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Show 54 Norte, which I then conceived to he the sources ul tl1c Hed ti\cr, our information making 1 he latter c.:xtt•tHI the whole distance between the fnrmet· and the Arkan~aw, although its sou rces arc ~om e huntli'C·cl miles Lelow cithct· or the otllcrs. Tlcre I was encountered by two ofliccrs and 100 men, who Gore ot'tlt:rs frotH the governor of 1\cw Mexico, to cause me and my party to nwrch to the c:Jpital of said province; hut his l'cgucst was i11 the mo~:;t polite style, and in fact, the commatHling· ollicct· assured me tllrr<' was not the least ronstraint, but that his cxrcllcncy desired a confer(;ncc, and that I t hen should be roncluctet! by the most direct rontc, to the n:\\'i l.)'able part uf the H.rd 1'1\·er, from whence I could immediate ly descend to Nuchitochcs. .\ !thoug-h duuious or the .fiLith of thl' imitation, ami in a situation from whence I could h ~n·c dcfendt:d myself a<> long as my prori <;ion la-;tccl, o1· until J mig ht probably lH\VG escaped in the night. ye t knowi11g- the pacific intentions of Otil' goH'l'l1111 ellt, anu the particular in structions of my g-eneral, as to my conduct in case or a rcncountcr with a body or Spanish troops, I conccivecl it most proper to comply with the <lcn. and and repair to Santa Fe; and, ns the balance of my party who remained in the mountains, were, mauy of them, invalids, and not In :1 situation to he able to return, I conceived it most proper to ka,·c orclcrs fot· them to follow, accompa1ticcl by an escort of Spanish troops left fot· that purpose. On my ani' a! at Santa Fe, his cxcclleucy governot' Allencastcr informed me it was necessat·y thttt 1 should irnmccliately march to Chihualnw, province of niscay, in order to present myself t0 his t xccllf'ncy the commandant-general N. Salcedo, for furthet· orders. This being· so difrercnt from what I had been taught to expect, that I demanded or go\'cmor Allencaster, iu a written communication, to know if I was to consider myself and party as prisoners of war ? lie r eplied in the negati\'e. \V e marched on the following day, and ani\'cd at this place on the 2cl instant, from whence, I am in· f0rmed by the g·eneral, I shall march, on the anival of the remain-der of my party, for Nachitoches. ( I mmt here acknowledge myself and party undet· infinite ouli· g-ations to the friendship and poHtencss of all t.J.1e Spanish officers, and in a P~\rticular manner to the commandant-general of those provmces. • Should the politics of our country make it necessary to augment the at·my previous to my anival, I hope the general will ap· prove of my aspit·ing to a considerable promotion in the new corps. Should the line of demarcation be amicably adjusted bct 1 wecn the APPENDL~ TO PAHT liT. United States and Spain, I hope to obtain the :-~ ppointmcnt of one of the commissioners, as 1 make uolcl to a!>sert that, "ith respect to the arranf~(,lllents ncccssarr, and a know)(;dp·c of the countrv v ' throu gh wi.ich the line mu!:>t pass, I am better instructed than any other ofrtccr of 11'} .\gc in our ~en ice; ancl, it j<.1incr.l to a collcagu..) or profound •1'>l t·onomical lmowlcdgc, we could surmount every clifft r ul1y. I like\\ i~. , bc r~ lt ,\rc to &up;gc~t to yom cxccllcncv th ::tt I conc,·ivc tlw 111f'ormatiun I hold of con~idetahle con:;cq nenc~ in the dCtCI'l1lill,1t : (JII Of' the JitH; of Jtmits, t:nd that (if l10t already determined) [ c.1n til t ow considc t able light on the ~uujcct. I hop(, yun1· t xc<..llt:uq "ill be piLasccl to for\\ anl orders for me to :Nac llitocllc 'l, infot·ming· me if am to de~ct tHI to Orlf'al/8 or proceed to the fed e ral city, and, if the latter, pcrmittillg- we to p.I'>S by Louisiana, in order to vi ~it and arrange the afl'<tirs of my family, to wholll. I beg the favot· of my general to communicate the cet·tain1y or th ~~ existence of my~clf and Dr. Houinson, who begs to be ~in cercly remcmuered to you. The general will pardon the requests I have made of hi rn, knowing the confidence of my heart, in the paternal and soldierly <·stcem which he has mauife~ted for him, who ha-; the honot· to be., with every scntj mcnt of esteem, respect, and high con sider<~tion , dear Ren(;ral, your obedient hurnule servant, (Signed) Z. 1\1. PIKE. ]lis excclll'JJCI) gen. IVil/.:in scJil. N. B. Please to present my respectful compliments to yout· lady, and the doctor's; and mine to James, who, I hope, has long ere this arrived in safety. ( Signed) P. -· [ N o. L _l DEAR sm, • )\(''<U Orleans, J:Vlau 20th, 1807 . Aftet· having counted you among the dead, I was most agreeably surprised to find, by a lcttet· from general Salcedo, received a few days since, that you wet·c in his possession, and that he pt·oposed sending you,"' ith your pnrty, to our frontier post. I lament 'I |