pioneers of the old southwest-第32部分

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ing　intended　to　keep　it。　It　was　not　until　he　had　seen　the　Spanish　plots　collapse　and　had　realized　that　the　Americans　were　to　dominate　the　land；　that　the　White　Leader　ceased　from　war　and　urged　the　youths　of　his　tribe　to　adopt　American　civilization。

Spent　from　hate　and　wasted　with　dissipation；　he　retired　at　last　to　the　spot　where　Lachlan　had　set　up　his　first　Creek　home。　Here　he　lived　his　few　remaining　days　in　a　house　which　he　built　on　the　site　of　the　old　ruined　cabin　about　which　still　stood　the　little　grove　of　apple　trees　his　father　had　planted。　He　died　at　the　age　of　fifty　of　a　fever　contracted　while　he　was　on　a　business　errand　in　Pensacola。　Among　those　who　visited　him　in　his　last　years；　one　has　left　this　description　of　him：　〃Dissipation　has　sapped　a　constitution　originally　delicate　and　feeble。　He　possesses　an　atticism　of　diction　aided　by　a　liberal　education；　a　great　fund　of　wit　and　humor　meliorated　by　a　perfect　good　nature　and　politeness。〃　Set　beside　that　kindly　picture　this　rough　etching　by　James　Robertson：　〃The　biggest　devil　among　them　＇the　Spaniards＇　is　the　half　Spaniard；　half　Frenchman；　half　Scotchman　and　altogether　Creek　scoundrel；　McGillivray。〃

How　indefatigably　McGillivray　did　his　work　we　know　from　the　bloody　annals　of　the　years　which　followed　the　British…American　peace；　when　the　men　of　the　Cumberland　and　of　Franklin　were　on　the　defensive　continually。　How　cleverly　Mire　played　his　personal　role　we　discover　in　the　letters　addressed　to　him　by　Sevier　and　Robertson。　These　letters　show　that；　as　far　as　words　go　at　any　rate；　the　founders　of　Tennessee　were　willing　to　negotiate　with　Spain。　In　a　letter　dated　September　12；　1788；　Sevier　offered　himself　and　his　tottering　State　of　Franklin　to　the　Spanish　King。　This　offer　may　have　been　made　to　gain　a　respite；　or　it　may　have　been　genuine。　The　situation　in　the　Tennessee　settlements　was　truly　desperate；　for　neither　North　Carolina　nor　Congress　apparently　cared　in　the　least　what　befell　them　or　how　soon。　North　Carolina　indeed　was　in　an　anomalous　position；　as　she　had　not　yet　ratified　the　Federal　Constitution。　If　Franklin　went　out　of　existence　and　the　territory　which　it　included　became　again　part　of　North　Carolina；　Sevier　knew　that　a　large　part　of　the　newly　settled　country　would；　under　North　Carolina's　treaties；　revert　to　the　Indians。　That　meant　ruin　to　large　numbers　of　those　who　had　put　their　faith　in　his　star；　or　else　it　meant　renewed　conflict　either　with　the　Indians　or　with　the　parent　State。　The　probabilities　aria　that　Sevier　hoped　to　play　the　Spaniards　against　the　Easterners　who；　even　while　denying　the　Westerners'　contention　that　the　mountains　were　a　〃natural〃　barrier　between　them；　were　making　of　them　a　barrier　of　indifference。　It　would　seem　so；　because；　although　this　was　the　very　aim　of　all　Miro's　activities　so　that；　had　he　been　assured　of　the　sincerity　of　the　offer；　he　must　have　grasped　at　it；　yet　nothing　definite　was　done。　And　Sevier　was　presently　informing　Shelby；　now　in　Kentucky；　that　there　was　a　Spanish　plot　afoot　to　seize　the　western　country。

