Land for service: The militia action of 1802

Don Louis Lorimier, as the representative of Spain, and later France, typically granted land to new settlers in the Cape Girardeau District based on age, gender and slave status in the individual household. An important exception to that rule involved a military action in 1802 to 1803.

For a couple of years prior, a group of Creek Indians -- the Mashkua, Mascou or Mascoux -- made isolated raids in Upper Louisiana, culminating in the killing of a settler, David Trotter, and burning of Trotter's cabin. Gov. Carlos de Hault de Lassus moved to deal with this situation.

Using Lorimier's diplomatic skills, the Mashkua agreed to parlay with Gov. De Lassus, who proposed to call out the militia to support the action and serve as a backup if the negotiations failed. Lorimier began recruiting men for the action, and lacking money to pay them, promised each 300 arpens of land in payment.

Gov. De Lassus took a boat to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, from St. Louis, arriving on Dec. 5. Ice in the river delayed his departure until Dec. 13, when he left with the assembled militia to Cape Girardeau. The column arrived two days later, when the assembled militia from the District met them. De Lassus said of the company, "I must remark that this company is composed of the best young fellows that one can see. They are well mounted and armed, and Lorimier took the precaution to make them a standard bearing the arms of the King."

The march continued on Dec. 16. During the march, the weather was bad and snow fell. The delay allowed the governor to teach the military to form ranks properly, to deploy, and generally move as a unit. His daily orders are quite detailed. Upon arriving at Cape, orders of the day called for an officer, sergeant and corporal, with 20 men, to leave one hour before the detachment, kindle 10 fires a half arpen apart upon arriving at the camping place, and clear snow from around the fires.

The column arrived in New Madrid, Missouri, on Dec. 20, then rested for three days in view of continued heavy showers and cold. The weather also delayed arrival of the Mashkua, and meanwhile friendly Delaware and Shawnee arrived. Preliminary discussions occurred before the council occurred Dec. 31.

In this case, diplomacy won out, and the militia withdrew back to their homes. Gov. De Lassus, in a letter to his superior, said, "Nothing more is left for me than to express to Your Lordship the zeal generally of all these habitants who have abandoned their families since the first of last month [December] because of a very bad storm; and especially of Don Luis Lorimier, both on account of his zeal and for his success in dealing with the tribes who surround us...."

A complete list of the men who served in this militia action is on the website of the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center (capecounty.us/ArchiveCenter/1802militia.aspx).