USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 10
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the expedition was to be accomplished it would be necessary to land at once and begin operations where they were.
Accordingly, he resolved to make a permanent landing where they were. Orders were given to disembark the colonists and troops on the western shore of Matagorda Bay. The Belle was anchored in the bay without accident on the 18th of February; but the Aimable was intentionally run upon the shoals by her captain, D'Aigron, who had formed a dislike for La Salle. There it remained for three weeks or more, and in the meantime all was saved from her that was possible. Finally a storm tore her in pieces and scattered her along the coast. Barring this wholly unnecessary and criminal accident, the landing was effected suc- cessfully, including the ordnance, stores, colonists, etc. A total of eight iron cannon was landed for the armament of the fort that should be built. About the middle of March, Captain Beau- jeu prepared to return to France, his mission having ceased with the landing of the colonists. Several of the latter, who had become timorous regarding the fate of those who were to remain with La Salle, returned on the vessel with Beaujeu. There had been considerable ill feeling between La Salle and Beaujeu, but at the moment of separation friendly overtures prevailed. It is to be remarked, however, that had it not been for the hostility engendered between them during the voyage, La Salle would not have remained at Matagorda Bay, but would have gone on to the Mississippi as originally intended. Had he done so, the results of the expedition might have been far more successful. As a matter of fact, La Salle should have insisted to be taken to the Mississippi, and to have thrown the responsibility of any other course on the shoulders of Beanjeu. But the nature of La Salle was to make the most of circumstances, without losing sight of his main object. He thought that he could reach the Mississippi from Matagorda Bay without much trouble, or that at the worst could erect a fort where he was, and thus take possession of the coast much farther to the westward, for the benefit of France, than was the mouth of the Mississippi.
Beaujeu was no sooner gone than the colonists set to work to build a fort, largely from the wreck of the ship. The men began to desert-first two and then four or five others; in the meantime La Salle accompanied by about fifty men went up the river at that point to find if it was an arm of the Mississippi, as was sus- pected by some. He left in the fort about one hundred and thirty persons under the command of Henry Joutel. Strict orders were left to have nothing to do with the natives, who, it had been
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learned, were not to be trusted. La Salle reported upon his return that the country above was very rich and abounded in all sorts of wild animals; and announced that he had resolved to build his fort higher up the stream in a much better locality. Preparations were made to secure the necessary timbers, which were cast up by the sea. But many days elapsed before the build- ing was at length completed. For want of better designs, La Salle was himself the architect of the building. "He marked out the lengths, the tenons and mortices and made good the defects of the workmen." To complete it, timber was brought up from the coast. "The timber we brought was a mighty help toward carrying on his design, and much fitter than what we had hewed in the wood with so much labor; so that this timber occa- sioned the raising another structure contiguous to the former. All was covered with planks, and bullocks' hides over them. The apartments were divided, and all of them well covered. The stores had a place apart, and that dwelling had the name of St. Louis given it, as well as the neighboring bay." Several of the men died from one cause or another, and others continued to desert. They named the river on which they erected their fort "La Riviere aux Bœufs," the River of the Bullocks.
Finally, La Salle set out with several men to find the Missis- sippi, leaving Joutel, as before, in command of the fort. He left in his charge, also, "eight pieces of cannon, two hundred fire- locks, as many cutlasses, a hundred barrels of powder, three thou- sand weight of balls, about three hundred weight of other lead, some bars of iron, twenty packs of iron to make nails, some iron work and tools, as hatchets and the like. As for provisions, all that were left me amounted to twenty casks of meal, one cask and a half of wine, three-quarters of a cask of brandy, and for living creatures some few swine, and a cock and a hen." The settlers had sowed some grain, but for unknown reasons it did not grow. Joutel denied afterward the stories told that he was left well supplied, and concerning the fort he said, "there being nothing but the house I have mentioned, palisaded with some old stakes." Joutel was left in charge of thirty-four persons, men, women, and children. He soon built another little wooden structure, "and in it I lodged the women and maidens by themselves." He says, "We were in about the twenty-seventh degree of north latitude, two leagues up the country (evidently from the sea-coast), near the Bay of St. Louis and the bank of the river aux Boeufs, on a little hillock, whence we discovered vast and beautiful plains, extending very far to the westward, all level and full of greens,
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which afford pastures to an infinite number of beeves and other creatures. Turning from the west to the southward there appeared other plains adorned with several little woods of various sorts of trees. Towards the south and east were the bay and the plains that hem it in from the east. To the northward was the river running along by a little hill, beyond which there were other large plains."
