Revolutionary Lull
Nacogdoches, be authorized to purchase supplies in Natchitoches or New Orleans as soon as possible. Reluctantly, Don Nemesio acceded to the suggestion as the only solution. 19 Trade with Natchitoches continued brisk for the remainder of the year. The ever-watchful Dr. Sibley kept the Secretary of War regularly in- formed of developments. He observed that even 'in December business with Nacogdoches was still good, that many members of the Governing Junta came frequently from San Antonio to buy goods and supplies of various kinds and always made cash payments. And all this in spite of the growing number of disreputable characters who continued entering the Neutral Ground to prey upon this flourishing trade. 20 Governor Salcedo, realizing the necessity of restricting communica- tions with Louisiana in order to isolate those who sympathized with the defenders of independence, made every effort to confine the trade to ap- proved government agents. Late in the spring of 1812 he formally forbade all intercourse and trade with Natchitoches except by duly au- thorized agents. This official action alarmed the merchants in Louisiana. Dr. Sibley reported with slight exaggeration that "neither dollars, horses, or mules can be brought out." 21 But in spite of government restncttons and banditry, Sibley's testi- mony notwithstanding, trade continued. Probably the last trading party before the invasion of Texas by the Gutierrez-Magee expedition arrived in Natchitoches in July, 1812.= Both Samuel Davenport2.S and Apolinar 1, / bid., 116-1 1 7 ; Manuel Salcedo to Nemesio Salcedo, H isloria, o,;n-aei""4J ,, Ciurra, vol. I, pt. 1, and Nemesio Salcedo to Viceroy Venegas, September 15 1 1811 1 Bi.storia, vol. 331, A. C. N. 20 John Sibley to the Secretary of War, July 17 and December 31, 18n, Tiu Quarterly, XLIX, II6-117, 403-405. 21 John Sibley to William Eustis, June 24, 1812, Tire Quarurly, XLIX, 407-410. 22Marmela to Bernardino Montero, May J, 1812, HutOf'ia, O,;eracio,us d, Gu,,.,.a, vol. I, pt. 1, A. C. N.,· Sibley to Eustis, June 24 and August 5, 1812; Davenport to Montero, July 21, 1812, Tire Quarterly, XLIX, 407-410, 413-415. 23 Samuel Davenport had been an Indian agent at Nacogdoches since 1801. He was a partner of William Barr, who took the ears of Philip Nolan to the governor in San Antonio when this famous filibuster was surprised and killed in his amp. (See Castaneda, Our Catlroli& Heritage in Texas, vol. V, 245.) Davenport was a loyal subject of Spain and prospered until the summer of 1812 when his wife took sick and died. Her loss was a hard blow to Davenport, who for some reason at- tributed her death to negligence on the part of Spanish officials, although they had allowed him to bring a doctor from New Orleans to treat her. At the end of July, Davenport joined the filibuster expedition of Gutierrez-Magee and helped capture Nacogdoches. He stayed with the rebel faction until December, 1812, when he returned to Natchitoches. Spanish authorities bitterly resented his defection and placed a price of S250.oo on his head. For a full account of his life, see J. Villasana Haggard, "The House of Barr and Davenport," Tlr4 Quartn-ly, XLIX, 66-88.
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