FRANCOIS-MARIE BISSOT DE VINCENNES
(Founder of Vincennes.)
Born at Montréal, June 17, 1700, of the marriage of Jean- Baptist Bissot de Vincennes, officer in the troops, and of Margueritte Forestier. He was baptized the same day by M. l'abbé
82 Sieur de Vincennes Identieikd
de Breslay. His godfather was bis cousin, François Margane de Batilly, officer in the troops, and his godmother, his aunt Alarie-Madeline Forestier.
Hère is the explanation of the error madc by most of the historians on the siibject of the founder of Vincennes. François-Marie Bissot de X'incennes sometimes signed his name Margane de Vincennes, whence the concbision bas been drawn that it was not a Bissot de Vincennes but a Margane of Lavaltrie. Under the French régime a number of Canadians adopted as a middle name the name of their godfather in préférence to those which they had received in baptism. In signing his name Margâne de Vincennes the founder of Indiana was only honoring his godfather and folio wing a common custom.*
After 1718 the young de Vincennes served with his father among the Miamis as a cadet. On May 20, 1722, François- Marie Bissot de Vincennes was made a half pay ensign of Louisiana.J
On October 24, 1722, Governor de Vaudreuil wrote to the Coimcil of Marine : "I hâve received the letter w^iich the council bas donc me the honor to write to me on the fourteenth of last June by which it had the goodness to inform me that his royal Highness approved of the plans which I had made to attract the savages to the St. Joseph river and to the Teatiky to form settlements there, and of the part which I hâve taken in sending M. de Buisson, captain, to establish a post among the Miamis and to be in comm.and of this post, as well as of that of the Ouyatanons and to bave him sent to the Miamis, to prevent the effect of the practices which the English continue to use, to attract the Indians to Orange. I
*This custom is still very much in vogue in our time. tAlphabet LafBlard, vol. 11, p. 319. The same Alphabet gives also the date Ocotber 19, 1722.
Sieur de Vincennes Identifiée 83
tried to take the most just measures to stop thèse practices or at least to render them useless and I hope to succeed by the name of Sr. de Buisson who formerly wiped away the anger of a part of thèse savages on an occasion vvhen they were nol aliowed to hâve any more French brandy. By his wisdom he knew how to manage them in such a way that in the end he succeeded in making them more docile than they were before.
"The log fort which he had built and which was finished last May is the finest in the upper country. It is a strong fort and safe from insuit from the savages. This post which is of considérable extent ought to hâve a missionary. One could be sent therc in 1724 if next year the council will send to Canada the four jesuits which I ask.
"The band of forty or fifty Ouyatanons v/ho hâve settled on the Teatiky decided to return to their ancient dweliing when they saw that most of the nation did not wish to abandon it. The Sr. de Vincennes' son, who is only a cadet in the troops, is in command of this nation under the orders of Sieur de Buisson. He has been there since 1718 and he is very useful on account of the great crédit v/hich he has acquired among thèse savages who préserve for him the same attachment whicli they had for Sr. de Vincennes, his father. His sennces deserve that the council should désire to give him their attention. If I had foreseen the establishment which the king has made this year of a second ensign in each one of the twentyeight companies that his Majesty maintains in Canada, I would hâve had the honor to propose him to the council, to hâve onc of the places which were not yet fïlled by petty ensigns as they are at présent. But since there are three second ensigns with letters of service who ought not to be received in this rank except in those places which will corne to be vacant in the future, I beg the council very humbly to grant similar letters of service to the Sr. de Vincennes in order that he may be
84 Sieur de Vincenxes Idextïfied
received in the first place which may be vacant after the Srs. Le Verrier, Sadrevois and Lignery hâve been received."*
In 1723 when he was accused before the minister of not lending aid and assistance to the government of Louisiana the Marquis de Vaudreuil defended himself energetically. On October 11, 1723, M. de Vaudreuil enunierated to the minister ail the means he had taken to assist louisiana. He used the occasion to make known the merit of M. de Vincennes : "After what I hâve done in 1719, as well as in this year, to prevent the Abenakis f rom going to live among the Foxes, for which I was greatly thanked by a letter which Father Aubry, their missionary, wrote me the third of this month, of v/hich I enclose a copy, I leave you to judge, Mgr., if one has any right to say that 1 hâve no regard for what happens to the government of Louisiana, as a thing to which I ought to lend aid and assistance, and to prevent wars which could happen there on the part of the nations which are dépendent on me.
"Not only on thèse two occasions hâve I given my attention to this raatter but I hâve done so in many others when the Ouyatanons would hâve made vrar on the Illinois, if by the orders which I hâve aîvvays given to Sr. Vincennes to keep thèse two nations in peace he had not stopped the movements of the Ouyatanons among whom he has ail the crédit imaginable, and had made several voyages vAth them to the Illinois."*
August 17, 1724, M. de Vaudreuil wrote to Al. de Boisbriand, commandant among the Illinois : "I am much pîeased with the advancement of Srs. St-Ange, father and son, but I am surprised that you are thinking of taking Sr. de Vincennes away from my government and that 3'ou hâve tried to make him leave a post where he is very necessary, on account of the crédit which he has among the savage nations of this post,
*Archives du Canada, CoiTespoadence générale, a'oI. 44. "Archives du Canada, Correspondence seiîerale. vol. 45.
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 85
which you know does not beiong in any way to the government of the Mississippi. I would be very sorry to be obliged to take my complaint to court, which I will, however, hâve to do if you continue to try to take him away. I flatter myself. Monsieur, that you will give your attention to this matter and that you will reflect on the inconveniences which could conie from it.
