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Monday, March 18, 2019
Texas History Minute Contiued from last suspected at the time. Fellow officers, and even friends and week... aides never entirely trusted him, but they were never able to collect The Red River enough evidence. Their Expedition of patriotism meant staying faithful 1806 was to the law though Wilkinson supposed to be another in a string would not. In 1805, Wilkinson had been named territorial Dr. Ken Bridges of scientific governor for the Louisiana triumphs for the United States as it Territory, which through a somewhat confusing naming explored the new territories of the scheme meant the territory north Louisiana Purchase. Captain Richard Sparks, Thomas Freeman, of what is now Louisiana, including Missouri, Arkansas, and and Peter Custis led a team along Oklahoma. What is now the Red River into Southwest Louisiana was the District of Arkansas and into North Texas to Orleans. the sourcewaters of the Red River in what is now the Texas Panhandle Wilkinson, at one point the most to learn about the local Native senior member of the army, American tribes as well as the continued his betrayals in his new geography, plant life, and animal post. As soon as he learned of life. However, it would end in President Thomas Jefferson’s failure after a stunning betrayal. plans for exploring the Louisiana Purchase, he secretly told Spain of Three months into the expedition, these plans – for a price. Spain, the voyage had been slow but successful as it entered Arkansas. It fearful of Americans pushing into their territory, was determined to soon turned along the river and headed toward Texas. By July 28, see the voyages fail. In the end, the Red River Expedition was the team was about halfway along sabotaged. The lives of American the length of the river, roughly citizens and American troops northwest of New Boston. At a bend in the river, an area now called under Wilkinson’s command were put in mortal danger by his Spanish Bluff, the team suddenly actions. noticed a large force of Spanish troops, heavily armed. By 1807, Jefferson replaced Wilkinson with his personal Sparks, the commander of the secretary, Meriwether Lewis, now nearly four dozen army troops on the Red River Expedition, estimated a great hero to Americans after the successful Lewis and Clark that perhaps a thousand Spanish Expedition. Wilkinson was later soldiers had assembled against them, an incredibly large force for forced out of the army after his disastrous performance in the War the area at the time. of 1812. However, he would Regardless of what legal claims the somehow manage to find his way back into political good graces United States or Spain had on the Red River as a boundary in what is and named ambassador to Mexico in 1816. now Bowie County, Texas; all the Americans realized that their lives Wilkinson died in 1825 as he were at risk. They were entirely at attempted to cash in on his the mercy of the Spanish army. The position as ambassador with a large land grant for himself in Spaniards had orders to defend Texas. He was buried in Mexico what they considered Spanish City. Several decades after his territory with deadly force if death, around the 1850s, a large necessary. cache of correspondence was Somehow, the Spanish had located found within Spanish colonial records in Louisiana, showing the party. Francisco Viana, without a doubt that Wilkinson commander of Spanish forces in was actively working as a spy for East Texas, had received Spain and had betrayed the United information in Nacogdoches that States on numerous occasions, the Red River Expedition was including his information on the moving up the river by April and sent a letter of protest to American scientific expeditions into the West. officials. His forces raced to the Red River to intercept the group. None of the leaders of the Red River Expedition ever saw the The Americans were stopped and direct evidence that the voyage held. With tension surrounding had been compromised. In spite each hour and the negotiations of of the disastrous effort, they went Sparks, Viana ordered them down on to lead respectable lives. the river back into the United Custis became a respected doctor States. Badly outnumbered, the expedition agreed, barely escaping and planter in North Carolina with their lives. The encounter had until his death in 1842. Freeman lasted a full day, and it could easily served as surveyor general of the have ignited a war between the two United States until his death in countries. Not long afterward, the 1821. Though the expedition had Red River Expedition crossed back cataloged hundreds of species of animals and plants and established from Texas into what is now Arkansas and continued back down a cordial relationship with the Caddo tribe, the abrupt halt of the the river without incident. The source of the betrayal was from expedition left the data in a haphazard and disorganized state. within the highest levels of American government. The source, In later years, the Red River U. S. Army Gen. James Wilkinson, Expedition was largely forgotten had long worked as a spy for Spain, over the diplomatic disaster that supplying information on American resulted. Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, activities for a price. Personal writer, and history professor. He profit was his only loyalty. can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com. Wilkinson’s treachery was widely
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