USA > Indiana > Knox County > Vincennes > History of Old Vincennes and Knox County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
127
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
ures, not only expressed a willingness, but a cheerfulness, to exert all the influence he had towards allaying any -hostility that might arise among the inhabitants against the American cause, but voluntarily promised he would encourage them to become American subjects. And through his pleadings and his eloquence not only were the French citizens of Kaskaskia induced to supply the Virginia troops with provisions and other essential articles, but to receive at its face value all of the depreciated continental paper currency of Virginia, Colonel Vigo, then the merchant prince of Kaskaskia, adding his guaranty for its redemption, and receiving it, dollar for dollar, not only from the soliders, but the inhabitants, until it became entirely worthless .* "Father Gibault," says Law, "but especially Vigo, had on hand at the close of the campaign, more than twenty thousand dol- lars of this worthless trash [the only funds, however, which Clark had in his military chest] and not one dollar of which was ever redeemed cither for Vigo or Father Gibault, who, for this worthless stuff, disposed 'of all his cattle, and the tithes of his parishioners,' in order to sustain Clark and his troops, without which aid they must have surrendered, surrounded as they were by the Indian allies of the British, and deprived of all resources but those furnished by the French inhabitants, through the persuasion of Vigo and Father Gibault." It was at the mere suggestion of Clark that Father Gibault consented to go to Vincennes (where he was quite as well known and as dearly beloved as he was at Kaskaskia, having for years performed apostolical services at both places) and urge the inhabitants to declare their fealty to the United States and renounce allegiance to Great Britain. Accordingly, on July 14, 1778, he set out for the old post. He was accompanied on this expedition by Dr. Jean B. La Font, a civil magis- trate, and Moses Henry, an Indian interpreter and envoy. Upon arrival, Father Gibault had the announcement made broadcast that there would be a meeting at the church. The fort at that time was under command of British commandant Abbott, who had gone to Detroit on a mission of busi- ness importance, leaving the affairs of the post and a garrison of British troops in charge of St. Marie Racine, a worthy citizen, who, by the way, had charge of the fort after St. Ange was withdrawn, and held it until Ramsey came, and after the latter's departure, until Abbott put in an ap- pearance. Quite a crowd assembled at the church, among the number Ra- cine (St. Marie) to ascertain the object of Father Gibault's visit, which he told in a speech of impassioned eloquence, at the conclusion of which the inhabitants took the oath of allegiance to the American cause, and without the shedding of a drop of blood, the first capture of Fort Sackville was effected-through the diplomacy and patriotism of the priest-patriot ally- and the cross of St. George hauled down and trailed in the dust, and the glorious American banner unfurled above the pinnacle of the highest bas- tion, much to the astonishment of the Indians, who had been told that
* Law, History of Vincennes, p. 54.
128
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
their great French father, whom they mourned as dead, had come back to life.
Through the influence of Father Gibault, who was materially aided by Colonel Vigo in his efforts, Clark's forces, prior to departing from Kaskas- kia for Vincennes, were augmented by an addition of fifty men. It was largely due to his pleadings that Hamilton released Vigo when the latter was sent to Vincennes to supply Capt. Helm and his men with provisions and incidentally learn the true condition of affairs at the post. Twelve years after this notable event, in a memorial addressed to Gen. St. Clair, then governor of the Northwest Territory, the patriotic Gibault-who felt keenly the sting of penury which his patriotism and the ingratitude of Vir- ginia had inflicted-displays the fine and delicate feeling, modesty and un- ostentation so characteristic of the man. The document was written at Kahokia (Cahokia) May 1, 1790, and reads as follows:
"The undersigned memorialist has the honor to represent to your excellency that from the moment of the conquest of the Illinois country by Col. George Rogers Clarke he has not been backward in venturing his life, on the many occasions in which he found his presence was useful, and at all times sacrificing his property, which he gave for the support of the troops, at the same price he could have received in Spanish milled dollars, and for which, however, he has received only paper dollars (continental currency of which he has had no information since he sent them, addressed to the Commissioner of Congress, who required a statement of the depreciation of them at the Belle Riviere in 1783, with an express promise in reply, that particular attention should be paid to his account, because it was well known to be in no wise exagger- ated. In reality, he parted with his tithes and his beasts, only to set an example to his parishioners, who began to perceive that it was intended to pillage them and aban- don them afterwards, which really took place. The want of seven thousand eight hundred livres (or upwards of $1,500 American currency) of the non-payment of which the American notes have deprived him the use, has obliged him to sell two good slaves, who would now be the support of his old age, and for the want of whom he now finds himself dependent on the public who, although well served, are very rarely led to keep their promises, except that part who, employing their time in such service, are supported by the secular power, that is to say, by the civil govern- ment.
