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Bolton, Herbert E.
Kew light on Eanuel Lisa and the 3ra.nlsh fur tra-ie.^l'-
(Quart. Texas state hist.assoc. ,Vol.l7,no.l ;

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"Igm thi/t Books
for the fauiooSr^ of a. Coltegt ufthif Coloaf

The Wagner
Texas and Middle West
Collection 1920

NEW LIGHT ON MANUEL LISA
AND THE SPANISH
FUR TRADE

BY

HERBERT E. BOLTON

'Keprint from The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association,
Volume XVII, No. 1

e..t G7

N"EW LIGHT ON MANUEL LISA AND THE SPANISH EUR
TRADE
HERBERT E. BOLTOIT
Below is printed what is believed to be a hitherto unpublished
letter by Manuel Lisa, the best known of the early nineteenth cen
tury fur traders of St. Louis. It was written at Fuerte Manuel
(Fort Manuel), on the Missouri, on September 8, 1812, evidently
during the expedition begun by Lisa at 'St. Louis in May of that
year.^ It made its way to Chihuahua, where it was filed in the
archives with a group of papers "concerning the introduction into
the Province of New Mexico of four Frenchmen proceeding from
Upper Louisiana," 1812-1813.'' Just how it reached Chihuahua and
by whose hands, the present writer has not ascertained, though it is
possible that this could be learned from the documents with
which it is preserved. Besides its merely curious interest as an
additional autograph letter of the unique individual who wrote it,
il is of importance on several counts.
In the first place, it throws new light on Lisa's fur trading
operations during the years 1811 and 1812. It shows on the one
hand that at this time his activities' extended on a considerable
scale to the Arapaho tribe, for we are told that he had sent to these
people twenty-three men. It shows, also, that in 1812 he took
steps to found a trading post at the mouth of the Little Big
Horn, sending Sanguinet with ten men for this purpose. It estab
lishes, finally, an attempt by Lisa in 1812 to open commerce with
the Spaniards of New Mexico, an enterprise he is believed to have
once essayed* at an earlier date.
Of more striking interest and importance is the light which the
document throws upon Spanish activities on the northern frontier
at this time. It is well known that the Spaniards of New Mexico
^CMttenden, H. M. The Ameriecm Fur Trade of the Far West, I, 126-127.
^he four Frenchmen were clearly not the ones mentioned in the letter,
for the declaration of the four was taken in Santa Fg on July 30, 1812,
'before the letter here published was written. The four Frenchmen stated
that they had left Louisiana because of dislike for American rule. They
were sent to Chihuahua, and thence to Arispe, as prisoners, where they
were still remaining in 1815.
"Coues, PiJce, II, S74.

Q-^^. QY

62 The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
and Texas had not, before the taking possession of Louisiana by
Spain, engaged extensively in the fur trade, though expeditions of
which we have no notice may have been made, and a fair was
more or less regularly held at Taos, to which the Indians of the
plains took peltry to exchange for goods. But with the Louisi
ana cession, the fur trading system of the French was taken over
by the Spanish government, and developed as the chief interest of
the colony, the principal centers for its direction being St. Louis,
Natchitoches, New . Orleans, and the Arkansas Post. How much
fur trading was done during this period from New Mexico as a
base has not appeared,- but we know that after 1780 considerable
energy was spent in the establishment of communication between
the new province of Louisiana and the older possession of New
Mexico. We know, also, that after the purchase of Louisiana by
the United States in 1803 the Spanish government made strenuous
efforts to retain dominion over the Indians between New Mexico
and the Missouri Eiver by sending to them military and diplomatic
expeditions in an endeavor to induce them to keep out the American
traders and to turn their fur trade toward Santa Fe. In the interest
of this policy were sent out the expeditions of Vial, Lucero, and
Melgares, in the years 1804-1806.* Now, from the present document,
vre learn that in 1812 the Spaniards had been going "every year to
trade with the ATa.pahos," as far to the northeast as northern Colo
rado, and perhaps iiito Wyoming. Whether this enterprise was a
new development, and part of the policy of resistance to American
advance Just adverted to, or the eontinua.tion of an established prac
tice, we cannot at present say for certain, though the former seems
to have been the case, judging from the evidence available.
The question arises naturally as to just where the Arapaho re
ferred to were at this time. In general it is held by scholars that
the Arapaho were divided into two branches, one inhabiting the
North Platte in Wyoming, and the other the South Platte, in
northern Colorado.^ Chittenden, in his work on the western fur
trade,, maintains that "no such distinction was known to the traders
and trappers, and no Indians of this name are ever spoken of as
dwelling in the northern mountains. When the Arapahos are
mentioned the tribe in the valley of the South Platte is always
*Cox, I. J., The Emploration of Louisiana, 65-74.
"Mooney, in Hodge, Handbook of American Indians, I, 72.