"I wrote last year for the advancement of Sr. de Vincennes. I hope that the court has paid attention to my représentations and that he will hâve his advance this year."*
On February 9, 1725, M. Dugué de Boisbriand, commandant among the Illinois, wrote to the company of the Indies: "It would hâve been advantageous to establish a post on the Wabash, but since up to now, the}' hâve not even kept up the one among the Illinois, there is little likeîihood that one could undertake to establish this post. It is, however, much to be feared lest the English take possession of it, which would lose us entirely the colony of the upper country, since it would be easy for them with the enormous quantities of merchandise which they ordinarily carry, to gain ail the savages of that district. Will the company hâve tlie goodness to refîect well on this matter ?"t
On May 11, 1725, the company of the Indies sent to M. de Beauharnois, governor gênerai of New France, a memoir in which it asserted that the introduction of commerce on the part of strangers into Canada would ruin it, do harm to the kingdom and alienate the savages from the French. It suggested as a means of obviating from the state, things so prejudicial, the establishment of posts commanded by compétent ofificers. It demanded also the severe punishment of those
*Ar<,-hives du Canada, Séries F., vol. 56. p. 147. tPiorre Mfirgry, Mémoires et Documents pour servir a L'Histoire ■tle.'» Origines Françaises des Pays d'Outre-ifer, tome, vol. 16, p. 657,
colonists who allowed the savages to carry merchandise to the stranger. It also demanded that no Englishman be allowed to settle at Montréal.
The Company of the Indies said to M. Beauharnois that M. de Vincennes was the most capable man to drive the Miamis against the Foxes, if there should be occasion to make war against them, but it added that it was necessary to préserve the friendship and the dependence of ail the savages, who lived along the line of communication betvv^een Canada and Louisiana in order to hâve nothing to fear from the English. And for this end it demanded the estabhshment of a post at Wabash."*
On December 22, 1725, the company of the Indies wrote to M. de Boisbriand : "It would be well for you to write to M. Vincennes, who is among the Miamis, to beg them to corne to an understanding with the commandant of the Wabash in regard to the savage nations which lie commands, and to give him information of the enterprises which the English could start in that district. The company begs Mgr. Count de Maurepas to be willing to send orders to Canada by the first vessels which leave for Québec, in order that Sr. de Vincennes may be commanded to act in conformity, and that ail the other ofificers placed among the savage nations of the government of Canada who live at the mouth of the Wabash river may protect as much as they can the post, which the company is establishing there. and shall join together with the commandant there to drive away the English, who may penetrate as far as this river.t
On April 23, 1726, M. de Vincennes was promoted to be second ensign.* M. de Beauharnois and Dupuy were told the
♦Rapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1904, p. 16.
tPierre Margrry. Mémoires it Documents pour Servir a l'Historié (les Origines Françaises des Pays d'Outremer, vol. 6, p. 657.
♦Alphabet Laffilard, vol. 11, p. 310.
news by the following letter of the cotincil of Marines (May 14, 1726) : ''The six vacancies in the rank of second ensign hâve been granted to Srs. Desgly, Lorimier, de Vincennes, Mouchy, d'Hocquincourt, Delage, and Malespine."f
On the 14th of May, 1726, the king informed MM. de Beauharnois and Dupuy that the English had biiilt two house? and some store houses on a river which fîowed into the Ouabache, in order to trade there with the Miamis and the Ouyatanon?. He ordered them to give orders to M. de Vincennes that he get into communication with M. de Boisbriand, in order to place obstacles against the expansion of the EngHsh in this district.^
On the 30th of September, 1726, the company of the Indies sent to M. Périer, governor of Louisiana, the following memoirs on the measures which v/ere to be taken by M. Vincennes to observe the conduct of the English : ''About 120 miles above the Arkansas there flows into the Mississippi the Ouabache river formed of four other rivers, one of which rises near Lake Erie and is called the St. Jérôme or the Ouabache, the other called the Oliio rises among the Iroquois, and the two others called Tennessee and Cumberland rise near Virginia. The country which thèse rivers water abounds in wild cattle and is not yet occupied by any European nation,"
"Since the fîrst of thèse rivers is the means of communication between Louisiana and Canada, and since this communication will be entirely broken if the Englsh form a settlement at the confluence of one of thèse three other rivers, which would expose, at the same time, the country of the Illinois and place in danger ail the upper country of the colony, the company bas ordered the establishment of a post on the Wabash river and bas begged the governor of Canada to order the Sr.
tArcliives du Canada, Série B., vol. 42.
ÎRapport sur les Archive!} Canadiennes for 1904, p. 72.
88 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
de Vincennes who is in command among the Ouyatanon-Miamis settled near the source of the Wabash, to get into communication with the commandant of the new post, to make this nation approach to protect this post and also to observe the conduct of the EngHsh and to drive them away in case they dravv' near.
"M. Perrier will see by the enclosed copies of the letter written to M. de Boisbriand and of the memoirs sent to M. le comit de Beauharnois, what the company considers ought to be done in this niatter. M. de Boisbriand advises in reply that the lack of merchandise prevents him from estabHshing the said post and that he believes it necessary to give the command of it to M. de Vincennes, who is already half-pay lieutenant of infantry at Louisiana and who can treat with the Miamis better than any other.
"On the other hand the company learns through AI. Desliettes, commandant among the Illinois, that Sr. de Vincennes had come to find him and to tell him that he had learned that the English had already formed a settlement near the source of the Ohio river, and that he had sent the Sr. de Vincennes with présents for the Indians, ordering him to make sure of the truth of this news. If it is confirmed there is not a moment to lose in having the lower part of the Ohio river occupied by the Ouyatanons, and it is necessary immediately to establish a fort on the Wabash near the place where the Cumberland rivers flows into it. To place there in command an officer who can live in harmony with the Sr. de Vincennes, whom it will not do at ail to remove from the Ouyatanons, if one hopes to get from them the service which we désire. M. Perrier must consider well this afifair and find out, if in giving eight or ten soldiers to the said Sr. de Vincennes with the missionary destined for Wabash, he will not find himself in condition to assure, through the savages, the communications between Louisiana and Canada, and of preventing the Eng-
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 89
lish from penetrating into our colony, without obliging the Company to construct in the lower régions of the Wabash river a fort, the expense of the estabhshment of which, and the maintenance of a garrison woiild be an object of conséquence.
"In order to persuade the Sr. de Vincennes to attach himself to the colony of Louisiana, M. Perrier advised him that he would obtain from the company for him an annual stipend of three hundred livres which would be paid to him along with his salary of half-pay lieutenant."* des Origines Françaises des Pays d'Outremer, vol. 16, p. 658.
In the list of ofïicers of the troops of the detachment of the Marine serving in New France signed at Québec October 15, 1729, one reads : "Second ensign ; Vincennes."t
On April 4, 1730, M. de Vincennes was confirmed half-pay lieutenant of Louisiana. He had already served in this capacity several years without having the rank.
