Keywords

Lewis and Clark, Spanish in New Mexico, Lewis and Clark Expedition

Abstract

American General James Wilkinson–a general who never won a battle or lost a court-martial—served as the ranking military leader of the United States while moonlighting as secret agent #13 on imperial Spain’s payroll. A traitor to his country, the vainglorious general repeatedly revealed American military secrets to the Spanish from the 1790s to the early decades of the nineteenth century in exchange for silver dollars and land grants. Astonishingly, Wilkinson’s full range of espionage did not surface until after his death because Wilkinson instructed his Spanish contacts never to reveal any of his written communications to others.

Original Publication Citation

Sturdevant, Dan, and Jay H. Buckley. “Spanish Attempts to Apprehend Lewis and Clark.” We Proceeded On 45, no. 1 (February 2019): 18-25.