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M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01053 4714
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofmissour02houc
A HISTORY OF MISSOURI
A HISTORY
OF
MISSOURI
FROM THE EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS UNTIL THE ADMIS- SION OF THE STATE INTO THE UNION
BY LOUIS HOUCK
VOLUME II
CHICAGO R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY 1908
COPYRIGHTED, 1908 BY LOUIS HOUCK
The Lakeside Press R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY CHICAGO
1254228
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XII
PAGE . I
St. Louis - Trading Privilege of Maxent, Laclede & Company - Pierre Laclede Liguest - Madame Chouteau and Children - Voyage from New Orleans to Fort de Chartres - Site of St. Louis Selected by Laclede as a Trading Post - Foundation of St. Louis - His Prophecy - French Immigration to "Laclede's Village" or "Paincourt"- Common-fields of St. Louis -Visit of Indian Band, 1764-Peorias Build a Village - Land Allot- ments Made by Laclede-Jurisdiction and Authority of St. Ange-Early Grants Made by St. Ange- Piernas the Spanish Lieutenant-Governor Arrives-Survey of Town Lots and Common-fields Ordered and St. Ange's Grants Confirmed- Oldest Recorded Document in St. Louis; First Mortgage Recorded; First Child Born; First Marriage; First Death Recorded; First Cemetery - Early Physicians- Cost of House of Dr. Valleau - First grist-mill - Administration of Don Francesco Cruzat - Inadequate Money Supply - Administration of Don Fernando de Leyba -Death of Laclede - War Declared between Spain and England - Gratiot's Trading Boat Pillaged by British and Indians- Indian Attack on St. Louis Planned by British Officials - English-Indian Forces Attack St. Louis, May, 1780- Death of DeLeyba - Second Administration of Cruzat-Expedition under Capt. Pourèe Invades British Territory East of River-Cool and Daring Exploit of Pourèe's Cook in Retaking Boat and Crew from Robbers-Great Flood of 1785-Administration of Don Manuel Perez-Of Don Zenon Trudeau-American Settlers Attracted- Trudeau's leniency to Protestant Ministers-Administration of DeLassus -Origin of Village of Carondelet-St. Ferdinand and other Early Settle- ments-Names of Pioneer Settlers of St. Louis and other Points.
CHAPTER XIII
79
St. Charles-Boundaries of District Vaguely Defined-Settlement of St. Charles Founded by Blanchette-Don Santiago Mackay Commandant of a Post Named St. Charles, but Evidently Another Place-Don Carlos Tayon, Commandant-Survey of the Village by Chouteau-Common- fields of St. Charles-Chouteau's Attempt to Build a Water-mill-Village of St. Charles and Population 1797-Names of Early Settlers of St. Charles and Vicinity-Portage des Sioux Settlement-How it Obtained the Name- Military Importance of This Post-Creole Immigration-Names of Pioneer Settlers of Portage des Sioux-Surveys on Salt River Interrupted by Indian Attacks-Settlement of Charette-Daniel Boone-Names of Pioneer Set- tlers of La Charette-Femme Osage-The Boone Settlement- Names of Early Settlers-The Cuivre Settlement-Names of Early Settlers- First Settlers on the Perruque-Names of Early Settlers-The Claim of Clam- organ-Settlement on the Dardenne-Other Settlements and Names of Early Settlers.
