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.
Report of M. Boisherbert
on Indian Affairs
(November, 1747)
Boisherbert in: New York Colon.
Docs.: IX (Paris Docs.:
IX),
pp. 83-88.
. . .
___________
Report of M. Boishebert on Indian Affairs.
Expeditions against the Indians.
I shall not be able to have the honor to make a fuller report to his Grace this year, being too much troubled by the French and Indians. I shall begin with the subject of most interest to this country, namely, a great confusion caused by a general conspiracy of the red skins against the whites. Though manifestly known, we continue still to dissemble, and endeavor to arrange matters as well as possible. Our domiciliated Indians refuses us their assistance, not being willing to strike those who have killed us. One of the Iroquois cantons adjoining the Dutch, that on slender pretences came here to speak, met on their way home, loaded with presents, some carpenters at Ile de la Mothe,1 beyond our frontiers. They were nine, who took one of our carpenters, killed one, and wounded another. Their comrads fled. The reason of this is, that our Indians of the Saut, especially, were the first to leave the Mohawks, who have established this village; as the Iroquois are most feared and respected by all the nations as well as the Hurons, they possess a great ascendency over all the rest. The Five Nations are long since sending Belts to all the other nations as well as the Hurons, with whom they are intimately connected. At length, they have recently been wishing to raise the hatchet at Detroit, where Sieur de Longueuil commands.
The Hurons were ready to massacre all the French were it not that a Squaw, going into a garret in search of some Indian corn, overheard their conspiracy below. She went immediately to advise the Jesuit lay brother thereof, who informed Mr de Longueuil, the commander there, of the danger. They were to sleep that night in the fort, as they often did before, and each was to kill the people of the house where he lodged.
Mr de Longueuil called together all the principal chiefs; spoke to them so as to stop them and they excused themselves the best way they could. We, too, have Indians on our side who appear much attached to us. Mr d'Enyel came down with a Father; they bring news that the Sauteurs had attacked two French canoes, one of which was entirely destroyed, the men killed, and the merchandise pillaged. The other escaped by throwing the merchandise overboard, in order to be more light. Mr d'Enyel was near being destroyed also by the same Indians.
This conspiracy is fomented by the English, who, by force of presents and lies, excite the Indians against us, insinuating into their minds that we are not in a condition to furnish them with any supplies; that we have no goods, as they take all our ships, and that Quebec has been already captured. This is their ordinary language, the falsehood of which they shall, please God, soon learn by the arrival of the convoys commanded by Ensign Dubuisson, of the infantry, who is well escorted; besides the conductors of the canoes, all the Indians return hence loaded with presents, which will have a good effect.
Shortly before the Detroit conspiracy, the Hurons had assassinated five Frenchmen at Sandesqu, sixty leagues from Detroit, where the Hurons plant, and frequently go to concoct plots against us with other Indians and, may be, with the English.
Of all the Indians who are going home, there are many very faithful ones who are most anxious to get back to their own country to labor, as was seen here to restablish peace. They belong to the River St. Joseph, and are principally the Poueatamis, who are all allied with the Miamis, Sacs, Foxes and Folle Avoine. Their first harangue was delivered with energy to convince us of their fidelity and attachment to the French, whom they would rather die with than every abandon. The Outaouas are divided. The whole of them were to come down [but] their acquaintances stopped them; otherwise they would all have descended; they had faithfully promised M de la Corne to do so when he visited them that winter; he was commandant at Michillimakina. Should affairs not be arranged by Father La Richarvie, ancient missionary of the Hurons, who is going to form a new establishment in that country, Canada would be to be pities; we should be in need of great assistance from France to support ourselves here.
The French are in the midst of an immense forest, which is intersected by the great River St. Lawrence, and many others that disembogue therein. When ascending those rivers that are very rapid, 'tis necessary to go close to the shore. Then enemy, lying in ambush in the woods, can easily defeat us. When they want to attack the French they descend these rivers and conceal their trail and canoes in the woods, then, marching in the rear of the settlements, they pounce on them, kill men, women and cattle of all sorts, burn the houses and barns, as we do theirs. It consequently requires a large force to preserve a country in which it can with difficulty be ascertained when and where they will strike.
