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Show Al?P1~NDIX TO PART IT. u~e; the f{I'C!~tcst embarrassment they IHl\'C yet ocra~ioncd me, has been hy the dete ntion of tl.e P ani !>'s baggage, wllo baYe been much mortified on the occasion. nut I qur!>tion much il' under· ~ imil ar impressions and circu rn stances, many white men would h ave borne their loss wi ~h more philosophy, than our young savages. J conceive that I cannot di ~ pose of one of my guns bcttt:r than to g ive it to F rank, whose Jit st't.' was left at Chouteau's; ah;o, each of them a soldier's coat; this is all the remunerat ion l wi ll pretend Lo rnake them, antl I hope may bring· them to a ;;ood humor. You will probably be surprised at the slow progress we have 1nacle, but, arc already informed of the cause of oui' detention at St. Charles; and since have '-bcen detained two days, on account of the ' J'ain; and altl,ough we were able to pt·cvenl the water fl'Om en· terin~~ immediately on the top of the boat where covered, yet the q uantity which she made at both ends, occasion ed so much damp· ll"ss under the loading , as to injure both my own corn, and that of the lndi.m:s, with otllcr small a rtic les, which they had at various times tukt'n from under the Joadi11g·, ami not returned to thcit·propcr place-; ; but they appear sati s fied, that we h•n·e paid a ll possible at· tcntion to prevellt injury, as muc h, and indeed more, to their bag· gage th:m our own. In consequence of the above, (m)d with a dc~i gn to write you) I halted here to day, which 1 hope we shall usefully employ in dry· i ng our baggage, c leaning our anns, and puttiug ourseh·es in a po:· ture of defence. Lieut. Wilkinson has experienced no inconvcJU· cnce from his ma rch by land with the Indians; and the event has prov· ed the necessity of some officer acco mpan yi n~ th em, as he informs me, he found it necessary to purchase some beeves for their con· sumption on the rou te, for which he drew on the superintendant of Indian affairs, and will write to you more particularly on the sub· jcct. They were absent f rom the boat four days, and had he not been with them, th ..;y would have supplied themselves by maraud· injj, to the great oil'ence of out· good citizens. I am i11fot·med, that a party of 40 Sacs were at Boon's Lick, above the Osage river, a few ch1ys since; but, l by no means cor.l· ccivc on the route to intercept us, as the people pt·ctcnd at thiS l)laee. Thr~>e days since, one of my men complained of indisposition, ;mel went on s hore to nsarch ; he has never joined the party, and from various rea~ons, I conceive has dt!scrtecl. 1 have therefore enclosed an advertbcrncnt, which if the general will please to cause ~0 be pos• ed at St. Lo,t is, Kaska!>kias, and Lmk's Ferry on the Ohlo, J conceive he will be caught. APPEN DIX TO PART II. I h:tve written to capt. Dan! :Uisscl l on the occasion; but hope the general \'v iii enforce my request to th.lt gentleman, as to his being brought to tria l. I was much monilled at the event, not only on account of the loss o r tltc m an, but that my peculiar situation preveuted 11lt; from pursuin ~ him, and making him an example. \Vith respect to the Tctaus, the general may rest assured, I 3hall usc every precau tion pt·evious to trustin g- them; but as to the mode of conduct to be p ursued towal'(ls the Spaniards, I feel more at a loss, as my in str·uctions lead me into the country of the T etaus, part of which is no doubt claimed by Spain, althott !~ h the boundaries between Louis iana and New Mexico, have n eve1· yet been de lined, in consequence o f which, should I encounter a party from the vill ~ges ncar S anta Fe, I have th ought it would be g-ooel policy to give them to u nderstand, tlsat we were about to j oin our troops near Natchitoches, but had been uncertain abont the head waters of the rivers over which we passed; but, that 1w w, if the commandant appt·ovecl of it, we would pay bim a visit of politen ess, either by deputation, or the whole party, but if he refused, signify our intention of pursuing ou t· direct route to the post below; but if not I flatter myself secure us an unmolested retreat to ,\fatchi taches. But if the Spanish j ealousy, a nd the instigation of uomcstic traitors should induce them to make us pri~onc 1·s of war, ( in time of peace) I trust to the magnauimity of our country for ou t· liberation. and a due reward to their opposers, for the in!>tllt and indignity oflcrcd th eir national honor. Howeve r , unl c::.s they gi \·c us amp le assu t·ances of just and honot·aule treatment, ::tccording- to the custom of n ations in like cases, 1 would resist, e<Jt'll if the inequality was as great as at the i.lfl:tir of llc nclet-, or the strcights of Thcrmopylre. \Viii you pardon the foregoing· as the enthu si<.~sm of a youthful mind, yet, not altogethct• unimpressed by the dictates or prudence. I hope the gcnerktl will be persuaded, that with his ~on, I shall act as I would to a brothc1·, endeavoring in a ll cases to pt·omote his honor and prosp Tity. 1 am, cleat· gene1·al, Yout· sinccl'c friend, And obedient humble servant, (Signed) Z. M. l'mE. General J. Ttlli.'/kimwn. N · B. In consequence of indisposition, &c. Iieut. \V ilkinson will steur one boat an<! I the other. |