CHAPTER XIV
103
New Madrid-Physical Features of the New Madrid Ridge-Hunters and Traders the First Settlers-"An Aboriginal Station"-Abundance of Game -"L'Anse à la Graise"-The Le Sieurs-Delaware Village at the
V
·
vi
CONTENTS
Mouth of Chepoosa River-Report to Miro of Captain McCoy, 1786- Colonel George Morgan-His Life-Receives a Grant from Gardoqui- Extent of Grant-Explores the Territory between the Mouth of the St. Cosme and New Madrid-Letter Describing Country Published in Phila- delphia- Reveals Spanish Designs-Preparations of Morgan to Settle his Grant-Plan of Surveying the Same-New Madrid Laid Out-Distribu- tion of Lots-An Agricultural Settlement-Professional Hunters not Favor- ed-Morgan's Advertisement-Morgan's Plans Antagonized by Wilkinson -Miro Objects to Grant-Morgan's Plan Destroyed by Miro-Peyroux Cancels Grants Made by Morgan-Pierre Foucher Appointed Command- ant of New Madrid-Builds Fort Celeste-Morgan's Estimate of Foucher -Letter to Gardoqui-Great American Immigration to New Madrid- La Forge Details Work Foucher Accomplished-General Forman at New Madrid-Thomas Portelle, Commandant in 1791-Population of New Madrid-Americans Open Farms in 1790-Small Progress of Settlement -Thomas Power, Spanish Agent at New Madrid-Gayoso there in 1795 -Portelle Succeeded by DeLassus - Biography of DeLassus - New Ma- drid Gateway of Commerce to the Gulf-New Madrid Attached to upper Louisiana in 1799-Peyroux, Commandant, 1799-Succeeded by La Vallée in 1803-Fort Celeste Residence of Commandants-Antoine Gamelin- Pierre Antoine La Forge-Three Companies of Militia-Galleys Stationed at New Madrid-Names of Early Settlers-Merchants-Richard Jones Waters-Captain Robert McCoy-Barthelemi Tardiveau-The King's Highway North-Settlers on the Same Territorial Limits of the New Madrid District-Principal Settlements-Bayou St. John-Lake St. Mary -Lake Ann-Bayou St. Thomas-Little Prairie Settlement Founded, 1794-The Portage of the St. Francois-Tywappity Bottom-Prairie Charles-Oath of Loyalty Administered to Early Settlers.
CHAPTER XV 167
District of Cape Girardeau-Boundary of-Probable Origin of Name -Location of the Post of Cape Girardeau-Louis Lorimier Established there in 1793 by the Order of Carondelet-Biography of Lorimier-His First Wife Charlotte Pemanpieh Bougainville, a Shawnee Half-blood- Traded in Ohio in 1782 at Laramie's Station- The Miami Company -- Lorimier in Ste. Genevieve in 1787 - Moved to where is now Cape Gir- ardeau in 1792-Letter of Trudeau-As Spanish Agent Lorimier Visits Ohio and Indiana-His Grant Made in 1795 by Carondelet-After Death of his First Wife Marries Marie Berthiaume Lorimier Dies in 1811-Bar- thélemi Cousin his Secretary, Deputy Surveyor and Interpreter-Pros- perity of the Cape Girardeau District during Spanish Government-First Residents of the Post of Cape Girardeau-Water-mills-American Immigra- tion Dates from 1795-Andrew Ramsay and others Settled near Cape Gir- ardeau in that Year-The Byrd Settlement-Settlement on Hubble Creek -- German Settlement on Whitewater-Settlements on Castor River and various other Points-Lorimier Grants three hundred Arpens to each Mem- ber of Cape Girardeau Militia Company.
CHAPTER XVI
· 193
Spanish Occupation of Louisiana-The "Illinois Country" Defined -Spanish Colonial Government-Public Offices Sold at Auction-Duties of Officers-Judicial Procedure-System of Jurisprudence-Notable Changes in Existing System-Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction-Procedure in Appeals-Powers of Lieutenant-Governor-Names of Early Syndics- Some Early Causes-Copy of Cost-bill-Civil Controversies Arbitrated -- Judicial Sales made on Sunday-Population of Early Settlements-French and Spanish Relations with Indians Harmonious-The Turbulent Osages -Plan of Chouteau to Control Osages-Specifications for Fort Carondelet
vii
CONTENTS
-Influence of Louis Lorimier over Shawnees and Delawares-Treatment of Indians by Spain and by English-speaking People Compared.
