Columns & Opinions
TEXAS HISTORY MINUTE
Wed, 02/19/2025 - 5:00am
The Red River Expedition of 1806 was supposed to be another in a string of scientific triumphs for the United States as it explored the new territories of the Louisiana Purchase. Captain Richard Sparks, Thomas Freeman, and Peter Custis led a team along the Red River into Southwest Arkansas and into North Texas to the sourcewaters of the Red River in what is now the Texas Panhandle to learn about the local Native American tribes as well as the geography, plant life, and animal life. However, it would end in failure after a stunning betrayal.
