Happy Fourth of July; A Tale of Love on the Western Front

By Dan Arellano

During the American Revolution Bernardo de Galvez received a letter from General George Washington, who was fighting the British along the Eastern Front, seeking succor from the Governor of Spanish Louisiana. At this time Spain had not yet declared war on the British but did covertly, advise its officers to assist the Americans in their quest for independence. Eventually Spain would declare war on England but only for its desire to regain the Island of Majorca and Gibraltar which it had lost to England in the French and Indian Wars.

Opening the Southern Front against the English would be Bernardo de Galvez who would be successful in his battles against the British in the Battle for New Orleans, Pensacola, Manchac and many others.

In the mean time George Rogers Clark would be fighting on the Western Front; and this was a time of widespread upheaval, uncertainty and revolution and it would seem unlikely that romance would have time to blossom, but it did.  To the Western Front would be sent the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, Fernando de Leyba who would defeat the British at St. Louis. Fernando de Leyba and Bernardo de Galvez sincerely liked the Americans and were determined to help as much as they could in their revolution against the British. Spain, however, had never made a treaty with the United States and had never acknowledged its legal right to exist as an independent state; therefore in practice it could deny or conceal its involvement. However, through its agents Galvez and de Leyba it managed to covertly supply the Americans with much needed supplies and armaments; however de Leyba was a wealthy Spaniard who would eventually exhaust his own personal fortune in his support of the Americans.

George Rogers Clark, fighting on the Western Front would find the time for frequent visits to de Leyba in search of money and supplies for the revolution. In charge of the de Leyba household would be the sister of de Leyba, Theresa. After the death of de Leybas wife a few years before he arrived in St Louis, his sister Theresa had assumed the responsibility of running a household. She would preside over teas, dinners and extended afternoons and evenings of entertainment. Due to his frequent visits and meetings with de Leyba romance would begin to blossom between Clark and Theresa. With the blessings of de Leyba the romance became more and more intense. As the war raged on George Rogers Clark is summoned and was forced to leave to the upper Mississippi Valley to serve under the command of Colonel Henry Hamilton. After this he would be so busy with the war that he would have no time for romance and his visits to San Luis would become shorter and less often; however the seeds of romance had been planted and would continue to blossom.

Letters of love along with marriage proposals and promises to wait forever were exchanged on a weekly basis, then monthly, then yearly. Unfortunately for Theresa forever would take too long. George Rogers Clark caught up in a disastrous moment of history had little choice but follow the war to Chicago and eventually to Canada.

In the mean time, after a long illness Fernando de Leyba would die almost penniless. All of his fortune had gone in aiding the Americans. Theresa would lose her only means of support and there was little hope of ever recovering those loans made in support of the American Revolution. Alone and destitute Theresa, not hearing from George Rogers Clark, had little choice but to return to New Orleans. In those days, following Catholic tradition, young Spanish ladies would either marry early or enter a convent. Theresa de Leyba, not hearing from Clark, not knowing his whereabouts, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, turns to the Ursuline Sisters and gave her remaining years in service of the church.

It is rumored that Clark, upon returning to San Luis and hearing of the plight of his beloved rushes to New Orleans in search of Theresa. It is said that on the same day, the same day that Clark arrives Theresa had taken her vowels and entered the convent, alas it was too late.

So distraught was Clark that in despair he would turn to alcohol. But alcohol would not sooth his soul nor mend his broken heart let alone his irreparable liver. On his dying bed it is rumored that his last words to his niece were. “I could have provided you with a wonderful aunt, but alas it was not to be.”

And so ends a tragic tale of love on the Western Front.

Ref: Bernardo de Galvez Spanish Hero of the American Revolution, G. Roland Vela Muzquix, Acacia Press