[Philip Nolan, as the leader of the first Anglo-American invasion of Texas, is a historical character of considerable interest. Very little is known of him, and the following letters add a small fraction to what has hitherto been published. The originals are in the library of the Department of State at Washington. The copying was supervised and verified by Professor A. C. McLaughlin, head of the Bureau of Historical Research of the Carnegie Institution, and his valuable services are gratefully acknowledged. Parts of the letters might have been omitted as not referring to Nolan, but it has been thought best to publish them entire.—Editor Quarterly.]
Philadelphia June 24. 1798 Sir
It was some time since I have understood that there are large herds of horses in a wild state in the country West of the Missisipi and have been desirous of obtaining details of their history in that state. Mr. (?) Brown, Senator from Kentucky, informs me it would be in your power to give interesting information on this subject, and encourages me to ask it. the circumstances of the old-world have, beyond the records of history, been such as admitted not that animal to exist in a state of nature. the condition of America is rapidly advancing to the same. the present then is probably the only moment in the age of the world and the herds above mentioned the only subjects, of which we can avail ourselves to obtain what has never yet been recorded and never can be again in all probability. I will add that your information is the sole reliance, as far as I can at present see, for obtaining this desideratum. you will render to natural history a very acceptable service therefore, if you will enable our Philosophical-society to add so interesting a chapter to the history of the animal. I need not specify to you the particular facts asked for, as your knowledge of the animal in his domesticated, as well as his wild state, will naturally have led your attention to those particulars in the manners, habits, &laws of his existence, which are peculiar to his wild state. I wish you not to be anxious about the form of your information. the exactness of the substance alone is material: and if, after giving in a first letter all the facts you at present possess, you could be so good, on subsequent occasions, as to furnish such others in addition as you may acquire from time to time, your communication will always be thankfully received. If addressed to me at Monticello &put into any post office of Kentucky or Tenissee, they will reach me speedily &safely, and will be considered as obligations on Sir
Your most obedt. & humble servt Th: Jefferson Mr Nolan
New Orleans 12 february 1799 Sir
You will pardon the Liberty I take in addressing you when I inform you that your Letter of the 24th. June of last year directed to Mr Philip Nolan (with whom for many years I have been connected in the strictest Friendship) has in his absence come into my possession. That extraordinary and enterprising Man is now and has been for some years past employed in the Countries bordering on the Kingdom of New Mexico either in catching or purchasing Horses, and looked for on the Banks of the Mississippi at the fall of the Waters with a thousand Head which he will in all probability drive into the U. S. Having directions from him to peruse all Letters addressed to him previous to their being forwarded that in case of accident, no expression contained in them should awaken the jealousy of the suspicious people among whom he has by a coincidence of fortunate circumstances introduced himself, I have by this Means acquired a knowledge of the object of your researches, &shall feel particular pleasure in affording my mete of assistance to forward your Letter in safety to him. You judge right in supposing him to be the only person capable of fulfilling you Views as no Person possessed of his talents has ever visited that Country to unite information with projects of utility. Shortly after his return, but not before on acct. of the impossibility of applying himself during his travels with that attention he could wish to the subject, I will be responsible for his giving you every information he has collected, and and it will require all the good Opinion you may have been led to entertain of his veracity not to have your Belief staggered with the accounts you will receive of the numbers, &habits of the Horses of that Country and the people who live in that Neighborhood whose Customs &ideas are as different from ours as those of the Hordes of Grand Tartary. Did it not interfere with your other occupations I would presume to request you would point out particular subjects on which my Friend should enlarge, as some which would be probably very interesting to you, might be overlooked or seem too trivial to him to notice from having come so often under his observation. In this case your Letters addressed to the care of Mr Tench Coxe of Philadelphia to be forwarded to me will shortly get to Nolan's hands, and I take the Liberty of referring you to Mr Coxe for a knowledge of my Character, that you may not be under any apprehension concerning the Person to whom you write. Mr. Ellicott the Commissioner on the part of the U. S. for running the line of demarcation with Spain being now Visitor in my House and having at his arrival in this Country been acquainted with Nolan who gave him considerable information on the subject in Question, I have hinted to him your Wish of acquiring some Knowledge, and he will doubtless think himself happy in contributing as far as lies in his power to this End until Nolan himself can have an Opportunity of giving you perfect Satisfaction. In the mean time I must suggest to you the necessity of keeping to yourself for the present all the information that may be forwarded to you as the slightest Hint would point out the Channel from whence it flowed and might probably be attended with the most fatal consequences to a man, who will at all times have it in his Power to render important Services to the U. S., and whom Nature seems to have formed for Enterprizes of which the rest of Mankind are incapable.
