James H. Ballard was appointed from Maryland (1813) as second lieutenant in the Thirty-sixth Infantry. He was transferred to the Rifle Regiment in 1815, and two years later made captain. In 1821 he was transferred to the Second Infantry, and died in 1823.—Ed.
[91] Thomas A. Smith entered the army in 1803, from Georgia, on an appointment as second lieutenant of artillerists. In 1808 he became captain in the rifles, and was promoted successively to lieutenant-colonel (1810), colonel (1812), and brigadier-general (1814). On the reorganization of the army in 1815 he was retained as colonel in the Rifle Regiment, with brevet rank of brigadier-general. He resigned in 1818. See volume xiv, note 118.—Ed.
[92] Nuttall's Travels into the Arkansa Territory, p. 144.—James.
Comment by Ed. Page 202 of the reprint in volume xiii of our series.
[93] Skin (sometimes called Big Skin) Bayou is a small northern tributary of the Arkansas, which debouches about ten miles above Fort Smith. The Six Bulls is the Neosho (or Grand) River. For the Verdigris, Illinois, and Neosho, see Nuttall's Journal, in our volume xiii, notes 189, 192, 193.—Ed.
[94] The country traversed by the Canadian, explored for the first time by Long's party, soon became familiar to traders through the increasing intercourse with the Mexican provinces; but it was not again examined under government auspices until 1845, when Lieut. James W. Abert, detached by Frémont near Bent's Fort on the upper Arkansas, crossed to the Canadian somewhat west of Long's route, and descended it, visiting en route the sources of the Washita. For his report see Senate Document No. 438, Twenty-ninth Congress, first session. In 1849, Lieut. J. H. Simpson surveyed a route for a road from Fort Smith to Santa Fé, and the map accompanying his report shows in considerable detail the course of the Canadian. See Senate Executive Document No. 12, Thirty-first Congress, first session.—Ed.
[95] The following six chapters are from the pen of Mr. Say.—James.
[96] In contradistinction from Spaniards, near whose frontier these Indians rove.—James.
[97] The Spanish-American frontier was, during this whole period, the scene of almost constant friction, and several filibustering expeditions invaded Texas during the first two decades of the century. In 1811 Bernardo Gutierrez, a Mexican refugee, and Augustus Magee, an ex-officer of the United States army, led a force into eastern Texas, seized Nacogdoches, and drove the Spanish troops in confusion across Trinity River. On some such exploit as this—possibly this very one—the Indians doubtless based their story. During the year of Major Long's expedition, another man of the same patronymic (James Long, a Natchez merchant) led another party into Texas, but achieved slight success. See Garrison, Texas (Boston, 1903). An article in Niles' Register (xix, p. 133), speaking of the Comanche, says: "These Indians consider themselves the most powerful nation in the world, and next to them, the Americas (as they call the people of the United States). But, since Long's defeat, they rank Spain before America, considering Long to have the command of all the United States."—Ed.
[98] We do not know that any writer has visited these Indians since the expedition of Mr. Bourgmont, Commander of Fort Orleans of the Missouri, which took place in the year 1724. They were then, and have since continued to be, distinguished collectively by the name of Padoucas. Du Pratz informs us, that they were then very numerous, "extending almost two hundred leagues; and they have villages quite close to the Spaniards of New Mexico." And that "from the Padoucas to the Canzes, proceeding always east, we may now safely reckon sixty-five and a half leagues. The river of the Canzes is parallel to this route." From this statement of the course and estimate of the distance to the country of the Padoucas, it is evident, that at this day these Indians do not habitually wander in that direction so near to Missouri as they then did, owing probably to the hostilities of the more martial nations residing on that river.—James.