USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 15
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 15
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 15
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In the meantime, a ship had arrived from the mother coun- try with a large supply of provisions and considerable mer- chandize. She was followed by the Louisiana, owned by
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CHAPTER Crozat, also laden with provisions for the colony. Delegations V. of Chiefs of different tribes visited Mobile and smoked the pipe 1714 with Cadillac and Bienville, who received them with friendship, gratified them with presents, and dismissed them under pledges that they would abandon the interests of the English of Carolina and Virginia. But even after this, twelve Englishmen came among the Choctaws with a large number of Creeks or Musco- gees, and were graciously received by the inhabitants of all save two towns, who fortified themselves, and while besieged by the Creeks, one night made their escape to Cadillac at Mobile .*
1630
During the reign of Charles I. of England, the region south of the Chesapeake Bay was granted by that monarch to Sir Robert Heath, but the projected colony was neglected, and the grant was forfeited. Charles II. decreed that this territory should assume the name of Carolina, and embrace the region from Albemarle Sound southward to the River St. Johns and westward to the Pacific, forming a province vast in extent, which was conveyed to eight joint proprietors. In the meantime some adventurers from New England had plant- ed a little colony at the mouth of the Cape Fear river. From that time emigrants gradually settled upon the coast now known as that of North-Carolina, and extended their enter- prises to South-Carolina, where they formned a settlement
* Historie de la Louisiane, par Charles Gayarre, vol. 1, pp. 91-112. Journal Historique de l'Etablissement des Français a la Louisiane, par Bernard de la Harpe, 78-115.
--
1663 1670
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several miles above the mouths of the Ashley and Cooper CHAPTER rivers, and at length established themselves upon the site of V. 1680 the present city of Charleston .*
From the time that South-Carolina was thus colonized, down to the period of 1714, to which we have brought the history of the French colony of Louisiana, forty-four years had passed. During much of that time, Carolina and Virginia traders had penetrated portions of the great Muscogee nation, which extended from the Savannah nearly to the Warrior, in Alabama. They also carried their merchandize further west, into the heart of the Chickasaw nation, among whom they established trading shops, in defiance of the French settle- ments upon the Mobile. Notwithstanding that the French 1700 to 1714 were the first, since the invasion of De Soto, to discover and occupy the country where the Tombigby and Alabama lose themselves in the sea-and although the indefatigable Bien- ville had explored those rivers to their highest navigable points, at a very early period, freely interchanging friendly assurances with the Chickasaws living upon the one, and the Muscogees and Alabamas upon the other -- yet the grasping English government attempted, through its enterprising traders and special emissaries, to occupy this region, and to induce
Hildreth's History of the United States, vol. 2, pp. 25-36. Coxe's Carolana, 2; London, 1741. Stevens' History of Georgia, vol. 1, pp. 140, 141, 58, 59. Simms' History of South Carolina, pp. 56-57. Carroll's Historical Collections of South-Carolina, vol. 1, pp. 42-52. Ramsay's History of South-Carolina, vol. 1, pp. 2-3. Hewett's His- tory of South-Carolina.
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CHAPTER the inhabitants to expel the French, not only from the head V. waters of those streams, but from their very mouths. These 1700 to 1714 fearless British traders conveyed, upon the backs of pack- horses, such goods as suited these Indians, from distant Charleston to the remote Chickasaw nation, over creeks without bridges, rivers without ferries, and woods pathless and preg- nant with many dangers. They did not, however, establish any permanent trading shops upon the Cocsa, Tallapoosa or Alabama, at the period under review, but occasionally traded with the Indians upon those streams, dwelling in their town- no longer than sufficed to dispose of their goods, and receive, in return, valuable peltries, which they conveyed back to . Charleston. But their intercourse with these tribes was vastly pernicious to the French below, and to the Spaniards inhabiting the provinces of Florida. The Creeks, in conjune- tion with their British allies, invaded the latter provinces, as we have already seen.
