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Relations with Spain.

the Indian traders, &c. And further, that he has | 42 years, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and knowledge of Mr. Bourne, formerly commandant saith, that, thirty-five or thirty-six years ago, be at Natchitoches, having had a trading-house es- went with his father from Natchitoches to the antablished on the southwest side of the Sabine river, cient Caddo village, where he remained about and distant from that river about six leagues, and four months. At that time, there were no famifrom Natchitoches about fifty leagues, and about lies or soldiers there, but the houses of the French northwest from it; which establishment was an- families who had lived there but a few years betecedent to the Spanish Government taking place fore, together with the fort, flag staff, and the barin Louisiana; and that the same place was occu- racks or house occupied by the soldiers, were all pied by sundry persons afterward, as well before standing entire; and that his father told him as after the change of Governments; and that he which of the fields and houses his family had ochas been informed that the mill-stones that were cupied for a number of years; and likewise, he reat the old French establishment at the Caddos, members to have seen in the fort the ambusier had been brought down; and that, according to and platform where the cannon were placed; and the best of his recollection, it is now about thirty-that he recollects his father used to call the diseight years since the said settlement was aban-tance from Natchitoches to said place by water doned. And further the deponent saith not.

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NATCHITOCHES, Sept. 16, 1805. Personally appeared before me, John Sibley, one of the Justices of the Peace for said county, Mary Senes Brevell, widow of Antoine Grillette, deceased, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, after she married Mr. Grillette, she went with him to the ancient Caddo village, where she remained about eighteen months. At that time, there were a few French inhabitants who settled and lived there, and a French commandant, who was Mr. Grappe, and, as near as she recollects, four soldiers; that the French inhabitants cultivated everything that was common for the French in other parts of Louisiana; and that she does not recollect the exact number of years that have elapsed since she was there, but believes it was, at least, ten years before the Government of Spain took place in Louisiana; and that she always understood, by her parents, she was there when a child, but she was too young to have remembrance of it. Further the depo

nent saith not.

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about the same as from Natchitoches to New Orleans, viz. about one hundred and seventy leagues; and further, that he well recollects some French families, particularly a Mr. Verge and Mr. de Cothat he always understood they had lived there to, living at the Yattassee point, so called, and for many years before Louisiana was ceded to Spain; and that the same place has always continued to be occupied by some French inhabitants, and is situated on the western division of Red River about twenty-five leagues above Natchitoches, and is now part of what is called the Bayou Pierre settlement, under the jurisdiction of the Spanish Government, in the province of Texas; and that he has been several times at a place called the Dout, on the east bank of the Sabine river, at a prairie, and towards the head of said river, where there was the appearance of some works having been erected by the French as a trading establishment, and where his father and many Indians had told him the French flag had been hoisted, and the arms of the King of France buried. Further the deponent saith not.

BTE. GRAPPE. Sworn to before me, at Natchitoches, the 16th day of September, 1805,

JOHN SIBLEY, J. P.

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NATCHITOCHES, Sept. 22, 1805.

Personally appeared before me, John Sibley, one of the Justices of the Peace for the county of Natchitoches, François Grappe, of Campti, in said county, aged 57, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that to the best of his knowledge and belief, he was born near the ancient Caddo village, on Red river, which, by the course of the river, he believes to be upwards of five hundred miles above Natchitoches, where his parents then lived, and had lived, he believes, a number of years before he was born, and where they continued to live until he was sixteen or seventeen years of age. As long ago as he can remember, he recollects a Mr. François Harvey, a French gentleman, living

Relations with Spain.

bine, and southward and westward of it, in what
is now called the province of Texas.
FRANCOIS GRAPPE.
Sworn to before me, the 30th of September,
1805.
JOHN SIBLEY, J. P.

The subscriber being duly sworn interpreter of the French language, does hereby certify that the foregoing declaration of François Grappe is truly interpreted and translated.

iards in Louisiana.