On October 15, 1730, MM. de Beauharnois and Hocquart wrote to the minister: "We hâve received the letter which you hâve donc us the honor to write to us, the second of last March, sharing with us the reflections which you had made on the means of preventing the commerce of the English with the savages and concerning which it has pleased you to ask our advice.
"To prevent this commerce it is necessary to stop it entirely. Which means that précautions must be taken that the post of Niagara and of Fort Frontenac are always well supplied with merchandise for trading. That will be very easy if the king's ship arrives in good season as it did this year.
"As regards the post of Détroit and equally the prévention of commerce of the English with the savages, it will be important to foUow the intentions which one had in mind in the
*Peirre Margry, Mémoires et Documents Pour Servir a 1' Histoii'o tArchlves du Canada, série F., vol. 51.
90 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
first seulement and to accomplish it, it is necessary to establish there a good garrison in the beginning, in order that following the intention of the court, this post may be in a state to maintain good order and to make respected the French and the Savage s.
"It is certain that the intentions, which hâve been held since the estabhshment of Détroit, were, in part, to break off the Haisons of the English with the savages and to cause to cease the commerce which they carry on among them. The expédient which we use to carry out thèse intentions and to prevent entirely the association of the savages with the EngHsh might be, as you hâve done us the honor to point out to us, to oblige the Miamis and the Ouyatanons to come to supply their needs at Détroit, not allowing travelers to carry anything among them. But we think that there is cause for fear lest the English go among the savages, who will receive them, thinking that the French hâve abandoned them. It is certain that, if at présent, we abandon one only of the posts which the French occupy, that the English will establish themselves there immediately. So we think that it is necessary, better to fortify those which we hâve today, rather than to weaken them in obliging one nation to go among another to fînd there the necessities of life, the more, that it seems to us dangerous to assemble diflferent savage nations in the same place for fear that they do not get along well together.
"The Ouyatanons hâve been led into the government of Louisiana by the Sr. de Vincennes, who is entirely separated from this government.* Sr. de V Beauharnois (to oblige this nation to return among the Miamis to supply their wants) at first intended to allow no traveler to come up from that territory and he would hâve put his plan in exécution, if he had not found himself obliged to grant this permission to Frenchmen in order to send missionaries to the Tamarois, and
•That is the government of Canada.
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 91
they brought with them merchandise in great quantities which they put on sale in the old post as usual."t
In the plan of the state of the expenditures for the year 1731 one sees that the officer in command at Wabash was to receive as a supplément to his salary, as well as for the maintenance of the fort during the last six months of the year 1731 a sum of 400 livres at the rate of 800 livres a year. The sanie budget gives us the name of the officers who were at Québec, with the salaries which they vv^ere to receive: St. Jantzen, lieutenant, 240 livres for the last six months ; Sr. de Saint- Ange, 240 livres for the last six months ; and Sr. de Vincennes 240 livres for the last six months.*
October 12, 1732, MM. de Beauharnois and Hocquart wrote to the minister: "Sr. de Vincennes v/ho is among the Ouyatanons has been informed of the last arrangements made for the transportation of Illinois cattle to Canada, and has written to M. de Beauharnois, that, if His Majesty will grant the same perquisite that he has to Sr. Gastineau, that is to say 1000 livres he will guarantee to send them alive to Canada. As the arrangements were only conditional, we ha^e repKed to him that he would be treated as Sr. Gastineau had been."t
In a list of officers of the troops of the detachment of Marine in 1732, one reads Bissot de Vincennes, ensign, thirtyfour years old.$ In reality M. de Vincennes was only thirtytwo years old in 1732.
In the budget of expenses of 1732 for salaries and perquisites of Louisiana one fînds : "To M. de Vincennes, commandant at Wabash for a perquisite 800 pounds.§
tArcliivcs (îu Canada, Correspondence générale, série F., vol. 52. p. 27.
*.T. I'. Dunn, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 297. tArchives du Canada, sirie F., vol. 57, p. 73. iL'abbe Daniel, Apei'cu sur Quelques Contemporains, p. 52. §J. P. Dunn, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 307.
92 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
In a letter that M. de Vincennes wrote on March 7, 1733, to one of the officiais of the department of the Marine in France one finds interesting information about his post and about thèse savages among whom he lived. "To reply to your letter which I hâve had the honor to receive I begin by inf orming you that the Wabash is composed of five nations who compose four villages of which the least has sixty men carrying arms, and ail of them could furnish from six to seven hundred men if it were necessary to assemble them for the vvelfare of the service and for their own welfare. On account of the nearness of the English, it has been impossible for me to bring together ail thèse nations because there has always been a lack of merchandise in this place. The fort which I hâve built is about eighty miles in the Wabash country up the river by which the English hâve been able to descend and open up commerce with thèse nations. The place is very suitable in which to build a great settlemenî which I would hâve done if 1 had had troops enough. In regard to the commerce which one can carry on hère, a traffic in skins could go on ail year to the extent of 30,000 skins. This is the only commerce, Monsieur, which could be carried on for the présent.
"I hâve never had a greater need of troops in thèse places than at the présent time. The savages, the Illinois, as well as the Miamis and others are more insolent than they hâve ever been, especially since the Foxes were defeated. The little expérience which I bave acquired in the twenty years that I hâve been among them, causes me to fear some evil trick on the part of thèse nations and above ail, of my own who seeing a settlement which I had begun, did not seem to wish it to be continued. Since for three years nothing has happened. Except, Monsieur, the migration of ail the nations not only of the lakes but also of other places.
"You do me the honor to indicate to me that I send you a statement of the work donc and to be done. There is only one
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 93
fort and Iwo hottses within and it will be necessary very soon to build a giiard hoiise with barracks in whicli to lodge the soldiers. Nothing else is possible in this place with so few troops. I need thirty men with an offioer. I am more embarrassed than ever, in this place, by the war with the Chicasaws who hâve corne twice since spring. Only two days ago the last party took away tliree people and since the French took iip tomahawks against thcm I am obliged every day to put up a défense. I hope, that of your goodness, you will indeed wish to give your attention to this place and to my difficulty for myself as well as for the little garrison which I hâve. This is the favor which he awaits, from you, who lias the honor to be, with profound respect, M., your very humble and very obedient servant,
ViNSENNE.