New Light on Manuel Lisa amd the Spanish Fur Trade 63
meant."^ Thwaites, on the other hand, referring to precisely the
same period, states that "the Arapaho occupied the central moun
tainous region, roaming through Wyoming and southern Idaho."''
It has already been remarked* that Lisa never acquired a ready
use of either English or French. The present letter enables us to
add Spanish to the list of tongues of which he was not complete
master.

(translation.) Fort Manuel, Sept. 8, 1812.
To the Spaniards of New Mexico.
My Dear Sirs : Ever since my first joumey among the forks' of
the Missouri, nine hundred leagues from my domicile, I have de
sired to find an opportunity to communicate with my [com] patriots,
the Spaniards. I have had hunters to the number of twenty-three
who have gone to the Arapaho nation. Last year they came to my
Fort Mandanne, where I equipped them anew to return to the place
whence they had come. They are the ones who informed me that
the Spaniards of Mexico were coming every year to trade with the
Arapahos. Therefore I gave to a certain Juan Bautista Champlin,^"
an honorable young man,^^ and Juan Bautista Lafargue, some goods
for the purpose of trading with you, admonishing them that it must
not be to the prejudice of the government, nor contrary to its
laws. Since some of my hunters should come this year to meet me
at this establishment on the Missouri, and since up to the present
I have not had any news [of them], I have decided to send one of
^The Ainerioan Fv/r Trade, II, 878.
''Ea/rly 'Western Travels, V, 225, note 120.
¦ 'Chittenden, I, 135.
'Balzo is a nautical term meaning "bend." Lisa seems to use the word
lalnos for balsos, which is a term applied to a bifurcated rope, used for
raising weights. "Forks" is given as Lisa's probable meaning.
"Houck (Eistory of Missouri, II, 96) lists Baptiste Champlain as one
of the early settlers of the Cuivre settlement, on Buflfalo River, which
drains the western part of Lincoln County, Missouri.
"ilfo2;o, in the old sense, meant "strong young man,'' but the more usual
modem meaning is "servant." As used here the former meaning seems
to be intended.

64 The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
my trusted servants, Don Carlos Sanguinet,^^ with two engages^^
to let them know where they should come out with their peltry;
and for' the same purpose, with the same Sanguinet, I sent ten
men to the Petite Corne,^* which empties into the Rio Amarillo,^'
and this into the Missouri, the entry of the Petite Come being
two hundred and twenty-five leagues from this establishment, with
orders to establish [a post at] that place, as nearer for my hunters.
I have especially instructed Don Carlos Sanguinet to arrange
that this letter of mine should fall into the hands of some Spaniard
who may be worthy^" to communicate with me on those honorable
principles, and in no other manner, my desire being to engage in
business and open up a new commerce, which might easily be done.
With this in view, and as director of the Missouri Fur Company, I
propose to you gentlemen that if you wish to trade and deal with me,
for whatever quantity of goods it may be, I will obligate myself to
fill each year any bill of goods which shall be given me, and all shall
be delivered [as stipulated] both as to quality and as to quantity,
at the place nearest and most convenient for both parties, to your
satisfaction, after we shall have agreed on the chosen place.
In case any of you should wish to come with Don Carlos San
guinet to this my establishment to comrnunicate and trade with me,
you will be received and treated with great pleasure and satisfac
tion, and assured of a sufficient escort, agreeable to you, up to the
time you return to your country. I commend Don Carlos San
guinet to you as a trustworthy and honorable man, and, if you are
agreed, you may confide in him without any fear whatever ; and in
case you do not come in person, I shall be obliged to you if you will
write to me. Meanwhile, awaiting you, I beg God to spare you
many years.
Your most attentive and faithful servant, Manuel Lisa (Rubric).
Triplicate.
^^For notes On Sanguinet, see Houck; The Spanish Regime in Missouri,
and The Eistory of Missouri, indexes.
"It is one of the shortcomings of our language that it is often necessary
to translate a term from one foreign tongue in terms of another foreign.
tongue. This is an instance.
"Obviously the Little Big Horn.
"The Yellowstone River.
"Possibly he means "who may deign" to communicate with him.

