USA > Louisiana > The history of Louisiana : from the earliest period, Volume I > Part 21
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Villardo, a new director, with two hundred passen- gers, arrived with Clampmeslin.
A council of war was held on board of the Count's ship, in which it was determined to attack Pensaco- la. Two hundred soldiers were accordingly taken on board of the fleet, and the anchors were weighed on the fifteenth. Bienville sat off at the same time from Mobile, by land, with the same number of soldi- ers and about one hundred Indians; those on Dau- phine Island having gone in the fleet. Having invest- ed the fort, he hoisted a white flag, a signal precon- certed with Champmeslin, who immediately brought the naval force into the harbour. The main fort did
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not fire a single gun ; the small one was defended for a couple of hours. The shipping made a brisk but unsuccessful resistance. The Indians were allowed to pillage the main fort; but were prevented from scalping any one.
When the Spanish commodore presented his sword to Champmeslin, the latter immediately girt it on him, saying he deserved to wear it. The comman- der of the land forces was treated in a different man- ner; Champmeslin ordered a common sailor to re- ceive his sword, and reprimanded the Spaniard for his want of courage; saying he did not deserve to serve his king.
The Spaniards lost many men, the French six on- ly. The number of prisoners made was eighteen hundred.
The hope had been entertained that a large supply of provisions and ammunition would have been found in the forts; but it turned out they had provisions for a fortnight only. The discovery induced Champ- meslin to hasten the departure of his prisoners. The officer, who carried them to Havana, was direct- ed to bring back all the French prisoners there, and in order to insure their return, the field officers lately taken were detained as hostages.
A brig laden with corn, flour and brandy, sent from Havana to supply the fleet, which was expected from Vera Cruz, entered the harbour of Pensacola on the twenty-eighth, having mistaken the shipping in it for that of her nation. Her captain reported that, when he sailed, it was confidently believed in the island of Cuba, that the Spanish flag was flying in every fort of Louisiana.
Early in October, a brig from Vera Cruz arrived with six hundred sacks of flour, and afterwards a smal- ler vessel from the same port. They were both de-
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ceived by the Spanish flag, which was kept flying over the forts, for this purpose.
The French fleet sailed on the twenty-third ; De- lisle, a lieutenant of the king's ships, was left in com- mand at Pensacola. Of forty deserters, who were found with the Spaniards, twelve were hung on board of the ships : the others were condemned to hard la- bour for the benefit of the company.
The directors in France having drawn the atten- tion of the king, to the alterations which the new or- der of things required in the organization of the supe- rior council of Louisiana, this tribunal had been new modelled ; and by an edict of the month of Septem- ber it had been ordered that it should be composed of such directors of the company, as might be in the province, the commandant-general, a senior counsel- lor, the king's two lieutenants, three other counsel- lors, an attorney-general and a clerk.
The quorum was fixed at three members in civil, and five in criminal, cases. Those present were au- thorised to call in some of the most notable inhabi- tants, to form a quorum, in case of the absence or le- gitimate excuse of the others. Judgments, in origin- al, as in appellate cases, were to be in the last resort, and without costs. The sessions were to be monthly.
Hitherto the council had been the sole tribunal in the colony. The suitors had no other to which they could resort. The increasing extension of the po- pulation demanded that judges should be dispersed in the several parts of the province. The directors of the company, or its agents in the distant parts, with two of the most notable inhabitants of the neighbour- hood, in civil, and four in criminal cases, were con- stituted inferior tribunals. Their judgments, though subject to an appeal to the superior council, were car-
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ried into immediate-but provisional execution, not- withstanding. but without prejudice to, the appeal.
The gentlemen who composed the first superior council under this edict. were Bienville. as command- ant-general, Hubert, as senior counsellor, Boisbriant and Chateaugué, as the king's lieutenants, L'Arch- ambault, Villardo and Legas, as puisne counsellors ; Cartier de Baune was the attorney-general, and Cou- ture the clerk.
Although the commandant-general occupied the first seat in the council, the senior counsellor perform- ed the functions of president of that tribunal. He collected the votes and pronounced the judgments : and in provisory instances, as the affixing of seals, inventories and the like, the duties of a judge of the first instance were discharged by him.