On March 21, 1733, M. de Vincennes wrote another equally interesting letter to the same person : "I hâve just received a packet from M. le marquis de Beauharnois which I hâve sent to M. de Saint- Ange in order that you may hâve it as quickly as possible.
"M. le marquis de Beauharnois sent me a belt and a pi'pe for the Illinois which I sent to M. de Saine-Ange to insist that the nations go and attack the Chickasaws. Ail the nations of Canada and of the lakes start this spring to go there. Both nations hère hâve gone even their chiefs. Not a single man remained in ail thèse villages. And they ail passed in front of this post, which is not a favorable condition.
"I had the honor to inform you in my last letter that the Chickasaws this autumn killed six Frenchmen in the Wabash country who had corne to this post and were living hère. This same party killed one of the savages of this post and his wife. If they begin to come in thèse places it will be difïîcult to travel. M. le marquis de Beauharnois indicates to me ihat he
94 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
wishes absoluteiy to destroy the Chickasaws and their allies and to prevent thèse nations froni joining those of Canada.
"In this post we lack everything. I am obliged to borrow from travellers and to give the little that I hâve myself to take care of ail the afïairs which come up daily. I hâve the honor to beg yoii, Monsieur, to give your attention to this matter and to hâve me reimbursed for what I hâve furnished. I realize that it lias already cost me much. When thèse nations return and when ail the prisoners, which tîiey hâve taken are given to us, it will be necessary to pay for this sort of thing as well as to look for the dead if we lose any one. I hope that they will come this autumn and make the attack. At least I will invite them hère since they are ail disposed to come. I am about to go in a few days to their large village and if I find everything quiet I may go down into Canada. M. le marquis de Beauharnois tells me that he will allow me to make this trip to attend to some family matters. I will not be longer than five months on this voyage. I am writing to M. Saint-Ange to send his son in my absence. I hope Monsieur that you v,'ill not take it ill, that I make this trip because I will not do it unless I see everything in good shape in this continent. I hâve the honor to be
"With profound respect, M., your vcry humble and very obedient servant,
ViNSENNE.
The fort of Wabash, March 21, 1733."*
On March 24, 1733, Count de Maurepas, président of the Council of Marine, wrote to MM. de Beauharnois and Hocquart that Sr. Gastineau having been unsuccessful in sending the cattle from Illinois, it was not necessary to make arrangements with M. de V^incennes. commandant among thé Ouyatanons, since the expérience of Sr. Cugnet did not give reason to
*.T. P. Dimn, The Mission of tlie Ouabache, p. 305.
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 95
hope that one could obtain wool from them. There was therefore no advantage in domesticating thèse animais. f
On April 1, 1733, M. de Vincennes was made half-pay lieutenant in Canada 4'
On May 20, 1733, MM. de Bienville and Salmon wrote to the minister: "By the same letter Sr. Saint-Ange says that he is Httle assured of the fidehty of the IlHnois, who often give him alarm and seem hkely to fear oiir resentment over their past faults in order to hâve a pretcxt to make a disturbance.
''In another région Sr. de Vincennes who is in command among the Aliami calls attention to the fact that the savages settled on the Wabash are not any more tranquil than the IlHnois. That he is in no condition to prevent their carrying on commerce with the English since it is necessary to reunite them ail, and since he bas no merchandise to attract them, since moreover the garrison is too feeble to restrain thèse nations.*
In a menioir of M. de Bienville on Louisiana which seems to be about 1733, it is said: *'Sr. de Vincennes who commanded there (at Wabash) informed him that the Peanguichas who were settled near our fort desired to bring among them a village of the same nation who had remained about sixty miles higher up the river. Two reasons made him favor this design, the first to fortify our settlement and the second to take away from this village the facility of commerce with the English who had established two stores among the Chanuanons on the Ghio River.j
In their letter to the minister April 8, 1734, MM. de Bienville and Salmon wrote: "As concerns Wabash, M. de Vincennes from whom we bave had no news informs us by a messenger, who bas just corne down from among the Illinois, that
tRapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1904, p. 169. ÎAlphabet Latiillard, vol. 11, p. 319.
*J. P. Dunn, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 300. tJ. P. Dunu, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 308.
96 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
the fort which he had built for the garrison vvhich consistée of only ten men is very small and in fairly good condition, that it is necessary only to place around it a double wali of stone. That he has had built within a house at his own expense for his dwelling and that some of the soldiers on their part hâve made barracks to live in, that immediately the garrison is to be increased to thirty men, an order which M. de Bienville has given to M. Dartaguiette.$
On April 13, 1734, in his letter to MM. de Beauharnois and Hocquart, M. de Maurepas returning to the proposition of M. de Vincennes approved that they had written to him not to send cattle from Illinois, this enterprise appearing impracticable
July 20, 1734, the king had a letter written to M. de Beauharnois saying that he had learned by way of Louisiana that the Foxes, after the unfortunate afïair of the Bay of St. Joseph, had retired on to the Wisconsin river and that M. Dartaguettes had sent scouts after them to locate them and to make the nation march against them. The king added that Sr. de Vincennes, commandant at Wabash, had written to him that the savage Peauguichias, settled near his fort, wished to bring to themselves the greater part of their nation who wcre sixty miles higher up. This would hâve given importance ta Wabash and vrould hâve taken away from the English the commerce which they were carrying on with the Peauguichias village. The savage Chouanon.s who had two English commercial agencies established near them had the same intention of going away, a party to Wabash and a party to Détroit.
j uly 27, 1734, M. de Bienville wrote to the minister : "Sr. de Vincennes, who is in command at Wabash. advises him that the Peauguichias, who havc settled near our fort, désire to attach to themselves a village of the same nation who remain
tJ. P. Dunn, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 308.
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sixty miles highcr up. Tvvo reasons make him favor this design the first to fortify our settlement and second to takeaway from this village facility of commerce with the English.