1702 to 1714
Bienville had repeatedly suggested to the French govern- ment the necessity of establishing a fort and trading post upon the Alabama river, in the immediate strong-hold of the powerful Creeks, to counteract the influence of the Carolinians : but a war ensued between him and the Creeks, with whom he had an engagement, as we have seen, and against whom he found it imperative, for the preservation of his colony, to incite the Choctaws and other tribes. About the commence- ment of the year 1714, and when Crozat's charter had been in operation for near a twelve-month, Bienville, who was still retained high in authority as royal lieutenant, only second to
,
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the Governor, was most fortunate in making peace with the CHAPTER Creeks. Having obtained from them their consent for the V. erection of a fort high up in their country, he was authorized, by the colonial council at Mobile, to immediately establish it. Crozat's directors deemed the location a most suitable one for the advancement of his commerce, besides the barrier it would interpose to the enemies of that commerce.
Accordingly Bienville embarked at Mobile, with eight iron cannon, many fire-arms, a large supply of ammunition, mer- chandize suitable for the Indians, and a liberal supply of pro- visions, on board two small sailing vessels. With these ves- sels also went a number of canoes of various descriptions. The expedition was composed of soldiers, Canadians, and Mobile and Choctaw Indians. Bienville sailed up the Mobile river to the confluence of the Tombigby and Alabama. Here, passing with his singular fleet into the latter stream, he slowly ascended it. After a long and tedious voyage, he arrived at one of the Alabama villages, not far above the site of the modern town of Selma. Continuing the voyage up the river, he successively passed the towns of Autauga," Powaete and Eeuncharte ; f and at length moored his boats at the beautiful Indian town of Coosawda. These towns were inhabited by the Alabamas, who, as we have seen, were members of the great Creek nation, which was composed of several different tribes, whom they had conquered and incorporated into their confederacy. Many of these people joined the fleet on its
1:14 April 5
June 21
* Now the site of Washington.
t Now the site of Montgomery.
-
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CHAPTER passage up the Alabama, and joyfully greeted Bienville, who
V. was popular with all the savages, and who, with wonderful fa- cility, acquired a perfect knowledge of their different- dialects. He was met at Coosawda by some of the most prominent Chiefs ; and here leaving his fleet, he embarked in a canoe, and explored the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers for several miles up. He then resolved to erect his fort at the town of Tus- kegee, which was then situated on the east bank of the Coosa, four miles above the junction of that stream with the Talla- poosa. Bienville displayed much judgment in the selection of this place. It was at the head of a peninsula formed by the windings of these rivers, which here approached within six hundred yards of each other; after which they diverged considerably before they finally came together. It was in the neighborhood of some of the most populous towns,-the in- habitants of which could easily bring down to the fort their articles of commerce by either river. Returning to Coosawda, Bienville now advanced his fleet from thence to the junction, where, entering the Coosa, he arrived at Tuskegee, where the voyage terminated. The crew left the boats-ascended the bluff-formed themselves in religious order, and surrounded a cross which had been hastily constructed. Two priests, who accompanied the expedition, chanted praises to the MOST HIGH, and went through other solemn ceremonies, in presence of a number of the natives, who contemplated the scene with calinness and respect, and who preserved the most profound silence. With the assistance of the natives, Bienville began the erection of a wooden fort with four bastions, in each one
1714 June 22
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of which he mounted two of the cannon. As the history CHAPTER of these cannon is rather singular, and may interest some of V. our readers, we must be allowed to digress a little from the main narrative, by a brief reference to it. These cannon re- mained upon the entrenchments of Fort Toulouse from 1714 to 1763. Then the French commandant spiked them, broke off the trunions, evacuated the fort, and left the cannon there in that situation. The English, who, in 1763, succeed- ed to the possession of this country, threw a garrison into Fort Toulouse, but in a very short time also evacuated it, and it fell into rapid decay ; but still the French cannon remain- ed there. A few years after Col. Hawkins had been stationed among the Creeks, as their agent, he induced the government, as a means of encouraging agriculture, to send some black- smiths to the nation. One of these men succeeded in filing away the spikes from two of the cannon. These the Indians used to fire with powder, for amusement. Afterwards, the army of Jackson occupied the site of the old fort. In due time they marched away, and still these French pieces re- mained there.