The hope of acquiring riches, by the discovery of mines, had not yielded to the experience of up- wards of twenty years ; and the people of the Illinois thought their country possessed valuable ores, and their time was more engrossed by search after them than the tillage of the earth. On their application, an engineer, who was supposed to be skilled in mine- ralogy, was sent late in the fall to that distant part of the colony.
The desire of Bienville to remove the seat of go- vernment, and the head quarters of the troops, to the spot he had selected on the Mississippi for a city, was opposed by the other military officers, by Hubert and the directors of the company's concerns. An extraordinary rise of the Mississippi, this year. seem- ed to present an insuperable obstacle to his project : as the colony did not possess the means of raising at once the dykes or levees necessary to protect the place from the inundation of the stream, the idea was for the present abandoned. Hubert thought the
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chief establishment of the province should be in the country of the Natchez : but, as he had obtained a large grant of land there, his predilection for this part of the country was attributed to private motives, and he found no adherent. L'Archambault, Villardo and Legas, whose views were more commercial than agri- cultural, joined in the opinion to remove the seat of government to a spot on the sea shore, on the east side of the bay of Biloxi. This opinion prevailed ; and Valdelure led there a detachment to be employed in erecting houses and barracks. The place was af- terwards known as the New Biloxi.
Dutisne, who had been sent to explore the country of the Missouris, Osages and Panoucas, now return- ed, and made a report to Bienville.
He had ascended the Mississippi as far as the bay- ou des Salines, which is six miles from the Kaskaskias, and ninety from the Missouri. He afterwards travel- - led through stony hills well timbered, crossing sever- al streams which flow into the Missouri. He reckon- ed there were three hundred and fifty miles from the salines to the principal village of the Osages, which stood on a hill, at the distance of five miles from the river of this name. It contained about one hundred cabins, and nearly double that number of warriors. These Indians spent but a small part of the year in their villages, hunting to a great distance through the woods, during the other part. About one hundred and, twenty miles from the Osages, in a prairie coun- try, abounding with buffaloes, he found the first vil- lage of the Panionkes, which had one hundred and thirty cabins, and he estimated the number of their warriors at two hundred and fifty. They had ano- ther village, nearly of the same size, about four miles further. There were near these two villages above three hundred horses, which these Indians appeared r.OU. I.
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to prize much. The Pawonees were at the distance of four hundred and fifty miles. There was a saline of rock salt at about fifty miles from the Panoussas.
- He had noticed mines of lead and ores of other me- tals, near the villages of the Osages. The villages of the Missouris were at the distance of three hundred and fifty yards from the mouth of the river, which bears their name, and those of the Osages, about ninety miles farther.
He formally took possession of the countries of these Indians, in the name of the king, and erected posts with his arms, in testimonial of it.
Delochon, a gentleman who had been recommend- ed by the directors for his skill in mineralogy, had been sent to the Marameg, a river that falls into the Mississippi, a little above the Missouri, and on the same side. He obtained some ore, at a place point- ed out by the Indians, and asserted, that a pound of it had produced two penny weights of silver. On his return to Mobile, he had been sent back with a num- ber of workmen; and the process being repeated on a very large scale, a few thousand pounds of very in- ferior lead' were obtained. It was believed he had been guilty of a gross imposition.
Accounts were received from Europe that the wes- teru and the eastern companies had been united: the aggregate body preserving the name of the former. The new directors sent positive orders to Bienville to remove the head quarters of the colony to Biloxi : an unfortunate step, as the land there is a barren soil, absolutely incapable of culture; the anchorage un- safe. and the coast of difficult access.
The directors sent for publication in the province, a proclamation of theirs. notifying the prices, at which goods were to be obtained in the company's stores at Mobile, Dauphine Island and Pensacola. To these
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prices an advance of five per cent. was to be added on goods. delivered at New Orleans, ten at the Nat- chez. thirteen at the Yazous, twenty at Natchitoches, and fifty at the Illinois and on the Missouri.
