USA > Louisiana > The history of Louisiana : from the earliest period, Volume II > Part 4
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The ordinary alcades, for this year, were Forstall and the Chevalier de Villiers.
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Don Diego Joseph Navarro succeeded the Mar- quis de la Torre, as captain-general of the island of Cuba and province of Louisiana.
Bya royal schedule of the month of March, the duty of four per cent. on the exportation of colonial produce from Louisiana, was reduced to two.
The commerce of the province was encouraged by the permission given to vessels from the French West India Islands to come in ballast to the Missis- sippi, and take, at New-Orleans or on the plantations, the produce of the country, paying therefor in specie, bills of exchange, or Guinea negroes. The introduc- tion of negroes born, or who had remained some time in the islands, was already considered as dan- gerous, and had been prohibited. Vesselsfrom Louisi- ana were also permitted to bring from the island of Cuba, or Campoachy, produce or European goods. Agriculture was also encouraged by an order to the colonial government, to purchase, for the king's ac- count, all the tobacco raised in the colony.
'This year, several large canoes came from Fort Pitt to New-Orleans, for the purpose of taking the munitions of war which had been collected for the use of the United States, by Oliver Pollock, probably with the aid, but certainly with the knowledge of Galvez. Captain Willing, of Philadelphia, who came in one of these bouts, visited the British settle- ments on the Mississippi, and some of his companions crossed the lakes to Mobile, with the view to induce the inhabitants to raise the striped banner, and join their countrymen in the struggle for freedom. The people of both the Floridas, however, remained sted- fast in their attachment to the royal cause. Perhaps those on the Mississippi and in Mobile were deterred by the late tragedy in New-Orleans. The thin and
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sparse population of both the Floridas, their distance from the provinces engaged in the war, and the con- sequent difficulty of receiving any assistance from them, influenced the conduct of the inhabitants.
The militia of the western part of the state of Vir- ginia, made several very successful incursions into the country to the west of the Ohio, and on the banks of the Mississippi. 'They possessed themselves of Kaskaskia, and some other posts on that stream. By an act of the legislature, these were afterwards created into a county called Illinois. A regiment of infantry and a troop of horse were raised for its pro- tection, and placed under the command of Col. Clark.
The limits of the former province of Carolina to the west, were fixed, in the charter of Charles the second, on the Pacific ocean. By the treaty between Great Britain and France, the Mississippi was given to North Carolina, as its western limit. By the pro- clamation of 1763, George the third had forbidden any settlement of white people to the west of the mountains. Nevertheless, a considerable number of emigrants from North Carolina had removed to the banks of the Watauga, one of the bran- ches of the Holston. They had increased to such a degree, that in 1776, their claim to represen- tation in the convention that formed the constitution was admitted. 'This year, they were formed into a county which had the Mississippi for its western boundary.
The erection of that county by the state of North Carolina, and that of the county of Illinois by the state of Virginia, are the first instances of measures taken to extend the execution of the laws of the Ame- rican states to the banks of the Mississippi.
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Washington was successful in an attack near Princeton, on the twelfth of January. The British army landed on the banks of Elk river, and repulsed the Americans at Brandywine on the eleventh of September, and soon after entered Philadelphia. The Americans were again unsuccessful at German- town on the fourth of October; but these misfortunes were in some degree compensated by their success in the north, and the surrender of the British army ander Burgoyne, at Saratoga, on the twentieth.
The ordinary alcades for the year 1778, were Na- varro and Dufossat.
During the month of January, captain Willing made a second visit to New-Orleans. Oliver Pol- lock now acted openly as the agent of the Americans, with the countenance of Galvez, who now, and at subsequent periods, afforded thein an aid of upwards of seventy thousand dollars out of the royal treasury. By this means, the posts occupied by the militia of Virginia on the Mississippi, and the frontier inhabit- ants of the State of Pennsylvania, wore supplied with arms and ammunition. New hands were engaged to row up the boats; and Willing, with most of the men who had come down, about fifty in number, engaged in a predatory excursion agianst the British planters on the Mississippi. They proceeded to bayou Man- . chac, where they captured a small vessel which they found at anchor. They went in her to Baton Rouge, stopping on their way at several plantations, where they sat fire to the houses and carried off' the slaves.
