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.
Account of Dartaguiette's Defeat
by the Chickasaws
(April 1, 1736)
Anspessade, Parisien in: Dunn,
Caroline and
Eleanor, trans., "Indiana's First War,"
Indiana Historical Society Publications,
Vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 129-133.
ACCOUNT OF THE MARCH AND OF THE DEFEAT OF D'ARTAGUIETTE, BY PARISIEN
Recountal of the defeat of the French army which left the Illinois country under the command of M. D'Artaguiette, Major, to go against our enemies the Chicasaws, by the said Parisien, Anspessade, who escaped; of the overthrow of the army, composed of 130 French, to wit: 41 regulars, including the commandant, the officers, sergeants and corporals; 99 volunteers of the militia, including the officers; 38 Iroquois, brave men who stood firm; 38 Arkansaws; 190 Illinois and Miamis Indians, making 396 men.
It left the Illinois country on February 20; arrived at Ecorse a Prudhomme the 23d of the same month; left there the 25th to proceed to the country of the Chickasaws, where it arrived the 25th of March, Palm Sunday, when it attacked the enemy. The Illinois and Miamis, as soon as they saw the army in the fight, took flight, in order to avenge, as they said, the death of one called Duhalies de Fer, one of their chiefs, whom a Frenchman had killed the summer preceding. The flight of the Indians leaving our forces too inferior to those of our enemies, who were before this already greater in number, made M. D'Artaguiette determine to call a retreat, in order to join the powder guard, which he had left a quarter of a league from the enemy, who pursued the (page 131) French to that place with so great fury that they killed 42 to 52 of them, of whom the most notable are-
M. D'Artaguiette, Commandant, who received three gunshot wounds, the first in the hand, the second in the thigh, and the third through the body.
M. De Saint Ange, the son, first lieutenant.
M. Vincennes, sublieutenant.
M. De Coulange, infantry ensign.
M. Lagranier, second ensign.
M. Contigny, ensign.
Six cadets
OFFICERS OF THE MILITIA
M. Des Essarts, captain.
M. Estaing Langlois, lieutenant.
M. Carrier, the senior.
PRISONERS (enslaved)
The reverend Jesuit Father Senat, chaplain.
M. Dutisnay, infantry officer.
Lalade, captain of militia.
Five or six soldiers.
the enemy enhanced their victory by gaining possession of powder to the amount of 450 pounds, 1200 pounds of bullets, 30 jugs of brandy, 11 horses, and all the provisions and clothes which individual soldiers, or Frenchmen of the militia had. Those who escaped fled with only the clothing they had on, and were pursued all day; and, but for a rain which lasted from ten o'clock in the morning till seven in the evening, there would not have been a single Frenchman saved.
Return to
TOC, p. 10
Continue
to next part of Miami Collection
[return to Miami
Collection Menu]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology List of Publications]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology Home]
Last updated: 14
November 2000
URL: http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/home.html
Comments: webmaster@www.gbl.indiana.edu
Copyright 1996, Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University