CHAPTER XVII
231
Agriculture-Hunting-Primitive Mechanical Arts and Trades- Voyageurs and Engagés-Farming in Common-fields-Farmers Dwelling in Villages-Ste. Genevieve Common-field-Maintenance of Fences- Primitive Agricultural Implements-French Cart-Small Horses-Cattle -First Cattle Brought into the Mississippi Valley-New Orleans Market- Prices for Agricultural Products-Spain Paid in Specie-Difference in Prices when Paid in Barter-No Common-field at New Madrid- La- Forge's Complaint as to French-Canadian Farmers-Development of Agriculture after Advent of American Settlers-Agricultural Production of New Madrid and Little Prairie, 1796-Agriculture in Cape Girardeau District-Productions of the District-Domestic Slavery-Indian Slaves -Spanish Ordinances Prohibiting Slavery-Treatment of Slaves- Man- umission-Fur Trade -Forest Peddlers-Early Merchants of St. Louis -Nicknames Among the French-Effect of Brandy and Rum on Indians -Contraband Traffic with English Traders-Intimate Relations of Voy- geurs and Coureurs des Bois with the Indians-Their Prodigality-Inter- marriage with Indians -Fascination of Life in the Wilderness-De- struction of Fur Bearing Animals-Profits of Traders-Value of Fur Trade -French and Spanish Laws to Protect Same-Under French Dominion a Monopoly-Under Spanish Ordinances a Monopoly not Allowed-Traders Assigned to Districts-Contract with Forest Traders-Change in Method of Handling Fur Trade-Trading-houses and Forts-Annual Meetings -Gradual Extension of Trading-houses and Forts up the Rivers-Invasion of Territory by English Traders-Cheaper English Goods-Spanish Effort to Exclude British Companies-Carondelet's Agreement for the Estab- lishment of Forts on the Missouri-Exploring Expedition of Clamorgan and Mackay-Advantage of Traders Residing on the Missouri and Mis- sissippi-Shipment of Salt and Bear's Meat to New Orleans-Agricultural Shipments-Ancient Salt Works on the Saline -Extent of Business-Salt Works on Salt River, the Maramec and in Boon's Lick Country-Grist- mills-Flour Contract with Spanish Government-Distilleries-Tan-yards -Scarcity of Metallic Money-Spanish Troops Paid in Specie-Paper Money-Barter -Peltry Currency-Carrots of Tobacco Medium of Ex- change.
CHAPTER XVIII 261
Isolation of Early Settlers-Slow and Perilous Mode of Travel by Land -River Navigation-Description of a "Keel-boat"-Perils of River Navi- gation-"Cordelling" a Boat Up-stream-Down-stream Traffic-Charm of the Virgin Land-The Early French-Canadian Inhabitants-French Frontier Costumes-Personal Property Highly Prized-Some Personal Estates-Stocks of Merchandise -- Manners of Pioneer French-Canadians -Characteristic Traits-The Carnival Season-Training Given Children -Hospitality-Taverns and Inns-French Schools and Teachers- Religion-The Sabbath and Religious Festivals-Pioneer French Cookery -Frugality-Sobriety-Political Indifference-Pioneer Houses Described -Osage Indian Raids-American Immigration to Early French Settle- ments-Some Early English-speaking Residents-Only Few Spanish Settlers.
CHAPTER XIX 287
Activity of French Missionaries-Marquette in Missouri-Fathers Allouez and Gravier-Father Gabriel Marest-Conflict of Early Church
viii
CONTENTS
Authorities-Friendly Relations Between Missionaries and Indians- - Voyage Down the Mississippi, in 1699, of Fathers Davion, Montigny and St. Cosme-Fathers Vivier, Tartarin, Aubert, Wattrin and DeGuyenne -First Resident Priests of Ste. Genevieve-Perils Incurred by Priests Visit- ing Settlements-Father Meurin-Father Gibault-His Unique List of Baggage-His Influence Causes the French to Espouse the American Cause-Denounced by the British Commander-Tribute to, by Patrick Henry-Father Hilaire and his Controversy with his Parishioners-Father James Maxwell-"Maxwell's Hill" Near Ste. Genevieve-Father Valin- tine, First Resident Priest of St. Louis-Ceremony of Dedication of First Church Bell of St. Louis-Building a New Church in St. Louis, 1776- Report on Condition of St. Louis Church Building in 1797-The Church of Florissant-The Parish of St. Isidore-Salaries of Parish Priests- Cession of Louisiana Affects the Church Property Ceded to Congregations -Church Authorities and Eminent Catholic Dignitaries at Time of Cession -Tour of Bishop Flaget, 1814-Bishop Dubourg-Father Felix DeAnd- reis-His Marvelous Talents and Acquirements-Colony of Priests of the Congregation of the Missions in Missouri-Establishment of St. Mary's Seminary-First Colony of the Order of the Sacred Heart at St. Charles -Removed to Florissant in 1809-Madame Duchesne-The Germ of the St. Louis University.
