XI The Devil’s Play Ground
When Generals Wilkinson and Herrera agreed to the boundaries set by their two junior officers, Turner and Gonzalez, they created a back door to the United States of a forty-mile-wide strip which was to become one of the most lawless places that ever existed within the confines of the United States.
Every outlaw and murderer made this Neutral Strip his destination, The Free State of Sabine, it was called. Neither Spain nor the United States wished to have the responsibility or the expense of policing this outlaw state, although the southland’s busiest road cut through the center of it. But traffic was heavy just the same. Many found that the only safe way to cross the strip was to travel in force, therefore, either at Natchitoches or on the west side of Sabine River, the travelers waited until a large enough group was gathered to guarantee safe travel.
The outlaws of the Strip dealt in horse stealing, cattle rustling, counterfeiting, or any other form of crime that might strike their fancy. There is no definite data or history of the goings-on inside the area, but many men who lived in, or traveled through the district recorded their experiences in diaries and stories or just handed down hearsay tales of the happenings in this lawless land. There, a person’s security was strapped at his hips or carried in his hands in the form of pistols, long rifles or knives. Even the long, rawhide whip was considered a deadly weapon in the hands of an expert.
Los Adais was a waystation and on the bulletin board appeared one day a word with a new meaning, Sabina 28, the same sign appeared on the Rendezvous Oak at Natchitoches. To the average citizen it meant nothing, but to those in the know it meant slaves would be for sale at a point near Pendleton at the ferry on Sabine River on the 28th of that month.
With the discovery of a new way to granulate sugar and with the invention of the cotton gin, the land around Los Adais and Natchitoches became highly productive when planted in sugar cane and cotton and more slaves were needed, but the United States had forbidden their importation.
To Jean Lafitte, the pirate, the Sabine River with the protection of the Neutral Strip, became the back door to the United States. Slaves for wagon loads of food were commonly exchanged, according to the statements of a Mr. Tulley at Los Adais and Mr. Gunlineau at Natchitoches. Lafitte needed food for his pirate operations. Up the Sabine River the boats were pulled, poled or paddled by the slaves to be sold. From the Los Adais and Natchitoches areas came wagon loads of food, smoked hams, kegs of salted bacon, cornmeal, kegs of molasses, wine, corn whiskey, dried beans, peppers, tobacco, sweet potatoes and gourds of honey, with spiced cake sent by hopeful wives to the pirates so that their husbands might make more profitable deals.
Back on the same wagons came the slaves, bolts of cloth, jewelry and perfume (Lafitte’s storehouses was filled with goods from every Spanish and British ship that he could capture). Everything was legal as far as the bills of sale went. A certain honest merchant in New Orleans, with a good reputation and scruples, signed blank bills of sale, to be filled in by Tulley and Gunlineau.
This may seem rather crude to the average reader—the smuggling of slaves and the ladies sending spiced goods to the pirates on the Sabine River. At this very time the United States was confiscating where it could slaves that had been smuggled in, selling them and giving the informers half of the proceeds of the sales. Nothing was said about putting the slaves on a boat and returning them to their homeland. (Question: Are there very many people today who try to beat the Income Tax?) There was some good to come out of all this. Lafitte assisted the United States in the defense of New Orleans in the war of 1812, furnishing men, ammunition and food. Where did he obtain the food? From the Los Adais and Natchitoches area. Lafitte, Tulley and Gunlineau were merely supplying the demand for a necessary merchandise and certainly the slaves were better off because of it.
Noah Smithwick, who had visited the Strip, wrote of the murders, robberies and numerous violations of law there. He gives us one tale that falls in line with the demand and supply of the times. Because the man he wrote about was still alive he calls this character, John Doe. Doe was a counterfeiter of money, especially the Mexican silver dollar. The people at that time had no “jingling” money for their pockets and Doe supplied this demand, with a silver-coated copper coin. Because of a slight flaw in the press the coins were easily identified and called Doe’s dollars.
