USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 17
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whom we shall station during the winter at the Post which we must occupy either at Niagara or near the Senecas, to serve as a retreat for those of our Indians who will be desirous to harass them during the winter and the following year. Without this nothing effectual will have been done to humble this Nation, for to be satisfied in driving them from their villages and then to retire, is not accomplishing any great thing, as they immediately return and re-establish themselves in their Villages.
As you, My lord, are perfectly acquainted with the ruinous condition of this Colony, you understand very well the deplorable consequences of this war which require that the settlements be contracted, and it is here we must anticipate many difficulties ; for in truth the establishment of the Colony would have to be almost begun over again, and this it is which causes me repeat the demand that I have already made for regular troops to sup- port our habitans, and to occupy the posts necessary to be guarded, without which I cannot preserve many points very requisite to be protected ; among others Chambly, where I should like to station a strong post, because it is the most important pass to reach the English by lake Champlain. That post will moreover always be a subject of uneasiness to the Indians who would incline to cross the River Richelieu thence to our settlements on the River St. Francis ; in addition to which, communicating as it does with that of la Prairie de la Madelaine, would secure, in some sort, all the country from Sorel unto la Prairie de la Madelaine. Re- flect again, My lord, if you please, how important is that post of Bout de l'Isle de Mont Real, that of Chateaugué, that of la Ches- naye and that of l'Isle Jesus.
I say nothing, My lord, of all the other settlements that are isolated and without communication, which we must endeavor to secure from insult. Those details, My lord, require considerable troops, which could not fail to greatly advance this country by laboring to draw (resserer) the Colony closer together and make it more compact, by means of forts around which clearances would be made.
All this, My lord, is no trifling work to be prepared. For what certainty can there be of destroying so powerful an enemy
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as that Nation which has assuredly two thousand men under arms independent of a large number of other tribes their allies, estimated at twelve hundred ? The vast extent of forest into which they will retreat and where Indians alone can pursue them; the uncertainty of the strength of the Indians which we shall have with us; the difficulty of rendezvousing so far off-all these con- siderations ought to make us reflect on the means of sustaining ourselves in case we should not n.eet that success we may desire, and which cannot come without a manifest interposition of Hea- ven for the success of projects so scattered.
It is very certain that were I in a position to be able to send a strong detachment to the Mohawk Country by the River Riche- lieu whilst I was proceeding against the Senecas, not only should I create considerable alarm among the English which would keep them at home, but I would obtain a great advantage over the Iroquois by separating and pillaging them and laying waste their corn fields at both ends of the Iroquois towns. It would be very desirable that I could destroy all the corn in the same year, so that the one could no longer support the other ; this would re- duce them to great wretchedness and would put a burthen on the English, if they sought a refuge there for means to live. Had I a sufficiency of troops I should not fail to undertake that enterprize, but having only what I have, I must attack one after the other, and endeavour to raise another army, which it is impossible to effect at first. "Tis true, were all done at once it would be much better, and promote our expedition and dishearten our enemies considerably.
I am very sorry, My lord, to witness all the expence necessary for the support of Fort Cataracouy, merely with a garrison of fifty men. It is very unfortunate that the lands thereabout are not better, so that it might support itself. I am not yet sufficiently well informed of the environs to be able to write you with suffi- cient accuracy all that could be effected there; notwithstanding it is of great consequence to preserve that Post at the entrance to the Lake, though the Posts in this Country do not command the passages so completely that the Savages cannot avoid them, two or three leagues either above or below. Yet that Post, and
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one at Niagara would render us entire masters, and keep the Iro- quois in great check and respect, and give us immense advantages in our trade with the Illinois and Outtawas ; that road being shorter, and much less difficult than the one we take, in which there is an infinitude of portages and rapids, much more danger- ous than those on the Cataracouy side.
