USA > Louisiana > Historical memoirs of Louisiana, from the first settlement of the colony to the departure of Governor O'Reilly in 1770; > Part 1
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.
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
Gc 976.3 Faghis 1764962
M La
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
V
Gc
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02305 2464
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS C
OF
Louisiana
FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE COLONY TO THE DEPARTURE OF GOVERNOR O'REILLY IN 1770.
WITH
Historical and Biographical Notes,
FORMING THE FIFTH OF THE SERIES OF HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF LOUISIANA
BY
B. F. FRENCH,
Biember of the Historical Society of Louisiana ; of the American Association for the Wenncement of Science ; of the American Antiquarian Society of Massachusetts; Corresponding Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia of the Historical Society of New- York ; and Honorary Member of the New-Jersey and Connecticut Historical Societies, &c. de:
P4 . ≤
NEW-YORK :
LAMPORT, BLAKEMAN & LAW, No. 8 PARK - PLACE 1853.
1764862
,
Brienwilly
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1853, by B. F. FRENCH, in the Clerk's office of the District Court, for the Southern District of New-York.
1
.
9852 '
-
TO]
G. W. COSTER, ESO.,
This Volume
IS DEDICATED, WITH SENTIMENTS OF REGARD AND ESTEEM.
·BY
B. F. FRENCH.
No. 21 Clinton Place, New- York. .
1
-
The Portrait of M. BIENVILLE, so long distinguished in the historical annals of Louisiana, is engraved from a copy of the original, in the possession of the family in Canada, and is believed to be the only one in existence. It was kindly placed at our disposal by the holder, Mr. De Bow, of New- Orleans, having been executed for him by one of the first artists in Canada.
CONTENTS.
DUMONT'S MEMOIR.
Page.
FIRST Establishment of the French Colony at Dauphin Island-Description of that island
1
Capture of Fort Pensacola from the Spaniards 4
Spaniards retake Pensacola-Their attempt on Dauphin Island. 6
Arrival of the French Squadron at Dauphin Island-Second Capture of Pensacola 9
Arrival of a vessel loaded with young women at Dauphin Island 14
Second Establishment of the French Colony at Old Biloxi 16
Third Establishment of the Colony at New Biloxi. 19
Dispersion of the Concessionnaires (Grantces)-Establishment of the French posts in Louisiana
22 23
Establishment of New-Orleans-Description of that Capital
The currency of the country 27 The Post of Balize. 29 The Post of the Natchez, or Fort Rosalie 30 Fort Naquitoches 33 34 The Arcanças Post The Illinois Fort 36 The Missouri Post 37 40
Fort Mobile.
Arrival of the Royal Commissaries at New-Orleans-Establishment of a Council in that Capital.
41
First Indian hostilities against the French-a party of Chickasaws surprises a French Cabin 43
One of the Directors of the Concession of St. Catharine's wounded by the Natchez Indians
47
Continuation of Indian hostilities-The Commandant marches against them. Hecall of the Commander of the Country to France-Loss of the Bellona .. New troubles with the Natchez Indians
49
57
Arrival of a new Commandant at the Capital-The Sieur Chopart sent to Natchez ..
61
Sieur Chopart's conduct-Origin of the last war 64
Conduct of the Natchez-Their resolution on, Sieur Chopart's proposition. 66 General Massacre of the French by the Natchez 68
58
VI
CONTENTS.
Page.
Sequel of the Massacre-French who escaped 73
Conduct of the Indians after the Massacre-Their cruelty 76 The Natchez induce the Yazoos to follow their example-New massacre of the French by the latter 79
Conduct of the Choctaws-Their discontent -- Councils repeatedly held by the Natchez 81 The news of the Disaster reaches the Capital-The Chevalier de Laubois marches against them. 84
: Arrival of the Choctaws at Natchez-What they did there. 89 Arrival of Chevalier Loubois at Natchez-Success of his expedition. 90 Retreat of the Natchez-Continuation of hostilities 94
Trouble at New-Orleans-The Commandant-General marches against the Natchez. 99
Arrival of a new Commandant at the Capital-New preparations for war. 103
First Expedition against the Chickasaws-Attack of one of their forts. 106 New Expedition against the Chickasaws-Peace made with the Indians 114 Negro Slaves. 119
New Discoveries to reach the Western Sea by the Missouri 122
CHAMPIGNY'S MEMOIR.
