Muí Señor mío:
El 22. . del mes pasado tube noticia como el Socorro qe. pedí ã Vs. havia arrivado, ã la Valiza, y ya se halla todo el en esta Villa ã donde ha llegado Felizmente.1
Si yo hubiera de dar ã Vs. todar las gracias ã que soí acrehedor por la prontitud con que me ha auxiliado, reduciria ã ellas todo mi Contento: el Rey se las dará ã Vs. por contribuir con tanta eficacia ã la Conservacíon de esta Colonia, y cubrirla del golpe qe. se proyectaba contra ella.
Desde que se supo qe. las embarcacionces, y tropa estaban en el Río, empezaron las cosas ã mudan de Semblante, y los Yngleses ã hacer patente un abatimiento nada Conforme ã su Caracter Orgulloso de insolente; cesaron las amenazas con qe. se producian en sus Conversaviones privadas y los Corsarios del lago, cuyo atrevimiento llegó ã el extremo de Cañonear nuestras Embarcaciones,2 en el dia parece que procuran satisfacerme, y reconciliarse Conmigo, agasajando ã las mismas embarcaciones qe. antes hostilizaron, disculpandose con que las havian tenido por Americanas.
No obstante esto en Natches, y Manchak siguen con sus preparatibos tanto para ata[que] como para defensa, pero alli ignoran aunque ã mi me ha llegado un refuerzo, y es mui regular que asi qe. tengan la noticia. cesen como los Corsarios del lago de incomodar, y hacer fuego como en el dia lo hacen, ã todas las Piraguas [Es] pañolas qe. suben, y bajan el Rio, adelantan[do] la desverguenza hasta embiar ã decir qe. dentr[o] de poco vendrán ã hacernos una visita con las armas en la mano, cuyo recelo mediante el favor de Vs. ya há cesado de mi parte, sin que por esta Confianza deje de estar Con la vigilancia qe. es devida.
Vs. extraña y Con razon de que yo no le haya embiado el Plan de defensa, y espero qe. Vs. me hará la justicia de creer que no ha sido por olvido, sino porque el local de este Pais, y Circunstancias no permiten formarlo de antemano.
Son tanto los puntos por donde esta Provincia puede ser atacada, y Son tantos tambien los modos como puede serlo, qe. és inutil hacer suposiciones: La variedad de Enemigos que la rodean entre Yngleses, y naciones Yndias cada una con su dinstinto modo, de hacer las Guerra, y la poquedad de mi Guarnicion en una Plaza sin murallas, Castillo ni Ciudadela. no dejan advitrio para formar otro Plan qe. el de estar alerta, y si es dable salir ã los Enemigos al encuentro; Para esto tengo establecidos puestos y vigias ã larga distancia de esta Ciudad en todos los parages por donde segun los practicos del pais puedo temer una imbasion, ã fin de que me den la mas pronta noticia de lo que ocurra, y no ser sorprendidos qe. és lo mas qe. ay que temer en un Pais abierto como este, y tener tpõ para salir ã recvir como he dicho ã los Enemigos, esperarles en los desfiladores, y aprovecharme de quanto el ante, la naturaleza del terreno, y particularmente la del Sitio en que me halla den de si, para multiplicar los estorvos, haciendo abatidas de arboles, formando cortaduras, y Si el Rio está alto romper las leveás õ digues dél para inundar la tierras.
Mis preparativos se reducen ã tener bien municionada, no solo la tropa qe. exíste esta Plaza, sin[o] todas las Milicias de la Costa, y prontas ã reunirse al primer aviso donde la necesidad lo pida, monta[r] toda la Artilleria, y seis cañones de bronce sobre sus trenes de Campaña con sus municiones competentes, y por Consiguiente pronto todo ã servir en el instante, esto és en caso de ser atacado por los Lagos, õ por tierra, y si fuese por el Rio fundo más esperanzas en las dos embarcaciones de Guerra, qe. me quedan, en la Galeota qe. tengo concluida, y en las baterias que tambien hé formado ã la orilla del Rio.
El numero de fuerzas con que me hallo, se espresa en los estados adjuntos qe. incluyo para conocimiento de Vs. ã quien pido que in el dia viva ya sin el mayor Cuidado, por lo qe. respeta ã esta Provincia, pues ya con el auxilio recivido [torn] considero en estado de atender mas bien que antes ã su defensa, cuya confianza no debe Vs. alterar aunque le participe qe. pocos dias antes de haver llegado el refuerzo ã este Rio, pasaron cinco pequeñas embarcaciones por el Lago Pontchartrin, y llebaron ã Manchak otro de doscientos hombres de tropa reglada sin contar un pequeño piquete de Rangers õ Cazadores, y una gran porcion de Yndios que debe reunirseles en el citado Puesto. Faltaria ã mi reconocimiento si antes de concluir esta carta no repitiese ã Vs. las gracias que le debo no solo por el auxilio que me ha dado, sino tambien por la eleccion de la tropa qe. se ha servido embiarme, y los dignos Ofiziliales que la mandan, ã quienes como mas immediatos provaré mi gratitud con hacer de ellos la estimacion, y confirnza qe. se merecen, Dios Guê [&c.]