Finally, the town of Montgomery, now our capital, began to be settled, and the inhabitants went up to old Fort Toulouse, then Fort Jackson, and brought down two of these cannon, which they fired at 4th July festivals, and upon other extraor- dinary occasions. When it was known that John Quincy Adams had been elected President of the United States, his warm friends in Montgomery determined to make the forests resound with the noise of powder. One of the cannon was
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13
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1
CHAPTER over-charged, and when touched off by Ebenezer Pond, burst V. into pieces and mangled that gentleman in such a horrid manner, that he was a long time in recovering. The breech of the other cannon was, some years afterwards, burst off by heavy charges, and the portion which remains now stands at Pollard's corner, in Montgomery, being there planted in the ground, the muzzle up, for the purpose of protecting the corner of the side-walk. About the year 1820, another of these cannon was carried to the town of Washington, the then county seat of Autauga, where the inhabitants used to fire it upon the celebration of the 4th July, and whenever a steamboat arrived, but at length it was also burst, by a party re- joicing one night at the result of a county election. Another of these old French pieces was carried to Wetumpka when that town was first established, and was fired upon like occasions. It is now at Rockford, in Coosa county, in the possession of the same Ebenezer Pond who was so badly wounded at Montgomery by the explosion of one of its mates. What became of the other four cannon we do not know, but have understood that they, together with a fine brass piece, are in the river opposite Fort Jackson.
1714 Angust
November
But to return to Bienville and his romantic expedition. Around the stockading the governor cut intrenchments, and one hundred years afterwards, Jackson placed an American fort upon the ruins, which assumed his name. Bienville occupied the summer and fall in completing the fort and out-houses, and in exploring the surrounding country. He visited Tookabatcha, upon the Tallapoosa, and extended his
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journey among the Lower Muscogees, upon the Chattahoo- CHAPTER che,-even crossing that river, and conferring with the Chiefs V. in the towns of Coweta and Cusseta, within the present limits of Georgia. Upon all these dangerous excursions he was accompanied by only a few faithful Canadians, and always performed his journeys on foot. Was not this whole expedi- tion most interesting,-nay, romantic ? Here was the former governor of Louisiana, and now the lieutenant-governor, in the centre of Alabama, in the deepest depths of her forests, among people with whom he had been at war, and who were yet tampered with by the English, visiting their towns, dis- tributing presents, and exhorting them to form alliances with the French colony of Louisiana, and to expel the English who should attempt to form posts among them. Yes ! citizens of the counties of Montgomery, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Macon and Russell, reflect that one hundred and thirty-seven years ago* . 1714 the French governor of Louisiana, -the great and good Bien- ville,-walked over your soil and instituted friendly relations with its rude inhabitants,-among whom not a solitary white man had a permanent abode,-and established a small colony upon the east bank of the Coosa !
Giving the fort the name of " Toulouse," in honor of a dis- tinguished French Count of that name, who had much to do with the government of France and her colonies, and leaving in command Marigny de Mandaville with thirty soldiers, and ' one of the priests, Bienville turned his boats down the river, and, December 27
* This being now 1851.
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CHAPTER after a prosperous voyage, arrived at Mobile with the Indians
V. and Canadians who had accompanied him .*
Thus, we see, that although the French had been residing upon the Mobile river since 1702, and the Canadians had several times explored Central Alabama, yet no attempt was made to forin permanent settlements in this region, until twelve years afterwards, when it was so successfully accom- plished by Bienville.
Governor Cadillac, in a despatch to the Minister, attempted to acquire all the credit for the peace which had been made with the Creek nation, and boasted, generally, of the impor- tant services which, he contended, he had rendered the colony. But he was the same inefficient, selfish and fault-finding officer. A large majority of the inhabitants relied solely upon Bien- ville, whose most prominent friends were Duclos, Boisbriant, Chateaugne, Richebourg, and du Tisne, and the larger num- ber of the priesthood. The friends of Cadillac were Marigny de Mandaville, Bagot, Bloundel, Latour, Villiers and Terrine. Thus this handful of men were at daggers' points with each other, instead of uniting for their own preservation and pros- perity, and that of the feeble settlements over which they had charge. A tyrannical ordinance was issued in France, upon the petition of Crozat, which further embarrassed affairs. All persons were forbidden to bring any merchandize into Lou- isiana, or to carry any out of it, under penalty of confiscation to the profit of Crozat. No person in the colony was allowed
December 27 1714.
