Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/327

 CALHOUN AS SECRETARY OF WAR 319 Again on January 16th, 1818, Calhoun wrote to General Gaines, "The honor of the United States requires, that the war with the Seminoles should be terminated speedily, and with ex- emplary punishment for hostilities so unprovoked. Orders were issued soon after my arrival here, directing the war to be carried within the limits of Florida, should it be necessary to its speedy and effectual termination." 68 It would have been useless to order the war carried on in Florida, without allowing General Jackson to cross the bound- ary of that territory. A good summary of Jackson's powers was given in a letter from Calhoun to William W. Bibb, Gov- ernor of Alabama Territory, written on the 13th day of May, 1818: "Enclosed is a copy of the order authorizing General Gaines to carry the war into Florida ; and you will consider it as fur- nishing authority to the troops of the territory to pass the Florida line, should it be necessary. I send also a copy of a message of the President communicatng information in regard to the Seminole War. General Jackson is vested with full powers to conduct the war, in the manner which he may judge best/' 69 No direct orders to General Jackson to enter the Spanish territory, as were given to General JACKSON TAKES Gaines, can be found in the State Papers. ST. MARKS AND Nevertheless, he took his troops into PENSACOLA Florida in the first part of 1818, and on April 2, captured St. Marks, 70 while in the following May he obtained the surrender of Pensacola, 71 both of which were important Spanish forts of the coast. In June and July of that year, the newspapers made com- ments on the merits of Jackson's action. The "National In- telligencer" commended him 72 and states that he had taken the 68 Ibid. Page 37. 69 Ibid. Page 39. Evidently Calhoun did not know of the capture of St. Marks and Penascola when he wrote this letter. 70 State Papers, isth Cong., and Sess., I, Sec. 14, page 50-1. 71 Ibid. Page 87. 72 Niles' Register, XIV, 337-383.