USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Cahokia > Cahokia records, 1778-1790 > Part 56
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Nous avons l'honneur detre
Monsieur Vos trés humbles et devoués
Serviteurs
Aux noms des Citoyens du village des Cahoskias le onzieme d' Avril 1780
Antoine Girardin que
F. trottier
beaulieu.
mar + de
J. B. Saucier
pierre martain
J. B. H. LaCroix
Dr. MSS., 50J27, original manuscript.
53I
CAHOKIANS TO CLARK, APRIL, 1780
Cahokia April 28, 1779.
Addressed, To Madame McCarty, at her mother's, Montreal.
Endorsed: Letter from one Richard McCarty at Cahokia to his wife at Montreal, dated the 28th of April, 1779. Received the 24th of July.
INHABITANTS OF CAHOKIA TO G. R. CLARK, APRIL II, 1780.1 To the Honorable George Rogers Clark, Esquire, Colonel and
Commander in Chief of the troops of the State of Virginia in the County of the Illinois and its Dependencies etc. Sir:
In the deplorable situation in which we find ourselves at present we are deputing to you the person of M. Charles Gratiot, one of our citizens, to set before you our distress and the misery to which the savage nations from all sides are reducing us. We are on the'eve of being attacked in our village by considerable parties of savages and will not be able to work at the cultivation of our fields, if we do not have prompt succor.2 That is why we take the liberty of addressing ourselves to you on account of the confi- dence and hope which we have in your benevolence and affection, which you have always shown us; but what afflicts us the most is this, that in case you send us many men, we should not have the provisions which would be necessary for them. M. Gartiot can easily inform you of the capacity of our village and we have charged him to confer with you for this purpose; for we have placed all our confidence therein and that you will only work hand and hand with us to procure us peace and repose and we will not cease making prayers to Heaven for your preservation and prosperity.
We have the honor of being, sir, your very humble and devoted servants. In the name of the citizens of Cahokia, the eleventh of April, 1780.
[Signed] Antoine Girardin.
Mark + of Pierre Martin
F. Trottier. Beaulieu.
J. B. Saucier. J. B. H. LaCroix.
2 The attack was made on Cahokia and St. Louis on May 26th. The British had expected to surprise the inhabitants of the two villages. This shows that they were warned over a month before the attack. The most important documents giving the history of the attack have been published in the Missouri Hist. Soc. Collections, ii., No. 6, pp. 41 et seq. See also this volume, p. 539.
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532
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
PETITION OF CADIEN LAUSAGE, JULY 6, 1780.
A L'Honorable Cour du District des Cahoskias Messieurs :
Cadien Lausage a l'honneur de vous representer trés respec- tueusement qu'ayant laissé en depot l'autonne dernre une Cara- bine chez Veuve Germain Jaquet pour trois Cent livres de farrine que le Suppliant devoit a la ditte Dame etant sur son depart pour les Pays d'enhaut ou ses affaires l'appeloit, qu'en outres qu'il avoit laissé la ditte Carabine sur les pretentions qu'en avoit formé le Sr Ch1 Gratiot disant quelle avoit été prise a un sauvage l'autonne dernre et quil avoit ordre de la retirer.
Mais quelle a été sa surprise lorsqu'a son retour en se village il a voulû aller payer la ditte Dame Jaquet et restirer la ditte Carabine; elle lui a dit quelle avoit eté saisie par l'ordre privée de Mons' Franc® Trotié alors Juge de Police en faveur de Josh Alary pour une somme quil lui devoit le Suppliant payable a printems, et que les dits Sieurs Trotié et Josh Alarry l'avoit forçée a livrer la ditte Carabine; comme le Sertificat de la ditte Dame ainsi que celui de son frere le Prouve.
Le Suppliant a l'honneur de vous representer a cela, dexsa- miner attentivement cy le Sr. Fr. Trotié était en droit en sa qual- ité de Juge de Police de delivrer une saisie de son autorité privée et sans celle de la cour, pour une somme pareille a celle la, puis- que un Juge de Paix ne peut Juger au qu'une affaire en son par- ticulier passé la somme de vingt cinq sheling de la Province de la Virginie, qu'en outre la Suppliant s'ettant arrengé avec le Def- fendeur pour payer sur le Mississipy la somme quil lui devoit, que le deffendeur devoit chargé deffun Pajet de ses Billets qui devoit en recevoir le payement lequel etoit tout fort a lui livrer, mais que le deffun Pajet n'ayant pas été jus qu'a lui le Suppliant c'est vû dans la necessité de garder le dit payement et de l'apporter avec lui lequel il est pret a faire au Deffendeur.