The produce of the country was to be received in the company's warehouses in New Orleans, Biloxi, Ship Island and Mobile at the following rates. Silk, according to quality, from one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars the pound; tobacco of the best kind, five dollars the hundred, rice four, superfine flour. three, wheat two dollars ; barley and oats ninety cents the hundred weight; deer skins, from fifteen to twen- ty five ; dressed, without head or tail, thirty ; hides eight cents the pound.
In the beginning of the year, de la Harpe arrived from Red river. He had established a post at the Cadodaquious, and explored the country around.
Having ascended Red river, as far as the Natchi- toches, with fifty men, in two boats and three pi- rogues, he found Blondel in command at the fort. Fa- ther Manuel, a friar of the Spanish mission of the Adayes, had come on a visit. On an island near the fort, were about two hundred individuals of the Nat- chitoches, Dulcinoes and Yatassee tribes.
Don Martin de Alacorne, governor of the province of Texas, had lately gone to Rio del Norte, after having established several missions, and built a fort on a bay, which he called del Spiritu Santo, near the rivers Guadaloupe and St. Mark; and was expected to return and establish a mission at the Cadodaqui- ons. Laharpe, anxious to pre-occupy the ground, left the fort of Natchitoches and ascended Red river to the Nassonites, who dwelt at the distance of four hundred and fifty miles. The Indians, in these parts, the Cadodaquious and Yatassees, apprised of his ap- proach, had prepared an entertainment, to which they
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invited him and his officers. Large quantities of smoked beef and fish had been provided. A pro- found silence prevailed; the Indians deeming it unci- vil to address their guests, till they are perfectly at rest or begin the conversation; Laharpe waited till his hosts had satisfied their appetites, and then in- formed them, through his interpreter, that the great chief of the French on the Mississippi, of whose mind he was the bearer, apprised of the war the Chicka- saws waged against them, had sent him and some other warriors, to dwell in their country, and protect them against their enemies.
An old Cadodaquiou now rose and observed the time was now come for them to change their mourn- ful mood for scenes of joy : several of his countrymen had been killed, and others made prisoners; so that his nation was greatly reduced ; but the arrival of the French was about to prevent its utter destruction. He concluded they should return thanks to the great spirit, whose wrath was no doubt appeased, and yield every possible assistance to the French, as his nation well knew that the Naoudishes and other wandering tribes had given them peace since the arrival of some of the French, under Lasalle.
Laharpe, desiring information as to the nearest Spanish settlements, and the nighbouring tribes of In- dians, was apprised that southerly, at the distance of thirty miles, were the Assinais, and one hundred and twenty miles from these the Nadocoes. The Spaniards had lately sent friars and soldiers among these two tribes, whose villages could not be ap- proached by land, except in the lowest waters ; as a river was to be crossed, which, in the wet season, inundated the country to a large extent. At the dis- tance of one hundred and eighty miles, on the left side of the river, were wandering tribes of Indians.
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who were at war with the Cadays, in the neighbour- hood of whom the Spaniards had a mission.
Laharpe purchased the cabin of one of the chiefs, near the river and on the left side of it. The country was flat; but at the distance of one or two miles from `the river, were bluffs, and behind these wide prairies. The soil was black, though sandy, and along the stream very suitable to the cultivation of tobacco, in- digo, cotton, corn and other grains. The Indians said they sowed corn in April, and gathered it in July. The most common trees were the copalm, willow, elm, .
red and white oak, laurel and plum. The woods abounded in vines, and the prairies were full of straw- berries, cranberries and wild purslain.
Laharpe employed his men at first in erecting a large and strong blockhouse, in which he was assist- ed by the Indians. By repeated observations, he found it in latitude 33. 35. and he reckoned it was distant, in a straight way from the fort of Natchitoch- es, two hundred and fifty miles.
