THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Macarty to Vaudreuil
(January 20, 1752)
Macarty in: Huntington Library
Mss., Loudoun Coll., 328 and
in Pease and Jenison,
French Series, III,
pp. 432-470.
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. . . Another letter informed me that a party of thirty-three Piankashaw and Vermilion Indians, with others from the Wabash, had come to skulk about the settlements under pretense of going against the Chickasaw. Monsieur Benoist had had munitions of war supplied them, and gave them a letter to me before they came to see me. But while they were here under pretense of friendship, other parties were raiding the various settlements.
The evening of the seventh two Indians tried to stop two young men, armed one with a gun, and the other with a saber. The one with the gun, Ratta, a boy of twelve who had his gun loaded with heavy shot, seeing himself hard pressed, turned, and shot his pursuer in the face. The Indian fell, and the child ran to Fort de Chartres to give warning of what he had just (page 434) done. The spot was visited by the interpreter who recognized the dead Indian as being of the party of Le Loup, a Piankashaw chief, who had slept at his house the night before. He found a flint and steel which the Indian had stolen from his house. His bullets which had been made some days since came from the magazine; he had a capot which had been stolen from a boy of Langlois's the evening before, and various other trifles.
Immediately several persons took horse and coming here with M. Marin, met at Prairie du Rocher Augustin Langlois, who had received a gunshot in his middle being on horseback. The soldier who brought the letter of M. Villiers to M. Benoist, had had his scalp taken at the entrance of the wood of Du Rocher. These horsemen rode hard to give warning here. Entering, they gave the alarm to these Indians who were in various houses, and who knew what was up, inasmuch as it is claimed that they were to attack in concert some days later. They ran to their arms and decamped. When M. Benoist was informed, he beat (page 435) the general alarm and started a pursuit. Two of my transports had reached the shore at the time. Five Indians were killed and four made prisoners, including Le Loup, chief of the Piankashaw, another Indian from his village, and two domiciled Illinois. In view of the fact that the enemy had appeared in various places, and because of the approach of night, they could not pursue them further.
On the ninth I ordered a detachment of a hundred men, both regulars and militia, to give chase, counting on capturing those of the Indians who were wounded. The Militia asked for M. Villiers; and I ordered him to go a distance of twenty leagues in searching the neighborhood, and attacking those they met. After his departure I learned that the Indians had killed two slaves who were hunting, one a negro of M. Buchet's and the other an Indian belonging to M. Barre.
December 11 the detachment returned having found only the tracks of the fugitives, and seven Illinois, who, having learned of the attack that had been made here, brought in three French, as they said, lest they should be harmed. These Illinois would (page 436) admit nothing to me in public. In the evening one sent me word by M. de Montchervaux that he wished to speak with me. I had him brought, but finding him very drunk, I sent him back again. The twelfth I sent M. Montchervaux to question him narrowly at the interpreter's and asked him to write down what the Indian said.
"Chareragoue, an Illinois of the Kaskaskia, said that two deputies of La Demoiselle had come to their winter camp at Prairie de L'Orme, and presented two blankets, one black and the other read and variegated, with a wampum belt two feet long.
This signified the blood we wish to shed. These are the words of the great chief of the English who is preparing to attack the French with ten tribes, his allies. An you Illinois, do you begin to go in search of that meat; and if you do not bring it, we will begin on you. We are a thousand men with a great chief who spares no one. Why do you put off striking? For eleven years this affair has been on the carpet," together with various other boastings.
The Illinois replied that they could not accept this message as they had no chief. The deputies gave it to the young men, who carried it to Thomas and Papechingouya, saying that they wished to know what their disposition was, and to see them in order to indicate a place of assembly at which to build a fort. They added that the tribes had already attacked the French on the Wabash. As allies of the English gathered there, they named the Vermilion Indians, the Miami, the Wabash tribes, the Cherokee, Flathead, the Alibamy, the Natchez, as well as numbers of refugees from the villages of all manner of tribes who were continually on the warpath against the French and who would give no quarter to the Illinois if they did not join.