Should any accident happen which would deprive the World of this extraordinary Character, his Papers which are confided to me &a mutual Friend now in the Spanish Service, shall be carefully examined, and every thing relating to that Country shall be forwarded to you with such other remarks as both of us from our own Knowledge &information have acquired.
The desire I have that you should be possess'd of every information and the certainty that the Philosopher &Politician will excuse the freedom of the Persons interesting themselves in procuring such as may be useful embolden me to mention Mr William Dunbar a Citizen of Natchez in the Mississippi territory as a person worthy of being consulted by you on subjects relating to this Country its productions, or any philosophical Questions connected with them. He was for some time employed by the Spanish Government as their Astronomer on the Line of demarcation, but has retired to his Estate, and for Science, Probity, &general information is the first Character in this part of the World. His long residence in this Country still but little known to men of letters, its Situation with respect to many Savage tribes, some of which lately inhabited the very Place where he resides &where their Vestiges are still perceptible, the extensive Communication with remote parts presented by the Mississippi and concourse of Indians and traders, have given him many Opportunities of making Observations which may not have presented themselves to others &may not probably occur in future, to these may be added those he has made on the Country itself, its population manners Customs of the Inhabitants, the different Changes in their Government for the last 40 Years, the Climate, soil &Trade which are but little known abroad and they will I hope appear so important to a person whose reputation is so great as yours as to procure me your Indulgence for the Liberty I have taken.
I have the Honor to remain with Sentiments of the greatest respect &Esteem Sir
Your most obedient &most humble Servant Daniel Clark Junr [Tho]s. Jefferson Esqr.
New Orleans 12 November 1799 Sir
I have had the pleasure of receiving the Letter you wrote me in June last, and of delivering that which was inclosed for Mr Dunbar who thinks himself honor'd by your application to him. Whilst at his House we had the satisfaction of seeing Mr Philip Nolan arrive from New Mexico, he has brought with him 1000 head of Horses and by a singular favor of Providence has escaped the snares which were laid for him—Gayoso the late Governor of the Province of Louisiana, a few months before his Death wrote to the Governor of Texas the Province confining on this to the Westward to arrest Nolan on his return as a Person who from the Knowledge he had acquired of the interior parts of New Mexico, might one day be of injury to the Spanish Monarchy, the thing would have been effected according to his Wish &Nolan might probably have been confined for life on mere suspicion, but fortunately the Governor of Texas died a few days before the letter reached San Antonio the Capital of his Government—The person exercising the Office of Governor pro. tem. knowing that another had been appointed by the Vice Roy refrained from opening the letters directed to the late Governor, and during this interval Nolan who was unconscious of the machinations of his Enemies passed thro' the Province, was treated as usual with the utmost attention, and only learned the Circumstance from me a few days ago when preparing to go to the Frontier of Texas to bring in a small drove of Horses which he had still remaining there. The certainty that the blind yet suspicious people would never believe that he could correspond with a Person in your high Station on any subject unconnected with Politics induced me to request you would give nothing to the World which could be traced to him, for any Communication, how innocent so ever in itself would be suspected &in case of discovery would have been fatal—He has no longer any thing to fear on this Head and he proposes shortly forwarding you the information you require—In company with him is a Person a perfect master of the Language of signs of which Mr Dunbar has made mention in his Letter to you. I have proposed to Nolan to send him on to the U-S. that you might have an opportunity of learning from him many curious particulars respecting his Country, and have offered to defray his Expenses till his return here and make him beside a compensation for his time—if he can be induced to undertake the Voyage I shall take the Liberty of giving a Line to you that you may know the Man. As the manners Customs, situation of the Country Strength, Population &c are altogether unknown to the People of the U-S. you will not I hope take the liberty amiss, and the novelty will probably compensate the trouble of acquiring the information— Should any particulars respecting this Country strike you on which I could procure intelligence I would spare no trouble in getting it, and when connected with subjects with which I may be unacquainted, my connections here are such that I flatter myself I could obtain it by applying to those who have had better Opportunities &more leisure than myself to attend to the pursuits of Science. In your Letter to Nolan I think you hinted that Horses are found no where in a wild state but in America, I some time ago by accident stumbled on a Work entitled Voyages aux Peuples Lamoeides in which mention is made of some found Wild in Siberia or in Tartary, they are represented as small, exceedingly fleet, &hard