On hearing of their approach, the British planters, on the left bank of the Mississippi, crossed the stream with their slaves and most valuable effects. The in- habitants were so few and so scattered, that they
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were unable to make any effectual resistance to the invaders, who proceeded as far as Natchez, laying waste the plantations, destroying the stock, burning the houses, and taking off such slaves as remained.
Although the government and people of Louisiana were well disposed towards the United States, this cruel, wanton, and unprovoked conduct towards a helpless community, was viewed with great indig- nation and horror, much increased by the circum- stance of Willing having been hospitably received and entertained, the preceding year, in several hou- ses which he now committed to the flan es!
The province now received a considerable acces- sion of population, by the arrival of a number of fami- lies, brought over at the king's expense, from the Canary islands. A part of them formed a new settle- ment at the Terre-aux-Bœufs, below New-Orleans, under the order of M rigny de Mandeville; a part was kcaled on the banks of the river Amite, behind Baton Rouge, under the order of St. Maxent, and formed the settlement of Galveztown: the rest formed that of Valenzuela, on Bayou Lafourche.
A house was built for each family, and a church in each settlement. "They were supplied with cattle, fowls and farming utensils; rations were furnished them for a period of four years out of the king's stores, and considerable pecuniary assistance was al- so afforded to them.
By a royal schedule of the fourth of May, the in- demnity to be paid to owners of slaves condemned to death, perpetual labour, or transportation, or kill d in the attempt to arrest them, when runaway, was fixed at two hundred dollars a head; but in the lat- ter case, the indemnity was due, only, to those who had previously consented to pay a proportion of the price of slaves thus killed.
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On the twentieth of April, Galvez issued a procla- mation, by which, owing to the distresses of the times, and the difficulty of disposing of the produce of the province, he permitted its exportation to any of the ports of France; and by another proclamation, on the seventeenth, the permission was extended to any port of the United States.
The king made, on the eighteenth of October, new regulations for the commerce of his American do- minions, and particularly for that of Louisiana. Con- sidering it necessary, to his service, to encourage the trade of that province, and to increase its prosperity, he directed that vessels from New-Orleans should no longer be restricted to sail for one of the six ports to which they had been restricted, but might sail to any of the other ports of the peninsula, to which the ' commerce of the Indies was permitted. The expor- tation of furs and peltries from Louisiana was at the same time encouraged, by an exemption from duty during a period of ten years; but in the re-exporta- tion from Spain the ordinary duty was to be paid.
Two royal schedules were this year published in Louisiana. By the first, the introduction or reading of a book written by Mercier, entitled L'an Derx Mille Quatre Cent Quarante, was prohibited ; and the governor was ordered to cause every copy of it found in the province to be seized and destroyed. The other schedule was to the same effect, in regard to Robertson's history of America. Mercier's book had been condemned by the Inquisition, and the king said he had just reason to prohibit Robertson's being read in his American dominions.
'There were, at this period. a considerable number of individuals from the United States and West and East Florida and Nova Scotia, in New-Orleans.
sintrans its au hin hin
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They were all required to take an oath of fidelity to the king of Spain during their residence in his domin- ions, or depart. It appears the oath was taken by eighty-three individuals.
Colonel Hamilton, who commanded at the British post at Detroit, came this year to Vincennes, on the Wabash, with about six hundred men, chiefly In- dians, with a view to an expedition against Kaskas- kia, and up the Ohio as far as Fort Pitt, and the back settlements of Virginia. Colonel Clark heard, from a trader who came down from Vincennes to Kaskaskia, that Hamilton, not intending to take the field until spring, had sent most of his force to block up the Ohio, or to harass the frontier settlers, keep- ing at Vincennes sixty soldiers only, with three pieces of cannon and some swivels. The resolution was im- mediately taken to improve the favourable opportu- nity for averting the impending danger; and Clark accordingly despatched a small galley, mounting two four pounders and four swivels, on board of which he put a company of soldiers, with orders to pursue her way up the Wabash, and anchor a few miles be- low Vincennes, suffering nothing to pass her. He now sat off with one hundred and twenty men, the whole force he could command, and marched to- wards Vincennes. They were five days in crossing the low lands of the Wabash, in the neighbourhood of Vincennes, after having spent sixty in crossing the wilderness, wading for several nights up to their breasts in water. Appearing suddenly before the town. they surprised and took it. Hamilton for a while defended the fort, but was at last compelled to surrender.
