Wilkinson knew well that ordinary people find it hard to resist the temptation of overnight wealth, so the fact that the states failed to complete recruitment tasks was not surprising.
He pondered for a moment, then ordered his staff: "Immediately send people to seal the border to prevent anyone from going to Louisiana."
The latter hesitated for a moment and cautiously said, "General, I'm afraid this exceeds our authority unless the Federal Congress issues a ban..."
Wilkinson replied coldly, "Just say we've recently discovered a lot of Spanish spies and want to prevent them from returning to the West Bank."
"Well... yes, General." The staff saluted and reminded him, "General, there are many ferries along the Mississippi River, and even private boats can ferry at places that are slightly flatter. A complete blockade would require at least five or six regiments."
