The express waits, which I hope the general will accept as an excuse for this scrawl, having written him fully on the 28th and 29th inst.
I am, dear General,
Your ever sincere friend
and obedient servant,
[Signed] Z. M. Pike, Lt.
Gen. J. Wilkinson.
Art. 13. Letter, Pike to Dearborn. ([Orig. No. 13], pp. 45, 46.)
Pawnee Republic, Oct. 1st, 1806.
Sir:
We arrived here on the 25th ult., after a tedious march of 375 miles, the distance, as I conceive, being very much augmented by the Osages who accompanied us leading us too far to the south, owing to their great fear of the Kans. We suffered considerably with thirst, but our guns furnished us amply with buffalo meat.
We delivered in safety to the chief the two young Pawnees who had lately visited Washington, and caused to be explained to the nation the parole which they bore from the president of the United States.
On our arrival, we found the Spanish and American flags both expanded in the village, and were much surprised to learn that it was not more than three or four weeks since a party of Spanish troops, whose numbers were estimated by the Indians of this town at 300, had returned to Santa Fe. We further learned that a large body of troops had left N. Mexico, and on their march had met with the villagers of the Pawnee Mahaws, who were on one of their semi-annual excursions; that they encamped together, and entered into a treaty; but after this the Pawnees raised their camp in the night, and stole a large portion of the Spaniards' horses. This circumstance induced them to halt on the Arkansaw with the main body of the troops, and to send forward the party who appeared at this village. They proposed to this chief to join a party of his warriors to their troops, march to and entirely destroy the village of the Pawnee Mahaws; this proposition he had prudence enough to reject, although at war with that nation. The Spanish officer informed him that his superior, who remained on the Arkansaw, had marched from Santa Fe with an intention of entering into a treaty with the following nations of Indians, viz.: The Kanses, Pawnee Republic, Grand Pawnees, Pawnee Loups, Otos, and Mahaws; and had with him a grand medal, commissions, and four mules for each; but by the stroke of the Pawnee Mahaws the plan was disconcerted, except only as to this nation. The commissions are dated Santa Fe, 15th of June, 1806, signed governor-general, etc., etc., of New Mexico, and run in the usual style of Spanish commissions to savages, as far as I was capable of judging of their contents.