The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944 Page: 389
456 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Letters and Documents
mitted many Other Acts of Outrage in the face, & within the
knowledge of all the Indian Tribes, who saw likewise our for-
bearance, which they Construed into Cowardise, or impotence
in us, which had Such an effect upon the Indians that they
refused to go with me, Saying when I urged them to fulfill their
promise, that the Spaniards who appeared to them to be our
Superiors, told them, as well as the Creole French, that the
Americans would not long possess any part of this Country,
that ere long we would all be driven Over the Mississippi to-
wards the rising Sun from whence we Came, that they the
Indians must See themselves our inferiority to the Spaniards.
& If they ran away after us it would offend the Spaniards &
then what would become of them, my voyage was of Course
Suspended: But the great Caddo Chief never withdrew from
me his particular Confidence & friendship, who is a man of
more importance than Any other ten Chiefs on this Side of the
Mississippi within my Agency, with this Man who has a Strong
mind I have frequent long & friendly Conversations, in which I
have entertained him in an Account of the Wars & Politicks
of the World, the present & probable State of Spain etc.
I believe now he would readily Consent to make you a Visit &
it appears to me it would be politic at this time to have it
effected. for if the French Should finally Succeed in destroy-
ing the government of Spain in Europe they will put in motion
every engine to gain an Interest in these Spanish provinces &
will no doubt have their emmissaries Among the Indians who
have always had a predilection for them.
Should you be of the Opinion from these or any other Con-
siderations that a Visit of Six or eight principal Chiefs of Some
of those tribes to the Seat of Government & Some of the prin-
cipal Towns in the United States would be productive of good.
I will do my endeavour to effect it in as Short a Time & at as
small an expence as possible.
Should this proposal meet your approbation I shall require a
Renewal of those papers Sent me by General Dearborn, and
Such Other Instructions as you may be pleased to give me.7"
We receive but little Intelligence from Our Neighbours the
Spaniards Worth notice, the last report is, that a project is now
on foot for the purpose of Uniting into one Kingdom all Spanish
America to appoint for their king the brother of Charles the 4th
late King of Spain. I am
Sir with very great Respect
& Esteem
Your Obt. Servt.
Honorable William Eustis John Sibley
Secretary of War.
7"The Secretary of War replied that since the president would not be in
Washington, if the chiefs arrived in the summer, it was advisable to defer
the visit to another year. Secretary of War to Sibley, April 13, 1810,
Letter Book C, July 1809-December 1816, I.A.D.I.389
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944, periodical, 1944; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146054/m1/438/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.