J. HORN.

NATCHITOCHES, October 2, 1805. Personally appeared before me, John Sibley, one of the Justices of the Peace for the county of Natchitoches, Gaspard Bodin, Lewis Bodin, and Andrew Chamar, all of Natchitoches aforesaid, who, being duly sworn, deposed and said, that, on the 8th day of September last, they, the deponents, were all travelling in company from Natchitoches to Opelousas, on the usual road; and that, when within fourteen or fifteen miles of Opelousas church, they were met by five armed Spanish soldiers on horseback, who drew their arms upon them, and ordered them to stop. One of the deponents, (Madam Bodin,) who speaks Spanish well, asked the one who appeared to be the commander of the party, what business he had to order them to stop, that they were all of them Americans, and that was American ground. The commander of the Spanish party replied, that he had a right to command there, and would do as he pleased, and that he must have such a horse for the use of the King, (pointing to Mr. Chamar's best horse) which he immediately took possession of, and took away with them, proceeding on the Nacogdoche road, and the deponent Chamar has never seen or heard of his horse since.

there, and who, he understood was the first white man that settled there; and that his father settled there about two years after. But he always understood there had been a company of French traders settled, for a number of years, about forty miles higher up the river, and that Mr. Harvey was one of them; but they were broken up before he was born; it was always called the Company: And that, during the whole time he lived at the ancient Caddo village, there were three settled families, besides a number of single persons, and a detachment of soldiers; and that the number of soldiers assigned by the French Government for that post was always fifteen, but he never knew Document relative to robberies committed by the Spanthe number complete; and that his father was commandant of the place for many years, and was succeeded by a Mr. Closo, who continued to be a commandant until it was abandoned, after the cession of Louisiana to Spain; and that his father, by order of the Governor of Louisiana, built a small fort there, in which were two small pieces of cannon, and in which was a flag-staff, on which the French flag was occasionally hoisted; he believes that the whole time that that place was occupied by the French as a military post and a settlement of families was about thirty years; and that the inhabitants pursued the same agriculture that was then common in other parts of the French settlements of Louisiana, viz. corn, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and garden vegetables, with some wheat, which grew well; but, having no way of manufacturing flour, there was but little wheat raised, though there was a pair of excellent European mill-stones and mill-irons there, but were not in use in his time; the stones he himself brought down in the year 1778, and they were carried to Opelousas; he understood they had been carried to the Caddo country by the Company, as it was called: And that he has knowledge of a French trading establishment being at a place called the Dout, on the Sabine river, near where the Nandaco Indians now live; and that it was an ancient establishment, and a place of great trade and resort at the time his father's family lived at the Caddos; and that he has several times been at the place; the French flag used to be hoisted there, and there are the remains of the buildings and works now to be seen; and that the Dout is about one hundred and fifty miles northwest from Natchitoches. And that there was, at the same time, a similar trading establishment and a number of settled French families at the Yattasse point, on the southwest division of Red river, about twenty-five leagues above Natchitoches, in what is now called the Bayou Pierre settlement, which is now under the jurisdiction of Spain, and which place is now, and ever has continued to be, occupied by French inhabitants, and some of whom have ancient French grants or titles for their lands; and that Mr. Verge, who lived there for a number of years before Louisiana was ceded to Spain, had the exclusive Indian trade granted him, by the French Governor General of Louisiana, of Troiscannes or Tauacanos, the Reychies, Yattasses, and several other tribes that then lived on the river Sa

GASPARD BODIN,
LEWIS BODIN,
ANDREW CHAMAR.

Sworn before me the day above written.

JOHN SIBLEY, J. P.

NATCHITOCHES, Oct. 3, 1805.

Personally appeared before me, John Sibley, a Justice of the Peace for the county of Natchitoches, Francis Roban, of said Natchitoches, aged twenty-one years, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, about the 10th of September last, himself, being in the employ of Messrs. Oliver and Case, of Natchitoches, was, with Joseph Lucas, conducting from the Caddo nation to Natchitoches eighteen horses, packed with about eleven hundred deer skins; and in the Bayou Pierre settlement they stopped for the night, at the plantation of a Mr. Poisot. Next morning, the deponent had occasion to go to the house of Mr. de Soto, about a half a league distant, who is a syndic, and at whose house the detachment of Spanish soldiers on guard is stationed; soon after his arrival at de Soto's house, a corporal of the

Relations with France.

saw him coming and rose up; the corporal called out to him, and told him he wanted to speak to him; Lucas saw him armed and saw the rope he had, and retreated a few steps from the fire; the corporal told him to stop, or he would shoot him; Lucas told him, he would not stop, and ran off. The Indian, at the same moment, drew his bow to shoot the corporal, who likewise ran and hid himself in the cornfield. The deponent further saith, that, while he was imprisoned in the horse-pen with the horses, the Indian came into the pen to him, and remained with him the remainder of the night. Some time in the night he proposed to the deponent to assist him, and they would tie the two Spaniards, and take off the horses, but if he was afraid to attempt that, he, the Indian, would kill them both, if the deponent would consent to it. The deponent further said, that, the next morning, the Spaniards sat off with him and all the horses for de Soto's house; and as they were going by Mr. Poisot's house, on their way he requested leave to go in to