Miro　had　other　agents　besides　McGillivraywho；　by　the　way；　was　costing　Spain；　for　his　own　services　and　those　of　four　tribes　aggregating　over　six　thousand　warriors；　a　sum　of　fifty…five　thousand　dollars　a　year。　McGillivray　did　very　well　as　superintendent　of　massacres；　but　the　Spaniard　required　a　different　type　of　man；　an　American　who　enjoyed　his　country's　trust；　to　bring　the　larger　plan　to　fruition。　Miro　found　that　man　in　General　James　Wilkinson；　lately　of　the　Continental　Army　and　now　a　resident　of　Kentucky；　which　territory　Wilkinson　undertook　to　deliver　to　Spain；　for　a　price。　In　1787　Wilkinson　secretly　took　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　Spain　and　is　listed　in　the　files　of　the　Spanish　secret　service；　appropriately；　as　〃Number　Thirteen。〃　He　was　indeed　the　thirteenth　at　table；　the　Judas　at　the　feast。　Somewhat　under　middle　height；　Wilkinson　was　handsome；　graceful；　and　remarkably　magnetic。　Of　a　good；　if　rather　impoverished；　Maryland　family；　he　was　well　educated　and　widely　read　for　the　times。　With　a　brilliant　and　versatile　intellectuality　and　ready　gifts　as　a　speaker；　he　swayed　men　easily。　He　was　a　bold　soldier　and　was　endowed　with　physical　courage；　though　when　engaged　in　personal　contests　he　seldom　exerted　itpreferring　the　red　tongue　of　slander　or　the　hired　assassin's　shot　from　behind　cover。　His　record　fails　to　disclose　one　commendable　trait。　He　was　inordinately　avaricious；　but　love　of　money　was　not　his　whole　motive　force：　he　had　a　spirit　so　jealous　and　malignant　that　he　hated　to　the　death　another　man's　good。　He　seemed　to　divine　instantly　wherein　other　men　were　weak　and　to　understand　the　speediest　and　best　means　of　suborning　them　to　his　own　interestsor　of　destroying　them。

Wilkinson　was　able　to　lure　a　number　of　Kentuckians　into　the　separatist　movement。　George　Rogers　Clark　seriously　disturbed　the　arch　plotter　by　seizing　a　Spanish　trader's　store　wherewith　to　pay　his　soldiers；　whom　Virginia　had　omitted　to　recompense。　This　act　aroused　the　suspicions　of　the　Spanish；　either　as　to　Number　Thirteen's　perfect　loyalty　or　as　to　his　ability　to　deliver　the　western　country。　In　1786；　when　Clark　led　two　thousand　men　against　the　Ohio　Indians　in　his　last　and　his　only　unsuccessful　campaign；　Wilkinson　had　already　settled　himself　near　the　Falls　（Louisville）　and　had　looked　about　for　mischief　which　he　might　do　for　profit。　Whether　his　influence　had　anything　to　do　with　what　amounted　virtually　to　a　mutiny　among　Clark's　forces　is　not　ascertainable；　but；　for　a　disinterested　onlooker；　he　was　overswift　to　spread　the　news　of　Clark's　debacle　and　to　declare　gleefully　that　Clark's　sun　of　military　glory　had　now　forever　set。　It　is　also　known　that　he　later　served　other　generals　treacherously　in　Indian　expeditions　and　that　he　intrigued　with　Mad　Anthony　Wayne's　Kentucky　troops　against　their　commander。

Spain　did　not　wish　to　see　the　Indians　crushed；　and　Wilkinson　himself　both　hated　and　feared　any　other　officer's　prestige。　How　long　he　had　been　in　foreign　pay　we　can　only　conjecture；　for；　several　years　before　he　transplanted　his　activities　to　Kentucky；　he　had　been　one　of　a　cabal　against　Washington。　Not　only　his　ambitions　but　his　nature　must　inevitably　have　brought　him　to　the　death…battle　with　George　Rogers　Clark。　As　a　military　leader；　Clark　had　genius；　and　soldiering　was　his　passion。　In　nature；　he　was　open；　frank；　and　bold　to　make　foes　if　he　scorned　a　man's　way　as　ignoble　or　dishonest。　Wilkinson　suavely　set　about　scheming　for　Clark's　ruin。　His　communication　or　memorial　to　the　Virginia　Assemblysigned　by　himself　and　a　number　of　his　friends　villifying　Clark；　ended　Clark's　chances　for　the　commission　in　the　Continental　Army　which　he　craved。　It　was　Wilkinson　who　made　public　an　incriminating　letter　which　had　Clark's　signature　attached　and　which　Clark　said　he　had　never　seen。　It　is　to　be　supposed　that　Number　Thirteen　was　responsible　also　for　the　malevolent　anonymous　letter　accusing　Clark　of　drunkenness　and　scheming　which；　so　strangely；　found　its　way　into　the　Calendar　of　State　Papers　of　Virginia。*　As　a　result；　Clark　was　censured　by　Virginia。　Thereupon　he　petitioned　for　a　Court　of　Inquiry；　but　this　was　not　granted。　Wilkinson　had　to　get　rid　of　Clark；　for　if　Clark；　with　his　military　gifts　and　his　power　over　men；　had　been　elevated　to　a　position　of　command　under　the　smile　of　the　Government；　there　would　have　been　small　opportunity　for　James　W　Wilkinson　to　lead　the　Kentuckians　and　to　gather　in　Spanish　gold。　So　the　machinations　of　one　of　the　vilest　traitors　who　ever　sold　his　country　were　employed　to　bring　about　the　stultification　and　hence　the　downfall　of　a　great　servant。