"The love of country and liberty have also led your memorialist to reject all the advantages offered him by the Spanish government; and he endeavored by every means in his power, by exertions and exhortations, and by letters to the principal inhabitants, to retain every person in the dominion of the United States in expecta- tion of better times, and giving them to understand that our lives and property having been employed twelve years in the aggrandizement and preservation of the United States, would at last receive an acknowledgment, and be compensated by the enlight- ened and upright ministers, who sooner or later would come to examine into and relieve ns of our situation. We begin to see the accomplishment of these hopes under the happy government of your excellency, and as your memorialist has ever reason to believe, from proofs which would be too long to explain here, you are one of the number who have been the most forward in risking their lives and fortunes for the country.
"He also hopes that his demand will be listened to favorably. It is this: The missionaries, like lords, have at all times possessed two tracts of land near this vil- lage ; one three acres in front which produces but little hay, three-quarters being use- less by a great morass ; the other of two acres in front, which may be cultivated, and
129
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
which the memorialist will have cultivated with care, and proposes to have a dwelling erected on it, with a yard and orchard, in case his claim is accepted. Your excellency may think, perhaps, that this might injure some of the inhabitants, but it will not. It would be difficult to hire them to have an enclosure to be made of the size of these tracts, so much more land have they than they cultivate. May it please your excel- lency, then, to grant them to your memorialist as belonging to the domain of the United States, and give him a concession to be enjoyed in full propriety in his private name, and not as missionary and priest, to pass to his successor, otherwise the memorialist will not accept it.
"It is for the services he has already rendered, and those which he still hopes to render, as far as circumstances may offer, and he may be capable, and particularly on the bounty with which you relieve those who stand in need of assistance, that he founds his demand. In hopes of being soon of the number of those who praise heaven for your fortunate arrival in this country, and who desire your prosperity in every- thing, your memorialist has the honor of being, with the most profound respect,
"Your excellency's most obedient and most humble servant.
"P. GIBAULT, Priest."
"Whether," says Judge Law, "'a concession to be enjoyed in full propriety' by the venerated Father in his private name, and not as mis- sionary and priest, of the two acres in front of the village of Kahokia,' on which he proposed to have 'a dwelling erected, with a garden and or- chard on it,' was ever made, I do not know; if there was, there is no record of it. Governor St. Clair, in his report to Mr. Jefferson, Secretary of State in 1791, makes the following remarks in relation to this memorial: 'No. 24 is the request of Father Gibault, for a small piece of land that has long been in the occupation of the priests at Kahokia, having been assigned them by the French, but he wishes to possess it in propriety, and it is true that he was very useful to Gen. Clark upon many occasions, and has suffered very heavy losses. I believe no injury would be done to any one by his request being granted, but it was not for me to give away the lands of the United States.' In the concessions made by Winthrop Sargent, at the 'town at Post Vincennes,' while acting as governor in place of Gen. St. Clair, I find the following made July, 1790: 'Rev. Peter Gibault, a lot about fourteen tosies, one side to Mr. Millet, another to Mr. Vaudrey, and to two streets.' Rather an indefinite description of the boundaries; but the 'ambitious city' of 1856, I presume in 1790 had neither a mayor or city engineer to run out the good Father's lines."
Father Gibault did not have the privilege of becoming the beneficiary under the above grant, for the reason that Bishop Carroll protested, as soon as he learned of it, against any attempt to alienate property belonging to the church to its individual clergymen. The grant was made two years after the priest-patriot had left Vincennes. His last permanent stay here was from the beginning of 1785 to the middle of 1788; and just previous to its termination, while on one of his missionary journeys, he narrowly escaped with his life-the occasion being when the Indians killed Sieur Paul Diesruisseaux and wounded Sieur Bonvouloir, the courageous priest being so near as to have his clothing saturated with their blood. His last visit to Vincennes was in October, 1789. Having withdrawn from the
130
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
Baltimore (this) diocese, after Bishop Carroll filed his protest with the United States government against the alienation of church property (but whether in consequence thereof, we do not know) he retired to Spanish territory beyond the Mississippi. Later he removed to New Madrid, Mo., where his earthly career was brought to a close in the fore part of 1804.
