The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 45, July 1941 - April, 1942 Page: 378

LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS
DR. JOHN SIBLEY AND THE LOUISIANA-TEXAS
FRONTIER, 1803-1814
JULIA KATHRYN GARRETT
(Continued)
LETTER 4
Natchitoches April 20th. 1807
Sir
By the request of Major Freeman I have had the Boats and
what of the Public property that remained at the Conchatta
Village Brought down here, Corporal Read who was left with
three soldiers as a guard with the Boats etc. In consequence of
his behaving amiss by disposing of Some of the Property in his
Charge deserted to Nacogdoches, what was brought down with
the Boats are here subject to Mr. Freeman's Order. I sent Mr
Philebare our Indian Interpreter to bring them down, who man-
aged it in his own way with great discretion, he employed some
Indians to assist him at a small Expense which has been paid
by Mr Linnard at my request, they found considerable difficulty
in passing some Rafts, those that were last year broke are
again choaked. The River is very low for the Season.
We hear that Three Companies of Artilery [artillery] destined
for this place are in the River a small distance below and will
be here tomorrow. A Mr Hesser formerly of German-
town near Philadel [Philadelphia] a Hatter by trade who is
married & Settled here, and who is esteemed a Man of Veracity,
Arrived here yesterday from Nacogdoches, where he has been
on business for Some Weeks past, he says "that the day before
he left Nacogdoches he Dined with Father Puelles the Priest
(a good Man) and that at Dinner he received a letter from
Governor Cordero'" at St. Antonio informing him (the Priest)
that Governor Herrera was not Coming to Nacogdoches, & that
all the troops except a Guard of between 20 & 30 that are now
2 Don Antonio Cordero, governor of Coahuila, was famous as an Indian
fighter, and had won distinction for his ability in dealing with frontier
affairs. He had served on the frontier of New Spain since the creation of
the Interior Provinces in 1793. After the purchase of Louisiana in 1803,
Cordero was needed to place Texas in a state of defense, and in 1805 was
made governor of Texas. Homer S. Thrall, A Pictorial History of Texas
from the Earliest Visits of European Adventurers to 1879 (5th ed., rev.,
St. Louis, 1879), 528.
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