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240
LOUISIANA HISTORY
to make the round trip to Covington. Owing to the ever-moun delays, Jackson became increasingly critical of Ripley.31
Meanwhile, negotiations with Spain over the transfer of Flo to the United States appeared to stall, and in November 1819 secretary of war ordered Jackson to assemble his troops so ai move against Pensacola. Jackson, however, kept the soldiers w* ing on the Military Road while assuring the secretary that could be sent promptly to assembly points when orders: received.32
Still another threat to the completion of the road was a. don in the amount of money appropriated to the army. I
1820	the secretary wrote Jackson that unless the road co completed soon and without additional expense the troop.' have to be recalled and the work suspended. At about/ time Jackson informed the secretary of the road’s comple* the fact that he was leaving on a three-weeks’ inspecao entire length.33	4;
Jackson formally notified Secretary Calhoun of th completion on July 8, 1820. He reported that the roa four hundred eighty-three miles from Madisonville^., and that mail could now be delivered from Washingto Orleans in seventeen days. Predicting that it would' most important road in America, he implied that it wo lives of many citizens by affording places of shelti ment, as well as places to aid the sick traveler. On described the southernmost one hundred and twenqg road as passing through a level country where twentjg were spanned by bridges of the most workmanlike; and of the most durable materials. Twelve thousand^ way were installed through low areas in this section*
One of Jackson’s officers, Lieutenant James
31	Jackson to Ripley, Nov. 27, 1818, NA, Microcopy #221.
Ripley, Aug. 31, 1819, ibid.. Roll 86; Jackson to Monroe, N 1820, ibid.. Roll 86; Ripley to Jackson, July 12, 15, 1819, iWj
32	Jackson to Calhoun, Jan. 10, Mar. 31, 1820, NA, Mi<
33	Jackson to Calhoun, May 17, 1820, ibid.. Roll 81.
34	Calhoun to Jackson, May 16, 1820, NA, Microcopy
Calhoun, July 7, 1820, Report of Lieutenant James Scafl**V.
Microcopy #221, Roll 89.
MILITARY ROADS
241
*
J^k of steamboats on Lake Pontchartrain, recommended that a
new military road be built between Baton Rouge and the just-
jompleted Military Road. He believed that such a road should
|*ve a bearing of East 20° North from Baton Rouge so that it
-	-"H pass over the “best ground” between the Mississippi, Co-
Amite, Tickfaw, Natalbany, Tangipahoa and Chappepila
, One wonders what happened to the Tchefuncte River and
what happened to General Wilkinson’s Baton Rouge-Fort
^ert Military Road of 1812, unless the latter went through
ronville and was well south of the desired point of intersec- ^ i„i.„---------------j -i ■ i	-	,	vfy
______~uvjuv.u punjic ui nucrsec
M Jackson approved the idea, but as far as is known construc-was never begun. A spur road, however, was built on the	P5	U	?
*ie of the Pearl River to Pass Christian where there was an,_
’'garrison. Another spur was completed from Columbus, Mis^-"--- fin	/Yf lllf-o T-17	---->- °	’
son. Another spur was completed from Columbus, Mi^2^)j> _	’
on the Military Road, to Brashear’s Station on the Natchez / north of Jackson.36	5^
j,-*.
acquisition of Florida in 1821 reduced the importance of
shville-Madisonville road for military purposes, but it con- sic K) be nsprl oc o moil mnfa	i—- *	•	e
   _ ^	UUl 11
be used as a mail route and was kept in repair for some ic burden of repairing the road in Louisiana fell on local and an act of the Louisiana legislature in 1822 required living within five miles of the Military Road to perform rk on it.37 In time, settlement patterns changed and por-^ road were altered and even obliterated by reforesta-ns. It is, however, possible to trace the route of the
—	St. Tammany and Washington parishes by referring ed States Government Township Maps and Surveys.38
t» Jackson, Mar. 19, 1820, ibid.. Roll 86.
Rankin to Calhoun, Dec. 5, 1820, ibid.,	Roll 91; Act Approved
l6ch Cong. 2nd Sess.
itbe Louisiana Legislature approved Feb. 26, 1822, Mar. 18, 1823, —4.
Township Maps, St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Lake Pontchartrain north to the Louisiana-Mississippi line:
Town of Madisonville, Sec. 38, Sec. 41
-*c- 5-. Sec. 49, Sec. 47 northeasterly and across Tchefuncte ^ec- ^4 into the town of Covington
41 through town of Covington, Sec. 37 across Little Bogue 42 along east side of Little Bogue	Falaya	River,	Sec.	26,
crossing East Fork of Little Bogue	Falaya	River,	Sec.	12,