NEW ORLEANS, May 9, 1797.
Enclosed your Excellency will receive the documents relative
to my last confidential expedition, made by your Excellency’s
order, on the Ohio, of which I have already given you a
narrative, as well verbal as in writing. The remarks which
follow will serve for its elucidation.
I left New Madrid with ten oarsmen and a patron; the provisions
which were delivered to the crew were, biscuit for a month;
meat for a month; rum for fifteen days.
To disguise, as far as possible, the true object of the
expedition, we had hired the people under the same conditions
as are common in commercial voyages, so that the monthly
rations allowed by the King did not even last fifteen days. The
reason why I issued to the crew two extraordinary allowances of
liquor daily, counting from the day we left Red Bank until our
arrival at the falls of Ohio, was to encourage them to row with
vigor, that Lieutenant Steel, whom I thought in pursuit of me,
might not again take me, because, had I fallen into his hands a
second time, I was lost. As respects the one hundred and fifty
dollars, for the horse which I bought to make the journey from
Frankfort to Cincinnati, and the expenses which accrued on
this journey, they were indispensable for a double motive: to
carry my complaint against Steel, for having offered so great
an insult to our flag, and to give advice of my arrival to the
American General, Mr. James Wilkinson, that he might take the
necessary measures. I have to add that, the motive which has
induced me to dispose of the merchandise which I received of J.
and A. Hunt, in exchange for the coffee and sugar, was to give
credit to the opinion which I myself had raised, that I had
come to purchase horses to take to Natchez, in order to better
the breed in that district. Besides this, as the occurrence
with Steel had awakened suspicions, excited apprehensions,
and attracted the attention of the inhabitants of the Western
country, all had their eyes directed on me, so that I found
myself obliged to do something which should please them, that
it might serve me as a safe conduct to quit those parts, which
by the this means I happily effected. The mare, of which
statement No. 1 makes mention, was lost on my arrival at New
Madrid in the woods, where she died of thirst, the excessive
frosts having entirely frozen up the waters. The stud-horse I
delivered on going down to Don Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, but he
returned him to me a short time since, and I have him carefully
kept until your Excellency is pleased to make some disposition
respecting him. Of the sum of $9,640, which I was to deliver to
Mr. James Wilkinson, I have only delivered him nine thousand,
having retained the six hundred and forty dollars to avoid the
unfortunate result with which I was threatened, and likewise to
provide what was necessary for the crew during the voyage. The
following are the documents which are enclosed:
No. 1. The account sale of the merchandise, laden, &c.
No. 2. Account of the expenses for the crew.
No. 3. Account and expenditure of the six hundred and forty
dollars.
No. 4. Statement which shows in what manner the merchandise has
been made use of.
No. 5. Statement which shows what is due to me.
No. 6. Invoice of J. and A. Hunt.
All which are accompanied with the obligation of Mr. N. Welch
for one hundred and five dollars, and the two receipts of
Mr. Boyd, the one for four hundred and sixty-six dollars and
two-thirds, for the value of a horse; the other for two hundred
dollars, for the value of a mare. The balance which appears in
my favor, according to the statements Nos. 3 and 4, as well as
the account of my monthly pay for fourteen months, I beg your
Excellency will be pleased to direct that it should be remitted
to me, or delivered to Mr. Philip Nolan, to whom I have given
advice on the subject.
Mr. James Wilkinson, in the instructions which he has given me,
directs that I should present to your Excellency the account of
the expenses to which the six hundred and forty dollars have
been applied, (and I have done so in the statement No. 3,) that
he may be reimbursed said amount. The instruction says, “in
making your settlement take care to secure me the six hundred
and forty dollars advanced, and bring them with you.” Although
he charged me to take them to him to the United States, I am
of opinion that no one is better suited to remit them than
Mr. Philip Nolan, as your Excellency has now resolved that I
should remain in this province; your Excellency will please to
suffer me to assure you that in every particular I have acted
with prudence, with honor, and the disinterestedness of an
honest man, as well as with the zeal and fidelity which the
King’s service requires, and with the vigilance and activity,
[here there is a line unintelligible.] I deserve nothing and
expect nothing for having fulfilled the obligations of a good
subject to His Majesty, unless your Excellency will be pleased
to procure me opportunities of displaying the inclination I
feel of sacrificing myself for the prosperity of my country and
glory of my Sovereign.
God preserve your Excellency many years.