|
1742] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
parties of outaouais and Sauteux had killed a Scioux and a Renard, a matter
which he will find diffiicult to accommodate.2
__________
MONSEIGNEUR - I have received the letter which you did me the honor of Writing the 15th of April last. You will see by the speech of the Chaouanons, which I have had the honor of Sending to you by the transport-ship "Canada," with my replies of which I add duplicates, that no reliance can be placed on all their promises to me in regard to their Removal to the Prairie of the Maskoutins, near the Ouyatanons, as they have Been tampered with by the English in order to induce them to make Peace with the Têtes plates and to Settle on the Cherakis [Tennessee] River. I will, however, Spare no pains to oppose this Transplantation, in order not to lose this Nation which is as docile as it is inconstant. Perhaps what I have said to them will make an impression and inspire them with the fear of becoming Enemies of the other Nations.
Several Algonkins and Nepissingues, who Were
Roaming round the Country, have come to Settle at the Lake of the two
Mountains; and I am informed that many others are to come there. The good
Treatment that they receive from the Missionaries, and the expenses into which
they have Entered in subscribing for the maintenance of this establishment will
gradually bring about a reunion of these Savages in this Place; Especially with
the additional Help afforded by the 2000 livres which the King has condescended
to grant for that purpose this year, Out of the proceeds of the licenses. It is
to be wished that His Majesty should have decided to grant the 15000 livres
which I had asked for for the needs of these Nations. But as he has not judged
this expedient, I beg you, Monseigneur, to continue in their favor for some
years this same fund of 2000 livres. I will see that it is disbursed with
Exactness in favor of these savages, and will
__________
1This first part is the ministerial abstract, made probably for
submission to the king. - ED.
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Wisconsin Historical Collections |
[vol. xvii |
success; that the men did not come out, so that nothing was killed but a large
number of horses, and hunger obliged the Indians to abandon their expedition;
that, however, two parties of Hurons were unwilling to return without affecting
something, and were going to try to penetrate into some places that were less on
their guard, and where they will probably strike a blow. Although these
movements have been, hitherto unattended with any success, and none of any
consequence can be expected from the operations of those parties, M. de
Longueuil will prevail on these Nations to organize others, in order to foster
a continual spirit of hostility against the English, who, in consequence of
their distrust of the Indians, will not be able to corrupt and gain them over
to their side.
Sieur de la Corne, the elder,1 whom I have sent to command at Missilimackinac, writes me on the 27th of August last, that as soon as he had raised the war-song at that post, 60 Outaouacs and Saulteux, applied to him for M. Noyelle, junior, who is deputy there, to conduct them to Montreal, in order to attack the English in conjunction with our domiciliated Indians. According to what he writes me of their departure, I have reason to expect them from day to day, and they will do good service in divers places.
The emigration of the Chaouanons has at length
taken place; they have removed from their former location to the place I
allotted them at the prairie of the Maskoutins; they have even tied and
plundered the English traders on the Belle Rivière to the number of eight, and
advised M. de Longueuil to send in search of them. But the detachment of 15 or
16 Canadians dispatched thither by that officer, discovered only one, and the
Chaouanons have said that they had carried the others along with them to their
winter quarters, and would bring them to me, themselves, next year. I would
have wished they had acted otherwise, and sent M. de Longueuil, as they had
__________
1Louis de la Corne, Sieur de Chapt et Terrebonne, born 1696, married
Elizabeth de Ramezay, and died at his seignoiry of Terrebonne in 1762. - ED.
|
1747] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
against him. These same Hurons persist, however, in wishing to return to Bois
blanc island, because it is their interest to occupy that post which is the key
of Detroit, whilst Nicolas on his side will draw the English to him, and afford
them facilities for establishments all along Lake Erie as far as the Miamis
[Maumee] river. Mr de Longueuil is not in a condition to oppose all
these enterprises; he is a witness of their project every day, without having
the power to make the first step to counteract them; which excites wonder among
the other nations, and leads them to entertain unfavorable opinions in regard
to us.