This Indian gave assurance that Le Loup had appeared with his party at the Illinois winter camps; he named Patissier, Le Loup, Patriche, and La Tete de Citrouille.
On the twelfth two of these Illinois killed each other in a quarrel. The same day I sent Danis and two other half-breeds, his comrades, with a flag and a paper in search of Papechingouya and Thomas, chief of the Kaskaskia, telling them that I had heard that they were afraid of me, but that they could come without fear.
The same day I had brought in Le Loup, the Piankashaw. I questioned him as to the tribes who had attacked us. He defended himself a long time. He told me it was the Miami, Wea, Shawnee, Vermilion, and Cherokee with the village of Le Corbeau, and the band of Hurons at Sandusky. I much reproached him for his faithlessness; the French had cherished him as their brother. After his giving us proofs of his devotion, I did not forget what he had done, and was the more surprised to find him, Le Loup, in chains. I confounded him by all the evidence I gave him. He lay down and said to me, "It is not you, my father, who slays me; it is my young men."
I found in irons an Indian called Pana, a Cahokia whom Sergeant Feret sent me because he had furnished boats to the Piankashaw to come down here. This Indian told me it was true that Le Loup had asked boats of him to go on the warpath against the Chickasaw to revenge the deaths of the French and Illinois; Le Loups said that there were scarcely any tribes for the French, all the tribes being for the English. "For my part," answered Pana, "I fear too much their insult and their ill designs." I was assured of his fidelity, and I sent him back with a small present.
December 15, the voyageur named Boisber, coming from the Des Moines River, told me that there on November 18 he met eight Winnebago who told him the party of La Demoiselle was to come and attack the French at the Illinois at the end of that moon, that party being made up of Miami, Wea, and men of the Vermilion tribes. The said Boisber told the man named Leduc to warn the Indian known as Gayache, the partisan of the Winnebago, who said that if I had need of his help, I should send him a flag, and he would quickly come to my aid, he being under the M. Marin, commandant at Green Bay. . .
I wrote the sixteenth to all Messieurs the commandants of the posts and to M. de la Jonquiere to tell them all that had occurred here, and to engage our allies to strike early in the spring against the Piankashaw and La Demoiselle's people. I sent an express to M. de St. Ange to learn of his situation and warn him of what happened here. I received a letter from him of December 5 which said that the rebels of Great Miami River have begun to revenge themselves for the attack M. Belestre made on them. They have killed two soldiers of the garrison of M. Villiers near his post while looking for horses. The Indians took the bell that the horses had on their necks, attached it to themselves, and rang it while hidden in the [?]. The soldiers perceiving the horses went in their direction without taking any precautions and were surrounded. I fear for the voyageurs on the Wabash and hope the messengers I have sent (page 445) them will return here soon.
December 20 Danis and his two comrades arrived from the place I had sent them, and reported that they had found Thomas who gave them two men to go to Rouensa's where Papechingouya was. They brought him apparently disposed to come and see me; but reaching Thomas' village, the two Indians went out together at night, and next day Papechingouya had changed his mind, sending me word that he would come to see me toward the end of the moon after assembling his chief men, women, and children; that it was long since, that M. Benoist had been warned of what had happened.
The twenty-sixth of the same month, [December] that same day, I saw the chiefs of the Cahokia and Michigamea, who brought me a letter from M. Mercier. They offered me their services and said they came to hear my words. They were, they said, surprised at the blow which had been struck; they had always been attached to the French, who were their own blood, to whom they had given (page 447) wives. As I saw I could not assemble the chiefs until spring I indicated my pleasure at learning that they were attached to the French, and that I expected proofs of their attachment; they knew our enemies and what had happened here; I put the tomahawk in their hand, but they were to remain quiet on their mats until spring; I wished to see all of them and assemble all the chiefs to learn their sentiments and who were my enemies. I knew, I said, that there were madmen among them; I knew some of them who must be punished, as well as how to recompense those attached to us. They all replied that it was good. I sent them back with a small present.
