USA > Missouri > A history of Missouri from the earliest explorations and settlements until the admission of the state into the union, Volume II > Part 7
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CAPTAIN POURÈE
settlers of St. Louis, and captain of the militia. In 1771 he sold one Peter Lupien dit Baron a lot of merchandise, and to secure him, Lupien dit Baron mortgaged a building and billiard table, likely the first table of that kind in St. Louis. This mortgage was made with due formality, Lieutenant-Governor Piernas being witness, as well as Labusciere and Benito Vasquez. It also appears that a M. Beau- soliel was a merchant in Kaskaskia in 1779, and sold merchandise to General George Rogers Clark, evidently the same person.107 According to Judge Primm, on another occasion when he came up the Mississippi from New Orleans with a boatload of valuable merchan- dise, he and his vessel were captured by river robbers. It is said that the daring and presence of mind of a negro, the cook of the boat, named Cacasotte, saved the crew and the merchandise, and Pourèe's fortune. As soon as the robbers had taken possession of the boat, Cacasotte appeared overjoyed, danced, sang and laughed, showed them every attention, so that they at once were induced to believe that he was overjoyed to have been liberated from slavery by them, and hence allowed him to go about the vessel unmolested. He secured an opportunity to speak to Pourèe and obtained his consent to make an attempt to rid the boat of these dangerous guests. Tak- ing into his confidence two other negroes, also on board, it was agreed that the signal for dinner should also be the signal for action. When the dinner hour arrived the robbers assembled on the deck and sta- tioned themselves on the bow and stern of the boat, and some also sat down on the side of the boat, to prevent any attempt at resistance on the part of the crew, but Cacasotte went among them with great unconcern and as soon as his two comrades had taken their station, he managed to place himself in the bow near one of the robbers, a stout, herculean fellow, well armed, and when he gave the signal for dinner he with a lunge pushed this robber overboard. While he was strug- gling in the water, with the speed of lightning he ran from one robber to another sitting on the side of the boat and pushed them overboard, and thus in a few seconds had thrown overboard several more; then, seizing an oar, he struck those on the head who attempted to save themselves by grappling the running board, and, taking the rifles that had been left lying on the deck of the boat, shot some others. His comrades in the meantime assailed other robbers in the same way at the other end of the boat, and so the boat was cleared. Thus Pourèe
107 18 Draper's Collections, Clark MSS., No. 116. In 1724 a Pierre du Vaud dit Beausoliel lived in Kaskaskia. See Church Records of Ste. Genevieve, p. 13.
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HISTORY OF MISSOURI
and his merchandise and crew were saved from robbers. This inci- dent took place near an island in the Mississippi long known as "Beausoliel Island," and maybe from this island Pourèe acquired his nick-name. Some confusion exists as to the date of this incident, which is placed by Rozier, following Primm, in the year 1787.108 Evidently this is a mistake, because, as we have seen, Pourèe dit Beausoliel died in 1783. It is probable that this incident occurred, if it occurred at all, some time in 1778 or 1779. Pourèe's name occurs for the last time in the old Spanish records in November, 1782. Shortly before his death he brought a suit against Auguste Chou- teau, on account of extra labor incurred in bringing up for him some goods on the Mississippi from New Orleans. In his petition he states that on account of an attack of the English near the Yazoo he was compelled to return to Natchez to save the cargo, increase the number of his men, and that, afterward coming up the river in com- pany with the boats of L'Abbadie and Vallé, he found that the cargo would also be imperiled by an attack of the Chickasaws near Écore de Margot, and that therefore he went up to Arkansas Post, where he unloaded the goods for safety ; afterward he reloaded them, and finally safely brought them to St. Louis, but that Chouteau refused to com- pensate him for the extra expense and labor incurred for the protec- tion of his goods. This suit was brought before Lieutenant-Gov- ernor Cruzat, on the 9th day of November, 1782, and process duly served on the 16th of November on Chouteau, by Demers, huissier.