William Henry Smith,* who has written so much that is interesting and intsructive on the history of the Northwest Territory, in commenting on the ungrateful treatment received by Father Gibault in consideration of the splendid service he had rendered the country in the dark days of the revo- lution, says ". . Before leaving this subject it will be well to glance at some other acts of gross injustice perpetrated by Virginia and the United States upon some of those who had served them well, and to whose help the country owed the capture and retention of the vast empire now known as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. It will be remembered that when General Clark arrived at Kaskaskia he found there Father Gi- bault, a parish priest, and that the Father was Clark's earliest and best friend, and staunchest adviser and assistant. He not only won over the French residents of the village, but at the instigation of General Clark went to Vincennes and there induced the French residents to take the oath of allegiance to the American government, and by his influence prevailed upon the Indian tribes to make peace and forsake the British. He was still at Vincennes when Clark reached that point after it had been recap- tured by Hamilton, and he was again of the greatest assistance. For his services to the Americans he was excommunicated by the Bishop of Detroit, and deprived of his pastorate. When Gen. St. Clair appeared at Vin- cennes as governor of the Northwest Territory, Father Gibault presented a memorial to him, setting forth that he had 'parted with his tithes and beasts' to aid Gen. Clark, and had been paid in depreciated currency, which he had sent to the United States commissioner for redemption, but had never heard from it afterward. He set forth that because of this loss he had been compelled to sell two slaves who would have been a support to his old age and that he was then dependent upon the public. He asked that a small tract of land at Kaskaskia, which had been formerly held by the parish priests, be returned to him. Governor St. Clair recommended that this be done, but it never was. Finally, after several years, a small lot was given him in Vincennes, and subsequent to that he was allowed four hundred acres of land, but the old man had parted with his claim for a trifle, and this act of tardy justice did him no good. Upon Gen. Clark's arrival at Kaskaskia, on his first expedition, his troops were entirely out of supplies. He was out of money as well. Without help, his attempt against Vincennes must be abandoned. The French merchants of Kaskas- kia came patriotically to his help and furnished him with whatever was needed. He gave them bills on Virginia. Virginia took no steps toward
* William Henry Smith, The History of the State of Indiana, pp. 85, 86, 87, 88.
131
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
honoring the bills, and in 1780 Charles Gratiot, on his own behalf, and as agent for some of the others, visited Virginia. He remained there three years before he could get his claims allowed. Many of the other claims were never presented, owing to the discouragements Gratiot had met with. "
It is quite as sorrowful as it is singular that the unselfish deeds and patriotic acts of this holy man, who is deserving of the praise of every true American citizen, have not been commemorated by the erection of a monu- ment, or the establishment of some institution bearing his name. When the city and county, several years ago, appropriated funds jointly for the erection of a hospital, it was suggested by a number of well-meaning people, to those in whom the corporations had vested such authority, to name the institution the Clark-Gibault hospital. This would have certainly been a nice testimonial to two illustrious men who performed, upon this very spot, such heroic and inestimable service in behalf of the United States. Clark- Gibault would have been a most appropriate appellation, for the reason that the names of George Rogers Clark and Pierre Gibault are firmly linked together when their deeds of valor and bravery, (denoting devotion to country) performed in the darkest hour of the nation's peril, are con- sidered and revealed in the pure light of patriotism. However, for some reason best known to those having the matter in charge, the name was rejected, and that of Good Samaritan adopted.
Mr. English, in his conquest of the northwest, places a high estimate on Father Gibault's untiring efforts and the success of his labors in behalf of the American cause, and says, with an apparent tinge of sadness in his statement and a true ring of sincerity in every word: "There was no rea- son, however, why his great services should not have been properly recog- nized, but they never were. As far as the author is advised, no county, town or postoffice bears his name; no monument has been erected to his memory and no headstone even marks his grave, as its location is entirely unknown. It was well for him that he could turn to the religion of which he had been so faithful a servant and find consolation in the trust that there was a heaven where meritorious deeds such as his find reward, since they were so poorly appreciated and requited on earth."