Finally, La Salle returned about the middle of March, 1686. He had gone far up the river, had discovered several others, but had not found the Mississippi. After fully recovering from the effects of the journey, he resolved to try again to find the Missis- sippi, or as Joutel calls it, "the fatal Mississippi." He took twenty men with him. While he was gone their only remaining sea-going vessel "Belle" was also run upon the shoals, and in the end proved a loss. Constant encounters were had with the natives. The settlers managed to live pretty comfortably upon buffaloes, fish and wild fowls. La Salle returned some time in August, bringing with him five horses which he had obtained from the Indians. He had traveled over a large portion of what is now northeastern Texas, had made friends with the Cenis Indians and others, but still had not found the Mississippi. Only eight of the twenty men who had gone out with him returned. It seems that at this time La Salle had in view the journey to the Illinois country, and thence to Canada, for the purpose of securing suc- cor for his colony. While others were repining, he was cheer- ful and took all the misfortunes as a matter to be expected and affably met. Joutel says of him, "The even temper of our chief made all men easy, and lie found by his great vivacity of spirit expedients which revived the lowest ebb of hope." Finally, he set out for the Illinois, intending to find the Mississippi on his way there .. He left Sieur Barbier in charge of the settlement. Joutel accompanied him, and the start was made January 12, 1687. They left behind about thirty persons, and La Salle took with him the following: M. Cavelier, his brother, Father Anastasius, the priest, MM. Moranget and Cavelier, the nephews of La Salle, the Sieurs Dehaut, the elder L'Arcleveque, Hiens, Liotot the surgeon, young Talon, an Indian, and a footman, Saget, besides enough more to make a total of seventeen persons. Deaths and desertions had reduced the colony to such an extent, that one of the principal objects of the attempt to reach Canada was to secure a fresh ship-load of colonists. They started northeastward, crossing many rivers, large and small and, through the skill and presence of Ia Salle, appearing upon friendly terms with the
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Indian tribes encountered. Finally about the 20th of March, when in the vicinity probably of the present Bryan, Texas, a con- spiracy was formed for the death of La Salle on the ground of revenge for alleged wrongs inflicted by liim on several of his men. According to Joutel, who was present, the fatal shot that ended the life of La Salle, was fired by Dehaut, who shot him through the head, killing him instantly. The murderers stripped the body and left it in the bushes for the beasts or birds of prey.
Thus died a remarkable man. He possessed exceptional abili- ties, which would have ranked hin high in any walk of life. He was devoted to the cause of France, and his death resulted from the hazardous risks he took to attach the Mississippi val- ley, in fact all of the Louisiana Purchase, to the colonies of his king. Often to carry his measures through it was necessary for him to call the rough and lawless men under him sharply to account. He thus offended many. If he possessed one fault, it was that of being too irascible, and of thus incurring the ill-will of men who likewise had ideas of their own as to how he should conduct his affairs. But the greatness of his character and the glory of his death in the line of duty shine high over all. He was pure, truthful, loyal ; and mainly through his instrumentality the Louisiana Purchase became a colony of France and not one of Spain or Great Britain. He really accomplished in a large degree what he undertook-the occupation of the Mississippi val- ley by the French.