The Outaoua appears altogether insensible to the misfortunes that threaten the fort, and does not care about helping us.
The Pouteouatamis are, as Mr de Longueuil believes, the best disposed; he has no fault to find with them; they are, consequently, the only persons he can confide in.
A party of the Miamis have come to dance the Calumet at the fort; another section have been to visit Nicolas at Sandusket; the ceremony attendant on the former has been very expensive; their reception, the good cheer for the space of 15 days, and the presents which have been made to them with a view both to destroy unfavorable impressions among them, and to protect the lives of the French who are in their village, have cost a great deal.
Such was the state of affairs at Detroit on the 25th of August. We are in hopes that the arrival of the convoy and of Father Larichardie will contribute to the peace of that post, or, at least, that the reinforcements we have sent thither will enable M. de Longueuil to resist the attacks of our enemies, if he can do nothing against them, after having exhausted all available means, regard being had to existing circumstances.
Miamis
Ensign Douville,1 who had been
sent last spring to invite the Miamis to come down to Montreal, writes to the
Marquis
__________
1Probably the same officer who was killed in an attack on a Virginia
fort in 1757; and possibly the one who was with Villiers in Wisconsin in 1733.
See ante, p. 188. - ED.
|
1747] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
Ouyatanons
Ensign Chevalier de La Peyrade, commandant at the post of the Ouyatanons, writes from Detroit, on the 24th of August, that he was on his way down to Montreal with the Nations from the Oubache, when he learned, in the Miamis river, the treachery of the Hurons; that this intelligence, conjoined to other circumstances, obliged those Nations to return to their village, where they were pretty quiet when he left them to come to Detroit, where he is waiting for news from Niagara to return to the Ouyatanons to continue his services there.
We are in, receipt, also, of news from the River St. Joseph. Sieur Laperrière Marin, commanding at that post, writes us on the 5th and 30th of July last. It appears that the English are endeavoring to debauch the Nations belonging to that post, as well as all the others, by the unfavorable impressions they are trying to insinuate among them by means of the 5 Nations, who continue to embroil all the affairs, and employ every pretext to bring about the destruction of the French of that post. The Pouteouatamies appear always in our interests; they have made many protestations to Sieur La Perriere of the attachment they have long felt, and will continue to entertain, for their father, the French.
Fifty Ouyatanons came to said post on the River St. Joseph, to express the pain they felt at the treachery of the Hurons at Detroit; that they are ready to attack those who had killed the French; that their father had only to speak.
The commandants at Niagara and Fort Frontenac write us, also, on the 10th of October. Everything was quiet there.
* * * * * * * *
Nov. 23rd. We are in receipt of news from Detroit and the Illinois. The former are very interesting. Chevalier de Longueuil, the commandant, writes us, on the 22d of October last, and gives us an account of what occurred at his post since the 25th of August, the date of his last despatch. The following is the substance of his communication:
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Wisconsin Historical Collections |
[vol. xvii |
Blow struck at Michilimakinac.1 The 4 Chaouennon deputies who
arrived on the 23d of August, spoke on the 26th; he does
not place much reliance on what they said; he had, notwithstanding, treated
them well. These Indians have remained long enough at Detroit to discover the
thoughts of the other Nations, and the difficulty under which the post labored;
they have also been witnesses of a new attack which the Sauteurs of the River
Aux Sables, who murdered the Frenchmen at Chibaoenani,2 have just
made at Detroit within 3-4ths of a league of the fort, where they killed, on
the 31st of August, a settler named Martineau3 who had
imprudently gone too far into the woods. These murderers, 4 in number, scalped
him, and it is asserted, sent, on the part of Mamahoëkisigo, the scalp to the
Iroquois with two pieces of cloth from the pillage of Chabaoënani.
The Montreal convoy arrived safe at Detroit on the 22d of September, escorted by about 150 men, including the merchants and their servants. This relief is the salvation of Detroit, and has apparently made an impression on the Nations.
