UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME LIBRARY
•
INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS.
VOLUME Ill.
NUMBER IV.
THE MISSION
OUABACHE
JACOB. PIATT DU NN.
INDIANAPOLIS:
THE BOWEN-MERRILL COMPANY.
1902.
260 THE 11IISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
as many clergymen as were needed to fill the ecclesiastical
posts of their district, and knowing elsewhere that they
were little fitted for missions among the savages, decided
that it was absolutely necessary to establish a new parti­
tion, which being fitted to the character and the particular
talents of the two orders, fixed unalterably their relations
from this time forward. It decided to establish the Capu­
<chins in all the French posts, and to charge the Jesuits
with the spiritual management of the savages, under the
will and pleasure of the Bishop of Quebec, who had
warmly approved this arrangement by his letters.
"In consequence it made an agreement on February 20,
1726, with the Jesuit Fathers, by which they engaged to
furnish missionaries not only in all the places of their
district, but also at the homes of the savage nations, where
it might be to the interest of religion and of the state to
-establish them, in the territory formerly conceded to the
Capuchins.
�, It was not possible to avoid, in this agreement, accord­
ing an establishment in New Orleans to the superior of the
Jesuit missions. He could' not receive without it those
who came from France for his missions. It is this resi­
dence, moreover, which puts him in position to render ac­
count to the Commandant-General, and to the council, of
that which the missionaries inform him touching the dis­
position of the savages, whose friendship is our security.
But the Company did not accord this establishment to the
superior of the Jesuits except on the condition that there
should not be any ecclesiastical functions without the con­
sent of the Capuchins.
" In the month of December, 1726, there departed from
France the number of Jesuits necessary to supply the mis­
sions which they had agreed to establish. Their arrival at
New Orleans and the publication of their agreement caused
at first a great deal of jealousy in the Capuchins, but as
266 THE �lI-IISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
the cause at court, and his letter to M. de la Loe, Secretary
of the Company of the Indies, detailing the difficulties he
encountered,' but also the testimony of those familiar with
the proceedings. A very full account of the trip of the
nuns to New Orleans is preserved in the letters of Made­
leine Hachard.ê one of the pa-rty, and she not only speaks
of Pere Beaubois fl" able conductor of this entire
enterprise," bu+ al ., a:
"It is tl T • �':'tJud. Pere de Beaubois, of the Society of
Jesus, who A .rmed the noble project of our establishment
at New Orleans; this missionary is full of zeal and wis­
dom; you can not imagine how many obstacles he has had
to surmount to make his enterprise succeed; it is now
happily come to a conclusion by the aid of heaven."
Madeleine Hachard journeyed from Rouen to Paris in
the latter part of October, 1726, in company with two
Ursuline sisters, Marie Mahieu and Cécile Cavalier, having
been preceded thither by Mother Marie Tranchepain, the
superior of the new community, Sister Marguérite Jude,
the assistant, and Sister Marianne Boulanger, the deposi­
tary, who had gone ahead to make the necessary contracts
with the Company. Her account of the trip is so pleasantly
written that it is worthy of free quotation. She says:
" We left Paris with the Reverend Pere D'Outreleau" and
Brother Cruey, Jesuits, who were to go with us to Louisi­
ana, the 8th of December, at five o'clock in the morning,
after having heard the holy mass, recited the prayers of
travelers, and breakfasted. The Brittany coach came to
take us at the door of the convent; it cost us forty livres
for each person to carry us to Rennes, without including
meals. * * *
lWritten from L'Orient, Nov. 2,1726. Jesuit Relations, Vol. LXVII,
p.265.
2Relation du Voyage de Dames Ursulines de Rouen à la Nouvelle­
Orleans. Gravier's Edition, Paris, 1872.
aShe spelled the name "Doutrelo."
THE l'JUSSION TO THE OUABACHE. 271
After passing this island some two hundred leagues the}
sighted a vessel that appeared to be a pirate or corsair, and
at once prepared for a desperate encounter. Even the
secular women put on men's dress and took their places
with the crew. The post of "the first captain was on the
poop deck, and Pere Tartarin was stationed with him;
that of the second captain was on the forecastle, and Pere
D'Outreleau was stationed with him; and Frere Cruey was
on the main deck to supply cartridges to all these warriors,
all armed to the teeth and of admirable courage. We
others had for arms only our beads in our hands. We were
not sad, thank the Lord. N one of our company showed
any weakness. We were charmed to see the courage of
our officers and passengers, who appeared ready to over­
throw the enemy at the first blow." But the pirate
deemed it wise to keep away from such warlike prepara­
tions, and withdrew. The same experience was had with
four other corsairs which approached the Gironde during
the voyage. One of them, manned by Englishmen, sent
a boat to the vessel under plea of a desire to trade for
wine, but treachery was suspected and the boat was
orJered to withdrawal' be fired upon. The principal
effect of these dangers was to increase the religious
exercises, which carne to be as frequent and regular on the
ship as in a religious establishment.
The greatest danger encountered was in the Gulf of
Mexico, where, after much annoyance from bad weather
and contrary winds, the ship struck on a shoal off an island
called "Blanche," and was in a way to go to pieces. The
captain began lightening the vessel by putting the cannon
overboard, supported by wooden buoys. Then the ballast
was thrown over, but this was not enough, and the bag­
gage of the passengers was considered as the next sacrifice,
but it was decided first to throw over the sugar, of which
everyone seemed to have a private supply, and this was
272 THE MISSION 'TO tu» OUABACIIE.
followed by sixty-one barrels of brandy belonging to the
Company. 'l'his let the vessel off, and a favoring tide soon
after carried them to safety. Our chronicler says they
were. not desirous to land on this island because it was in­
habited by savages who were said to be" very cruel," and
justly so by her report, for "not only do they eat the
whites but first make them suffer torments a thousand
times worse than death. Sometimes they make the whites
drink their own blood, and in brief make them endure
most cruel martyrdom."
On July 23 they arrived at Balise, the French port at
the mouth of the Mississippi. Here they remained till the
20th awaiting news from Pere De Beaubois, who had sup­
posed them lost at sea on account of their long voyage of
five months. They made the trip to New Orleans, twenty
leagues up the river, in three boats, and the fatigues of
the six days required for this were worse than anything
endured on the ship. The mother superior, with the
younger sisters, Pere D'Outreleau and Frere Cruey were
in a pirogue - a boat made from a hollowed log. The
other sisters occupied a launch, and the domestics and
workmen of the reverend fathers came in a second.pirogue.
There were no settlements along the river and the vegeta­
tion was 80 dense that they had to camp at night on the
immediate banks of the river. Among the greatest troub1es
were the mosquitoes, which, our chronicler asserts, "were
at times in so great number that one could cut them with
a knife," and whose assaults called for much precaution.
"Our sailors, to make us bars, stuck canes in the ground
in the form of à bower, over a mattress, and we retired
two by two under our bars where we slept fully dressed;
then they covered the bower with a large sail cloth in a
way that the mosquitoes were not able to find any little
opening through which to visit us. We slept twice in the
midst of mud and of water which fen from the skies in
THE :mSSION TO THE OUABAGHE. 273
abundance, and penetrated to us as well as our mattresses,
which almost floated in the water. The storm having oc­
curred in the middle of the night the pirogue was not able
to go on the next day, it, as well as our clothing and the
mattresses, being soaked with water. On this occasion
several of our mothers were much indisposed. Some took
colds and catarrhs; others had inflammation of the face
and limbs; and one had an even more considerable illness.
For me, although I was equally steeped in water, I was
not at all unwell. We also Buffered the annoyance in the
pirogue of not being able to sit, stand or kneel, or to make
any movement, for the pirogue would have upset and we
would have served as food for the fishes. All our baggage
of mattresses and chests filled it, and we had to be on top
of all that in a little heap, and when the pirogue stopped
'we changed our positions. VI e ate biscuit and salt meat
taken from the Gironde which the master of our pirogue
had us cook at night in his saucepan. All these little
troubles wearied ua at the time, but one is well recom­
pensed in the end by the pleasure found in recounting each
her own little adventures, and one is surprised on consid­
€ring the strength and courage which God gives in these
trials; it proves indeed that he never fails anyone, and
that he does not permit that we shall be tried beyond our
strength, giving each grace sufficient for the trials which
come to us. It is true that the ardent desire which we had
to arrive at this promised land. made us endure all with
joy."
The new additions to the colony were received with un­
bounded joy, and most distinguished attentions were paid
to them. Our missionaries tarried with them for about a
month, for in a letter of October 17, 1727, Madeleine
Hachard says: " The reverend fathers Tartarin and D'Ou­
treleau left six weeks ago to find their post in the Hli nois
country." She also mentions their arrival at the Illinois
13
274 THE l,JISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
settlements in a letter of April 24, 1728, saying: "I must
not neglect to acquaint you with the sorry adventure come
to our two reverend fathers, Tartarin and D'Outreleau, ol:r
worthy conductors of the voyage. We learn from their
letters that when within twenty leagues of the Illinois the
canoe which carried Pere D'Outreleau was destroyed in
passing a river. He saved himself in his shirt by swim­
ming, having lost all his church equipment, his robes and
his baggage. He had come five hundred leagues happily
enough, to be thus shipwrecked at port. As soon as he
reached Pere Tartarin, who was in another canoe, he had
the charity, having two cassocks, to give him one, and so
they proceeded."
Aside from the reference to Father D'Outreleau as "at
the Ouabache" in the memoir of N ovem bel' 21, 1728, be­
fore quoted, we have no further account of him, until his
arrival at New Orleans, in 1730, gave the French definite
information of the great Indian outbreak of that year.
Writing from New Orleans, following an account of the
murder of Father Souel, Father Petit says:
"One of the Yazous having stripped the Missionary
(Father Souel), clothed himself in his garments, and short­
ly afterwards announced to the Natchez that his nation re­
deemed their pledge, and that the French settled among
them were all massacred. In this city there was no longer
any doubt on that point, as soon as they learned what came
near being the fate of Father D'Outreleau. This Mission­
ary had availed himself of the time when the Indians were
engaged in their winter occupations, to come and see us,
for the purpose of regulating Borne matters relating to his
mission. He set out on the first day of this year, 1730, and
not expecting to arrive at the residence of Father Souel,
of whose fate he was ignorant, in time to say Mass, he de­
termined to say it at the mouth of tbe little river of the
Yazous, where his party had camped.
'J'HE )JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 275
"As he was preparing for this sacred office, he saw a
boat full of Indians landing. They demanded from them,
of what nation they were? 'Y azous, comrades of the
French,' they replied, making a thousand friendly demon­
strations to the voyagers who accompanied the Mission­
ary, and presenting them with provisions. While the
Father was preparing his a1tar, a flock of bustards passed,
and the voyagers fired at them the only two guns they had,
without thinking of reloading, as Mass had already com­
menced. The Indians noted this, and placed themselves
behind the voyagers, as if it was their intention to hear
Mass, although they were not Christians.
