In 1743 Justo Bonev y Morales was sent to replace Winthuisin as Governor. Morales, a Knight of the Order of Santiago, was a man befitting the ideals of St. Denis, who was now a Knight of the Order of St. Louis. These two visited often, two knights on a tiny western frontier. By now the French and Spanish had intermarried frequently so that the Arroyo Hondo barrier stood in name only.
On June 11, 1744, St. Denis died. Morales came to offer his condolences as did many from Los Adais. Indians and slaves alike bowed their heads to the memory of this man.
Governor Morales, in keeping with the false cold front of diplomacy, wrote his superiors, “St. Denis is dead, thank God, now we can breathe easier”.
Captain Caesar de Blanc, a son-in-law of St. Denis, was appointed Post Commandante at Natchitoches and in the same year, 1744, Governor Morales was replaced by Francois Garcia Larios. These two men had no outstanding quarrels, for during these four years both the French and the Spanish prospered, crops were favorable and the trail from Los Adais was traveled daily by each of the nationalities. The Natchitoches area was prosperous and shipped to New Orleans, tobacco, cattle, horses and other farm products. Even those farmers at Los Adais were selling to the New Orleans market. Young Gil Y. Barbo was importing wild cattle and horses, obtained from the plains of Texas, driven over El Camino Real to the Adais-Natchitoches frontier, and on to New Orleans.
There was a working agreement between Juan de Mora and Lt. Derbonne, now retired from the French army and a civilian, farmer, trader and exporter of note in the Natchitoches post area.
In 1748 Pedro del Barrios Jacinto y Esprilla, an Alcolade of the Santo Hernando of all New Spain, was appointed the new Governor of Los Adais. The humdrum life of the frontier was too much for the new Governor so he gave up his position to Jacinto de Barrios y Gauregui in 1750. Barrios remained as governor until 1759, having had the fortitude to be Governor of Los Adais for a longer span of time than any of his predecessors. By now third generation Spaniards were being born on the Texas frontier from San Antonio De Bexar to Los Adais. These people were experiencing a new freedom not felt anywhere else in New Spain. They now regarded this land of Texas as their own. The seat of government was too far away to exercise a cloistered, ruling hand over them.
In 1759 Angle de Martos y Navarette replaced Jacinto Barrios as Governor of Los Adais. Navarette was a merchant and began to liven the frontier. Up to this time the French were supplying the area with all needed material, but when the new Governor came, fine Spanish lace, woolens and linen, finer than any which had previously been offered for sale on the frontier, and nails, which had always been scarce on the frontier, became plentiful.
In 1762 Louis XV gave Louisiana to his cousin Charles III of Spain.
In 1762 Caesar De Blanc was replaced at Natchitoches by Adrian Francois Le Doux as Post Commandante. He was in turn replaced by Angelus La Perrier in 1764. Perrier was the Commandante who received the first Catholic nuns to arrive in Natchitoches; thus 1765 marked the date of the beginning of formal scholastic training in the area.
Through his merchandising endeavors on this French-Spanish frontier Navarette had amassed for himself an estimated eighty thousand dollar fortune. In 1767 Don Hugo O’Connor was appointed Governor of the Adais and Texas country, and in November of that year, on the seventh day, Commandante La Perrier had the sad responsibility of turning over the Natchitoches Post to Don Antonio Ulloa representing the Spanish Government. In this same year O’Connor received a visitor, Padre Jose de Solice, who kept a diary of his visitation which was translated by Reverend Peter T. Forristal and was published as one of the preliminary studies of the Texas-Coahuila Historical Society.
Father Solice records the work of the priests of the Mission de Los Adais. There were 256 baptisms, 64 marriages and 116 burials. At the Natchitoches Post he found records of 20 baptisms, 13 marriages and 15 burials. (Natchitoches was quite often without the services of a priest and the padres of Los Adais supplied their spiritual needs).
Also, in 1767 Athanase De Mezieres, a Frenchman, was appointed Commandante of Post St. Jean Baptiste Des Natchitoches.
In 1770 Baron de Ripperda was appointed Governor of Los Adais and it befell his duty to see to the evacuation of Presidio Senors del Pilar de Los Adais. The Spanish authorities decided that now that the Louisiana Territory was entirely under Spanish jurisdiction, this presidio was no longer necessary.[9]
Ripperda issued orders that all settlers and army personnel were to be ready in three days to leave the area. Many of the farmers fled to the Natchitoches area with their families and worldly goods.
With Natchitoches now the seat of Government of the Texas area westward to San Antonio, El Camino Real was lengthened at least fifteen miles in extent from Natchitoches to Mexico City. De Mezieres had under his jurisdiction an area extending from Post Du Rapides (Alexandria) to the Ataquapois in Oklahoma southward to San Antonio.
The inhabitants of Los Adais and those residing around the missions in the Nacogdoches area were rebellious and Baron Ripperda extended his ultimatum to five days.