· After the death of La Salle the murderers took charge of his effects. 'l'o save themselves from the same fate, the others sub- mitted to their dictation, and all continued on their journey forty leagues farther to the northeast, or until they reached the village of the Cenis in the vicinity of the present Nacogdoches, Texas. They everywhere found evidences of the presence of the Span- iards farther to the west. Among the Cenis were found several Frenchmen, Buter and Grollet, who had deserted from La Salle on his first expedition, and were living naked like the Indians. They were now in northeast Texas. While here a disagreement arose as to the route to be taken. The murderers did not dare to go on to the Mississippi, while the others wished to do so. Hiens, a German by birth, who had been a buccaneer, finally formed a combination against the murderers, and in an alterca- tion shot Dehaut dead. As he and his companions desired to remain with the Indians, the effects were divided, and Fathers Joutel, Anastasius, Cavelier, young Cavelier, Sieur de Marle, Teissier and Bartholomew, with six horses and three Indians for
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guides, set out alone in a northeast direction for the Mississippi. After a while they reached the allied nation on Red River- Assouis (or Nassonis), Nachitos ( Nachitoches ), and Cadoda- quois, arriving at the village of the latter sub-tribe near Texar- kana. They passed eastward through the present Louisiana, reached the nation of the Cahaynohonas, and learned that the Cappas, for whom they inquired, were on the big river still farther to the eastward. They continued their journey amid great hard- ships until they finally came to the Arkansas villages on the Mis- sissippi, and there discovered Tonty's post and three of the men he had left there-Coutoure, Charpentier and DeLaunay. Here they left young Bartholomew, but the others continued on to the Illinois country, where they met Tonty, and then on to Canada.
As soon as the Spaniards learned of the building of Fort St. Louis on St. Bernard's Bay, they resolved to destroy it and break up the French settlement there. Accordingly, an army of five hundred men was sent to the nation of the Cenis, where they found the two Frenchmen, James Grollet and John L'Archeveque, and took them prisoners. A few days later another body of two hundred Spaniards arrived, bringing with them Peter Talon and one Mêmier, who had belonged to the La Salle fort, but had been captured by the bloody Clamcoets, the Indians residing in the - vicinity of St. Bernard's Bay. A short time after the departure of La Salle, these Indians, partly by means of friendly overtures and partly by strategy and treachery, had overcome the small force at the fort, and massacred all except the three sons of Talon, their sister, a Parisian named Eustace D'Bremen, and one Mêmier, whom they took to their villages and reduced to slav- ery. All were finally freed and found their way to civilization. The bodies of those killed at the fort were left unburied and were found by the Spaniards who later came there. With the Span- ish army above mentioned were several Franciscan friars, sent out to reside among the C'enis and to hold the country against the French. A fort was built and a small garrison left to guard the rights of Spain, and the army, having no occasion to go to St. Bernard Bay, returned to Mexico. The two Frenchmen named above, who were living among the Cenis, were prevailed upon to remain there in the interests of Spain, which they could readily do, being deserters from the French expeditions.
The post which had been established by Tonty seems to have been situated on the east bank of the Arkansas river, but near its mouth. The men in charge had erected a large cross, which was the first object noticed by Fathers Joutel, Cavelier and
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Anastasius, as they approached from the west. Seeing across the river that emblem of their faith in the wilderness, they knelt on the sand and thanked God for their great joy. White men came across the river in boats and conveyed them over and made them comfortable during their stay. Joutel writes, "It is hard to express the joy conceived on both sides ; ours was unspeakable, for having at last found what we had so earnestly desired, and that the hopes of returning to our dear country were in some measure assured by that happy discovery. The others were pleased to see such persons as might bring them news of that commander, from whom they expected the performance of what he had promised them ; but the account we gave them of M. de la Salle's unfortunate death was so afflicting that it drew tears from them, and the dismal history of liis troubles and disasters ren- dered them almost inconsolable. We were informed by them (the men at Tonty's post), that they had been six, sent by M. Tonty, when he returned from the voyage he had made down the Colbert or Mississippi river, pursuant to the orders sent him by the late M. de la Salle, at his departure from France, and that the said Sieur Tonty had commanded them to build the aforesaid house. That having never since received any news from the said M. de la Salle, four of them were gone back to M. Tonty at the fort of the Illinois."