"At the time the Father was saying the Kyrie Eleison,
the Indians made their discharge. The Missionary, per­
ceiving himself wounded in his right arm, and seeing one
of the voyagers killed at his feet, and the four others fled,
threw himself on his knees to receive the last fatal blow,
which he regarded as inevitable. In this posture he re­
ceived two or three discharges. But although the Indians
fired while almost touching him, yet they did not inflict
on him any new wounds. Finding himself, then, as it
were, miraculously escaped from so many mortal blows, he
took to flight, having on still his priestly garments, and
without any other defense than an entire confidence in
God, whose particular protection was given him, as the
event proved. He threw himself into the water, and after
advancing some steps, gained the boat in which two of the­
voyagers were making their escape. They had supposed
him to be killed by some of the many balls which they
had heard fired on him. In climbing up into the boat, and
turning his head to see whether any of his pursuers was fol-­
lowing him too closely, he received in the mouth a dis­
charge of small shot, the greater part of which were flat­
tened against his teeth, though some of them entered his;
gums, and remained there for a long time. I have myself
2íö THE MISSION TO THE OUABACIIE.
seen two of them. Father D'Outreleau, all wounded as he
was, undertook the duty of steering the boat, while his
two companions placed themselves at the oars. U nfortu­
nately one of them, at setting out, had his thigh broken by
a musket-ball, from the effects of which he has since re­
mained a cripple.
"You may well imagine, my Reverend Father, that the
Missionary and. his companions bad no thoughts of ascend­
ing the river. They descended the Mississippi with all the
speed possible, and at last lost sight of the boat of their
enemies, who had pursued them for more than an hour,
keeping up a continual fire upon them, and who boasted at
'the village that they had killed them. The two rowers
were often tempted to give themselves up, but encouraged
by the Missionary, they in their turn made the enemy fear.
An 01d gun which was not loaded, nor in a condition to
be, which they pointed at them from time to time, made
. them often dodge in their boat, and at last obliged them to
retire.
"As soon as they found themselves freed from their ene­
mies, they dressed their wounds as well as they could, and
for the purpose of aiding their flight from that fatal shore,
they threw into the river everything they had in their
boat, preserving ouly some pieces of raw bacon for their
nourishment.
"It had been their intention to stop in passing at the
Natchez, but having seen that the bouses of the French
were either demolished or burned, they did not think it
advisable to listen to the compliments of the Indians, who
from the bank of the river invited them to land. They
placed wide distance between them as soon as possible, and
thus shunned the balls which were ineffectually fired at
them. It was then that they began to distrust all these
Indian nations, and therefore resolved not to go near the
land until they reached New Orleans, and supposing that
TIJE j'iIISSIOS TO in» GUABACHE. 277
the savages might have rendered themselves masters of it,
to descend even to the Balize, where they hoped to find
some French vessel provided to receive the wreck of the
colony.
"In passing the 'I'onikas, they separated themselves as
far as possible from the shore, but they were discovered,
and a boat which had been dispatched to reconnoitre them
was not a long time in approaching. Their fear and dis­
trust was renewed, and they did not decide to stop until
they perceived that the persons in that boat spoke very
good French, when they overcame their fears, and in ihe
weak state they were, gladly availed themselves of the op­
portunity to land. There they found the little French
army which had been formed, the officers compassionate
and every way kind, a surgeon and refreshments. After
recovering a little from the great dangers and m'series
they had endured, they on the next day availed themselves
of a boat which had been fitted out for New Orleans.
"I can Ilot express to you, my Reverend Father, the
great satisfaction I felt at seeing Father D'Outreleau, his
arm in a scarf, arrive after a voyage of more than four
hundred leagues, all the clothes he had on having been
borrowed except his cassock. My surprise was increased
at the recital of his adventures. I placed him immediately
in the hands of brother Parisei who examined his wounds,
and who dressed them with great care and speedy success.
"The missionary was not yet entirely cured of his
wounds when he departed to go and act as chaplain to the
French army, as he had promised the officers, in accordance
with their request. He endured with them the fatigues of
the campaign against the Natchez, and there gave new
proofs of his zeal, his wisdom, and his courage.
"On his return from the Natchez he came to recruit
himself here for six weeks, which he found very long, but
which appeared to me very short. He was impatient to
278 THE �1fISSlaN Ta THE aUdEACHE.
return to his dear mission, but it was necessary for me to
fit him out generally with everything proper for a mission­
ary, and he was obliged to wait for the escort which was
going to the Illinois. The risks which they ran on the
river during this insurrection of the Indians induced the
Commander to forbid voyagers going in separate compa­
nies. He set out, therefore, on the 16th of April, with
many others, in a body sufficiently large to relieve them
from all fear of their enemies; I learned, in fact, that they
had proceeded above the Akensas without any accident."!
After this experience there is another hiatus in the rec­
ord of the doings of Father D'Outreleau until he is men­
tioned in the letter of Bienville, of May 13, 1737,2 where
he is spoken of as living at the house of the Jesuits in
N ew Orleans, and is recommended for appointment as
chaplain at the hospital. It appears that he received this
appointment, and remained in the Mississippi Valley some
ten years longer, then returning to France,"
Etienne D'Outreleau was unquestionably" the mission­
ary destined for the Ouabacbe," but whether he ever ar­
rived at this destination is a much more difficult question
to answer. The probability is that he did not. The docu­
ments that have been unearthed in this search for the
memoir of de Beaubois, and which are appended hereto,
furnish more information as to the founding of Post Vin­
cennes than has ever been in the possession of Indiana
historians heretofore. First in importance of them is the
letter of Sieur de Vincennes, written from the post
March 7, 1733. This furnishes the information, that the
post had then been under construction for three years.
The term" depuis trois années" is somewhat ambiguous.
lThe Early Jesuit Missions, Kip, p. 290; Jesuit Relations, Vol;
LXVIII, p.175.
2Appendix, Second Report, Section 24.
sJesuit Relations, Vol. LXVII, p. 342; ibid, Vol. LXXI, p. 169.
THE 1'.fISSIOY TO THE O UABA CHE. 279
It may mean three full years, or parts of three years, as in
the biblical statement that Christ was three days in the
tomb. That the latter is the meaning of Sieur de Vin­
cennes is assured by the fact that in the accounts of the
Company the first allowance for salary of the commandant
at the post is in 1731, and only for the last six months of
the year. In 1732 M. de Vincennes receives his full an­
nual allowance of 800 livres. We have, therefore, the fact
established by unimpeachable testimony that the post was
begun in the summer of 1731. And this harmonizes with
all other evidence, with the local traditions and with the
oldest local records, for J udge Law, after his study of them,
came to the concl usion that Sieur de Vincennes came there
about the year 1732.1
The letter also furnishes practically conclusive evidence
that there was no French settlement at this point prior to
the founding of the post. He states expressly that in 1733
the only buildings there were the fort, or stockade, and
two houses within it. It might be urged that he was de­
scribing only the work he had done, and that this state­
ment does not preclude the existence of the houses of set­
tlers, but there are other evidences to the same effect. If
there had been any French settlement at this point the
Louisiana authorities would have known it, and Vincennes
would have mentioned it in describing the location of the
post, but he does this only by giving its distance from the
rivers by which the English descend. Furthermore, the
place was so exposed to attacks from the Southern Indians
that a settlement could not have been maintained there
before a fort was built. As is shown by the appended
documents, and numerous others, these Indians, as well as
the Sioux and the Foxes, were attacking French settlers
even in the vicinity of Fort Chartres. And, furthermore,
1 Law's History of Vincennes, p. 19.
280 'l'lIE JJIISSION Ta THE OUABACHE.
although casualties throughout the Province are very fully
reported, there is no mention known of any injury by In­
dians to persons or property in the vicinity of any settle­
ment on the Ouabache prior to the letter of Vincennes.
It may be added that there is no known indication of any
settlement at this point on any map of earlier date than
1731, and that the first known intimation, in the Canadian
documents, of any such settlement is in that year.'
The danger of attack by hostile Indians at this point
was the greater because at this time there were no friend1y
Indians-in fact no Indians at all-located on the Oua­
bache within the boundaries of Louisiana. It has often
been surmised that there was an Indian village at the site
of Vincennes prior to the French settlement, but these
documents disprove that. As we have seen, the original
project was to have Sieur de Vincennes induce the Ouia­
tanons to remove to the lower Ouabache to serve as a pro­
tection against the Southern Indians. He did not succeed
in this, but he did induce the Piaukeshaws to move. As
appears by Bienvil1e's letter of June 22,1737, it was his
intention to have the establishment made at "the mouth
of the Ohio" -i. . e., the mouth of the Wabash-but this
was prevented, and the post was placed at Vincennes, be­
cause the Indians refused to go any lower down." And
after the disastrous Chickasaw campaign, and the death of
Sieur de Vincennes, St. Ange reported that the greater
part of the Piankeshaws had abandoned the post, and" re­
turned to their 01d village on the Vermillion,"? The
boundary line between Louisiana and Canada crossed the
Wabash about the site of Terre Haute,' and consequently
this Piankeshaw vi1lnge was in Canada. There was no In­
dian village on the Ouabache below it.
IN. Y. Col. Docs., Vol. IX, pp. 1027,1035.
2 Appendix Second Report, Section 25.
8 Appendix Second Report, Section 2ô.
4Ind. Hist. Soc. Pubs., Vol. II, p. 437.
THE }IISSION TO THE OUARACHE. 281
This explains the special interest of Father de Beaubois
in having a post on the Ouabache. When he went to
France, in 1725, there were no Indians on the Ouabache,
within the Province of Louisiana, among whom a mission
could be established, and yet he arranged for such a
mission, and brought Father D'Outreleau over to take
charge of it. It was not until 1726 that the project of
having Sieur de Vincennes bring the Ouiatanons within
Louisiana was announced. Indeed the Company, in its
letter to De, Boisbriant, of December 22,1725, advised only
that Vincennes and the Ouiatanons be asked to co-operate
from Canada, and not to move into Louisiana. The change
of plans was coincident with the appearance of Father
de Beaubois in France, and in the absence uf any other
known cause for the change, and in consideration of its.
harmony with his preparations for a mission, it is quite
probable that he induced it.
But there is no indication that Father D'Outreleau was
actually on the Ouabache except in the memoir of 1728�
before quoted, and he could not possibly have been there
actually then, because there was no post, no settlement no
Indians on the Ouabache within Louisiana at that time.
The contract of the Jesuite was to supply missionaries for
Louisiana, not Canada, and their support was paid for by
the Louisiana Company. In what little mention there is
of Father D'Outreleau, he is spoken of as coming from
the Illinois and going to the Illinois. In the letter of
Bienville and Salmon, of May 13, 1737, he is spoken of as
"former superior at the Tllinois."! The key to the situa­
tion is probably found in the statement of the same letter
that he was" too old to learn the Indian idiom." This is
a curious statement to be made nine years after his sup­
posed entry on the mission work, for, of course, no one
could do such work effectively without understanding the
IAppendix, Second Report, Section 24.
