XIV The Filibuster of 1812-1821
Don Jose Bernardo Maxmilliano Gutierrez de Lardo, often called Bernardo, was a merchant and blacksmith at Revilla, a village near the junction of the Rio Salado and the Rio Grande. He was a follower of Padres Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo and Jose Maria Morelos, who were encouraging a revolt among the Indian and Indian halfbreeds called mestizos.
Gutierrez with Captain Jose Manchaca, a Texas rebel and a deserter from the Royalist Army of Mexico, and ten others left Revilla with thirty thousand dollars in Mexican silver. Their objective was to reach Natchitoches, a border town on the Neutral Strip. The money was for organizing a filibuster campaign into Texas. They were pursued by the Royalists and were caught up with near the village of Bayou Pierre (a village at that time located on a road between the present-day Pleasant Hill and Lake End on Red River). Gutierrez and Manchaca escaped but lost the silver, finding refuge at a small trading post at Campti, Louisiana. When they arrived in Natchitoches and began recruiting men for the filibustering campaign they found many ready and willing to participate. The merchants, sensing enormous profits, offered every assistance.
Captain Manchaca went immediately into the Neutral Strip to solicit recruits among the bandits, or anyone else who desired to join the filibusterers.
Gutierrez wrote a letter to James Monroe, Secretary of State in Washington, explaining that although Texas was not yet a Republic the people of that area had all the necessary qualifications for becoming a nation, that it would be to the advantage of the United States and the people of the future Republic of Texas for them to seek assistance where they could find it. It would, therefore, be advantageous to the United States, should their undertaking be successful in overthrowing the yoke of the Mexican Government, and Texas become a Republic.
Gutierrez secured letters of recommendation and two hundred dollars from Dr. John Sibley and departed immediately for Washington where he met with officials and made requests for men, money, munitions and other supplies necessary for the filibustering campaign. Gutierrez brought out the importance to the United States of the Texas commerce. The proposal was dropped by the officials when Gutierrez insisted that he be in command of the expedition. However, Monroe did see the advantage of the United States having a Republic to the west to help guard the border, as at that time the United States was having difficulties with Spain and England, and because of the Florida question. Therefore the Secretary of State did offer encouragement to Gutierrez.
Don Jose Alvares de Toledo was at the same time in Washington seeking assistance for a revolution in Cuba, which if successful, would result in the establishment of an Antillean Confederation of the Islands. This, too, met with the approval of Monroe, but again he offered only encouragement and no assistance. Don Luis de Onis, the Minister from Spain, having learned of Toledo’s plans, conspired with Diago Correga to do away with Toledo. Toledo, because of his failure to get the necessary assistance he desired, cast his lot with Gutierrez. He cultivated the friendship of General Ira A. Allen, who was looked upon with disfavor in the State of Vermont. Allen helped Toledo and Gutierrez by gaining the confidence and support of those who were interested in such an adventure, namely: Samuel Alden, a young adventurer; Aaron Mower, a printer by trade; Evariste Calvettes, a Frenchman of unusual but intriguing reputation, and William A. Prentis, a merchant who interested Henry Adams Bullard in the adventure of the filibuster campaign. This group of men, with several others departed for Natchitoches. Gutierrez in Natchitoches had enlisted under his banner, the aid of Lieutenant August McGee, who resigned at Fort Claiborne to join the filibusterers; Samuel Kemper, a well-known figure in the politics of Florida; Rubin Ross, an ex-sheriff from Virginia; Henry Perry of the Army Quartermaster; Joseph B. Wilkinson, son of General James Wilkinson; J. McClanahan; Rubin Smith; James Patterson; A. Cole and Alexis Grappe, traders who had many contacts in Texas as far as San Antonio de Bexar; and James Gaines, brother of General Gaines. The merchants in Natchitoches hired some of the local youths, Tenoss Moinet, two Prudhommes, Henry Derbonne, Jose Benetis, Anthony Dubois, Peter Dolet, Michael Chesneau, Andrew Chase, Stephen Wallace, Matthew Bonnette, Walter Young, Joseph Ruth and Chesneau Tontin to go along to protect their interests and to bring back the contraband which they were sure would be obtained on such an expedition.
William Shaler arrived in Natchitoches almost on the heels of Gutierrez, a special agent sent by the Secretary of State Monroe to assist the new so called Gutierrez-McGee expedition. Shaler’s letters to Monroe give an excellent account of the organization and execution of this expedition. Shaler, who had been trained as a military man, contributed greatly to its efficiency.
Samuel Davenport of the firm of Davenport and Barr, licensed traders, established themselves in the Soledad building in Nacogdoches. Davenport wrote to Don Manuel de Salcedo, Governor of Texas at Nacogdoches, from Natchitoches, “John Adair was gathering troops in Rapides (Alexandria, Louisiana) 500 men were being gathered along the Mississippi River and at Natchez. Captain Jose Manchac has gathered over a hundred men out of the Neutral Strip and they are now camped on the west bank of the Sabine River.”
A letter was sent from Washington to the district judge notifying him that the United States would not sanction an organization of men on its land which would constitute an act of aggression against the government of another country. Judge Carr’s answering letter dated July 22, 1812, stated that he was aware that some sort of movement of aggression was being talked about in the Natchitoches Area, but that to his knowledge there were no men grouped east of the Sabine River congregating with filibuster intent.
“Young men in groups of two, five, ten or fifteen arrive here in Natchitoches every day, many are from our immediate local area, they are mild-mannered and quiet and cause no disturbances, they purchase supplies at the local stores and when questioned about their destination, they declare that they are going on a hunting trip. I have no grounds with which I can detain such a small party of men, for to be sure groups fewer than fifteen or twenty cannot be classed as a filibustering party. If rumors are true and there is a location on the west bank of the Sabine River where men are gathering with the intent of invading Texas, that area is out of the jurisdiction of any one person representing our local or federal government.”