"The influence of Father Gibault's labors," says Dr. Smith, "were more than local, and his name should be cherished by American citizens with an ardor fully equal to that displayed for LaFayette or Rochambeau, for the beneficent results following Gibault's patriotic zeal, his tenacious fidelity to the American cause of liberty, will give measure for measure with those great French generals."
Among the score of friends, tried and true, who rallied to the support of Father Gibault in the attainment of his diplomatic and patriotic designs, was Francois Busseron, another Frenchman, in honor of whom Busseron township, in Knox County, and Busseron street, in Vincennes, were named. In August, 1778, when Father Gibault went from Kaskaskia to Vincennes
132
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
to persuade the inhabitants of the latter place to forswear King George and take the oath of allegiance as American citizens, he carried a com- mission,* previously secured from Colonel Clark, conferring upon Mr. Busseron the rank of captain of militia, his company to be raised in Vin- cennes. Capt. Busseron was a prominent and influential citizen, and when the patriotic priest at the little church was exhorting his faithful flock to forsake the banner of Ilis Britannic Majesty and join the American forces in the glorious struggle for liberty and independence against the tyrant king, made his presence keenly felt and aided the cause very materially. +"He arose at the close of the meeting, while the audience was detained, and interrogated the holy Father so skillfully concerning the power of the arms of Virginia and the justice of the cause of the colonies against Eng- land that all of the assembly were at once inclined to make friends with the new power. 'Then,' said Busseron, 'why delay? Let us show him that we are his [Gibault's] friends, and if Virginia will receive us, let us become her subjects.'" When Colonel Jolin Todd was sent by Virginia to the Northwest Territory as civil governor in 1779, he appointed Capt. Busseron one of four judges of a court for the district of Vincennes, hav- ing civil and criminal jurisdiction, of whom the other three were Pierre Gamelin, Pierre Querez and Lonis Edeline. Similar judicial honors were again conferred on him by Winthrop Sargent, when the latter came in 1790, for the purpose of perfecting the organization of the Northwest Ter- ritory, by virtue of an act of the Congress of the United States, passed in 1787. Capt. Busseron was a generous, kind-hearted and philanthropic man, and because of the fact that he had taken under his roof and accorded to Mary Shannon the same fatherly care and attention he would bestow upon his own daughter, an eminent local historian dubbed him the "foster father of Alice of Old Vincennes." The hostile Indians, it is said, had murdered the father of Mary Shannon, and knowing the strong attachment existing between her stern parent and Mr. Busseron, she sought the latter for pro- tection. To the orphaned girl he became greatly attached, and watched her with tenderness and care as she grew from beautiful girlhood into charming womanhood, when her fair hand was claimed in marriage by Capt. Robert Buntin, one of the leading citizens of the Old Post. She, it is, declares our historian, whom Maurice Thompson has made the heroine of his beau- tiful novel, "Alice of Old Vincennes"-and she it was, so it is said, that hoisted the American flag over Fort Sackville immediately upon the sur- render of Hamilton. And after leading us up to this point, our historical critic robs us of all the romance we had reasoned out, and dims the halo of Thompson's pretty story, by saying that "the anachronism is excusable in the author, as he must have a heroine for the dramatic scene of the sur- render. Had she been born a little earlier than May 1, 1777, says our his-
* The commission had really been placed in the hands of Doctor La Font for delivery by Father Gibault, at whose solicitation it was issued.
t Hubbard M. Smith, Historical Sketches Old Vincennes.
133
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
torian, the event might have been historically correct in all particulars, since Capt. Busseron was the officer of the town and captain of the militia, as the reputed foster father, Gaspard Roussilon, appeared to have been."