MEMOIR of the Present State of Louisiana, by Chevalier de Champigny- translated from the French. 127
PREFACE. 128
FIRST PART .- From the first establishment of the Colony of Louisiana to the year 1762. 129
SECOND PART .- What Louisiana was from the peace of 1762, till the arrival of the Spaniards 139
Biographical Notice of M. D'Abadie 142
Letter of Louis XV. to M. D'Abadie 143
THIRD PART .- Section I .- From the arrival of Ulloa to his departure, 149
Letter from Ulloa to the Superior Council. 150
Biographieal Notice of Don Antonio de Ulloa 151 Decree of the Superior Council dismissing Ulloa from the Province. 164
PART THIRD .- Section II .- From the departure of Don Ulloa to the year 1771. 178
Petition of the Colonists and Merchants to the King 178
. Biographical Notice of Don Francisco Bouligny 182
Biographical Notice of Nicholas Chauvin de la Frenière, Attorney-General of Louisiana. 193
Biographical Notice of Governor O'Reilly. 193
Biographical Notice of M. Foucault. 199
Governor O'Reilly's Proclamation. 201
Note on the trial of the Prisoners 203
Biographical Notice of Governor Aubry 201
VII
CONTENTS.
1
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND ELUCIDATIONS.
Page.
Preliminary Convention between the Kings of France and Spain, for the cession of Louisiana to the latter. 235 Definite act of cession by the King of France to the King of Spain 236 The Seventh Article of the definite treaty of Peace between Kings of France,
Spain and England, signed .at Paris on the 10th of February, 1763 239 Note from the French Minister to the Spanish Ambassador 240
Commission of Don Louis de Unzaga y Amezaga. 240
Commission of Don Bernardo de Galvez. 243
Dispatch of the Marquis de Grimaldi to Don Louis Unzaga 245
Royal order to Don Pedro Garcia, Mayoral 246 Report to the King on Don Alexandro O'Reilly's Statements. 246
Ordinances and Instructions of Don Alexandro O'Reilly. 254
HISTORY
OF
LOUISIANA.
TRANSLATED FROM THE HISTORICAL MEMOIRS
OF
M. DUMONT.
CHAPTER I.
FIRST ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COLONY AT DAUPHIN ISLAND: DESCRIPTION OF THAT ISLAND.
D AUPHIN ISLAND is situated in the Gulf of Mexico, in latitude 28º N. and in longitude 288° W .* Its length is about seven leagues from east to west, and its width a good league from north to south. It is continually exposed to a burning sun, and the soil is so poor that it is hard to raise even salads and other vegetables. It is indeed almost nothing but sand, which, on the sea-shore, is so white, that when the sun shines on it, the reflection is very bad for the eyes. An officer, named Mahuet, who was here in the beginning of the establishment of the colony, was forced to return to France or he would have lost his eyesight. The island, however, has this advantage, that though surrounded by the sea, you can
* This longitude is reckoned, as in all old French accounts, from Ferro, one of the Canary islands. The latitude should be 28º 10'. It is not improbable that this, or Ship Island, is the Malhado of Cabeza de Vaca.
1
2
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
find good fresh water by digging in the sand not six feet from the shore. The roadstead for ships is more than two leagues from the island, on account of the sand banks which run out a great way and are but slightly covered with water. The fishery supplies an abundance of good fish ; as for trees, the ground produces only pines and firs, with some shrubs, and many stalks of a kind of plant which bears an Indian fig. This fruit is an excellent remedy for the dysentery and diar- rhœa; but before eating it must be well wiped, for it is covered with many little clusters of fine prickles which, sticking to the lips and tongue, produce an intolerable itching .* Sun strokes are very common in this island. Wild purslain, otherwise called porcelain, grows here spontaneously almost the whole year. Across the island to the north lies a short distance off another little island called Tête de Mort (Death's head), because one was found there without anybody's knowing where it came from.
This island, such as I have described it, was called Massacre Island by the first who settled here, from the quantity of bones they found here at their arrival.t These first settlers were Canadian voyageurs, who had got some goods from citi- zens of Quebec to go and trade among the Iroquois and Hurons, but after using them as their own, were afraid to re- turn home after such a piece of business, and reaching the Illinois, descended the river St. Louis (Mississippi), and land- ing in this island, settled there .; Mr. Crozat subsequently, in
* This is undoubtedly the prickly pear, and is in all probability the locality of the fig tribe described by Cabeza de Vaca.
t 'This island was first visited by Iberville, in 1699. Some writers believe that these whitened bones were the remains of the unfortunate expedition of Pamfile de Narvaez.
# After the death of Sauvolle, in 1701, Bienville made this island a military post .- Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol iii., p. 23.