Antonio Gil y Barbo and Gil Flores became the heroes of the evacuation of Los Adais, some five hundred men, women and children moved to the vicinity of San Antonio. The former inhabitants of El Camino Real were not happy. They longed for the fertile soil and forests which abounded in wild game of the East Texas and West Louisiana area. Flores and y Barbo were sent with a petition to the Viceroy of Mexico. The two returned with the news that the people would be allowed to settle in a new area. They moved to a settlement on the Trinity River at Robbins Crossing, the present day location in Madison County, Texas.
Floods and the danger of hostile Indians soon forced the settlers to seek a new environment. They moved eastward to Nacogdoches under the leadership of y Barbo. There in 1779 was established the Town of Nacogdoches.
Y Barbo and a party of followers went back to Los Adais and dug up four of the six cannon buried there just prior to the evacuation of the area. They returned to Nacogdoches and re-established La Presidio de Neustra Senora de Los Delores de Nacogdoches and in the same year Antonio Gil y Barbo was appointed Commandante of the Presidio.
At Natchitoches in 1773 Commandante De Mezieres kept contact with all of this vast area by assigning traders to establish trading posts among the different Indian tribes and suppliers were assigned to each trader:
Nicholas Chef was an independent trader to the Tokawanes; these were in an area fifty miles northwest of the present-day city of Fort Worth, Texas. It was one of the most remote trading posts from Natchitoches and De Mezieres assigned a supply-patrol of the militia at the Natchitoches Post to supply the necessary trade goods. Sergeant Joseph Trichell, who had been assigned to the Natchitoches Post in 1749, was to command the patrol which consisted of Corporal Nicholas Tournier and an accountant, Nicholas Le Noir. Four musketeers, Francois Hugue, Louis Moinet, Nicholas Pent and Andries Compiere. Domingo De Soto was to act as interpreter.
This patrol was responsible for the arrest of four Englishmen who had crossed the Mississippi River and were trading among the Tokawanes. The four men were William Warden, John Cross, John Hamilton and Jerome Matalinche.
De Mezieres was vexed with Sgt. Trichell for allowing the Englishmen to sell all of their trade goods to the Indians and threatened him with imprisonment, but Trichell explained that the Indians would have gone on the war path if they had not been allowed to trade for the English merchandise. Trichell countered with the fact that all of the profits of the English traders were now in his hands and that there was no difference if De Mezieres had the trade-goods or the profits. De Mezieres paid the Englishmen in French and Spanish coin equal to the original cost of the merchandise, and this same patrol was ordered to escort the Englishmen fifty miles east of Natchez before setting them free. The Englishmen were charged with the Patrol’s expenses.
In 1770 DeMezieres following St. Denis’ method of keeping peace with the Indians, invited the Chiefs to come and stand before him at Post Du Natchitoches to receive presents in the name of the King of Spain. Along El Camino Real traveled such great Chiefs as:
Thus, by gaining the friendship and allegiance of the most important Indian Chiefs of the territory, DeMezieres established an easy feeling between the Indians and the Spanish Government.
As of February 16, 1776 DeMezieres sent this Census Report to Unzaga, Governor at New Orleans:
113 homes; 105 heads of families with 86 women; 77 youths able to bear arms; 106 infants; 34 unmarried women; 84 bachelors and non residents engaged in hunting and fishing and trade with the Indians; 2 male and 2 female free people of color; 2 male and 1 female mulattos; 410 Indian and negro slaves (men, women and children); 277 pieces of fire arms; 1258 head horses, 842 head cattle, 3000 head sheep and goats and 783 hogs and 481 mules. There was shipped from Natchitoches: 1000 head horses; 100 mules; 9 quintals of indigo; 15 fenegas of indigo seed; 30,000 packages of tobacco; 120 buffalo hides; 36,000 deer hides; 5000 ambrias of bear oil; 5000 pounds of tallow, quantities of bacon and meats, both salted and dried.
In 1802 Louisiana was ceded back to France by Spain by the Treaty of Ildefonso. On May 2, 1803 Livingston and Monroe signed with Barbe-Marbois the purchase treaty which was dated back to April 30, 1803; thus Louisiana became a possession of the United States.
Spain did not approve of the sale of Louisiana and decided to reclaim all of the land originally occupied prior to the time when Louisiana was ceded to Spain.
There was a movement of Spanish soldiers under the command of General Hurrera as far as Nacogdoches and from there patrols were sent across the Sabine River.
Fort Claiborne, established in 1805 at Natchitoches by orders of General Wilkinson, was occupied by several companies of the Second Infantry of the United States Army under the command of Major Porter.
Dr. John Sibley had been appointed Indian Agent for this area of the Southwestern Frontier by Governor Claiborne. Dr. Sibley had been keeping an account of the Spanish patrol movements east of the Sabine River through contact with the Indians of the area. On February 2, 1806, he sent a letter to Major Moses Porter at Fort Claiborne saying that there was a detachment of Spanish militia encamped at Juan Mora’s Lagoon, also known as Conichi Ranch, one league east of Los Adais on Bayou Dupont.