282 THE lIIISSION TO TlIE O UABA CHE.
Indian language, and he was not" too old" when he be­
gan.! The probability is that he went to the Illinois to
study the Indian tougue while waiting for the establish­
ment of the Ouabache post, and discovered that he was
one of those persons who have no aptitude for acquiring
languages. But he had other gifts, and in accordance with
Jesuit policy he was set at work for which he was fitted,
and became superior of the order in the Illinois settlements.
His recommendation for appointment as chaplain of the
hospital at New Orleans was in the same year (1737) as the
announcement of the return of the Piankeshaws to Canada,
and presumably this first attempt at a mission to the Oua­
bache, from the Louisiana side, was then abandoned.
As a missionary enterprise it was a failure, but it is prob­
.able that the effort to secure it was largely instrumental
in securing the establishment of Post Vincennes, and
caused the attempt to hold the Indian trade against the
English by means of Indian allies and a small fort, instead
of by a fort with a considerable garrison located at some
point on the Ohio river.
1 Etienne D'Outreleau was born in the Province of Champagne, October
11, 1693. He entered the order July 27, 1715. Jesuit Relations, Vol.
LXXI,p.169.
284 THE J1IISSION TO THE OUABAC'lIE.
graphs of them were obtained, by the generous aid of Mr.
Gowdy, and fac-similes of them are presented in this
publication.
The Beaubois memoir was not found, although :Mr.
Douglas found Father Sommervogel in Paris, and made
inquiries of him. He had forgotten where he found his
reference to the memoir, but thought it was in some man­
uscript catalogue of documents that he had consulted.
FIRST REPORT OF MR. DOUGLAS,
PARIS, June 27, 1901.
DEAR MR. LIGHT-lu accordance with your instructions,
I went to the Colouial Office and searched for the docu­
ment required by the Indiana Historical Society. The
Librarian and other officials gave me every assistance, and
I examined fully a dozen long letters and memoirs by
Nicolas Beaubois, and about three hundred other MSS., but
could not :find either the puper or any reference to it.
The following extracts from the official reports of the
Governor of Louisiana show, however, that Beaubois ar­
rived in New Orleans, from Illinois, in January 1725, and
that he sailed for France, in the Bellona, after Easter in that
year. He remained in France about fifteen months, and
returned to New Orleans in the winter of 1726-27. He
seems to have been a typical Jesuit, and is descri bed by
one of his many enemies as being" d'un vivacité insuport­
able, d'un turbulence sans egal, et d'une ambition de­
mesurée."
I I am inclined, therefore, to believe that the approximate
date given by Mr. Dunn-1725-is correct, and that the
scheme for fortifying the Wabash against the English was
written during his stay in Paris, with a view to ingratiate
himself with the Minister. In that case, it would prob­
�bly have been filed amongst the state papers in some
286 THE JJII8SION TO THE O UABA CllE.
Father, that he would like to have an establishment here
for educating the youth. That would be excellent in one
sense, but we foresee by this that they wish to commence
to run out the Capuchins, as they have done at the Cape,
in order to become the masters there. They are both very
honest people.]
All the documents written by or about Pere Beaubois
relate to his continual bickerings with the Compagnie des
Indies and the Capuchins .. Many of them are intolerably
long. The charges against the Capuchins occupy fifty-one
closely written pages of foolscap, and are rebutted by the
Superior of that order in a memoir which runs to seventy­
fi ve foolscap pages. As far as I could gather from a nec­
essarily cursory examination, Father Beaubois claimed to
have contracted" treaties," whilst in Paris, with his eccle­
siastical superiors and the Compagnie des Indies, which
would have practically given the Jesuits complete control,
spiritual and temporal, of a large extent of country, but­
very unfortunately-the deeds were lost in the wreck of
the vessel which brought him back to America. The in­
finite pains he takes to prove there really had been a ship­
wreck, have, somehow or other, quite a contrary effect.
In none of Beaubois' letters do I find any reference to
fortifications. My researches hitherto have extended from
1725 to 1730, and I also inspected-but not thoroughly-the
previous and succeeding volumes, and M. Moulin, the sub­
librarian, has also searched independently, but without
result.
It is singular that in these volumes I came across no
reference to Vincennes, though the French settled there in
1702. The name of Beaubois' curé was Cascaquia. The
following extract from the accounts of the colony for 1726
will perhaps prove of interest:
THE �MISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 287
A Ouabache, lors qu'il sera etably-
Un Pretre 600 } 1
Pour vin, farine, cierges, etc 195 980
Pour un domestique 185.8
Aux Cascaquia
Village Français et Curé
Le R. P. Beaubois, Jesuitte
qui passe en France par la Bellona.
[TRANSLATION.
At the Ouabache (Post), when it shall be established-
APriest 600 } 1
For wine, flour, wax tapers, etc 195 980
For a domestic 185.8
At Cascasquia
French village and curé,
The Rev. Father Beaubois, Jesuit,
who went to France by the Bellona.]
On one of the Governor's reports (dated 13th March,
1726) some one has written, in pencil, "Vincennes Oua­
bache Uhactas," though the names do not occur in the re­
port. I will conclude with an excerpt from this report,
which may, perhaps, give a new version of some well
known or little known incident, and interest local his­
torians:
"Depuis le depart de Mons. de Bienville il n'est rien que
les Anglais n'ayent faits pour gaigner les nations sauvages.
Ils ont envoyés tant aux Alebamons qu'aux Abecars
Chactas et Chicachas plus de deux cent chevaux chargés
de Marchandise pour les attirer dans leur party, heureuse­
ment que les Chactas et Chicachas qui sont les plus proches
voisins (à nous) se sont brouillés avec eux après cependant
leur avoir traitte beaucoup de pelletries, il y a en dans leur
Brouilleries de deux Anglais de tués et la charge de dix­
huit a dix-neuf chevaux pilles. Ces sauvages donnerent
apres les autres Anglais qui estoient partis il y avoit en­
viron huit jours qu'ils ne purent joindre. Cette catastro­
phe n'a point rebute les Anglais, ils ont envoyés dire aux
Chactas qu'ils estoient prest à faire la paix avec eux aux
288 'l'HE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
conditions qu'ils leur apporteroient la teste de l'interprette
Francais qu'ils accusent fort malapropos de leur avoir fait
tués et l)"illés quoique ces sauvages paroissent fort bien in­
tentionés pour nous il est à craindre que les Anglais ne les
gagnent parcequ'on manque toujours icy de Marchandises
convenables pour les sauvages."!
[TRANSLATION. Since the departure of M. de Bienville,
the English have done nothing but make attempts to win
over the Indian tribes. They have sent not only to the
Alabamas but also to the Abecars, Choctaws and Chicka­
saws more than two hundred horses loaded with goods to
win them over to their side. Happily the Choctaws and
Chickasaws, who are our nearest neighbors, quarreled with
them after having sold them a large quantity of skins. In
their altercation two English were killed and the loads of
eighteen or nineteen horses were stolen. The Indians
went in pursuit of the other Eng1isb, who bad left about
eight days before, but were unable to overtake them.
This catastrophe has not rebuffed the English. They have
sent a message to the Choctaws that they were ready to
make peace with them on condition that they would bring
them the head of the French interpreter, whom they ac­
cuse, most wrongfully, of the killing and robbery. Al­
though these Indians appear very well-intentioned toward
us there is danger that the English may win them over,
because we lack here always satisfactory goods for the
Indians.]
I am, dear Mr. Light,
Yours faithfully,
ROBERT B. DOUGLAS.
1 Reports, Louisiana, Vol. X.
THE ML'JSION TO THE OUABAGHE. 289
SECOND REPORT OF MR. DOUGLAS.
No.1.
ADDRESS OF P. NICOLAS BEAUBOIS TO THE KING. This ad­
dress is included in an article entitled" Relation de l'arrivée
en France, de quatre Sauvages de Missicipi, de leur sejour
& des audiences qu'ils ont eues du Roi, des Princes du
Sang, de la Compagnie des Indes, avec les compliments
qu'ils ont reçus, &c.," which occupies thirty-three pages of
Le Mercure de France. (Vol. I, December, 1725, pp. 2827-
2859.) It relates that the Chevalier de Bourgmont col­
lected twenty-two chiefs of various Indian tribes to ac­
wmpany Pere Beau bois to France, but, just as they were
about to embark, the ship" sank in an. instant," which so
discouraged the greater number of the chiefs that they re­
turned home. Unly half a dozen Indians had the pluck to
cross the Great Water. They were Agapit Chicagou,
chief of the Metchigamia, an Illinois nation; Menspéré (a
Missouri chief), Boganienhein (Osage), Aguiguida (Otop­
tata); also Ignon Ouaconisen, daughter of the Missouri
chief, and a slave named Pilate, of the Atanana nation.
These Indians had a good time in Paris, and were es­
pecially astounded at the kitchen of the Invalides, the
opera, and the fountains at Versailles. On November 24,
1725, they were taken to the Fontainebleau, and presented
to the Duc de Bourbon and other princes. The Due prom­
ised to present them the next day to the King, when he
returned from hunting, and, on the morrow, they were in­
troduced, dressed" in savage costume," into the King's
cabinet, The R. P. Beaubois had the honor of delivering
the first address, and of presenting to the King a letter
from the Illinois chief:
19
2DO THE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
HARANGUE AU ROY DU PÈRE DU BEAU­
BOIS, JESUITE.
SIRE-Ce sauvage, qui a l'honneur de parâitre devant V os­
tre Majesté, n'est point un homme de commun,-cependant
quoique Chef de son village, & un des plus considerés de
sa nation, il n' a rien de cet eclat ni de cette grandeur qui
environnent les Princes & qui les rendent si respectables
aux Peuples qui leur sont soûmis, mais qui sont inconnus
aux nations de l' Amerique. Au reste, ce qui Vostre Ma­
jesté estimera, sans doute, dans lui, c'est que cet Indien,
né, pour ainsi dire, dans un autre monde, & elevé au milieu
des forests, ait pu concevoir une assez haute idée de V ostre
Suprême Grandeur pour desirer si ardemment de l' envisager
de plus près & de lui venir faire hommage. Un triste
nauffrage, qui a disconcerté ceux qui l'accompagnoient, ne
l'a point intimidé, & depuis qu'il est en France la vue
de ce qui fait l'etonnement de tous les Etrangers
n'a fait qui augmenter en lui l'empressement qu'il
avoit de voir la Monarque d'un si puissant Empire. Le
plus considerable chef de toute la Nation Ilinoise a mille
fois envié le bonheur de celui-ci, comme ille dit lui-même
à Vostre Majesté d'une maniere si ingenieuse & mille fois
il a regretté, pour ainsi dire, d'être si nécessaire dans son
pays à la N ation Française.
Daignez, Sire, recevoir avec bonté la lettre qu'il ose
ecrire à Vostre Majesté & lui repondre favorablement.
