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.
Vaudreuil to Maurepas
(March 22, 1747)
Vaudreuil in: Archives Nationales,
Ministere des
Colonies, C14A 31:42 and in Illinois Historical
Collections, French Series, vol.
III,
(Extract), pp. 12-18.
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Monseigneur:
By a letter of M. de Bertet which I have just received it appears that the tribes of that region are disposed to make some raids on the settlements of the English toward Philadelphia. M. de Bertet has sent them wampum belts and a tomahawk as last year I directed him to do. The Cahokia and the Peoria have accepted them and have come to sing the war song to him. He has sent an officer among the Wabash tribes to gain them over and to see what was their attitude toward us with regard to the belts which the Iroquois of Detroit under pretense of destroying the Shawnee have sent among them, even as far as the Illinois villages. Most of the Illinois chiefs turned these belts over to M. Bertet, who is still quite alarmed in spite of the promises which several of them have made him always to remain faithful to the French. In this situation he intends to stand on his guard and awaits with impatience the return of his officer to know on what he can rely and to make preparations to send war parties (page 13) against the English as soon as he shall be reassured concerning these belts. He informs me that the Shawnee have appeared quite disposed to do his will and to attack the English provided he guarantees their wives and children against the raids with which they believe they are threatened by the Iroquois and by all the tribes among whom the Iroquois have sent belts and calumets; the Shawnee think these tribes are not well pleased at finding them established on the Wabash.
If one can rely on what M. le Chevalier de Longueuil told M. de Bertet, namely that he had the orders of M. le Marquis de Beauharnois to send Iroquois from Detroit to induce the Shawnee who have remained near Sandusky to come and settle at Detroit, since they were too close to the English where they were, the intention was quite contrary to what the Shawnee inferred from these belts. This induced M. de Bertet to send the Sieur de Portneuf among the tribes of the Wabash to learn the real intention and at the same time to invite them to go to war. M. (page 14) Bertet was awaiting the return of this officer who had orders to go among the Shawnee of the Wabash to dispel the fear produced among them by these belts which might well have been inspired by an entirely different intent than one for their destruction. I will willingly agree that the Shawnee take the course to which they are to be inclined on behalf of M. le Marquis de Beauharnois, if I have the slightest reason to think them disposed to maintain relations with the English. Such relations would prove very prejudicial to us as we are not in a position to oppose them. This is what M. de Bertet fears today as a result of the observations which I made to him last year. It may be truly said that if he had had goods to supply their needs they would have been as I had, Monseigneur, the honor to tell you, really disposed to break off all commerce with the English. But since we could be of no help to them they have continued to invite them to come and settle on the Tennessee River.
If we can rely on the information that M. de Bertet has received, the Shawnee are likely to come and ask him for traders, whom it will be impossible for him to send to them, since he lacks everything. In this situation he must do everything possible to oppose their designs, and this he does not think will be difficult. I will let him know my opinions on the situation and will direct him to induce the Shawnee rather to take the course that is to be proposed to them by the Iroquois. It would be better for us to give up that tribe since it would be a greater liability than an asset to keep it with us, while we are in no condition to supply its needs. Especially is this true since the court is not disposed to carry out the project long since formed of establishing a fort on the Wabash River which would be very useful for the navigation of that river and for the communication from here to the Illinois and from the Illinois to Canada. Moreover it would deprive the English of all hopes of encroaching in our direction. I shall not cease, Monseigneur, to have the honor of representing (page 16) to you that it is on that that the safety of our colony depends. However, it may be I shall neglect nothing to have our enemies harried, or at least to prevent them from attaining greater influence over the minds of our tribes while the war shall last. To that end I am going to try to send to M. de Bertet as much in munitions and goods as I possibly can if M. le Normant is disposed to assist in other fashion than he did last year.
M. le Marquis de Beauharnois, from whom I have received no news by this last opportunity concerning the arrangements which I had proposed to him and of which I had, Monseigneur, the honor to give you an account in former years, also directs M. de Bertet to induce the Shawnee to make raids on the English; he bids him neglect nothing in order to have those of them raided who have established warehouses on our rivers. On my side I shall spare no pains to attain that end. The English for (page 17) the present should be regarded as the object and target of all our operations. It is, moreover, important to keep our Indians busy on all sides, undertaking diversions for the expeditions which will be directed against the English from Canada.
Twelve Menominee and three Winnebago came to Rock River1 whither the person named Marin had gone at the request of the Sauk and the Foxes to see if the French were making the settlement which M. Bertet had promised them. They instructed that voyageur on their behalf to remind the commandant of his promise, assuring him that they desired nothing else and that they counted on it.
M. Bertet informs me that he has as yet no news as to the success of the
last embassy of the Shawnee to the Cherokee. The winter had been extremely hard
in that region, which may have delayed them, but he hopes to be informed soon,
and he will report to me by the first convoy which is to bring down the flour (page 18) which I am awaiting from day to day.
Otherwise everything is quiet on that side.
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1 The French used riviere a la Roche to apply indiscriminately to Rock River and Great Miami River. Consideration of the context is necessary to decide which is meant.
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