CHAPTER XX 329
The Louisiana Purchase-Westward Movement of American Pioneers -British Proclamation, 1763, Prohibits Settlements West of the Alle- ghanies-Virginia Colonial Assembly, 1769, Asserts Authority over Bote- court County "on the Mississippi"-Relations of France and Spain to Colonial Boundary Claims -Territory Northwest of Ohio to the Lakes Becomes Part of Virginia by Conquest-By Treaty of 1783 Free Naviga- tion of the Mississippi Secured to United States and Great Britain-Boun- dary Lines of Canada Fixed by the Military Operations of Virginia-Sig- nificance of Erection of Fort Jefferson South of the Mouth of the Ohio- Free Navigation of Mississippi Denied by Spain Leads to Louisiana Pur- chase-New England and Eastern States Disposed to Acquiesce in Spain's Denial of Free Navigation-Indignation Aroused in Kentucky-Inde- pendent Spirit of Western Pioneers-Isolation and Dissatisfaction of Western Population Basis of Spanish Intrigues-New Madrid a Spanish Port of Entry-Spanish Espionage of River Commerce-The District of "Miro"-General James Wilkinson Chief Agent of Spain-His In- trigues and Efforts to Deliver Kentucky to Spain-Sentiment for Inde- pendent Government in Order to Secure Free Navigation of the Missis- sippi-Colonial Scheme of Colonel Morgan Frustrated by Wilkinson- Gayoso Goes to Mouth of the Ohio to Meet American Emissaries-Free Navigation of the Mississippi Secured under Treaty of 1795-Louisiana Acquired by Napoleon, 1800-Free Navigation of the Mississippi again Denied-Universal Discontent of Western Population-Warlike Prepar- ations Authorized by Congress-Negotiations by Monroe and Livingston in Paris-Motives Impelling Napoleon to sell Louisiana-Sale Quickly Consummated-Marbois' Account of the Conclusion of the Treaty- Objections to Ratification of Treaty in United States-Constitutional Impediments-A Conceded Unconstitutional Precedent-Predicted Con- sequences of the Purchase of Louisiana-Dissolution of the Union Planned in Massachusetts-Popular Approval of the Louisiana Purchase -Survival of the Union Due to the Purchase of Louisiana.
CHAPTER XXI
. 355
Retrocession of Louisiana to France, and Transfer to the United States -Official Correspondence Relating to Transfer-Instructions to Captain
ix
CONTENTS
Stoddard, Agent for United States-Official Letters Between Stoddard and DeLassus-Instructions of DeLassus to Spanish Troops-Letters De- manding and Yielding Possession of Upper Louisiana-Proclamation by Governor DeLassus-Official Documents Certifying Transfer-Cere- monies Attending Change of Governments-Official Circular to Spanish Commandants-Ceremonies at New Madrid-Regret at Change of Gov- ernment there-Satisfaction at Cape Girardeau-Riot at Mine à Breton -Trouble of DeLassus to Secure Transportation-Auguste Chouteau Builds Boats-Delay of Departure-Letter of Major Bruff-Spanish Forces Leave November 16, 1804-Journal of DeLassus of Voyage Down the River-At Ste. Genevieve-At Cape Girardeau-At New Madrid- Arrival at New Orleans January 18, 1805-Proclamation of Captain Stod- dard-Address to the People by Stoddard-A Proclamation Concerning Land Grants-Measures Taken Concerning Slaves and Militia.