Owing to the lawless condition, that prevailed in the eastern Illi- nois country shortly after the conquest by Gen. George Rogers Clark, many of the leading citizens of Cahokia and Kaskaskia removed to the Spanish possessions on the west side of the river. Among others Gabriel Cerré, the leading merchant of Kaskaskia and one of the most influential men removed to St. Louis. Cerré came to Kaskaskia in about 1755 from Canada 109 and it is said when the English after- ward invaded Canada, that he returned and .served in the French Colonial troops in the defence of Quebec under Montcalm. In his extensive trading operations he annually by land went from Kas- kaskia to Montreal. Many are the adventures he had and strategies he necessarily practiced in order to carry his goods safely to and from these trading places. When Gen. Clark captured Kaskaskia he was, in his words, "one of the most eminent men in the
108 Rozier's History of the Mississippi Valley, p. 60.
109 Mo. Hist. Society Collection, vol. 2, No. 2, P. 59.
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CERRÉ
country, of great influence among the people." Although advised that he was not favorable to the Americans, Gen. Clark concluded to secure his influence, because "he might be a valuable acquisition." Cerré at this time was in St. Louis on his way to Canada, but learning that Clark had protected his property by a guard, he concluded to return and at Ste. Genevieve received assurance from the Spanish officers that he could do so safely. When he arrived at Kaskaskia, Clark advised him, what was charged against him, but he replied that he was a mere merchant, that he did not concern himself about state affairs any further than the interests of his trade required. GABRIEL, CERRÉ Clark then read him a letter from Gov. Hamilton to Rocheblave in which he was alluded to with much affection and he answered, that while at Detroit he behaved himself as became a good subject, that he had never encouraged Indian warfare and that no doubt much informa- tion had been given Gen. Clark by persons indebted to him in order to get clear of debt by ruining him. On a full investigation Clark Cerré- gave him permission to dis- pose of his property as he pleased, or if he chose to become a citizen of the Union. He then explained, that many doubts in his mind had been cleared by this interview and that he was ready to take the oath of allegiance, and Clark concludes his report by saying, "he became a most valuable man to us."110 Cerré was appointed Judge of the Court of the District of Kaskaskia and served in that capacity for some time, but the conditions that pre- vailed immediately after the conquest, the want of an organized government, the constant change, the arbitrary and lawless conduct of many of the officials, and constant political agitation and contro- versies did not impress him favorably with popular government. In 1779 he purchased property in St. Louis and several years afterward removed with his family to the west side of the river. He doubtless was an important acquisition to the commercial interests of St. Louis.
110 Clark's Report of his Campaign in English's Conquest of the Northwest, vol. I, p. 477.
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HISTORY OF MISSOURI
In 1782 he described himself as "Gabriel Cerré, vecino de este Pueblo de Sn Luis." 111 In the census of that year it is stated that 42 persons were members of his family, embracing his employees. About the same time Charles Gratiot the leading merchant of Cahokia, also removed to St. Louis. He too, was the most conspicuous citizen at the time of the village of Cahokia and the transfer of his business and capital to St. Louis greatly tended to make St. Louis the trade centre of the east side of the river. Many others also immigrated across the river and says Major Hamtramck : "the greater part of our citizens have left the country on this account to reside in the Spanish
CHARLES GRATIOT HOUSE
Dominions; others are now following, and we are fearful, nay certain, that without your assistance, the small remainder will be obliged to follow their example."112 Under the flag of Spain these immigrants found safety, law and order. The inducement held out by the Spanish officials to allure this immigration - free land and no taxa- tion - not only attracted the French habitans but Americans as well.
About this time Godfrey Linctot visited St. Louis and remained there for some time.113 This Linctot was a Frenchman and lived at Cahokia. It is not certain whether he resided there before the con-
111 Mo. Hist. Society Collection, vol. 2, No. 2, p. 71.
112 Alvord's Ills. Hist. Collection, vol. 2, p. cxliv.
113 51 Draper's Collections, Clark MSS., No. 78.
