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a strong military force. The United States TJas not in a condition for uar, end a -complicated diplomatic controversy was carried on betTsTGOn tho t*ro governments.
L_In the meantime, sons eight or ten thousand -^-mer leans had settled in V.bst Florida, between ■‘•■'earl river and the Mississippi, end the 51st degree of latitude and the Laics shore, under grants from trie British and Spanish authorities. Becoming dissatisfied \rith the frequent transitions, and the nrvrPW.t tag tenures-of . 1 ?nd: and to the increase the value _^of their possessions—they determined to set up for themselves, In 1810 they seised the Spanish Fort at Baton Bouge,■organized a convention, adopted a flag, declared their independence, sent cut military parties to enforce allegiance, and very cooly proposed tQ'he admitted to the °nicn cs a severign State, or to he annexed to the Mississippi or Orleans territories. In ansver to this proposition, President ileaison, on the 29th October, 1910,- issued a proclamation, declaring that Y.est Florida tras uithin the limits of Louisiana \rhen esded "by France to Spain, end by Spain to franco and; "by France to the United States, and directing Oov. Claiborne of Vrleans Territory, to tahe civil and military possession of the same, -iind twenty thousand dollars v/ere placed to the credit of the Governor to defray the expenses of the movement.
(in pursuance of these orders, Governor Claiborne repaired to •*%you 'Sara and Baton Houge, supported by several companies of volunteers, chiefly from Mississippi, and, without opposition, hoisted the American standard. Tho American settlors had accomplished their main object by placing the district under tho jurisdiction of the United States.
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/it is refreshing and may be instructive in these days of extravagance and official delinquency, to add, that oT tie sum placed at the disposal of the Governor, he only dre'vT for
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} &q\r. Claiborne, by proclamation, declared **est Florida an integral portion of Louisiana. By an act of the ‘■‘•erritorial legislature the country was organized as the county cT Feliciana, and divided into seven parishes, Uyr Coast ras divided into the ■D?rish3s of Biloxi and “ascagoulo, the eastern boundary _Jbcing Bayou Bo trio, but vas subsequently extended to th3 ^io ^eno or Dog river, near Mobile.	----
I during the time riien the Florida or St. Francisville Conven-
tion vss exercising jurisdiction—from the seizure of the Spanish *ort at Baton Houge to the assumption of autority by Governor ^laiborne on the part of the United States—this coost, and especially the Pascagoula settlement, 'was in a state of an&rchy. Bands of fillibusters or jay-harkers roved through the country, as they did during the late unhappy v:ar, pillaging she pc*aceable inhabitants. une sterling Bupree, styling himself i-^ajor, and one ^eter Nicola, claiming to be a captain in the service of the Convention, seem to have been the leaders of the free-boo ter s. Thay carried tbs flag of tho Convention and compelled th3 inhabitants to sire or allegiance to it. The}7, cbli'gsd rosters of coasting vessels to ta::e cut pass-ports and pay extravagantly thsrefor, and they rsade