CHAPTER XXII
376
Louisiana Divided by Act of Congress of 1804-The Louisiana District Attached to the Indiana Territory-Executive, Judicial and Legislative Power Vested in the Governor and Judges of the Indiana Territory-Wm. H. Harrison, Governor of the Louisiana District-Arrives in St. Louis October 1, 1804-The St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, St. Charles, Cape Gir- ardeau and New Madrid Districts Organized and Lieutenant-Governors or Commandants Appointed for Same-The Spanish Land Grants-Strin- gent Criminal Laws to Prevent Surveys under Spanish Claims-Courts Organized-Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions established- First Court and Grand Jury of St. Louis District-First Court of Ste. Genevieve and Grand Jury there-First Court of the Cape Girardeau District-Of the New Madrid District-Of the St. Charles District-Addi- tional Judges for the St. Louis District under Act of 1815-Political Agi- tation-Letters to Jefferson-Dissatisfaction with Act of 1804-First Con- vention West of the Mississippi River-Members of this Convention- Memorial to Congress-Auguste Chouteau and Eligius Fromentin Ap- pointed Delegates-Treaty with the Saukees and Fox Indians in 1804 -Indian Troubles Caused by this Treaty-Upper Louisiana Detached from Indiana Territory by Act of 1805-General Wilkinson Appointed Governor-James B. C. Lucas, John Coburn and Rufus Easton appoint- ed Judges of the Superior Court-Visit of Aaron Burr to St. Louis- Joseph Browne, Secretary of the Territory, his Brother-in-law-Wilkin- son Suspects Burr-Plan Suggested to Remove all the Settlers West of the Mississippi to the East Side-Hostility to Wilkinson's Administration -Laws Enacted by the Territorial Legislature, Composed of Wilkinson and the Judges-General Court of Appeals Created-Wilkinson Removed from Office-Wilkinson Goes South in 1807-Merriwether Lewis Appointed Governor-Militia Organized-Revenue Laws and Taxation.
ILLUSTRATIONS
BISSEL, CAPTAIN DANIEL · 363
BLACKHAWK · 397 CAPE GIRARDEAU, ENVIRONS OF. From Collot's Dans L'Amerique . 177 CERRE, GABRIEL. From a picture in the Missouri Historical Society . 47 CERRÉ HOUSE. From the Missouri Historical Collections 60 CHOUTEAU, AUGUSTE. From a painting in the Missouri Historical Society 6
CHOUTEAU, MADAME. From a painting in the Missouri Historical
Society 8
CHOUTEAU, PIERRE. From a picture belonging to Mr. Pierre Chou- . 366
teau
CHOUTEAU RESIDENCE. From a picture belonging to Mr. Pierre Chouteau . 282
DE ANDRIES, FATHER FELIX. From a picture in his Life 322
DELASSUS, DON CARLOS. From a painting in the possession of the Missouri Historical Society I35
DELISA, MANUEL. From an oil painting of the Missouri Historical Society
51
DUBOURG, BISHOP OF LOUISIANA. From a painting in the possession of the Missouri Historical Society . .
. 316
FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. LOUIS. From a picture belonging to Mr. Pierre Chouteau · 399
FLAGET, BISHOP OF BARDSTOWN. From a picture in his Life . . 314 FLAT-BOAT. From a picture drawn by Warin . 266
GOVERNMENT HOUSE. From a painting belonging to Mr. Pierre Chouteau . 361
GRATIOT HOUSE. From a picture belonging to Mr. Pierre Chouteau . 48
HARRISON, WILLIAM HENRY 378 KEEL-BOAT, ON THE MISSISSIPPI. From a picture belonging to Mr. Pierre Chouteau . 264
LACLEDE HOUSE. From a picture belonging to Pierre Chouteau . 14 LAFORGE, PIERRE ANTOINE. From a portrait belonging to Mrs. Keller of Malden . · I39
LA VALLÉE, DON JUAN. From a portrait belonging to Mrs. Keller of Malden . 139
LEDUC, MARIE V. From a portrait of the Missouri Historical Society. 136 LESIEUR, GODFREY. From a photograph in the possession of Dr. O'Bannon . 107 .
