Born in Ireland and well educated, Phillip Nolan immigrated to America and became associated with General James Wilkinson in Kentucky, representing Wilkinson's business affairs in Natchez and New Orleans. In 1791 he traveled to Texas and returned with 50 horses; on a second trip in 1794-1795 he returned with 250 horses. Because of his work with Andrew Ellicott, U.S. Boundary Commissioner, the Spanish grew suspicious of his motives, and the Spanish Governor warned the Viceroy of Mexico about foreigners such as Nolan who were stirring up the Texas Indians against the Spanish. He made a third trip in 1797 and returned to Natchez in 1799 with more than 1200 horses, then went back to Texas again without a passport. A Spanish force of 120 men left Nacogdoches in March of 1801 in pursuit of Nolan and his party, and when they encountered him, Nolan refused to surrender and was killed. His ears were cut off and sent to Spanish authorities to prove his death. Nolan is credited with being the first Anglo-American to map Texas, though his map has never been found. His observations of Texas and Louisiana were passed on to General Wilkinson, who produced a map of the Texas Louisiana frontier sometime around 1804. The route Phillip Nolan traveled from Natchez and New Orleans into Texas became known as Nolan's Trace.