Wanted Dead or Alive - Natchez Court Records 1786

The robberies lately committed by rebel James Armstrong, his two sons and negro, together with the vagabonds, named John and James Lovell and George Blair, who forcibly entered the houses of four inhabitants of this District and putting them in fear of their lives, stripped their dwellings of everything most valuable they could carry off, such as clothes, goods, firearms, horses, saddles, bridles and other effects, contrary to the public peace and tranquility, being well-known.


In order to promptly and effectively remedy these, to cut short the course of these villains, I do hereby command all inhabitants, without exception to unite immediately and in parties of twenty persons and pursue these public robbers without delay until they are taken dead or alive, the public tranquility in a measure depending on their apprehension, as also on the expedition used, in which every person is interested.

It is therefore recommended to the inhabitants to concert among themselves the best means of taking these robbers, each party taking a different route and such as they expect most likely to be used by these villains in placing ambushes for them where they might think needful and where they may intercept them on their return from their nocturnal expeditions.

At Fort Panmur at Natchez, 12 Aug. 1786.  Signed Carlos de Grand-Pre

Circular to William Brocus, Samuel Gibson, Roswell Mygatt, William Tabor, Prosper King, Ezekiel DeWitt, John Swayze, James Swayze, William Smith, John Coleman, Samuel Walker, Waterman Crane,
Israel Leonard, John Pickens, John Ford, James Stoddard, John Martin, Jeptha Higdon, Richard Adams, John Adams, Edward Lovelace, Adam Lanehart, Jeremiah Coleman, John Lum, John Stampley, William Collins, John Kincaid, Joseph Fort and Elias Bonnell.