vii
viii
ILLUSTRATIONS
LEWIS, MERRIWETHER · 499
MORGAN, GEORGE From a published silhouette 108
NEW MADRID, ENVIRONS OF. From Collot's Dans L'Amerique . I2I
PA-SHE-PA-HO 395
PLAN OF NEW MADRID. From Vol. I of the New Madrid Archives in possession of the Missouri Historical Society . · II4
PLAN OF ST. LOUIS. From a drawing in the possession of the Mis- souri Historical Society . 61
ROBIDOUX, JOSEPH. From a picture in St. Joseph . 253
ROSATI, BISHOP OF ST. LOUIS. From a painting in the Missouri Historical Society . 324
SAUGRAIN, DR. ANTOINE. From a picture belonging to the family. 28
SEAL OF THE TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA
412
SIGNATURE OF THE BISHOP OF LOUISIANA
SIGNATURE OF CERRÉ . . 47
31
SIGNATURE OF DON CARLOS DELASSUS
63
SIGNATURE OF FERNANDO DE LEYBA
32
SIGNATURE OF FATHER GIBAULT
298
SIGNATURE OF PIERRE ANTOINE LAFORGE
I39
SIGNATURE OF LACLEDE LEGUIST
3
SIGNATURE OF FRANCIS LESIEUR
106
SIGNATURE OF JOSEPH LESIEUR
. 107
SIGNATURE OF DON LOUIS LORIMIER
180
SIGNATURE OF FATHER LUSSON
. 310
SIGNATURE OF ROBERTO MCCOY .
143
SIGNATURE OF FATHER MAXWELL
3º5
SIGNATURE OF DON MANUEL PEREZ
52
SIGNATURE OF DON PEDRO PIERNAS
29
SIGNATURE OF THOMAS PORTELLE 131
SIGNATURE OF AMOS STODDARD .
.: 3
SIGNATURE OF DON ZENON TRUDEAU
59
SOULARD, DON ANTONIO. From a painting of the Missouri Historical Society. . 225
WILKINSON, GENERAL JAMES · 493
ERRATA
On page 57, line 19, read " three " for " there." On page 83, line 14, read, "Mr." for "Dr."
On page 89, line 2, read, "assigning " for " assinging." On page 169, line 17, read, "appearing " for " rising."
On page 189, line 16, read "era " for " war."
On page 344 and 345, read "Nicholas " for " Nichols."
3II
SIGNATURE OF DON FRANCESCO CRUZAT
HISTORY OF THE EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT OF MISSOURI
CHAPTER XII.
St. Louis - Trading privilege of Maxent, Laclede & Company - Pierre La- clede Liguest - Madame Chouteau and children - Site of St. Louis selected by Laclede as a trading post - French immigration to "Laclede's Village" or "Paincourt"- Common-fields of St. Louis - Visit of Indian band, 1764- Land allotments made by Laclede - Jurisdiction and authority of St. Ange - Piernas the Spanish Lieutenant-Governor arrives -Survey of town lots and common-fields - Oldest recorded document in St. Louis; first mortgage recorded; first child born; first marriage; first death recorded; first cemetery - Early physicians - First grist- mill - Administration of Don Francisco Cruzat - Inadequate money supply - Administration of Don Fernando de Leyba - Death of Laclede - War declared between Spain and England -Gratiot's trading boat pillaged by British and Indians- English-Indian forces attack St. Louis, May, 1780 - Death of De Leyba - Second administration of Cruzat - Expedition under Capt. Pourèe invades British territory east of river - Great flood of 1785 - Administration of Don Manuel Perez - Of Don Zenon Trudeau - American settlers attracted - Administration of DeLassus - Carondelet - St. Ferdinand and other early settlements - Names of pioneer settlers.