The prospects of the United States had bech much
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brightened, on the recognition of their independence by France, and the conclusion of a treaty of alliance and commerce with that power, on the sixth of Fe- bruary.
In the summer, the British evacuated Philadel- phia, and marched through the state of Jersey to New-York. A large detachment of it invaded the coast of the state of Georgia, and took possession of Savannah.
The cabildo made choice of Piernas and Duver- ger as ordinary alcades, on the first of January, 1779.
Toutant de Beauregard took his seat in that body as a perpetual regidor and principal provincial al- cade; and Mazange succeeded Garic as clerk.
Don Juan Dorotheo del Portege succeeded Odo- ardo in the office of auditor of war and assessor of government.
According to the order made the last year, eigh- ty-seven individuals from the United States. or Brit- ish provinces, took a temporary oath of fidelity to the Catholic king.
The province, this year, received another accession . of population, by the arrival ofa number of families brought over, at the king's expense, from Malaga. They were treated as favourably as those who came, in the preceding year, from the Canary islands. It appears, from documents extant, that some heads of families received, besides a grant ofland, in cattle, rations, pecuniary and other aid, between three and four thousand dollars. They were sent to form a settlement on bayou Toche, in the district of the Atakapas, under the order of Bouligny. The place was called New-Iberia. The industry of
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the new comers was at first directed to the culture of flax and hemp; but without success.
At the same time, the king sent a spiritual relief to the province, consisting of six capuchin friars; one of whom, at this day, remains in the exercise of his pastoral functions, as curate of the parish of St. Louis in the city of New-Orleans.
'The small pox made great havock in New-Orleans and on the plantations, above and below.
Great Britain had considered the recognition of the independence of the United States by France, the treaty of alliance and commerce which she had con- eluded with them, and the succour which she had af- forded them, as equivalent to a declaration of war; and hostilities had actually begun, when Spain offer- ed her mediation, and proposed a general peace for a term of years, with a meeting of the ministers of the belligerent powers at Madrid, to which those of the United States were to be admitted, and treated as the representatives of an independent people. Altho' it was not insisted that the king of Great Britain should formally recognise his former subjects as inde- pendent, it was understood that they should be so de facto, and absolutely separated from the empire of Great Britian. On the declaration by the cabinet of St. James, that no negociation would be entered into with the United States, even under the modifications proposed, the Catholic king determined on taking a part in the war, and ordered his ambassador at Lon- don to deliver a reseript, in which, after reciting sev- cral grounds of complaint, he declared his sovereign's determination to use every means in his power to olxain justice. The ambassador left London without taking leave; and letters of marque and reprisals
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against the ships and subjects of Spain were immedi- ately issued.
On the eighth of May, war was declared by Spain; and on the eighth of July, a royal schedule was issued, authorising the king's subjects in the In- dies to take part in it, the latter document reciting that the king of Great Britain had sought to indemni- fy himself, for the loss of his American provinces, by the seizure of those of Spain, having, by various ar- tifices, endeavoured to raise up new enemies against her, among the Indian nations in Florida, whom he had induced to conspire against the king's innocent vassals in Louisiana.
With the official account of the rupture, Galvez, who had hitherto exercised the functions of governor pro tempore, received the king's commission of go- vernor and intendant. Ile immediately thought of the attack of the British possessions in the neighbour- hood, and convened a council of war to deliberate on it. The proposition was rejected, and the council recommended that, until a reinforcement could be obtained from Havana, defensive measures should be alone resorted to.
Impatient of the state of inaction to which the deter- mination of the council condemned him, the chief endeavoured to collect a body of men sufficient to justify him in taking on himself the responsibility of acting in opposition to the opinion of his legal advi- sers. There were a number of men from the Uni- ted States in and near New-Orleans, who offered their services. The militia volunteered theirs. In this manner, with the regular force and many of the people of colour, an army of about fourteen hundred men was collected, 'The fatigue of a forced march and the diseases incident to the climate towards the
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end of the summer, considerably reduced this force before they reached Fort Bute, on bayou Manchac, which was taken by assault on the seventh day of September, within less than sixty days from the date of the royal schedule authorising the king's Ameri- can subjects to take part in the war.