Don Martin de Alacorne having in the mean while returned to the neighbourhood, Laharpe despatched a corporal of his garrison, who spoke the language of several tribes of Indians, with a letter, soliciting Don Martin's friendship and correspondence, and tender- ing any service in his power ; informing him he had it in charge to seek every opportunity of opening a trade with the Spaniards. Laharpe, at the same time addressed Father Marsello, the superior of the missi- onaries in the province of Texas, begging his friend- ship, and offering a correspondence, advantageous to the mission-observing, the conversion of the Indi- ans ought to engage the attention of all good christi- ans; and as some assistance might be useful, in ena- bling his reverence successfully to preach the gospel in these parts, and enlist the Indians under the banner
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of the cross, he suggested the father should write to his friends in Mexico and Bocca de Leon, that they' would find, at Natchitoches and the Nassonites, any kind of European goods they might have occasion for, on very good terms. He concluded by assuring the holy man, he would be allowed a handsome commis- sion on any sale effected through his aid.
By the return of the corporal, Don Martin recipro- cated Laharpe's offers of service; but expressed his surprise at the occupation by the French, of a ter- ritory, which he observed made a part of the vice- royalty of Mexico. He requested Laharpe, to make it known to his chief, that the necessity of using force to remove the detachment might be averted.
The father's reply was of a different cast. He wrote that, as the proposed correspondence was tendered on principles of religion, charity and esteem, he cheerfully accepted it, and would apprise his friends of Laharpe's arrival and views. He added, that, as it did not become the clergy to be concerned in trade, he had to request the correspondence might be kept secret ; especially as he was not on very good terms with Don Martin, who, he intimated, would probably be soon removed.
· Laharpe expressed to the latter, he was astonished at the assertion, that the post, just occupied by the French, was within the government of Mexico, as he and his countrymen had always considered the whole country, which the Spaniards called the province of Texas, as part of Louisiana, of which Lasalle had taken possession thirty-six years before. He added. he had never understood till now, that the pretentions of Spain had ever been extended to the east of Rio Bravo; all the rivers, flowing into the Mississippi being the property of France, with all the country they watered.
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There was at the distance of thirty miles to the northwest of the spot occupied by the French, a salt spring, from which they obtained four hundred weight of salt.
A Dulcino Indian, coming from Natchitoches, in- formed the Nassouites, the French were at war with the Spaniards, and the Natchitoches were desirous to be joined by the Nassonites. to assist the French. These Indians replied they would not join in any act of hostility; but they would defend the French, if they were attacked.
Moulet and Durivage, two officers of Laharpe's detachment, having gone on a journey of discovery, met, at the distance of one hundred and eighty miles from the Nassonites, on Red river, parts of several wandering tribes, by whom they were well received. These Indians had lately destroyed part of the Cansey nation, who had eleven villages on the head of that river, near which the Spaniards had a settle- ment and worked mines. In high water, the villages were accessible by the river. Presents were made by the two Frenchmen to these Indians, whom they endeavoured to induce to remove to the neighbour- hood of the Nassonites, to settle in villages and plant corn. They were about two thousand-had no per- manent residence; but went out in large parties, erecting huts, in the shape of a dome, and covered with hides.
On the return of these officers, Laharpe, finding his post had nothing to apprehend, made with two others, half a dozen soldiers and a few Indians, an excursion to the northeast. He loaded eleven horses, with goods and provisions, and journeyed to the Washitas and Arkansas. He met with a friendly reception from these Indians, and entered into alli- ance with them. He took possession of their country,
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in the name of his sovereign, and in token of it erected posts with the escutcheon of France. Having dis- posed of his goods, on very advantageous terms, he doated down the Arkansas river to the Mississippi, and reached Biloxi through Bayou Manchac and the lakes.
The Chickasaws, excited by the British in South Carolina, began a war against the French colonists. The first act of hostility was the murder of Sorvidal, an officer whom Bienville had sent among these In- dians. This circumstance rendered an increase of population quite welcome. A fleet, commanded by commodore Saugeon, in the month of February, brought five hundred and eighty-two passengers, among whom, were a number of females from the hospital-general of Paris.
The settlement at the Illinois began to thrive, many families having come thither from Canada; and Boisbriant, who commanded there, removed its prin- cipal establishment to the bank of the Mississippi, twenty-five miles below the Kaskaskia village.
