In 1788, 17-year-old Irish immigrant Philip Nolan lived with General James Wilkinson of Kentucky where he was his bookkeeper and shipping clerk. Nolan learned to speak Spanish to communicate with the Spanish authorities during commercial endeavors in the Louisiana markets. Nolan worked with Wilkinson until 1791 when he moved to Natchez, Mississippi, and got into the business of horse trading. Nolan set out on his first expedition to catch wild horses in Spanish Texas in 1791. Nolan stayed in Texas amongst Indian tribes for three years, learned sign language and became a skilled horseman. Between 1791 and 1800, Nolan and his men conducted two other wild horse expeditions into Texas. In 1800, Nolan left for his fourth expedition into Spanish Texas from Natchez. Rumor had it that he was not just going to trade horses, but to stir up a scheme of conquest against the Spaniards. Nolan took a route through present-day Shreveport and crossed the Red River following the old Caddo Trail, now known as the Dallas-Shreveport Road, which passes through northern Van Zandt County. Entering the central Texas prairies, Nolan and his expedition stopped at the Brazos River. At the same time, Spanish Commandant at Nacogdoches, Miguel Francisco Musquiz, was ordered by Spanish authorities to arrest Nolan. In March of 1801, Musquiz rushed Nolan’s camp and surprised them, killing Nolan and capturing his men. Some credit Nolan as having awakened the spirit of independence from Spain and Mexico in the early Texas settlers. Nolan’s route from Natchez into Texas became one of the most used migration routes following Texas Independence.