When Father Gibault, in front of the church, was exhorting the French inhabitants of Vincennes to renounce allegiance to Great Britain and es- pouse the cause of America, Capt. Busseron was at the priest's side; and when the assemblage, enthused and electrified by the eloquent and patriotic words that fell from the lips of the holy man, marched en masse to the fort to take possession, accompanied by their adviser, Capt. Busseron was still at liis side, and was the man who hauled down the British colors and hoisted an improvised flag,* to indicate that the French no longer acknowledged King George as their sovereign. He was highly esteemed by his fellow- citizens from every walk of life, who made him daily the recipient of cour- teous considerations. That his constituency had the utmost confidence in his honesty, integrity and ability-when Winthrop Sargent, secretary of the Northwest Territory, demanded to know of the citizens and public offi- cials by what right and authority certain portions of the public lands had been disposed of-was shown when they selected him to prepare and pre- sent an explanation. He died in 1791, and his remains were laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery. He left a long line of descendants, many of whom have occupied important positions of honor and trust, and of whom Hon. Charles Busseron Lasselle of Logansport, Indiana, for many years judge of that circuit, is one. Another descendant of Capt. Busseron, quite well known to the older inhabitants, was Gen. Hyacinth Lasselle, who was a prominent citizen of Vincennes at the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury, and the builder and proprietor of the Lasselle House, erected in 1812. For many years the hostelry was a popular resort for both travelers and citizens, and many distinguished men of this and foreign countries have been its guests. General Thomas Posey, who succeeded Gen. Harrison in 1813 as governor of the Indiana Territory, made his home at the "La- selle" for a while, and transacted quite a good bit of official business there. The house was located at the corner of Second and Perry streets, where the large wholesale grocery of Bierhaus Bros. now stands, and was later known as the Beeler House, and Merchants' Hotel. It was entirely con- sumed by fire on the night of October 23, 1871, all efforts to save it on the part of the department-whose most formidable weapon with which to fight the fire fiend on that occasion was a hand-engine-proving inef- fectual.
* The flag was a two-colored emblem, and the material of which it was made and the cost of its making is explained in a receipted bill (which was tendered by Capt. Busserm to Capt. Helm) containing the following entries: "1778. Paid to St. Marie for 5 ells of red serge for the flag, 45c. Paid to Mr. Defonet for 33/4 ells of green serge for flag, 371/2c. Paid Mrs. Godare for making the flag, 25c."
CHAPTER XIV.
THE LOYALTY OF A SPANISH SOLDIER TO AMERICA.
COLONEL FRANCIS VIGO SHOWS IIIS SYMPATHY FOR AN OPPRESSED PEOPLE --- SPENDS MONEY TO AID THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY AND DIES IN POVERTY -- CAPTURED BY INDIANS AND TAKEN BEFORE HAMILTON-VIGO'S SUBSTAN- TIAL AID TO COLONEL CLARK-IIIS SAD DEATH AND NEGLECTED GRAVE- SIIORT SKETCH OF JOHN BADOLLET, A COLLEAGUE OF VIGO-FIRST REGIS- TRAR OF PUBLIC LANDS AND HIS SUCCESSORS-ALLEGED UPRISING AT VIN- CENNES AGAINST SPAIN-SEIZURE OF VINCENNES MERCHANT BY SPAN- IARDS.
A few eighteenth century Spaniards took up their abode at Vincennes, but only for temporary residence. While several of them remained a score of years, with the exception of one man, none of them were recognized as full-fledged citizens. The one man referred to was Francis Vigo-and he was not only a citizen in name, but in spirit, and constantly labored for the advancement of the community and the prosperity of its people. His love for liberty as enunciated by the Declaration of Independence was as deep- seated, pure and fervent as that which found lodgment in the breast of the most loyal American, and he impoverished himself to aid the fellow-citizens of his adopted country in their struggles to throw off the yoke of British tyranny.
Like quite a number of historical writers, Mr. Roosevelt, in his charm- ing work, The Winning of the West, refers to Colonel Vigo as a Creole, leaving the inference to be drawn that he belonged to the class of French Canadians popularly but erroneously styled Creoles. This, however, is a likely error and can be accounted for from the fact that he spoke the French language, as the foreign tongue was spoken by the natives in those days very fluently. Vigo, nevertheless, was born -of-Spanish parents in Mondovi, in the Kingdom of Sardinia, in 1740. Leaving the parental roof when a mere lad, he enlisted in a Spanish regiment as a private soldier. Subsequently the regiment was ordered to Havana, Cuba, after which a detachment of it "shipped" to New Orleans, then a Spanish post, young Vigo filling an important place in its ranks. Having firmly ingratiated himself into the good graces of his commanding officer by a display of
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.