Lt. Piatt was sent with a letter to Nacogdoches, demanding that all Spanish patrols east of the Sabine River retire immediately to the west bank of that stream.
Captain Edward D. Turner left for the Los Adais area with a detachment of soldiers on February 5, 1806. The Spanish patrol was contacted and Captain Turner delivered the ultimatum of Major Porter that it retire to the west bank of the Sabine River.[10]
This document from the U. S. Army records shows the result of that meeting: The beginning of the Neutral Strip.
At the Adais
February 6, 1806.
I, Joseph Maria Gonzalez, commandante of his most Catholic Majesty’s troops on this side of the Rio Sabinas, hereby having agreed with Captain Edward D. Turner, Captain in the United States Army, to return all troops of his Catholic Majesty’s to the other side of the said Rio Sabinas, as soon as my horses will permit it or in five days, or at the most six, and to make my march this day and I also oblige myself to not send any more patrols on this side of the Rio Sabinas.
Signed: Ensign Joseph Maria Gonzalez Witness: John V. Duforest (Interpreter)
The above document was the result of an agreement establishing a no-man’s land between the Arroyo Hondo and the Sabine River, which neither the United States Government nor the Mexican Government would use, until a final settlement could be reached between the two said governments about a boundary. This agreement was made by two young officers representing their respective countries, both willing to fight for their countries, but both having the intelligence and initiative to declare a stalemate to prevent a war.
This forty mile wide strip of land became known as the Neutral Strip, and in it gathered the lawless of both countries. Even so, from within this lawless area were to come men who would strike the first blow for Texas independence.
In 1807 several slaves of Louis Derbonne and other planters owning land adjoining the Neutral Strip, fled into the Neutral Strip and from there they went to Nacogdoches and on to Trinidad de Salcedo on the Trinity River, where they were given refuge by the Spanish Government.
On September 5, 1807, Don Manuel de Salcedo, Governor of Texas at Nacogdoches, received a letter saying:
The planters of the Natchitoches area are threatening to organize a force of 250 men to go after slaves known to be in the Texas area of Nacogdoches and at Trinidad de Salcedo unless the slaves are returned.
The letter reminded the Spanish Governor of Article XX of the treaty between the United States and Mexico which said fugitive slaves must be returned to their owners. The letter was signed by Judge John Carr, and Justices Rouquier and Paillette.
The above letter and a letter from Governor Claiborne brought about the desired results. The governor might have been influenced by the knowledge of the Phillip Nolan filibustering expedition in 1800 which spent itself at Waco-Texas vicinity. Nolan had for several years traveled westward from the Alexandria, Louisiana area and established a trail straight westward into the Texas-San Antonio area, where he was trading for and capturing wild horses and cattle. This trail later became known as Nolan’s Trace.
When Generals Wilkinson and Herrera agreed to the boundaries set by their two junior officers, Turner and Gonzalez, they created a back door to the United States of a forty-mile-wide strip which was to become one of the most lawless places that ever existed within the confines of the United States.
Every outlaw and murderer made this Neutral Strip his destination, The Free State of Sabine, it was called. Neither Spain nor the United States wished to have the responsibility or the expense of policing this outlaw state, although the southland’s busiest road cut through the center of it. But traffic was heavy just the same. Many found that the only safe way to cross the strip was to travel in force, therefore, either at Natchitoches or on the west side of Sabine River, the travelers waited until a large enough group was gathered to guarantee safe travel.
The outlaws of the Strip dealt in horse stealing, cattle rustling, counterfeiting, or any other form of crime that might strike their fancy. There is no definite data or history of the goings-on inside the area, but many men who lived in, or traveled through the district recorded their experiences in diaries and stories or just handed down hearsay tales of the happenings in this lawless land. There, a person’s security was strapped at his hips or carried in his hands in the form of pistols, long rifles or knives. Even the long, rawhide whip was considered a deadly weapon in the hands of an expert.
Los Adais was a waystation and on the bulletin board appeared one day a word with a new meaning, Sabina 28, the same sign appeared on the Rendezvous Oak at Natchitoches. To the average citizen it meant nothing, but to those in the know it meant slaves would be for sale at a point near Pendleton at the ferry on Sabine River on the 28th of that month.
With the discovery of a new way to granulate sugar and with the invention of the cotton gin, the land around Los Adais and Natchitoches became highly productive when planted in sugar cane and cotton and more slaves were needed, but the United States had forbidden their importation.
To Jean Lafitte, the pirate, the Sabine River with the protection of the Neutral Strip, became the back door to the United States. Slaves for wagon loads of food were commonly exchanged, according to the statements of a Mr. Tulley at Los Adais and Mr. Gunlineau at Natchitoches. Lafitte needed food for his pirate operations. Up the Sabine River the boats were pulled, poled or paddled by the slaves to be sold. From the Los Adais and Natchitoches areas came wagon loads of food, smoked hams, kegs of salted bacon, cornmeal, kegs of molasses, wine, corn whiskey, dried beans, peppers, tobacco, sweet potatoes and gourds of honey, with spiced cake sent by hopeful wives to the pirates so that their husbands might make more profitable deals.
