Locations of Piankashaws (ca. 1708- ca. 1763) PART 3 of 4 (pages 37- 46)
/pg. 37/
In December of 1751 Macarty, the commandant of the Illinois, learned of a "party of thirty-three Piankashaw and Vermilion Indians, with others from the Wabash" (Macarty, Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 433) which had been lurking around the French settlements in the Illinois country. Jean
/pg. 38/
Baptiste Benoist, Sieur de St. Claire, temporarily in charge of the Illinois during an absence of Macarty had given these Indians arms to go to war against the Chickasaws. (Idem) Then an Indian, recognized as being of the party of the Piankashaw chief Le Loup, was killed while he was pursuing a French boy. This incident and several others in the vicinity alarmed the French who pursued the Indians. Five Indians were killed and four made prisoners before the French gave up pursuit because of darkness. Le Loup and another Indian from his village were among those captured. (Macarty, Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 433-435) When questioned by Macarty Le Loup at first denied that his Piankashaws had attacked the French. It had been the "Miami, Wea, Shawnee, Vermilion, and Cherokee with the village of Le Corbeau and the band of Hurons at Sandusky." Later he admitted the possibility of his "young men" having been involved. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 438) Le Loup in his own defense and that of the Piankashaws in general
related at great length what he had done on behalf of the French for several years, despite the entreaties and reproaches of La Demoiselle, who since he burned and pillaged the Miamis post and retired with his band to Great Miami River, has not ceased to send messages to the Vermilion to seduce that village, attach it to his interests, and make it attack the French. Le Loup declared that L'Enfant had long since accepted the words and taken up the interests of La Demoiselle, and that he continually spoke in his behalf. (It was L'Enfant who last spring had pillaged the boat of M. de Ligneris, sent by M. de la Jonquiere to speak to the Kickapoo.) Le Loup declared that he and La Maringouin and Le Gros Bled had always held to the French and opposed on all occasions the attempts of our enemies, and had had all M. de Ligneris' property returned to him. All this is true up to the present by the testimony of all the French who have regarded Le Loup as a friend. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 454-455)
/pg. 39/
According to Le Loup, L'Enfant was the only active anti-French Piankashaw chief. According to the Illinois Indian, Patissier, however, the attacking Indians were identified as "thirty men of the Vermilion village." Upon being given their names Le Loup admitted that they were Piankashaws who had attacked the French, but said they were not of his band. (Ibid., Dft. Ex, A-47, p. 459)
At this time, also, it was rumored among the Indians as far as the Des Moines River that La Demoiselle was going to attack the French with the "Miami, Wea and men of the Vermilion tribes." (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 442)
As a result of these scattered attacks and reports o! an imminent general attack Macarty wrote to the other French commandants "to engage" their Indian allies "to strike early in the spring against the Piankashaws and La Demoise}lezs people.'' (Ibidj, Dft Ex. A-47, p. 444)
The Piankashaws of the village on the Vermilion River, led by the Piankashaw chief Le Maringouin, killed 5 Frenchmen there in December of 1751, and threatened to kill others. By the time the detachment De Ligneris sent from Ouiatenon to secure the effects of the Frenchmen reached the Vermilion, the Piankashaws had gone, leaving the dead men on the ice. De Ligneris
was assured that the Peanguichas had committed this act, because four men of their Nation had been killed by the French at the Illinois, and four others had been taken and put in irons. (Longueuil, Dft. Ex. A-117, p. 110)[see Footnote 13]
/pg. 40/
He feared that many of the Weas would join the rebel Piankashaws and Miamis. An Indian wife of one of the slaughtered Frenchmen reported that the Piankashaw, Illinois, and Osage Indians were to build a fort near the site where De Noyelles and De Villier's had attacked the Fox Indians 20 years before (i.e., in present-day central Illinois) and to make a general attack on the French. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-117, p. 111; see also ibid., Dft. Ex. A-93, p. 248) Apparently, also, a St. Joseph Potawatomi chief while on a visit to Ouiatenon had assured a Piankashaw chief that his people would never make war on the Miamis. (Idem) The French officer Philippe Thomas de Joncaire, on the other hand, wrote that he had learned that the Wea, Piankashaw, Miami, Illinois, Delaware, Shawnee, and Iroquois Indians were going to meet at La Demoiselle's, and he suspected a general Indian revolt against the French. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-117, pp. 111-112) A group of eight Piankashaws warned the Frenchman married to the Piankashaw chief Le Maringouin's sister that there was going to be an attack on the French by Piankashaws and recommended that he and his family seek refuge with Le Maringouin. They also warned him of a band of 10 Miami who had come to attack Vincennes. (St. Ange, Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 487; Macarty, Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 507-508)
