Now I have all 16 pages. Composing the complete transcription: [Military View of military defence of Mississippi Territory &c pg 31.] Loftus' Heights, Head Quarters Western Army 15^th April 1799 It is in consequence of an or: :der from the Minister of War received on the 4^th Inst., that I have now, the Honor to begin my correspondence with you. — Accustomed to the frankness of a Soldier, nothing less than the fear of incuring, the imputation of adula: :tion or of impertinence, would pre: :vent the expression of my feelings, on the occasion, but altho' I have [undecipherable] :sions, I may express the high satisfac: :tion I feel, at finding myself under orders of a Gentleman, able to instru: :ct me in all things. — I avail myself of the retu: :rn of Lt. Hyde, of the 1^st Regt., who goes to seat of Government, to adjust Pu: :blick Accounts, to send forward this le: :tter with a return of the Troops, stationed at [undecipherable]:sac & on the Missipipi to Cincinnati on Ohio, from whence it will be transmit: :ted you, by the ordinary mail: I shall in the [undecipherable] of the Month, endeavour to make up re: :turns from the several Departments, [pg 32.] to comprise every appurtenance to the Service in this Quarter. — Referring you [for information] to my com: :munications, made to the Minister of War on the subject, I am now to report the failure of the Detachment returned to the Mobile River, on the 10^th Inst; and the orders you will find copied within, which may tho' meet your approbation. — Daily occurrences tend to con: :vince the necessity of a Cordon of Posts, to extend from this point, along the national boundary, to the settlements of Georgia, in order to exclude foreign machinations, to lay the savages at our feet, & to repress the licentiousness of a Erratic frontiers men; the Testimony enti: :rely relative to a late robbery, committed on [a] trace leading from this Territory to Nasho[undecipherable]: may be depended on, and it rema: :ins a matter of doubt, whether this fray was purely savage, whether fomented from Pensacola, or excited by one Du[undecipherable] lawless Ruffian, not long since a pri: :soner at Natchez, for trespassing on Indian Lands North West of the Ohio, from whence he made his Escape. — The Minister of War, in Letter of the 31^st Jan^t. having expressed po: :doubts, [pg 33.] doubts, of the policy & expediency of taking Post at this place, it becomes my duty to state, in brief, the motives which govern: :ed my Conduct in this instance. — The distance of this Territory from National succour, & its proximity to a foreign Power, exposes it more to danger from invasion, than any other point of the Union. — The same causes will render the conquest more easy, & the recovery more difficult, and the occupancy would pre: :pare a communication with the Southern Indians, & greatly facilitate for: :eign [foreign] intrigues & the arts of corruption among our wide extended western Settlements. The People of this Territory, in general, have too often changed Mas: :ters, to foster any fixed principles of policy, or to cherish any permanent Attachments to government; they are besides swayed by various causes: in this temper & with such dispositions, a position to continue as well as to pro: :tect appeared to me, political. The Spaniards are subordinate to the French, & the regular military of Louisiana is insufficient; to defend the Government from alone, against a general rising of the Inhabitants, [pg 34.] who have been all armed, are almost exclusively French, & as frantic in their politics, as the flesh-born of Paris. — The heavy Artillery & portable Magazines of an invading Army, must move by Water, & the voyage from New Orleans, to the centre of the popu: :lation of the Territory, may be com: :puted at twenty Days, tho' it has been performed in fourteen. — The preceding reflections, which are in my judgment well founded, determined me to condense my small force, to take Post here, & fortify; a resolution which may I hope be justifiable on the following specifick grounds. viz. 1^st. Because it is the only spot on the Mississippi, below the Ohio, which is safe from the wash of the current, & effectu: :ally commands the pass of the River at all seasons. — 2^ndly. Because the site is uncommonly strong, & the natural form of the ground, highly susceptible of defensive works, on oeconomical terms. — 3^rdly. Because the position is approximate to the national boundary, & at the lower extremity of the Territorial Set: :tlements — [pg 35.] 4^thly. Because an insidious Enemy, such as we have to apprehend, meditating a stroke at this Territory, could masque his preparations behind Baton rouge, [the positive Part of dominion in the River] & from thence, was no Barrier interposed, by an Energetic movement, might in eight or ten Days gain possession of the Country; a period too short for the transmittal of the Intelligence, to any Position we could take on the Mis: :sissippi, above the mouth of the Ya: :zoo. — 5^thly. Because this position properly for: :tified, will enable us to repell supe: :rior [force.] :rior, & to check an Host, until [rein]: :coms may be drawn from the upper Country — or, should offence become necessary, to carry a coup-de-main against the Capital below. — I forbe: :ar to remark on its vicinity, to the di: :rect route into the mexican provin: :ce of Techas & St. Afee & St. Andero, or to [en]:large on the advantages this circum: :stance might afford us, should we be compelled us to attack. — and 6^thly. I proposed by condensing my for: :ce to save the hazard of being beate: :n in detail, and by fortifying at points to cover the Country, to gi: :ve confidence to the Inhabitants, and to [pg 36.] to make demonstration of the power & decision of the Government. — I submit the case to you Sir, without further trespass on your [time] in the belief, that should you find cause to condemn my judgment, you will not discredit my motives. — Anterior to the Death of Captain Dunbar, the Senior Officer & En: :gineer, I had relied on him for the Plan, elevation, & section of the ground to be occupied, but I have since discovered his measurements & calculations to be erroneous, and am now engaged in correcting his Errors; by the next conveyance, I hope it may be in my power, to give you ample information, & in the mean time Send you, under cover, an accurate section of the Site, from high [wa]: :ter mark to the summit of the Hill, which commands the circum: :jacent country. — Solicitious for the pleasure of an interview with you, I am pacing to meet the summons whi: :ch the Minister of War, has notified me to expect from you, with the utmo: :st promptitude; I beg you to believe that the [undecipherable] expectation in: [pg 37.] :rests not less [than] my inclinations, there my duty, but it will occur to you, that the arrangements indispensable, to the preservation of due responsibility, over such an extensive chain of Posts, se: :parately commanded & instructed — To provide for the security of the public property, & the progression of the public service, every where within the Sphere of my Authority — and to guard the Health of the Troops a: :gainst the ravages of this climate, on the margin of the River, will require three or four weeks; you may however rest assured, I shall not waste one moment, after the arri: :val of your mandate, which may I hope, for the sake of certainty, con: :venience, & expedition, allow me dis: :cretion as to the route, by which I may approach you. — I have just heard from unquestionable authority, that Mr. Gayoso is [soliciting] a voluntary loan, at 10 p^Ct. Interest, throughout his jurisdiction, for the use of the Crown, & under the pretence that it is to support the War against Great Britain, but in reality I believe to support his own imme:diate Go: :vernment, [pg 38.] :vernment, as his treasury is empty, & the annual remittance from vera cruz has failed; I have not ascertain: :ed his success, but think it will turn out a dull business. — I have the pleasure to in: :form you, we have not had a single desertion, since Lt. Lovell's a: :greement with Governor Gayoso, was read at the Head of the Troops, and also that the Men in general now enjoy good Health, which I shall endeavour to preserve, by giving them a position in this vicinity, a few Miles removed from the River, during [Missing Page/s]