USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People > Part 8
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Anticipating the favorable action of the Council at Paris, de Ramezay had agreed with the Governor to send this fall two boats, one to Monsieur de Lignery at Mackinac and one to De- troit to cheer up the savages and notify the coureurs des bois to join the expedition against the Foxes next summer.1 "It is so important to make war on the Foxes promptly and to transport merchandise into the upper country to prevent the savages from resorting to the English that we beg you to make known the intention of his Majesty by the first fishing vessel leaving France for Newfoundland."
Under plans settled at a conference in Quebec between Gov- ernor Vaudreuil and Begon, the Intendant, Sieur de Ramezay, Governor of Montreal, de la Forest, commandant at Detroit, and Sieur Daigremont, agent of the King, reported to the Minister at Paris, September 20, 1714, it was deemed necessary to first take measures to bring about a peace between the Wea and tribes of Miamis and Illinois, as these nations are numerous and, though they "have always been enemies of the Foxes," they do not make war on them for fear the vengeance of each other while their warriors are absent. To bring about this peace it was agreed to send them presents at once. Those for the Wea were sent via the lakes to Detroit to be carried to Sieur Desliettes, commandant on the Wabash. Those for the Illinois were sent to Sieur Vincennes, who commanded in Illinois, and taken by a convoy under command of Jean Paul le Gardeur de St. Pierre, a grand nephew of the first white discoverer, Nicolet. He made the journey by the Mackinac route and carried despatches to the commandant there, Sieur de Lignery, "to make war in every possible way against the Foxes early in the spring (1715) as soon as Sieur de Louvigney arrives." Sieur de Louvig- ney was to go out in the spring with a detachment of twenty soldiers by the route of the Ottawa river. Corn was expected to 116 Ib., 302.
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be forwarded to Mackinac from Detroit. Sieur de Lignery had orders to send word to the Sioux of the planes to break their peace with the Foxes and refuse them an asylum. The Coureurs des Bois had word that the King had granted them a general amnesty on condition that they join by St. John's day at Mackinac the soldiers of De Louvigny for making war against the Foxes on pain of being punished with the full rigors of the law. The report concludes with "These French, having as- sembled with all the savages who have been invited, will form a considerable force with which Sieur de Louvigny will march to the village of the Foxes to attack them, and if they do not stay in their forts he will cut their corn, burn their cabins and encamp on the ground. As the Foxes will not find it easy to obtain pro- visions when assembled, they will be obliged to disperse to hunt, and Sieur de Louvigny will have them pursued and harassed by different parties that he will send after them."1
October 23 and November 12, 1714, the acting Governor, Ramezay, and Begon, the Intendant, sent a report to the French Minister at Paris that the Foxes, Wea, Mascoutins and Kickapoo had recently sent a delegation to invite the Iroquois to join them in a war against the French and Ottawa tribe.2
Further delays in prosecuting the war against the Foxes were made necessary by unforseen events, and in the meantime, in June, 1715, five Frenchmen carrying corn to Mackinac were sur- prised by a boat containing twenty-two Foxes, who, after a des- perate fight, killed all the French. Three of the Foxes were killed and several wounded in the encounter. This affair made de Ramezay and Begon conclude in their report of September 12, 1715, that peace could only be made with the Foxes "after we have aroused ourselves to make war against the Foxes and struck some blows that will oblige them to sue for peace." For several years the fur trade of the region now Wisconsin and Michigan was practically abandoned and the whole frontier ter- rorized by fear of the Foxes. The illness of de Louvigny com- pelled him to give up the command of the forces to subdue the Foxes, and Monsieur de Lignery, captain in command at Macki- nac, was given charge of the execution of the project. Sieur de St. Pierre failed to reach Mackinac, as "his boatmen fell ill with the measles," and he did not arrive until the spring of 1715. But Sieur Dupuy, destined for the Miamis and Wea, met with
' Report to the French Minister, 16 Ib., 303.
? 16 Ib., 310.
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better success. He reached the Miamis on the Wabash in Jan- uary, distributed his presents and then proceeded to the Wea, several days' journey toward the west. IIe found these tribes disposed to make war on the Foxes. Word was brought that Sieur de Vincennes had made peace between the Miamis, Wea and Illinois, and of their willingness to war on the Foxes. They boasted of having recently killed three Foxes, including the son of the Fox chief Thunder.
