Art. 4. Letter, Pike to Salcedo. ([Orig. No. 17], pp. 82, 83.)
Chihuahua, April 4th, 1807.
Sir:
I hope your Excellency may not attribute it to presumption or a disposition to intrude, when I address you on a subject foreign to my official duties, and on which I can only speak as an individual; for I should feel myself wanting in humanity, and that attention which every man owes to his fellow-creatures in distress, should I remain silent, more especially when those who are compatriots, and some of them former companions, are now in a strange country, languishing out their days far from their friends and relations, with scarcely a dawn of hope remaining of ever again being blessed with a view of their native homes. It is scarcely necessary to add that I allude to the unfortunate companions of [Captain Philip] Nolan, who, having entered the territories of his Catholic Majesty in a clandestine manner, equally in violation of the treaties between the two governments, the laws of the United States, and those of Spain, could not be reclaimed or noticed by their own country. Yet, from every information I have received on the subject, the men of the party were innocent, believing that Nolan had passports from the Spanish governor to carry on the traffic of horses. I pretend not to justify the many irregularities of their conduct since [they have been] in the Spanish dominions; but hope that these may be viewed with an eye of clemency, as the men are most of them very illiterate, possessing scarcely any part of an education.
David Fero was formerly a subaltern in a company of infantry of the United States commanded by my father at the time I served as a volunteer, but left the service, as I have been informed, owing to some irregularities of conduct. His having been once my companion entitles him at present to my particular attention; yet I will here mention to your Excellency a circumstance which may appear, if known, in an unfavorable light, viz.: About 15 days past I was informed Fero was in town, and that he desired to see me. I was extremely mortified at receiving the information, as I conceived he must have left his post in a clandestine manner; yet I could not find it in my heart to refuse the interview, which I gave, but determined at the same time to inform you of the circumstance, conceiving that you could not look on it as a matter of much criminality. [[Note 11, p. 660].]
But to conclude, I have to beg of your Excellency, if it be in your power and consistent with the line of conduct you conceive proper to pursue, to inform me if anything can be done toward restoring these poor fellows to their liberty, friends, and country; and in a particular manner I intercede for Fero. If it is out of the power of the general to grant them leave to return to the United States, I beg to know if there be any objection to my taking letters to their fathers, wives, etc. I should not have addressed this letter to the general, had I not conceived the fate of those men to be at his disposal, as he had suffered one of them to join the service of his Catholic Majesty; neither do I request the honor of any other than a verbal reply, as I write in the character of an individual, not as an officer of the United States.
I am, Sir,
With high consideration,
Your humble, obedient servant,
[Signed] Z. M. Pike.
His Excellency,
General Nimesio Salcedo.