On August 8, 1812, the campaign began with a total strength of one hundred eighty men.
At Nacogdoches was the proof that the people of the area, according to the statements of the traders Smith, Grappe, Patterson and McClanahan, were ready for a rebellion against the Spanish Government. At Nacogdoches on August 11, 1812, when the attack began, the filibusterers met only token resistance and one hundred ninety of the inhabitants joined the patriots. The easy fall of Nacogdoches was a shot in the arm for the filibusterers. Fifty of the Spanish soldiers joined with the rebels. A mule and horse train with booty of wool, hides and Spanish silverware, estimated to be valued at one hundred thousand dollars, was sent to Natchitoches to be exchanged for the necessary provisions to conduct the campaign. Henry Perry of the army quartermaster was there to receive the merchandise. Now he had something to work with. Supplies which could not be obtained in Natchitoches were purchased in Natchez, Mississippi. The merchandise was brought over the old Natchez-Vidalia to Natchitoches Indian trail (highway 84 today) which had its share of bandits and land-pirates.
Gutierrez was an old hand at spreading propaganda and at Nacogdoches the “rebels” paused long enough to make use of the talents of Aaron Hower, the printer. The news of the fall of Nacogdoches would be sure to bring volunteers from the Natchitoches-Neutral Strip area. On September 1, 1812, circulars were found as far as San Antonio, announcing that the filibusterers army had reached a thousand in number of well equipped men, and that more volunteers were arriving every hour from ten to one hundred in number to join Gutierrez, and that they now had cannon which had been taken from the Spanish in Nacogdoches.
Governor Salcedo, who had previously sent a message asking for assistance, received news that no help could be sent because the “Patriot Army” in Mexico was marching on Camargo and Nueva Santanadar (this was a group of rebel followers of Padres Castillo and Morelos). The propaganda news leaflets and the news from Mexico caused Salcedo to withdraw all outlying Spanish detachments and concentrate them at San Antonio de Bexar. At this stage of the campaign the McGee-Gutierrez army numbered no more than seven hundred men.
Now, Salcedo’s military ability began to show. He needed a day or two so that the troops in the west under General Herrera could reach San Antonio. He left La Bahia (now Goliad, Texas) without defense and spread his troops along the Guadelupe River twenty-eight miles north and east of San Antonio. The filibusterers could not overlook the opportunity of taking a defenseless town. La Bahia fell without a struggle and the filibusterers were jubilant. Meanwhile the Spanish forces met, forming a total strength of nearly nine hundred men. Over fifty of the Spanish soldiers with the filibusterers deserted and returned to the Royalist troops, explaining they had been captured and were finally able to escape.
Up to now McGee had been in charge of the filibusterers and Gutierrez was the commander in name only. There was friction between McGee and Gutierrez, and at the same time Toledo was vying for the position of commanding them. Samuel Davenport, the unfaithful Indian Agent of Salcedo, who had joined the filibusterers, suddenly decided he had some important, unfinished business and departed for Nacogdoches. A day or so later Rubin Ross left to contact Indians encamped on the Sabine River with the intention of joining the filibusterers. McGee died at La Bahia under mysterious circumstances. Gutierrez claimed that McGee took poison to keep from being shot. Davenport stated that McGee was sick when he left for Nacogdoches, and Rubin Ross declared McGee was in good health two days prior to his leaving Davenport, and that at no time was he aware that McGee was sick.
When Ross contacted the Caddo Indians on the Sabine River Chief Tohois refused to fight under any flag other than that of the United States. Groups of the Alabamas, Choctaws, Conchattas and Attapaws on learning of the refusal of Tohois also refused to assist in the cause. However, nearly a hundred of the warriors did join with Rubin Ross.
The second attack of the Royalists was also a disappointment to Salcedo and the Spanish forces retired to San Antonio. On March 19, Ross returned with nearly two hundred Indian, Spanish and American volunteers and the march on San Antonio began. They met no opposition until they reached Rosillo, about eight miles from San Antonio; there, Samuel Kemper and Rubin Ross led a vicious charge and the main force of the rebel drive carried well into San Antonio.
The Spanish were defeated and surrendered unconditionally. Atrocities followed under the orders of Gutierrez who had declared himself President of the New Republic of Texas. Several of the Spanish officers were killed, their clothing stripped from their bodies and left exposed to the elements. The Americans were enraged by this action. After going to the scene of the atrocity and burying the dead, many followed the example of Warren D. C. Hall, deserted the filibusterers and left for their respective habitats.
A Junta was called after the arrival of Henry A. Bullard and James B. Wilkinson; Major James Perry and Captains Kemper and Ross threatened to leave with the Americans unless Gutierrez was ousted and Toledo named leader of the New Republic.11
The battle on the Madina River was the downfall of the filibusterers. The Spanish gathered their forces under the command of Colonels Joquine de Arrendondo y Miono and Ignacio Elizondo. After the battle the victors were lenient with the many Americans they had captured. Colonel Elinzondo issued a horse and rifle to each along with a passport for safe conduct back to the Sabine River. The Indians were included with the group freed, but with instructions to return to their tribes and never take up arms against the Spanish again.
It is interesting to note that many of these Americans were later successful in attempting to make the Texas area a Republic. On September 28, 1813, the first blow for Texas independence failed, but it had been proved, however, that the Spaniards north of the Rio Grande were influenced by the freedoms of the American traders along El Camino Real. They had been forced to provide for themselves from the fruits of the land, thus becoming independent in their own right. The easy fall of Nacogdoches was outstanding proof of their feelings.