"This ofiicer adds that it vvili not be difficult to take away from them this nation who hâve only given them the préférence because it was not so easy to obtain their necessities from us as from the English. He is sure that a party lias the intention of going to Détroit and another of coming to him. If Monsieur considers that thèse changes are advantageous, I will give orders in conséquence to M. de Vincennes. Moreover, since the post of Wabash is one of the most important of the colony, being a barrier which is opposed to the progress of the English who hâve always frequentcd much thèse districts, he has given orders to M. Dartaguettes to detach thirty men with two ofïîcers to make up the garrison for it.*
On August 20, 1735, M. de Bienville wrote to the minister : "Sr. de Vincennes who is in command of the fort of the Peanguichias has persuaded the savages of his district to déclare war against the Chickasaws and has secured from M. Dartaguettes the argeement to march with them, with those of the French which he can get together. Since this ofiicer has much influence over the minds of the savages M. de Bienville is persuaded that he will encourage them to do their best."f
The Chickasaws, a large and enterprising nation, very hostile to the French and allied with the English with whoni they kept up continuons and important commercial relation, inhabited ail the country between the iUinois and the Choctaws on the south. Each ycar they grev,' larger from the débris of other tribes v/ho came to unité v^ith them and to bring to them a new strength. Assured of the aid of the English, having in their power a strong contingent of savages, they enjoycd
*J. P. Dium, Tbe Mission to the Ouabaolie, p. 320. tJ.P. Dunn, The Mission to the Onabache, p. 309.
98 Sieur de Vixcennes Idekïieied
disturbing the French settled among the Tonicas and the Arkansas. They attacked their convoys going up among the lliinois and, what concerned much the governors of Québec and o£ New Orléans, they favored the estabnshment of colonies from Virginia on the Ohio and on the Illinois rivers. England very much desired this establishment, which was to serve as a barrier between the two colonies of Canada and of Louisiana, and was to weaken them in separating them. Aloreover she hoped in this way to obtain possession of the trade in skins from the south to the norih of America, because the savage tribes were persuaded, not without reason, that the English couid more easiiy than the French bring plenty into their country in giving to them at better rates their merchandise from Europe and buying more dearîy the product of their hunting.
The aggressive and provoking attitude of the Chickasaws could not long be endured. It was important to reduce their po'A'er as soon as possible, if one wished to assure the free possession of the 2**Iississippi valley and to prevent the English from opening stores between Canada and Louisiana.
The governor of Louisiana, M. de Bienville, summoned the Chickasaws to bring him without delay the head of the Natchez who had taken refuge among them. The chief replied "the Natchez form one nation with the Chickasaws, we can not give them up." Little content with this reply M. de Bienville declared war against them. He ordered the commandant among the Illinois, M. Dartaguettes, to levy as many soldiers as he could among the Illinois, the Canadians and the French in the Chickasaw country on ^vlay 10, 1736. lie himself would unité at Mobile ail those available in Louisiana. He would ascend the river of the same name by a flotilla of rafts and of boats and would arrive at Tombcche (today Cotton Gin Port). There 20O Choctaws awaited him with Father Beaudoin, their missionary. The army would set on the march the next day
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 99
and on the evcning of Aiay 27 it would camp one mile from the great village of the Chickasaws.
The arrangement made by M. de Bienville could not be so secret that they were not discovered by the enemy. The Chickasaws, guided by the EngHsh, fortified their retrenchments and awaited the French with assurance. Two assaults were made the same day and vigorously repulsed. Unhappily the governor, who did not think that he would need his artillery, had left it sevcn miles away and he had no time to bring it up, for the savages of other towns ran in great numbers to aid the great village. He sent back the Choctaws with présents, ordered a retreat and took the road back to Mobile.
This expédition for which a two years' préparation had been made culminating in so inglorious a manner diminished perceptibly the réputation of tlie great captain. His friends tried to makc the blâme fall on commandant Dartaguettes vv'ho had not joined him, they said, as he had been ordered. This défense was mistaken, for tlie commandant had invaded the land of the Chickasaws on the ninîh of May at the head of 130 French or Canadians, 100 Illinois M. de Vincennes' savages and some Iroquois. There were about 400 men. Bancroft says there were nearly 1,100.
For ten days M. Dartaguettes camped at the sources of the Yalabusha and waited there futilely for M. de Bienville, to the great discontent of the savages who became impatient, murmured and threatened to désert. In this situation he took the course which seemed to him vv^isest and most dignified. He set his troops in movemeiU, took possession of a village and marched against another. There he hesitated, the French scouts asserted that the village was defended by numerous troops. The savages maintained the contrary. He believed the latter and commanded an assauît. A first and then a second fort was deprived of its flag; at the assault of the third he was wounded and fell. Discouraged. the savages betook thcni-
100 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
selves to a precipitate flight except the Iroquois who acconîplished prodigies of valor. With them, the ofncers and the soldiers resisted the enemy until the moment when, being outflanked, and succiimbing to a greater niimber they vrere lorced to think of retreating. The greater part of the French and the Iroquois succeeded in escaping aiid reîiring in good order under the guidance of Voisin, a soldier sixteen years old who made himself ofhcer and directed the retreat with the sang- froid and the expérience of an old captain. Followed by the Chickasaws for 25 miles, he heîd them at a distance and made his men, inspired by his example, run for 45 miles without food carrying the wounded.
At the assault of the third fort some soldiers and the three brothers Drouet de Richerville, distinguished ofiîcers, found a glorious death. MM. Dartaguettes, de Vincennes, de Coulange, the fourth brother de Drouet, Du Tisné, d'Esgly, de Sainte-Ange, de Tonty and fifteen or sixteen soldiers were made prisoners and led to a mound in the middle of the town. There stripped first of their clothing, insulted and cruelly beaten they were thrown on two pyres where they expired with the most atrocious sulïering.
With thèse heroes died. under the same tortures, the Jesuit Antoine Sénat. He had arrived from France among the Illinois in 1734, and M. Dartaguettes had attached him to himself as a chaplain v/hen he set out against the Chickasaws. . . . He could hâve fîed with Voisin and his companions; he was advised to do it, he was even oftered a horse but he refused, his duty being to be with the French whom the enemy were about to make captive. He w^as taken with them. With them he marched to the place of martyrdom ; with them he submitted to the last outrages and the bastinade. The dream of his heart of an apostle was realized. He heard the last confession of his companions. He absolved them and exhorted them to offer to God with courage and like true martyrs the sacrt-
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 101
fice of their life. Before niounting the pyre, falling on their knees they prayed, then they entoned in a firm voice the psakns and the canticle and continued then in the midst of the flame. Later, in relating this scène of martyrdom, the savages said that the French sang as they went up ; and in seeing them die they gave them this praise by thèse simple words "Truly thèse Frenchmen are not women, but men."*
On what date and in what place were M. de Vincennes and his heroic companions put to death by the Chickasaws ? Opinions differ considerably about the date of the death of M. de Vincennes. Several officiai accounts, those of the abbé Ferland, the R. P. de Rochemonteix and most of the authors who come af ter them, say that this event took place the end of May.