M. Mercier's letter said that the Cahokia whom I had released from his irons at Fort de Chartres sent word to me some days before to distrust the Kaskaskia, who were, save for Thomas and his band, hostile to us. Papechingouya, Mantaponia and Apekonaninsa, the three most powerful and important of the seven who had been with La Demoiselle last spring, had summoned, the night before they went to winter camps at Prairie a (page 448) l'heurt, the chiefs and chief men of the Cahokia, Pana among them. The three had done all possible to detach the Cahokia from the French and to persuade them to go and to hear the English who desired only to see them; they had nothing to fear from the French to whom all the tribes were hostile, and against whom all the tribes were on the point of taking sides openly; they, the Kaskaskia, had already won over the Great Osage of two villages, the Missouri and the Kansa.
M. Mercier informs me that the same Indian returning to Cahokia along the heights saw at two leagues from the village of St. Phillipe on a barked tree the marks for nine Indians carrying off a Frenchman alive, with the sign of the Miamis. This can be no other than Alexandre Chastellin, the soldier who killed his comrade December 7.
December 31 Thomas and Papechingouya came to hear my words with nineteen Illinois and some Cahokia. They reported to me the message given or sent to them by the English at their winter camp. It was a brown blanket, striped with seven red (page 449) ribbons which they threw down at my feet. They said they had been last spring to the English because it was said that goods were cheap there. They had given the belt and the goods to M. Benoist before they went to their winter camps; they would not go to the English again and thought no more of them; they had French hearts and the French were their own blood.
Thomas said in his speech that he had never dabbled in the conspiracies concocted in favor of the English. He and his band had always had French hearts."The evil message that was reported to you, merely passed by our village; we have our own flesh in prison and suffering."
As there was snow and frost I could not speak to them until January 5: "You have reported to me the evil message of La Demoiselle a few days ago. Who was it brought it? It was Patissier; it was Voitquoitigana, and Chenguikatata, father-in-law and brother-in-law of the two prisoners. It was they who were informed of the blow that was struck. I know these wicked men. A Frenchman has already been killed, I don't know why; (page 450) the murderer has been forgiven. You ask my mercy for the two Illinois. Do you regard them as such? For my part I have regarded them only as traitors and scoundrels whom I will give you as I give meat to my dogs. I am much surprised that you have accepted the evil messages you brought me. Was it necessary to know of such evil men and of their messages? I know your ways. I have learned from a Frenchman to whom the brother of Le Loup reported it that Le Loup intended to betray M. Benoist.
When the Quapaw came here last summer you wanted to drive them mad with the English belts and goods that you showed them. You asked them for horses to carry them to my enemy. You invited my children to assist you. Four Illinois were among those same Quapaw to invite them to go and see the English. Your father at New Orleans laughs at your devices. He has told the Quapaw to carry to the forts all such bearers of messages.
He much defended himself against ever having been there with such messages. I continued, "Your father has learned with surprise that last year the Illinois had killed negroes belonging to the French. It is not so that you treat one who is your brother. I have heard it of several that when it was desired to arrest them they stood on their defense. Out of consideration for you, M. Benoist forgave the Miami who stole the sacred vessels. Never among us had his life been accorded to a man who had committed such a crime. Nor was he the sole culprit since the booty had been distributed among several cabins of Illinois. The French complain that from time to time their horned cattle and pigs are killed. I hope that henceforth the chiefs will speak more forcefully, and I will sustain them. The French do you no harm, and I do not with the Illinois to do such to them. If the French are complained of, the French chiefs will do justice. Similarly the Illinois should do justice. I do not vex the heart of anyone. I wish only to know those who are attached to us to (page 452) treat them like brothers; and likewise for enemies those who will go to my enemy's house. I know that among you other Illinois are good men who have never wronged a Frenchman, who have always listened to my predecessors. I already know them, but I will know them better in the sequel. Today I tell them not to be afraid of the madmen; I will sustain them."
