Background
Robert McKnight was born in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the son of Timothy and Eleanor (Griffin) McKnight.
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The Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie: The Adventures of a Young Man in the Southwest and California in the 1830s
(James O. Pattie wrote this historic autobiography to tell...)
James O. Pattie wrote this historic autobiography to tell tales of his life in the Old West with a group of settlers as they traversed the North American frontier in the early 19th century. Pattie was a headstrong young man and archetypal pioneer facing many dangers inherent to such life. He would traverse the great Western plains, encounter Native Americans who were variously friendly, neutral or hostile, set up a successful sawmill business, and experience all the adventures and adversity peculiar to his era. Rather than be split into chapters or otherwise, Pattie's recollections are told in one lengthy story. However, this edition contains an introduction from the editor, who personally summarizes and notes tha major factors which shaped the author's life. Unusually for men on the frontier, Pattie expresses devotion and worry for members of his family - the death of his father and mother are a source of emotional outpouring, as the young Mr. Pattie seeks to honor both. Eventually Pattie opted to settle in Kentucky, where he finally published this diary of his life. Accessible and plain in style, it is in these pages that readers get to know the author and empathize with his nature. Although aspects are exaggerated for the sake of entertaining, the memoir on the whole offers readers a vivid and historically valuable account of life in the young United States. It is thought that Pattie died just a few years after publishing this memoir, as an outbreak of deadly disease at the time ravaged Kentucky. The death toll was particularly high in his locality; after this tragic event, there is no evidence that James O. Pattie survived.
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Robert McKnight
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In 1809, McKnight went to St. Louis and joined his brother John and Thomas Brady in a mercantile venture. In May 1812, Robert McKnight and nine others left St. Louis for Santa Fé on a trading expedition. This enterprise was designed to carry goods easy of transport, and expected to derive great profit under the monopolistic conditions then existing in Santa Fé. The descriptions given by Capt. Zebulon M. Pike of rich prospects at Santa Fé were attracting general notice to that trade. The McKnight party, greatly enthusiastic, started on their adventure without passports and without arms other than those for defense against the Indians. They proceeded believing that the declaration of independence by Hidalgo, in 1810, had completely removed the previous requirement of a special permit from the Spanish government in cases of foreign intercourse. Unfortunately, they had not learned of the execution of Hidalgo and the restoration of the Royalists, who were suspicious of all foreigners, particularly Americans, and imposed many hardships upon them. When McKnight and his companions arrived at Santa Fé, they were seized as spies, and their goods confiscated. The captives, destined to be detained nine years, were distributed among several prisons, some being sent to Chihuahua and others to Durango. In 1815, Edward Hempstead, Congressional delegate from Missouri, laid their case before the State Department, but nothing was done in their behalf until February 8, 1817, when Secretary Monroe began an exchange of diplomatic letters with the Spanish minister. John Scott, of Missouri, brought up the case again the following December, and the President addressed a request to the Mexican government for the return of the prisoners, but they were not returned. Although in 1819 a treaty of amity was made between the United States and Mexico, no condition was imposed as to the release of these men, and not until 1821 was their imprisonment ended. McKnight never forgave his native land for this seeming neglect. He returned to St. Louis in 1822 with his brother John, who had gone to Durango to effect his release. In the fall of that year, Robert and John McKnight and eight others left for the Comanche country on a trading expedition. They joined Thomas James and his party of twelve men, by prearrangement, at the mouth of the Canadian River. This expedition was a failure, however; John McKnight was reported killed by the Indians, and Robert McKnight returned to St. Louis in 1824. In the meantime, and thereafter, he sought redress for the wrongs he had suffered in Mexico, but without avail.
Achievements
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Robert McKnight is acknowledged as a contributor to the Santa Fe Trail by the National Register of Historic Places (National Park Service). He is truly one of the first handful of Americans (James Purcell, Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, James McLanahan, Reuben Smith, and James Patterson, Auguste P. Chouteau, Jedediah Smith, and trailblazer William Becknell) who are connected with the development of the Santa Fe Trail, forming a diverse mosaic that represents the American W.
Works
book
-
The Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie: The Adventures of a Young Man in the Southwest and California in the 1830s
(James O. Pattie wrote this historic autobiography to tell...)
-
The Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie: The Adventures of a Young Man in the Southwest and California in the 1830s
Personality
In 1828, McKnight gained possession of a rich copper mine, known as Santa Rita del Cobre, in northern Chihuahua. Here he made a fortune, but in 1846 his mining operations were broken up by the Apache Indians. James describes McKnight as very impulsive, courageous, and unyielding in the midst of danger, but lacking that coolness and presence of mind best adapted to leadership. McKnight renounced his allegiance to the United States, and returned to Mexico, where he spent his remaining years.
Connections
McKnight was married to a Spanish lady at Chihuahua. They had two daughters, and a son who died in early youth.
References
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Born
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Died
1846 (aged 57) -
Nationality
American -
Political Party
Republican