The Arkansas nation consisted of four principal . villages : Assotoué or Otsotchove or Osotome (near which was Tonty's post ), Torriman, Tongenga and Cappa. The first two were apparently on or near the Arkansas river, but near its mouth, while the second two were on the Mississippi, according to Joutel. Tonty says of the Assotoue that "they lived on a branch of the river coming from the west," evidently on the Arkansas, or one of its lower branches. Joutel, Cavelier and their party left with Coutoure all their horses, for which they had no further use, fif- teen pounds of powder, eight hundred balls, three hundred flints, twenty-six knives, ten axes, several pounds of beads, some linen cloth, and other articles not needed. That the village of Asso- toué was not situated on the main channel of the Mississippi is shown by the following extract from Joutel's journal: "The remaining part of the day was spent in going with Sieur Coutoure to see the fatal river so much sought after by us, called Colbert when first discovered, and Mississippi or Mechassippi by the natives that were near us. It is a very fine river and deep; the breadth of it about a quarter of a league and the stream very rapid. The Sieur de Coutoure assured us that it.has two branches
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or channels which parted from each other above us, and that we had passed its other branch when we came to the first village of the Arkansas, with which nation we still were." From this state- ment, it would seem that Assotoute was on a western bend of the Mississippi, and not on the Arkansas, though near it. The early maps show it situated on an island at the mouth of the Arkansas. But it must have been some distance from the main channel of the Mississippi.
In 1686 Sieur de Tonty having learned that La Salle had sailed from France for the mouth of the Mississippi, resolved to join him. He was now at Fort St. Louis ( Starved Rock on the Illi- nois river). He says, "I departed thence on the 16th of Febru- ary, 1686, with thirty Frenchmen and five Illinois and Chawanons (probably Shawanese, a nation supposed to be the remnant of the Eries, who had been almost totally destroyed by the Iroquois) for the sea, which I reached in Holy Week. After having passed the above named nations, I was very well received. I sent out two canoes, one towards the coast of Mexico and the other towards Carolina to see if they could discover anything. They each sailed about thirty leagues, but proceeded no farther for want of fresh water. They reported that where they had been the land began to rise. They brought me a porpoise and some oysters. As it would take us five months to reach the French settlements, I proposed to my men that if they would trust to me to follow the coast as far as Manhatte ( Manhattan, New York), that by this means they should arrive shortly at Montreal ; that we should not lose our time, because we might discover some fine country, and might even take some booty on our way. Part of my men were willing to adopt my plan; but as the rest were opposed to it, I decided to return the way I came. The tide does not rise more than two feet perpendicularly on the sea coast, and the land is very low at the entrance of the river. We encamped in the place where M. de la Salle had erected the arms of the King. As they had been thrown down by the floods, I took them five leagues further up and placed them in a higher situation. I put a silver ecu in the hollow of a tree to serve as a mark of time and place.
"We left this place on Easter Monday. When we came oppo- site the Quinipissas village the chiefs brought me the calumet, and declared the sorrow they felt at the treachery they had per- petrated against me on our first voyage. I made an alliance with them. Forty leagues higher up, on the right, we discovered a village inland, with the inhabitants of which we also made an
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alliance. These are the Oumas, the bravest savages of the river. When we were at Arkansas, ten of the Frenchimen who accom- panied me asked for a settlement on the river Arkansas, on a seignory that M. de la Salle had given me on our first voyage. I granted the request to some of them. They remained there to build a house surrounded with stakes. The rest accompanied me to Illinois, in order to get what they wanted. I arrived there (Illinois) on St. John's Day (June 24)."
Sieur de Tonty thus failed to find La Salle, but he established the first colony of the French in the Louisiana Purchase about the first of June, 1686. Part of the men who had asked for the settlement remained at their house on the Arkansas, while the others went on to the Illinois to get necessary supplies, tools, etc., and no doubt returned as soon as possible. Later, Tonty says, "On the 7th of April, 1688, one ( Frenchman) named Contoure brought to me two Akansas, who danced the calumet. They informed me of the death of M. de la Salle, with all the circum- stances which they had heard from the lips of M. Cavelier, who had fortunately discovered the house I had built at Arkansas, where the said Coutoure stayed with three Frenchmen, He told me that the fear of not obtaining from me what he desired liad made him (M. Cavelier) conceal the death of his brother, but that he had told them of it. M. Cavelier (had) told me that the Cadodaquis had proposed to accompany him if he would go and fight against the Spaniards. He had objected on account of there being only fourteen Frenchmen. They replied that their nation was numerous, that they only wanted a few musqueteers, and that the Spaniards had much money, which they (the French) should take; and as for themselves they only wished to keep the women and children as slaves. Coutoure told me that a young man whom M. Cavelier had left at Arkansas had assured him that this was very true. I would not undertake anything without the con- sent of the Governor of Canada. I sent the said Coutoure to the French remaining at Nicondiché (Nachitoches) to get all the information he could. Hle set off, and at one hundred leagues from the fort was wrecked, and having lost everything returned."