Pour moi, Sire, je m'estime trop heureux d'approcher
aujourd'hui de vôtre Trône, & d'y être temoin des merveilles
que la France admire dans vôtre Personne sacrée. Per­
mittez moi, Sire, de demander a V ostre Majesté sa Royale
protection pour les Missions de la Louisiane, cette vaste
Province, où l'on ne scaurait trop les multiplier pour le
bien de vôtre Colonie, & procurer à tant de nations sauv­
ages qui l'habitent, la connoissance du vrai Dieu. Louis
THE llIISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 291
le Grand, de glorieuse mémoire se fit toujours un plaisir de
protéger ceux que la Providence honore d'un si saint Min­
istère, & de marquer par la zéle qu'il avait pour la propa­
gation de la Foi. Heritier de ses heroiques vertus, comme
vous l'êtes de son superbe Diadême, Sire, faites éclates le
même zéle, qui ne peut que vous être infiniment glorieux.
N ous avons droit, ce semble, de l'attendre de vôtre piété,
qui a paru si eminente dans le choix que vous avez fait de
la plus vertueuse Princesse du monde, pour la placer à
côté de vous Bur le plus auguste Trône de l'univers.
[TRANSLATION.
ADDRESS TO THE KING OF PERE DU BEAU­
BOIS, JESUIT.
SIRE-This savage, who has the honor to appear before
Your Majesty, is not a common -man, and yet, although
chief of his village, and one of the most distinguished of
his nation, he has nothing of that splendor nor of that
grandeur which surround princes, and which make them
so estimable to the peoples who are subject to them, but
which are unknown to the nations of America. In addi­
tion to this, that which Your Majesty will esteem, without,
doubt in him, is that this Indian, born, so to speak, in an­
other world, and reared in the midst of forests, has been
able to conceive a high enough idea of your supreme'
grandeur to desire so ardently to see it more closely,
and to come to pay homage. An unfortunate shipwreck,
which frightened those who were to accompany him, did not.
intimidate him, and since he has been in France the sight
of that which is the wonder of all foreigners has served to
increase his ardor to see the monarch of so powerful an
empire. The principal chief of all the Illinois nation
greatly envies the good fortune of this one, as he himself
292 THE l.IISSION TO THE O UABA CHE.
says to Your Majesty in so striking a manner, and hag
often regretted, so to speak, that his presence in his own
country was so necessary to the French nation.
Deign, Sire, to receive with kindness the letter which he
has ventured to write to Your Majesty, and to respond
favorably. For myself, Sire, I consider myself most happy
to approach today to your throne, and to be witness of the
marvels which France admires in your sacred person.
Permit me, Sire, to ask of Your Majesty the royal protec­
tion for the missions of Louisiana, that vast province,
where one could not increase them enough for the good of
your colony and to give sufficiently to the su,vage nations
which dwell there the knowledge of the true God. Louis
the Grand, of glorious memory, made it always bis pleas­
ure to protect those whom Providence honored with so
holy a ministry, and to testify by tbe zeal he had for the
propagation of the faith. Heir of his heroic virtues, as
you are of his superb diadem, Sire, make resplendent the
same zeal, which is able to make you eternally glorious.
We have the right, it would appear, to expect this of your
piety, which is shown so notably in the choice which yon
have made of the most virtuous princess in the world to
place by your side on the most august throne of the uni­
verse.]
Pere Beaubois also presented a letter and necklace from
Matuantouenea, the head chief, who said in his letter he
would have liked to come-
"Mais mes Pères de Boisbriant & du Tisné qui tiennent
la place, m'ont dit du rester pour maintenir mon Village,
Defendre les Robbes noires & le village français contre les
Renards, tes ennemis & les nôtres."
[TRANSLATION. But my fathers de Boisbriant and du
"I'isne, who command here, have told me to remain to
THE MISSION TO THE OUABAOHE. 28ö
maintain my village, to defend the Jesuits and the French
village aga,inst the Fox Indians, your enemies and ours.]
The King took the Indians out hunting on Tuesday,
27th November. The Queen much wanted to see tbem,
but the King thought their "assortiment sauvage & trop
bizarre" might be bad for bel' health-he was fifteen, and
just married-so she had to be content with an interview
with Pere Beaubois. Before they left the King presented
each cbief with a medal hung on a gold chain, a musket,
game bag, sword, watch, and a picture representing tbeir
interview with the King.
No.2.
J'ay envoyé un Père Jesuite d'jcy aux Caouitas pour
scavoir ce qui se passera chés eux, et pour voir si on pourra
Establir une mission dans cette nation. * * * Il faudra
attendre que la Colonie rende d'auvantage avant que de
proposer de nouveaux Establissements.
(Signed) PERIER.
Nouvelle Orleans, le pr Avril, 1729.
[TRANSLATION. I have sent a Jesuit father from here to
the Caouitas to learn what is going on there, and to see if
we could establish a mission with this nation. * * *
It should be expected that some advantages would result
to the colony before proposing new establishments.
PERIER.
New Orleans, April I, 1729.J
No.3.
J'ay fait remonter cette année une fregatte aux N atcbez
qui est à cent vingt lieues. J'espere faire remonter les
vaisseau beaucoup plus haut.
IBID. (Same date.)
294 'l'HE ,lIIS8ION TO THE OUABACHE.
[TRANSLATION. I have this year sent a frigate up the
river to the Natchez, which is an hundred aud twenty
leagues. I hope to send the vessels much higher up than
that.]
No.4.
Il est vray, Monsieur, que depuis le depart du Rd P. de
Beaubois tout est plus tranquile icy. * * * Il faudra
Monsieur penser d'Etablir un Curé à la Poiute Coupée a
quarente lieues d'icy ce Canton commence à ce bien peu­
pler, il y a une quarantaine d'habitants, etc.
Letter of J. Delaihaye to Abbé Raguet.
N. O. 20 Aôust, 1729.
[TRANSLATION. It is true, Monsieur, that since the de­
parture of the reverend Pere de Beaubois all is more tran­
quil here. * * * There should be considered, Monsieur,
the establishment of a curé at Pointe Coupee, forty leagues
from here. This canton begins to be well populated; it
has forty residents.
J. Delaihaye to Abbe Raguet.
New Orleans, August 20, 1729.]
No.5.
Memoire pour la Père de Beaubois, Superieur des Mis­
sions de la Compagnie de Jesus à la Louisiane.
No date; no signature. A defense of P. Beaubois against
the charges of immoral conduct, being a noisy, turbulent,
ambitious man, who bad" gaté l'esprit du commandant,"
usurped clerical functions at New .Orleans without per­
mission, etc. In all this long document there is no allusion
to any memoir about the Wabash. It appears to have
been written about 1729.
THE J.lIISSTON TO THE OUABAUHE. 295
No.6.
The Capuchins of the Province of Champagne were
charged with a mission to Louisiana, by the King's com­
mission, decree dated 16 May, 1722. Some time after­
wards it was arranged that the colony should be divided
between the Capuchins and the Jesuits. "Suivant ce par­
Iage les Jesuites avoient tout le pays du haut du fleuve St.
Louis jusques à la Rivière de Ouabache exclusivement.
* * * En 1724 on revancha en faveur des Jesuites la
partie du district des Capucines qui s'entendre depuis,
Ouabache jusques au Natchez exclusivement."
From a" memoire sur ce qui a donné Heu au Rapel du
P. de Beaubois " (evidently by a Capuchin, and dated-in a
later hand-" Xbre 1729.")
[TRANSLATION. After this conference the Jesuits had all
the country on the upper Mississippi as far down as the
Ohio exclusively. * * * In 1724 they gave to the J es­
uits exclusively that part of the district of the Capuchins
which extended from the Ohio to Natchez.
From a memoir on that which has occurred on the re­
call of Pere de Beaubois. December 1729.]
No.7.
Pour ce qui regarde les missionaries de Alibamons, des
Apachez, des Natchitoches, et D'Ouabache que j'espere
voir placer de l'année prochaine, etc.
From a " Memoire sur les Missions de la Louisiane, Pour
estre Presenté à messieurs de la Compagnie des indes,"
signed N. J. de Beaubois, Sup. J es. Marked 1729, in pencil,
but not dated.
[TRANSLATION. Concerning the missionaries of the Ala­
bamas, the Apaches, the Natchitoches, and of the Ouabache
which I hope to see located next year, etc.
From a Memoir on the Missions of Louisiana, to be pre­
sented to Messieurs of the Company of the Iudies.]
296 THE lIJISSIOS TO THE O UABA. CHE.
No.8.
A Ouabache qui a toujours esté negligé et sur lequel se­
lon moi pour les connaissances que j'en ay, on auroit du
premier y etablir par rapport que cest une clef des Anglais
par laquelle ils pourroient plûtot s' emparer de la Province
de La Louisiane que par aucun endroit, et seduire nos na­
tions quoyqu'en paix ils ont fait de ce Tentatif plusieurs
fois ; il seroit necessaire dans cette poste J'enverois pour
ainsy dire le nombre il faudroit plûtot y mettre quartre
cent hommes que trois.
From Memoire de M. de St. Denis commandant aux
N atehitoches, du 30 Novembre 1731.
[TRANSLATION. On the Ouabache, which has always been
neglected, and on which, in my opinion, by the information
I have had, we should be the first to form an establishment,
for by report it is a key of the English by which they would
be better able to get hold of the Province of Louisiana than
by any other place, and to entice away our tribes, because
in peace they have made this effort many times. There
will be necessary in this post-I would advance the num­
ber needed there, so to speak, to four hundred men rather
than three.]
No.9.
Fro� Estat des Officiers que le Roya resolu d'Etablir à
Ja Louisiane et des Appointements quelle leur a Reglé à
commencer du premier Juillet 1731.
Aux Illinois.
Un commandant tout pour ses appointements que
pour l'Entretien du fort 2,000
A Ouabache.
Un commandant id 800
Fait a Versailles le 30 Janvier 1731.
Signé Maurepas.
THE �1IISSION TO THE OUABAOHE. 297
[TRANSLATION. From Roll of the officers that the King
has decided to establish in Louisiana and of the salaries
which have been fixed for them, to commence July 1, 1731-
At the Illinois.
A commandant, in full for salaries and for the
support of the fort 2,000 (livres)
At the Ouabache.
A commandant, the same 800
Done at Versailles, January 30, 1731.
Signed Maurepas.]
No.10.
From Projet de l'Estat des Depenses pour l'année 1731.
A Ouabache.
A l'officier commandant tout pour suplem' d'ap­
pointements que pour l'entreti.en du fort pour
les six ders mois 1731, à raison de 800 par an..... 400 :-:
(In these same estimates I also find)
Offrs reformés.
Au S. Jantzen, lieutenant, pour les appointements
des 6 ders mois, à raison de 480 par an .. oo........ 240
Au S. de St. Ange Père, id 240
Au S. de Vincennes, id...... 240-
[TRANSLATION. From Statement of Expenses for the
year 1731.
At the Ouabache.
To the commandant, both for the allowance of
salary and for the maintenance of the post for
the last six months of 1731, at the rate of 800
livres per year 400 :-:
298 THE llIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
Half Pay Officers.