They are mistaken. On April 13, 1736, Toussaint Loizel wrote from Sainte-Ange among the Illinois to his brother who lived at Montréal : *"Bef ore I finish I must send you a word concerning the war which has been made against the Chickasaws where we hâve lost forty French. M. Dartaguettes commandant of the said post has been killed with seven officers of the troops, four of the militia. . . .
Then Loizel names to his brother some of the officers and soldlers who hâve been killed by the Chickasaws: "MM. de Sainte-Ange, son, Coulonge, Levillie, the young Declaude. Vincennes, la Graviere with M. Belcour and another of his brothers and the fourth with a broken shoulder, M. de Tonty. d'Esgly, and the old Lalonde and Antoine Carrière, Louis Langlois, M. Dutilly, son. The others are Frenchmen of Quebec. You do not know them."*
The letter from M. Loizel as we hâve just seen is dated
*Pere Camille de Kocbemouteix, Les Jésuites et la Nouvelle France «u XVIIIe siècle, vol. 1, pp. 301. et seq.
*M. Phileas Gagnon has published the letter of Loizel iu the Bulle tin fies Recherches Historiques, vol. VI, p. 110.
102 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
April 13, 1736. ïherefore M. de Vincennes and his companions were put to death before April 13.
But we hâve a contemporaneous authority who gives us the exact date of the death of AI. de Vincennes.
June 29, 1736, Father Mathurin LePetit, super ior of the Jesuits of Louisiana, wrote to the gênerai of his order at Rome: "Patrem Senate provincia tolosana qui in eadem regione aheram illinensium missionem a 18 mensibus tantum sed magna jam hnguae peritia et majori studio excolebat, belli casus nobis prepepuit die dominica palmarum."
(On palm Sunday the fortune of war took away from us Father Sénat of the province of Toulousse. He had charge of another mission of the IlUnois in the sarne country for only eighteen months but he already knew the language and was stiîl more remarkable for his zeal.)*
Tv/o years later, June 25, 1738, Pierre LePetit, writing again to the gênerai of his order, repeated the fact that Father Sénat had been burned on Palm Sunday, 1736 :
"Post Multos rumores, tandem facti sumus certiores P. Antonii Sénat generosam caritatem gloriosa martyrii corona fuisse donatam eo ipso die (dominica Palmarum a 1736) quo comprehensus fuit a babbaris nostraegentis hostibus vulgo dictis Thikakas."
(After many rumors we are at last certain that Father Antoine Sénat lias been recompensed for his générons charity by the glorious crovvn of Martyr. On the sanie day (Palm Sunday, 1736) that he was made prisoner by the savages enemies of our nation commonly called Chickasaws.)t
Father Sénat and M. de Vincennes being put to death together, it follows that the latter was Inirned Palm Sunday. 1736, that is March 25, 1736.
It is very difficult to establish the précise place where M. de
*The Jesuit Relations aud AUied Documents, vol. LXVIII, p. 308. tThe Je.suit Relations and Allied Documents, vol. LXIX, p. 28.
Vincennes was put to death. However ail witnesses seem to agrée in placing the forts of the Chickasaws near Fulton, Lee County, Miss., U. S.
The sources to consult on the last campaign and the death of François-Marie Bissot de Vincennes are :
Letter of M. Cremont to the minister, 1736. Original of this letter at the Archives of the Marine, in Paris. A résume of it is found in the Rapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1905, vol. 1, p. 542.
Account which Sr. Drouet de Richerville tells of the engagement which M. D'Artaguetie had with the Chickasaws in the month of March, 1736. Original of this account at the Archives of the Marine, in Paris. A résume of it may be found in the Rapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1905, vol. 1, p. 452.
Récital of the march and of the defeat of M. Dartaguiette told under the name Parisien. Original of this récital in the Archives of the Marine, at Paris. Résume in the Rapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1905, vol. 1, p. 453.
Anonymous account of the defeat of M. Dartaguiette. Original of this account at the Archives of the Marine, in Paris. Résume in the Rapport sur les Archives Canadiennes for 1905, vol. 1, p. 453.
Récital by M. de Bienville of his expédition to the country of the Chickasaws, of the non success of his enterprise and of his retreat. Original at the Archives of the Marine, in Paris.
List of the troops and militia who made the campaign against the Chickasaws, 1736. Archives de la Marine, at Paris.
Banishment of the Jesuits from Louisiana, in Documents Inédits of Father Carayon, XIV, p. 24.
Letter of the Jesuit father, Le Petit, to the gênerai of the Jesuits, New Orléans, June 29, 1736, published in Jesuit Relations and Other Documents, vol. LXVIII, p. 308.
Letter of the Jesuit father, LePetit, to the gênerai of the
Jesuits, New Orléans, April 24, 1738, publislied in Jesuit Relations and Other Documents, vol. LXIX, p. 28.
June 21, 1737, M. de Bienville wrote to the minister: "The Peanghikeas among whom we hâve a post where the late M. de Vincennes v/as in command hâve almost ail left their village since his death, except about fifteen men who are still with Sr. de Sainte-Ange. They hâve gone higher up on the Wabash to another village. I foresee that if this station is deserted we will be disturbed by the Chickasaws at this post where the garrison is not strong. This circumstance and the récent and repeated attempts of the English to penetrate into the colony by way of the Ohio river by which they descend into the Wabash country lias determiued me to replace this fort about forty miles further down at the mouth of this river. I would hâve done this sooner if the savages had been willing to follow us there. It appears nov/ that the Kickapoos and the ^.îascoutins who came tv/o years ago to set up their village with the Miamis do not get along well with them, and M. de la Buissoniere assures me that if one should invite them, they would settle there. I sent him orders for this change which would not cost much and I hope thaï Mgr. will approve of them, I only fear that Sr. de Linquetot, an ofncer of Canada who is in command among the Miami and the Ouyatanons may be opposed to letting the Kickapoos and the Mascoutins go, because thèse two nations beîong to his department. I will Write to him on this subject."*
On the next day, June 22, 1737, M. Salmon wrote in his turn to the minister : "I learn through Sr. Delaîoire that the Sr. Sainte-Ange, son, who went up to the Wabash country to take command of that post in place of the late M. de Vincennes, reports to him that the savages who are his neighbors désire to abandon him, that some of them hâve already gone av/ay to their anclent village of Vermillion to such a number
*.T. P. Dunn, The Mission to the Oualuiche, p. 310.