In 1688 the Sieur de Tonty, learning that war had been declared by France against Spain, resolved to go to "Nacondiché ( Nachitoches) "to execute what M. Cavelier had ventured to undertake and to bring back M. de la Salle's men, who were on the sea-coast not knowing of the misfortune that had befallen him." He embarked five Frenchmen, one Chawanon, and two slaves, and reached the mouth. of the Illinois October 17, 1688.
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On January 16, he reached the village of the Cappas down the Mississippi, on the 20th reached Tongenga and on the 22d, Torre- mans (these were the Arkansas villages otherwise spelled by Tonty Toyengan and Toriman). Leaving my crew ( at Torre- mans) I set off the next day for Assotoue, where my commercial house is." This was the house above mentioned which he had ordered built for the ten men of his seignory, below the mouth of the Arkansas river. He refers to it as "the house I had built at Arkansas." This was really a small manor, of which he was the lord. "The savages had not yet seen me, as they lived on a branch of the river coming from the west. They did their best, giving me two women of the Cadodaquis nation, to whom I was going."
From this admission, it is clear that his paramount intention was to join the Cadodaquis in an attack on the Spaniards, as had been suggested to M. Cavelier. From the 22d of January to about the 12th of February, he made his preparations at the vil- lages of Cappa, Torremans, Tongenga, and Assortone, etc., and finally rendezvoused at a point on what is now the Tensas river. "We set off on the 12th (of February, 1690,) with twelve Taencas, and after a voyage of twelve leagues to the northwest, we left our boat and made twenty leagnes portage, and on the 17th of February came to Nachitoches. They made us stay at the place, which is in the midst of the three villages called Nachitochies, Ouasita (Washita), and ('apiche." Thus, it appears that Tonty went up the Tensas, or perhaps the Washita river some distance, thence left his boat and journeyed across to Red river and up the same to Nachitoches. He remained here several days and then departed for Yataches ( Yattasse). About eighty miles up Red river from Nachitoches he found fifteen cabins of the Natchez, and about one hundred miles farther up reached Yataches, arriv- ing there the 16th of March. Standing there together were three villages-Yataches, Nadas, and Choye. Here .he was feasted and given guides to the Cadodaquis, but much against their will. The Cadodaquis nation still higher up Red river was reached on the 28th of March.
He says, "During the time I was there, I learned from them that eighty leagues off were the seven Frenchmen whom M. Cav- elier had left. I hoped to finish my troubles by rejoining them, but the Frenchmen who accompanied me would go no further. They were unmanageable persons, over whom I could exercise no authority in this distant country. I was obliged to give way. All that I could do was to engage one of them, with a savage, to
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accompany me to the village of Naoudiche, where I hoped to find the seven Frenchmen. I told those who abandoned me that to prevent the savages knowing this, it was best to say that I had sent them away to carry back the news of my arrival, so that the savages would not suspect our disunion. The Cadodaquis are united with two other villages called Natchitoches and Nassoui (or Assoui) situated on Red river. All the nations of this tribe speak the same language. Their cabins are covered with straw, and they are not united in villages, but their huts are distant one from the other. Their fields are beautiful. They fish and hunt. There is plenty of game, but few cattle (boeufs). The Cadoda- quis possess about thirty horses, which they call cavali (from Spanish caballo, a horse). They call this the Red river, because in fact it deposits a sand which makes the water as red as blood.
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