The letters I wrote to Sieurs du Lhu and de la Durantaye, of which I sent you copies, will inform you of my orders to them to fortify the two passes leading to Michilimaquina. Sieur du .Lhu is at that of the Detroit of Lake Erie, and Sieur de la Du- rantaye at that of the portage of Taronto. These two Posts will block the passage against the English, if they undertake to go again to Michilimaquina, and will serve as retreats to the Sava- ges our allies, either while hunting or marching against the Iroquois.
I send you again, My lord, copy of the orders I have issued for the assembling, marching and repairing of our Savage al- lies to Niagara with Sieurs du Lhu and de la Durantaye. You will, also, see, My lord, the orders I have issued for march- ing the Illinois in the rear of the Iroquois. It looks very well on paper, but the business is yet to be executed. Many difficulties may be encountered as well in regard to the nature of the Sava- ges who are little accustomed to obedience and the prosecution of a design during several months, which are required to reach the rear of the Senecas from their country. Chevalier Tonty, who came to see me at Montreal in the month of July last, has taken charge of all these matters. I gave him twenty good Canadians, with eight canoes loaded with one hundred and fifty muskets, which was all I could collect in the country. He carries powder and lead and other things for the trade. Had the guns you sent me arrived I should have given him a good number. He left at the end of August and calculates to arrive at Fort St. Louis1 before the departure of the hunters. He could not assure me of the number of Savages he could bring with him, but I'm cer- tain he will make great exertions to succeed in this affair in which he will participate largely if the Indians will allow themselves to
1 Now Peoria, III.
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be governed and led by him. I cannot sufficiently praise his zeal for the success of this enterprize. He is a lad of great enterprize and boldness, who undertakes considerable. He left Fort des Illinois last February to seek after M de la Salle at the lower end of the Mississippi. He has been as far as the sea, where he learned nothing of M. de la Salle except that some Sava- ges had seen him set sail and go towards the South. He returned on the receipt of this intelligence to Fort St. Louis des Illinois, and thence to Montreal where he arrived in the beginning of July with two Illinois Chiefs, to whom I had made some presents, and to another who had not come. They promised me wonders. Nothing remains but the execution which is in the hands of God, for according to what I'm told of the temper of these Savages, a mere nothing sometimes is only necessary to cause them to change their minds. ' He will have about twenty good Canadians with him to march at the head of the Indians, which he hopes will encourage them. He will have to walk three hundred leagues over land, for those Savages are not accustomed to canoes (ne sont pas gens de Canot.)
I should have greatly desired to shorten my letters to you. But, My lord, as it is necessary to inform you of the state of our affairs and to render you an account of my conduct, I thought I would send you all the orders as I had issued them, so that I might be corrected if I fail in any respect, being very anxious to satisfy you.
I receive letters from the most distant quarters ; from the head of the River Mississippi, from the head of Lake Superior, from Lake des Lenemyngon1 where they propose wonders to me by establishing posts for the Missions and for the Beavers which abound there. But in truth so long as the interior of the Colony is not consolidated and secured, nothing certain can be expected from all those distant posts where hitherto people have lived in great disorder and in a manner to convert our best Canadians into banditti. All these distant posts cannot maintain themselves ex- cept from the interior of the Colony, and by a secure communi-
1 Most probably, Lake Aleminipigon of the old maps ; now L. St. Ann, north of Lake Superior.
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cation with them from here. Whilst we have the Iroquois on our hands, can we be certain of any thing ? Solicited by the Eng- lish, they daily plunder our canoes and openly declare they will continue (to do so) being unwilling that we should carry ammu- nition to the Savages, their enemies and our allies.
The principal affair at present is the security of this Colony which is in evident danger of perishing whether the Iroquois be let alone or we make war without having a decided advantage over them, and however decided ours may be, the people se- parated as they are will always be in danger. Yet My lord, if you aid us with troops, war will be the least inconvenience, for if we do not wage it, I do not believe that the next year will pass away without the whole trade being absolutely lost ; the savages, our friends, would revolt against us, and place them- selves at the mercy of the Iroquois, more powerful because better armed, than any of them. The whole of the IIurons are wait- ing only for the moment to do it. Ilad I not by the care of Fa- ther de Lamberville fortunately avoided the war this year, not a a single canoe would have come down from the forests without having been captured and plundered in the river of the Outtawas. We should have lost a great number of good men.