The Miamis, and perhaps also the Ouyatanons, are in disorder. The former allowed themselves to be gained over by the Belts of Nicolas, who represented to them that Detroit had been razed by the Lake tribes; that consequently they could no longer defer killing the French who were among them. The Miamis have listened to this message. They, first, seized eight Frenchmen who were in the fort of that post, whom, however, they did not injure; they afterwards seized the property and burnt a portion of the buildings. Two of the 8 Frenchmen whom the Miamis had allowed to leave uninjured, arrived at Detroit on the 7th of October.
On the arrival of the convoy, Mr
de Longueuil being ignorant of what was going on at the Miamis, and wishing to
be informed
__________
1The context shows that this should be Detroit. - ED.
2The island of La Cloche; see ante, p. 462, note 3,
and N. Y. Colon. Docs., x, p. 183. - ED. 3Pierre Martineau,
born in Montreal, son of Jean Philippe, dit St. Onge. - ED.
|
1747] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
thereof, before allowing the lessees (of the Posts) to go there, sent 4 French
deputies thither with messages to the Miamis, to induce them to come to
Detroit. The deputies arrived at the Miamis after the blow had been struck;
nevertheless, they prevailed on a good many of the Indians of that Nation to
come to Detroit, to be disabused by their own eyes of Nicolas' impositions. But
discouraged on seeing themselves notified by the arrival of a second Belt from
Nicolas, in confirmation of the first, they went back to their village, and
have merely sent to Detroit two deputies, whom Mr de Longueuil has
immediately sent home with messages to disabuse that Nation of the evil
speeches of Nicolas. Jaret, a Miamis chief, of the village of Tepicourt,1
was at Detroit during all this disorder. Mr de Longueuil has thought
proper to send him without delay to try and restore good order, and more
particularly to save the six Frenchmen who are detained prisoners.
The Outaouas and Pouteoutamies came to
Detroit, previous to the arrival of the convoy, to renew the treaty of
alliance. Mr de Longueuil places no dependence on the circumstance;
their past conduct gives him every reason to doubt their sincerity. A few days
afterwards this officer called together these same Outaouas and Pouteoutamies,
and the others who were desirous to visit him. He communicated to them our
despatch of the 22d of July, relative to the murder of the 5
Frenchmen by the Hurons, explaining to them their father's intentions in regard
to this murder, and the condition on which he would pardon the Hurons therefor.
The meeting applauded, and two Huron Chiefs, of the number of the seemingly
faithful, in company with some others of that nation, have been to carry this
message to Nicolas at Sandosket. The commission being executed, these deputies
have reported for answer that Nicolas did accept, but was desirous of waiting
the return of Sastaredzy,2 on whose arrival he, Nicolas, would
repair to
__________
1A Miami tribe, also called Tepicon, possibly upon the Tippecanoe
River. See Dunn, Indiana, p. 67, note 1. - ED.
2Note on original MS.: "This Huron Chief, much respected by his
Nation, had died at Quebec on the 4th of August."
|
1748] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
[Letter of La Galissonière to the French Minister, dated Oct. 23, 1748. Source,
same as preceding document, but vol. 91, fol. 231.]
|
QUEBEC, October 23, 1748 |
MONSEIGNEUR - The arrangements made some years ago for the posts of the upper country having been thwarted in some places and upset in others on account of the war and by the movements of the Savages; it is now necessary either to restore matters to their footing previous to the war or to put them in better shape.
In the latter period of Monsieur de Vaudreuil's Government and in the first years of that of Monsieur de Beauharnois, the officers were like lessees of the posts. You then recommended that they be given to them at low rates to enable them to satisfy the savages, and some fortunes were made there.
But either through the abuse made of it by some, or for other reasons, these same posts were farmed out to the highest and last bidder, and the idea that was formed of the profits derived from them caused the rents to reach a much higher figure than had formerly been exacted from the officers.
The persons to whom the posts were adjudged then considered they had a right to get as much profit as possible out of them without regard to the drawbacks that might result from it.
They therefore raised the price of goods beyond all reason, and to maintain it they sent only small quantities, especially in the latter years of their leases.
