peltry trade was prosecu. ted with some degree of success.
The era of the American revolution was not viewed by Spain with indifference, and she found it no easy matter to* decide on the policy which it became her to pursue. England was justly alarmed at the dangerous situation of Florida, (now divided into two provinces, and called east and west Florida) especially as they were exposed to the attacks of the revolutionists on one side, and to those of the Spani- ards on the other. In a pecuniary point of view, these isolated colonies were of no real value to England ; yet it was for her interest to maintain them, and for this pur- pose a considerable number of troops was sent out to Mo- bile, Pensacola, St. Augustine, Baton Rouge, Natchez, and some other places of inferior note. If ultimately, by events of an unpropitious nature, she should find it neces- sary to yield them, the conclusion of the war presented
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. the most advantageous period for such a measure. In de- ciding on the number of troops requisite to defend the Floridas, she undervalued the skill and bravery of those the most likely to attack them.
Nothing disturbed Spain more than the contemplated establishment of an independent empire in America. She . was apprehensive, that the spirit of innovation would make its way into her provinces, and eventually dismem- ber them from the parent country. But she could not re- sist the lures held out by France ; and when she engaged in the war, it was merely as an auxiliary, and with a de- termination to promote her own interest, and to remain quiescent as regarded the independence of the United States. The acquisition of Gibraltar, Jamaica, Minorca, and the Floridas were splendid objects in her view. She readily perceived that, in case the United States succeed- ed in breaking their connexion with England, the Flori- das would change masters, and she deemed it prudent to add them to her own dominions before we had a legi- timate claim to them.
Louisiana at this period was governed by general Galvez, a man of daring ambition, and not destitute of genius and talents. He perceived the advantages which would accrue to his country from the conquest of the Floridas, and resolved to make an attempt on them. His measures were dictated with more than ordinary caution, as he was obliged mostly to depend on an undisciplined militia; and he was so fortunate as to carry them into effect with ad- dress and success. He suddenly appeared before Baton Rouge with about two thousand three hundred men, sup- ported by several pieces of heavy ordnance. The forti- fication at that place, defended by about five hundred British troops under the command of lieutenant colonel Dickson, was immediately invested, and the Spanish bat- teries constructed with ardor. But as the works of the English were too defective to resist a siege, and the sol-
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diery too much afflicted with sickness to repair them, lieu- tenant colonel Dickson, with the loss of a few killed and wounded, was obliged to surrender by capitulation on the twenty first day of September 1779. His troops were allowed to march out with the honors of war, when they submitted as prisoners. In this capitulation the fortress at Natchez was included, though the troops at that post. were permitted to pass to Pensacola.
The fall of Baton Rouge, and with it the country be- tween that post and the Yazous, infused into the Spani- ards a confidence of their own strength, and inspired them with the hopes of new successes. Another attempt was resolved on; and in 1780, general Galvez sailed from New Orleans with a considerable force of militia and re- gulars, though almost destitute of naval support, to attack the English at Mobile. 'The fleet was overtaken by a storm in the gulf ; one of the armed vessels stranded ; the troops were exposed to great dangers ; the water found its way to the provisions and ammunition, and these were either ruined, or rendered useless for some time. In this wretched condition, general Galvez finally succeeded in landing his army, together with the ordnance, military stores and provisions, near Mobile bay, and took imme- . diate measures to repair the damage they had sustained.
If the English had attacked the Spaniards at this criti- cal juncture, an easy victory would have rewarded their exertions ; and so sensible was general Galvez of this, that he made preparations to abandon his artillery and bag- gage, and to attempt a retrograde movement over land . to New Orleans. Surprised, however, at the seeming ignorance, or weakness of the English, he began to as- sume courage, and to raise the dejected spirits of his men. As soon as his provisions and stores were put in order, he boldly marched to invest the town and fort, which were defended by militia and regulars. He erected six . batteries against them. A practicable breach was soon
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made in the fort, when the garrison surrendered by capi- tulation. This was an important acquisition to the Spa- niards, and it led to the eventual reduction of Pensacola.
The English troops in this quarter suffered extremely from their inactivity and indecision. General Campbell had an army at Pensacola, sixty miles only to the east- ward of Mobile, of sufficient force to have driven the Spaniards out of Florida; yet he suffered an important fortress and harbor to fall into the hands of his enemy ! Ilis attempts at relief were so long delayed, that, when his army arrived, the town and fort were in possession of the Spaniards.
