My approach, as a person from Waunfawr, may be subjective but, I hope I will at any rate be correct factually.
In the first instance, it is untrue to say that John Evans was sponsored - he had to borrow £20 to travel steerage to America. Iolo Morgannwg, was a very colourful member of the "Gwyneddigion" a London based Welsh Society which had an extremely radical outlook and was responsible for publishing the first Welsh political periodical, which was edited by a Baptist Minister who had lived in France and was immersed in the French Revolution doctrine. It was Iolo Morgannwg himself who was supposed to go to look for the Welsh Indians, and he found in John Evans a dedicated ally, and eventually decided to stay at home himself (at his wife's orders - according to some reports!).
I have yet to find any reference to any attempt by John Evans to raise money for his expedition. It is true that John Evans was incarcerated by the Spaniards, but this could only have been for a short period in 1795, and he was released on representations being made by John Rice Jones a prominent citizen who had employed him as a Surveyor on Kaskascia, and Judge Turner of America. Incidentally, John Evans had already sworn an oath of allegiance to Spain when he entered New Madrid in 1793.
I find the description in paragraph five of "Evans was cajoled, coaxed, bullied and flattered" very amusing, and so far removed from what was possible in the case of a personality of Evans' stature as to show the whole of the article in its true perspective - in my view biased, so as to be absolutely and incredibly absurd.
Iolo Morgannwg and John Evans had decided before John Evans started on his journey that the attempt to find the "Madogwys" should be routed through Spanish territory.
Most of the articles deprecating John Evans have been written from an English standpoint, the writers being unable to imagine that John Evans would have no compunction in taking over British Forts and lowering the Union Jack, replacing it with the Spanish flag. Deacon, in particular has referred to his treachery, and his whole account seems to be coloured by his inability to understand the difference between the English and Welsh concepts in that field - John Evans would probably, bearing in mind his upbringing and radicalism, have been proud to strike a blow for his friends at home in Wales.
John Evans was a highly intelligent, well educated member of a family that took the lead part in establishing the Calvinistic Methodist cause in Wales. He had a close relationship with foremost Welshmen in religious, poetic and literary matters. The Rev. Thomas Charles, Bala, probably the foremost Welsh divine of all time entrusted him with reports to take with him to America. All his contacts in that country, and the people he stayed with were leaders of the communities in which they lived.
His courage and endurance in seeking to fulfil his mission to find his Welsh brothers is beyond belief. His ability to understand and to be accepted by the Indian tribes is difficult to fathom. For six months he lived with the Mandans, who protected him when he was threatened by French traders at a time when he himself had no goods to give them, indicates that he had remarkable traits in his personality.
The gratuitous reference "that he could draw maps" contained in the article is highly insulting to the person who mapped the Missouri in such a manner that President Jefferson personally handed over the maps to Lewis and Clarke to enable them, a decade later, to find the route to the Pacific, and made use of the maps when he negotiated the Louisiana purchase.
I am prepared to accept that there is one credible reference to the fact that during the last few weeks of his short life John Evans drank heavily - BUT I would respectfully suggest that Mr Kimberley looks at the glowing references to John Evans' character, by friend and foe, alike before he publishes any account relating to John Evans. Having failed in his mission - the purpose of the journey which took him across the world, having suffered ill-health during his travels, having had to leave the Mandan tribe because of the financial trouble of the Spanish Missouri Company and having lost his possessions in the Mississippi floods, it is not altogether surprising that he found solace in the bottle.
