122 University of California Publications in History
 In November, 1817, General Charles Lallemand had an inter-
view with Adams in Washington, in which he professed the peace-
ful intentions of his group. He disclaimed knowledge of still a
third exile plot which had stirred the diplomats of three countries,
but which resulted in no actual operations. That was the scheme
of one Joseph Lakanal, a former French professor, to establish a
"Napoleonic confederation," an independent state which was to
include the Mississippi and Ohio valley regions. A letter, alleged
to have been written by Lakanal to Joseph Bonaparte, was inter-
cepted and delivered to Hyde de Neuville. He became greatly
perturbed over the affair and caused Onis and the United States
government also to become aroused."
 Although the Lakanal scare eventually proved to be nothing
more than a visionary scheme, the Lallemand Texas enterprise
actually got under way. General Rigaud, another veteran of Napo-
leon's campaigns, led a band of about a hundred and fifty from
Philadelphia in December, 1817, to Galveston, where they were
joined by the Lallemands. They were welcomed by the pirate Jean
Lafltte, who gave them supplies and lent them some small boats.
In these the four hundred would-be colonists, well supplied with
arms and with equipment to establish a settlement, moved up the
Trinity River. After a difficult journey, they reached "Champ
d'Asile," as they called it, a spot thirty miles up the river which
had been selected by their leaders.
 Although the Lallemand party professed peaceable intentions,
they went armed for emergencies, and the scope of their ambitions
is now fairly clear. They would have based their crowning of
Joseph as king of Mexico on his rights to domain over the colonies
derived from his reign as king of Spain, to which position they
considered him still entitled. They were in fact obviously conduct-
ing an unauthorized invasion of territory which was claimed by
both the United States and Spain.
 Both Powers took steps to curb the enterprise. Spain moved first
and her efforts were more effective. Troops from San Antonio
under Captain Juan de Castafieda marched overland to eject the
intruders. But the French learned of their approach. Short of sup-
plies and presumably outnumbered, the colonists decided to re-
treat. When Castafieda arrived at the Trinity encampment site on
October 12, 1818, he found the place abandoned. When the Span-