Great Britain was never, perhaps, less triumphant on the ocean than at this period. The combined fleets of France and Spain manifested a confidence seldom before witnessed, and the pride of the British commerce and na- vy appeared on the decline. Spain was particularly anx- ious to recover her ancient dominions in Florida, and re- solved to employ a considerable force under the fortunate general Galvez for that purpose. The capture of Mo- bile induced her to send to the Havanna nearly twelve thousand men, together with a formidable fleet, under admiral Solano. At that place, and on the voyage from Spain, vast numbers died of sickness, and several large ships, filled with men, went to the bottom in a subsequent gale.
Just before the arrival of this fleet and army, general Galvez made two unsuccessful attempts on Pensacola, and then repaired to the Havanna in pursuit of competent supplies, and a force equal to the object in view.
From the fleet of admiral Solano he obtained all the requisite means, and early in February 1781, set sail with a strong naval and military force. But a violent storm in the gulf sunk some of his heavy ships, as already menti- oned, dispersed the remainder, and obliged him to make the best of his way back to the Havanna.
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The fortunate arrival of some store ships from Spain, enabled him to repair his losses, and speedily to be at sea again, On the ninth of March the Spanish fleet entered the bay of Pensacola, and general Galvez proceeded to land the troops, ordnance, and military stores. "The next day the ships of war made an attempt to enter the har- bor ; but they met with such a warm reception as oblig- ed them to retire. On the nineteenth they succeeded un- " der a tremendous cannonade from the English land bat- teries, and cast anchor before the town. Some Spanish troops from Mobile arrived the following day, and were very roughly handled as they entered the harbor.
'The Spaniards lost no time in opening a land commu- nication between the bay and town, and in preparing to attack the fortifications. They were provided with a good train of artillery ; and such was the nature of the country, and the materials with which it abounded, that their works were soon consructed.
From the Spanish fleet on one side, and the land bat- teries on the other, the English soldiery were exposed to such a dreadful fire as frequently to be driven from their guns. Yet amid this scene of dangerous hostility they never despaired of the issue, till an unlucky accident oc- curred, which obliged them to propose terms of capitula- tion. The magazine in one of the advance redoubts of the English was blown up by means of a shell ; the work was completely destroyed by the explosion, and a free passage opened into the town.
The Spanish commander was not disinclined to accede to favorable terms, particularly as his troops smarted se- verely under the effects of the English ordnance. On the ninth of May, generals Galvez and Campbell signed arti- cles of capitulation. The whole of the territory, then denominated West Florida, was resigned to Spain. The English were allowed to retain their baggage and private property, and to retire where they pleased, stipulating on-
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ly not to serve against Spain till an exchange took place. General Campbell was charged, at least in the publications of the day, with a premature surrender of this important fortress and colony. Success is too often considered as the only criterion of merit, and the want of it seldom meets with a favorable interpretation from the public.
The number of killed and wounded among the Spani- ards was never precisely known ; but it was considerable. About one hundred of the English were killed, and a great number wounded. The capitulation included about one thousand prisoners.
An occurrence took place during the siege, which in- volved some of the English settlers in difficulty. A con- siderable fleet made its appearance in the offing, and it was on both sides conjectured to belong to the English. General Galvez was so apprehensive of it, that he prepar- ed to abandon the advantages he had gained, and to lead his army over land to Mobile. The hopes of the besieg- ed experienced a momentary elevation ; but it was soon ascertained that the fleet in question belonged to the French. The tidings of relief, however, soon spread o- ver the country ; and so confident were the people of the total expulsion of the Spaniards from Florida, that those in the neighborhood of Natchez rose in arms, and seized on the Spanish garrison at that place. The news of the fall of Pensacola, which arrived soon after, convinced them of their error. The garrison was immediately re- stored ; but some of the most active leaders deemed it prudent to seek safety in flight, and a reward was offered for their scalps. It does not appear, however, that any blood was spilt on the occasion.
While the Spaniards were aiming at the possession of West Florida, the English endeavoured to divert their at- tention to another quarter. 'The commandant of Michil- limakinak in 1780, assembled about fifteen hundred Indi- ans, and one hundred and forty English, and attempted
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the reduction of St. Louis, the capital of Upper Louisia > na. During the short time they were before that town, sixty of the inhabitants were killed, and thirty taken pri- soners. Fortunately for them, general Clark was on the the opposite side of the Mississippi with a considerable force. On his appearance at St. Louis with a strong de- tachment, the Indians were amazed. They had no dis- position to quarrel with any other than the Louisianians, and charged the English with deception. In fine, as the - jealousy of the Indians was excited, the English trembled for their safety, and therefore secretly abandoned their auxiliaries, and made the best of their way into Canada. The Indians then retired to their homes in peace. This expedition, as appears, was not sanctioned by the Eng- lish court, and the private property of the commandant wat seized to pay the expenses of it ; most likely because it proved unfortunate.
