While he was away on his expedition against the latter place, the royalist Americans round Natchez rose and retook the fort from the Spaniards; but at the approach of Galvez they fled in terror, marching overland towards Georgia, then in the hands of the tories.

On the way they suffered great loss and damage from the Creeks and Choctaws.
A Spanish Attempt on St.Joseph.
The Spanish commander at St.Louis was inspired by the news of these brilliant victories to try if he, too, could not gain a small wreath at the expense of Spain's enemies.

Clark had already become thoroughly convinced of the duplicity of the Spaniards on the upper Mississippi; he believed that they were anxious to have the British retake Illinois, so that they, in their turn, might conquer and keep it.

[Footnote: Clark to Todd, March, 1780.Va.State Papers, I., 338.] They never had the chance to execute this plan; but, on January 2, 1781, a Spanish captain, Don Eugenio Pierro, led a hundred and twenty men, chiefly Indians and Creoles, against the little French village, or fur post, of St.Joseph, where they burned the houses of one or two British traders, claimed the country round the Illinois River as conquered for the Spanish king, and forthwith returned to St.Louis, not daring to leave a garrison of any sort behind them, and being harassed on their retreat by the Indians.

On the strength of this exploit Spain afterwards claimed a large stretch of country to the east of the Mississippi.