Scope and Contents:
This collection contains facsimile reproductions of letters sent to and from Don Francisco Cruzat, Spanish Commandant of St. Louis.
The first letter, dated 1780, is an appeal written to Cruzat by the inhabitants of Post Vincennes, located in what is now Indiana. In their letter, the citizens of Post Vincennes ask Cruzat to send assistance as they battle poverty and face hostility from the neighboring Native American tribes. The second letter, dated December 15, 1780, is written by Cruzat in reply. Both letters are written in French.
Translations of the letters are published in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the year 1945, vol. II, no. 1. See the "Additional sources" tab to the left for the full citation. Copies of these translations are included with this collection.
The original letters are located in the Louisiana Papers, 1767-1816 (BANC MSS M-M 508), in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley.
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