This, My lord, is a long narrative about the state of the affairs of the country with the Iroquois which absolutely require that we wage war without longer delay. Every person sees its neces- sity so clearly that those concur in it now, who had been hitherto the most opposed to it. I hope that on the sketch I give you of our wants, you will aid us both in men and other necessaries. In regard to troops, My lord, I had the honor to ask you for Regu- lars, for in truth the employment of people picked up any where is very unwise. It requires time to make them fit for service and on their arrival they will have to take arms in their hands and drill. If you propose to send us some it would be well to have them arrive about the end of May which is the season when the North West winds prevail in our River. For that reason, the ships ought to leave Rochelle in the month of March. Sieur Dam- bour, one of our best ship captains that come to Canada, can give good advice thereupon.
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Our march cannot begin before the fifteenth of May, for we must let the sowing be finished, and the storms before that time are furious on our river and lake Ontario. I say nothing of the risks to be incurred that the harvest will not be saved next year on account of the war, nor of the necessity of making store-houses. By sending us troops, many things will be done of which we dare not dream if you do not send any.
1
A few days since a man named Antoine L'Epinart, an old resident among the Dutch, at present among the English, came to Ville Marie on the Island of Montreal in search of a child he had boarding with the Jesuits. He reports that the English kept watch three months this summer, our deserters having told them that I would attack them for having armed the Iroquois against us. He also says, that the Iroquois are drawing to them the Loups (Mohegans) and other tribes toward the Andastes, with whom they are forming alliances ; he believed the Iroquois had evil intentions towards us-that the English who had been to the Outtawas had been well received and invited to return among them with merchandize, and well nigh procured from the Iroquois the restitution of their prisoners, by which means they will be more attached to them than to us; that the Merchants at Orange had urgently entreated Colonel Dongan to request the Se- necas to surrender the prisoners ; that the Colonel had convoked a meeting of the Five Nations who went together to see him ; that it is the general belief that the Colonel will obtain satisfaction of the Iroquois and thus the English will attract to them both the Outtawas and the Hurons and that their cheap bargains will ruin our trade. The said Antonie L'Epinart assures moreover, that there is a Company of fifty men formed to go to Missilimakina ; that their canoes were purchased, and that the low state of the waters had prevented them starting ; that they waited only the rising of the rivers by the rain ; and that the Senecas promised to escort them.
I have heard that Sieur du Lhu is arrived at the post at Detroit of Lake Erie, with fifty good men well armed, with munitions
. of war and provisions and all other necessaries sufficient to guarantee them against the severe cold and to render them com-
-
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fortable during the whole winter on the spot where they will en- trench themselves. M. de la Durantaye is collecting people to entrench himself at Michilimaquina and to occupy the other pass which the English may take by Taronto, the other entrance to Lake Huron. In this way our Englishmen will find some body to speak to.
All this cannot be accomplished without considerable expense, but still we must maintain our honour and our prosperity.
The Oumeamies and other savages of the Bay des Puans have expressed much joy to me on learning that Sieur du Lhu was posted at Detroit, but I am very sorry to hear that Tonty has learned on the road that these same savages had quarrelled with the Illinois, which would prevent the Illinois attacking the rear of the Senecas, as we had projected. It would, in truth be an afflicting circumstance to see our allies devouring one another instead of uniting with us to destroy the common enemy. But it is useless to be vexed at it. Nothing remains but to be prepared for every thing that may happen, and rely only on ourselves. If God give us the advantage, the people will rouse to our aid.
My lord ought to place no reliance on the changeable disposi- tion of a people without discipline, or any sort of subordination. The King must be the master in this country to effect any sort of good, and success cannot be secured without expense.
THE M. DE DENONVILLE.