2 Chi. Hist. Soc., Cah. Rec., original manuscript. Transcription by the editor.
2 Trottier was a member of the Court at the time. I do not know whether the title of justice of the police was given to the justice holding the Court during the week or to each justice of the peace. Later, one member of the Court was delegated to hear causes between the sessions and was called president of the Court and justice of the week. See supra, p. 55.
533
PETITION TO COURT, JULY, 1780
PETITION OF CADIEN LAUSAGE, JULY 6, 1780.1 To the Honorable Court of the District of Cahokia.
Sirs:
Cadien Lausage has the honor of showing you very repect- fully that he left on deposit last autumn a rifle at the house of Madame Germain Jaquet, widow, as pledge for three hundred pounds of flour, which the petitioner owed the said lady, since he was about to depart for the upper country, where his business called him; that, furthermore, he had left the said rifle because of the claims which M. Charles Gratiot had made to it, affirming that it had been taken from a savage last autumn and that he had an order to take possession of it.
But what was his surprise, when, on his return to this village, he wished to go and pay the said Madame Jaquet and repossess himself of the said rifle, she told him that it had been seized on the private order of M. François Trottier, at that time judge of police,2 in favor of Joseph Alarie for a sum which he, the petitioner, owed him, payable in the spring; and that the said MM. Trottier and Joseph Alarie had compelled her to deliver up the said rifle, as the certificate of the said lady and that of her brother prove.
The petitioner has the honor to request this of you, to examine carefully, if M. Fr. Trottier was within his rights in issuing, in his capacity as judge of the police, on his private authority and with- out that of the Court, a writ of seizure for a sum like that, since a justice of the peace of the province of Virginia by himself cannot pass judgment in a suit for more than twenty-five shillings; and to notice, also, that the petitioner had arranged with the defend- ant to pay the sum, which he owes him, on the Mississippi; that the defendant was to have intrusted the deceased Pajet with his notes, who was to receive the payment for them and which was all ready for delivery to him; but that, the deceased Pajet not having come, the petitioner saw himself under the necessity of keeping the said payment and of carrying it with him, and this he is ready to make to the defendant.
In consideration of this, sirs, that, since MM. Joseph Alarie and Fr. Trottier have by their private authority, and not by that of
534
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
Ce Consideré Messieurs quil vous plaise ordonner que puisque les Srs Josh Alary et Frs Trotié se sont cy injustement saisie de leurs autorité privée et sans celle de la Justice et que le Sr Josh Alary s'en soit servy comme il a fait, de vouloir les condamner a payer la ditte Carabine Cent Piastres gourdes qui est le prix quelle a couté et les condamner a tous fraix depend, Dommages &c: tant de la procedure que dailleur et feres Droit.
aux Cahos le 6 Juillet 1780 Pr. Cadien Lausage Ch Gratiot INHABITANTS OF CAHOKIA TO DE LA BALME, SEPT. 21, 1780.
Declaration au nom des Habitants du Village de Cahokias aux Islinois addressée au Mons. Motin de la Balme pensionnaire du Roi de france et Colonel françois &ca &c &ce Monsieur
Nous soussignés Habitants des Cahokias tres persuadé de l'elevation de vos sentiments pour nous joint a cela le Haut rang que vous tenez dans le monde dont nous ne pouvons plus douter, et plus encor les lustre nom de françois que vous porté et dont vous vous faites honneur seul nom pour lequel nous ne cessons de soupirer de peur qu'il ne s'etaigne chez nous et pour lequel meme nous avons toujours été et sommes encore prets a sacrifier non pas nos biens seuls qui ne sont que par trop mediocres, mais nos propres viese
Ces motiffes de Consolation et d'autres non moins legitimes nous commande imperieusement d'avoire en vôtre personne une si grande Confiance que nous vous prions unanimement de vou- loir bien Ecouter d'une oreille favorable la declaraton que nous osons vous presenter touchant tous les mauvais traitements 'que nous avons souffert patiemmement depuis que les troupes de Virginie sont malheureusement arrivé chez nous jusqu'a present.
Non que nous veuillons entreprendre de vous ennuyer de pla- intes innutiles qui ne serviroient a rien pour nous delivrer d'une insuportable tirannie, n'y meme a nous avancer un bonheur plus durable a la Venire, et que nous esperons bientot. C'est pourquoy nous ne voulons que rapporter de la maniere la plus
1 Can. Archives, B., 184 vol. 2, p. 447, from copy.
2 For an account of the expedition of De la Balme, see Introduction, pp. lxxxix. et seq.
535
MEMORIAL, SEPTEMBER, 1780
justice, seized the rifle so unjustly and since M. Joseph Alarie has made the use thereof that he has, it please you to condemn them to pay for the said rifle one hundred piastres gourdes, which is the price that it has cost, and to condemn them to pay all costs, charges, damages etc as well for the procedure as otherwise and you will render justice.