3
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
1712,* obtained the monopoly of trading in the Gulf of Mexi- co; this supported the settlement, as his vessels stopped to take in water and gave some help to those stationed here. At last, in 1716, on Mr. Crozat's ceding his rights to the com- pany, which then took the name of the Western Company,t they began to think seriously in France of establishing French posts in the province of Louisiana, like those the Spaniards possess in Mexico, not by the same way, but by those of mildness.# With this view, as early as the following year (1717), the company dispatched from Rochelle two ves- sels, intended to go and begin a settlement in that island, which, on their arrival, gave up its former name of Massacre Island to assume that of Dauphin. . Ground was cleared, and storehouses and cabins raised, with houses formed of logs and palisades, for the commandant and directors, at whose head was the Sieur le Gac; the Sieur Hubert being Commissaire ordonnateur. As for the Commandant, he was the Sieur le Moyne de Bienville, a native of Quebec; the other officers were the Sieur Jaquotot, Judge; De Beaune, At- torney General, and Vaudripon, Surgeon-in-Chief:§ there were also store-keepers, clerks and book-keepers for the offices, and as chaplain, the Reverend Father le Maire, a missionary. A moderate-sized house was chosen for a chapel, but afterwards
· On the 14th September, 1712, M. Crozat obtained from the king of France Letters Patent to trade in Louisiana for fifteen years .- Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii. p. 38.
t This company was formed in August, 1717, (See Letters Patent in vol. iii. Ihistorical Collections of Louisiana,) and on the 9th February, 1718, three ships, with officers belonging to the company, arrived at Dauphin Island to take posses- sion of Louisiana .- Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 53.
! It is amusing to see how the authors of various nations, English, French and Spanish, express a holy horror of the Indian blood which soils the hands of the others; and yet we must confess that the English succeeded most completely, and the Spaniard least of all, in depeopling the land of its former inhabitants.
$ Sce Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 54.
4
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
..
found to be too little. The company also sent out provisions, salt, beef and pork, wine, brandy, flour, &c., as well as pow- der, balls, cannon and guns. In 1718, two other vessels ar- rived, called the Philip and the Mary ;* they brought few men, but an abundant supply of provisions and ammunition. The Mary soon sailed back to France, but the Philip re- mained at anchor for the protection of the inhabitants of the island, which now became the cradle of the new colony des- tined to people these vast countries.
CHAPTER II.
CAPTURE OF FORT PENSACOLA FROM THE SPANIARDS BY THE FRENCH.
ON the arrival of the two vessels I have named, the Com- mandant of Isle Dauphin received letters from the court in- forming him that war had been declared in Europe between France and Spain. He immediately resolved to take the first step and attack the Spaniards in the new world before they came to attack him, and conceived the project of making him- self master of Fort Pensacola, which belonged to them. This fort is built on the main land, not more than fourteen leagues from Dauphin Island, but as M. de Bienville had not forces enough to undertake to lay siege to so important a place in due form, he resolved to surprise it, if possible, and carry it by a sudden blow. For this expeditiont he assembled what troops he had, to whom he added some Canadians and Indians,
* This is an error. These two vessels arrived at Dauphin Island on the 19th April, 1719 .- Scc Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 63.
t See the account in Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 64.
5
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
and gave the command of this little army to Captain de Chateaugué, his brother, and Captain de Richebourg; then, after giving them provisions and arms, they embarked, as he also did, and with a good wind tacked towards Isle St. Rosa, over against Pensacola, where the Spaniards had an outpost, and which, by its point, forms on the western side a pass to enter the port of Pensacola. They anchored as near as pos- sible to the island, and the troops having disembarked unper- ceived, they seized the post and all in it, who were put in irons. Their uniform was taken at once, and some French soldiers dressed in them in hope of surprising the enemy by this disguise. In fact, at daybreak next morning, a party was seen starting from Pensacola to come and relieve the guard on the island. The Spanish drummer was now forced to beat as usual, and the disguised French soldiers turning out, the enemy, deceived by the show, landed and were made prisoners, disarmed, and put in irons like the rest. The French then re-embarked in the same boat that had brought the detachment, passed to the fort, surprised the sentinel in the same way, seized the guard-house, the magazine and · stores, took the commander prisoner in his bed, and made themselves complete masters of the place .*
After this expedition, in which not a sword was drawn nor a drop of blood shed, M. de Bienville, fearing that reinforce- ments might not arrive soon enough from France, and that there were not provisions enough in the fort to support the garrison he intended to leave with the prisoners he had made, put them in a vessel with some troops commanded by the Sieur de Richebourg, with orders to convey the Spaniards to Havana and deliver them to the governor of that city. He
* The Spanish accounts state that the governor was entirely unaware of the existence of war between the two crowns.
