USA > Nebraska > Nebraska history and record of pioneer days, Vol. V > Part 9
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Nebraska Indians Journey to Paris.
About 1714 the grand chief of the Otoptata descended the Mississippi to meet Bienville, and died at Biloxi. Ten years later another chief of this nation accompanied M. De Bourmont to Paris. The nations on the Missouri had designed to send to France ten delegates, -one Otoptata, four Osage and five Missouri, one of whom was a young woman. But the Council of the Colony, for reasons of economy, held back five and permitted to go only the young Missouri woman, one Otoptata and one Osage, one Missouri, one Illinois and Chi- cagou, ambassador of the Metchigamias.
The (Indian) envoys arrived at Paris on September 20, 1725, and were received by the duke of Bourbon, the duchess of Orleans and the directors of the Company of the Indies. They were then presented to the king by Rev. Father de Beaubois (S. J.) who delivered to Louis XV a necklace of friendship sent by Mamantonense, chief of the Metchigamias, Kaokias and Tamarois15, with a speech16 given by Chicagou17. This orator had, a few days before, wished the duchess of Orleans "to be fruitful in great warriors like the ancestors of your husband and yourself."
These Indians from Louisiana were, for sometime, all the rage at Paris. They received beautiful blue suits with gold lace. At the Bois de Bolougne, before the court, they hunted deer "in their own style, that is by chasing" and they gave war dances at the opera and the Italian theatre. If we may believe Bossu one of these Indian envoys recalled thirty years afterward the perfumes so extravagantly used by Paris ladies and declared that "they smelled like alligators."
Nebraska Orator at Paris.
One of the three representatives of the Otoptatas, Osages and Missouris, we do not know which, died on the journey, and one of his companions pronounced an oration for the deceased in the name of all the Indians of the Missouri. Here are two charming passages from the translation made in prose and verse of his address before the king:
"Twelve whole moons have passed since we left our land (that is, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa,) November, 1724 to ap- pear here. One of our chiefs is dead on the way, the others gave up, or remained on the seashore, (that is, in New Or-
15. The Michigamea, Cahokia and Tamañoa were Indian tribes closely related to the Illinois.
16. 'Chicagou was still living in 1762. See Bossu, New Voyages to West Indies, 1768, v. I, p. 157.
17. See Dumont, Historical Memoirs of Louisiana v. II, p. 76.
# See notes by Addison E. Sheldon on pages 29-31.
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leans.) We are ashamed to see our plain speech. We bring with us furs and the work of our squaws. You will not think them of much worth, since you have in abundance, things so much more beautiful, but everything was lost in the first ship which was to bring us across18.we cannot wonder enough at the beautiful things which we see every day. We are very happy in the treatment given us since we arrived in this land; we had not been so before we arrived here's. The tribes represent to you :
1. Not to abandon them and they ask the French as much to keep friendship as to provide for their needs.
2. That they have never had any one to teach them to pray save only a white collar20 who came to them a little time ago, whom they are happy to have and beseech you to send others.
3. They beg you to send us back entrusted with your message and they will look on all upon this side (the great water) in order that they may see you again.
4. That the French having made known to us all, that you think in all this country, and that the stores which are here are from you. We are in your hands give to our bodies. (Sic).
Verses in Honor.
So much eloquence drove an anonymous versemaker to put in rhyme the prose of the Indians of the Missouri.21
Great Chief, Master of Life, Spirit Grand, We have come to behold thee in the bosom of thy land! And, given heart to cross the seas and their distress, We arrive, without regret, from our dark wilderness. From thy soul there flashes upon our grosser soal A light we would gladly take for our control,
Thy subjects, soldiers, court, with astonishment we own, Thy lordly power, the glory of thy person and thy throne, Thy cities, and thy gardens, thy mansions and thy sports.
Our nations brave all offer thee with willing hearts Their services in battle with their strong arms and darts. Send to our hunting grounds, under thy sway, Thy Frenchmen, thy goods, thy white collars to play.
18. La Bretonnie.
19. Always economizing, the Council of Louisiana had allowed the Indians, during their voyage only Sailors' rations, without wine or fresh meat, food to which the savages were not accustomed. Happily for them Bourmont bought food for them with his own money.