* MS. letters obtained from Paris.
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to have a vessel ft to go to sea, and all subjects of the King were prohibited from sending vessels to the colony to carry on commerce. Crozat was determined to avail himself of the monopoly which had been granted him, and this ordinance was based upon the representations of Cadillac, who had, more than once, complained to the Minister, that the inhabitants of the colony were making a little for themselves, in a commerce with the Spaniards, which was deemed a very unwarrantable thing by that illiberal man. Cadillac hated Bienville for several reasons, the most prominent of which were, that he was too popular with the Canadians and Indians, too much respected and obeyed by the inhabitants generally, and had absolutely refused to become his son-in-law. Cadillac's daugh- ter, who had been educated in France, and who, like her father, thought much of the blood and honor of the family, fell in love with Bienville, soon after her arrival in Mobile. The proud governor could not, at first, brook the idea of an alliance with a Canadian, but he saw, as he supposed, the strong attachment of his daughter, who now began, like many other hypocritical girls, to pine away and sicken in conse- quence of his refusal. Believing that Bienville's great influ- ence with the inhabitants, as well as with the various Indian tribes, would materially strengthen his administration and advance the commerce of Crozat, the profits of which he was to share, if he could but once secure his friendship and obe- dienec, he resolved to sacrifice his family dignity by gratifying the wishes of his daughter. One day he accosted Bienville, with much respect and suavity of manner, and invited him
CHAPTER v.
1714
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CHAPTER
V. into his closet. He there disclosed to him his entire willing- ness to sanction the contemplated match between him and his daughter, charged him to treat her with affection, and con- cluded his conversation with a very patronizing air. Bienville, much surprised at the whole affair, as he had never alluded to marriage, in the few visits which he had paid the daughter, gravely assured Cadillac that he had " determined never to marry." This was too bad ; and, from that moment, Bien- ville found, in the persons of the Governor and his daughter, two most cordial haters.
1714 December
The redoubtable Curate de la Vente continued to declaim, not only against the colonial government, but against every body except his friend Cadillac. In his despatches to the Minister, he said that the Canadians particularly "did not wish to connect themselves with any women by marriage. much preferring to carry on scandalous concubinage with the young Indian squaws, who were hurried by their nature into all kinds of irregularities." That they scarcely ever saw a church, never performed mass, and never partook of the sacraments ; that, while a few of the inhabitants did celebrate Sundays and festival days, the large majority resorted to tav- erns and to public games-" whence it is easy to comprehend that they are almost all drunkards, gamesters, blasphemers of the holy name of God, and declared enemies of all good, mak- ing a matter of ridicule of our holy religion and of the persons who perform its exercises." They corrupted the soldiers by such horrid examples ; and even officers, who wore the sword and plume, had children by Indian females. The missiona-
1
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ries found themselves useless to a people who were led away CHAPTER by such vices, and to the Indians, who were corrupted by the V. - sins of the latter, and consequently they would be forced to leave a land so accursed. La Vente suggested to the Minister two plans "to rectify the affairs of the past and those of the future :"-either to solely colonize Louisiana with Christian families, or permit the French to marry the Indian women by 1714 December religious rites. Or, if these plans could not be carried into effect, that a large number of girls, " better chosen than the last, and especially some who will be sufficiently pleasing and well-formed to suit the officers of the garrisons and the prin- cipal inhabitants," should be sent over from France as a par- tial remedy. Verily, the worthy curate's head appeared to run much upon women of various grades !
According to the orders which he had received, De la Loire des Ursins made a settlement at Natchez, to promote the com- merce of Crozat. Cadillac set off on an expedition to discover mines of gold and silver in the Illinois country, and did not return from his chimerical excursion until October, when he wrote to the Minister that he had everywhere set the Indians upon the English, but, in truth, he had aroused the anger of the savages against himself wherever he had appeared among them ; and, in descending the Mississippi, upon his way to Mobile, he had refused to smoke with the powerful and war- like Natchez Chiefs, which was highly resented on their part, and afterwards led to a war with the French.