St. Ange, who was stationed at Vincennes, wrote to Vaudreuil in February of 1752 commenting on the state of affairs on the Wabash, He remarked that
Those who have openly joined them [the English and their Indian allies on the Great Miami River] are the Piankashaw of the Vermilion, part of the Illinois, and those near us (St. Ange, Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 484)
/pg. 41/
St. Ange complained that there were "no more Indians" at his post, and that some of the French inhabitants were also leaving since they had made their living by trade with the Indians. (Ibid, Dft. Ex. A-47, p 485)
The Piankashaw that we had near us, who have become our enemies, have joined those of the Vermilion; these last are said to be in the plains between the Wabash and the Illinois, but I do not think their plans are to remain there unless they feel sure of being supported by other tribes. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 486)
In March, 1752, Macarty also reported that the "assembled chiefs of the Vermillon," L'Enfant, Le Maringouin, and La Mouche Noire, were said to be "aroused to make war" on the French. (Macarty, Dft.-Ex. A-47, pt 523; see also Longueuil, Pft. Ex. A-117, p. 110)
At least one Piankashaw chief, however, apparently remained loyal to the French at this time, La Biche, who was sent as a messenger from the commandant at the Miamis to Macarty in the Illinois country. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 535) There also seemed to be a reaction among some : other Piankashaws at this time (March, 1752) in favor of the French. La Puce, an Illinois Indian, had reported to St. Ange at Vincentes that he had met "six Piankashaw going with a flag to Vincennes," who told him that
La Mouche Noire, L'Enfant, and Le Maringouin, not wishing to follow the party of Le Gros Bled, had retired with their band to the Little Wabash. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 537)
They wanted "no part in the ill affair that was transpiring." (Idem) Macarty used this report in his counsel with the Illinois Indians to strengthen their French loyalty. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 540)
/pg. 42/
Vaudreuil in his instructions to Macarty in April of 1752 commended Macarty's keeping of the Piankashaw Le Loup and the other Piankashaw and 2 Illinois Indian prisoners, and told him to pardon them only after the tribes demonstrated their loyalty actively. (Vaudreuil, Dft . Ex. A-47, pp. 599-600)
In June of 1752 Macarty wrote the French minister that De Ligneris, the commandant at Ouiatenon, informed him that "the chiefs of the Vermilion" had given him several speeches to transmit to La Jonquiere, an action which caused Macarty to think that they might want to make peace with the French. (Macarty, Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 637) St. Ange, however, reported no Piankashaw peace overtures at Vincennes. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 660)
Macarty attributed the fact that the Indians in his area (the Kaskaskias) were still peaceful to the fact that he had kept the "Piankashaw chief" (Le Loup) prisoner for his participation in the December 8 attacks on the French. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 640) On June 24, two medal chiefs of the Kickapoos and Mascoutens came to Macarty and pleaded, successfully, for Le Loup's release "since he was a Kickapoo and his mother Mascouten." (Ibid, Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 640) Le Loup, upon his release, maintained, as before, that he had never betrayed the French and that he would live "with the Kickapoo, his tribe," and "would never again see the Piankashaw, save to reproach them with their perfidy." (Ibid., Dft Ex. A-470 p. 661) De Ligneris reported that this release had a good effect, that the Piankashaws had since tried to attract the Kickapoos and Mascoutens and had not been successful in this, although they had succeeded in getting a part of the Weas to visit them at White River. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 662)
In July three Piankashaws, among whom was La Petite Biche, came to visit the Illinois to invite them to meet and talk with the rebels. La Petite Biche gave them a false impression of the strength of the English establishment on White River and claimed that the Delawares, half of the Shawnees, many of the Weas, and La Demoiselle's Miamis were there in addition to the Piankashaws. He claimed that there were almost 600 Indians gathered in two forts located two days distance from De Ligneris' post at Ouiatenon. (Ibid,, Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 667-669; 674) He also added that the Piankashaws of St. Ange's post saw the rebels at night without St. Ange's knowledge, (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 669) and that his people only awaited his return before attacking the post of Vincennes. His band alone consisted of 90 men. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 671)
On the night of August 2, the last of Macarty's "Piankashaw": prisoners escaped. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 673)
On July 15, Le Chat Blanc, while hunting above the post at Vincennes, was approached by four rebel Piankashaws. These Indians
gave him a message from Le Gros Bled, his uncle, to be given on behalf of Le Gros Bled to M. de St. Ange. It consisted of a laced capot and a white shell, telling him that Le Gros Bled asked pardon for himself and his band. He wished to draw near the French. Since the spring he had stopped several parties that wished to attack the French, in doing this he had stripped himself of all his possessions. He was very sorry for all that had happened. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp, 674- 675)
