La.rt Filibusteri10g Expedi.tions and /11depc11de11ce, 1817-1820 157
assuring him that his services during the English attack on New Orleans had not been forgotten. He pointed out at the same time, however, that the United States could not tolerate a smuggler's nest on the Texas coast. After a frank discussion they apparently reached an agreement. The conclusions reached between Graham, Lallemand, and Lafitte are astounding, if we are to believe the Spanish accounts. Seemingly Graham proposed that the Lafittes, Aury, and Lallemand join forces to hold Galveston against Spain; that the United States help them capture all the points on the Gulf as far south as the Rio Grande; that after possession was obtained, the United States go through the formality of attacking the pirates, who, upon surrendering the places held, would be duly compensated. It is unbelievable that Graham could have made such preposterous proposals, for he would have exceeded his instruc- tions and made proposals which could not be approved by the State Department. Adams' diary noted, in referring to this mission, that he would not "be surprised if we should hear more of this hereafter, and not in a very pleasant manner.... It was all of Graham's own head and in my opinion not much to the credit of his wisdom." Yet while deploring the tactics of Graham, Adams agreed with Graham and with the expansionists on the importance of occupying Texas. In a subsequent entry in his diary Adams observed, "Graham is for taking immediate possession of Galveston ... so am I." 21 The mission of Graham, whatever its objective, effectively ended the French menace to Texas. This episode--the instructions of Graham, the manner in which he carried them out, and the candid confession of the Secretary of State concerning the underlying purpose undertaken at a time when the Florida Treaty negotiations were nearing com- pletion-has a significance which has not been recognized by historians of our relations with Spain. Tlie Spa,dsli cxpediti01i against the Frencli. As already noted, Captain Juan de Castaneda set out from San Antonio on September 16, 1818, to drive the foreigners out of East Texas. 22 With a force of two hundred and forty men he began his long trek to destroy the French colony on the Trinity, chastise the Indians in East Texas, burn the remains of the abandoned post of Nacogdoches, and drive out Spanish and foreign merchants who might be found in the area. The heavy rains that had swollen the rivers forced many hardships
21 John Quincy Adams, 11/emoi,-s, IV, 175-176. nsee p. 154.
Powered by FlippingBook