Other sons who became prominent in the western country were Henry and Jean.

During the childhood of Charles Jr the vast but ill defined territory of Louisiana in which his St Louis home was located belonged for the most part of the time to the Spanish King, but in the year 1800 was at the com- mand of Napoleon transferred to the French, and again in 1803 sold to the United States.

The inhabitants were mostly French, but of course had nothing to say about the transfer of their sover- eignty, and it is probable preferred American to Spanish or even French rule, exercised as it necessarily was from so great a distance and in so great ignorance of actual conditions.

The sale to the United States was consummated in October, 1803, and Jefferson, then President, was anxious to conciliate the people of the new acquisition in every way, and one means suggested and readily adopted by him was to appoint as cadets to the Military Academy at West Point the sons of some of the most influential and representative men of the new Territory.

In pur- suance of this idea General Wilkinson, then chief com- manding officer of the United States Army, recommended and President Jefferson appointed four young men from Louisiana.