to catch living on the borders of the Settlements &of great injury to the Inhabitants by the destruction of their Crops. I paid no attention to the thing at that time but if the Book falls again in my Way I shall forward it to you, as it may contain other particulars on the same subject which I do not recollect, the title may however be sufficient for you to procure it—As this Country produces excellent Oranges, I have presumed to send to the care of Mr Daniel W Coxe of Philadelphia a barrel hand picked &well put to be delivered to you and a Box of Paccan Nuts, these last are not I understand common in the Atlantic Parts of the U-S. tho' they grow every where on the Banks of the Mississippi from the Ilinois River to the Sea, generally in the low grounds and even in Places occasionally overflowed by the annual rise of the Waters, the Tree grows to the usual size of Forest Trees and affords a delightful Shade in Summer, it might be worth while to cultivate it in Virginia for use &ornament. I propose to send you shortly by way of Baltimore if no Opportunity offers direct for Virginia a Bag of a superior kind which I am promised by a Friend and will occasionally take the liberty of sending you any thing which I may suppose either rare or curious with you that I can procure here
I remain with Respect Sir Your most obedient &most humble Servant Daniel Clark Junr Thos. Jefferson Esqr.
Head Quarters on the Mississippi Fort Adams May 22D. 1800 Sir
I have been obliged by a letter from you, with reference to two Italian Busts, which you expect to receive by way of New Orleans, and being on the eve of my departure hence for that City, in my route to the Atlantic States, (probably to land at the City of Washington) I embrace present occasion to make this acknowledgement, and to offer you my assurances of attention, to the Commission with which you have been pleased to Honor me—
In the Bearer of this Letter—Mr. P. Nolan, you will behold the Mexican traveller, a specimen of whose discoveries, I had the Honor to submit to you in the Winter 1797, Mr. N—s subsequent excursions have been more extensive, &his observations more accurate, He feels pride in offering Himself to your investigation, and I am pursuaded you will find pleasure, in his details of a Country, the Soil, clime, population, improvements &productions of which are so little known to us.
An acquaintance of many Years, from his Early Youth, authorizes me to vouch for Mr. N—s high sense of probity— dare I Sir, I would recommend Him to your kindness, &acknowledge myself obliged, by any Courtesy you may offer to Him— With profound respect &attachment, I have the Honor to be Sir
Your Mo. Obedt. Servant Ja Wilkinson Thos Jefferson Esqr.
Natchez 22d August 1801 Dear Sir
I have delayed untill the present moment acknowledging the honor of your letter of the 12th Jan. last, from a Conviction of the impropriety of all trivial intrusion upon your time, always precious, but now dedicated to duties of the highest importance. However anxious I may be to express a due sense of your condescension, I shall ever guard myself against so impardonable an error. I shall therefore confine my Communications solely to such objects as you have been pleased to introduce into our Correspondence and such matters as have naturally sprung from them.
By the present occasion I have the honor of transmitting you a monthly recapitulation of meteorological observations for the year 1800; to which I have subjoined remarks calculated to convey some idea of the nature of our climate.— I have also attended to a hint dropt in one of your letters respecting the Mississippi, by preparing a short account of that river, but my Copist having fallen sick, I am obliged to defer transmitting it untill next post.
I have some time since received notices of fossil bones discovered to the west of the Mississippi, and lately an intelligent French Gentleman, Commandant of the Opelousas, informs me, that at three different places of that Country, bones have been found which are supposed to resemble those of the big-bone-lick near the Ohio, and at another place he is well assured that in digging a well, a set of human teeth (la denture d'un homme) had been found at the depth of 30 or 35 feet. I have recommended to that Gentleman to set on foot a diligent investigation of those objects and if practicable to transmit me specimens of the bones, particularly a jawbone with its included teeth as little mutilated as possible. Shou'd I prove so fortunate as to acquire the possession of any object worthy the attention of the Society, I shall take an early opportunity of presenting it. Mr Nolan has formerly given me some intimation of fossil bones of great magnitude being found in various parts of new Mexico, but we have lately been cut off from our usual communication with that Country by the imprudence of Mr. Nolan who persisted in hunting wild horses without a regular permission; the consequence of which has been, that a party being sent against him, he was the only man of his company who was killed by a random shot.— I am much concerned for the loss of this man. Altho' his excentricities were many and great, yet he was not destitute of romantic principles of honor united to the highest personal courage, with energy of mind not sufficiently cultivated by education, but which under the guidance of a little more prudence might have conducted him to enterprises of the first magnitude. We hope the usual intercourse will be renewed, and I shall endeavour to prosecute our researches into the western Continent.