20. A father of the Mission Etrangeres. (Foreign Missions.)
21. Library of the Arsenal. Manuscript No. 3724, pages 77-81.
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"Missouri Princess".
As for the "Missouri Princess"-she was baptited at (the church) of Notre Dame of Paris, then married to Ser- geant Dubois, one of the companions of Bourmont during his journey of 1724 to the Padowkas. Dubois scarcely reaped the reward of his promotion to be commissioned officer and his appointment as King's interpreter for the nation of the Illinois-which he received on the occasion of his marriage, for he perished at the massacre of the garrison, of the fort of Orleans of the Missouri. If one may believe Dumont Madame Dubois caused the assassination of her husband, but that statement seems to us hardly probable. In any event she married again a little later a captain of militia of Illinois named Marin. Bossu saw at Paris in 1751 two children of the "Princess."22
Ancient Home of Otoe Tribe.
At the time which concerns us the Oto lived on the south bank of the river Platte, most of the time, it seems, near the point where the course of that river turns sharply in the southern direction. It is difficult to locate the point with greater certainty, first, because the Indians lived in a number of villages? and during the 18th century drew, little by little, closer to the Missouri river, and second, because the explor- ers who give the number of leagues (figures varying) which separate the Oto from the Missouri, have failed for the most part to inform us whether they reckoned the distances by the direct trail across country or by following the great bend of the river.24
The Pani-Maha.
The exact location of the Pani-Maha seems a little more difficult. These Indians, who certainly played a very import- ant role in the massacre of the Spaniards, lived in 1720 north of the river Platte, along the different branches of the river which was generally given the name "River of the Pani- Maha," but later received the name of Loup which it still bear's.25
22. New Voyages in North America, 1777, p. 227.
23. "The Ottoes" says the Spanish manuscript already cited, "Do not claim the exclusive possession of any territory, and do not fix any boundaries to their own lands. They are hospitable, cultivate the soil in the same way as the Kansa and Osage. They hunt on the salt marshes of the lake of Nimnehaw."
24. In 1794 Truteau reckoned twelve leagues, by water, and Clark, ten years later, only eight. But neither one had ever gone up the river Platte, rarely navigable.
25. Bienville expressly asserted it. The Missouri also declared they took part in the Massacre. (Margry, v. VI, p. 450).
* See notes by Addison E. Sheldon on pages 29-31.
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Pes-ke-le-cha-co
Was a noted Pawnee chief in the early period of the 19th century. He was one of the chiefs chosen to visit Washington some time prior to 1825 and confer with the president. His portrait was painted at that time. On his return he became one of the strong advocates of friendly relations with the white men in the councils of the Pawnee nation. He had seen the great cities filled with white people, their great guns, ships and factories and he never tired of relating the sights of this visit. In 1826 a war party of Osage raided the Pawnee villages. Pes-ke-le- cha-co killed an Osage. He rushed forward to lay his hand on the dead warrior-one of the highest honors in war. In the struggle to prevent this Pes-ke-le-cha-co was slain. His deeds were long related around the camp fires of the Pawnee nation.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
The Pani-Maha were evidently part of the great nation of Pani (Pawnee) but seem to have formed a branch some- what distinct from the other tribes, of whom the nearest was the Grand Pani sometimes called simply Pani-and the Pani- Pique, often formerly called White Pani. These latter were more friendly to the Spaniards than to the French. Nothing forbids conceding (with the Handbook of American Indians) that the Pani-Maha were the direct ancestors of the Pani- Loup, Loup or Skidi? who lived in the same region sixty years later. The independence of the Pani-Maha, in opposition to the other Pani, and the complex formation of their name might well arise from a fusion, common enough with Indians, -- between one tribe of Pani and a group of Maha27-which nation for so long a time wandered along the Missouri and one tribe of which was located at the beginning of the 18th century near the Oto.
The Loupes, in any event, had without doubt forgotten their double (surmised) parentage, for they were later often at war with the white Pani and the Maha.
Spanish Officer's Note Book.