New Light on Manuel Lisa and the Spanish Fur Trade 65
(SPANISH TEXT OF THE LETTER.)
Fuerte Manuel 8 d^ 7bre. de 1812.
A los Espanoles del Nuevo Mexico,
Muy Senores mios. Desde mi primer viage en los balzos del Mis
soury, nuevecientas leguas de mi Domicilio, deseaba el hallar opor-
tunidad, para Comunicar con mis [com]Patriotes los Espanoles,
he tenido Caza[d]dres en Nombre de veinte y tres que fueron a la
Nacion Arapaos. El Ano pasado vinieron a mi Fuerte Mandanne,
de donde los Reequipe de nuevo, para volverse de donde havian
Salido; ellos fueron que me han Ynstruido que los Mexicanos
Espanoles benian todos los Anos Tratar con los Arapaos. Bntonces
di a un Tal Juan Bte. Champlin, mozo Honrado, y a Juan Bte.
Lafargue, algunos Efectos en Mercancias, para Tratar con vms, con
la Recomendacion, que no fuera en perjuicio del Govierno, y con-
trario a sus Leyes.
Como algunos de mis Cazaores devian de venir este Ano, el
hallarse con migo sobre el Missoury, a este Bstablecimto., y asta
Esta Epoca no teniendo novedad, me detelmine el expedir uno de
mis Mozos de Confianza Dn. Carlos Sanguinet, con dos Enganchados,
a fin de hazerles Saber donde, y en que parage deven de Salir con
sus peleterias, y a este mismo Bfecto, con el mismo Sanguinet
Exdy diez hombres t la (petite Corne) que eae en el Rio Amarillo,
y este en el Missoury a 225 Leguas la Entrada de la (Petite Corne)
a este Bstablecimto. con orden de Bstablecer esse Lugar como mas
proximo para mis Cazaores.
He Recomendado con particular a Dn. Carlos Sanguinet de hazer
modo que esta mi carta Uegue en manos de algun Espanol que sea
digno de comunicar con migo, en aquellos principios de honradez,
y no de otra manera, mis deseos siendo el de hazer negocios, y havrir
un nuevo comercio, que con facilidad se puede hazer, a este Efecto
propongo a vmds. como Directo'r de la Compaiiia de los Pieles del
Missoury, si quieren Tratar, y contractar con migo, per qualquiera
eantidad que sea en Mercancias, yo me obligare cada Ano, el Uenar
el Estado que se me dara, y el todo sera librado, Tanto por la
calidad, como por la eantidad al Lugar mas proximo, y mas aventa-
joso, por las dos partes, a su Satisfaccion, despues que havremos
Caido de acuerdo del Lugar Escogido.
Ei case que 41guno de vmds. quisiera el venir con Dn. Carlos
Sanguinet i Este mi Bstablecimto., el comunicar y Tratar con

66 The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
migo sera con mho Gusto, y satisfaccion que ser4 recevido y Tra-
tado, Asegurandole Escorta sufieiente, y a su satisfaccion hasta que
buelva a su Patria. Recomiendo a vmds Dn. Carlos Sanguinet,
como hombre de confianza y Honrado, y si se encuentran juntos,
pueden el havrirse con el sin Temor alguno, estimare a vmds el
Eseribirme, en case que no vengan en persona, ynterin esperando
por vms, quedo Rogando a Dies le Gue su vida mhos anos.
Su mas Atento y Seguro Servidor Manuel Lisa (Rubric) .
Triplicada.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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