An Indian approached Doe one day and handed him one of the counterfeit dollars requesting that Doe put a new skin on it. Doe obliged by giving the Indian a new counterfeit dollar for the old one, explaining to the Indian that dollars were like snakes, they always shed their skins. Doe’s dollars, although not recognized outside the Strip, were regarded as legal tender therein.
It was said that Doe’s dollars were of more handsome design than the original Mexican Eagle Silver Dollar.
Doe, however, minted pure silver dollars of the same design. He mixed enough of these with the bogus dollars so that on occasion when a dollar was questioned and the dollar tested, it was found to be of pure silver.
Doe, like all counterfeiters, wished to extend his operations but he wandered out of the Strip on the American side and was arrested.
Every old place has its ghost story and “Spanish Town” is no exception:
1. Spanish Town and Scuffelville. 2. Half-way-house or Twenty-mile-house, near Many, La. 3. Kisatchie Caves, near Kisatchie, Louisiana. xxxx. The Sabine Trail, from Montgomery to the Half-way-house near Many. The Planters on Red and Cane Rivers used this road when going to the Sabine River to trade for Slaves.
Nolan’s Trace, cut across the southern part of the Strip from Point Coupee. Phillip Nolan blazed this Trail and used it to trade for horses in the Texas area.
This Lawless Strip of land lasted from 1806 to 1821. It was often referred to as “The Free State of Sabine”.
Note:
I show Cane River on this map. However at the time of the beginning of the Strip, Cane River was Red River. I show Red River as it is today, to show the locations of the Towns, whose People were involved in trade in the Neutral Strip.
By the year 1821, the Red River had begun to change its course to the Rigolett de Bon Duex, which was a Bayou extending from a point just above Natchitoches to Colfax, La. Thus you see the actual water ways as they are today. (Drawn by the author)
A young Spaniard had successfully traveled the Strip, bringing with him wealth and many fine cloths. He settled at Spanish Town and became the target of every single maiden there. Mariea Guiterriz, who had many suitors, won his heart. Anyone attempting to pay court to her ran the risk of losing his life in a duel with other jealous suitors. Immediately after the wedding at the reception a disappointed lover insulted the groom. Swords flashed, Mariea rushed between the duelists, a sword stabbed her—not a serious wound all were assured but infection set in and she grew worse. An old Indian gave some herbs to the young Spaniard with instructions how to use them to stop the infection. “Boil these herbs together over a small fire, the odor of the brew will change and when the odor is this”, the Indian allowed the Spaniard to smell the brew, “remember the odor because now will be the time to soak the poultice with the solution”, then the Indian was gone.
The young husband followed the instructions and Mariea began to improve, but the herbs ran out and the Indian could not be found. Mariea sickened again. The Spaniard went to the creek banks and the marshy places searching for the herbs, building countless tiny fires, brewing grasses and leaves, trying to re-discover the combination of herbs that would produce the exact odor he was seeking.
Mariea’s infection worsened and she died. The young man’s mind, not able to grasp the reality that his love had gone, became affected. His brain ceased to function past the last day that he had left her, assuring her that this would be the day that he would discover the correct blend of the herbs. From that time on, fires, tiny fires could be seen on the creek banks in the swamps and on the hillsides—a lover, true and devoted, still seeking the odor that would save the life of his beloved wife.
The crazy Spaniard, they called him, and those who came in contact with him, those who knew the details of his sad story, made the Sign of the Cross when he passed and silently said a prayer for him.
Night and day he searched for the elusive odor, always searching. Those of his age, grew old and died, and so did their sons and grandsons, but the legend lived on.
Some say they can still see him in his never-ending search, smartly dressed as he kneels by a tiny fire, others say he is old, dirty, ragged and ugly; but all say there is no need to be alarmed because this ghost walks with God.
If some day or night you see a tiny fire with a shadow kneeling by it, then you, too, are walking with God, because you, too, are one possessed of devotion and love.