No Man's Land: A History of El Camino Real

by Louis Raphael Nardini

William Shaler arrived in Natchitoches almost on the heels of Gutierrez, a special agent sent by the Secretary of State Monroe to assist the new so called Gutierrez-McGee expedition. Shaler’s letters to Monroe give an excellent account of the organization and execution of this expedition. Shaler, who had been trained as a military man, contributed greatly to its efficiency.

Samuel Davenport of the firm of Davenport and Barr, licensed traders, established themselves in the Soledad building in Nacogdoches. Davenport wrote to Don Manuel de Salcedo, Governor of Texas at Nacogdoches, from Natchitoches, “John Adair was gathering troops in Rapides (Alexandria, Louisiana) 500 men were being gathered along the Mississippi River and at Natchez. Captain Jose Manchac has gathered over a hundred men out of the Neutral Strip and they are now camped on the west bank of the Sabine River.”

A letter was sent from Washington to the district judge notifying him that the United States would not sanction an organization of men on its land which would constitute an act of aggression against the government of another country. Judge Carr’s answering letter dated July 22, 1812, stated that he was aware that some sort of movement of aggression was being talked about in the Natchitoches Area, but that to his knowledge there were no men grouped east of the Sabine River congregating with filibuster intent.

“Young men in groups of two, five, ten or fifteen arrive here in Natchitoches every day, many are from our immediate local area, they are mild-mannered and quiet and cause no disturbances, they purchase supplies at the local stores and when questioned about their destination, they declare that they are going on a hunting trip. I have no grounds with which I can detain such a small party of men, for to be sure groups fewer than fifteen or twenty cannot be classed as a filibustering party. If rumors are true and there is a location on the west bank of the Sabine River where men are gathering with the intent of invading Texas, that area is out of the jurisdiction of any one person representing our local or federal government.”

On August 8, 1812, the campaign began with a total strength of one hundred eighty men.

At Nacogdoches was the proof that the people of the area, according to the statements of the traders Smith, Grappe, Patterson and McClanahan, were ready for a rebellion against the Spanish Government. At Nacogdoches on August 11, 1812, when the attack began, the filibusterers met only token resistance and one hundred ninety of the inhabitants joined the patriots. The easy fall of Nacogdoches was a shot in the arm for the filibusterers. Fifty of the Spanish soldiers joined with the rebels. A mule and horse train with booty of wool, hides and Spanish silverware, estimated to be valued at one hundred thousand dollars, was sent to Natchitoches to be exchanged for the necessary provisions to conduct the campaign. Henry Perry of the army quartermaster was there to receive the merchandise. Now he had something to work with. Supplies which could not be obtained in Natchitoches were purchased in Natchez, Mississippi. The merchandise was brought over the old Natchez-Vidalia to Natchitoches Indian trail (highway 84 today) which had its share of bandits and land-pirates.

Gutierrez was an old hand at spreading propaganda and at Nacogdoches the “rebels” paused long enough to make use of the talents of Aaron Hower, the printer. The news of the fall of Nacogdoches would be sure to bring volunteers from the Natchitoches-Neutral Strip area. On September 1, 1812, circulars were found as far as San Antonio, announcing that the filibusterers army had reached a thousand in number of well equipped men, and that more volunteers were arriving every hour from ten to one hundred in number to join Gutierrez, and that they now had cannon which had been taken from the Spanish in Nacogdoches.

Governor Salcedo, who had previously sent a message asking for assistance, received news that no help could be sent because the “Patriot Army” in Mexico was marching on Camargo and Nueva Santanadar (this was a group of rebel followers of Padres Castillo and Morelos). The propaganda news leaflets and the news from Mexico caused Salcedo to withdraw all outlying Spanish detachments and concentrate them at San Antonio de Bexar. At this stage of the campaign the McGee-Gutierrez army numbered no more than seven hundred men.

Now, Salcedo’s military ability began to show. He needed a day or two so that the troops in the west under General Herrera could reach San Antonio. He left La Bahia (now Goliad, Texas) without defense and spread his troops along the Guadelupe River twenty-eight miles north and east of San Antonio. The filibusterers could not overlook the opportunity of taking a defenseless town. La Bahia fell without a struggle and the filibusterers were jubilant. Meanwhile the Spanish forces met, forming a total strength of nearly nine hundred men. Over fifty of the Spanish soldiers with the filibusterers deserted and returned to the Royalist troops, explaining they had been captured and were finally able to escape.

Up to now McGee had been in charge of the filibusterers and Gutierrez was the commander in name only. There was friction between McGee and Gutierrez, and at the same time Toledo was vying for the position of commanding them. Samuel Davenport, the unfaithful Indian Agent of Salcedo, who had joined the filibusterers, suddenly decided he had some important, unfinished business and departed for Nacogdoches. A day or so later Rubin Ross left to contact Indians encamped on the Sabine River with the intention of joining the filibusterers. McGee died at La Bahia under mysterious circumstances. Gutierrez claimed that McGee took poison to keep from being shot. Davenport stated that McGee was sick when he left for Nacogdoches, and Rubin Ross declared McGee was in good health two days prior to his leaving Davenport, and that at no time was he aware that McGee was sick.