Wilkinson knew perfectly well that ordinary people found it hard to resist the temptation of becoming rich overnight, so it was hardly surprising that the states had failed to meet their recruitment quotas. After pondering for a moment, he instructed his staff officer, "Send men to seal the border immediately. No one is to be allowed into Louisiana."
The latter froze for a moment before cautiously saying, "General, I'm afraid that exceeds our authority. Unless the Federal Parliament issues a ban..." Wilkinson said coldly, "Say we recently uncovered a large number of Spanish spies, and we're preventing them from returning to the West Coast."
"Th-this... yes, General." The staff officer snapped to attention, then added, "General, there are many ferry crossings along the Mississippi River. Private cargo ships can even ferry people across wherever the banks are a little flatter. To impose a complete blockade, we would need at least five or six regiments."
An American regiment had more than nine hundred men. There was no way they could waste that much manpower stopping refugees.
Without hesitation, Wilkinson said, "Call up the Sheriffs from throughout Mississippi and Tennessee, even the Anti-Smuggling Squad, and add Mackenzie's Infantry regiment." He had long wanted to kick that fellow Mackenzie far away; now he had the perfect excuse of "intercepting spies at the border." If public resentment erupted later, he could also shift the blame onto him.
October 11, 1801.
Cahokia, on the eastern bank of the upper Mississippi River.
Napoleon rode his horse up the straight staircase of the artificial earthen hill. Listening to hoofbeats strike the solid rammed earth, he turned to Dalemagne with satisfaction. "If we fight here, this hill would be an excellent position for an Artillery emplacement."
The hill beneath his feet was a "Pyramids" built by an ancient