To Sieur Jantzen, lieutenant, for salary for the
last six months, at the rate of 480 livres per year 240
To Sieur de St. Ange, the father, id.................. 240
To Sieur de Vincennes, id.............. 240J
No.11.
Les habitants de la Prairie du fort de Chartres aux Ilinois,
nous ont addressés pour demander la confirmation du choix
qu'ils ont fait d'un prêtre des missions Etrangeres pour la
deserte de l'Eglise qu'ils ont fait batir à leurs frais avec un
Presbiterre. N ous sommes informés qu'avant la batiss de
cette paroisse ces habitans n'avoient point d'autres desser­
vant que le jesuite missionaire de Mitehigamia qui est en
même-temps aumonier du fort de Chartres. * * * Nous
marquons cependant à M. de St. Änge qui commande en
ce poste qui nostre avis est qu'il n'a pas esté au pouvoir
de ces habitans d'appeler un prestre, etc.
Letter from Perier and Salmon to the Minister, N. Or­
leans, 20 July, 1732.
[TRANSLATION. The settlers of the Prairie of Fort Char­
tres, at the Illinois have addressed us demanding the con­
firmation of the choice they have made of a priest of the
foreign missions to officiate at the church which they have
built, with a parsonage, at their own expense. We are
informed that before the building of this parish church
these settlers had no one to serve them bnt the Jesuit Mis­
sionary to the Mitchigamia, who is at the same time Chap­
lain of Fort Chartres. * * * We informed M. de St.
Änge, who commands at this post, that our understanding
is that these settlers have not had any right to call a
priest.]
l'HE llIISSIO.LV TO THE OUABACHE. 299
No.12.
Quoyque trés propre pou; le poste qu'il occupé il l'en­
droit de meilleurs services s'il avoit un commandem' dans
quelque poste. Celuy des Islinois luy conviendroit fort, il
est aimé de ces sauvages, il y a demeuré longtemps, et il ne
seroit pas eloigné (?) d'y retourner. Il y feroit plus de
progres que le S. de St. Ange, Père qui y commande, et
qui les Sauvages trouvent trop vieux.
Concerning D' Artaguiette, from a report by Salmon to
the Minister, Maurepas, 29 March, 1732.
[TRANSLATION. Although very well fitted for the posi­
tion he occupies, he would render greater service if he had
command in some post. That of the Illinois would suit
him admirably. He is loved by these Indians; he lived
there a long time; and he will Dot have to remove far to
return there. He will make more progress there than
Sieur de St. Ange, the father, who commands there, and
"whom the Indians find too old.J
No.13.
I
¡
In "The estimate of public expenses for the year 1732" l
I find an entry, 1
An garde magazin à Ouabache......................... 300
[TRANSLATION. For a storekeeper at the Ouabache... 300J
No.14.
Is a long "Ordonnance donnée par monsieur de St.
Ange au Sujét de l'assasinat commis en Lapersonne du­
nommée pierre roston Dit Langenin soldat De Lagarrison
du fort de Chartre." The Court Martial consisted of the
St. Anges, father and son, Lient. Bassée and Ensigns
Dutisné and Buchet. St. Ange fils is described as an en­
sign. I do not find any matter of general interest in the
trial. The murderer, Francois Frétél, was executed Oct.
16th, 1732.
300 TIlE NJ88ION TO THE OUAB_1ClIE.
No.15.
"Memoire contenant les services que Raymond Amyault,
Ecuyer, Sr. D' Auseville, a rendus à l'Etat, les facultés de la
Colonnie de la Louisiane, les Moyens de lafaire fleurir, et la
scittuation affreuse ou elle est presentement reduitte avec
les causes de la Guerre." A long document of 92 foolscap
pages (but the writing is only half across the page) con­
taining about 15,000 words. It is an interesting account
of the Colony. He suggests that 4,000 men 'would be
needed to insure the safety of the post, viz. :
600 horurnes iL Ia Mobil le, ce gros nombre y est necessaire pour contenir
cette grosse Nan Chaquetas.
100 aux Alibamons.
200 aux Chaquetas,
100 à la Balize.
300 à la Nulle Orleans.
50 à l'entree de la Rivière Rouge.
50 aux Tonnicas,
100 aux Natchitoches.
50 aux Akansas.
400 aux Natchers dispersées en quatre forts faits de Gros Dieus Ronds.
100 a I'entree de la Rivière de Yazous.
50 a l'entree de la Rire de Maramet.
200 a Ia Rivière de Ouabach qui prend sa source prés la Nolle York.
600 aux I1inois afin de mettre les mineurs en seurette contre les sauvages.
200 hommes en quatre postes du bas de la Rire de Missouri.
000 pour faire l'etablissement le plus pris des Espagnols au haut de la
dite R. Missouri.
300 hemmes restans.
4,000
No.16.
From a letter of Bienville and Salmon to the Minister,
dated 20 May, 1733.
" Par la même lettre le Sr. St. Ange temoigne estre peu
assuré de la :fiùeliteé des Llinois, qui luy donnent souvent
des alarmes et font semblant de Craindre notre Ressenti­
ment sur leurfautes passées pour avoir un pretexte de
Remuer.
TIlE lIIJSSION TO THE OUABACHE. aoi
D'un autre Costé le Sr. de Vincennes, qui commande
aux Miamis, marque que les Sauvages etablis sur Ouabache
ne sont pas plus tranquilles que les Illinois, qu'il n'est
point en Etat de les Empecher d'avoir Commerce avec les
Anglois, parce qu'il faudroit tons les faire reunis, et qu'il
n'a point de Marchandise pour les yengager, que Ia Gar­
rison d'ailleurs est trop foible pour contenir ces Nations.
[TRANSLATION. By the same letter Sieur St. Ange testifies
that he is little assured of the fidelity of the Illinois, who
often give him alarm, and make pretense of fear of our
resentment for their past faults to have a pretext for agi­
tation.
On another side Sieur de Vincennes, who commands at
the home of the Miamis, states that the savages established
on the Ouabache are not more tranquil than the Lllinois;
that be is not in condition to prevent them from trading
with the English, because it would be necessary to bring
them all together, and he has not the merchandise to in­
vite them, in addition to which the garrison is too feeble
to constrain this nation.]
No.17.
Letter of M. Perier, 25 Jan., 1733, to the Minister:
Les Ouyatonons chez qui est Le Sr. de Vincennes se sont
liez avec les Akansas pour faire La Guerre ensemble aux
Chicachas, etc.
[TRANSLATION. The Ouiatanons, at whose home is Sieur
de Vincennes, are united with the Arkansas to make war
together on the Chickasaws, etc.]
No. IS.
Letter from M. de Vincennes,-presumably, as also with
the one following, to the Governor, but with no address
given. The spelling is as in the original.
302 THE )JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
Le 7 Mars, 1733.
MONSIEUR:
pour faire reponse a 1 honneur De Lavostre je Com­
menceray par vous informé que Le Ouabache est compoze
De Cinq nations, qui Compoze quatre Villages Dont Le­
moindre ets de soixante hommes portant Les armes et Le­
tout peut faire six a sept Cent hommes qu'il serais neces­
saire Derassembler pour Lebien Du service et Lenrs oster La
proximite Des Langlais ille ma Esté impossible De faire ras­
semblertoutes ces Nations parcequil a toutjours manqué De
marchandise Dans Cette anùroit. Lefort que jay fait faire
est à quatre Vinq Lieues Dans Le Ouabache au Desus Des
Rivieres par oules anglais anront peu Disendre et ouvir com­
merce avec Ces nations. Landroit est furt propre pour y
faire U ngros Establissement ceque jaurois fait si jauvis eut
Des forces, à Lesgard du Commerce que Lonny (l'on y?)
peu faire est Lapelletrie i11e pent sortir tonte les annee De
Ce poste pour trante milluire (milliers?) Depelletrie Voyla
Monsieur tout Le Commerce que Lonpourrit faire pour
Lepresent.
jamais onna eut plus Debesoing Detroupe Dan Ces an­
droit qua present Les Sauvages tant illinois que miarnis et
autres sont plus insollent quil nont jamais eté et ce La De­
puis que Lerenard est Defait. Le peut Dexperiance que
jemesuis acquis Depuis 20 (?)1 anneés que je suis avec eux
mefait craindre quelque mauvais Retour De Ces nations
surtout Les miens qui Voyt Une Establissement que jay
Oommancé et qui ne paroitre pas vouloir Estre continue
puisque Depuis trois années ilnevient Rien cepandant mon­
sieur Cost Lapassage Detoutes les nations tant Des Lacs
que Des autres androyts.
Vous mefaitte Lhonneur Dememarquer Devous anvoy
U ne Estats Des ouvrages faitte et à faire ille ny a quun
1This is a very doubtful reading as may be seen from the fac simile.
'l'HE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 303
fort et Deux maisons dedans et ille faudroyt presentement
:y faire faire Uncordegarde avec Des Cazernes pour loger
Leesols Dats ille nest pas possible Dereste Dans cette androy
avec si peut Detroupe ille faudroyt trante hommes avec
Une officier Jesuis plus anbarasée que jamais Dans cette
.androyt par Laguerre Des chicacbies qui SOllt Venus
Deux fois depuis leprintamps ille ny a que Douze jours que
Lederuier party a améné trois personnes et Comme Cest
Lefrancois qui leurs amis Le Cassetete alamain je suis
obligé Defaire tout les jours De Ladepence jespere Devostre
Bontez que Vous voudré Bien avoir Esgard acette an droit
et a Lapeine oujesuis tant pour moy que pour Lapetite
garnizon que jay cest Lagrace quattand Devous Ce Luy
-qui a Lhonneur Destre avec Unprofond respect
Monsieur
Vostre trés humble et trés obeissant Servituer
VINSENNE
[TRANSLATION.
March 7, 1733.
MONSIEUR-To make reply to the honor of yours, I will
commence by informing you that the Ouabache nation is
-composed of five tribes, which include four villages, of
which the least is of sixty men bearing arms, and in all
.about six or seven hundred men, whom it will be neces­
sary, for the good of the service, to gather together and
remove from proximity to the Englisb. It has been im­
possible for me to bring together all these tribes because
I have always lacked merchandise in this place. The
fort which I have had built is eighty leagues up the
-Ouabachc, above the rivers by which the English will be
able to descend and open trade with these tribes. The
place is well fitted for the location of a large establish­
ment, which I would have made if I had had the troops.
In regard to the trade which can be had, it is in furs. It
304 THE ltIISSION TO 'J'HE OUABAC'IIE.
is possible to send out from this post every year about
thirty thousand skins. That, monsieur, is all the trade
that can be secured for the present,
'I'here has never been so great need of troops at this
place as at present. The Indians, Illinois as well as Miamis
aud others, are more insolent than they have ever been,
and that since the Foxes have been overthrown. The little
experience I have acquired in the twenty (?) years I have
been with them, makes me fear some bad return from these
nations, especially mine, which sees an establishment that I
have begun and which there has appeared no desire to
continue in the past three years. The only thing that can
come in the meantime, Monsieur, is the loss to us of all
the tribes, both of the lakes and of other places.
