Neutral Zone PDF Download

John Quincy Adams termed this area the backdoor to the United States. Through this backdoor came smuggled merchandise and slaves. Through this door came pirates, privateers, outlaws, politicians, farmers, river boatmen, trappers, timbermen, ministers, and soldiers of fortune.This territory also served as the backdoor to Spanish/Mexican held Texas. From here Americans entered Texas and quickly severed it from Mexico.The area became the Neutral Zone after the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. Spain and the United States could not agree on the boundary of the territory. Spain held out for the Calcasieu River and the United States maintained it was the Sabine River. As a battle over the issue approached, the two commanding officers agreed to declare the land between the rivers as a neutral zone into which neither side could send troops or peace officers. The treaty was to remain in effect until the issue of the boundary was settled. Outlaws immediately saw that this treaty created a ready-made haven for their operations and they made good use of the opportunity it presented.Surprisingly little has been written about the area and especially about those early years when the treaty was in force.This book attempts to identify and discuss some of the outlaws and other characters and events having an impact on the Neutral Zone from 1800 to the present. Some lived there and others had a more indirect impact. Some came into the Neutral Zone to conduct their operations, leaving when they had done their work. Although the Neutral Zone existed officially only thirteen years (1806-1819) the impact of neutral status was so strong the area has never fully recovered. Throughout this book, the author refers to the area as though it is still the Neutral Zone or No Mans Land -which in many ways it is.