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LINCTOT
quest. But afterward he organized a company of militia in that town. He seems to have been personally acquainted with Jefferson and en- joyed his confidence and was appointed Indian agent of Virginia by him. When Clark contemplated an attack on Detroit he was ordered up the Illinois to pacify the Indians in that district and secure their friendship. He was a master of some at least of the Indian dialects and from this it may be inferred that he was at some time a trader among them. He seems to have been a very useful man. While in St. Louis he learned that a man by the name of Clairmont with six others had been sent from Michilimackinac with a letter addressed to the people of Cahokia and Kaskaskia inviting them to raise a company of militia to be paid by the King, to resist his enemies. When Cruzat ascer- tained his errand he quickly arrested him. Nor was such a plan at that time hopeless, for from a letter of Antoine Girardin to Governor Sinclair preserved in the Cahokia archives it appears, that he then assured him "of the good sentiments of the inhabitants of these regions," that the people would not "be offended at seeing them- selves again dependent and subject to the English government," and that "the English flag would be well received." He also advised him that his deputies (Clairmont and the others) made "too many mis- takes to expect success from their journey," for says he: "they stopped at St. Louis, which they should not have done," and that the Spaniards "have arrested them without cause." Perhaps in consequence of this attempt Cruzat promulgated an ordinance prohibiting the circulation of false and unreliable reports in the village, but no doubt with little success. To prevent surprises, he also published an ordinance that every person, whatever his rank, occupation or condition, "should not leave his dwelling by day or night without being armed, " so as to be provided for every emergency. By other ordinances the people of St. Louis were prohibited from advancing or giving credit to soldiers for more than twenty-five sols, without permission of their superior officers. He prohibited horse racing in the streets of the town, and no one was allowed to ride horse- back or drive a cart faster than a trot (le petit pas). Slaves were forbidden to hold assemblages at night in their cabins, or to leave their cabins after the beating of the retraite, unless on some errand for their masters, on a penalty of receiving fifty lashes, nor were they allowed to have a dance without express permission from their masters and government, either at day or night, and negroes, either free or slave, were prohibited to dress like the Indians and savages. An ordinance
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HISTORY OF MISSOURI
was promulgated fining persons in whose house a person dangerously sick might be, for failure to advise such person to make his will, and "to perform the duty of a good Christian," and to notify the lieu- tenant-governor, so that " we ourselves may go to the dwelling of him who wishes to regulate his conscience by a will or other act by which his legitimate heirs may not be deprived of inheritance," thus to avoid "the lawsuits and chicanery which almost always result from the death of a person, who had died without making a will, which has already occurred only too often." He ordered that in St. Louis kids and goats must be kept shut up, and plows, carts, sledges, carriages, etc., not left on the street. Particular rules were made by him for the extinguishment of fires in the village. Any one quartering or assisting a deserter was punished by a sentence of six years' service in the arsenal or public works, or if a nobleman, to six years' exile.114
To engage forest traders from a foreign district was strictly for- bidden under penalty of imprisonment and heavy fine, and, much fraud having been practiced by notes showing on their face to have been given for "equipment" to such forest traders, because such notes enjoyed a preference, when in fact nothing had been furnished by way of equipment, the lieutenant-governor promulgated a new ordinance which provided that the holder of a note, to enjoy this preference, must have it signed by the commandant, in the presence of all interested parties, and that an itemized statement must be pre- sented of the " equipment" furnished, and filed with the commandant at the time he so certifies such a preferential note. Nor were the merchants allowed to advance more than a reasonable amount to such forest traders, so that when theyreturned to the village they would have something with which to pay other debts. Then and long afterward the principal business of St. Louis was the fur trade. In this trade the forest trader played no unimportant part. It was the forest trader who went among the Indians and obtained the furs by trading off the goods (equipment) purchased from the merchants, who resided per- manently in one place and furnished the outfits. The forest traders usually left St. Louis and settlements in the fall, spending the winter with the Indians, and returning in the spring with the proceeds of the trade. In 1776, when Cruzat was lieutenant-governor, Auguste and Pierre Chouteau, Martin Duralde, Benito Vasquez, J. M. Papin, J. B. Sarpy, Antoine Bernard, J. F. Perrault and Joseph Motard were the principal merchants, and at their instance Cruzat also made
114 Archives of the Indies, Seville - Copies of Cruzat's ordinances.
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DE LISA
regulations for the better inspection of the furs and peltries brought to the market there.
The Indian trade under the Spanish government was open to every merchant, but the Chouteaus enjoyed the exclusive trade with the Osages under contract and on the expir- ation of this contract the trade was given to Manuel de Lisa, then a merchant of New Or- leans. Lisa, who had been engaged in the Indian trade on the Wabash, the Ohio and in the New Madrid district first came to St. Louis in 1802 and went up to the Osage villages. But this change of traders did not satisfy all these Indians and as a consequence a large number of them residing on the Osage river seceded and removed to the Arkansas, where DE LISA the Chouteaus still enjoyed a trading privi- lege. All this led to much controversy. How Lisa secured the trade privilege with Osages has never been explained. It is certain that he was not in favor with DeLassus or with Morales. In 1789 Juan Munie, a resident of St. Louis, discovered the Ponka tribe on the upper Missouri, penetrating for a distance of 1,400 miles up the river, an unusual enterprise, in the pursuit of trade. This tribe was un- known up to that time, and in consideration of his services Munie- or Munier - was granted the exclusive trade with these Indians.