The company having represented to the king, that the planters of Louisiana had been enabled by the introduction of a great number of negroes, to clear and cultivate large tracts of land, and that there had been a great migration of his subjects and foreigners, who had been employed in the tillage of the ground ; so that, the planters found it no longer their interest to employ vagabonds or convicts; as these people were idle and dissolute, and less disposed to labour. than to corrupt the poorer white inhabitants, the negroes and Indians, the transportation of vagabonds and convicts, to Louisiana, was forbidden by an ar- rest of the king's council, of the ninth of May.
Two line of battle ships came in the latter part of June, from Toulon. They were in great distress :
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Caffaro, the commodore, and most of their crews had fallen victims to the plague, which some sailors in these ships, who had come from Marseilles, had com- municated to the others: that city being ravaged by pestilence, brought there by a ship from Seyde, in the Levant. Father Laval, a Jesuit, royal professor. of hydrography in the college of Toulou, had, by the king's order, taken passage on board of this fleet, with directions to make astronomical observations in Louisiana. The chaplains of the ships having died, the father, considering science an object of minor consideration to a minister of the altar, thought it his duty to bestow all his time in administering spiritual relief to the sick, who for a long time, were very numerous, and he sailed back with the ships. +
The settlement of Natchitoches was now in a pros- perous situation, though weakened by the migration of some of the settlers, who had gone northerly in the hope of enriching themselves, by a trade with the Spaniards. This chimerical hope prevented atten- tion to the culture of the land. Bienville now receiv- ed the king's order, to send St. Denys to command there, and Chateaugue, who had gone to France from Havana, came in these ships, with the appointment of king's lieutenant in Louisiana, and succeeded St. Denys, in the command of the fort at Mobile. He had, on his way back, touched at the Havana, from whence he brought the French prisoners taken at Pensacola.
One of the company's ships arrived from the coast of Africa, and landed five hundred negroes.
The ill success which had attended every attempt to work the mines that had been discovered in Louis- iana, was attributed to the want of skill, in those who had been employed, rather than to the poverty of the ore, and the colonial government received orders to LOU. I. 29
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engage Don Antonio, a Spaniard, who had been taken at Pensacola, and said he had worked in the mines of Mexico. The hope of obtaining gold from Louis- iana could not be easily abandoned in France; the Spaniard was sent up at a great expense, but did not succeed better than Lochon.
In the meanwhile, Bienville exerted himself, to in- duce his red allies to attack the Chickasaws. He met with considerable difficulty. Part of the Choc- taws had been gained by the British : the Alibamons complained that the French allowed them less for their skins, than their rivals at Charleston, and sold their goods much dearer. He at last succeeded with the Choctaws, and obtained a promise of neutrality from the Alibamons, and a passage for his men through their country. Pailloux was instructed to secure the aid of the Natchez and Yazous.
The colony received a very large increase of po- pulation, during the summer and fall. A company ship brought sixty settlers of the grant of St. Cathe- rine, under the order of Beaumanoir, into the country of the Natchez. They were followed by two hun- dred and fifty others, under the orders of Bouteux. Delonne, who had lately been appointed director- general, landed at Mobile with a company of infan- try, sixty settlers of the grant of Guiche, and one hundred and fifty of that of St. Reine. In another ship, Latour. a brigadier general of engineers, and a knight of St. Louis, accompanied by Pauge, led fifty workmen, and Boispinel and Chaville, two offi- cers of the same corps, arrived soon after, with two hundred and fifty settlers, of the grant of Leblanc and his associates.
The plan of settling the bay of St. Bernard, on the west of the Mississippi, was still a favorite object in France, and Bienville received, by these vessels, the
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instructions of the directors of the company, to begin an establishment there immediately. They expressed their apprehension. that his delay might defeat their plans, and the bay be occupied by the Spaniards; and, lest their injunction might be overlooked, they had procured the king's special order to Bienville, for that purpose. This project was viewed in a differ- ent light in Louisiana; the great distance from the other settlements, which were already too spare ; the shallowness of the water near the coast, which prevented large vessels from approaching, the bar- renness of the country, the difficulty of protecting, and even communicating with, it, the small means of defence, the colonial government had at command, and the thin population of the province, appeared to forbid the extension of settlements to the west of the Mississippi. None of the colonial officers entertained a different opinion.
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