Back on the same wagons came the slaves, bolts of cloth, jewelry and perfume (Lafitte’s storehouses was filled with goods from every Spanish and British ship that he could capture). Everything was legal as far as the bills of sale went. A certain honest merchant in New Orleans, with a good reputation and scruples, signed blank bills of sale, to be filled in by Tulley and Gunlineau.
This may seem rather crude to the average reader—the smuggling of slaves and the ladies sending spiced goods to the pirates on the Sabine River. At this very time the United States was confiscating where it could slaves that had been smuggled in, selling them and giving the informers half of the proceeds of the sales. Nothing was said about putting the slaves on a boat and returning them to their homeland. (Question: Are there very many people today who try to beat the Income Tax?) There was some good to come out of all this. Lafitte assisted the United States in the defense of New Orleans in the war of 1812, furnishing men, ammunition and food. Where did he obtain the food? From the Los Adais and Natchitoches area. Lafitte, Tulley and Gunlineau were merely supplying the demand for a necessary merchandise and certainly the slaves were better off because of it.
Noah Smithwick, who had visited the Strip, wrote of the murders, robberies and numerous violations of law there. He gives us one tale that falls in line with the demand and supply of the times. Because the man he wrote about was still alive he calls this character, John Doe. Doe was a counterfeiter of money, especially the Mexican silver dollar. The people at that time had no “jingling” money for their pockets and Doe supplied this demand, with a silver-coated copper coin. Because of a slight flaw in the press the coins were easily identified and called Doe’s dollars.
An Indian approached Doe one day and handed him one of the counterfeit dollars requesting that Doe put a new skin on it. Doe obliged by giving the Indian a new counterfeit dollar for the old one, explaining to the Indian that dollars were like snakes, they always shed their skins. Doe’s dollars, although not recognized outside the Strip, were regarded as legal tender therein.
It was said that Doe’s dollars were of more handsome design than the original Mexican Eagle Silver Dollar.
Doe, however, minted pure silver dollars of the same design. He mixed enough of these with the bogus dollars so that on occasion when a dollar was questioned and the dollar tested, it was found to be of pure silver.
Doe, like all counterfeiters, wished to extend his operations but he wandered out of the Strip on the American side and was arrested.
Every old place has its ghost story and “Spanish Town” is no exception:
THE NEUTRAL STRIP
(shaded area shown)
Nolan’s Trace, cut across the southern part of the Strip from Point Coupee. Phillip Nolan blazed this Trail and used it to trade for horses in the Texas area.
This Lawless Strip of land lasted from 1806 to 1821. It was often referred to as “The Free State of Sabine”.
Note:
I show Cane River on this map. However at the time of the beginning of the Strip, Cane River was Red River. I show Red River as it is today, to show the locations of the Towns, whose People were involved in trade in the Neutral Strip.
By the year 1821, the Red River had begun to change its course to the Rigolett de Bon Duex, which was a Bayou extending from a point just above Natchitoches to Colfax, La. Thus you see the actual water ways as they are today. (Drawn by the author)
A young Spaniard had successfully traveled the Strip, bringing with him wealth and many fine cloths. He settled at Spanish Town and became the target of every single maiden there. Mariea Guiterriz, who had many suitors, won his heart. Anyone attempting to pay court to her ran the risk of losing his life in a duel with other jealous suitors. Immediately after the wedding at the reception a disappointed lover insulted the groom. Swords flashed, Mariea rushed between the duelists, a sword stabbed her—not a serious wound all were assured but infection set in and she grew worse. An old Indian gave some herbs to the young Spaniard with instructions how to use them to stop the infection. “Boil these herbs together over a small fire, the odor of the brew will change and when the odor is this”, the Indian allowed the Spaniard to smell the brew, “remember the odor because now will be the time to soak the poultice with the solution”, then the Indian was gone.
The young husband followed the instructions and Mariea began to improve, but the herbs ran out and the Indian could not be found. Mariea sickened again. The Spaniard went to the creek banks and the marshy places searching for the herbs, building countless tiny fires, brewing grasses and leaves, trying to re-discover the combination of herbs that would produce the exact odor he was seeking.
Mariea’s infection worsened and she died. The young man’s mind, not able to grasp the reality that his love had gone, became affected. His brain ceased to function past the last day that he had left her, assuring her that this would be the day that he would discover the correct blend of the herbs. From that time on, fires, tiny fires could be seen on the creek banks in the swamps and on the hillsides—a lover, true and devoted, still seeking the odor that would save the life of his beloved wife.
The crazy Spaniard, they called him, and those who came in contact with him, those who knew the details of his sad story, made the Sign of the Cross when he passed and silently said a prayer for him.
Night and day he searched for the elusive odor, always searching. Those of his age, grew old and died, and so did their sons and grandsons, but the legend lived on.
Some say they can still see him in his never-ending search, smartly dressed as he kneels by a tiny fire, others say he is old, dirty, ragged and ugly; but all say there is no need to be alarmed because this ghost walks with God.