The year 1785 became memorable on account of a great flood of the Mississippi. Auguste Chouteau says that in April of that year the river rose twenty feet above the highest known water-mark, and that for the purpose of procuring plank he went with a boat through the woods of the American Bottom, to the village of Kaskaskia. Governor Miro, reporting the overflow to De Galvez, says that it "entirely submerged the village of Santa Genoveva, so that the people were compelled to abandon their houses," and their furniture and other possessions, that the fields of wheat were very completely lost, that the commandant, Don Cartabona, was compelled to retire with his troops to the hills, and that the American district on the opposite side of the river was affected in the same way. Among the old French inhabitants this year was known as "L'année des Grandes Eaux," 115 and subsequent events were dated from it.116
115 See copy of Hunt's Minutes, Book I, p. 126, Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis.
116 The following additional names of residents not heretofore given, and
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HISTORY OF MISSOURI
In 1.787, when Don Manuel Perez was lieutenant-governor, the Osage Indians became distinctly unfriendly, and bands of these sav- Emanuel Perez ages prowled around the vil- lage and killed many unwary settlers. Perez is credited facts as to some already named, chronologically arranged, may interest some readers. We note: In 1770, Veuve Beaugeneau; François Marechal, one of the first settlers of St. Ferdinand in 1785. The name Vigo first appears in St. Louis in this year, and François Baribault, then a boy of nineteen years, bound himself to Jacques Denis, to learn the joiner's trade, for a period of two years; Jean B. Cois; Louis Chamard (Voise); Madame St. Germain, probably from Cahokia also lived here; Denau DeTailly (DeTaille), Indian interpreter, came from St. Philippe, married an Indian and died in St. Louis in 1771, and his widow married Nicolas Marechal; Benito Vasquez, a native of Gallicia, Spain, came to St. Louis with Piernas, married Julia Papin, had a family of twelve children, his sons were, Benito, Junior (1780), Antoine F., dit Baronet (1783), Joseph (1786), Hypolite (1792), and Pierre Louis (1798). Jos. Robideau-or Robidoux- from Montreal came to St. Louis in 1770. His son Jos. Robidoux and grandson Jos. Robidoux were all engaged in the fur trade. His grandson founded St. Joseph. Pedro Lupien, dit Baron; Louis Perrault; Joseph Turgeon, likely came over from Kaskaskia; Emilian Yosti, a prominent person in the early annals of St. Louis, also land speculator, ran a lime kiln and stone quarry in 1799, was also at Carondelet and on the Missouri : Yosti was a native of Italy; Claude Dupois; Jean Marie Cardinal, had a root house or caveau near St. Louis, owned Cardinal Springs in White Ox prairie (now in the city) which was so named for him, and where he was killed by the Indians in the attack on St. Louis in 1780, also owned property in Carondelet; Joseph Hubert; Louis Langlois, dit Rondeau, came from Kaskaskia to the west side of the river, died somewhere on the Missouri river. In 1771, Charles Paran, died in this year; Louis Pouillotte.
In 1773, Jean Vaudry; Veronique Guitar (or Guitard, which name occurs often in the St. Louis Archives); Joseph Guittare; Louis Bolduc, afterward in Ste. Genevieve district as early as 1788 with Baptiste Vallé on the Mississippi, and at Marais Polchecoma, in 1798, on Duclos Fork with Parfait Dufour, and common-field of Ste. Genevieve and New Bourbon. His widow afterward holding property, a large land owner, and had a number of slaves; Stephen Bol- duc, also owned property in Ste. Genevieve district; Louis Bolduc, Junior; Charles Simoneau.
In 1774, Francois de Lui, owed St. Ange seventy livres for money loaned, and therefore mentioned in his will; Joseph Vachard, dit l'Ardoise, married Marie Mondion, widow of Jean B. Vien, dit Noel, he was a son of Louis Vachard who came from Montreal in about 1775, died in St. Louis in 1786, his wife was Isabella Bissette, a sister of Guillaume Bissette. His other sons were Antoine, dit Mimi l'Ardoise; Louis, residing at New Madrid, but also in St. Louis, in 1797, and Charles, dit Creole l'Ardoise; Nicholas Briesbach, from Lucerne, Switzerland, died in this year.
In 1775, Jean B. Perrault, dit Duchène, a trader among the Indians; Fran- çois Barrere, a baker, native of France; Jean Baptiste Sarpy, died in New Or- leans in 1798; and Sylvester Delor Sarpy, a brother of J. B., natives of France both merchants, and Sylvestre, public scrivener, dying in New Orleans in 1799. Another member of the family, Pierre L. Sarpy, came to St. Louis in 1786, and Gregoire Berald Sarpy about the same time, who died at St. Louis 1824, mar- ried Pelagie, daughter of Sylvestre Labbadie, and Jean B. Sarpy (2) who became one of the leading merchants engaged in the fur trade, was his son; François Faustin, dit Parent, married Rosalind Kiercereau in 1781, at Grand Glaise in 1799 and St. Ferdinand; Joseph Rivard; Diego l'Arrive; Alexis Loise, married Elizabeth Beaugeneau in 1773; Jean Baptiste Lorain, had a tannery near St.
