A half-naked savage lurks in the shadows nearby. Entranced by the magic of this moment, he speaks and the spell is broken. To the Senorita in Spanish and to the Frenchman in French; “Come, it is time to go.” What kind of Indian is this, who speaks both French and Spanish fluently? Only Dachiacoin of the Adais could do this and because of it he ranged far and wide in both the French and Spanish Territories. Dachiacoin had this to say to Padre Certa, “A man needs only one wife, the right one for him, and the woman needs only one husband, the right one for her.”
For over fifty years Los Adais was the Capital of the Texas Country and the end of El Camino Real. Here anything was expected to happen and usually did.
El Camino Real, The Royal Road, The King’s Highway, The Contraband Trail, The Old San Antonio Trace, The Old Texas Trail, and, lastly, Louisiana Highways 6 and 21 through Texas. This Southland’s busiest highway served the outlaw, the murderer, the slave trader, and the priest, as well as the sinner. Regardless of which direction one traveled he had to pass the Adais and the Neutral Strip—this area so filled with love, hate, jealousy, generosity, selfishness, prosperity, and despair. If at all this be possible, then this was El Camino Real, Los Adais and the Neutral Strip.
Because:
The Buffalo migrated southward through Texas and then to Louisiana, following the same trail in the winter of each year. Then the powerful Caddo Nation split and each group followed a leader. The Adais came to settle along this Buffalo Trail near Spanish Lake. El Campti originated the meeting place on the great Sand-bar near Campti, Louisiana, so that each fall of the year all tribes of the Caddo Confederacy could come and trade. Francois Hidalgo desired to establish Missions and settlements to bring more freedom and prosperity to his people and to bring the teaching of the Catholic Faith to all savages of the Tejas country. He wrote a letter to the French Governor of Louisiana, using the pretext of trade as bait.
Results:
The Trading Post at Natchitoches established; the Missions established.
The French Post St. Jean Baptiste, the Spanish Presidio, Del Neustra Senora del Pilar de Los Adais. Both Nations now had to maintain these outposts to prevent encroachment from the other.
Effected:
The desire of both Nations to populate this Frontier. When Mexico won her independence from Spain the Neutral Strip was formed. This lawless unpoliced strip of land became the back door of the United States. Because of this ruthless lawlessness Fort Jesup was established.