If some day or night you see a tiny fire with a shadow kneeling by it, then you, too, are walking with God, because you, too, are one possessed of devotion and love.
One of the many buried treasures of the Sabine strip is claimed to belong to John A. Murrell, who possessed a brilliant mind which he used to break all the Commandments that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai. He was the type of man who could recite to another the entire books of the Old and New Testaments then shoot him down in cold blood.
John A. Murrell was born about the year 1800 in Williams County, Tennessee. His father was a Methodist Minister and his mother, a mountain woman, who at that time operated a wayside tavern. Through the teachings of his father he learned the Gospel and through the teachings of his mother he learned to steal. Murrell, well equipped with the knowledge of the good and the bad often passed as a preacher. In this guise he made his appearance in the Neutral Strip.
About the year 1825 Murrell went about preaching the Gospel and at the same time was organizing a band of outlaws. At Los Adais which was now called Spanish Town, at Twenty Mile House or Midway Station near Fort Jesup, in the hidden caves near Kisatchie, he established his headquarters and from these places he ranged out of the Strip to preach to the more populated communities.
Murrell could mimic the voices of many people and was an excellent actor. In each community where he preached he adapted their tone of voice and mannerisms. One of his favorite gospels was the one he called “Directions”. As he addressed his audience he may have been standing in the pulpit of a church, or atop a stump or standing in the bed of a wagon, wherever a crowd gathered Murrell felt that he should preach to them.
“Directions,” he would shout, “always when one begins a journey, he has a destination. The road to this destination is similar to the Road of Life, often along this road one has to inquire about directions, and it is so through the Journey of Life, one must follow directions laid down by the Church and the Ministers, they are the sign posts that point the way. Quite often a man while traveling this road, decides to take a short cut, instead of following the Good Book as laid down by the Church, these short cuts become his mis-deeds or his sins.
We shall assume that this Bible is the Book of Judgment and in it will be the names of every living person on the face of the earth. By each name there are two columns, one for his assets or his good deeds of life and the other column for his mis-deeds, which we shall call his de-sets.”
From here on Murrell becomes the actor in what he called, The Drama at the Gates of Heaven.
“Batiste had made the journey through life and was knocking on the Gates of Heaven, a voice from within asks, who knocks? Batiste answers and gives his full name. The voice is that of St. Peter who looks up Batiste’s record of life in the Book of Judgment. Then St. Peter explains to Batiste, we take out the pages which contain your assets and place them on one side of the scales of justice and on the other side we place the pages of your de-sets. If your assets out-weigh your de-sets, then naturally you can come in, as we place your assets and de-sets upon the scales we will review them.”
(Now Murrell becomes the comic for the benefit of his audience). “Right here Batiste on May 25, you done de-setted enough to carry over on the next three pages. Boy, you was really de-setting that day.
Here, we see your Pastor found you hunting on Sunday and you had a nice bag of squirrels, the Pastor spoke to you about it and you gave the excuse that you had your days mixed up. Again he caught you fishing on Sunday and a nice bunch you had too, you gave the excuse that you had your days mixed up again.
Now, if you had given the Pastor some of those squirrels or fish, then those de-sets of that day would have turned into assets. But all along the Road of Life you gave the excuse that you had your days mixed up. ‘Now,’ said St. Peter, as he looked at the scales, ‘because you had your days mixed up you now have your directions mixed up. You all done come the wrong way’, and he shut the door in Batiste’s face. Batiste begged for another chance but this could not be, as you know you can only travel the Road of Life once.”
Along the Neutral Strip the inhabitants catered only to hard money, that is gold and silver coins, and Murrell asked that fees for his service be paid in coin.
Murrell would place a set of balancing scales where everyone could see, on one side he placed the Bible, then he said, “this Bible will represent the Book of Judgment and I place it on this side of the scales, it will represent your mis-deeds or de-sets. Now, we are all going to stay here until you people give enough to tip these scales to the asset side.” While the collections were being made, Murrell would be expounding of the good things he intended doing with the money, he even had a few henchmen in the audience to begin the contributions and to urge the others to do the same.
Murrell becomes another legend of Los Adais and of his hidden treasures, it is believed that he had many hidden treasures which he called large banks and small banks.
No one is certain how Murrell’s death came about. Murrell’s gold and silver, and he must have had much of it, with nearly a decade of preaching, lying, robbing and murdering in the strip, could have been the cause.
There were rumors in 1806 that Aaron Burr was attempting to organize the settlers of the Neutral Strip and that an actual Free State of Sabine was to be established, Breastworks at Sabine-Town and a Block House with two companies of the United States militia were established near the confluence of Bayou Negrett and the Sabine River on the El Camino Real.
The establishment of the Block House by General Wilkinson resulted in the Spanish bolstering their strength in the western part of the Neutral Strip by giving presents to the Indians and thereby establishing an Indian barrier in the area.
