[V-18] Poteau or Potteau r. marks a notable point in this barren itinerary, as it falls in on the boundary between the Indian Territory and Arkansas, immediately above the important and well-known Fort Smith. This is situated on the right bank of the Arkansaw, in Sebastian Co., which the river divides from Crawford Co. Poteau is F. for post, and the name may refer to some early landmark of that sort: see [note33, p. 378]. Small tributaries of the Arkansaw between the Canadian and Poteau rivers are Vine cr., left; Sans Bois and Cache creeks, right; Sallison and Skin creeks, left—in the order here named.
[V-19] Wilkinson's "river au Millieu" is apparently that now called Lee or Lee's cr., which makes in between Fort Smith and Van Buren, seat of Crawford Co. It courses mostly in Arkansaw, but loops into and out of the Indian Territory. Four of its branches are called Cove, Brushy, Webber, and Garrison. The F. phrase Rivière au Milieu, equivalent to "Middle" or "Half-way" r., does not seem to have been much used anywhere in the U. S., though it is a still current voyageurs' designation of several different streams in British America.
[V-20] For the Quapaw or Kwapa Indians, see L. and C., ed. 1893, pp. 12 and 98, notes. Together with the Kansas, Osages, Omahas, and Poncas, they constitute a division of the Siouan stock called Dhegiha—a word equivalent to "autochthon." Dr. Sibley gives the names of the three Kwapa villages as Tawanima, Oufotu, and Ocapa: London ed. 1807, p. 53. Quapaw, Kwapa, Ocapa, Oguoppa, Quappa, Kappa, Ukaqpa, etc., are all forms of their name of themselves, meaning "those who went down river." Our knowledge of the village is traced back to Joliet and Marquette, July, 1673; the name Akansa, adopted in some form by the French, is what the Kwapas were called by the Illinois Indians, and the origin of our Arkansas or Arkansaw. The form Acanza is found on Vaugondy's map, 1783. About 230 Kwapas still live in Oklahoma and the Indian Territory.
[V-21] Arkansas Post perpetuates the name of the oldest establishment of whites in the lower Mississippi valley. The present village is on the N. bank of the Arkansaw r., in the county and State of Arkansas, 73 m. S. E. of Little Rock, the capital. Though never a locality of much importance, its place in history is secure and permanent. Early in the year 1685, Henri de Tonti, the famous trusty lieutenant of La Salle, was reinstated in command of Fort St. Louis of the Illinois, with titles of captain and governor, by order of the French king Louis XIV. Tonti learned that La Salle was in trouble somewhere in New Spain (Texas), and organized an expedition for his relief. On Feb. 16th, 1686, he left Fort St. Louis, with 30 Frenchmen and 5 Indians, descended the Illinois and Miss. rivers to the Gulf, and scoured the coast for miles, but saw no sign of his great chief. He wrote a letter for La Salle, which he committed to the care of a chief of the Quinipissas for delivery, should opportunity offer, and retraced his way up the Miss. r. to the mouth of the Arkansaw, which latter river he ascended to the village of the Arkensa Indians. There, on lands which La Salle had already granted him, he stationed six of his men, who volunteered to remain in hopes of hearing from the distant commander. This was the origin of the Poste aux Arkansas. La Salle was murdered by the traitor Duhaut, one of several ruffians among his own men who conspired to his foul assassination, some say on one of the tributaries of the Brazos, at a spot which has been supposed to be perhaps 40-50 m. N. of present town of Washington, Tex.; the date is Mar. 19th or 20th, 1687. Seven of the survivors of La Salle's ill-starred colony at Fort St. Louis of Texas, reached Arkansas Post after a journey computed at the time to have been 250 leagues, in the summer of 1687, and found Couture and De Launay, two of the six whom Tonti had stationed there the year before. (See Wallace, Hist. Ill. and La., etc., 1893.) This Tonti (or Tonty), b. about 1650, died at Mobile, 1704, was the son of Lorenzo Tonti, who devised the Tontine scheme or policy of life insurance. Arkansas Post was the scene of Laclede's death, June 20th, 1778. The place was taken by the Unionists from the Confederates, Jan. 11th, 1863.