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PEREZ
with conceiving the policy of introducing friendly Indians, Shaw- nees and Delawares, between St. Louis and the hostile tribes, Ferdinand, which he sold to Manuel Lisa in 1800, was on the Mississippi near Portage des Sioux and in prairie near St. Charles; Louis Lemond.
In 1776, Louis LaSudray.
In 1777, François Deslorier (Deloire or Delauriere), dit Normandeau, for- geron (blacksmith) from Cahokia or Kaskaskia, Sub-Lieutenant of militia, after- ward in 1794 at St. Ferdinand, raised tobacco on his lot in 1802, on river Loutre in St. Charles district; Regis Vasseur, married Françoise Guitard dit La Grandeur.
In 1778, Jean B. Lachappelle, constable in this year; d'Avignon; Pierre Parans; Sylvestre Labadie, a native of Tarbes, capitol of the Department Hautes Pyrenees, France, a merchant and Spanish Indian agent before Pierre Chou- teau was appointed to this place, and often otherwise employed in public affairs, made a claim under grant of Governor Miro to a tract of land running back to the road to "Vide Poche" (Prairie Catalan), and on remonstrance of the people was stopped in improving this land by the lieutenant-governor, until the inten- dant at New Orleans should be made acquainted with the circumstances. (American State Papers, 2 P. L., p. 561.) A son, also named Sylvestre, born in 1778, a land speculator, one of his claims being the Isle of Bœuf in the Missis- sippi river above the mouth of the Missouri; Charles Sanguinette, owned property on Isle Cabaret near St. Louis, a Canadian and engaged in the fur trade, says his business greatly interfered with by the formation of the Fur Company, mar- ried a daughter of Dr. Condè. A Sanguinet at St. Ferdinand in 1800; Louis Lirette, a boatman; Nicolas F. Guion, a blacksmith.
In 1779, François Villette, dit St. Cloux; Jean B. Lepire (or LaPierre), for- geron (blacksmith), also owned property at L'Anse a la Graise or New Madrid; Demers, constable; Jean Baptiste Brugierre; Jean Baptiste Domine, also owned a lot in St. Ferdinand, and sixty-five miles north of St. Louis in 1799.
In 1780, in the records of the burials we find the name Tremblee, and one Dernige, no Christain names being given; Raymond Quenel; Hebert Lacroix; Celeste Lalandé, wife of Joseph DePlacie; Alexis Lalandé; Joseph Pepin, dit Lachance; (Joseph) Calvè, Junior, murdered by the Indians in this year. At the same time a negro, owned by Chancellier, was murdered by the Indians; Alexander Grimaux, dit Charpentier, and Louis Crepeau, his brother- in-law; François Duchemin; Antoine Stefanelly; François Hebert, dit Bel- homme, killed in what is now Forest Park, his widow a daughter of Julien LeRoy, married Jean B. Trudeau; Pierre Gladu, a Canadian, also killed by the Indians; in May, 1780, Pierre Dorion, a name afterward made famous by Brackenridge, and then a resident of St. Louis, asked permission of General Clark to settle at Kaskaskia, but did not stay there, apparently, but see note 154.
In 1781, we find the name of Belkemier, as a purchaser at the sale of Louis Dubreuil; François Cailhol; Joseph Labusciere, in prairie adjacent the village at the end of the Pallisades of post, sold in this year to Joseph Labrosse, also owned another place near the Pallisade.
In 1781, Joseph Brazeau, Junior, received a grant from Cruzat on the Missis- sippi and on Gingras for services, his wife was Marie Delisle; a Joseph Brazeau had a grant in 1797 on river Antonio, in St. Charles district, and on the Missis- sippi in St. Charles district. His father, Joseph Brazeau, Senior, came to Kaskaskia from Canada, and was killed by the Indians in 1779, his widow came to St. Louis in 1787. Louis Brazeau, dit "Caioua," was another son, and he also married a Delisle, Marie Françoise, a daughter Françoise married Jean B. Chauvin, dit Charleville, already mentioned. Louis Brazeau, dit "Caioua," was about the only French resident at Kaskaskia who advocated resistance to Gen- eral George Rogers Clark, when he was marching upon Kaskaskia, of which the people were then pretty well advised. He was a man of medium size, or under, says Menard. (25 Draper's Collection, Clark MSS., No. 58.)
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