noon
`` To-day Upper Louisiana is French , '' he answered . `` To-morrow it will be American forever . This morning Captain Stoddard of the United States Army , empowered to act as a Commissioner of the French Republic , arrived with Captain Lewis and a guard of American troops . Today , at noon , the flag of Spain was lowered from the staff at the headquarters . To-night a guard of honor watches with the French Tricolor , and we are French for the last time . To-morrow we shall be Americans . '' I saw that simple ceremony .