Good officers are stationed at the frontier posts where we keep garrisons. As, for example, at Fort St Frederic, the seat, at present, of the hottest of the war; it adjoins the Dutch, and is passed also on the way into the Boston government on the east, and that of Orange towards the S. W. Mr de Celeron is commandant there; an officer of great capacity, who has commanded with distinction in several posts, at Michilimakina, where he preserved good order among the Indians, who are all around, and the French, making himself loved, both by the one and the other. He was sent thence to the Chicachas in 1739, and was the only officer commanding the party that went with the Canadians and Indians to that village. He came down to Quebec, was ordered next year to go to command at Michilimakina, and to make the establishment there such as the General desired; thence he went to command at Detroit. He came here; war broke out; was sent to Niagara, where he remained two years; returned to Montreal; was sent by the General to Fort St Frederic, where he has been during the last six months. He has acquired the esteem of everybody; deserves promotion, being one of the best officers we have, and even one of the oldest Captains.
. . .2 . . .(illeg. copy, first 1/12 paragraphs of page) He has returned from there a few days ago, in consequence of indisposition with which he was attacked. He was well received by the gentlemen of St Sulpice, who superintend the Indians in the capacity of Missionaries, and on the part of all the Indians. His deputy, Sieur de Beaudicourt, a lad of discretion and mildness, and a good officer, remains there, in command, until further orders. He it is who carried the colors in the Chicachas expedition, and performed all those duties during that campaign with perfect correctness.
I can name some other good officers who have also faithfully performed and executed their duties, among whom are a number of gentlemen cadets, whom it has been more difficult to restrain than to stimulate. Of these are the three young Messrs Bleins, grandsons of M. Raimbeau, Lieutenant-General of Montreal, who used to returnee only to go back, as well in winter as in summer. Such was their ardor to go in search of the enemy that they even incurred expenses, in order to muster Indians to accompany them on war excursions. When there is question of commanders for Indians, 'tis well to bear in mind that these never submit to observe any regularity on the march; that is to say, they are not commanded like the French, and ordinarily do as they please, and it takes a good deal of persuasion to induce them to march.
We must examine what sort of people these are, and the need we stand in of them. They are conversant with the forests and the paths through those vast wildernesses, and follow the trail of men, as of wild beasts; and whether in wet or dry soil, calculate on the autumn leaves, their number pretty nearly as correctly as if they saw them. Their knowledge, in this regard, surpasses all imaginable ideas; but they often abandon you when the fancy takes them, or they have got all they can. They act bravely when they please; risk much to secure the scalp of a man they have killed, which they have sometimes taken amidst a storm of musket balls, and are very adroit in surprising their enemies. They would be a great assistance to us, were they willing to serve us faithfully, and we are always in need of some of them. But with them we must always be the strongest, and be giving them [presents].
I think I have stated that they serve us badly ever since the Red skins made a treaty some years ago not to kill one another, and to let the whites act against each other, we have a certitude that they have favored the parties of our enemies who attacked us, without putting themselves to the trouble of defending us, but we do not suspect them of having struck us on those occasions up to the present time; 'tis presumed that such will be the case even among our domiciliated tribes.
The Hurons of the Upper country have, as has been seen, killed five
Frenchmen at Sandosqu; the Sauteurs have defeated one French canoe and
plundered the goods, and the other has escaped; the Outaouas have killed some;
the Foxes at the Bay, the Scioux and the Sacs, in a word, all the nations, so
to speak, have struck whenever an opportunity presented; we dissimulate, as we
are unable to do anything else; their bad excuses are received as sincere and
ours refuse to do the like (de le faire).
_________________________
1 In Lake Champlain.- ED.
2 (1, p. 87) See IX., 670, note 2.- ED.
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