It is usually said that shortly before the cession of Louisiana to Spain, in 1762, Governor Kerlérec,1 the last French governor of Louisiana, gave the firm of Maxent,2 Laclede 3 & Company license to
1 Was a captain in the French navy, a distinguished officer in active ser- vice for twenty-five years; appointed Governor of Louisiana in 1753; in 1763 was ordered to France to give an account of his administration, and when he arrived was imprisoned in the Bastile. (Gayarre's History of Louisiana, vol. I, p. 95.) D'Abbadie, his successor, merely held the country until the arrival of the Spaniards. While he was awaiting their arrival he fell a victim to the climate, in 1765, and Captain Aubry of the French Regulars, and the senior officer at New Orleans, succeeded him. Aubry had distinguished himself at Fort du Quesne. (Gayarre's History of Louisiana, vol. I, p. 84.) Whether D'Abbadie died a natural death or not seems also to have been a question at the time. Bossu says: "Mourat d'une pretendue colique de peintre." There seem to have been questions "á cause de malversations relativement aux intérêts du Roi."
2 Maxent was written in various ways. Laclede spelled the name "Max- an" sometimes. The full name of Laclede's partner was Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent. He was a brother-in-law of Luis de Unzaga y Amesaga who suc- ceeded O'Reilly as Governor of Louisiana. Gayarre names St. Maxent as a leading merchant of New Orleans. Don Bernardo de Galvez, Governor of Louisiana and afterward Viceroy of Mexico, was his son-in-law, and his wife Felicitas de Saint Maxent was a native of Louisiana, and "a lady of surpassing loveliness, and as charitable, gracious, and indulgent as she was beautiful," says Gayarre. Galvez died at the early age of thirty-eight years.
3 Full name Pierre Laclede Liguest, but he signed his name invariably "La-
I
2
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
the exclusive trade with the Indians on the Missouri, but as Laclede did not leave New Orleans until after the arrival of D'Abbadie,4 appointed by the king of France commissioner of Louisiana, and as such in charge of the province ad interim, until. the arrival of the Spanish officers, it is almost certain that M. D'Abbadie confirmed the grant of this trade made by Gov. Kerlérec.5 Du Terrage erroneously says that D'Abbadie gave the trade privilege to Laclede "et Pierre Chouteau." " This privilege, according to Margry, was granted to Laclede as a reward for services he had rendered. The character and nature of these services are not detailed, and it is doubtful whether any such services were rendered at all. At any rate, if Laclede performed any services for the government, they were of a nature so slight as not to have been in any way recorded. It is also doubtful whether the firm ever had a grant to the exclusive trade with the Indians on the Missouri, as is generally stated. In April, 1765, shortly after Laclede established his trad- ing post, at his instance, the officers of the French government, who still exercised jurisdiction in the country west of the Missis- sippi, seized a boat-load of merchandise on the Missouri river, in charge of one Joseph Calvè, as clerk, but belonging to Jean Datch- urut and Louis Viviat, merchants of Ste. Genevieve at that time, Laclede claiming for his firm the exclusive right of trade with the Indians on the Missouri river. But Datchurut and Viviat made a contest and brought the case before the Supreme Council at New Orleans where it was decided against Maxent, Laclede & Company, and they were condemned to pay for the goods seized, and costs.7 clede Liguest." Seems to have dropped the name of "Pierre" and by his associates was simply called "Laclede." This was a practice among the early French settlers. Thus Antoine Vincent Bouis was simply called "Antoine Vincent." Baptiste Lamie Duchouquette, "Baptiste Lamie." Benito Vas- quez, "Benito." Charles Fremon de Lauriere, "Fremon." The last Span- ish Governor signed himself "Charles de Hault DeLassus" but his full name was, Charles de Hault DeLassus de Luzierre, and his father, who was comman- dant as New Bourbon, always added "de Luzierre." Camile DeLassus was a brother of the governor. So also Jacques Marcelline Ceran de Hault DeLassus de St. Vrain, and who was known generally by the name of "St. Vrain."
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