New Madrid, June 26, 1797.
Having received verbal instructions from Mr. James Wilkinson, the American General, to take charge of the money, which, by a letter, he received from the Secretary of the Government, Don Andres Armesto, under date of 7th or 8th of March last, of which I was bearer, he has advice, is deposited in this post, and being informed by the official letter which you have received on this business from the Governor General of the Province, of which you will be pleased to furnish me a copy, that said money is not to be delivered without an express order from the said Mr. Wilkinson, I find myself forced to relate circumstantially some particulars to smooth and remove the difficulty which the want of a written order on the part of the aforesaid General Wilkinson presents. Although this relation may appear an abuse of the confidence with which the Governor General of the Province and the Governor of Natchez, and particularly General Wilkinson, have honored me, I am persuaded that the urgency of the case which offers will serve me as an excuse and justification.
You are not ignorant of the fact, that Don Manuel Gayoso de Lemos being here in the month of September, of the year last past, he intrusted to me some despatches of the greatest importance for General Wilkinson, which I carried to Cincinnati, and I returned with the answers in the month of November. By order of the said Don Manuel Gayoso, I made immediately another journey to the Ohio, and I ascended it to Red Bank in search of Sebastian, who came with me to the mouth of the Ohio, where we met with the Governor of Natchez. At the end of December, I accompanied this gentleman to Natchez, and I went thence to New Orleans.
The principal object of my going down was to take charge, by order of General Wilkinson, of the money which you have now in deposit for him, which is shown by the letters which he wrote to the governors of this province and of Natchez; but, at my arrival, the money had been already sent off in one of His Majesty’s galleys, for this place, which I learned from the Baron de Carondelet, the Intendant, and Don Andres de Armesto. I repeatedly treated on this business with the two last of these persons, urging forcibly the necessity of sending sugar, coffee, and powder, to New Madrid, to form a cargo to take to Kentucky with Wilkinson’s money, hiding, by this means, the true intention of the voyage, and giving it the appearance of a commercial speculation. All this Wilkinson had before represented as indispensable for many reasons, particularly in order to avoid a misfortune similar to that which had already occurred. At last the Secretary told me that the barge in which Mr. Aaron Gregg, the American officer, was to go up, was destined for this service, and that as for the crew, he would permit me to choose among the Creoles, residents in this post, those who might appear to me most worthy of confidence, so that I left New Orleans with the belief that at my return to this post I should find every thing disposed conformable to what I have just related. On arrival at Greenville, informed General Wilkinson of the steps which had no doubt had been taken, from whence has resulted, that he, like myself, was impressed with the belief that all the measures for executing this service with success had been taken. I cannot communicate all the motives why Wilkinson has not given me an order in writing; but one of them was, that he did not know the sum of money which you had to deliver to his order, the Governors not having written a word to him on the subject, the Secretary only saying that his money was deposited in New Madrid, without expressing the sum. In the letters in cipher, from General Wilkinson for the governors, which are here enclosed, he tells them that he has sent me to bring the aforesaid money, informing you that the No. 1 is for the Governor General of the Province, and the No. 2 for Don Manuel Gayoso. I will add that General Wilkinson, when I represented to him that on presenting myself without his order in writing, some difficulty might arise, authorized me, if the case required it, to write an order that you should deliver his money, specifying the sum there might be, signing it in his name, and giving you a receipt therefor. I cannot omit that the commission of General Wilkinson was so sudden, so urgent, that it was extended even to limiting my return to my destination by the first of August, of which I advise you that you may endeavor not to delay the service. I believe that the Governor General is not ignorant of the embarrassments of General Wilkinson, nor can he be ignorant that, for a long time past, he has been expecting this money, the delay of which has been the cause of much trouble to him, involving him in great difficulties; and I can assure you, confidently, that he will be very much disgusted with any delays in the expedition, which might be productive of serious injury. As for the mode of carrying the money, it is evident that to take it openly would be too scandalous a thing, if I were not to say that it would be madness. The unhappy result of the expedition of the unfortunate Henry Owen ought to serve as a beacon in order not to lose ourselves on the same rock, and to make us take another course less dangerous. I would wish you to put a bag of one thousand dollars in a barrel of coffee or sugar, so that although the difference of the respective gravity, between silver, sugar, and coffee be very great, the quantity being so small, it will not be easily known. It will likewise be prudent to carry some barrels without money in order to sell them before arriving at Cincinnati, if it should so happen that any one should offer to buy these goods, because not to sell them when it might be done to advantage would excite suspicion; and to complete the disguise it would be well to take a certain quantity of powder and rum. If these dispositions should appear defective, I beg you to make such changes as may be to your mind. God preserve you many years.
No. 2.
Translation of a letter from Don Thomas Portell to Mr. Thomas Power, dated
New Madrid, June 29, 1796.
Having well considered the contents of your letter of this day, I mention that I agree in every thing to the whole of the reflections you place before me; although at first sight it appears that I ought to wait the decision of the Governor General, as he prescribes to me in his official letter of the 20th of January of the present year, and of which I enclose you a copy, which you request of me. The circumstances which you expose are such, that they leave me nothing more to do than to tell you to forward me a memorandum of the number of pounds of coffee, sugar, barrels in which to fill the powder and rum you desire for your expedition, because, as soon as I receive it, I will get it ready as you desire, informing you that for the merchandise you must sign me an acknowledgment of having received it, and for the money a receipt as attorney of General Wilkinson.
In order that the barge may be ready, and as you may want it, I have written an official letter to the Lieutenant-colonel Vincente Folch, that he may send it as soon as possible, because as nothing was said to me of what you have now mentioned respecting it, Mr. Francis Langlois asked it of me for an affair of service, and took it loaded with corn to the Fort of San Fernando, and it has not been returned, although I have required it, thinking it might be wanted here; Don Vincente Folch having answered me, that if I had not orders to keep it, there were none to return it.
The two letters in cipher remain in my hands, which I shall forward by the first safe opportunity, with the distinction you point out, No. 1 to the Governor General, and No. 2 to the Governor of Natchez.