You have done me the honor to ask me to send you a
statement of the works finished and to be constructed.
There is only a fort and two houses in it, and there should
at once be built a guard room with barracks for lodging
the soldiers. It is not possible to remain in this place with
so few troops. It will need thirty men with an officer.
I am more embarrassed than ever in this place by the war
with the Chickasaws who have come here twice since
spring. It is only twelve days since the last party brought
in three persons, and as it is the French who have put the
tomahawk in their hands, I am obliged to be at expense
continually. I hope of your kindness that you will give
special attention to this place and to the trouble which I
experience, as well for myself as for the little garrison that
I have. It is a favor expected of you by him who has the
honor to be with profound respect, Monsieur,
Your very humble and very obedient servant,
VINCENNES.]
THE ][JSSION TO THE OUABACHE. 305
No.19.
A second letter from M. de Vincennes-as above.
21 Mars, 1733.
MONSIEUR:
je viens derecevoir Un paquit demonsiour Lernarquis De
bauharnois que janvoy partire amons" de St. Ange pour
vous Lefere tenir antoute di1ligence.
monsieur Lemarquis de Bauharnoie manvoy Un collier
et Unealumet pour Les illinois que janvoy a monsr. de St.
Ange pour insister Los nations a aller frapér sur les chica­
chias toutes les nations du Canada et de Lacs parte Ce
priutamps pour y aller tons ceux Dicy isont alles jusqua
Leurs chef ille nest pas resté dan tous ces Villages un seule
homme et tout ea apasée par ce poste cequi napas L'etée
de bien court.
jay eut lhonneur Devous marquer par ma derniere que
Les chicachias ontstuez cette otthomne six francois Dans
Ouabache qui savenoit a ce poste et dont ils estoit abitaut
ce meme party atuez LT nde ces sauvages De ceposte avec
sa feme sille commance avenir dans Ces Lieux il sera
Dificile De voyager monsieur Lemarquis debauharnois me
marque quil veut absolument faire detruire les chicachias
et Leurs allies et dinviter (?) ces nations a Ci joindre a
Ceux du Canada.
Nous sommes Denuéz de tout Dans ceposte je suis obligé
danprunter Des voyageurs et dedonner Le peu que jay
pour obvier (?-illegible) a toutes Les affaires qui arrive
journellement jay Lhouneur de vous suplier monsieur
Devouloir bien avoir esgard a ce la et De me faire Ram­
bourcér ceque jay fourny je previens quil maura ancore
conter Baucoup quand ces nations Reviendrou puis que
tout Les nrisonniers ouil ameniront Nous seront donnés et
quil fant.!. payer Ce 8�rte dechose aussi bien qne Decouvrir
Les morts sille perde Dumonde jespere quils yront cette
20
306 THE ]JUSSION TO THE OUABACHE.
otthomne y faire coup Dumoins je les y inviter Bien ils y
sont toute a fait dispozes je vais partir dans quelques jours
pour aller au grand village et si jevoy tout tranquille je
pouré desondre au canada monsieur Lemarquis Debauhar­
nois me marque quil me permit daller faire dutour pour
vacquer aux afaires demafamille jenecera (sera ?) aux plus
que sinq mois Dans cevoyage jecrit amr De St. ange quil
anvoy m" sonfis (son fils?) a mon apsance (absence?) jes­
pere monsieur que vous ne trouverez pas mavais que fasee
ce voyage puisque jene Lefais quand car que jevoy toute
anbontraing dans ces continent je Lhonneur Destre avec
Un profond respect
Monsieur
'Vostre trés humble et trés obeisant Serviteur
VINSENNE
Du fort de Uabache ce 21° mars 1733.
[TRANSLATION.
March 21, 1733.
MONSIEUR-I received a pacquet from Monsieur the
Marquis de Beauharnois which I sent to Monsieur de
St. Ange that you might receive it with all diligence.
Monsieur the Marquis de Beauharnois sent me a belt
and a pipe for the Illinois, which I sent to Monsieur de St.
Ange to insist that the tribes go to strike the Chickasaws.
All the nations of Canada and of the lakes leave this
spring to go there. All from this place have gone even to
their chief. There does not remain in all these villages a
single man and all is so quiet about the post that the sum­
mer will not seem very short.
I had the honor to inform you by my last that the
Chickasaws have killed this fall six Frenchmen on the
Ouabache who were coming to this post and who lived
here. The same party killed one of the Indians of this
post, with his wife. If they begin to frequent this region
THE JlIISf:ŒON TO THE OUABACHE. 307
it will be difficult to travel. Monsieur the Marquis de
Beauharnois informs me that he wishes to have entirely
destroyed the Chickasaws and their allies, and to invite
the tribes here to join those of Canada. '
We are stripped of everything in this post. I am
obliged to borrow of the voyageurs, and to give the little
I have to avoid difficulty from things that occur daily.
I have the honor to beg you to give especial attention to
this, and to reimburse me for what I have furnished. I
anticipate that I will be put to still greater expense when
the tribes return, because all the prisoners which they
bring will be given to U8, and it is necessary to pay for this
sort of thing, as well as to hunt up the dead if anyone is
lost. I hope that they will go to make war this fall. At
least I shall urge them. They are much disposed to do so.
I shall start in several days to go to the large village, and
if I find all quiet I will be able to go on to Canada. Mon­
sieur the Marquis de Beauharnois has said that he would
permit me to make this trip to attend to the business
affairs of my family. I shall not be more than five months
on the route. I wrote to Monsieur de St. Ange to send
Monsieur his son during my absence. I hope Monsieur
that you will not be displeased that I make this trip, for I
shall not make it unless I find everything in good shape
among my charges.
I have the honor to be, with profound respect, Monsieur,
Your very humble and obedient servant,
VINCENNES,
Of the Fort of the Ouabache, this 21 March, 1733.]
No.20.
In the" Etat des Depenses de 1732,-Appointements et
Gratiffications dans les Postes," I find:
A Mr. De Vincennes command' a Ouabache 'pour
gratiffication 800 (livres)
�03 THE 1IfL'JSIOX TO TIlE GUABACHE.
[TRANSLATION. List of public expenses of 1732,-sal­
aries and perquisites in the posts:
To M. de Vincennes, commandant at the Ouabache.
For allowance 800 livres.]
No.21.
From "La Louisiane "-M. de Bienville sur les sauvages
Chicachas, Natchez & Chactas :
Le Sr. De Vincennes qui y commande lui mande qui les
.Peanguichas qui sont établis auprès de notre fort ont envie
-d'attirer à eux un village de la même nation qui est resté
a 60 Iieues plus haut Deux raisons lui font goûter ce des­
'sein, la première pour fortifier nôtre Etablissement, et la
'Seconcle pour ôter a ce village la commodité de commercer
avec les Anglois qui ont deux Magazins etablis chez les
Chaouanous sur Ia Riviere d'Oio.
[TU.ANSLATION. Sieur de Vincennes, who commands
there, informs me that the Piankeshaws, who are estab­
lished near our fort, wish to draw to them a village of the
same tribe which is located sixty leagues higher up.
'two reasons make him approve this plan; the first is to
strengthen our estublishmeut, and the second to remove from
this village the chance to trade with the English, who
have established two store-houses in the country of the
Shawnees on the River Ohio.]!
No.22.
From a report by the Governors-Bienville and Salmon
-addressed to the Minister, and dated 8th April, 1734:
Pour ce qui concerne Ouabache, M. de Vincennes de qui
nous n'avions point encore eu des nouvelles, nous marque
lThe Ohio above the month of the Wabash. In all this early period
the 'WabaHh was considered the main stream emptying into the Misslssippi,
while the Ohio W:l8 a tributary of the Ouabache,
THE MISSION TO THE OUABAGHE. 309
-par un convoy qui vient de descendre des Llinois, que le
fort qu'il avoit fait pour la garnison, qui n'etoit que de 10
hemmes, est tres petit, et en assez bon estat, qu'il con­
vient seulement d'y mettre un doublage de pierres, qu'il
a fait construire dedans une maison à son frais, pour Ron
logement, et quelques soldats de leur part ont fait eux­
memes des Baraques pour se loger, que presentement quo
la garnison sera augmenté jusquà SO hornmes, comme M.
de Bienville en a donné les ordres à M. Dartaguiette.
[TRANSLATION. Concerning the Ouabache :M. de Vin­
cennes, from whom we have not yet had news, informs us
by a convoy which has come down from the Illinois, that
tbe fort which he has built is very small for the garrison,
which is of only ten men, and is in good enough condition;
that it is desirable only to add a sheathing of stone;
that he had constructed within it, at his own expense, a
house for his lodging, and several soldiers, on their part,
bave built a barracks for their lodging; that now the
garrison will be increased to thirty men, as M. de Bien­
ville has given orders to M. D' Artaguiette.]
No.23.
Report of M.. de Bienville on the Chickasaws, August
20,1735 :
Le Sr. de Vincennes qui commande au fort des Pean­
guichias a determine les sauvages de son Quartier à faire
la même chose (i. e., declare war against the Chickasaws)
et a obtenu de M. Dartaguiette l'agréement de marcher
avec eux avec ce quil pourra ramasser de Francois. Comme
cet officier a beaucoup de credit sur l'esprit des sauvages,
M. de Bienville est persuadé qu'il les engagera à bien
faire.
[TRA�8LATION. Sieur de Vincennes, who commands at
-the fort of the Piaukeshaws, has induced the Indians of
310 THE 11IISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
his region to do the same thing and has obtained from M.
D' Artaguiette an agreement to march with them with
Buch of the French as he can collect. As this officer has,
much influence on the spirit of the Indians, M. de Bien­
ville is convinced that he will get them to act well.]
No.24:.
In a letter of Bienville and Salmon to the minister, May
13,1737, it is mentioned that as the Jesuits live close to.
the hospital, one of the fathers might be appointed chap­
lain, and be on duty all day.
Il pourroit même y rester la nuit dans Les cas pressants.
Nous avons pour cela jetté la veue sur Le P. Doutreleau
Cydevant superieur aux Tlinois, c'est un homme d'Environ
45 ans qui n'est plus D'age à apprender l'Idiome sauvage,
nous ne disons pas pour cela qu'il convienne de donner
cette place d'Aumonier aux Jesuites. * * * Au sujet
de la curé du fort de Chartres aux Ilinois nous attendons,
l'Effet de ce que Monseigneur en aura dit à M. L'evesque
de Quebec.
[TRANSLATION. He would also be able to remain there
over night in pressing cases. We have had in mind for
this Pere D'Outreleau, former superior at the Illinois. He
is a man of about forty-five years, who is no longer of an
age to learn the Indian idiom. We express no opinion on
the propriety of giving this place of chaplain to the
Jesuits. * * * On the subject of the curé of Ft. Char­
tres, in the Illinois country, we await the effect of that
which Monseigneur has said about it to the Bishop of
Quebec.]
No.25.