Failure of Plans to Suppress the Foxes.
After the official endeavor to send an expedition against the Foxes, since the attack on the Foxes by the French and Indians at Detroit in 1712, now after three years' plans were formed which appeared to have some assurance of going forward suc- cessfully. The movements contemplated were over such a wide area miles distant that it would have been an accident if they were successful.
Under orders of Sieur de Ramezay, acting Governor of Can- ada, in the absence of Marquis de Vaudreuil at Paris, his eldest son, Lieutenant de Mounoir and Ensign de Doncour, went to Detroit from Montreal, in April, 1715, where they arrived June 15. As ordered by Sieur de Ramezay, they called a council of the savages near that place, to learn their views of the "most suitable post to serve as a rendezvous for the nations of the south." It was decided that Lieutenant de Mounoir and En- sign de Doncour "should go with the Miamis, Wea and Illinois to Chicagou, where in case they arrived first they were to await the savages of Detroit, who are to go there over land, hunting on the way, to save provisions. When all are assembled there they are to set out against the fort of the Foxes, distant about 65 leagues from Chicagou. "They will regulate the time of their departure so as to arrive at the fort of the Foxes at the end of August."
Up at Old Mackinac a complementry movement was to take place. As Monsieur de Louvigney had fallen sick again at Quebec, the execution of the project had been given in charge of Monsieur de Lignery, the captain in command at Mackinac, "who appears to have all the necessary qualities for acquitting himself of it with success, being of all the officers in this country the best fitted for this expedition, with the exception of Sieur de Louvigney." Under the plans now settled, "Sieur de Lignery
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will likewise assemble the French, with the Ottawa and other savages of the north, and he will set out with them for the fort of the Foxes, distant from Mackinac about 80 leagues." The entire route was by water over Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Fox river." He can reach it by boat in 5 or 6 days, regulating also the time of his departure from Mackinac, so that he also may arrive at the fort at the end of August. "It was agreed in the council that the first corps reaching the fort should only invest it, waiting the arrival of the second corps, which will enable them to attempt its capture in such manner as may seem best to Sieur de Lignery."
As soon as the council was concluded, messengers were sent to Mackinac to inform Sieur de Lignery of it. He at once sent Sieur de St. Pierre to Detroit to get more precise information, who returned without delay. Lieutenant de Mounoir and En- sign de Doncour departed from Detroit June 23, (1715), for the Miamis, where they arrived on July 3, and it was expected they could assemble the savages and keep the appointment. As a further necessary part of this effort over vast territory, to visit the doomed Fox tribe with the extreme displeasure of the might- iest monarch in Europe, Lieutenant de La Perriere was sent from Montreal in April, (1715), to go via Mackinac and thence among the Sioux (probably via Lake Superior), to invite them, not only to refuse refuge to the Foxes, but also to join us in making war upon them."
In this same spring there were sent to Mackinac, to reinforce the garrison and for the war against the Foxes, one Captain D'Eschaillons, Lieutenant Lanour, and Ensign Belestre, "who left Montreal in May, with a sergeant and 20 soldiers, who are to form the garrison," and they were expected to arrive "early enough for the expedition." These soldiers and some "French settlers whom we allowed to go up there, to serve in this expe- dition, and resident savages who accompanied them, "carried up 300 minots of corn which had been purchased of the Iroquois of New York.1
But these elaborate details were not to work out as planned. An epidemic of measles had broken out in the camp of the Miamis. A chief of the Wea had come down with the measles while at Detroit, which resulted in his death, and he had been
' See the details of this grand movement as set out at length in the report made by Sieur de Ramezay and Begon the Intendant, to the French Min- ister, Sept. 13 and 16, 1715, reproduced in 16 1b., 311.