The army marched, without loss of time, to Baton Rouge. Colonel Dickson had there a garrison of little more than four hundred British soldiers and one hundred militia. He was well supplied with arms, ammunition and provisions; but the fort was in ruins, and his men sickly. He was not, however, to be surprised by a coup de main. Galvez imme- diately invested the fort, and began with the erection of batteries, on which he mounted his heavy ord- nance. In two hours and a half after the cannonade began, on the twenty-first of September, Dickson proposed a capitulation, which was soon after agreed to. 'The honors of war were accorded to the garrison, and they were made prisoners. The surrender of fort Panmure, at Natchez, and two small posts, one on Amite river and the other on Thompson creek, were included in the capitulation. Don Car- los de Grandpre was left in command at Baton - Rouge, with two officers under him at fort Bute and fort Panmure, and the army marched back to New- Orleans.
Julien Poydras, (a gentleman who afterwards be- came conspicuous by his great wealth and his services in congress, and the territorial and state le- gislatures) celebrated the achievement of Galvez in a small poem, in the French language, which was printed and circulated at the king's expense.
'The elements were not so favourable to Louisiana, as the God of war. A hurricane desolated it in the VOL. II.
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fall, and the small-pox, the ravages of which were not yet lessened by innoculation or vaccination, made much havock in the city and its neighbourhood.
The arms of the United States were not as success- ful on the shores of the Atlantic, as those of Spain were on the banks of the Mississippi. During the summer, the Americans made an irruption, under General Howe, into the province of East Florida, and the diseases incident to the climate at that season of the year, proved fatal to a considerable part of the forces. An unsuccessful attempt was also made, dur- ing the winter, to dislodge the English from Sa- vannah.
Congress, availing themselves of the rupture be- tween Spain and Great Britain, sent a minister to Madrid to negotiate a treatv. Ile was particularly instructed to insist on their right to the navigation of the Mississippi, as far as the sea.
The claim was opposed by Spain, and discounte- nanced by France. The minister of France, at Phi- ladelphia, had urged that his sovereign was anxious to see the independence of the United States acknow- ledged by Spain, and a treaty of alliance and com- merce entered into by these powers; and he had re- commended to the consideration of congress several matters which the Catholic king viewed as highly important. These were the rights of Spain to the exclusive navigation of the Mississippi, and to the possession of both the Floridas, and all the territory from the left bank of the stream to the back settle- ments of the former British provinces, according to the proclamation of 1763. It was contended that no part of the territory, thus claimed, was included within the limits of any of the United States, and the
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whole of it, with the Floridas, was a possession of the British crown, and consequently a legitimate oh- ject against which the Catholic king might direct his arms, with a view to its permanent acquisition. It was suggested that it was expected by the cabinet of Madrid, that congress would prohibit the inhabit- ants of the southern states from making any attempt towards settling or conquering this portion of terri- tory. The minister concluded that the United States possessing no territory beyond the mountains, except the posts of Kaskaskia and a few others, from which they had momentarily driven the British, would view the navigation of the Mississippi as an unimpor- tint object, in comparison with the recognition of their independence by, and an alliance with Spain. The late declaration of war by Spain, and the hostili- ties commenced by Galvez, an account of which was received at Philadelphia while congress was delibe- rating on the communication of the French minister, had, it is believed, considerable influence in the sub- sequent determination of that body to insist on the claim.
'This year, a number of French hunters, (coureurs de bois,) who had strayed to the banks of the Cun- berland river, built a few cabins on a spot soon after called the Bluff, and since known as the one on which the town of Nashville stands. It is situated within the limits then claimed by the state of North Caroli- ba, in her constitution, and within the territory after- wards ceded by that state to the United States. The surrounding country was inhabited by Indians only; and the nearest settlement of whites was on the banks of the Watauga, one of the branches of the 'Tennessee river, at the distance of several hundred miles.
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Panis and Duverger were the ordinary alcades for the year 1780.
