If our surveyor had been a man of prudence and talents, our difficulties would have been much less; but his want of information, extreme pride and ungovernable temper, constantly furnish the opposite party with weapons. He has insinuated that the work is erroneous, and that Major Minor and myself have combined to injure both Governments, and wantonly lavish away public money. He himself has been the only idle person on the side of the United States; his whole attendance on the line as surveyor would not exceed one week. His insinuations, I am confident, would have but little weight with the people of the United States, but the case is very different with the Spaniards, naturally jealous, and uninformed in science, particularly so far as it relates to astronomical operations.
On Friday, the 12th of last month, General Wilkinson arrived at our camp, and continued with us until Sunday, the 14th. We had much conversation on the state and situation of the country; his ideas respecting both appeared very correct so far as I was able to determine. He informed me that he had seen some of Mr. Freeman’s correspondence with Captain Guion, which, in his opinion, came fully within the meaning of the late sedition law; and recommended, in the most serious manner, that he should be immediately suspended from his employment on the line. This, added to the opinion of Governor Sargent, (who spent a number of days at our camp,) Colonel Bruin, and many other respectable gentlemen, determined me in taking that measure. The surveying at present is done by Mr. Gillespie, the chain-carrying by Mr. Ellicott and Mr. Walker. General Wilkinson has removed Mr. McClary from the command of my escort; his conduct was far less exceptionable than that of Mr. Freeman, and when he did err it was generally the effect of bad advice.
Mr. Freeman left our camp on the 30th September, at the very time we were changing our system of carrying on the work, and in which the compass only is used, without giving me any notice of his departure, that arrangements might be made to meet the want of a surveyor. He was absent until the evening of the 17th ultimo, and on the morning of the 18th he was furnished with a note of suspension. He has constantly conducted himself in that same independent way.
The reference, No. 9, which was in cipher, in my communication of the 14th of November last, contained an account of an extraordinary plan; but that plan, in my opinion, is now given over, and the knowledge obtained of the country, its strength, and the disposition of the inhabitants, will be turned to the advantage of the United States by some of the principal characters concerned. It is the best they can now do. That the plan is given over may be collected from No. 1, which for particular reasons is in cipher, and ought to be secret. It cannot be considered as a literal translation, which you will see by the introduction, but it conveys accurately the ideas contained in the letter from which it is extracted.
The plan of Baron de Carondelet, mentioned in my communication of 27th of June last year, was correct as there stated; the particulars I have since obtained, and will be detailed to you by a gentleman, in the course of a few months, who was in the secret of the whole business. That you may not be at a loss when that gentleman calls upon you, he will have a letter of introduction from me, with an official communication, and a number of questions in the same cipher with reference to No. 1. His answers to those questions will convince you that my information has constantly been correct.
I shall leave this place (where I have only halted to draw up this communication) to-morrow, and proceed to the Pearl River, where the guide line will be corrected. I shall then proceed down the river to Lake Maurepas, from thence into Lake Pontchartrain and to New Orleans, where I expect to arrive about the 1st of January next. From New Orleans I shall follow the coast to Mobile, and again correct the guide line as run by the surveyors. From Mobile I shall follow the coast to Pensacola; I shall pursue the coast to the Chatetucka, and ascend the river to the guide line; as soon as that is corrected, I shall proceed to the mouth of Flint River and from thence to St. Mary’s.
You will easily perceive that my design in following the coast is to obtain an accurate knowledge of its situation, the navigation of the different rivers we shall have to ascend, and to correct the geographical positions where it may be necessary. My map of the Mississippi, corrected by a great number of observations, is now made out in the rough, and ready for copying.
The astronomical observations which I have made since I left Philadelphia, will make a large and not uninteresting publication.
Our business now goes on with the greatest harmony. That part near the coast, in which, as an American and friend to my country, I feel myself the most interested, will be nearly completed before Mr. Freeman can join us, if the President should disapprove of the measures which have been taken with him; and in that case I must request the favor of being permitted to return home. All that his friend General Mathews, Colonel Pannell, and a few others, can say of him, must be negative evidence; they may say what he has done; but what they say he has done in forwarding our business must be from his own report. They have not been visitors at our camp, where the only information founded upon facts could be had. He has not made a single observation since we came into this country, though he endeavored, after my course at the beginning of the line was furnished, one whole week without success. He is, nevertheless, by General Mathews and Colonel Pannell, declared not inferior to Newton! This is not strange; they may possibly have less scientific knowledge than he has, and the solemn air and dictatorial manner of a professional schoolmaster may have contributed much to establish his character with them. His abuse of me I disregarded, till his caballing got into the camp; the consequences then became more serious, and the measure which I took was founded upon the best of motives—the service of my country, and I have but one, added to a natural desire to live in peace with all mankind. I have but few observations to add to the depositions respecting his conduct which are forwarded with this. Mr. Robins, one of the deponents, is superintendent of the laborers, and always with them. Mr. Collins, another of the deponents, is as worthy a man as any in the United States, and assistant to Mr. Anderson; he constantly resides in the laborers’ camp. Mr. Lindsey likewise resides in the camp; he is a gentleman of veracity, and agent for the contractor. These gentlemen have been with us from the commencement of the business to the present time, and perfectly acquainted with the conduct of Mr. Freeman, and superior to his art, which he frequently exerted with them in vain. Similar depositions to those forwarded might be obtained from the gentlemen of the Spanish camp, but it appeared to me improper. You will see I have omitted taking those of Mr. Gillespie and the chain-bearers; it might be said they were interested. And, as Mr. Anderson has been equally abused with myself, on that account his has not been taken. You will see by the depositions that I rise early: it is generally before the break of day; from that time until dark I rarely sit down one hour; after candle-light I am generally engaged until 10 o’clock in writing and arranging my observations.
I hope the citizens of the United States begin by this time to be weaned from their attachment to the French nation. For my part I have experienced so much want of principle and integrity among them, and their partisans in this country, both individually and collectively, that my prejudices against the whole nation are so strong, that it is with difficulty I can guard my expressions so as not to give offence.