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 105
that there remain not more than twenty-five raen. That if they go away, as seems likely, he will be forced to disband the garrison who will find themselves at the mercy of their enemies. He adds that he has not seen, up to the présent, that this post was of great use and that it causes much expense. For myself I think that truly it is more expensive than it is useful. However it miglit be of conséquence to préserve to prevent the English from settling there which they will certainly do if we abandon it."*
It has been written that François-Marie de Vincennes was
chevalier de Saint-Louis. No. In the ofîficial list of the of-
fîcers killed by the Chickasaws on March 25, 1736, one reads Chevalier de Vincennes. That does not mean that M. de Vincennes was chevalier of Saint-Louis. Bescherelle says, "The eldest son of a baron, the third son of a count, the fifth son of a marquis were called chevalier without belonging to any order of chivalry."
Ail that was imitated in New France. Hère, generally, the title of Chevalier was given to the younger brothers of a faniily. François-Marie Bissot de Vincennes adopted the title of chevalier probably because he belonged to the junior branch of the Bissot family.
THE FAMILY MARGANE DE LAVALTRIE SERAPHIN MARGANE DE LAVALTRIEf
Séraphin Margane de Lavaltrie was originally from Paris, parish Saint-Benoit. He was the son of Sabastien Margane
*J. P. Dunn, The Mission to the Ouabache, p. 312. tM. de Lavaltrie signed his name either "La Valterio" or "L- Valtrie." It is written la Valterye, La Valtrye, La Valtery, La Valterie, la Valterie, la Valtrie, and Lavaltrie. We adopt this last orthography which is the most commouly used in our time and which nîoreover appronches most nearly that employed by M. Lavaltrifhimself.
106 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
and of Denise Jonnot. The father of Séraphin Ivlargane was an advocat in the parliament of Paris.
Lieutenant of the guard of Marshal d' Estrades, then lieutenant of the régiment de Lignieres, M. de Lavaltrie took service under M. de Tracy, in 1664 and went to New France as a lieutenant in the régiment de Carignan in 1665.
When Louis XIV recalled Carignan's régiment back to France he informed the officers and soldiers that he would be well pleased to hâve a certain number of them settle in the new country, Several officers and more than four hundred soldiers adopted therefore Canada as their new fatherland. The soldiers received a little sum of money to assist in their settlement and the king gave the officers concessions of land. M. de Lavaltrie was among those who stayed hère. October 29, 1672, the intendant Talon granted to him an important concession of land.
The conditions imposed on M. de Lavaltrie were the same as those of ail the grants of seigniorys at this time ; faith and homage to the Château St. Louis at Québec to maintain or cause to be maintained résidence and occupation on the concession ; the préservation of the forests of oak ; a report to the king or to the company of the West Indies of the mines and minerais found in the seigniory, etc., etc.
In 1673 M. de Lavaltrie joined M. de Frontenac's expédition to Lake Ontario. The governor left Montréal toward the end of June with a fleet of four flat boats and 120 canoës which carried six cannon and 4O0 men. The principal object of M. de Frontenac's voyage was to build a fort on the shores of Lake Ontario, whence one could watch the movements of the Iroquois. The fort was placed on the point near the mouth of the Catarakoui river and received the name of Frontenac. Today it is Kingston. They worked with such ardor that the fort was built in several days. M. de Frontenac was even able to leave a commandant with a little garrison.
Sieur de Vincennes Identified 107
The officiai account of the expédition to Lake Ontario mentions M. de Lavaltrie's name several times.
The census of New France made in the autumn of 1681 informs us that M. de Lavaltrie was settled at his t^eigniory.. He was then thirty-eight years old, his wife twenty-nine, their chiidren Marie-Anne, thirteen, Charles eleven, François-Marie nine, Geneviève seven, Louise five, Pierre three, and Barbe eight months old. There were in the manor three guns and two pistols. The stables contained ten horned cattle. M. de Lavaltrie possessed twenty acres in cultivation. TLe ccns'.s gives us also the names of the tenants of Seignior de Lavaltrie: Gabriel Gibault, François Bottou, Antoine Deseve, Jean Cassavant, Pierre Guignet, Jacques Lafontaine, Pierre Lesiege, Nicholas Prunier and Claud Bourgeois.
Nicolas Perrot writes in his ''Memoir on the Manner, Customs and Religion of the Savages of North America."
"I vv-^as sent in the spring of 1685 to the Bay des Puants with the commission of commander in chief of the furthest countries of the east coast and moreover of those which I might discover. M. de la Durantaye relieved M. de Lr^valtrie who had been commandant in the country of the Iroquois."
If M. de Lavaltrie was commandant in the east before M. de la Durantaye he remained there very little time, for from 1673 to 1685 one notices his absence almost continually at his seigniory of Lavaltrie or at Montréal.
In 1687 in M. de Denonville's expédition against the Tsonnontouans M. de Caliieres was commander gênerai of the militia, divided in four groups as w^ere also the king's troops. commanded by MM. Berthier Becard de Grandville, Le Moyne, de Longueuil and Lavaltrie. Again in this expédition M. de Lavaltrie showed his military qualities. On July 13 at a little distance from the principle village of the Tsonnontouans he rendered a great service to M. de Longueuil by .snv-
108 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
ing the advance guard of his army from being surprised by the Indians.
In 1690 when Sir William Phipps was about to lay siège to Québec, M, de Frontenac sent M. de Ramezay to M. de Caliiéres, governor of Montréal, to order him to hâve the troops and the militia sent down, The recruiting of the troops and of the inhabitants was made so rapidly that three days îater the contingent from Montréal arrived at Québec. None of the numerous accounts of the siège of Québec tell us that M. de Lavaltrie took part in the glorious défense of the Capitol, but we hâve nevertheless the right to présume that M. de Lavaltrie was of the party with the brave militia from his seigniory.