Galvez's success at Manchac and Baton Rouge was now rewarded by a commission of brigadier- general
Havirg received some reinforcement from Ha- vana, he left New-Orleans, early in January, with a larger force than that which he had led to Baton Rouge during the preceding year. His object was the reduction of Fort Charlotte, on the Mobile river. He was overtaken on the gulf by a storm, by which one of his armed vessels was stranded. His troops were exposed to great danger, and a part of his pro- visions and ammunition was either totally spoiled or rendered unfit for use for some time. He succeeded at last in landing his army, artillery, military stores, and provisions, on the eastern point of Mobile river.
Had General Campbell, who was at Pensacola with a considerable force, sallied out and attacked the invaders, their defeat would have been inevi- table. Galvez was so conscious of his perilous situ- ation, that he made some preparations for a march by land to New-Orleans, leaving his baggage and artillery behind. He, however, determined on pro- ceeding to the fort, and was indebted, for his success, to the supineness of the enemy.
On his arrival, he erected six batteries, which soon effected a breach in the walls of the fort, the com- mandant of which capitulated on the fourteenth of March.
General Campbell arrived a few days after, with a force that would have been sufficient to have pre- vented the capture of the fort, but which, now th t it was in the possession of the Spaniards, became useless.
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Galvez, on his return to New-Orleans, determined on the attack of Pensacola; but the force he could command was insufficient, and he sent an officer to the captain-general to solicit a reinforcement. His messenger returned with the promise of one. Im- patient of the delay, he sailed for Havana, in order to hasten the intended succour. Having obtained troops, artillery and ammunition, he sailed on the six- teenth of October; but, on the succeeding day, some of his transports foundered in a storm, and the rest were dispersed. He collected and brought them back to Havana, on the sixteenth of November.
In the fall, the British commanding officer at Mi- chilimackinac, with about one hundred and forty men from his garrison, and near fourteen hundred Indians, attacked the Spanish post at St. Louis; but colonel Clark, who was still at Kaskaskia, came to its relief. The Indians who came from Michili- mackinac, having no idea of fighting any but Span- jards, refused to act against Americans, and com- plained of having been deceived. Clark released about fifty prisoners that had been made, and the enemy made the best of his way home.
The minister of the United States at Madrid failed. in his negotiation, and their independence was not acknowledged by Spain.
'The British army was this year successful in South Carolina. Charleston surrendered on the twelfth of May. Tarleton routed, soon after, a party of Ame- ricans under Buford, near the southern boundary of North Carolina. Gates was defeated at Camden on the sixteenth of August, and Sumpter, on the Cataw- ba, on the eighteenth. After this, Lord Cornwallis invaded the state of North Carolina. .
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Don Juan Manuel de Cagigal succeeded, during the year 1781, Navarro, as captain-general of the island of Cuba and the province of Louisiana.
Galvez was promoted to the rank of mariscal de camp. The attention he had to give to military concerns leaving him no time to be bestowed on the fiscal, Don Martin Navarro, he contador, was appointed Intendant, and Don Manuel Serano asses- sor of the intendancy. Don Antonio Lopez de Ar- mesto received the appointment of secretary of government, which he held until the cession.
Galvez left Havana for Pensacola on the twenty- eighth of February, with a man of war, two frigates, .. and several transports, on board of which were four- teen hundred and fifteen soldiers, a competent train of artillery, and abundance of ammunition. The fleet - was commanded by Don Joseph Cabro de Irazabal.
On the ninth of March, he landed his troops, ord- nance and military stores on the island of St. Ro-a, and on the next day, erected a battery to support the fleet on its passage over the bar. The attempt to cross it was made on the eleventh; but the comme. dore's ship having got aground, it was abandoned. On the next day, Galvez wrote to Irazabal, expressing his uneasiness at the risk which the fleet and convoy must run by remaining long exposed to a storm on a dangerous coast, and requested him to call the captains of the armed vessels on board of his ship, and take their opinions as to the best means of getting the fleet and transports over the bar. 'This was done, and Irazabal reported that these of- ficers had declared they were unable to form an opinion on the probable success of a second attempt, as they were without a correct chart of the coast. They complained that the pilots on board of the
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