Nolan's Trace: A Good Horse is Worth an Earful

Nolan’s Trace is a memorial highway spanning from the edge of Vernon Parish at the border of Texas stretching all the way to the heart of Rapides Parish. West of Leesville, Nolan’s Trace begins at the Sabine River and continues as LA Highway 8. East of Leesville, Nolan’s Trace is a part of LA Highway 28 and runs eastward until reaching Alexandria. An old trail dating back to the 1790s, Nolan’s Trace initially began as a route used by Phillip Nolan to bring horses from Texas to Natchez and New Orleans. This pioneer from the early history of the American frontier had much success, but political tensions would bring his journeys to a brutal end. The legendary story of Phillip Nolan would become immortalized in the trail named after him, and Nolan’s Trace would forever be a testament to the daring American spirit.

Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1771 to Peter and Elizabeth (Cassidy) Nolan, Phillip Nolan would receive an education before immigrating to Kentucky. By 1788, Nolan was living with and working for General James Wilkinson, handling his business affairs in New Orleans. In 1791, Nolan would be granted a passport from the Governor of Spanish Louisiana, Esteban Rodríguez Miró, to trade in the then Spanish territory of Texas, but would have his possessions taken from him. This forced him to live for two years with native Indians. When he did return to New Orleans in 1793, it was with fifty mustangs. By then, the new Governor of Spanish Louisiana, Louis Héctor, dubbed him a person “risen from the dead”. Between the summer of 1794 and the end of 1795, Phillip Nolan had journeyed to Nacogdoches, Texas and back again to Natchez. This time, he returned with 250 horses.

In 1797, Phillip mapped out territories along the Missouri river and returned to Natchez with the US Boundary Commissioner, Andrew Ellicott. In the summer of the same year, Nolan left for Texas again with supplies to trade, even though it was illegal to trade between Louisiana and Texas. In 1798, Phillip Nolan received a letter from none other than Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson wanted to meet with Nolan to discuss his career in aquiring horses, and his exploration of the Texas frontier. He managed to return back to Louisiana in 1799 with 1200 horses, after a lengthy stay. By this point, Nolan’s dealing with native Indians, his American loyalties, and his lack of respect for Spanish law had incurred the wrath of Spanish officials. The new Spanish Governor of Louisiana at the time, Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, wrote of him as a "dangerous enemy to Spain".

In October of 1800, Nolan would lead a party of well armed men north of Nacogdoches (near present day Waco) and began corralling horses. On March 22, 1801, Spanish troops under commander Miguel Francisco Músquiz would attack Nolan’s camp. The defenders would return fire but Nolan would be shot in the head within the first minutes of the conflict. Nolan’s party would surrender soon afterwards and would be imprisoned for years. Nolan’s ears would be cut off by sword and sent to the Spanish Governor in Chihuahua.