At Cahokia July 6, 1780. For Cadien Lausage Charles Gratiot.
INHABITANTS OF CAHOKIA TO. DE LA BALME, SEPTEMBER 2I, 1780.1
Declaration in the name of the inhabitants of the village of Cahokia in the Illinois, sent to M. Mottin de la Balme, pensioner of the King of France and French Colonel etc. Sir :-
We, the undersigned inhabitants of Cahokia, are well per- suaded of the loftiness of your sentiments for us and of the high rank which you hold in the world, concerning which we can no longer doubt, and still more of the illustrious name of Frenchman which you bear and honor, the only name for which we do not cease to sigh for fear that it be extinguished among us and for which we have always been and are still ready to sacrifice not only our property, which is only too small, but our own lives.2
These causes for consolation and for others not less legiti- mate command us imperiously to have so great confidence in your person that we unanimously pray. you to consent to listen with favorable ear to the declaration, which we dare to present to you, concerning all the bad treatment which we have patiently suffered, since the troops of Virginia unfortunately arrived in our midst until the present moment.
We do not desire to attempt wearying you with useless com- plaints, which would serve in no way to free us from an insupport- able tyranny nor further for us a happiness more durable in the future and which we hope for soon. That is why we wish only to relate in the most simple and faithful manner the most true things, which they (the Virginians) themselves are incapable of calling in question.
536
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
simple et la plus fidelle les choses les plus veritable sur les quelles ils sont eux memes incapable de contester.
Ou les troupes Virginiennes etant arrivés au Kaskaskias il y a deux ans passés commandés par le Colonel Sr George Rogers Klark, ils se sont saisi de la personne de Monsieur de Rocheblave sans que les habitants du dit village se soient mis en devoire de leur faire aucunes resistance, vu qu'ils se declarerent for- mellement amateurs de la liberté pour laquelle ils ne cessoient de se battre et encore plus constemment fidelles allies de la France leur plus grande protectrice. Il ne leurs fut donc pas possible de faire le moindre signe de viollence au seul nom des francois un fois prononcé devant eux.
Ces Habitans enfin peu attentifs a leur propre bonheur et n'ayant point eux mêmes assez d'esperience pour decouvrir leur fourberie cachée, Sous de fausse apparence d'honetes gens n'y point prevenir les facheuses suittes qui les menacoient ainsy que nous et qui nont pas manquer de s'effectuer en effet se sont rendues avec la plus grande crédulité sans meme exiger de voire aucuns Titres qui puissent nullement les eclaircire ny leur prouver par quelle autorité le Col. Clark s'emparoit de leur village, s'aveuglant eux mêmes du doux espoir de se revoir en bien peu de temps les trés humble et fideles sujets de leur ancien et trés puissant monarque le roix de France.
Nous avons lieu de croire que les Virginiens voyant la trop grande Credulité des Habitants des Kaskaskias et trouvant en un mot combien il leur etoit facille de faire le conquête d'un pays habité par des gens si credulle et si aisé a gouverner ont sans doutte crus à propos de depecher promptement le Capitaine Josh Bowman pour venir s'emparer de notre Village, n'ayant uniquement que trente hommes avec eux et sans estre soutenu d'aucuns titres reconnus ny des Etats unis ny meme de l'Etat de Virginie, ou s'il en avoit s'est epargné la pene de nous les faire voir, ou craignant quelques facheuses suittes les voyant nos voisins et meme maitres des Kaskaskias avons proferer de nous rendre plutot que des nous exposer à de plus grandes risques joint à cela les promesses récidivées qu'ils nous faisoient incessamment
537
MEMORIAL, SEPTEMBER, 1780
When the Virginia troops arrived in Kaskaskia two years ago, commanded by Colonel George Rogers Clark, they captured the person of M. de Rocheblave without the inhabitants of said village attempting the duty of making any resistance to them; because they explicitly declared themselves lovers of liberty for which they fought incessantly, and still more constantly as faithful allies of the French, their greatest protector. It was not, then, possible for the Kaskaskians to make the least sign of violence to the name of Frenchmen once pronounced before them.
These inhabitants, finally, little attentive to their own hap- piness and not sufficiently experienced to discover the con- cealed knavery of the Virginians under the false appearance of honest people or to anticipate the grievous consequences which menaced them as well as us, and which have not failed to take effect, have surrendered themselves with the greatest credulity, without even exacting a sight of any credentials which might enlighten them in any way or prove to them by what authority Colonel Clark took possession of their village, for they blinded themselves with the sweet hope of seeing themselves again in a short time the very humble and faithful subjects of their former and very powerful monarch, the king of France.