M. DE DENONVILLE TO THE MINISTER.
[From the same.]
Quebec, 16th Nov. 1686.
My Lord,-Since my letters were written a very intelligent man whom I sent to Manat, who has conversed and had much intercourse with Colonel Dongan, reports to me that the said Colonel has despatched fifty citizens of Orange and Manat among whom are some Frenchmen, to winter with the Senecas whence they will depart, at the close of the winter, under the escort of
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the Senecas, for Michilimaquina, carrying with them the Huron prisoners to restore them on the part of the English Governor, who is desirous to prevail on the Outaouas, by the service which he renders them, to abandon our alliance in order to attach them- selves to the English. They carry an abundance of merchandise thither to furnish it at a much lower rate than we.
This is not all. Colonel Dongan has given orders that one hundred and fifty other English should depart, accompanied by several Mohegan Indians to follow the first fifty Englishmen with goods. But this detachment is not to leave until spring. I believe there is no room to doubt but the design is to seize the post of Niagara. Were the English once established there, they must be driven off or we must bid adieu to the whole trade of the country. *
The same man who came from Manat told me that within a short time fifty or sixty men, Huguenots, arrived there from the Islands of St. Christophers and Martinique, who are establishing themselves at Manat and its environs. I know that some have arrived at Boston from France. There, again, are people to operate as Banditti.
Whilst writing this, My lord, further advice is come from Orange that Colonel Dongan sent to tell the fifty men who are to winter among the Senecas, not to leave until the arrival at the Senecas of the one hundred and fifty men which he is to despatch in the spring to support them. The reason of this order is that he has learned by Indians that the Sieur Du Lhut is posted at the Detroit of Lake Erie. If those men commanded with the sava- ges attack that post, you perceive, my lord, that I have nothing more to manage with the English. Send me, if you please, orders on this point, for my disposition is to go straight to Orange, drive them into their fort, and burn the whole. *
The English governor prompted at present by the cupidity of the merchants and by his avarice to drag money from them, pre- tends that all the country is his, and will trade thither though an Englishman has never been there. He gives passes under pretext of hunting, to his creatures, from whom one was taken at Michi-
15
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limaquina, which I would have sent, had he who was bringing it, not upset in the water and been thereby drowned.
*
Whilst writing this letter here, My lord, I receive from Father de Lamberville confirmation of the news which I had the honor to communicate to you respecting Colonel Dongan. I send you what he writes me of the speech made by the said Colonel to the Iroquois assembled by his order at Manat. Be so good as to read it yourself my lord.1
COL. DONGAN TO M. DE DENONVILLE.
[Par. Doc. III .; Lond. Doc. V.]
1 Decem. 1696.
Sir-I had the honour to receive your letter of the first of October 1686 and had sooner sent an answer, butt that I wanted a convenient opportunity to do itt, I find you was angry at the writ- ing and therefore for fear it was ill turned into French for I have no great skill in your language, have sent a copy of it in English. I desire you to continue in your opinion that nothing shall bee wanting on my part that may contribute to a good and friendly correspondence, and that I will not protect either merchant or others that shall give any just occasion to suspect it. Bee assur- ed, Sir, that I have not solicited nor bribed the Indians to arme and make warr against you, all the paines I have taken hath bin to keep those people in quiet who are so inclinable to warr that one word is enough for them. I have forbidden their joining (if they should be entreated) with any others against you neither have I ever allowed any to plunder I have only permitted severall of? Albany to trade amongst the remotest Indians with strict orders not to meddle with any of your people, and I hope they will finde the same civillity from you-It being so farr from pillageing that I beleeve it as lawfull for the English as French nations to trade there we being nearer by many leagues than you are-I desire