guard called him, the deponent, into a small apartment, in de Soto's house, under the pretence of speaking to him; as soon as he entered the room, the corporal told him he was a prisoner, and placed a sentinel at the door; then told him they wanted to take Oliver and Case, or either of them, and that, if they did not find Oliver and Case, that he, the deponent should pay for it. They kept him then confined in the room, from about eight in the morning till one, afternoon; they then removed the deponent on his own horse, with one armed soldier before him and another behind, and ordered him to show Oliver and Case. He conducted them in this manner about eight miles, where he understood Mr. Case had been to Mr. Doley's. Arriving there, and not finding him, the deponent was left at Mr. Doley's under a guard, and the corporal went to some houses near by in the neighborhood, to search for him, but could not find him; after which, they set off in the same order in which they came, to return back to de Soto's. On their way they discovered a fresh trail of horses crossing the road, and lead-get a drink of water, and made his escape out of a ing from Mr. Poisot's plantation towards the back door, hid himself in a cotton field, from plantation of Mr. Robleau, which they concluded thence into a thicket, where he remained hid till to be the trail of Lucas, with the packs, &c. The night, leaving his horse, saddle, and bridle at Mr. deponent then attempted to escape from them, but Poisot's gate, which the Spaniards took possession was overtaken, and tied with his hands behind of. In the evening, he came into Mr. Poisot's him, with a coarse hair rope; they then put him house, Mr. Poisot gave him some victuals, and on his horse, one of the Spaniards leading his advised him to make the best of his way to Nachhorse by a rope and another following behind and itoches, for the Spaniards were determined to holding the other end of the hair rope, with which catch him, and had given him positive instructhe deponent's hands were tied. It was, at that tions to take him if he could, and bind him, and time, towards eight o'clock in the evening; the bring him to the guard; and that all the horses moon shone bright, they followed the trail lead- they had started off for Nacogdoche. The depoing towards Robleau's plantation about two and nent sat off immediately, and travelled all night, a half miles, and found all the pack-horses graz-avoiding as much as he could the main road, uning. The Spaniards went immediately to gather-derstanding that there were Spaniards posted on ing them up, and took possession of them all, the road to waylay him. About an hour before drove them into a pen belonging to the plantation, daylight he arrived at Mr. Doley's and found the and placed a guard over them; after which they Spaniards had arrived there, with all the horses untied the deponent, and drove him into the pen before him, and sentinel guarding them; his own with the horses, where they kept him under guard horse among the rest. And further the deponent among the horses the remainder of the night. said not. FRANCIS ROBAN, JOHN SIBLEY, J. P.

Sworn before me,

mittee of the House of Representatives on the [The foregoing papers were referred to a Com6th December, 1805. The Committee made a report to the House, January 3, 1806, for which see supplemental Journal to House Debates, ante, page 1117.]

FRANCE.

After the horses and deponent were thus penned up together, the corporal armed himself with a pair of pistols, and, with a rope under his coat, sat off for Lucas's camp, the light of which was in sight, saying he would go and tie Lucas. He was gone about a quarter of an hour, when he came running back much out of breath, and exclaimed: "Blast the Indian, he wanted to shoot me with his arrow." Soon after, the Indian came up; the corporal took his gun and presented it at the Indian, who replied, "You had best be easy, for I am not a child; you may thank me that you are here now." The corporal then spoke to the Indian, told him he was sorry for what he had In compliance with the request of the Senate, done, it was in passion, shook hands with him, expressed in their resolution of December 27, I &c. The Indian, who was a Yattasse, then told now lay before them such documents and papers the deponent to tell the corporal that he, the Span-(there being no other information in my possesiard, had wanted to take Lucas, but, if he had have taken him, he should not have tied him or taken him off. The Indian afterwards related to him, the deponent, how the corporal came to the fire, where Lucas and himself were encamped; Lucas

[Communicated to Congress, January 10, 1806.] To the Senate of the United States: ·

sion) as relate to complaints made by the Govern-
ment of France against the commerce carried on
by the citizens of the United States to the French
islands of St. Domingo.
JAN. 10, 1806.

TH. JEFFERSON.

Relations with France.

General Turreau to the Secretary of State. The undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of His Imperial and Royal Majesty to His Excellency the President of the United States of America, has testified, in his conversations with the Secretary of State, his just discontent with the commercial relations which many citizens of different States of the Union maintain with the rebels of every color, who have momentarily withdrawn the colony of St. Domingo from the legal authority.