Thus terminated the dispute between the English and Spaniards in this quarter of the globe. At the peace of 1783, Great Britain ceded East Florida, and guaranteed West Florida to the crown of Spain.
The terms of this peace opened a wide field of dispute between the United States and Spain, which continued to agitate the two nations for about twelve years. Great Britain by treaty relinquished the Floridas to Spain, with- out any specific boundaries, and by another treaty of a simultaneous date, ceded to the United States all the country to the north of the thirty first degree. Soon af- ter the treaty of 1763, she divided Florida into two pro- vinces. 'The northern boundary of what she denominated West Florida, was at first limited to the thirty first de- gree, but was eventually extended to the Yazous in north latitude thirty two degrees, twenty eight minutes, where it actually existed at the time of the guarantee in 1783. This boundary had no existence under the French go- vernment; what was afterwards called West Florida, was
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at that time included in Louisiana. Besides, at the time of the guarantee already mentioned, the Spaniards were in possession of West Florida, as antecedently occupied by the English, in virtue of the right of conquest. Hence the pretensions of Spain to all the territory south of the Yazous, were, perhaps, as well founded as those of the United States.
Another point of still greater magnitude was involved in the dispute ; the United States claimed the right of na- vigating the Mississippi, and Spain contested it. The treaty of 1763, allowed both Great Britain and Spain an equal participation of this right. The latter contended that the reduction of West Florida by force of arms, ves- ted in her an exclusive right to that river below the up- per boundary of her dominions on the east side of it, and even denied to the United States the least shadow of claim to participate it with her.
. . But Spain had other and more powerful reasons for ob- structing the navigation of the Mississippi. She was ap- prehensive that New Orleans would be glutted with the produce of the country about the Ohio, and of course exclude her own subjects from a profitable market. It was likewise her policy to have as little intercourse as possible with a people, whose rapid population and enter- prise, added to the nature of their political principles, ex- cited serious apprehensions for the safety of her colonies.
. To open the navigation of the Mississippi appeared to her the same as to invite an attack, particularly as it would draw to the capital, an army of boatmen, equal to the conquest of Louisiana. Besides, she contemplated the' annexation of some of our western territories to her do- minions, and conceived, that an interdiction of commer- cial pursuits was the most likely means of facilitating that desirable event.
At the close of the American revolution, the country about the Ohio and its waters was rapidly populated; and
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so early as 1785, Kentucky alone contained about twelve . thousand souls. The propriety of forming a new state on the western waters was now for the first time suggest- ed, and Virginia was disposed to accelerate the measure. A convention met at Danville to deliberate on the subject ; but a majority of the members declared against it.
The political relations of these people were much em- barrassed. . Their legislature convened six hundred miles from them, and the confederation was so defective as to leave them almost unprotected by the United States. Their distance too from the Atlantic markets, (rendered difficult of access from an almost impenetrable wilder- ness, and a chain of stupendous mountains ) exposed them to many serious inconveniences. Vain were their attempts to obtain a market at New Orleans for their produce. The navigation of the Mississippi was strictly prohibited by the Spaniards, and even the United States seemed disposed to. : acquiesce in this prohibition for at least a term of years ! The courts of justice established among them by the le- gislature of Virginia, served to remedy some of their local evils ; but those of a more universal nature, and of the greatest magnitude, still remained to be removed.
The climate and soil of Kentucky proved extremely fa- vorable to agricultural pursuits. The planters soon found themselves in possession of large quantities of surplus produce, and a rapid accumulation was rendered certain from their industry. This made them the more impatient of the restraints under which they labored, and incited them to utter their complaints to the legislature of the union.
For this purpose another convention was formed in Kentucky in 1788. A petition to congress was agreed on, and a redress of grievances demanded, particularly the renovation of the Mississippi commerce. Not much was expected from this measure, and the convention resorted to it more from a sense of duty than any prospect of suc-
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cess. "Our confederated government at that time was ex- tremely weak at home, and not much respected abroad. 'The warm remonstrance of congress, however, produced a temporary relaxation of the usual restrictions; yet as the impediments were not fully removed, and the dura- tion of the indulgence uncertain, the ferment continued to rage among the western people.