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buried with military ceremonies. Three Miamis chiefs had also died of the same disorder. At the village of the Miamis on the Wabash river, the savages had fled on hearing the French were coming to fight them; but being reassured returned, and finally agreed that all those able would march at the proper time with Sieur de Vincennes, Lieutenant de Maunoir and Ensign de Don- cour reached the Wea in eight days, where they were not well received because of the death of the Wea chief, who they pro- fessed to believe had been killed by the French; but a few presents put them in better spirits. They finally promised to march to the Chicagou at the time set, and Ensign de Doncour remained to lead them. Lieutenant de Maunoir then set out for the Illinois. After his departure the measles "so increased among the Wea that there were from fifteen to twenty deaths a day," and Ensign de Doncour was himself attacked by the . fever for several days. When the time to march came. they could only muster twenty or thirty men and two chiefs, who made the long march over the prairies with "only dried beef and a little water" for subsistence. They did not dare to hunt for fear of the Foxes, whose trails they had found leading to Detroit. "To complete their misfortune they found no one at Chicagou; nor were the canoes there promised from Mackinac. Two of the Wea were attacked by the measles, and the others returned, so that Ensign de Doncour remained alone with five Frenchmen." After waiting five days over time, they set out west to meet Lieutenant de Maunoir with the Illinois; and be- coming lost on the prairie, passed him undiscovered and reached Starved Rock on the Illinois river. Lieutenant de Maunoir had gone to the Illinois, where he was well received, and only re- maining long enough to collect 450 savages, whom he took to Chicagou, where he arrived on August 17, and "was much mortified to find no one to meet him, and no news from Mack- inac." After sending out scouts to no purpose, he returned to Starved Rock, the village of the Illinois, where he discovered his companions.1
Soon after canoes had brought the news to Quebec of the total failure of plans for the southern savages to gather for war on the Foxes, canoes came to Quebec with letters from Captain de Lignery at Mackinac, informing the Governor that as late as August 30 he had not gone out against the Foxes, "because
' The failure of these designs are to be found in a letter by acting Gov- ernor Sieur de Ramezay to the French Minister, Nov. 3, 1715, 16 1b., 322.
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the convoy of provisions, munitions of war, the presents for the savages and the soldiers of the garrison, had not yet ar- rived.1 It was then too late to undertake anything that year.
The French Council of Marine, sitting in the most gorgeous palace of the Louvre, March 28, 1716, approved by Memoir the acts of the Canadian Government, in going to war with the Foxes, although they approve of the plans set out by Captain de Louvigny, in which "He says that the French, who went up for this war, set out laden with merchandise, although none is needed for carrying on the war; and that they have carried thither more than 40 casks of brandy. The result is, that wher- ever French and savages come together there is an open hell; and Monsieur de Louvigny states that some Frenchmen have gone to trade with the Foxes savages, of which all our allies complain. They consider that, to make peace, it is necessary to begin by restoring to the Foxes all the slaves of their nation whom the French hold; and that it is not in nature to think that peace can be made with people whose children we are with- holding. That, in order to carry on war, it is necessary to begin by arranging for peace between the Sakis, the Puants and the Sauteurs, because we can not undertake any war unless these savages remain at peace; and to send 500 or 600 French- men, equipped for war only, and without any merchandise.
Done and decreed by the Council of Marine, held at the Louvre on March 28, 1716.
(Signed) I. A. De Bourbon, Marechal d'Estrees. By the Council :
(Signed) La Chapelle.
The slaves mentioned in the record of the Council of Marine were the captive Foxes taken in the battle at Detroit in 1712, who, according to the custom of the savages and the frontier in those times, were reduced to slavery.2
The French Army in West Menasha.
The hope of the French in their war against the Foxes had long centered in Monsieur de Louvigny, who had the rank of Major in the army, but was a trader by occupation. For two seasons he had been ill when he was expected to lead the army
' See report of acting Governor Sieur de Ramezay and Intendant Begon, Nov. 7. 1715, to the French Minister, 16 Ib., 327.
: 16 Ib .. 340.
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to the fort of the Foxes. He had advised that it was best "to make peace with the Foxes. He will without doubt employ every measure to achieve this, as it is his opinion that we can- not hope for success in undertaking a war against them."1
In the spring of 1715, May 1, de Louvigny was prepared to lead his mixed band of French and savages to the war. There were gathered at Quebec and Montreal 225 Frenchmen, who had been given licenses permitting them to trade two years among the savages in the northwest, which had been given them in lieu of other pay, so they were to make the journey, placing themselves under the orders of De Louvigny free of expense to the King, their canoes being laden half with merchandise and half provisions.2 It was expected that 100 "settled savages" would also accompany De Louvigny. These were Mohawks and other Iroquois from the mission colonies along the lower St. Lawrence river.3 This martial array, destined to make peace in the west, made the voyage up. the St. Lawrence, and across lakes Ontario and Erie. At Detroit they induced the Hurons tribes and other Indians to join them, as well as a number of French soldiers and habitants. Arrived through Lake Huron at Mackinac, their force was augmented by Ottawa, Chippewa and the French garrison and habitants, until the motley host that pushed out over Lake Michigan and entered Green Bay, and worked their canoes up the tempestuous rapids of the Fox river to Little Lake Butte des Morts, and appeared before the great stockade fort of the Foxes, consisted of 425 French soldiers, civilians, traders and habitants, who had toted the munitions of war, the presents and necessary provisions "at their own ex- pense and without cost to the King"; and scattered in promiscu- ous confusion in the convoy were about 400 savages, Iroquois of the missions, Hurons, Ottawa and Chippewa.