Extract from a letter of M. de Bienville to the Minister
JUlle 21, 1737: �
Les Peanghikias chez qui nous avons un poste ou com­
mandoit feu Mr. de Vincennes ont presque tous quittés.
TIlE llIISSlO.V TO THE OUABACHE. 311
leur Village depuis sa mort, à la reserve d'environ 15
hommes qui etoient encore avec le Sr. de St. Ange. Ils
sont allés plus haut dans Ouabache à un autre village. Je
prevóisque puisque cette station se retire on seroit inquieté
par les Chikachas dans ce poste où la garnison n'est pas
forte. Cette Circonstance et Les Tentatives recentes et
reiterées des Anglais pour penetrer dans la Colonie par la
rivière Oyo par laquelle ils descendent dans Ouabache me
determine à replacer ce fort à 40 Lieues plus bas à l'entree
de cette Rivière. J e l'y aurait mis d'abord si les Sauvages
eussent voulus nous y suivre. Il se trouve aujourdhui que
Les Kikapous et Maskoutins qui sont venus il y a deux
ans faire Village avec les Miamis ne s'accordent point avec
eux et Mr. De La Buissonière m'assure que pour peu qu'an
les invitat ils viendront s'y établir. Je luy envoyeray les
ordres pour ce Changement qui ne sera pas d' une grande
depense et j'espère que Monseigneur les approuvera. Tout
ce que je crains e' est que Left. de Linquetot! officier de
Canada qui commande aux Miamis et Ouyatanons, ne
s'oppose à laisser aller Les Kikapous et Maskoutins, par­
ceque ces deux nations sont de son departement. J e lui
ecriverai a ce sujet.
[TRANSLATION. The Piankeshaws, in whose country
we have a post where the late Sieur de Vincennes
commanded, have almost all left their village since his
death with the exception of about fifteen men who are
still with Sieur de St. Ange. They have gone higher
up the Ouabache to another village. I foresee that
since this station shrinks we will be troubled by the Chick­
asaws in this post, which has a weak garrison. This cir­
cumstance and the recent and repeated attempts of the
English to penetrate the colony by the river Ohio, by
IPresumably De Linetot-one of the Godefroy family-Tanguay, Diet.
Genealog.
312 THE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
which they descend to the Ouabache, determine me to re­
locate this fort forty leagues lower down, at the mouth of
this river. I would have located it there in the first place
if the Indians had been willing to follow us there. At the
present time the Kickapoos and Mascoutins, who came
two years ago to make their village with the Miamis, do
not harmonize with them, and M. De la Buissoniere as­
sures me that they will go for little more than an invita­
tion if we establis h there. I will send him orders for this
change, which will not be of much expense, and I hope
that Monseigneur will approYe them. All that I fear is
that Lieutenant de Linctot, officer of Canada, who is in
command at the Miamis and Ouiatanons, may oppose let­
ting the Kickapoos and Mascoutins go, as these two tribes
are in his department. I will write to him on this sub­
ject.]
No.26.
Letter from M. Salmon to Minister, 22d June, 1737 :
J'apprends par le Sr. Delaloire que le Sr. St. Ange, fils,
qui etait monté a Ouabache pour prendre le Commande­
ment de ce poste à la place de feu M. de Vincennes luy
marque que les Sauvages qui l'avoisinnent ont Envie de
l'abandonner que quelques uns d'Entre Eux se sont déja
retirés à leur ancien Village du Vermillon, en sorte que
ne reste plus qu'environ 25 hommes que s'il n'abandon­
ment Comme Ily appul'ence, on sera Contraint de relever
la garnison qui se Troveroit a la mercy des Ennemies. Il
ajoute quil na point vu Jusques à present que ce poste fut
d'une Grande utilité, et qu'il cause beaucoup de Depense,
pour moy Je pense qu' Effectivement Il est plus couteux
qu'il n'est utile. Cependant Il seroit de Consequence de
le Conserver pour Empecher les Anglais de 8'y Etablir, ce
qu'ils feront certainement si nous l'abanùonna.
THE .. 1nSSIGN TG THE GUABACHE. 313
[TRANSLATIO�. I learn from Sieur Delaloire that Sieur
St. Ange, the son, who had gone up to the Ouabache to
take command of that post in place of the late M. de Vin­
cennes, informs him that the Indians of that neighbor­
hood wish to abandon it; that part of them have already
retired to their old village of Vermillion, so that there re­
main only about twenty-five men who have not deserted
it. Apparently, we shall be obliged to increase the garri­
Bon, which will be at the mercy of the enemy. He adds
that he bas never seen to the present time that this post
was of much utility, and that it causes much expense.
For myself, I think that really it is more expensive than
useful. However, it will be important to maintain it to
keep the English from establishing there, which they will
certainly do if we abandon it.]
64 RUE DES MARTYRS, PARIS,
10 September, 1901.
DEAR SIR-I have looked through sixteen. volumes of
MSS.-from the year 1730 to 1744 (I had previously been
through the years 1725 to 1730)-but have failed to find
the document by Father Beaubois, nor do I find any allu­
sion to it. On his return to New Orleans (early in 1727)
he stayed there some years and performed clerical func­
tions, wbich so annoyed the Capuchins-who claimed an
ecclesiastical monopoly-that they denounced him, and
insisted on his being recalled. Extract No.5 is from a
long document in his defense by a Jesuit. Every possible ar­
gument in his favor is adduced, and ifhe had done the State
some service, and they knew it, his apologist would have
mentioned the fact; nor, though it would have been a sig­
nal instance of the "meddlesome ambition" with which
the Capuchins charged him, do his opponents say anything
about it. He returned to France, in 1729, to answer these
314 THE )JUSSION TO TIlE OUABAClIE.
charges, but seems to have been back in New Orleans in
1731, but little or nothing is recorded about him after that
date.
The following observations on the excerpts made may
perhaps prove useful:
No.1. There is nothing in this long article of any in­
terest; a great part consists of speeches made up of ful­
some compliments which the Indians probably never
uttered. I have given the names of all the Indians, as you
may be able to identify some of the personages or tribes.
The picture representing the King receiving the Indians,
I have a distinct recollection of having seen-at Versailles,
I fancy.
No.4. Portion of a letter from a Capuchin monk, I
imagine, to one of the heads of the order in France. The
extract shows that Father Beaubois had left for France in
August, 1729.
No.6. Is interesting as showing the division of the
country between the missionaries of both sorts.
No.7. Is signed by Beaubois, as Superior of the Jes­
uits. If the date is 1729-and we have just seen that it
could not be later-that would give 1730 as the foundation
of the post on the Wabash, which agrees with the date
given by M. de Vincennes. N o doubt a Jesuit was sent
there, but in the budgets and estimates the Capuchins are
paid separately, but the Jesuits receive a lump sum (8,000
livres) for the support of 12 missionaries.
No.8. Is the earliest reference I find to the importance
of the Ouabache as a " key" by which the English would
seek to invade the colony. It is perhaps only a coinci­
dence that the phrase" pour ainsy dire" also occurs twice
in the course of Beaubois' short address to the King.
Nos. 9 and 10. I find the commandant at Ouabache
mentioned in every succeeding report as far as I have
looked-i. e., to 1744. It is curious that he received 800
THE JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 315
livres a year whilst at the other posts the pay was 600
livres. Was this on account of the danger, or a recogni­
tion of Vincennes' influence with the Indians?
No. 13. The proposed storekeeper does not seem to
have been allowed, for there is no mention of such an
official in any succeeding budget.
Nos. 18 and 19. I have preserved the original spelling
of these two letters. Bad writing, the absence of all stops
and accents, and a curious habit of inserting a capital let­
ter in the middle of a word made them difficult to decipher,
It would seem that the fort was founded three years before
the date of the first letter. In No. 19 the writing is even
worse, and I have been obliged to query several words.
No. 23. Here, for the first time, I find mention of the
"fort des Peanguichas."
No. 24. This is the only mention I find of Père D'Ou­
treleau. As will be seen, he is proposed as hospital chap­
lain, because he is too old to learu the language of the'
Indians. This seems rather puzzling if he had been a mis- I
sionary on the Wabash for two years.
No. 25. Vincennes, Dartaguiette, St. Ange, the son, and
a dozen other French officers were killed in a battle with
the Chioachias on Palm Sunday, 1736. Several" relations"
of this battle are found in these volumes. 'Vas the fort
ever moved, as proposed in this letter and the following?
The mystery concerning Père Beaubois' memoir still re­
mains unsolved. lIe could hardly have written it before
his visit to France in 1725, for the post did not then exist.
On his return he was superior of the order, and would
hardly have gone to a distant post where there was a gar­
rison of ten men. Perhaps he was disgraced when he
went to France the second time, in 1729. Possibly the
document was written during his stay in France, on either
occasion. Father Sommervogel is unable to tell me "where
he found mention of the document, but thinks it was in
3IG THE JII8/3ION TO THE OUAB:WIIE.
some catalogue of MSS.-but whether in France or in
Canada, or whether in a public library or private collec­
tion, he has omitted to note. I will do my best to elucidate
the mystery, and if I can find the document will at once
communicate with you.
I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
ROBERT B. DOUGLAS.
THIRD REPORT OF MR. DOUGLAS.
64 RUE DES MARTYRS, PARIS,
13 November, 1901.
DEAR SIR-In accordance with your instructious, I have
searched the volumes for the years 1720 to 1725 for the
Beaubois memoir, and those of the years 1744 to 1750 for
any information I could find regarding the Ouabache, but,
I regret to say, the success of my search has not been com­
mensurate with the time and labor involved.
There is no reference to Father Beaubois in any of the
series from 1720 to 1725. In several places I find lists and
descriptions of the forty or fifty letters taken from New
Orleans to France in some particular vessel, but there is
nothing at all resembling the document of which we are
in search. That, however, does not surprise me. The
Governor would not have looked favorably on a Jetmit
missionary who interfered in civil and military affairs, and.
Beaubois would, in all probability, have entrusted the doc­
umeut to some priest-a J esnit for choice-returning to
: France. On the other hand, if this had been the case, I
should think there would have been some memorandum
about the document in the archives at the headquarters of
the Jesuits. But Father Sommervogel himself pointed out
to me that in the first edition of his book there was no
mention of this memoir, and therefore he must haye found,
l'IIE lIISSIO�V '1'0 THE O UAEAG"HE. 317
the reference to it between the appearance of the first and
second editions-i. e., between 1886 and 1889. Unfortu­
nately he can not tell me where this reference is, but he
thinks it is in some catalogue of MSS. that he has seen­
in France, he believes-but it might be in Canada.
There are two other points which suggest themselves to
me, and which I give for 'what they are wortb. H Beau­
bois had written his memoir prior to his visit to the King
(an account of which I sent you), aud were the ambitions,
meddlesome man his enemies describe him to have been,
woulel he not have made some reference to his services in
the course of his speech? The second is, could Beaubois
have known sufficient about the country, before 1729-
when he was in disgrace-to make his account of any
value?
