Post-Revolutionary War to Civil War
Transferring Natchez, Louisiana from Spain to the United States

1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo (Pinckney’s Treaty)
(1795 PINCKNEY'S TREATY) MANUEL LUIS GAYOSO DE LEMOS (1752 - 1799). Spanish Governor of Louisiana (1797 to 1799), an Official in Spanish Louisiana since 1787, Manuel de Lemos also Served as Governor of the Natchez District.
c. 1797 Important Autograph Letter Signed, 8 pages, measuring 9” x 7.5” being written at New Orleans, Louisiana, (no date) certainly written circa 1797, to Stephen Minor (1760-1815), who had succeeded Gayoso as the Acting Governor of the Natchez District. This extensive letter is concerning the impending transfer of the official Government Administration in Natchez from Spain to the United States. The top right corner of each page has been torn and expertly restored with close matching paper, in blank. There is some loss of text in those corner portions. It has some scattered moderate ink show-through and dampstaining (considering the humid conditions present in Spanish Louisiana), still it remains quite readable, and in fairly good, solid overall condition.

The 1795 the Treaty of San Lorenzo (Pinckney's Treaty) confirmed the boundary between Spanish Louisiana and Florida and the US placing the Natchez district under control of the United States. Gayoso, in preparation for the transfer writes to Minor, now the acting governor of the district concerning political unrest and confusion in light of the impending transfer of sovereignty, as well as the arrival of surveyor Andrew Ellicott who was to mark the new boundary between the United States and the Spanish possessions of Louisiana and the Floridas, and it reads, in part:

"... Every body is now very busy gathering their crops; what a fine argument will be to them, to see the effects of their neglecting their farms, for they must see and feel it. I dare say you will take advantage of this circumstance to convince them of their error. I have seen your circular letter to the people, it is well founded, that I am likewise glad that you made of it the use that was necessary without making a point of publishing it at all hazzards (sic), there I see your prudence and I approve one and the other. Be very cautious about anything concerning (Andrew) Ellicott - now and then there is no harm in whipping them lightly, but now say any - that may tend to justify their former conduct, this is a most delicate matter that themselves proof (sic) the propriety of what they have done. You know intimately (sic) as well as myself that they went astray for a great while, indeed there is no occasion of any other proof than their won correspondence which they have published.

I am sorry for the loss of our friend Bernard another must be elected in his place and be careful that the writ of election communicated to the townships and that the elections may be made out in the country with every possible precautions to prevent animosities of the parties. It is surprising how sickly the town has been at Natchez... How is our friend Dunbar and how is McIntosh and the few like minded friends in the country. Tell me your opinion about Cochran, has he not be(en) too warm on the occasion? I am afraid he has, for I find his repeated in the debates and what can not be without taking a very active what great harm Hutchings and sent to Philadelphia. There is no harm in his going but there must be a great deal of precaution taken with regards to what he calls the committee of safety and correspondence for he might by writing to them to set the country in a greater confusion than even in that it has been, be very cautious with regards to that.

The said committee must have no power to assemble the people, nor anything that may alter the agreement that our laws shall subsist, if they would act at their own digression the political notions would entirely be overthrown and I should then find myself under the disagreeable necessity of compelling by force their proper conduct. I expect that the two gentlemen sent from Congress will arrive soon. My beautiful Galiotte will be ready at the end of the present week and I (am) ready to take a trip to Baton Rouge if they will meet me there in case they should not choose to come down all the way. I hope that their presence will quiet the minds of the people and wish they would arrive. Whenever (Anthony) Hutchings wants a passport (word missing) to him but without expressing more".

Hutchings (c. 1724-1811) was a New Jersey born veteran of the French and Indian War who grew up in North Carolina and followed his brother to Natchez in 1772 establishing himself as a planter. He became the first justice of the peace at Natchez and represented the district in the Assembly at Pensacola. He fled during the American Revolution but returned in 1785, taking the oath of allegiance to the U.S. in 1798.

"Making a record perusal of your last letter I find that I had passed over one of the most important pages which contained the last information you got from Ellicott. The plan combined between our envoy and Blount with regard to money making might have a probably appearance enough, but my dear friend, how is it possible that our envoy should attack Blount and the minister of state in the manner that he did, would no Blount expose him if this consideration was not in the way. I might to form an opinion on the subject, but those circumstances are so striking that there is no resisting the reflections they offer".

Interestingly, William Blount (1749 - 1800) had become embroiled in a major scandal in 1797, when a letter revealed that Blount was hatching a plot to incite the Creek and Cherokee Nations of Native American Indians, into an attack on Spanish West Florida. Blount was impeached and expelled from the Senate for his actions. Whether Gayoso was aware of this historic matter is unclear, but he did foresee other difficulties in the impending transfer, in part:

"... As to the 2 Governors of this Province being determined not to give up the country a person must be void of knowledge of our (word missing). However the world so strangely attends that I do not think anything impossible or at least the politics of courts are such that they will make anything appear in the light that they please. It will be very curious to see our Envoy counteracted with the same reasons with which he charges others. Tell me all you know about it and you may assure Ellicott that it is my honor to obey and comply exactly with the orders of my court, but that nothing will give me more pleasure than to see the end of our political differences and that though I do not intend to follow the operation of viewing the line, I will certainly go to see the first setting of for the sake of shaking hands with him.

If the King finds it convenient to the general interest of his dominions to give up a little portion for other advantages what right have I to oppose it, nor what do I care if I lose nothing and it is my Master's will. It would appear that the people of the Western Country were informed of the victorious proceedings of power to me - give me a little satisfaction by pledging him on his voyage. Enclosed I send my answer to the Committee of Correspondence, close it and send it to the proper person, you will be surprised with my title, but the contents of their address deserves it, they express themselves in the most regular terms and their plan is full of respect for our government and for that of the U.S. expressed in the most delicate manner and it is my opinion that their object fulfilled there will be no further disturbance on their part and you may make very good use of them, by all means, it is a good policy to have their confidence and I believe my letter will please them...".

Gayoso adds, hurriedly in a postscript before the departure of the courier:

"PS - the Courier arrived, informs expectations of approaching general peace. The congress was held it is said that the English were disposed to restore all their conquest and Gibraltar (not). Bonaparte was at the head of a formidable Army at Calais, probably to give an influence - to our negotiations."

This is a most remarkable and historically important letter. It was written by the Spanish Governor, detailing numerous intrigues attending the official transfer of the Natchez District from Spain, to the United States. An impressive content letter which belongs in a major collection or institution.