It became therefore, in the opinion of General Jackson, in-
dispensably necessary to take from the governor of Pensacola
the meems of carrying his threat into execution. Before the
forces under his command the savage enemies of his country had
disappeared. But he knew that the moment those forces should
be disbanded, if sheltered by Spanish fortresses, if furnished with
ammunition and supplies by Spanierh officers and if aided and
supported by the instigation of Spanish encouragement, as he
had every reason to expect they would be, they would reappear
and, fired, In addition to their ordinary ferociousness, with re-
venge for the chastisement they had so recently received, would
again rush with the war-hatchet and scalping knife into tlie
borders of the United States and mark every footstep with the
blood of their defenseless citizens. So far as all the native re-
sources of the savage extended, the war was at an end and Gen-
eral Jackson was about to restore to their families and their
homes the brave volunteers who had followed his standard and
who had constituted the principal part of his force. This could
be done with safety leaving the regular portion of his troops
to garrison his line of forts and two small detachments of volun-
teer cavalry to scour the country round Pensacola and sweep off
the lurking remnant of savages who had been scattered and dis-
persed before him. This was sufficient to keep in check the
remnant of the banditti against whom he had marched so long



H



348 The Purchase of Florida

as they should be destitute of other aid and support. It 1
in his Judgment not sufficient, if they should be suffered to ra
their numbers under the protection of Spanish forts and
derive new strength from the impotence or the ill will agali
the United States of the Spanish authorities.
