An Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson
by Andro Linklater, Walker & Co., New York, 2009, $27
James Wilkinson claimed that his father’s last words to him were a threat to disinherit him if he ever put up with an insult. Thus this “heroic” general from the early days of the republic would go to extraordinary lengths to defend his honor—which is a bit ridiculous when one considers, as Andro Linklater has, just how dishonorable this cad was.
Wilkinson was a superb soldier who conducted himself ably in the War of Independence in such battles as Saratoga. During the Northwest Indian War in the Ohio Valley in 1794, he led troops with energy and decisiveness. The son of failed Baltimore gentry later became the general in charge of the young U.S. Army under Thomas Jefferson, though his military record was tarnished by his failed actions in the War of 1812. With his considerable charm and dash, he might have become an American hero, had it not been for the fact that early in his career he pledged his allegiance to the King of Spain.
His treachery began shortly after the American Revolution, when he joined the stream of settlers crossing the Alleghenies to seek their fortunes in Kentucky. At the time, Spain occupied the Louisiana Territories and blocked traffic on the Mississippi. Young Wilkinson gambled everything in loading a raft with goods, sailing downstream and charming his way into the rich market at New Orleans. In fact, he struck up such a cordial relationship with the Spanish authorities that he agreed to spy for them.
What ensued was a rollicking tale of deceit and scandal. Known to the Spanish as Agent 13, Wilkinson used his position as a senior military officer to channel secrets to his handlers. He almost handed the Lewis and Clark Expedition over to the Spanish and even plotted with them to split the Kentucky settlements from the Union, positioning himself to be the leader of the new country.
He was never shy about demanding huge payments for his treason—to finance his own flamboyance and wife Nancy’s high living. An Artist in Treason springs to life with descriptions of Wilkinson’s cronies shipping thousands of dollars in silver upriver in coffee barrels. Wilkinson’s greatest deceit came in 1806 when he conspired with former Vice President Aaron Burr to lead the Western states in secession. True to his nature, he double-crossed Burr and later testified against him.
Through it all, Wilkinson contrived to weasel out of any conviction for treason. Though rumor and accusation hounded him throughout his career, he charmed the first four U.S. presidents, who all (to varying degrees) turned a blind eye to his treachery. Madison caught on eventually and ordered his court-martial in 1811, but Wilkinson was found not guilty. He spent his last days in Mexico City, scheming to gain control of the country’s rich silver deposits.
Scouring archives in the United States, Britain and Spain, Linklater has done a masterful job of spinning the complicated tale into a vibrant and readable account that reads like a spy story.
Originally published in the March 2010 issue of Military History. To subscribe, click here.