The principles injuriously affected by such a commerce, or rather by such a system of robbery, (brigandage,) are so evident, so generally acknowledged, and adopted, not only by all nations who have a colonial system to defend, but even by those who have none, and, moreover, even by every wise people to whatsoever political aggregation they may belong, that the statesman, if he has not lost every idea of justice, of humanity, and of public law, can no more contest their wisdom than their existence. And certainly the undersigned, in finding himself called by his duty, as well as by his inclination, in the bosom of a friendly people, and near the respectable Chief that directs its Government; certainly the undersigned ought not to have expected that his first political relations would have for their object a complaint so serious, an infraction so manifest of law the most sacred and the best observed by every nation under the dominion of civilization.

But it was not enough for some citizens of the United States to convey munitions of every kind to the rebels of St. Domingo, to that race of African slaves the reproach and the refuse of nature; it was moreover necessary to insure the success of this ignoble and criminal traffic by the use of force. The vessels destined to protect it are constructed, loaded, armed in all the ports of the Union, under the eyes of the American people, of its particular authorities, and of the Federal Government itself: and this Government, which has taken for the basis of its political career the most scrupulous equity and the most impartial neutrality, does not

forbid it.

Without doubt, and notwithstanding the profound consideration with which the Minister Plenipotentiary of the French Empire is penetrated for the Government of the Union, he might enlarge still further upon the reflections suggested by such a state of things-a circumstance so important, so unexpected. But it would be equally as afflicting for him to dwell upon it, to state its consequences, as it would be for the Government to hear

them.

The Secretary of State, who perfectly knows the justice of the principles, and the legitimacy of the rights referred to in this note, will be of opinion, that neither are susceptible of discussion; because, a principle universally assented to, a right generally established, is never discussed, or, at least, is discussed in vain. The only way open for the redress of these complaints, is, to put an end to the tolerance which produces them, and which daily aggravates their consequences.

Moreover, this note, founded upon facts not less evident than the principles which they infract, 9th CoN.-39

does not permit the undersigned to doubt that the Government of the United States will take the most prompt, as well as the most effectual prohibitory measures, in order to put an end to its cause; and he seizes with eagerness this occasion of renewing to the Secretary of State the assurance of his high consideration. TURREAU.

General Turreau to the Secretary of State.

WASHINGTON, January 3, 1806. SIR: Formal orders of my Government oblige me to insist upon the contents of my official note of the 14th of October last, relative to the commerce which some inhabitants of the United States maintain with the rebels of St. Domingo.

Not receiving any answer to that note, I had room to hope that the Government of the Union would take prompt and effectual measures to put an end to the causes which produced it; but your silence towards me, especially in relation to St. Domingo, and that of your Government towards Congress, impose upon me the duty of recalling to your recollection the said official note, and of renewing to you my complaints upon the tolerance given to an abuse as shocking, as contrary to the law of nations, as it is to the treaties of peace and friendship existing between France and the Uni

ted States.

ces which have attended the commerce with the I will not recur, sir, to the different cicumstanrevolted part of St. Domingo; to the scandalous publicity given to its shameful success; to the rewards and encomiums prostituted upon the crews of armed vessels, whose destination is to protect the voyages to carry munitions of every kind to the rebels, and thus to nourish rebellion and robbery.

You ought not to be surprised, sir, that I call anew the attention of the American Government to this subject. His excellency M. Talleyrand has already testified his discontent to General Armstrong, your Minister Plenipotentiary at Paris; time to pursue formal measures against every adand you will be of opinion, that it is at length venture to the ports of St. Domingo occupied by duces this commerce, which suffers its being armthe rebels. The system of tolerance which proand its excesses, cannot longer remain; and the ed, which encourages, by impunity, its extension Emperor and King my master expects from the dignity and candor of the Government of the Union that an end be put to it promptly.

I add to this despatch a copy of the official note earnestly request, sir, that you acknowledge the which has been already transmitted to you. I receipt of both; and receive anew assurances of my high consideration.

TURREAU.

[Enclosed in General Armstrong's letter to the Secretary of State, of the 10th August, 1805.] From M. Talleyrand to General Armstrong. SIR: I have several times had the honor to call your attention to the commerce carried on from

Relations with France.

the ports of the United States, to those of St. Domingo occupied by the rebels. The commercial communications would appear to be almost daily increased. In order to cover their true destination, the vessels are cleared for the West Indies, without a more particular designation of the place; and, with the aid of these commissions, provisions, arms, and other objects of supply, of which they stand in need, are carried to the rebels of St. Domingo.