They thereby reduced the savages to despair and compelled them to go to Chouaguen for goods which the English could not sell at the same price as ours, had not the exclusive right to trade and the price of the leases increased ours.
Under circumstances so little favorable the war broke out: thereupon the price of goods was actually doubled in the Colony; the savages seemed desirous of rebelling everywhere; the receipts under the leases dwindled to nothing, and the expenses that had always been very light under the previous system, grew to such an extent that I doubt whether the proceeds of the most profitable ten years of the posts could have paid the expenses of the last two years.
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Wisconsin Historical Collections |
[vol. xvii |
On the other hand the savages blamed the lessees for the scarcity from which
they suffered, and nearly all those from even the most reliable posts, such as
la Rivière de St Joseph and la Baye had asked Monsieur the Marquis de
Beauharnois and urgently pressed me to have no more lessees. Monsieur de
Beauharnois had promised this to the Pouteouatamis of St. Joseph, and I adhered
to it.
Moreover when Goods had to be sent to the posts last spring, several farmers gave up their ]eases or asked for a reduction of three fourths of the rent.
Perhaps peace may make them bolder, but the other drawbacks will always exist, and these seem so serious that I determined, with the advice of Monsieur hocquart, to whom you may speak of this, to have as few posts farmed out as possible, and to have them exploited by licenses as the leases expire, in the same manner as was done for Detroit and Missilimakinak during the whole time the system of leases lasted.
I do not think this will yield as much, but I expect that competition between several traders at each post will lower the price of goods and bring back the savages to us who are all going to give themselves to the English, unless we employ every means to keep them. That to which we have been reduced for some time and which consists in loading them with presents is beyond contradiction the worst of all.
We will make an exception for some posts where so far the savages do not seem to have complained of the lessees, or where, owing to their position, they are less likely to go to the English. These posts are Temiskamingue, Nepigon, Camanistigoya, Michipicoton, La pointe de Chagouamigon. These leases therefore may be allowed to continue or fresh ones may be granted saving the right to take other steps according to events or to new light that may be obtained on the subject.
I have spoken of the Western sea in a special letter.
I remain, with very profound respect, Monseigneur, Your very humble and very obedient servant,
|
LA GALISSONIERE |
|
1748] |
French Regime in Wisconsin |
1748: WESTERN CONSPIRACY DISINTEGRATES
[Letter of La Galissonière to the French Minister, dated Oct. 23, 1748. Reprinted from N. Y. Colon. Docs., x, pp. 181-185.]
|
QUEBEC, October 23, 1748. |
My Lord - I did not expect to enter into any details on occasion of the different movements of the Indians, and the negotiations which I, in the town of Montreal, and the commandants at the different posts had with them. They are all to be found in the Journal prepared by me, conjointly with the Intendant.1 However, as this matter is much confused, and as the various reports which will, possibly, be made to you, will render it more obscure, I cannot dispense writing to you at length relative to subjects of the greatest importance to the Colony.
It was shortly after my arrival that I learned the revolt of the Miamis, the consequences of which, though unfortunate, have not been near so much so as they seemed to be. That nation was divided into two parties, whereof one that appears attached to the French is, I believe, the most considerable, and has remained at the village. It did, however, accept its share of the plunder, but gave it back afterwards; no one was killed in that affair.
Mr de Longueuil, the commandant at Detroit, having received intelligence of this disorder, and at the same time of the good disposition of a part of that nation, sent Sieur Dubuisson thither, in the beginning of the winter, with a sufficient escort to keep possession of the fort, which had been partially burnt, but not to undertake anything.
This officer, and his little garrison, had to
undergo considerable suffering through the winter, in consequence of the
unfriendly disposition of the Indians, who extorted (racontés) on them for
provisions. Sieur Dubuisson had carried scarcely anything with him from
Detroit, where great scarcity also prevailed. However, he subsisted until the
spring at a consider-
__________
1For this journal, so far as it covers events in 1747, see ante;
for those of 1748, summarized in the journal, see N. Y. Colon. Docs., x,
pp. 137-179. - ED.
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