Let us now proceed to the history of the Spanish Expedi- tion. And here, at the start, are the last leaves of the note book of the journey by a Spanish officer. These are the only records, unfortunately, which the Indians brought to M. de Boisbriant, commandant of the province of Illinois:
Translation of a leaf from a journal in Spanish, found at the defeat of a detachment of that nation by the Otoptata.29
(On the margin-"Also written Ouatotchata").
"The trails which we find lead us to a place where we be- lieve we shall get information of a band which, by all appear- ances, is not very far distant from some village. We resolve to camp in order to see what there is for us to do.
26. Many derivations have been proposed for this name, but all come from a root which means "wolf."
27. These Mahas, now called Omaha, belonged to the Siouan group as did the Kanza and the Osage, but in spite of the relation, they hardly understand the speech of nations living north of the river Platte.
28. At the beginning of the 19th century their number was upward of 1,000 of whom 280 were warriors.
29. War Department. MSS. No. 2592, folio 100. Also Colonies Cahier Book C13, Chapter IV, folios 235-235. The translations are dif- ferent.
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The lieutenant general having assembled all the officers on duty and on leave, and the natives, told them that a sav- age had reported to him that he had found some branches and leaves of fresh sand cherries which seemed to be the fragments of a meal of some band which had passed very re- cently. He then gave an estimate of the distance we had traveled, which in our reckoning was about 300 leagues. He then took counsel whether we should wait for orders from the Viceroy of New Spain, who had sent the detachment to discover from the savage nations if any French had establish- ed themselves in the region, or whether, since we had thus far found no proof of such establishment, we should con- tinue our search with the Panane3 nation (the only one which could give light on the question) and how we should commun- icate with them.
Names of Spanish Officers.
The military council was composed of Captain Thomas Aulguin, Aide-de-camp Joseph Domingue, Ensign Bernard Cazille; Captains Manuel Theverio de Albas, Alonzo Reald, Pierre Lucan; Corporals Joseph Gregoire, Manuel Thenonorio de Alba, Laurent Rodrigue; Captain Christophe de la Serne31 and Captain Jean Arhive; these two last named are natives.
All were of opinion that we ought to find the Panane in order to learn from them the truth or to know whether the Apaches had deceived us-that for this purpose the detach- ment should cross the river and thereafter proceed in the best way to carry out the plan proposed.
Crossing Great River Full of Islands.
Upon this resolve the lieutenant general ordered certain savages to locate the ford of the river so that the detachment might cross to the other shore. In the afternoon we began to carry over the baggage on travois upon the backs of the savages. It was not possible to get it across otherwise. The great number of islands in the river makes navigation by boats absolutely impracticable. Since one day did not suffice to transport everything our camp was divided that night by the river. Besides we did not wish to expose our natives by crossing at night, because it was so cold.
30. It is the name which the Spanish gave the Pani.
31. These proper names are spelled in different ways. one finds Cerise.
Sometimes
* See notes by Addison E. Sheldon on pages 29-31.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Wednesday 7 of August.
At the break of day we crossed over the remainder of our baggage and people to the other side of the river of Jesus-Maria. This was not without much trouble, but at last we found ourselves together at noon.
Thursday 8,
We leave the river Jesus-Maria following the trail of the Panane. The native Captain Serne boasted that he knows the trail well. He lost his way, however, and came back to camp. He was sent out again and with him Captain Joseph Nar- vanno, four corporals and two soldiers. A servant of Captain Serne, Panane by nation, said that he remembered, although he had left it when very young, that the village of his tribe was located on the bank of a river far to the north. Our sol- diers were ordered to find out the truth of his statement. They were ordered at the same time when they were near the village to let the savage talk alone with his people, to tell them they had nothing to fear, that we were Spaniards, their friends. And in case they found no one in the village to go such distance as would enable them to return to camp the same day or ensuing night.
Another Large Stream Crossed.
