The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 54, July 1950 - April, 1951 Page: 349
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Notes and Documents
any promotional scheme and was evidently not written for pub-
lication but as a personal account to a close relative. Further-
more, the author does not appear either to have read or to have
been influenced by the books concerning the colony which were
printed in Paris. These facts give the account an added credibility
that would be lacking in a puplication by Gros, Davillier, and
Company. The differences between this version and the data given
by the Hartmann-Millard circle are the more noteworthy because
the letter has the ring of honesty and because it casts a shadow on
the Champ-d'Asile more in conformity with the exposes of
Reeves' study. For example, at no time is this young man under
the impression, fostered by other publications, that he was going
to engage in agricultural pursuits as a settler. Rather he considers
himself a soldier on a military expedition, and his reactions are
those of a soldier toward his officers. The subordinate status of
the writer must be kept in mind also. The other cycle of books
was written by the leaders, mostly officers at the head of the group.
But this young man is clearly of subordinate rank. He is an
oarsman, and he has to set up tents. He sleeps in the stuffy quar-
ters of the hold on the ship; he comes in no contact with the
officers' families; but most important, he has no knowledge of
the developing situation available to the higher level of com-
mand. For example, he knows he is to campaign against the
Spanish but not why. He is not told where provisions come from,
but he knows when they arrive. He is told nothing of the ap-
proach of the Spanish force, and he does not understand why
the fort must be abandoned. Throughout his narrative his re-
actions are typical of the lower ranks whose job is obedience
rather than tactical understanding.
The general effect of this letter is to throw doubt on the
accuracy and authenticity of the books of the Hartmann cycle
and to confirm in part the charge made much later by Reeves
as to the ulterior motives of the enterprise.
While the chief interest lies in the contribution to the knowl-
edge of the Champ-d'Asile, the last portion of the account throws
light on the condition of the French colonists in Louisiana. The
settlement of this area is attributed to French immigration dur-
ing the period shortly after the Peace of Paris, in 1763, while349
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 54, July 1950 - April, 1951, periodical, 1951; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101133/m1/461/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.