The oak stockade of the Fox nation was located three quarters of a mile west of the lake shore, near Sills Creek. The area enclosed by the triple lines of oak stakes, was seven and one-half acres. The fort also had the usual curtains and bastions and must have been a formidable fortress for the savages, as it was strong enough to withstand the two cannon, grenade mortar and guns used in the assaults of the army of French and Indians,
' From report of Ramezay and Begon to French Minister, Nov. 7, 1716, 16 Ib., 328.
2 16 Ib., 329.
3 16 Ib., 328.
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who kept up a heavy fire night and day for three days, and even then it was not captured. Within this stockade there had assembled 500 Fox warriors, and their families, composed of 3,000 old men, women and children. They had sent out word asking assistance from their allies, and the French understood 300 of them were coming to their assistance.
De Louvigny's own account of the battle reads as follows :
"After three days of open trenches sustained by a continuous fire of fusileers, with two pieces of cannon, and a grenade mor- tar, they were reduced to ask for peace, notwithstanding they had 500 warriors in the fort, who fired briskly, and more than 3,000 women; they also expected shortly a reinforcement of 300 men. But the promptitude with which the officers, who were in this action, pushed forward the trenches, that I had opened at only seventy yards from their fort, made the enemy fear the third night that they would be taken. As I was only twenty-four yards from their fort, my design was to reach their triple oak stakes by a ditch of a foot and and a half in the rear. Perceiving very well that my balls had not the effect I anticipated, I decided to take the place at the first onset, and to explode two mines under their curtains. The boxes being properly placed for the purpose, I did not listen to the enemy's first proposition; but they having made a second one, I sub- mitted it to my allies, who consented to it on the following conditions :
"That the Foxes and their allies would make peace with all the Indians who are submissive to the King, and with whom the French are engaged in trade and commerce; and that they would return to me all the French prisoners that they have, and those captured during the war from all our allies. This was complied with immediately. That they would take slaves from distant nations, and deliver them to our allies to replace their dead; that they would hunt to pay the expenses of this war; and, as a surety of the keeping of their word, they should deliver me six chiefs, or children of chiefs, to take with me to M. La Marquis De Vaudreuil as hostages, until the entire execution of our treaty; which they did, and I took them with me to Quebec. Besides I have reunited the other nations at variance among themselves, and have left that country enjoying universal peace. I very humbly beseech the Council to con- sider that this expedition has been very long and very laborious;
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that the victorious armies of the King have been led by me more than 500 leagues from our towns, all of which has not been executed without much fatigue and expense; to which I ask the Council to please give their attention, in order that they may allow me the gratification they may think proper, as I have not carried on any kind of commerce. On the contrary, I gave to all the nations which were with me the few beaver skins that the Foxes had presented me with, to convince them that in the war the French were prosecuting they were not guided by motive of interest. All those who served in the campaign with me can testify to what I take the liberty to tell the Council.
"(Signed) Louvigny.
"At Quebec, October 14, 1716."
The date of the battle is unknown. De Louvigny left Quebec on March 14, and Montreal May 1, 1716, made the long canoe voyage of nearly 4,000 miles, fought the battle and returned by October 12 to Quebec. The battle was probably fought during the month of August. For his part in the expedition Major Louis de la Porte de Louvigny was made a Lieutenant Governor, by the Council of Marine at Paris, and His Royal Highness granted him a gratuity of 3,000 livres, equal to about $600.
The treaty made with the Foxes is said to have contained an express cession of the country to the French reduced to writing. Among the hostages given to De Louvigny for the good faith of the treaty was the old veteran war chief Pemoussa, who led the tribe at the battle of Detroit. The old warrior died at Quebec the following winter of smallpox, and was buried with military honors on the height of Quebec.