*　See　Thomas　M。　Greene's　〃The　Spanish　Conspiracy；〃　p。　78；　footnote。　It　is　possible　that　Wilkinson's　intrigues　provide　data　for　a　new　biography　of　Clark　which　may　recast　in　some　measure　the　accepted　view　of　Clark　at　this　period。


Wilkinson's　chief　aids　were　the　Irishmen；　O'Fallon；　Nolan；　and　Powers。　Through　Nolan；　he　also　vended　Spanish　secrets。　He　sold；　indeed；　whatever　and　whomever　he　could　get　his　price　for。　So　clever　was　he　that　he　escaped　detection；　though　he　was　obliged　to　remove　some　suspicions。　He　succeeded　Wayne　as　commander　of　the　regular　army　in　1796。　He　was　one　of　the　commissioners　to　receive　Louisiana　when　the　Purchase　was　arranged　in　1803。　He　was　still　on　the　Spanish　pay　roll　at　that　time。　Wilkinson's　true　record　came　to　light　only　when　the　Spanish　archives　were　opened　to　investigators。

There　were　British　agents　also　in　the　Old　Southwest；　for　the　dissatisfaction　of　the　Western　men　inspired　in　Englishmen　the　hope　of　recovering　the　Mississippi　Basin。　Lord　Dorchester；　Governor　of　Canada；　wrote　to　the　British　Government　that　he　had　been　approached　by　important　Westerners；　but　he　received　advice　from　England　to　move　slowly。　For　complicity　in　the　British　schemes；　William　Blount；　who　was　first　territorial　Governor　of　Tennessee　and　later　a　senator　from　that　State；　was　expelled　from　the　Senate。

Surely　there　was　never　a　more　elaborate　network　of　plots　that　came　to　nothing！　The　concession　to　Americans　in　1796　of　the　right　of　navigation　on　the　Mississippi　brought　an　end　to　the　scheming。

In　the　same　year　Tennessee　was　admitted　to　the　Union；　and　John　Sevier　was　elected　Governor　Sevier's　popularity　was　undiminished；　though　there　were　at　this　time　some　sixty　thousand　souls　in　Tennessee；　many　of　whom　were　late　comers　who　had　not　known　him　in　his　heyday。　His　old　power　to　win　men　to　him　must　have　been　as　strong　as　ever；　for　it　is　recorded　that　he　had　only　to　enter　a　political　meetingno　matter　whosefor　the　crowd　to　cheer　him　and　shout　for　him　to　〃give　them　a　talk。〃


This　adulation　of　Sevier　still　annoyed　a　few　men　who　had　ambitions　of　their　own。　Among　these　was　Andrew　Jackson；　who　had　come　to　Jonesborough　in　1788；　just　after　the　collapse　of　the　State　of　Franklin。　He　was　twenty…one　at　that　time；　and　he　is　said　to　have　entered　Jonesborough　riding　a　fine　racer　and　leading　another；　with　a　pack　of　hunting　dogs　baying　or　nosing　along　after　him。　A　court　record　dated　May　12；　1788；　avers　that　〃Andrew　Jackson；　Esq。　came　into　Court　and　produced　a　licence　as　an　Attorney　With　A　Certificate　sufficiently　Attested　of　his　Taking　the　Oath　Necessary　to　said　office　and　Was　admitted　to　Practiss　as　an　Attorney　in　the　County　Courts。〃　Jackson　made　no　history　in　o