Although these adventures may be no more than the result of private speculations, the Government of the United States is not the less engaged to put an end to them, by a consequence of the obligations which bind together all the civilized Powers, all those who are in a state of peace. No Government can second the spirit of revolt of the subjects of another Power; and, as in this state of things it cannot maintain communications with them, it ought not to favor those which its own subjects maintain.

United States, and His Majesty charges me, sir,
to request, in his name, that they interdict every
private adventure, which, under any pretext or
designation whatever, may be destined to the
ports of St. Domingo occupied by the rebels.
Receive, General, the assurances of my high
consideration. C. M. TALLEYRAND.

To His Exc'y Gen. ARMSTRONG,
Minister Plenipotentiary of the U. S.

From M. Talleyrand to General Armstrong.

PARIS, (29th Thermidor, 13th year,) August 13, 1805. SIR: Since the letter I had the honor to write to you, on the 2nd Thermidor, concerning the armaments which were making in the ports of the United States for the western part of St. Domingo, fresh information upon this point confirms everything which had been received. The adventures for St. Domingo are publicly made; vessels are It is impossible that the Government of the Uni-armed for war to protect the convoys; and it is ted States should longer shut its eyes upon the communications of their commerce with St. Domingo. The adventures for that island are making with a scandulous publicity. They are supported by armed vessels. At their return, feasts are given in order to vaunt the success of their speculations; and the acknowledgment, even the eulogies of Government are so much relied upon, that it is at these feasts, and in the midst of an immense concourse, where are found the first authorities of the country, that the principles of the Government of Hayti are celebrated, and that vows are made for its duration.

I have the honor, sir, to transmit to your Excellency an extract of an American journal, in which are contained sundry details of a feast given in the port of New York, on board of a convoy which had arrived from St. Domingo.

The ninth toast, given to the Government of Hayti, cannot fail, sir, to excite your indignation. It is not, after having covered everything with blood and with ruins, that the rebels of St. Domingo ought to have found apologists in a nation the friend of France.

But they do not stop at their first speculations. The company of merchants, which gave a feast on the return of their adventure, is preparing a second convoy, and proposes to place it under the escort of several armed vessels.

in virtue of contracts entered into between Dessalines and American merchants, that the latter send him supplies and munitions of war.

I add, sir, to the letter which I have the honor to write to you, a copy of a sentence given at Halifax, in the matter of a merchant of New York, who had conveyed into the revolted part of St. Domingo three cargoes of gunpowder, and who was taken on his return by an English frigate.

If even in the English tribunal where this prize was condemned, the whole island of St. Domingo was considered as a French colony, how can the Federal Government tolerate that the rebels of this colony should continue to receive from America succors against the parent country? It is impossible that that Government should be ignorant of the armaments making in its ports. Too much publicity is given to them not to render it responsible; and it ought to perceive that it is contrary to every system of peace and good friendship to suffer longer in its ports armaments evidently directed against France.

Without doubt the Federal Government would not wish, in order to favor certain private speculations, to give new facilities to rebellion and robbery (brigandage:) the tolerance of a commerce so scandalous would be unworthy of it. Neither your Government nor His Majesty can be any longer indifferent to it; and, as the seriousness of I have the honor, sir, to give you this informa- the facts which occasion this complaint obliges tion, in order that you may be pleased to call the His Majesty to consider as good prize everything most serious attention of your Government to which shall enter the port of St. Domingo occuwards a series of facts, which it becomes its dig-pied by the rebels, and everything coming out, he nity and candor no longer to permit. The Federal Government cannot so far separate itself from the inhabitants of the United States, as to permit to them acts and communications which it thinks itself bound to interdict to itself, or as to think that it can distinguish its own responsibility from that of its subjects, when there is in question an unparalleled revolt, whose circumstances and whose horrible consequences must alarm all nations, and who are all equally interested in seeing it cease. France ought to expect from the amity of the

persuades himself that the Government of the
United States will take, on its part, against this
commerce, at once illicit and contrary to all the
principles of the law of nations, all the repressive
and authoritative measures proper to put an end
to it. This system of impunity and tolerance can
no longer continue; and His Majesty is convinced
that your Government will think it due from its
frankness promptly to put an end to it.
Receive, sir, the assurances of my high consid
eration. CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND.

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