1 See postea, "Susquehanna Papers;" for an extract'from this speech.
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you to send me word who it was that pretended to have my orders for the Indians to plunder and fight you : that I am altogether as ignorant of any enterprise made by the Indians out of this Govern- ment as I am of what you meane by " mihillmiqum " and neither have I acted any thing contrary to what I have written, but will stricktly endeavour to immitate the aminity and friendship between our masters-I have desired you to send for the deserters, I know not who they are but had rather such Rascalls and Bankrouts as you call them were amongst their own countrymen than this peo- ple, and will when you send word who they are, expell, not de- tain them and use all possible means to prevent your good wishes and hopes that our merchants may suffer by them-Tis true I ordered our Indians if they should meet with any of your people or ours on this side of the lake without a passe from you or me, that they should bring them to Albany and that as I thought by your own desire expressed in your letter, they being as you have very well remarked very ill people and such that usually tell lyes as well to Christians as Heathens, The Missionary Fathers if they please but do me justice can give you an account how careful I have bin to preserve them, I have ordered our Indians strictly not to exercise any cruelty or insolence against them and have written to the King my master who hath as much zeal as any prince liv- ing to propagate the Christian faith and assure him how necessary it is to send hither some Fathers to preach the Gospell to the na- tives allyed to us and care would be then taken to dissuade them from their drunken debouches though certainly our Rum doth as little hurt as your Brandy and in the opinion of Christians is much more wholesome : however to keep the Indians temperate and sober is a very good and Christian performance but to prohibit them all strong liquors seemes a little hard and very turkish- What I wrote concerning what was due to me for my service in France was very true, Monsr Charnell, the Intendant at Nancy, adjusted and sent them to Mons' Lenoy signed by himselfe and me and I gave the copies of them to Monsr Pagaion living in the street of St Hone to putt them into the hands of Mons' Carillon Chaplaine to the Duchesse of Orleans, but, Sir, you need not to trouble yourselfe about itt for I intend to get it represented out of
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England and doubt not but the King your master who is so boun- tiful a prince will be so just as to pay what became my due by a great deal of fatigue and labour, however I humbly thank you for the civill obliging offers you make and doe assure you shall bee heartily glad of any occasion to requite them desiring you to believe I earnestly wish and contend for the union (you say) you desire and will contribute all in my power to promote and preserve it which is all the refflection I shall make on your letter being-
Sir, assuredly with all due respect your most humble and affectionate servant-T. DONGAN.
MEMOIR FOR THE MARQUIS OF SEIGNELAY
REGARDING THE DANGERS THAT THREATEN CANADA, THE MEANS OF REMEDYING THEM, AND OF FIRMLY ESTABLISHING RELIGION COM- MERCE AND THE KING'S POWER IN NORTH AMERICA. JANUARY 1687.
[Paris Doc. III.]
CANADA is encompassed by many powerful English Colonies who labour incessantly to ruin it, by exciting all our savages, and drawing them away with their peltries for which the English give them a great deal more merchandize than the French, because they pay no duty to the King of England. This profit .attracts towards the English, also, all our Bush rangers (Coureurs de bois) and French libertines who, carry their peltries to them, deserting our Colony and establishing themselves in those of the English who take great pains to attract them.
They advantageously employ these French deserters to bring the far savages to them who formerly brought their peltries into our Colony which wholly destroys its trade.
The English began by the most powerful and best disciplined [Indians] of all America. They have excited them entirely against us by the avowed protection they afford them, and the manifest usurpation they claim to the sovereignty of their country, which belongs beyond contradiction to the King for nearly a century
1
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without the English having up to this present time had any pre- tension to it.
They also employ the Iroquois to incite all our other Indians against us. They set them last year to attack the Hurons and the Outawas, our most antient subjects; swept by surprise from them more than 75 prisoners among whom were some of their princi- pal Chiefs, killed several others, and finally offered them peace and the restitution of their prisoners, if they would quit the French and acknowledge the English.
They sent the same Iroquois to attack the Illinois and the Miamis our allies who are in the neighbourhood of Fort St. Louis, built by Monsr de la Salle on the Illinois River which empties into the River Colbert or Mississipi ; massacred and burnt a great number of them and carried off many prisoners with threats of entire extermination if they would not unite with them against the French.
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