The present remains of the embankment of earth heaped against the triple oak stakes of the old Fox stockade fort, ap- pears as fortification mounds, on the farm of Henry Race, in the southeast corner of section 8, town Menasha. The mounds are 1,600 feet long, and about twenty feet wide, and three feet high, made up of the carth of the vicinity. Toward the creek on the north end situate a few rods from the main mounds there is a low red mound, 200 feet long, which may have been the remains of the trenching done by De Louvigny, in working his way close to the fort mentioned in his report. All over the plowed fields of the vicinity are found crude stone arrow points and Indian implements. Many of the trader iron hatchets are also picked up on near-by fields. They have the cross legends
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stamp of the Utrech, Holland, make as described by Beauchamp. . The author has a number of the axes, and they are found in many collections.1
The following year (1717) De Louvigny was to visit the Fox tribes as promised at the treaty, but the ravages of smallpox among the hostages now made the visit imperative. This description of this council of tears is furnished by Charlevoix, who visited the Fox valley in 1721, close to these events :
"Unfortunately the smallpox, which raged the following win- ter in the colony, and among the neighboring tribes, carried off three of the hostages, who died at Montreal, and among them the famous war chief Pemoussa. De Vaudreuil, fearful lest the treaty should fail, hastened upon the ice to Montreal, and despatched De Louvigny to Michillimackinac, with orders to execute the conditions accepted by the Foxes, and to bring to Montreal the chiefs of that and neighboring tribes, together with the ranger-deserters, to whom the King had granted a full pardon.
"De Louvigny set out at the close of May, 1717. One of the surviving hostages, who had been attacked by the smallpox, with the others, and had lost an eye by it, was taken along, that he might bear testimony to his people with what tenderness he and his companions had been treated. As soon as De Louvigny arrived at Michillimackinac he despatched this one-eyed chief to the Foxes, attended by two French interpreters, with presents to cover the three dead hostages. They were well received, smoked the calumet, and sang the songs of peace, and after spending some days on grieving for the dead, they met to listen to the hostage. He represented all matters in a proper manner, and severely reproached the chiefs for not having repaired to Michillimackinac.
"The chiefs declared to the interpreters that they were very sensible of the kindness which the Governor General continued to show to them; but excused themselves for not having already sent deputies to fulfil the treaty, and promised to comply with
' For documents and references to this battle, see 5 Ib., 79, for Lou- vigny's report; page 80, for letter of Gov. Vaudreuil; page 81, for Charle- voix's account of the expeditions. Proceedings in Council of Marine, 16 Ib., 342. Paper on the location of the battle, by Publius V. Lawson, "Pro- ceedings Wis. His. Soc.," 1900, page 204, with illustrations of embankment mounds still to be seen, 2 "Wis. Archeo.," p. 50, in a paper by Publius V. Lawson. For a sketch of De Louvigny, hy Dr. Lyman C. Draper, see 5 "Wis. Hist. Colls.," 108.
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their word the following year, giving this pledge in writing, adding that they would never forget that they were indebted for their lives entirely to the clemency of their good father, the Governor. The hostage then set out with the interpreters, to rejoin De Louvigny, at Michillimackinac; but after traveling about twenty leagues, he left them, saying it was necessary he should return to urge upon his people a faithful compliance with their promise. Nothing further was heard from him. The Foxes failed to send deputies to the Governor General, and all the fruit De Louvigny reaped from this laborious journey was bringing back to the colony nearly all the ranger-deserters, and engaging a very large number of Indians to transport their peltries to Montreal, in greater quantities than they had done . for a long while before. Governor De Vaudreuil flattered him- self for a long time that. the Foxes would send the promised deputies to him; but he was only taught by the renewal of their old conduct that an enemy driven to a certain point is always irreconcilable. While the Foxes were discomfited in many en- counters, they, on their own part, compelled the Illinois to abandon their river forever; although after repeated defeats, it could scarcely be conceived that there remained enough of that nation to form even a trifling village, yet no one ventured to go from Canada to Louisiana, without taking the utmost precau- tion against their surprises; and, it is said, that they had formed an alliance with the Sioux, the most numerous Indian tribe of Canada, and with the Chickasaws, the bravest nation of Louis- iana.1
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