.
6
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
then left in command of Pensacola, his brother, the Sieur de Chateaugué, with a garrison of sixty soldiers, and after giving him his orders, returned to Dauphin island .*
CHAPTER III.
THE SPANIARDS RETAKE PENSACOLA-THEIR ATTEMPT ON DAUPHIN ISLAND.
THE French vessel which bore the Spaniards to the port of Havana was no sooner anchored there, than M. de Richebourg went to visit the governor, to whom he delivered his prisoners. The Spanish officer thanked him for his politeness, and as a mark of his gratitude, made him and some officers who were with him, prisoners, and put in irons the soldiers that had followed him.t From thence they were led to prison, where they remained some time, very badly fed and daily ex- posed to the insults of the Spaniards, till at last, tired of suf- fering, most of them enlisted in the Spanish king's troops.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Havana thought of revenging himself upon the French and re-taking Pensacola. With this design he equipped a vessel, with the French one which had brought the Sieur de Richebourg, and was called the Duke de Noailles. He fitted them out with provisions and all that was necessary for a siege, appointed an officer to command, em- barked troops, among the rest several French deserters, who were all put on the Duke de Noailles, after which, the wind being favorable for the execution of their project, they set sail.}
* Dauphin Island was for many years the head-quarters of Bienville.
t This is not denied by the Spanish accounts, although they try to show that the two French vessels were captured as they entered the harbor of Havana.
# See Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 64.
7
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
Arrived in sight of Pensacola, the Spanish vessel drew up be- hind Isle St. Rosa, while the Duke de Noailles alone appeared before the fort with French colors, and was received into the port, after replying to the sentinel's question-" Who com- manded the vessel"-that it was Captain de Richebourg. But scarcely had it anchored, when, lowering the French flag, it ran up Spanish colors, which it attested by three cannon ; on this, the signal agreed on, it was joined by the Spanish vessel, and both summoned the commandant to surrender. On his refusal, a cannonade began on both sides and continued till night. Next morning, about seven o'clock, the enemy again opened their fire on the fort, and having slackened it about noon, sent again to summon the commandant to surrender. The Sieur de Chateaugué demanded four days to consider ; two were given, and he profited by them to send an express by land to Isle Dauphin to ask assistance. Unfortunately, the Sieur de Bienville was not then in a position to send any, so that after two days the attack was renewed with great vigor. The French commander, on his side, defended the palace with all imaginable courage; and, in spite of the heavy fire of the enemy, not one of the bastions was yet injured; but night coming on, the soldiers of the garrison availed themselves of it to desert, and abandoned their commander, to whom not more than a score adhered. The Sieur de Chateaugue now seeing himself unable to hold out, asked to capitulate, which was granted with all the honors of war; but hardly had he left the place when he and all who followed him were arrested and held as prisoners by the Spaniards. After this he was put on board a vessel and sent off next day to Havana to an- nounce the capture of Pensacola.
As soon as the governor received this good news, he dis-
8
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
patched some bateaux and a pink* to carry provisions and refreshments to the fort with troops and ammunition. Mean- while the officer in command there had immediately set to work to repair what had been injured by the cannonading, and to give additional defence to the entrance of the port, threw up a little palisade fort on the point of St. Rosa island. In this work he employed the French prisoners, giving them no rest, and no food but cassava.
The commander of Pensacola did not stop here : he soon after sent out a bateau called the Great Devil, armed with six pieces of cannon, to harass the French established on Dauphin Island, and, if possible, land and take possession. As soon as this bateau hove in sight the captain of the Philip, who had but few men on board, and did not wish to expose himself to be taken by the Spaniards, prudently drew in as near shore as possible, and profiting by a high tide, entered a bay near the island, called the Major's Hole. Then having firmly planted himself there with piles and cables, he put all his cannon on one side, so that he became a kind of citadel to the island, where all were now under arms, but where there was no fort, retrenchment or other defence, but a battery on the eastern point of the island. Yet such was the valor and activity of the commander, that after many ineffectual attempts the Span- iards found it impossible to land, M. de Bienville carefully sending his forces to every part of the island to prevent by arms any attempt to land.t The enemy, therefore, could only cruise about, and as they had several French deserters who gave them information, they disembarked on the main land
* Richardson defines a pink as a kind of pilot-boat or revenue cutter.
t The Spanish account, exalting the bravery of their own men, confirms the resoluto defence of Governor Bienville.