I have received some imperfect account from Mr. Nolan and his man who instructed us in the signs, of an uncommon Animal having been seen by the Natives in a considerable lake in a sequestered situation in New Mexico. It is compared when somewhat elevated in the water, to the upper part of the body of a Spaniard with his broad brimmed hat, &that it is often hear'd to breathe or blow heavily. The Indians who are often Superstitious express a dislike or abhorrence of the place, seldom going near it, and assert that the departed Spirits of the first Spaniards who conquered their Country dwell in the lake. Mr. Nolan informed me that he was once very near that lake, but knew nothing of it untill some time after, when he was told the above circumstances. Whether we are to suppose this a fable invented by the Indians—or that there really exists an Animal, perhaps the hippopotamus or a nondescript, will remain the discovery of a future time.
In my last I gave you an extract from an old book in my possession, containing Dor. Hooks scheme of a telegraph in the year 1684, wondering that the invention of their Countryman had not been claimed by the English, but I now find I have been anticipated in that communication by a paper in the 1st vol. of the Philosophical Magazine p. 312 London.
Your observation of the Lunar rain-bow is entirely new to me, but I have often observed a Phœnomenon which seems to have been overlooked by Philosophers; it is slightly noticed in Brydone's tour through Sicily and Malta Vol. 1. p. 356 2d Edit. London. This Curious and beautiful phœnomenon may be seen every fine summer evening in this and perhaps in all other countries, where serenity is united to a Cloudless sky. It is caused by the prismatic effect of the atmosphere upon the Sun's departing rays. Soon after sun-set a belt of a yellowish orange Color is seen to extend itself along the eastern horizon, this belt ascends in the same proportion as the sun ascends, being about one degree in breadth; in contact with the first appears a second belt below, of a dark blue color &about the same breadth as the first, both belts being tollerably well defined and of an uniform Color throughout: when the double belt has risen a little above the horizon, the azure sky may be seen below, and as they continue to ascend the belts become fainter, untill at length the prismatic rays meeting with no vapors sufficiently dense to reflect their colors, the whole phœnomenon dissolves into pale celestial light; the belts disappear at about 6 or 7° of latitude. This phœnomenon merits some attention; it exhibits as upon a skreen that species of light, which after a greater angular dispersion, arriving at the moon's orbit, faintly illumines her disk during the time of a total eclipse.
It would seem to result from the above appearances, that if a prism were formed of atmospheric air, the solar ray wou'd be separated thereby into two colors only, a yellow orange and a blue: it is known to Opticians that the Compound Color of orange and yellow and the color which Newton Calls indigo, comprise within themselves the seven primitive colors, that is, united they ought to form White. we ought not therefore to reject this effect of atmosphric air, because dissimilar to the prismatic powers of such diaphonous bodies as are best known to us: modern experiments have shewn that refracting bodies possess very different dispersive powers; and when we reflect upon the heterogeneous nature of our atmosphere, composed of at least three permanently elastic fluids, with the adventitious mixture of perhaps a hundred others, subject from chemical affinity to perpetual resolution and composition, dissolving at all times a great proportion of aqueous fluid, and the whole pervaded by the electric fluid; shall we then presume to doubt that Nature has it in her power to compose a refracting body, whose dispersive powers are equal with respect to the red, orange, yellow &green making rays, and tho' greater with regard to the three remaining primitive colors yet perfectly equal among themselves.
I have the honor to be with the highest respect and Consideration
Your most humble and most Obedient Servant William Dunbar
How to cite:
"CONCERNING PHILIP NOLAN ", Volume 007, Number 4, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 308 - 317. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v007/n4/article_4.html
[Accessed Tue Nov 24 0:41:03 CST 2009]
