Journal Of Stephen Watts Kearny
Cód:
491_9781443772716
EDITORIAL PREFACE. This journal of the famous soldier, Stephen Watts ICearny, now printed for the first time, has unusual interest in being the only known record or account it is believed, of an early military exploration that was an incidcnt of the pioneer movement of United States troops into the great trans- Mississippi region. Until 1818 no effort had been made to establish army posts beyond the Mississippi. Following the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the Americans had re-garrisoned a few minor cantonments evacuated by the Spanih, and had planted a few new posts, but practically The mnnuscript is the property of the hlissouri Historical Society and was acquired by gift from the late Charles Kearny, Esq., of St. Joseph, MO, A search of the records on fle in theJWar Department has resulted in failure to find any mention of this expedition, A bare reference to it is found in Dotys Journal 1Yis. Hist. Colls., xiii, p, 216. In the St. Louis Enquirer, of July 25, 1820, there is a letter dated CounciI Bluffs, June 24, 1820, containing this statement Captain Magee, with a small command, is about setting outto mark a road from this position to the Faila of St. Anthony. a Although the Louisiana Territory was acquired from the French 1803 it will be remembered that it had been since 1783 in the possession of the Spanish. After the Treaty of St. Ildefonso 1800, which terminated Spains interest, the French did not resume possession of the posts. 2 Journal of S. W. lieumy. all of these were along the middle and lower river. The War of 1812 coming an soon afterward, and having its theatre east of the river, delayed the time when the military occupa- tion of the new territory should begin, 3 necessary measure . before it could safely be opened up for settlement. In that war what the western people had most to combat was not m the British but their allies, the Indian savages, whose depredations had kept the settlements in constant dread, if not in actual danger
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