The gifts amounted to two thousand seven hundred-nine pesos from the Mexican Government to be given at Nacogdoches. The Indians received muskets, lead, powder, shot, knives, razors, scissors, combs, mirrors, glass beads, war paint, copper and iron pots, ribbons, coats, bells, needles, belt buckles, ramrods, cotton goods and rum. The Indians asked for tobacco which was not available, but five hundred eighty-nine pounds of tobacco twists were smuggled from Natchitoches through the Neutral Strip to Nacogdoches by orders of Manuel de Salcedo, the Governor. Although trade was forbidden on El Camino Real by the Spanish from French Louisiana there was a continuous stream of contraband goods being smuggled into Texas. The “Contraband Trail” ran parallel to the El Camino Real about four miles distant from the El Camino Real, but crossing it intermittently in areas that were uninhabited.
The Americans retaliated by supplying the Takuays and the Towanoni with articles of trade and a blacksmith shop so they could sharpen the knives and scissors obtained as presents from the Spanish.
Outlaws left the Neutral Strip to raid isolated farms and plantations. Slave stealing and cattle rustling were not overlooked. The citizens complained to the United States Government.
Lieutenant Augustus McGee and Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike were ordered to disperse the bandits of the Neutral Strip. The orders of General Hampton expressed a desire for cooperation from the Spanish at Nacogdoches. A detachment under Captain Bernardino Mantero was sent from Nacogdoches to assist Captain W. H. Overton, who was at that time the senior officer at Fort Claiborne, issued orders for the clearance of the strip on March 5, 1812. The military only succeeded in destroying the hideouts which were occupied by the bandits by burning everything in sight. The bandits knew every sneak trail of the Neutral Strip and were successful in avoiding the policing parties.
By the year 1821 the Anglo-American Civilization had crossed in substantial numbers the Mississippi River in two main divisions, Louisiana and Missouri.
General Edmund Pendleton Gaines considered that the most vital and important area of the southwest was: “The Southern section of the Western Frontier, from the mouth of the Sabine River eastward to the Red River and thence to the Mexican boundary at a point where the western boundary intersects the Sabine River.”
General Jackson had transferred General Gaines, at that time commanding the Florida frontier, to the western frontier in 1817. General Gaines was aware of the constant unrest of the so-called “neutral strip,” known as “The Free State of Sabine” and No Man’s Land.
The proclamation of the Treaty of Washington in 1821 fixed the western boundary of the United States as the Sabine River, thus the agreement with the Mexican Republic transferred the Neutral Strip to the United States.
General Gaines was aware of the feeling of those settlers from the Sabine River westward along El Camino Real to the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas. These were Spaniards that had felt the freedom of being so far from their government’s head in Mexico City. They, with the Anglo-American settlers, wanted a different kind of freedom, not allegiance to Mexico or to the United States. Thus, the Fort Jesup-Natchitoches and El Camino Real Area on the eastern end from Nacogdoches and San Augustine was ripe for the filibusterers.
There were many in this area, Gaines was certain, who did not recognize the Treaty of Washington, Frenchmen of the fifth and sixth generations who had settled this area, likewise the Spanish, and the Indians for countless generations before either of the other two nationalities.
“This land ’tis mine—’tis yours—’tis mine,” said the French and the Spanish. “The land is mine,” stated the United States, “we bought it from the French.” The Indian declared, “’tis mine, was so even before either the French or Spanish came.” The settlers questioned which government will recognize our claim to the homesteads, the land grants, “this is mine by right of occupation.”
There were the half-breeds, descendants of a French or Spanish father and an Indian woman. These were demanding their birthright. And they held sway over many Indian tribes. They were intelligent, they could be friendly, or a ruthless enemy. But the United States’ ownership backed by the Army soon restored peace and order to No Man’s Land.
Don Jose Bernardo Maxmilliano Gutierrez de Lardo, often called Bernardo, was a merchant and blacksmith at Revilla, a village near the junction of the Rio Salado and the Rio Grande. He was a follower of Padres Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo and Jose Maria Morelos, who were encouraging a revolt among the Indian and Indian halfbreeds called mestizos.
Gutierrez with Captain Jose Manchaca, a Texas rebel and a deserter from the Royalist Army of Mexico, and ten others left Revilla with thirty thousand dollars in Mexican silver. Their objective was to reach Natchitoches, a border town on the Neutral Strip. The money was for organizing a filibuster campaign into Texas. They were pursued by the Royalists and were caught up with near the village of Bayou Pierre (a village at that time located on a road between the present-day Pleasant Hill and Lake End on Red River). Gutierrez and Manchaca escaped but lost the silver, finding refuge at a small trading post at Campti, Louisiana. When they arrived in Natchitoches and began recruiting men for the filibustering campaign they found many ready and willing to participate. The merchants, sensing enormous profits, offered every assistance.
Captain Manchaca went immediately into the Neutral Strip to solicit recruits among the bandits, or anyone else who desired to join the filibusterers.
Gutierrez wrote a letter to James Monroe, Secretary of State in Washington, explaining that although Texas was not yet a Republic the people of that area had all the necessary qualifications for becoming a nation, that it would be to the advantage of the United States and the people of the future Republic of Texas for them to seek assistance where they could find it. It would, therefore, be advantageous to the United States, should their undertaking be successful in overthrowing the yoke of the Mexican Government, and Texas become a Republic.