/pg. 44/
St. Ange refused to accept this message saying that if Le Gros Bled really wanted to make peace he should come himself. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47., p. 675) The Piankashaws also told Le Chat Blanc that they were located "two short days' journey" from De Ligneris' post (i.e., Ouiatenon), and that a majority of their people wanted to return to the French but that some did not. They lacked sufficient food and the English had not brought much goods, despite their promises. Many Weas were with them on White River. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 675-676) These Piankashaws also said that messengers had come to ask help of them against a large party of Indians from various tribes which had attacked the settlement on the Great Miami River. They said that twenty Piankashaws had gone to help with "as many Wea" and with some Delawares. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, p. 676)
St. Ange, in reporting this development, added that the Piankashaws around his post were afraid that the French would seize an excuse to attack them and that none of them could be depended on despite their protestations of loyalty to the French. Two cabins of Piankashaws from the post at Vincennes went off with the four messengers to join the rebels. St. Ange also reported that La Petite Biche had not arrived at his post yet and that he suspected that he also had joined the rebels. (Idem)
In August Macarty indirectly received word from the Peoria Indians that a party of Ottawas and Chippewas had attacked the rebel Miami Indians at the Great Miami River, thirty of whom were killed, including some of the English who were with them, and as a result of this attack
/pg. 45/
the Weas had abandoned the English but the Piankashaws had determined to make war on the French. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A_87, pp 677-678) Celoron sent Macarty details of this attack (in a letter, written July 13 but which Macarty received on August 28), by some Wea Indians. He wrote that 260 Ottawas and Chippewas had taken part in this attack on the village of Great Miami River. Thirty-two English and Indians were killed, the English possessions were carried off, and six English prisoners taken. An Iroquois and two Shawnees were killed, and two Piankashaws, one Wea, and a Delaware were also said to have been killed. On the French side only four Chippewas and two Ottawas were killed. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 680-681) This was the attack (mentioned above p. 44) that the Piankashaws on White River had been asked by the rebel Miamis to help them resist.
The Wea messengers who brought news of this French success were reported to have come also to reclaim the last of Macarty's "Piankashaw" prisoners who had escaped on the second of August. Macarty was told that the Indian's father was a Wea. (Idem)
Celoron reported that a party of Indians (Ottawas and Chippewas) had been ready to attack the Piankashaws, but on their way took four scalps at M. de Villier's post at the Miamis, which disturbed the plan. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 682-683) He added further information about the Piankashaws establishment on White River--
in effect the hostile bands have two forts, the Piankashaw having a separate one. They are 140 Men, the others eighty, and there are but two English among them without cannon or artillery as La Petite Biche reported. (Ibid., Dft. tx. A-47, p. 684)
/pg. 46/
Macarty in his September report to Vaudreuil said he had little faith in his Illinois Indians, but that the overtly hostile bands had gone in the direction of the Piankashaws. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 6B6-687) In speaking of Longueuil's plan of having 400 soldiers winter at the Miamis and 600 more descend the Ohio River, he felt that should be enough to take care of the 220 men mentioned by the Weas. (Ibid., DSt. Ex. A-47, pp. 688, 704)
Father Alexis F. X. de Guyenne, the Jesuit priest at Kaskaskia, in discussing the reasons for Macarty's release of the Illinois and Miami Indians imprisoned because of the attacks on the French, stated that the Illinois groups didn't know what the rebel Piankashaws were doing, and that it would be useless to try to involve them in making war on the Piankashaws, "many of whose women and children they [i.e., the Illinois] have in this village, and among whom many of their men have married." (De Guyenne, Dft. Ex. A-87, pp. 712-714) The Piankashaws, according to De Guyenne, had not tried to atone to the French for their fault, and had tried to increase their strength. Among the Illinois, for example, La Petite Biche had, in the summer of 1752, persuaded 7 or 8 families to Join them at "White River, where the Piankashaw and the Wea who followed them are still encamped." (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-47, pp. 7l6-717)
Vaudreuil in discussing this matter with the French minister, mainly on the basis of Macarty's reports, remarked that most of the Piankashaws had gone to
White River, where there are English today established with a certain number of rebels from Great Miami River, (Vaudreuil, Dft. Ex. A-470 p. 727)
Footnote 13: see also Longueuil, Dft. Ex. A-93, p. 247.[return to text]
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