9
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
opposite the island, where a Canadian named Miragouine had a plantation, which they pillaged. Meanwhile there appeared before the island a Spanish pink, sent to help the Great Devil to take possession of it, and these two vessels uniting again opened a fire on the island and the Philip, which returned it stoutly, as did also the battery on land, which was served by Canadians, naturally good hunters and soldiers.
CHAPTER IV.
ARRIVAL OF A FRENCH SQUADRON AT DAUPHIN ISLAND-SECOND CAPTURE OF PENSACOLA BY THE FRENCH.
THINGS were in this state, when a squadron of five vessels appeared, four bearing Spanish colors, the smallest having French colors hoisted but not unfurled,* as if it were a prize taken by the others which seemed to belong to the king of Spain. In fact, they were really taken for Spanish by the commander and all the French on Dauphin Island, who now thought themselves lost men, the more so as the smallest ves- sel with its colors furled was not unknown. It was the store- ship Mary, commanded by an old captain named Japy, a good sailor and brave man, who had often in his voyages been at- tacked by pirates, but had always come off with honor and success.
These vessels were taken for Spanish, not only by the peo- ple of Dauphin island, but also by the enemy, who never for a moment doubted their being ships of their country coming from Vera Cruz or Havana, so much so that two Spanish offi- cers let down a boat, and with seven sailors went on board the
· This fleet arrived before Dauphin Island on the Ist September, 1719 .- See Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. iii., p. 65.
·
10
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
vessel that bore the pennant. But we may say, that like the moth they went to burn themselves in the candle ; for as soon as they reached the deck they were arrested and made prison- ers. In fact, the whole five vessels were French; the three largest being a royal squadron commanded by M. de Champ- meslin, composed of the Hercules, Mars and Triton; of the other two, the larger was the Union, Captain Mansiliere, the other, fifth, the Mary, both belonging to the company. These vessels brought eight hundred soldiers,* all deserters, who had been ordered out for execution, but obtained his Majesty's pardon on condition of serving these three years in Louisiana. There were also twenty-eight officers, captains, lieutenants and sub-lieutenants, to form them into companies and command them. These five vessels entered with a very slight wind, so that the Mars was for some time compelled to tow the Mary, which was heavy laden and no great sailer; but the wind freshening, he left her to intercept the two Spanish vessels ; but they perceived his intention and retired to Pensacola, where they carried the news of the reinforcements at Dauphin Island. The Mars rejoined the squadron, which dropped the Spanish flag and ran up the French colors, as soon as they an- chored ; then the company's vessel sent their boats ashore with the orders and packages addressed to the commander of the island, who passed in a moment from the kecnest anxiety to the liveliest joy.
The next day, the officers intended to serve in the country landed to salute the commander, who received them extremely well. As for the soldiers on board, they were not landed, but were formed into companies, and the officers arranged accord- ing to their brevets and priority of commissions. The Philip
* This is an error. In this number is also included colonists, and some de- serters.
11
HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF LOUISIANA.
was taken out of the Major's Hole and joined the squadron, taking fresh troops on board; and at last the whole squadron, except the Mary, left before the island as being too heavy, set sail with a favorable wind on the 7th of September, 1719, to retake Pensacola, and rescue from fetters the French soldiers taken prisoners by the Spaniards. The French and Canadian soldiers taken from Dauphin Island, who formed a little army by themselves, were landed near Perdido river* to attack the fort by land, while the squadron sailed on, preceded by a light boat, the Mary, which sounded the pass to enter the port of Pensacola, and put buoys there. The Hercules, which carried the commander, drew twenty-one feet water, and the pass was only twenty-two at the highest tides, so that they despaired of bringing her into the port; but an old Canadian, named Grimeau, an experienced man, who knew the coast perfectly, boasted that he could do it, and succeeded, for which he received let- ters of nobility the next year. After these precautions the Mary entered the port first, followed by the Mars, Triton, Philip, and finally by the Hercules, not, however, without re- ceiving as they passed several volleys from the cannon of the · little fort on Isle St. Rosa. As soon as the squadron was an- chored, a brisk cannonade began on both sides. The French had but five vessels, and had against them two forts and seven sail, which they found in the port. The large fort, indeed, made little resistance, firing only one cannon on the land ar- my ; for the Spanish commander, espying a body of over three hundred Indians, commanded by the Canadian Sieur de St. Denis, a brave officer and cousin of M. de Bienville, and be- lieving himself lost if he fell into their hands, struck his flag and surrendered the place.
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.