Gutierrez secured letters of recommendation and two hundred dollars from Dr. John Sibley and departed immediately for Washington where he met with officials and made requests for men, money, munitions and other supplies necessary for the filibustering campaign. Gutierrez brought out the importance to the United States of the Texas commerce. The proposal was dropped by the officials when Gutierrez insisted that he be in command of the expedition. However, Monroe did see the advantage of the United States having a Republic to the west to help guard the border, as at that time the United States was having difficulties with Spain and England, and because of the Florida question. Therefore the Secretary of State did offer encouragement to Gutierrez.
Don Jose Alvares de Toledo was at the same time in Washington seeking assistance for a revolution in Cuba, which if successful, would result in the establishment of an Antillean Confederation of the Islands. This, too, met with the approval of Monroe, but again he offered only encouragement and no assistance. Don Luis de Onis, the Minister from Spain, having learned of Toledo’s plans, conspired with Diago Correga to do away with Toledo. Toledo, because of his failure to get the necessary assistance he desired, cast his lot with Gutierrez. He cultivated the friendship of General Ira A. Allen, who was looked upon with disfavor in the State of Vermont. Allen helped Toledo and Gutierrez by gaining the confidence and support of those who were interested in such an adventure, namely: Samuel Alden, a young adventurer; Aaron Mower, a printer by trade; Evariste Calvettes, a Frenchman of unusual but intriguing reputation, and William A. Prentis, a merchant who interested Henry Adams Bullard in the adventure of the filibuster campaign. This group of men, with several others departed for Natchitoches. Gutierrez in Natchitoches had enlisted under his banner, the aid of Lieutenant August McGee, who resigned at Fort Claiborne to join the filibusterers; Samuel Kemper, a well-known figure in the politics of Florida; Rubin Ross, an ex-sheriff from Virginia; Henry Perry of the Army Quartermaster; Joseph B. Wilkinson, son of General James Wilkinson; J. McClanahan; Rubin Smith; James Patterson; A. Cole and Alexis Grappe, traders who had many contacts in Texas as far as San Antonio de Bexar; and James Gaines, brother of General Gaines. The merchants in Natchitoches hired some of the local youths, Tenoss Moinet, two Prudhommes, Henry Derbonne, Jose Benetis, Anthony Dubois, Peter Dolet, Michael Chesneau, Andrew Chase, Stephen Wallace, Matthew Bonnette, Walter Young, Joseph Ruth and Chesneau Tontin to go along to protect their interests and to bring back the contraband which they were sure would be obtained on such an expedition.
William Shaler arrived in Natchitoches almost on the heels of Gutierrez, a special agent sent by the Secretary of State Monroe to assist the new so called Gutierrez-McGee expedition. Shaler’s letters to Monroe give an excellent account of the organization and execution of this expedition. Shaler, who had been trained as a military man, contributed greatly to its efficiency.
Samuel Davenport of the firm of Davenport and Barr, licensed traders, established themselves in the Soledad building in Nacogdoches. Davenport wrote to Don Manuel de Salcedo, Governor of Texas at Nacogdoches, from Natchitoches, “John Adair was gathering troops in Rapides (Alexandria, Louisiana) 500 men were being gathered along the Mississippi River and at Natchez. Captain Jose Manchac has gathered over a hundred men out of the Neutral Strip and they are now camped on the west bank of the Sabine River.”
A letter was sent from Washington to the district judge notifying him that the United States would not sanction an organization of men on its land which would constitute an act of aggression against the government of another country. Judge Carr’s answering letter dated July 22, 1812, stated that he was aware that some sort of movement of aggression was being talked about in the Natchitoches Area, but that to his knowledge there were no men grouped east of the Sabine River congregating with filibuster intent.
“Young men in groups of two, five, ten or fifteen arrive here in Natchitoches every day, many are from our immediate local area, they are mild-mannered and quiet and cause no disturbances, they purchase supplies at the local stores and when questioned about their destination, they declare that they are going on a hunting trip. I have no grounds with which I can detain such a small party of men, for to be sure groups fewer than fifteen or twenty cannot be classed as a filibustering party. If rumors are true and there is a location on the west bank of the Sabine River where men are gathering with the intent of invading Texas, that area is out of the jurisdiction of any one person representing our local or federal government.”
On August 8, 1812, the campaign began with a total strength of one hundred eighty men.
At Nacogdoches was the proof that the people of the area, according to the statements of the traders Smith, Grappe, Patterson and McClanahan, were ready for a rebellion against the Spanish Government. At Nacogdoches on August 11, 1812, when the attack began, the filibusterers met only token resistance and one hundred ninety of the inhabitants joined the patriots. The easy fall of Nacogdoches was a shot in the arm for the filibusterers. Fifty of the Spanish soldiers joined with the rebels. A mule and horse train with booty of wool, hides and Spanish silverware, estimated to be valued at one hundred thousand dollars, was sent to Natchitoches to be exchanged for the necessary provisions to conduct the campaign. Henry Perry of the army quartermaster was there to receive the merchandise. Now he had something to work with. Supplies which could not be obtained in Natchitoches were purchased in Natchez, Mississippi. The merchandise was brought over the old Natchez-Vidalia to Natchitoches Indian trail (highway 84 today) which had its share of bandits and land-pirates.
