[V'-5] Sic—but "Alferez" is not a part of Walker's name, being his rank in the Mexican cavalry: read "Walker, ensign of," etc.
[V'-6] Thomas Humphrey Cushing of Massachusetts, a captain in the Continental Army, became a captain of the 2d Infantry, Mar. 4th, 1791; he was arranged to the second sub-Legion Sept. 4th, 1792; promoted to be a major in the first sub-Legion Mar. 3d, 1793, and assigned to the 1st Infantry Nov. 1st, 1796; he acted as inspector of the army from Feb. 27th, 1797, to May 22d, 1798, and became lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Infantry April 1st, 1802; he acted as adjutant and inspector-general from Mar. 26th, 1802, to May 9th, 1807, was promoted to the colonelcy of the 2d Infantry Sept. 7th, 1805, to a brigadier-generalship July 2d, 1812, and honorably discharged June 15th, 1815; he died Oct. 19th, 1822.
[V'-7] It will be observed that Pike's syntax leaves the personal pronoun equivocal. We naturally read that Sergeant Meek killed one of his own men, i. e., a man of Pike's party; and I have been more than once summonsed, during my editorial function, to say who this man was. But there is no record that I can discover, and no other intimation than the above ambiguous clause, that any man of Pike's or Meek's party was killed by Meek. On the contrary, Pike's final word about his men accounts for every one of them: see [p. 855], and note there. In the absence of any further evidence, we must understand that Sergeant Meek killed one of General Salcedo's men; and if so, might easily be accused of "great intractability."
[V'-8] Of Virginia, appointed from Kentucky a second lieutenant of the 3d Infantry Feb. 16th, 1801, and transferred to the 2d Infantry Apr. 1st, 1802; became a first lieutenant of the same Dec. 20th, 1803, and resigned Jan. 31st, 1808; was made a captain of the first Rifles Mar. 8th, 1809, and appointed major Aug. 12th, 1814, but the appointment was negatived by the Senate Dec. 10th, 1814; he was honorably discharged June 15th, 1815, and died in 1819.
[V'-9] That is, Captain Pike wishes to know how he is to account for instruments which were damaged, or which he had ordered to be sold, to prevent further injury on a long march.
[V'-10] That is, F. capote, some sort of surtout, overcoat, or cloak, constantly confounded with F. capot, meaning hood. Among the Canadian voyageurs and other French in America, capote was the most general name of any such outer garment. It constantly occurs, for example, in annals of the fur-trade of the Northwest, capotes being made of several regulation sizes and styles, for barter with the Indians, as well as for wear of the men of the N. W. Company.
[VI'-1] This chapter, which appears to be a number of disjointed pieces, whose connection is not obvious, is really all of a part, being a certain Congressional matter. It is easily traced to its source in American State Papers, as the set of documents which Pike brought to bear on Congress for legislative action in his case, when he was trying to secure some appropriation to recompense himself and his companions for what they had undergone and accomplished during his two expeditions. Barring the way in which it was botched in this book, Nos. 6 and 13 are substantially the same as Doc. No. 259 of the 2d Session of the 10th Congress, being the report of a committee laid before the Ho. Reps. Dec. 16th, 1808, with accompanying papers, and as such will be found printed in American State Papers, folio, Washington, Gales and Seaton, 1834, pp. 942-944. The same volume contains, on p. 719, Doc. No. 248 of the 1st Session of the 10th Congress, being a previous report of a committee, communicated by John Montgomery, chairman, to the Ho. Reps., Mar. 10th, 1808. The same volume also contains, on p. 463, Doc. No. 212 of the 2d Session of the 9th Congress, a Report on Exploration of Western Waters, communicated by Mr. Alston to the Ho. Reps., Dec. 22d, 1806, mentioning Lewis and Clark, Pike, and Freeman, and recommending an annual appropriation for the purpose of such explorations. But none of these bills passed or became a law, though in Pike's own case they were, as we see, entirely favorable to his claim for extra remuneration. The case was reopened by Pike's widow, many years after his death; but nothing ever came of it. This seems hard, especially as Lewis and Clark and their men were well rewarded by Congressional legislation; but acts of Congress are as inscrutable as the ways of Providence, in any question of right or wrong. As to the composition of this chapter, see [note1, p. 807], and observe that we have: (1) The Report of the Congressional Committee of which Mr. Montgomery was chairman, recommending an appropriation. (2) A letter from the Secretary of War to this chairman, inclosing copies of instructions Pike received from Wilkinson for each of his expeditions. (3) A copy of one of these instructions, namely, for the Mississippi voyage, but no copy of the other which ought to appear here—for the reason, no doubt, that Pike had put it already in his book, as a sort of preface to Pt. 2: see [note1, p. 562]. Both or neither of these instructions should have come here. (4) Dearborn's complimentary letter to Pike. (5) Pike's return of men, etc., or roster of his two parties, furnished for the information of Congress upon the question of who were the persons for whom reward was claimed.
[VI'-2] This roster is at variance with that given in the itinerary, [p. 358], where it stands one lieutenant (Wilkinson), one doctor (Robinson, who was the volunteer), two sergeants (Ballenger and Meek), one corporal (Jackson), 16 privates (Boley, Bradley, Brown, Carter, Dougherty, Gorden, Huddleston, Kennerman, Menaugh, Miller, Mountjoy, Roy, Smith, Sparks, Stoute, Wilson), and one interpreter (Vasquez). Compare [note2, pp. 358-360], and [note50, p. 510]. Numerous other slips in this sketch, notably of dates, indicate that it was written from memory.
[VI'-3] It appears from Lieutenant Wilkinson's own report that he had but five men with him, the sergeant and four privates. Pike's enumeration of "six men" besides the sergeant includes the two Osages, whom he thus counts twice, to an aggregate of nine persons.
[VI'-4] As a pendent to the foregoing sketch, which was prepared for the information of Congress, may be presented a hitherto unpublished letter which Pike wrote to the Secretary of War soon after his arrival in Washington, when he transmitted reports of his Western Expedition. It is printed literally and punctually true to the manuscript now on file in the archives of the War Department.