Since we left the river Jesus-Maria we have taken care to follow the trail which we found before us and which we believe was made by the Panane. We found, at a league from the river a large creek which it was necessary to cross and we thought from the water which was very warm that it was a branch of the river whose course was from west to east. We then marched over a plain, following always the trail of those who had gone before us. We saw a number of trees a league away and we met one of our savages who was of Cap- tain Narrans detachment and who had orders to wait for us to tell us to follow the creek and that he would follow the trail of those gone ahead since they found no one in the villages. The camp arrived at the bank of the creek and, as it was im- possible to cross with our arms, we were obliged to keep along its bank and follow the same route as that taken by Captain Narrans. We had already travelled three leagues to reach the creek; we marched three more to arrive at a plain. Fin- ally we halted in order that those following might not lose the way. At the same time two savages arrived from Cap- tain Narrans to tell the lieutenant general that he should not worry if the captain did not return to camp that ensuing night, that he was following the trail of the Panane who, ac-
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-
Photo July, 1923.
Junction of Loup River with the Platte, near present city of Columbus, Nebraska.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
cording to all indications, were not far off, and that the main command might march since he counted on rejoining them very soon.
Friday 9.
The camp being ready to march we saw, at more than a league's distance, some one approaching at a gallop. We were in advance and we found that it was one of our people who had been at the discovery. They told us that, eight leagues distant, on the other side of the creek we were following, thy found the Panane in a bottom, singing and dancing ac- cording to custom of the savages. They seemed to be in great numbers. They had not judged it wise to approach nearer to them for fear of frightening them away during the night.
Upon this news order was at once given to cross to the other side of the creek. It was carried out with so much good fortune that everything went over without getting wet, al- though the mules were up to their, girths in the water. We marched three leagues along the creek and found it conven- ient to halt at five leagues distant from the tribe, according to the report of those who brought in the news.
Council with Panane or Pawnee Nation.
As soon as we were in camp the lieutenant general sent the savage of Captain Serne to visit and talk with those of his nation, assuring them of our friendship and good will, and that we were taking this means of letting them know our good faith. Although the lieutenant general wished to send two soldiers with the savage to see that he was not insulted by those of his nation, the native told him that he had nothing to fear and that it was better to go alone, that if the soldiers accompanied him they might believe that there was deception and bad faith in what he proposed to them. This was agreed to and the savage started at 11 a. m. to see his nation. May God and the Holy Virgin, his mother, give him success. The general named the creek Saint Lawrence. The river Jesus- Maria makes a junction with this creek at the place where we are, in such manner that if we had not already crossed it would be impossible to do so.
At 6 p. m. we saw Francois Sistaca, which is the name of the savage of Don Christophe de la Serne, coming on the gallop. He related to the lieutenant general and all the others that he had been to see the band seen dancing the night be- fore and, not finding it, he had followed the creek and had seen them crossing to the other side where they had a village and many people. He stopped at the bank of the creek, dis-
* See notes by Addison E. Sheldon on pages 29-31.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Pawnee Village at forks of Beaver Creek and Loup River, near Genoa, Nebraska, photo 1875.
Photo- graph furnished by J. W. Williamson, Genoa.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
mounted, and called to the people crossing the river, making the signs of friendship and peace used by savages. As soon as he was seen many savages came to him and, among others, four at the head of them with tomahawks in hand, without bows or arrows, making cries, and seeing them approach within a stone's throw, he was afraid, made a sign with his cap as though he were calling people back of him and mount- ing his horse he galloped eight leagues to camp without stop- ping.
Saturday 10th of the month.
Feast day of the glorious Martyr, Saint Lawrence (died Aug. 10, A. D. 258). The camp marched along the river, fol- lowing the band (of savages) and having discovered on the other side of the creek a village with a number of houses and people passing from one side to the other by a ford, making calls easily heard because only the creek was between us, we made the signs of peace and friendship spoken of before. Twenty-five or thirty savages came to the edge of the creek to talk with us. We heard easily what they said. The sav- age of Don Christophe la Serne, who recognized the language of his nation, told the lieutenant general that they asked for peace and that he should come into their village.
They made signs looking at the sun32 which meant that the Spaniards need wait only one day for their visit. At once the savage of Don Christophe La Seine resolved to cross over to the other side in spite of the fear he had the day before. The camp halted opposite the village and the savage took off his clothing in order to swim across, with consent of his mas- ter. The lieutenant general told him to tell his nation that he would come and visit them with no design of doing them the least injury, as they could easily see since he had just dis- covered them without any strategems, as he might have done when he learned they were singing and dancing not more than two leagues distant. Thus they might confer with us in en- tire safety for peace and the friendly union which should ex- ist between brothers and subjects of the same king. The lieutenant general gave tobacco for the savage to carry to them, which is the usual custom at these meetings.
