James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 4

by Edwin James; Stephen H. Long; Thomas Say

The distance from Natchitoches to the point where the party entered Red river, above the Great Raft, is two hundred and one miles by the meanders of their route. Above the Raft the river is two hundred and thirty yards wide, thirty-four feet deep, and has a very gentle current. The banks are ten or twelve feet high. On the north side the lands rise considerably at a little distance, and are covered with heavy forests of oak, poplar, and red cedar. At the Coashatay village, about twenty miles above the Great Raft, the commander of the exploring party received information, by an express, from the chief of the principal village of the Cadoes, which is thirty miles farther to the west, "that about three hundred Spanish dragoons, with four or five hundred horses and mules, were encamped near that village, with the design to prevent the further progress of the Americans." The Coashatay and Cadoe Indians of this part of Red river are an agricultural half-civilized people, like the Cherokees.[65]

On the 1st of July a messenger arrived at the encampment of the party, near the Coashatay village, giving information of the near approach of the Cadoe chief, with forty young men and warriors of his village. About noon they made their appearance on the opposite bank of the river, and kept up, for a few minutes, an irregular firing by way of salute. This was returned both from the camp and the village, in a manner highly gratifying to the Cadoe party. The {171} customary ceremonies used in meeting Indians being past, an exchange of complimentary speeches followed.

The Cadoe chief expressed great uneasiness on account of the Spaniards who were encamped near his village. Their commandant, he said, had come to see him, had taken him by the hand, and asked him, if he loved the Americans; he answered, he did not know what to say, but if the Spaniards wished to fight the Americans, they might go down to Natchitoches, and fight them there; but they should not shed blood in his territories. He said he was pleased with what he had heard respecting the designs of the exploring party; he wished them to go on and see all his country, and all his neighbours. "You have far to go, and will meet with many difficulties, but I wish you to go on. My friends, the Pawnees, will be glad to see you, and will take you by the hand. If you meet with any of the Huzaa's (Osages), and kill them, I will dance for a month. If they kill any of your party, I will go with my young men and warriors, and we will be avenged for you." The soldiers belonging to the expedition having paraded in open order and single file, the forty young Cadoes commenced on the right of the line, and marching towards the left, shook each man by the hand in the most earnest manner. When their leader had reached the other extremity of the line, they instantly placed themselves in a corresponding line, about three paces distant, and their partizan or principal warrior delivered a short address to the serjeant.

"Here we are," said he, "all men and warriors shaking hands together, let us hold fast, and be friends for ever." It was said by the interpreter he prefaced his observation by saying, he was glad to see that his new brothers had the faces of men, and looked like men and warriors.

After a delay of a few days the Cadoe chief, professing the most friendly disposition towards the exploring {172} party, withdrew with his young men to his own village. On the 11th of July the officers of the party, having as yet no certain knowledge of the designs of the Spaniards, re-embarked on board their little fleet, and began to ascend Red river from the Coashatay village, having engaged the Cadoe chief to watch the motions of the Spanish troops, and to give timely notice of any thing interesting to the expedition. The river, above the Coashatay village, became very crooked and wide, and the water was so low that the boats were often aground, though they drew no more than from sixteen to twenty inches of water.

On the 26th of July, in the afternoon, three Indians appeared on the sand-beach, who were found to be the runners sent from the Cadoe chief, agreeable to previous engagement. They brought information that the Spaniards had returned to Nacogdoches, for a reinforcement and new instructions; that six days since they had arrived at the Cadoe village, about one thousand strong; that they had cut down the United States' flag in the Cadoe village, and had said, it was their intention to destroy the exploring party. They had taken from the Cadoe village two young men to conduct them to a handsome bluff, a few miles above where they were now encamped, to await the arrival of the party. The Indian messengers, and the Cadoes who had remained with the party, appeared much alarmed, and intreated the commanding officer to return, saying, if they met the Spaniards, not one would come back alive. The distance to the Spanish camp was three days' journey. On the following day the party made a deposit of some of their most important papers, with a small stock of ammunition, provisions, and astronomical instruments in a retired place, that they might not be entirely destitute of resources after the contemplated rencontre with the Spaniards should have taken place. At sunset, on the 28th of July, as they were {173} about to encamp, they heard several guns a-head of them, which left no doubt that they had arrived near the Spanish camp. On the ensuing morning Captain Sparks, Mr. Freeman, and a favourite Indian, walked a-head of the boats, along the sand-beach, with their guns in their hands. The Indian soon discovered some tracks, ran hastily up among the bushes on the bank, and then returning, made signs that the Spaniards were there. The party was now halted, the arms examined, and put in readiness for immediate action; then all went on board the boats, and they continued their ascent, as if they had known nothing of the Spanish troops. The advanced guard which the Indian had discovered consisted of twenty-two men, stationed a mile and a half below the encampment of the main body. On seeing the boats they fled instantly, and hid themselves in the woods, leaving behind their clothes and provisions.

On turning the next bend they commanded a beautiful view of the river, extending about a mile, with steep banks on both sides, and level sand beaches, occupying more than half the bed of the river. On one of these, at the distance of half a mile, they discovered a sentinel, and soon afterwards saw a detachment of horse gallop from thence through the small cotton-wood bushes near the next bend of the river, and shortly after return to their former station. As it was now the middle of the day, the exploring party halted according to custom, and kindled fires to prepare their dinner.

About half an hour after they had halted, a large detachment from the Spanish camp were seen riding down the sand-beach, enveloped in such a cloud of dust that their numbers could not be accurately estimated. The soldiers belonging to the exploring party were sent to take possession of a thick cane brake on the immediate bank of the river, at a short distance above the boats, to be in readiness, should there be occasion, to attack the advancing party on {174} their flank. A non-commissioned officer and six men were sent still farther up the river, and ordered to be in readiness to assail the Spaniards in the rear.