I made them a present of powder and ball to finish their hunt, sending them back to their posts until the month of March, wishing them to assemble all their chiefs.
The eleventh of the month in question, the chief called Patissier came painted in black to offer me an Indian slave. I rebuffed him telling him I had no need of such slaves. I reproached him with all that I knew against him and told him it was my enemies who needed to wheedle me in the way in which they acted here. In the spring I would assemble all the chiefs and they would give me the occasion to go over on his account all the evil that had been told me about him.
Then he told me that five days ago he had sent back two mats of the Piankashaw who wished to attack here, telling them (page 453) to leave these lands quiet and embroil their own if they wished; that his people were sufficiently victims of their treason as it had cost him a son and a son-in-law.
January 12, twenty-one Peoria, all chiefs or children of chiefs according to Descaris, who accompanied them from their villages, came to give me marks of their attachment to our nations, apparently very sincere. They gave me two calumets and eight strings of wampum. They offered to march wherever I should bid them, protesting that they never listened, and never would, to the English or their allies and that they would sooner die with the French and with me. They recalled to me their ancient alliance with the French, and their attachment to them. They made me notice that they were clothed in French merchandise only. "It is not by my mouth," said the spokesman, "my father, that I speak. It is my hear which I disclose to you. We are as orphans among the Illinois; all the others behold the French chiefs and hear them. We alone are untaught and hear not your word. We beg you, my father, to send a French chief (page 454) to our village."
They asked of me M. Villiers, who does not care to go there. They much pressed me to send them someone. They asked to speak with Le Loup, the prisoner of December 8. Le Loup was brought. After the first civilities to the Peoria on his part, that man 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 (page 455) 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.
Le Loup was questioned as to what happened December 7 or 8. He said he did not now who had attacked us and that they were not of his party. "Are madmen lacking in any of the tribes? I do not know who these were. It is true I had in my party an ill-intentioned mat as I recognized from some discourse, but I always hoped that they would not succeed in these projects." As to what I told him as to his having no intention of going against the Chickasaw, he answered that his sole purpose in going by the Illinois' winter camps was to obtain some pirogues at Kaskaskia to go down the river. "We went thither and took (page 456) three; a fourth which was disputed us by the slave of a Frenchman I wished given back to him. The opposition I encountered in several of my warriors, and their killing a little pig began to make me suspect them. Arriving at Fort de Chartres, thirty-six men in number, we left six with the boats and went to see M. Benoist, who gave us powder and ball. As we had several sick, we were in no hurry to descend the Mississippi. We went to the Saline to see the French. One mat remained behind. At this I was uneasy and sent to ask them to come. It was reported to me that they were painted for war. I went to them and tried to gain them over to me; and for fear of some ill deed on their part, I asked them to cross the river. They listened to me, and we went to sleep on the other side. Soon after, a French pirogue that was ascending the river arrived. As they always spoke ill in that band, I told the French to cross to the Saline, which they did.
Next morning I represented to my young men that we had left our village to go against the Chickasaw; that we could not execute our design as we had several sick and that it was best to return to our village. The French chief (speaking of me) is just arriving, let us go see him; we shall do him a pleasure. After some deliberation, I came with my people to the French village. As to the people who struck that day and the night before, I do not know them. Are madmen lacking in any of the tribes?
They say of me that they recognized a gun. All guns resemble each other."
On this he was told that it was not merely a question of recognizing a gun but that in the bag of the Miami killed December 7 near Fort de Chartres had been found bullets from the magazine, and a whetstone that had been stolen from the house of Dodier, the post interpreter with whom he and all his people had lodged three days before. Further Dodier had recognized the dead man by a mark on his face.