November 12, 1690, M. de Frontenac, giving an account of the raising of the siège of Québec to Minister de Seignelay, wrote: "I send you the rank of the officers which I hâve replaced since the reform of last year, since I could not still recognize them I hâve not acted in this matter except by the Hght which Monsieur, the intendant, has given me. He has considered it expédient, and I bave, too, to find means of satisfying by certain marks of honor, which will cost nothing to the king those persons, who hâve rendered excellent service in the preceding campaigns and to whom M. de Denonville had promised a récompense. A fact which obliges me to add certain commissions to those who were captains, lieutenants and half-pay ensigns, but AD HONORES only, in the hope that yoii will not disapprove."
In the rank of which there is hère question we see that M. de Lavaltrie received a commission of lieutenant in the place of M. de Louvigny who was made half-pay captain. M. de Frontenac thus recompensed M. de Lavaltrie for his good conduct in the expéditions of 1673, of 1687, and probably also at the siège of Québec.
SiEUK DE ViNCENNES IdENTIFIED 109
M. de Lavaltrie dicd at Montréal May 16, 1699, and was buried the next day in the parish church.
He had married at Québec, Aiigust 12, 1668, Louise Bissot, daughter of Frant^oise Bissot de la Rivière and of Marie Couillard.
October 20, 1699, MM. de Callieres and de Champigny wrote to the minister :
"The sieur de Lavaltrie left a widow very poor with five or six children to whom his appointments and a stipend of 150 livres gave the means of living. They find themselves entirely deprived of it and, in conséquence, of everything else. We can not, in so desperate a situation of this poor family, fail to beg His Majesty to continue at Icast the stipend in the name of the widow. May 31, 1700, the king sent a reply that he could not for the présent grant to Madame de Lavaltrie the pension which she demanded. A little later the governor and tlîc intendant returned to the charge and this time the king acceded to their demand. M. de Lavaltrie received a modest pension until lier death at Montréal, March 1, 1783.
Of the marriage of Seraphine Margane de Lavaltrie and of Louise Bissot were born eleven children.
1. Marie Anne. M. de L., born at Québec, June 20, 1668. Married at Montréal, October 28, 1694, to Ignace Boucher de Grobois.
Tn 1725 Madame Boucher de Grobois still lived at Boucherville.
2. Charles Séraphin M. de L., born at Montréal, August 5, 1669.
Tn 1691, the governor of Frontenac granted him a commission as ensign in the place of M. Bovtcher de Grandpré who was made half-pay lieutenant. This commission was confirmed by the king March 1, 1693.
In 1693, M. de Frontenac entrusted M. d' Ailleboust d' Ar-
110 Sieur de Vincennes loENTiriED
genteuiî with au important message for M. de Lavigny, commandant at Michelimakinac. Recognizing the braveness and the cleverness of the young de Lavaiterie, M. de Frontenac gave him instructions to escort M. d'Aiîleboust d' Argenteuil and his eighteen companions through the rnost dangerous passages. M. de Lavaltrie had under his orders twenty volunteers and a certain number of savages from the Sault and from the mountain. The voyage out was accomphshed successfully but on his return, in the first days of June, 1693, the escort was suddenly attacked by a large band of Iroquois who were hidden on the shores of a rapid near the island of Montréal. M. de Lavaltrie and three of his companions v/ere killed. The other members of the escort succeeded in escaping.
3. François-]\larie iMargane de Batiily. Born at Montréal, November 13, 1672.
At the baptism of François iMarie Bissot de Vincennes at Montréal, June 17, 1700, he was called François Margane, esquire, sieur de Batiily. He signed Batilîy.
January 2, 1694, the young de Batilîy was made ensign in the troops of the detachment of the Marine.
In the winter of 1703 and 1704 governor de Vaudreuil sent a party of 250 men against New England. He entrusted the command to M. Hcrtel de Rouville, haif-pay lieutenant. This party ascended Lake Champlain and then Onion river. They followed iîrst the Connecticut river as far as Deerfield Vv^hich was the nearest seîtlement to Canada in this direction. This village Vv^as defended by some irregular fortifications and some redoubts which the snow covered. Deerfield had a garrison of twenty soldiers. M. de Rouville approached during the night of February 29. The patrols did not even suspect the présence of the enemy. Two hours before dawn the Canadians and their savage allies scaled the v/all, penetrated the village and surprised the inhabitants in their sleep. They did not hâve time even to resist. The place was destroyed in
Sieur de Vincennes Idenïified 111
a few moments. Forty-seven persons were killed and 112 made prisoners. The village was reduced to ashes. The same morning M. de Rouville took the road for New France with his prisoners and his booty. The return journey lasted 25 days during which the hardy Canadians and their prisoners had no other food than that which the hunt could provide them.
M. de Rouville had lost only three Canadians and some savages. The ensign de Batilly was killed during this bold expédition. As M. de Vaudreuil relates in his account to the minister of the exploit of M. de Rouville against Deerfield, dated April 3, 1704.
"We hâve lost Monsieur only three Frenchmen and some savages. Among thèse is Sr. de Batilly, ensign, a very brave man, the second of his family to hâve been killed in the service of the king.
4. Geneviève M. de L., born at Montréal, July 12, 1675. Married at Montréal, January 3, 1696, Charles Le Gardeur de Lisle. Died at Alontreal, November 30, 1702.
5. Madeleine Louise, M. de L. Born at Lavaltrie, November 27, 1676. Married at Montréal, December 11, 1698, Paul d' Ailleboust de Perigny, lieutenant in the troops of the detachment of the Marine.
M. de Ailleboust died at Montréal February Z, 1745. Ma. dame d' Ailleboust survived her husband many years. May 22, 1761, she entered in retreat among the gray Sisters at Montréal.
6. Pierre Margane des Forets et de Lavaltrie, the ancestor of the présent family.
7. Barbe M. de L. Born at Lavaltrie in February 1681. Married at Montréal, November 27, 1719, to Etienne de Bragelongue, chevalier.
8. Jean Baptiste M. de L. Born at Lavaltrie, November 3, 1683. He still lived in 1725.
112 Sieur de Vincennes Identified