We have reason to believe that the Virginians, after seeing the very great credulity of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia and finding, in short, how easily it was for them to make the conquest of a country inhabited by people so credulous and so easy to govern, have undoubtedly believed it expedient to despatch immediately Captain Joseph Bowman to come and take possession of our vil- lage. He had only thirty men with him and was unsupported by any recognized credentials either from the United States or even from the State of Virginia or, if he had them, he saved himself the trouble of showing them to us. And we, fearing some grievous consequences in seeing them our neighbors and even masters of Kaskaskia, have preferred to surrender rather than expose our- selves to greater risks. There should be added to this the repeated promises, which they continually made us, of enjoying the sweets of liberty and its advantages and the declaration to us, under oath
538
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
de jouire de douceurs de la liberté et de ses avantages, et nous affirment par serment meme que la guerre entre l'ammerique et la grande Bretagne ne pouvoit pas durer plus qu'une année vue que la voix seppuisoient tous les jours et ne tiroit aucune force generallement que ce peut etre d'ailleurs, enfin les protestations reiterés detre toujours sincere et allies fidelles et plus encore l'esperance de nous voire un pour assujetie au joug leger de la France. Nous ont contraint à les recevoir chez nous comme amis croyant bien qu'ils etoient authorise du Congié Meme et non pas qu'ils formoient un Etat particulier entre eux.
Nous voyant alors epuisés et reduits a souffrir les fleaux d'une guere contre les sujets de la grande Bretagne dont la cause et principal point ne nous venoit que par apart aux Virginiens qui nous avoit conquis. Nous avons crus necessaire d'en prevenir le Colonel Clark qui etablissoit pour lors la minne de faire ou il avoit ammené quantité de famille et Beaucoup de Trouppes.
Mais ce dernier il faut croire se voyant à charge tant de monde sans vivres, nat point beaucoup hesité de nous envoyer pres de deux cent hommes, aux quels il s'est joint affectant sous les apparences d'un feau zele le plaisir qu'il avoit de nous estre de quelqu'utilité.
Quelques jours apres son arrivée icy l'armee de nos ennemis composé d'un assez nombreuse quantité de Sauvages cy devant nos fidelles amis, et fort peu d'englois etant debarqué partie sur notre rive et le reste sur les terre espagnolles s'est retirés s'etant borné a quelques tis-tis a leur lache maniere de faire la guere sans faire un grand Carnage dans notre partie.
1 This may be the meaning, but the passage is very obscure.
2 This statement is probably true, for an attack on Illinois by the states had been expected before the appearance of Clark. See Introduction, p. xxxV.
3 The chronology from this point on is difficult to understand. If it is assumed that the narrative follows the chronological order, as from the connectives it appears to do, this attack on St. Louis and Cahokia occurred in the fall of 1778, the retaliation on the Indians imme- diately afterwards, and after that the troops were left in Cahokia, where they still were in 1780. All this is impossible, for Great Britain was not at war with Spain, Montgomery had returned to Virginia, and the troops were not in Cahokia all the time from 1778 to 1780, as the docu- ment itself later shows. Therefore, the narrative as it stands is not chronological.
If we suppose that the writers set down each grievance as it came to their minds, new difficulties arise. The transition to this passage is too abrupt. On page 543 the writers men- tion Captain MeCarty and add, "of whom we have spoken before," although it is the first time his name appears. On page 549, near the end of the memorial, the writers declare that they will now narrate a detailed account of the treatment they have received from the Virginians. and begin with number 1; but that detailed account had already been given.
From these chronological and other inconsistencies. it is evident that the pages of the original memorial had become misplaced before any copy of them was made, and subsequent
539
MEMORIAL, SEPTEMBER, 1780
even, that the war between America and Great Britain could not last longer than a year, seeing that public opinion was being wearied every day and that no conclusion was generally drawn that it would be otherwise;1 and finally the reiterated protesta- tions that they were always sincere and allied friends; and further- more the hope of seeing ourselves again subjected to the light yoke of France. Therefore we were constrained to receive them among us as friends, believing indeed that they were authorized by Congress itself and not that they represented a particular state.2
Seeing ourselves exhausted and reduced to suffer the scourge of a war against the subjects of Great Britain, the cause and prin- cipal point of which reached us only from the side of the Virgin- ians who had conquered us, we have believed it necessary to in- form Colonel Clark thereof, who was establishing at that time the Iron Banks where he had brought numerous families and many troops.3
But this latter, it must be believed, seeing himself in charge of so great a number without supplies, has not hesitated long to send us almost two hundred men, to whom he joined himself, affecting under the appearance of a false zeal, the pleasure which he had in being of some utility to us.