Abandoned in a manner by their own government, and denied admittance to the ocean by the Spaniards, they felt some alarm for their interest, and much more for their safety. The exertions of congress in their favor had proved ineffectual, and the hardy lessons of experience persuaded all, that their future fate almost wholly depended on themselves. Many expedients to obtain redress were sug- gested, though the majority acceded to none of them. A diversity of mere opinion only, at first prevailed among the Kentuckians ; but this served in the end to excite their jealousy, and to mould them into no less than five parties of opposite sentiments and views. The design of the first was to become independent of the United States, to frame a government for the western settlements, and · to enter into a commercial treaty with Spain. . The se- cond aimed to annex Kentucky to Louisiana, and to admit the Spanish laws among them : 'This scheme was strenu- ously supported by the government of Spain, which en- deavored by means of its partizans to corrupt the minds of the people. The third was anxious to wage war with the Spaniards, and to seize on New Orleans. The fourth exerted itself to maintain the connexion between the wes- tern settlements and the Atlantic states ; and at the same time to intimidate the Spanish authorities with threats of invasion, and thereby to extort from them what they were inclined to refuse. The object of the fifth was to induce France to obtain the retrocession of Louisiana, and then to receive the western people under her protec-
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tion. Each party had its views in the plans proposed, and some of them had a favorable effect.
The fears of an invasion, much more than the execu- tion of any other project, alarmed the Spaniards, and oc- casionally induced them to soften the rigor of their com- mercial restrictions. The settlements on the Ohio ap- peared formidable, and the character of the people was , not much liked among them. They still kept in view the plan of disunion, and conceived it good policy to vary their mode of operations ; particularly as, with all their exertions, they had not been able to raise a party suffici- ently strong and respectable to justify a public manifesta- tion of their designs. In fine, they determined to try the effect of lenient measures. They conceived it practicable, by moderate concessions, and the distribution of money and other largesses among the leading characters,to bring about a gradual revolution in the public sentiment.
Exclusive privileges in trade were never deemed ano- malous under the Spanish government; and the authori- ties at New Orleans conceived it good policy to extend them to Kentucky, especially as they were sure to find a friend in every privileged trader. 'These grants were restricted to a few influential individuals : But as these soon discovered their inability to transport all the surplus produce of the country, permission was given them to sign passports for such of their friends as wished to try the market ; and New Orleans in the end swarmed with people from the Ohio. Pensions were likewise granted to a number of individuals in Kentucky ; not more, per- haps, to detach them from the interest of their own country, than to induce them to resist any preparations to attack the territories of Spain. The Spaniards expec- ted that these commercial privileges and pensions would perform wonders, and operate like a charm on the stub. born and refractory sons of Kentucky.
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Our present federal government, soon after its estab- lishment, began to extort the respect of the powers of Europe. Perhaps the character of Washington not a lit- de contributed to the lustre it shed. It was among his first cares to attempt the settlement of the difficulties be- tween us and Spain. The free navigation of the Missis- sippi, and the designation of the territorial limits, were, claimed in a tone not to be rejected ; and after a variety of discussions, the points in dispute between us and that power were happily adjusted.
Pending this negociation, which was of several years continuance, the English and French were not inattentive to the distresses of the western people, nor unacquainted with the attempts of Spain to extend its jurisdiction over them. Both of these powers aimed at the possession of - Louisiana and the Floridas, and were equally desirous of detaching Kentucky, and the other settlements on the Ohio, from the United States. The Spaniards redoubled their efforts to procure a division of the union, and by this measure to frustrate the policy of their enemies.
Emissaries from Canada tampered with some of the defectious citizens of Kentucky. The Spanish possessi- ons on the Mississippi, according to them, were soon to be in the hands of England, when the money and rich fabrics of that nation would amply reward the industry of the planters. New Orleans was to be opened for the reception of their provisions and raw materials of every kind, and commercial privileges of an advantageous na- ture were to be enjoyed by all the inhabitants on the west side of the mountains. The delta, indeed, was to be the grand emporium of the western world, from which floods of wealth were to roll into the wilds and recesses of the regions on the Ohio.
The people, however, were not much moved by thesc Aattering prospects. They still entertained antipathies against the English, and were not disposed to come again 1
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under their dominion. Besides, the hopes of escaping `from their difficulties had not entirely forsaken them, and they were unwilling to incur the stigma of an ignominious desertion of their country.
Lures of the same nature were held out by the French, and with more" effect. We had received benefits from that nation, and were disposed to consider her revolution as a struggle between tyranny and liberty. An imprudent diplomatic character took advantage of this generous par- tiality, concerted a plan to attack Louisiana, and to carry it into effect by means of the citizens of the United States. This was one of the boldest steps ever taken by a public minister. Had he succeeded in his endeavors, a war be -- tween us and Spain would have been inevitable. Nothing but the wisdom and firmness of our government saved us from the impending calamity; and at the same time pro- cured the recall of the minister, who, by repeated acts of aggression, had forfeited all claim to inviolability.
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