Northwestern Pennsylvania Historical Series
Prepared by
FRONTIER
FORTS AND TRAILS SURVEY
Federal Works Agency
Work Projects Administration
Edited by
Sylvester
K. Stevens
and
Donald H. Kent
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
HARRISBURG
1940
Northwestern Pennsylvania Historical Series
Journal of Chaussegros de Léry
85 |
the precaution of preparing them in different ways, soaking some and planting others dry in hotbeds.
[February 2nd,] Sunday, a very violent S. W. 1/4 S. wind, it started to freeze at 10 o'clock in the morning and continued until midnight. There was no sign of carrying out the order to bring posts to the fort. I do not know if it is because the news indicated the ill-will of the savages or because I am anxious to see this work finished, which I consider very important during the present dispute between the English and us over Belle Rivière. Last summer, when I was at Presque Isle, I heard our men talking of the attachment the savages appeared to have for the English, despite the blow they had just received. I always thought the belt the Cha8anons had given the Hurons very mysterious, and I talked it over with the commander when he gave me an opportunity, but since he doubtless had more authentic news than any that I could tell him, he did not pay as much attention as I might have wished, and the work has made no progress.
[February 3d,] Monday, it froze from midnight until noon. The S. W. 1/4 S. wind abated somewhat, at noon the sun appeared.
[February 4th,] Tuesday, it froze from midnight to half-past eight o'clock, a light S. W. 1/4 S. wind, which had blown since the second of the month, cast the ice onto the north bank of the river where it formed along the shore, but was not strong enough to hold up vehicles. At noon the wind turned to the south southwest.
At three o'clock, a Frenchman and an Ouyatanons savage arrived. M. de Muy told me he brought no news, but according to what M. Belestre, commander of the Miami's, wrote his sister, we were to question the savage in order to hear some interesting news. We learned from the said savage that the Cha8anons had sent belts to the Ouyatanons and to the Miamis to induce those nations to assist them in recalling the English to Belle Rivière. I believe this news more readily as I mistrust the savages since Mikinack, the Outa8ois chief, told the commander last autumn that he would not leave the fort because there would be plenty of news and a great deal happening before summer, and since that time the savages have been talking in riddles.
[February 5th,] Wednesday, the weather was mild during the night, the sun appeared at intervals during the day, light winds to the W. 1/4 S. W. and the weather mild. At 5 o'clock in the evening west wind, it froze from eight o'clock until midnight. M. de Rigauville to whom I wished to recount the news, told me he had heard it yesterday and had told the commander who did
Northwestern Pennsylvania Historical Series
Journal of Chaussegros de Léry
86 |
not seem to think it important, and who told him that the commander of the Ouyatannons had written him that his savages were ready to march against the English at Belle Rivière, and that the commander of the Miamis told him that his savages were going to Belle Rivière more to trade with the English than for anything else.
A man named de Peltaux worked at getting his posts in place, ready to set them out when it pleases the commander to order it done. M. Navarre sowed rye on his land. I learned in the evening that the commander, on hearing certain news from an Ouyatannons savage, had answered him that he was somewhat fearful because, as I have been informed, this officer had not told him of the belts brought to him [the Ouyatannons] by Latortú, Cha8anons chief. I could not vouch for the truth of this indiscretion, although the Ouyatannons savage had said on arriving that the French chief who had been to see him had strongly urged him to tell the news to the chief at Detroit.
[February 6th,] Thursday, the wind west southwest. There was little sun and it did not thaw, around noon a little snow fell which melted on reaching the ground.
M. de Rigauville told me that the commander had learned from a man named Berthe that the Cha8anons had given some belts as the Ouyatannons savage had reported.
In the evening a man who was in irons escaped. Not having a sentry to guard him, they had locked him up in a house. At nine o'clock 45 men were commanded to form three detachments at daybreak. It froze hard during the night.
[February 7th,] Friday, the sun appeared at intervals, the wind S. W. 1/4., and it was cold.
M. de Lamotte told me he had talked to the Ouyatannons savage to find out the news. The savage replied that the commander had forbidden him to talk about it.
We found the man who had escaped from irons the evening before in the house of an inhabitant a quarter of a league from the fort. He had gone to bed there very quietly at six o'clock in the evening. The wind turned to west northwest, very violent and cold. Two thirds of the river was frozen over. We could not see very clearly as a light snow was falling. It stopped early.
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Journal of Chaussegros de Léry
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[February 8th,] Saturday, northwest wind, but not so strong as the day before. The snow that had fallen did not cover the ground, and could hardly be seen except in places where it had been blown into drifts.
The carts went along on the shore-ice.
The sun appeared at intervals, and at three in the afternoon the weather became milder; at 10 in the evening a little snow fell.
This would have been a good day to get the posts from the woods, but I had not heard that anyone did this.
[February 9th,] Sunday, the wind west southwest, it did not thaw but was not cold; at ten in the evening an inch of snow fell, the sun did not come out.
[February 10th,] Monday, weather mild the past 24 hours. The sun appeared about noon. Light northeast wind, one might almost say a breeze.
A savage arrived from Rivière St. Joseph, M. de St. Ours, commander of said fort, informed M. de Muy that if he needed some of his savages in the spring, he would send some.
Lamorigny, Jesuit Father, wrote that M. St. Ours had been ill for a long time.
M. de Muy told me that the commander of the Ouyatannons wrote him that Forgeron, chief of a band of that nation, was ready to raise the hatchet against the English.
[February 11th,] Shrove Tuesday, the sun appeared, it was not cold, light W. 1/4 S. W. wind.
Yesterday was the day appointed for those who had posts to furnish to bring them to the fort. No one had brought any since the 26th of last month when the commander's order was proclaimed, although the weather had been very favorable.
An Outa8ois chief, named Acha8abemé, arrived from Saguinan. The rumor had spread during the past month that the commander had sent a young Outa8ois to his winter camp to get him and to inform Mikinak, chief of the Outa8ois village of Detroit.
Acha8abemé reported that the Outa8ois and Sauteurs from Saguinaw intended to form a large party to make war on the Poute8atamis of Rivière St. Joseph.
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