Some days after his arrival here, the army of our enemy, com- posed of a sufficiently large number of savages, herebefore our faithful friends, and of very few English, having disembarked,
copies have perpetuated the error. That this is true may be easily proved by transposing this passage, including the paragraphs through the one beginning with "On the return from this last ill success", with the passage on page 547 beginning with "We believed also that there", and including the paragraphs through the one which begins with "A heifer, about two years old", when all difficulties of chronology and interpretation disappear.
Such memorials as these, of which I have seen several, were written on folios placed together, but unsewed, and folded once. In this case there must have been four folios, making, when folded, sixteen pages. The first four pages were in correct order when copied, but with the paragraphs which would fall on the pages 5 and 6 the difficulties begin; then there fol- low four pages of narrative without inconsistencies, and on what would be pages 11 and 12 further difficulties occur. These pages of the memorial, i. e., 5, 6, 11, and 12, were written on the same folio. What has happened is this: one of the first readers of the memorial has folded the folio backwards, so that pages 11 and 12 replaced pages 5 and 6. This was not noticed by the copyist, because the pages of the memorial were not numbered and because each sheet began and ended with a paragraph.
With this change, the paragraph under consideration is easily explained. The "en" refers to the expected attack by the British and Indians in 1780; the "mine de faire" should read mine de fer, which means the Iron Banks south of the mouth of the Ohio, where Clark was building Fort Jefferson. See letter from the Cahokians to Clark, asking for his assistance, p. 531.
540
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
Oh! le Col. Clark affectant toujours de vouloir notre bien pub- lique sous pret ex de nous Vanger forma aussitot avec nous et conjointement aux Espagnoles un partis de plus trois cents hommes pour aller ravager dans leur propre village les Sauvages qui etoient venus nous harceller chez nous ayant substitué en Sa place Col. Montgommery pour nous commander et aussitost il . nous a laissé.
Il est donc bon Monsieur de vous exposer que les Virginiens n'ayant jamais eu aucunne principe d'economie ont été cause par leur peu d'arrangement et mauvaise conduitte na point reussi et que notre glorieux projets se sons trouvés par leur faute evannouié, les Sauvages ayant abandonné leurs Villages les plus proches ou nous avons été nous nous sommes vus forcé a relacher et ne pas pousser routte plus loin n'ayant plus presque de vivres ny de poudre ny balle ce qu'ils s'etoient chargé de nous fournir eux memes. l'un des plus grand sujet pour lequel se plaignent tous les jeunes gens qui ne veulent plus entendre parler de les suivres en quelques lieux que se puisse etre.
Au retour de cette derniere Cacade le Colonel Montgommery nous a proposé de garder les troupes que nous souhaitterons pour la sureté de notre Village, deignez aussi rappeller que nous ne croyons point qu'il nous faisoit cette offre par un Veritable effet de son zéle qu'il nous vouloit montrer mais parcequ'il s'en voyoit luy meme embarassé. nous avons cru necessaire de garder avec nous cent hommes que nous nous sommes obligé de nourir chez nous et comme nous meme lesquels sont encore chez nous les uns malades et les autres en santées qui ne nous sont qu'a charge et qui dans un tems aussi critique que celuy ou nous sommes a present ne daigne point seulement faire la moindre guarde puisqu'ils man- quent donc totallement leurs engagements nous ne nous croyons plus obligé au soutiens d'un Trouppe qui nous infecte et nous ruine en ne nous payant point ce que nous leurs avons jusqu'a ce jour avancé qu'avec un monnoye dont nous ne pouvons rien
1 Expedition to the Rock River under the command of Montgomery, while Clark hurried south to intercept another army of the enemy on its way to Kentucky .- l'a. State Papers, iii, 441. Captain Rogers also says that the Spaniards joined Montgomery for the expedition to the Rock river .- Dr. MSS., 28J3.
54I
MEMORIAL, SEPTEMBER, 1780
part on our bank and the remainder on Spanish land, withdrew, having limited themselves to some "tis-tis" in their slack man- ner of making war without causing a great carnage in our country.
Oh! Colonel Clark, affecting always to desire our public wel- fare and under pretext of avenging us, soon formed with us and conjointly with the Spaniards a party of more than three hundred men to go and attack in their own village the savages who had come to our homes to harass us, and after substituting Colonel Montgomery to command us in his place, he soon left us.
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