ABSTRACT

The army's principal function in Orleans Territory, as in the rest of the nation, was to defend the province against foreign invaders and hostile Indians. The orders issued to commanders in the South indicate that the secretary of war and the ranking officers of the army heeded the requests and pleas of southerners. The United States Army, with the power and resources of the federal government at its command, seemed to offer the extra security that they required. In the period from 1803 to 1835 the United States Army performed a function which the citizens of Louisiana considered essential to their safety. The existence of slavery in Louisiana had influenced the duties performed by the men of the army from the time the United States acquired the territory. Louisiana continued to be a source of concern to the officials of the War Department. The year 1835 ended with the citizens of Louisiana once again concerned for their safety.