Gutierrez was an old hand at spreading propaganda and at Nacogdoches the “rebels” paused long enough to make use of the talents of Aaron Hower, the printer. The news of the fall of Nacogdoches would be sure to bring volunteers from the Natchitoches-Neutral Strip area. On September 1, 1812, circulars were found as far as San Antonio, announcing that the filibusterers army had reached a thousand in number of well equipped men, and that more volunteers were arriving every hour from ten to one hundred in number to join Gutierrez, and that they now had cannon which had been taken from the Spanish in Nacogdoches.
Governor Salcedo, who had previously sent a message asking for assistance, received news that no help could be sent because the “Patriot Army” in Mexico was marching on Camargo and Nueva Santanadar (this was a group of rebel followers of Padres Castillo and Morelos). The propaganda news leaflets and the news from Mexico caused Salcedo to withdraw all outlying Spanish detachments and concentrate them at San Antonio de Bexar. At this stage of the campaign the McGee-Gutierrez army numbered no more than seven hundred men.
Now, Salcedo’s military ability began to show. He needed a day or two so that the troops in the west under General Herrera could reach San Antonio. He left La Bahia (now Goliad, Texas) without defense and spread his troops along the Guadelupe River twenty-eight miles north and east of San Antonio. The filibusterers could not overlook the opportunity of taking a defenseless town. La Bahia fell without a struggle and the filibusterers were jubilant. Meanwhile the Spanish forces met, forming a total strength of nearly nine hundred men. Over fifty of the Spanish soldiers with the filibusterers deserted and returned to the Royalist troops, explaining they had been captured and were finally able to escape.
Up to now McGee had been in charge of the filibusterers and Gutierrez was the commander in name only. There was friction between McGee and Gutierrez, and at the same time Toledo was vying for the position of commanding them. Samuel Davenport, the unfaithful Indian Agent of Salcedo, who had joined the filibusterers, suddenly decided he had some important, unfinished business and departed for Nacogdoches. A day or so later Rubin Ross left to contact Indians encamped on the Sabine River with the intention of joining the filibusterers. McGee died at La Bahia under mysterious circumstances. Gutierrez claimed that McGee took poison to keep from being shot. Davenport stated that McGee was sick when he left for Nacogdoches, and Rubin Ross declared McGee was in good health two days prior to his leaving Davenport, and that at no time was he aware that McGee was sick.
When Ross contacted the Caddo Indians on the Sabine River Chief Tohois refused to fight under any flag other than that of the United States. Groups of the Alabamas, Choctaws, Conchattas and Attapaws on learning of the refusal of Tohois also refused to assist in the cause. However, nearly a hundred of the warriors did join with Rubin Ross.
The second attack of the Royalists was also a disappointment to Salcedo and the Spanish forces retired to San Antonio. On March 19, Ross returned with nearly two hundred Indian, Spanish and American volunteers and the march on San Antonio began. They met no opposition until they reached Rosillo, about eight miles from San Antonio; there, Samuel Kemper and Rubin Ross led a vicious charge and the main force of the rebel drive carried well into San Antonio.
The Spanish were defeated and surrendered unconditionally. Atrocities followed under the orders of Gutierrez who had declared himself President of the New Republic of Texas. Several of the Spanish officers were killed, their clothing stripped from their bodies and left exposed to the elements. The Americans were enraged by this action. After going to the scene of the atrocity and burying the dead, many followed the example of Warren D. C. Hall, deserted the filibusterers and left for their respective habitats.
A Junta was called after the arrival of Henry A. Bullard and James B. Wilkinson; Major James Perry and Captains Kemper and Ross threatened to leave with the Americans unless Gutierrez was ousted and Toledo named leader of the New Republic.[11]
The battle on the Madina River was the downfall of the filibusterers. The Spanish gathered their forces under the command of Colonels Joquine de Arrendondo y Miono and Ignacio Elizondo.[**or Elinzondo, see below] After the battle the victors were lenient with the many Americans they had captured. Colonel Elinzondo issued a horse and rifle to each along with a passport for safe conduct back to the Sabine River. The Indians were included with the group freed, but with instructions to return to their tribes and never take up arms against the Spanish again.
It is interesting to note that many of these Americans were later successful in attempting to make the Texas area a Republic. On September 28, 1813, the first blow for Texas independence failed, but it had been proved, however, that the Spaniards north of the Rio Grande were influenced by the freedoms of the American traders along El Camino Real. They had been forced to provide for themselves from the fruits of the land, thus becoming independent in their own right. The easy fall of Nacogdoches was outstanding proof of their feelings.