32. A party of Pani-Maha on a hunting expedition had evidently retreated before the Spaniards in order to draw them to the country of the Otoptata. But the Pani-Maha had a species of religion based on the worship of a certain number of stars and their chief villages were always arranged in a certain relation to each other. On this ac- count, no doubt, these signs which the Spaniards interpreted in their own way.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Shar-i-tar-ish was a principal chief of the Grand Pawnee tribe. He was son of another chief of the same name mentioned as Char-ac- tar-ish by Lieutenant Pike who met him at the Grard Pawnee village on the Republican river in 1806. The subject of this portrait succeeded his elder brother, Ta-re-ca-wa-ho as head chief. The latter was invited to visit the president at Washington, but refused because he thought the Pawnee the greatest people on earth and would not condescend to go in person. He sent Shar-i-tar-ish in his stead. Shar-i-tar-ish was then a young man, six feet tall, well proportioned and of fine appear- ance. His portrait was made at Washington. Soon after his return
he became head chief and died a little later, aged thirty. He was suc- ceeded by Ish-ca-te-pi sometimes spelled Is-ka-tap-pi and called "The Wicked Chief."
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
End of Military Note Book.
The last leaves of the record of this journal were evident- ly lost like those of the beginning. However, as we know that the massacre of the Spaniards took place the day after their meeting with the Optoptata and their allies, there is every ground for supposing that the manuscript ended at the date of August 10, 1720 and that its author was killed the next day.
News of the Massacre Carried to the French.
At any rate the news of the disaster to the expedition was known in all its details at Kaskaskia about the beginning of November. The first rumors of it probably arrived a month earlier, for it seems the same event referred to in the following letter. However, since the Spaniards were not al- ways in a body, the letter may refer to an isolated detach- ment.
Slavery and Human Sacrifice in Nebraska Region.
"All the nations of the Missouri" wrote Boisbriant on October 5, 172033, "have made peace with the Pani-Maha, but they utterly refuse to consider with the Padoka. The Otop- tata and the Canzes have been at war with the latter (Pad- oka). They have taken 250 slaves. As in the village where they have taken these there were many Spaniards, twenty of these are among the slain. This news has been brought to Sieur Boisbriant by four Frenchman whom he had given permission to go and buy horses from the Panyouessas (Wichita). Before the arrival of these French that nation had also defeated a village of Padoka. It had led away 100 slaves whom it had burned without mercy from day to day. Our French ransomed four or five from the flames, but their generosity was ill rewarded. The wretches ran away a little later and carried with them, the clothing of their liberators." -and further on "A Spaniard escaped from the defeat re- corded above. He is with the Canzes (Kansas). We have written a Frenchman who is on the Missouri, to ransom the Spaniard and bring him this fall to Sieur Boisbriant. He hopes to draw from the Spaniard information of the com- merce which the Spanish carry on with the savages and to learn from him if there are mines in that wegion."
33. Letter dated at Kaskakias.
34. According to the Handbook of American Indians the Paniouessa were the Wichita. It is necessary to concede that these Indians lived at that time not far from the river of the Kanza.
* See notes by Addison E. Sheldon on pages 29-31.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Chon-ca-pe, sometimes written Shunk-co-pe, was also called "Big Kanzas." He lived in the first half of the 19th century. £ He was a signer of the treaty of 1825 made at Council Bluffs, between the United States and the Otoe tribe. Soon after he was called to Washington to meet the president. At this visit this portrait was made. The grizzly bear necklace is a trophy of a victory over one of those fierce animals.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
On November 22, 1720, Boisbriant gave more precise in- formation.
"The Spaniards to the number of 250, accompanied by the Padoka35 nation, came to make an establishment on the Missouri. On the way they defeated five" nations. The com- mandant believed, after one splendid victory, he was strong enough to withstand anything. He sent part of his force to conduct the slaves taken in the villages he had destroyed and advanced within 15 leagues of the Otoptata. His plan, was to extirpate that nation. He had with him then 60 Spaniards and 150 Padokas.
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