[VI-1] General Wilkinson's instructions to Lieutenant Pike were conveyed in the form of two letters, of June 24th and July 12th, respectively, made in the orig. ed. pp. 107-110 of main text of Pt. 2, though they were set in smaller type as a sort of preface or introduction. But as no such preliminary is observed in the other two parts of the book, and as these orders are in the form of letters from the general to his lieutenant, I think they are preferably brought in here. By this single transposition the whole of the correspondence relating to the Arkansaw expedition is brought together in chronological order to form the present Chapter VI.
[VI-2] On the subject of our then strained relations with New Spain I have examined much unpublished manuscript in the Archives of the Government at Washington, but most of it has become a matter of well-known history, needless to bring up here. It is well understood that Pike had secret instructions from the traitor, General Wilkinson, over and beyond those which were ostensible; and no doubt the main purpose of his Expedition was to open the way to Santa Fé, with reference to such military operations as then seemed probable. It is certain that General Wilkinson contemplated the possibility if not the probability of invading New Mexico. Take as evidence the following extract of a letter he wrote to the Secretary of War, dated St. Louis, Nov. 26th, 1805:
" ... Our situation at New Orleans is a defenceless one, & Colonel Freeman's removal of two Companies from Fort Adams to that city leaves us without the means of offence above Batton Rouge, which I do [not] like, but Freeman felt himself too feeble to stand alone without those Companies—I most ardently implore we may not be forced to War, because I seek repose & we are not indeed prepared for it, that is against European troops—yet if we must draw the sword, the whole of the troops destined to operate West of the Mississippi should be mounted, whether Gun-men or sword-men, because every Man of the Enemy will be found on Horse Back, and the composition should be such as I have described in a former Letter—If any thing should be done from this Quarter direct, and I might be indulged to recommend my officers, to plan & Lead the expedition. If I do not reduce New Mexico, at least, in one Campaign, I will forfeit my Head."
[VI-3] Art. 3 bears the same number that this piece had in the orig. ed., and the same is the case with all the following articles of the present chapter, with one exception, where transposition of Orig. Nos. 8 and 9 to make Arts. 9 and 8 is required to preserve the chronological order. All these letters are from Pike to Wilkinson, excepting my Art. 8, Orig. No. 9, which is from Wilkinson to Pike, and one to General Dearborn. Pike's letters are in the nature of reports of progress to his commanding general and the Secretary of War. They ceased, of course, upon his separation from Lieutenant Wilkinson, and nothing further was heard of or from him till his return from Mexico, in July, 1807.
[VI-4] There is no allusion to this matter in the letter as originally printed, where a long row of asterisks indicates the elision of what it was not thought prudent to publish at that time.
[VI-5] There were two Bissells, both of Connecticut, and of the same or similar rank in the army, often confused in records of the time, unless their first names are given, as in this instance; 1. Daniel Bissell became an ensign in the 1st Infantry, Apr. 11th, 1792; was arranged to the 1st sub-Legion Sept. 4th, 1792; promoted to a lieutenancy Jan. 3d, 1794; assigned to the 1st Infantry Nov. 1st, 1796; made a captain Jan. 1st, 1799; lieutenant-colonel, 1st Infantry, Aug. 18th, 1808; colonel, 5th Infantry, Aug. 15th, 1812; brigadier-general, Mar. 9th, 1814; honorably discharged June 1st, 1821, and died Dec. 14th, 1833. 2. Russell Bissell became a lieutenant of the 2d Infantry Mar. 4th, 1791; was arranged to the 2d sub-Legion Sept. 4th, 1792; made captain Feb. 19th, 1793; assigned to the 2d Infantry Nov. 1st, 1796; transferred to the 1st Infantry Apr. 1st, 1802; promoted to be major of the 2d Infantry Dec. 9th, 1807, and died Dec. 18th, 1807. Two other Connecticut Bissells who became army officers a little later were Lieutenant Hezekiah W., who entered in 1801 and died in 1802; and Captain Lewis, who entered as an ensign in 1808 and resigned in 1817. One Daniel Bissell of Vermont served as a first lieutenant for about a year, 1799-1800, and in still later years there have been several other army officers of the same surname.