WI: James Wilkinson defected to Spain

IOTL General James Wilkinson was a secret agent of Spain, and was suspected of being so by Anthony Wayne. Anthony Wayne had formal charges brought up and substantial evidence was submitted to President Washington. However he escaped trial because Wayne died of a stomach ulcer before the court martial could be obtained.

I'm curious as to what might have happened if Wayne had lived long enough to be court martialed? Would he have been tried for outright treason? The only reason I think he might not be was that he was not aiding a nation the US was at war with.

I can imagine that if he was to be tried for treason or to face a court martial he might actually try to escape and defect to Spain. If he did defect to Spain, what would the Spanish do with him? Would they give him an officer position in the Spanish military? Would he have been stationed in the Spanish Colonies or in Spain itself?
 
Interesting. When did Wilkinson start being a Spanish agent, does anyone know? I take it he was in it for the money?
 
Interesting. When did Wilkinson start being a Spanish agent, does anyone know? I take it he was in it for the money?

I'm sure that was a part of it, and he was spying for the Spanish while serving as Senior Officer of the U.S. Army, as the position was known in those days.

I imagine the Spanish would give him a title of some kind and some land to live on in Spain or one of their colonies, and keep him around as a snub to America. If the whole thing led to war, then he might be given a position in his new homeland's army, likely a token advisory role as the Spanish would not trust him very much.
 
Poor guy. If you're going to betray your homeland, at least do it with a country that is worth the effort.

Back in those days, the Spanish were still somewhat powerful, certain compared next to a tiny union of former British colonies who couldn't even keep their own borderlands secured.
 
Back in those days, the Spanish were still somewhat powerful, certain compared next to a tiny union of former British colonies who couldn't even keep their own borderlands secured.

Indeed in the Confederation Period and right up to Thomas Jefferson the US was falling over itself to deal with the wealth of the Spanish, especially in terms of the use of the Mississippi River, the Florida-Louisiana Border, and trade and fishing rights in Spanish waters.

Actually the Spanish after the British were probably the number one threat to the US considering their ambassador not only bedazzled Washington and many of the government officials of the period but also helped give legitimacy to secessionist or "Autonomist" movements in New England. There was almost a call for secession in the 1790s by New England notables over concerns that New England would lose its prestige to the South and had much more to gain from a favorable treaty that limited American use of the Mississippi but because James Madison blew the whistle on the Spanish dealings with persons favorable to this it caused a scandal and it never panned out.

Further without him maybe his horrible nepotism in the War of 1812 would not have happened.
 
IOTL General James Wilkinson was a secret agent of Spain, and was suspected of being so by Anthony Wayne.
Detective work by Anthony Wayne?

(Did you know that according to DC Comics' continuity Anthony was a relative -- although not an actual ancestor -- of today's Bruce ['Batman'] Wayne?)
 

Dirk_Pitt

Banned
Detective work by Anthony Wayne?

(Did you know that according to DC Comics' continuity Anthony was a relative -- although not an actual ancestor -- of today's Bruce ['Batman'] Wayne?)

That's fucking badass!

Someone needs to do a story where Anthony Wayne goes all "Batman"!
 
Well he did rat on Lewis and Clark. Tho the mission sent to thwart LnC was a failure (it must be a good story....)
 
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