guard. To ward off these
calamities, "I will hurl myself like a Leonidas into the breach." But
let His Excellency remember what risks the writer of this letter incurs,
"by offering without orders this communication to a foreign power," and
let him reimburse the bearer of this letter to the amount of 121,000
pesos which will be spent to shatter the plans of these bandits from the
Ohio.

The arrival of Wilkinson in New Orleans was awaited by friends and foes,
with bated breath. The conspirators had as yet no intimation of his
intentions: Governor Claiborne was torn by suspicion of this would-be
savior, for at the very time he was reading Wilkinson's gasconade
he received a cryptic letter from Andrew Jackson which ran, "keep a
watchful eye on our General and beware of an attack as well from your
own country as Spain!" If Claiborne could not trust "our General," whom
could he trust!

The stage was now set for the last act in the drama. Wilkinson arrived
in the city, deliberately set Claiborne aside, and established a species
of martial law, not without opposition. To justify his course Wilkinson
swore to an affidavit based on Burr's letter of the 29th of July and
proceeded with his arbitrary arrests. One by one Burr's confederates
were taken into custody. The city was kept in a state of alarm; Burr's
armed thousands were said to be on the way; the negroes were to be
incited to revolt. Only the actual appearance of Burr's expedition or
some extraordinary happening could maintain this high pitch of popular
excitement and save Wilkinson from becoming the ridiculous victim of his
own folly.

On the 10th of January (1807), after an uneventful voyage down the
Mississippi, Burr's flotilla reached the mouth of Bayou Pierre, some
thirty miles above Natchez. Here at length was the huge armada which was
to shatter the Union--nine boats and sixty men! Tension began to give
way. People began to recover their sense of humor. Wilkinson was never
in greater danger in his life, for he was about to appear ridiculous.
It was at Bayou Pierre that Burr going ashore learned that Wilkinson had
betrayed him. His first instinct was to flee, for if he should proceed
to New Orleans he would fall into Wilkinson's hands and doubtless be
court-martialed and shot; but if he tarried, he would be arrested
and sent to Washington. Indecision and despair seized him; and while
Blennerhassett and other devoted followers waited for their emperor to
declare h