The Peoria, struck by these discrepancies, said that Le Loup was not telling the truth, and pressed him to tell all.
"Did you not say that that bad mat would not listen to you, and that despite you they have struck the French?"
Le Loup, embarrassed, said that in truth the evening of that day they had lost one of their comrades. He added at once, "And if you tell me he will return perhaps you tell the truth." This is the man who was killed at The Settlement if you finish telling the truth. But judging apparently that he had said too much, he said, addressing them, "I believed you were speaking for me, but you are against me."
Le Loup begged me to restore him to my friendship, and to give him a letter to carry to his village engaging his young men to keep quiet, promising to do his best to support it. He went back over his confession to contradict himself more and more. He contented himself with saying that he had brought his party back to Kaskaskia and that no one was missing when he entered the village; and no more could be got out of him. Then I called Patissier, the Illinois to whom in his winter camp Le Loup had (page 459) spoken, and whose brother-in-law and son-in-law were in Le Loup's party when it came hither and were made prisoners with Le Loup. Patissier arrived the night before, as I already told you, with an Indian slave to obtain their deliverance. He said that six days before thirty men of the Vermilion village had come to his winter camp with the design of coming to attack the French here; they had deflected them and obliged them to go back. Le Loup asked the names of the leaders. He named Pichiagosence, Rissachara, Neprera, and Miceprata. After this story Le Loup said to me, "It is true, my father, that it is the Piankashaws who strikes you." I told him that I well knew it, but that he was wrong not to agree after the proof that had been given him. He continued to say that they were not of his band. I sent him back to prison and put off speaking to the Peoria to the next day.
On the thirteenth I was very well satisfied with the attachment the Peoria have shown us for four years past.
I began by their having ill received M. de Bertet, who recently went among them in order to see a mine. I exhorted them (page 460) to give us proofs of devotion more and more. The assurances they had given me yesterday made me suppose they would join with us to strike those who wished to embroil our allied tribes, and who latterly have struck at us. They knew what had happened here. They had heard from the mouth of Le Loup the evil disposition of La Demoiselle and his party who had brought trouble to the Wabash, and wished to carry it elsewhere. "Patissier told you that he within two days had sent back two mats of the Vermilion Indians, whose names he gave you. You know our enemies. We must fall on them and punish them for their treachery and audacity. We must try to bring back by gentleness those who are yet attached to us, but in fear, and make them declare themselves." They all said, "We will do all you wish, my father." I continued, "You have nothing to fear, Peoria, so long as you have French hearts. I know how to punish these enemies as well as how to take care of my friends. I will sustain you in your wants and against your enemies. I have taken the tomahawk today. You know my enemies."
I had the war song sung by Descaris, who has been with them for some time. They sang it immediately. I told them, "Go rest on your mats until the moon of March, when I wish to see all you Illinois chiefs and our allies."
They represented to me that they feared the Foxes and the Sioux this spring.
I promised to write to M. Marin, which I did by them, to give him notice of what had happened here, and to bid him try to prevent their attacking the Peoria this spring.
They left here the fourteenth very well pleased, as I filled my breasts for which they are very eager, and will not fail to do what they said they would on leaving- come to drink a cup of my milk this spring. These tribes as it seems to me are greedy for brandy, making no account of the goods one gives them, and thanking me only for my milk. It would be difficult to deprive them of it, especially at the present time when we may need them.
I can tell you nothing of what has happened on the Wabash as I have no news since December 5, when I was informed that La Demoiselle's party had killed two soldiers at the Miamis post. Every day I expect the couriers that I sent M. de St. Ange; they are much delayed and make me fear something has befallen them. I am preparing to send immediately the necessary provisions for that post increasing its garrison to twenty men and more if necessary according to the news he gives me of what happens about this post. I cannot increase it above twenty men with but one bateau for transport, considering the provisions and equipment necessary for them.
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