An English officer from Carolina, named Hutchey, who had passed through the Creek and Chickasaw nations, came into 13*
. 1715
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CHAPTER the territory of the Natchez. From thence he began the de-
1715 July
V. scent of the Mississippi, to form alliances with the tribes be- low. But Des Ursins, who had gained intelligence of his movements, pursued him in a boat, captured him near Man- chac, and carried him to Mobile. From thence Bienville sent him to Pensacola ; but having determined to reach Carolina by land, he was killed upon the route by a Thomez Indian. A large canoe, containing seven Alabamas, an Englishman and a Canadian named Boutin, arrived at Mobile. They re- ported that the Indians, bordering upon Carolina, had risen in war against the inhabitants of that province, had killed those upon the frontiers, and that even Port Royal and seve- ral other towns had been destroyed. The war extended to the distant Chickasaw nation. There, fifteen English traders. who had taken shelter in one cabin, were instantly slain in the presence of De St. Helene, & Frenchman, who was then among the tribe, and who, a few minutes after the massacre. was killed himself, through mistake, by two young Chicka- saws, engaged in the bloody scene, they supposing him to be one of the enemy. His death was regretted by all the Chicka- saws who were present.
1715
To profit by this intelligence, so agreeable to the French colony, Bienville immediately despatched emissaries among the Alabamas and Muscogees, to renew the alliances which he had formned with them, and to engage them to turn their whole commerce into French channels. He sent messenger- to the Choctaws, demanding the head of Ontactachito, who had introduced the English into their nation, and who had
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driven off the inhabitants of the two Choctaw towns that were CHAPTER faithful to the French and who still lay around Mobile, anxious V. to return home. The messengers returned to Mobile with the head of this warrior, which had been reluctantly stricken off by the Chiefs, who were afraid to disobey Bienville. They bore an invitation to those Choctaws whom they had forced to leave their homes, to return in peace.
The store-ship Dauphin came to anchor in Mobile bay, where she landed two companies of infantry, commanded by Mandaville and Bagot, which increased the expenditures of the colony to the amount of thirty-two thousand livres a year. One of the passengers, named Rogeon, came to fill the place of Dirigoin, one of the directors of Crozat, who had been re- moved from office. At the same time, a frigate from Rochelle, and a brigantine from Martinique, arriving in the bay, re- quested permission to dispose of their cargoes to the inhabi- tants ; but the authorities, anxious to perfect the monopoly of Crozat, refused them the privilege.
In the meantime, Cadillac had not forgotten how to fill the sheets, which he sent to Count Pontchartrain, with gloomy pictures of the colony, and the licentiousness of its inhabitants. In one of these despatches he denominated Louisiana " a mon- ster which had neither head nor tail." He complained of the manner in which the council unscrupulously altered the de- crees of the French government. He said that the whole country was the poorest and most miserable upon the globe, the people of which would much sooner believe a lie than the truth. He recommended that a stone fort be erected at Mo-
1715 August
1:15
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CHAPTER bile, but immediately interposed an obstacle to the project by
V. saying that the topographical engineer was a man without firmness and judgment, and was always drunk. He was vio- lently opposed to the establishment of a colony. upon the Mississippi, on the ground which sustains New-Orleans, a measure now contemplated by Crozat, through the recom- mendation of Bienville. He asserted that the Mississippi river was too crooked, too rapid in high tides, and too low in the dry season, for the navigation of canoes !
At length Cadillac went to reside on Dauphin Island, where he had formerly spent much of his time. It was fortified with four barracks of palisades, covered with rushes, and a guard- house, with a prison of the same style -- the whole surrounded with palisades very irregularly arranged. From this island he immediately issued the following singular ordinance :
ORDINANCE OF M. DE LAMOTTE CADILLAC.
"As we have obtained certain knowledge of several cabals and conspiracies which tend to revolt and sedition, and on ae- count of some disturbances from which evil consequences may ensue, in order to abolish and obviate the misconduct caused by drunkenness and also all disturbances fomented by women of irregular life, or by the instigation of other persons who excite to vengeance those who are so unfortunate as to expose them- selves by evil discourse, and as every one takes it upon him- self to carry a sword and other weapons without having any right to do so, we most positively prohibit to all persons of low birth, to all elerks of M. Crozat, sailors and strangers late- ly arrived from France, if they are not provided with hi-
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