Nueva Orleans, 9. de Junio de 1778
P.D.
Acava de avisarme el Comandante de los Baliza3 had entrado en la pasa el Sudueste las dos Fragtas. Ynglesas que havian estado antes, y qe. ã mas viene una Balandra de 14.. Cañones, todas tres embarcaciones, tripuladas con bastante Marineria, y Tropa, y segun noticia qe. me had dado el Comte Yngles, trae orden del Governador de Penzacola pa. entrar en nuevas contestaciones sobre la admision de los Americanos en esta Prov.4
Galvez
[Translation]
My Dear Sir:
I received news on 22 May ultimo of the arrival at Baliza of the reinforcements I requested from Your Lordship.1
If I were to offer you all the thanks you merit for the promptness with which your help arrived I fear I would write of nothing else. The King will surely offer you his for contributing so efficiently to the preservation of this colony and for safeguarding it from the blow that was planned against it.
Things began to change as soon as it was known that the troops and vessels were in the river; the English, typically haughty and insolent in character, quickly altered their way of acting. They ceased making threats during private conversations and reined in the privateers on the lake, whose audacity had gone to the extreme of cannonading our vessels.2 At present, it appears they want to mollify and reconcile themselves with me, treating kindly the same vessels they formerly harassed while offering us apologies on the grounds that they mistook our vessels for American ones.
This is not the case in Natchez or Manchac where their preparations are as much for attack as for defense. But there they are ignorant of my having received reinforcements and it is probable that as soon as they receive the news, they, like the privateers of the lake, will cease to trouble and to fire on Spanish pirogues as they make their way up and down the river at present. The English were so bold as to send word that they, fully armed, would soon pay us a visit, fears of which on my part have subsided as a result of your favor. Nevertheless, I continue to maintain a proper vigilance.
With good reason you wonder why I have not sent you the plan of defense. Please know I have not forgotten it but rather the circumstances and terrain of this country have not allowed me to formulate such a plan.
There are so many weak points from which this province can be attacked and so many ways to attack it that it is useless to make suppositions. The various enemies that surround it, including the English and the Indian nations each with a distinct way of waging war, and the small numbers of my garrison in a town without bulwarks, a castle, or blockhouse, leave little room to formulate a plan besides that of being alert and, if necessary, meeting the enemy directly. On the advice of those who know this country, I have established watch posts and sentinels outside the city everywhere we are vulnerable. They will provide me early warning of any incursions, which is my biggest fear in an open country such as this one. This measure will allow us to engage the enemy by waiting for them in narrow passages and to take advantage of the terrain, particularly in my present location, in order to improve it with obstacles, fell trees, form ditches and parapets, and if the river is high, break the levee to flood the ground.
My preparations include having well armed not only the troops in town but also the militia along the coast who are to be ready to join our forces at a moment's notice, mounting all the artillery and six bronze cannon on field carriages with sufficient ammunition. Everything will be ready in case of an attack by land or by way of the lake. Should it be an attack by way of the river, I am staking my hopes on the two warships I have remaining, in the galiot that was recently completed, and in batteries I have created along the river's banks.
I am enclosing a return of the forces at my disposal for your information. I ask that you not worry about the state of this province and continue to trust its safekeeping to me since with your help I find myself in a much better position to defend it. Still, I must inform you that a few days before the reinforcements arrived, five small vessels sailed through Lake Pontchartrain carrying a detachment of two hundred regulars to Manchac. A force of rangers, or hunters, and a large number of Indians will likely rendezvous with them at that fort. Before concluding this letter, let me once again express my appreciation for the support you have provided, for the quality of the troops you have sent, and for the officers who command them, who, being closer in rank, shall be recipients of my gratitude by my showing them the high esteem and confidence they deserve. May God protect [&c.]
New Orleans 9 of June 1778.
Bdo. de Gálvez
P.S. the commander at the Baliza3 has just informed me that two English frigates that were anchored there have entered the southwest passage along with a fourteen-gun sloop; all three vessels are well-manned by troops and sailors and according to the news I have received, the English commander has orders from the governor of Pensacola to challenge us over the admission of the Americans in this province.4
Gálvez