At any rate I feel tolerably confident that the memoir is
not in the Colonial Office. The nearest approach to it I
have been able to find is a memoir by Père Baudoin,
which, however, contains nothing of interest. These vol­
umes contain from 500 to 700 pages each. In the earlier
days of the colony, one volume suffices for two years, but
after 1730 or so, two volumes are needed for Olle year. I
have examined in all about twenty-five of these volumes,
and in the six weeks I have worked it would have been
impossible to go as carefully through each volume as I
should have wished, and no doubt anyone who gleaned
after me would find enough to repay his trouble. In fact,
in hunting up the letters for the photographer to copy, I
came across two extracts which I send herewith. My
search in the years 1744-50 has not been prolific of results.
De Vaudreuil, who was Governor then, gives hardly any
news in his letters, which are filled with generalities about
the Indians, the English and financial matters.
No. 1. Shows that the Compagnie des Indes was fully
alive to the importance of establishing factories on the
318 THE )JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
Ouabache. I presume it was the transfer of the colony to
the royal authority that delayed the execution of these
orders for several years.
No.2. I have found no previous reference to the writer
of this letter, who I judge from the letter to have been an
oldish or middle-aged man, long resident in the colony.
He says (after the words "en attendant mieux"):
"Vous voyez Mr. qu'il ne me manque plus pour faire un
établissement solide a La Louisiane qu'un certain meuble
qu'on se repent souvent d'avoir pris, et dont je me passe­
ray, comme les autres."
The "certain meuble" was a wife! He complains that
the girls sent from Canada were "a very licentious lot,"
whilst those who came from France "had at least an ap­
pearance of virtue." He had expected that his sister
would send him over a wife, but" his hopes in that quar­
ter had ended in smoke." In his description of the mas­
sacre of the Canadian family, he mentions that one of the
men with his wife and sister, went off für help, leaving the
others" cabanés sur le bord du Mississipi a quatre ou cinq
Iieues de Ouabache." When help arrived, all had been
murdered or taken prisoners by the Scioux.
No.3. From this it would seem that M. de N oyan had
been appointed commandant on the Ouabache by the com­
pany, but had been superseded by the King's nominee
when the colouy came uuder royal control.
No.4. Is a long essay on Louisiana with a scheme for
improving that colony and St. Domingo. I have copied
out all that was of interest.
No.5. The same items occur in the accounts of every
year. The Jesuits are always paid a lump sum, and the
only officers mentioned by name are those at or near New
Orleans.
No.6. He gives the same figures iu a tabulated form
on another page, where he makes the total number of
THE ]l-IISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 319
white men in the colony to be 1,700, with about 1,500
women and children. He adds, "the climate is healthy
and the women prolific."
No.7. I do not know whether this alludes to enlarging
or strengthening the old fort, or creating a new one. In
1750, I find two copies of a proposal by a M. Bailly Mes­
sager to found a new colony midway between New Orleans
and Canada, and independent of both. He had an ax, or
rather a whole cutlery store to grind, for he suggested that
the King should make him Governor-General; present
him with six square leagues of ground on the river front,
with seigniorial rights over the property; send three regi­
ments from France, and make him a lieutenant-colonel.
As nothing ever came of this modest proposal, I did not
think it worth while to copy it out.
No.8 I found while searching for the letters of Vin­
cennes. It shows that Pere Baudoin was posted some­
where near the Ouabache, though apparently not on it.
I presume that the prisoners from whom he derived his
information were some of the Chicachas, who had cap­
tured the young Canadian, and had, in turn, been them­
selves captured by the Chactas. At any rate, it proves
that Père Baudoin was posted somewhere near.! and lends
color to my supposition that some copyist may have con­
founded him with Beaubois.
No. 1. 17�O.
Mèmoire pour M. du Vergier, Directeur Ordonnateur
de la Colonie de la Louisiane, concernant les differents
operations qu'il est chargé de faire pour perfectionner les
établissements de la ditte Colonie. (22 pages foolscap.)
� Baudoin was then with the Choctaws, with whom he remained
for eighteen years. He was then withdrawn to New Orleans, on account
of the hostile attitude of the Indians, and was made Superior General of
Missions. Kips Early Jesuit Missions, p. 316. There is nothing to show
that he was ever in the vicinity of the Ouabache.
320 THE .MISSION TO T'lIE GUARACHE.
(P. 3.) Los principaux postes que la Compagnie s'est
proposée de faire fortifier sont l'Isle aux Vaisseaux, les
Alebarnons, et Ouabache.
(P. 12.) Il est aussy necessaire de se poster sur la Riviere
d'Ouabache où les Anglais semblent vouloir s'approcher"
la Compagnie mande au Commandant de la Colonie d'y
placer un corps de Troupes pour occuper le premier tout
ce Terrain et empecher que les Anglais n'y penetrer.
L'Ordonnateur y etablira une Tannerie pour l'aprest des
peaux que l'on y traitera, ce qui empechera que les Mittes
ue les gastent, ce que l'on n'a pu eviter jusque à present
malgré les precautions que l'on y a prises,
(P.15.) L'on pourra tirer une grande quantité de peaux
de boeuf de Ouabache, lorsque notre Etablissement y sera
fait, mais il sera apropos de les tanner pomo les conserver,
et à cet effet d'y construire des Moulins à Tan.
(P. 21.) Fait et arresté par nous, Directeurs de la Com­
pagnie des Indes, a Paris, en l'hostel de la Compagnie, le
quinze Septembre, Mil sept cent vingt. (Signatures fol­
low.)
[TRANSLATION. The principal posts which the company
proposes to fortify are the Isle aux Vaisseaux, the Ala­
bamus and Ouabache. * * *
It is also necessary to have a post on the River Ouabache
where the English appear desirous to push forward. The
company requests the commandant of the colony to place
there a body of troops to occupy first this territory and
prevent the English from penetrating there. The manager
will establish thore a tannery for the preservation of the
skins which will be bought there, to prevent the mites
from spoiling them, which we bave not been able to avoid
heretofore, notwithstanding the precautions that have been
taken. * * *
It will be possible to gather a great quantity of buffalo
skins at the Ouabache, when our establishment shall be
THE ltíŒ'SION TO THE OUABACHE. 321
made there, but it will be desirable to tan them for preser­
vation and, for this purpose, to construct tan mills. * *
Done and ordered by us, Directors of the Company of
the Indies at Paris, in the hotel of the Company, the fif­
teenth of September, 1720.
No.2. 1722.
Extract from a letter of M. Chassiu;' dated "Aux Illi­
nois, le Ir. Juillet, 1722," and marked in corner," Je l'ay
recue à Versailles le 16e Decembre, 1 i22."
Les Renal's continuent toujours leurs insultes et ont deja
-frapé trois fois depuis le printens sur les sauvages du vil­
lage auprès du fort de Chartres. J e ne scais meme s'ils ne
m'ont pas laissé échaper exprès dans un voiage que j'ay
fait aux Kaoukias avec 1\J. 'I'haumar et un officier de cette
garnison, peutêtre aussique comme nous etions tous trois
bien montés et bien armés, ils nous ont vû sans oser llOUS
attaquer.
Enfin deux jours apres que nous fumes passer ils tuerent
une femme à une lieue du fort de Chartres, au bord de la
rivière. (Pages 3 and 4. Then follows on p. 5, a descrip­
tion of tbe massacre of a Canadian family by the Scioux.)
Ils avoient deux canots bien chargés des marchandises
qui avoient descendu fort heureusement des Miamis par
Ouabache. * * *
(P.6.) Je me suis avisé aussi d'en prendre une (conces­
sion) à environ une demie lieue de fort de Chartres, où je
vais reside!'. Elle fera au moins de vingt arpens de face
sur une lieue où plus de profondeur, et j'espère avoir cette
INicolas Michel Chassin was a Commissary, or representative, of The
Company of the ,Vest-John Law's Mississippi Company-afterwards
merged in the Compagnie des Indes. He, with the Principal Commissary,
who was then Marc Antoine de la Loire, and the Commandant, who was
then De Boisbriant, formed the Provincial Council of the Illinois. Kas­
kaskia and its Parish Records, p. 2; Old Fort Chartres, p. 27.
21
322 THE ]JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
terre en franc aleu et titre sei.gneurial. Je compte y mettre
l'année prochaine une demi douzaine de négres, en attend­
aut mieux. * * * Les Jesuites qui longtems avant que
les francais vinssent s'etablir en ce lieu avoient une mission
chez les> Kaskassies, sont nos curés, en cette qualité ils ont
fait jusqu'a present les fonctions de Notaire mais on m'a
charge de cette pratique jusqu'a ce que la Compagnie en
ait envoyé un plus expert que moyo
[TRANSLATION. The Fox Indians continue constantly
their insults and have already, three times since spring,
attacked the Indians of the village which is near Fort
Chartres. I do not know, indeed, but that they allowed
me to escape purposely, in a trip which I made to Cahokia
with M. Thaumar and an officer of this garrison; it is pos­
sible, however, that as we were all three well mounted and
well armed they saw us but were afraid to attack us. * * *
At least, two days after we passed, they killed a woman a
league from Fort Chartres, on the bank of the river. * * *
They (the Canadian family) had two canoes well loaded
with goods, which had descended very safely from the Mi­
amis by the Ouabache, * * *
I am thinking, also, of taking a concession about a half­
league from Fort Chartres, where I am going to reside.
It is of at least twenty arpents front by a league or more
in depth, and I hope to have this land in freehold and
seigniorial title. I expect to put there next year a half­
dozen negroes to make improvements. * * *
The Jesuits, who came a long time before the French to
establish in this place, and who have a mission with the
Kaskaskias, are our curés, and in this capacity they have
performed until now the functions of notary, but I have
been charged with this duty until the company has sent
out someone more expert than myself.]
THE lIfISSIOJ..V TO l'HE O UABA CHE. 328
No.3. 1722.
Letter from M. Leblond de la Tour to the Compagnie
des Indes, apparently.
Au fort Louis le 17e May 1722.
MESSIEuRs-La crainte que j'ay que les lettres que j'ay
l'honneur de vous écrire, et les plans et cartes qui les ac­
compagnent n'ait le même que mes precedentes, fait que
j'en ay chargé M. de Noyan, neveu de M. de Bienville, qui
passe en France en veue de Retourner dans la Colonie, il
doit prendre la poste des son arrivée, ainsy vous les recevres
aussitôt. Comme il y a quelque temps qu'il est dans le
pays où il a fait quelques voyages il vous rendra compte
au vray Messieurs de ce que en ait; d'ailleurs c'est un
Cavalier qui a du merite, la Compagnie l'avoit nommé
commandant aux Ouabaches qui vient de luy estre osté par
le dernier Reglement qui a esté fait; J'ose vous assurer
Messieurs qu'il seroit bien plus propre de commander aux
natchitoches que le Sr St Denis, sur lequel on ne peut con­
ter et qui est meme d'enaereux (sie) il ne connoit aucune
subordination et n'execute aucun ordre qu'un luy donne ne
faisant qu'a sa teste, d'ailleurs il a epousé une Espagnolle
et il a des frequentes Conversations et grande liaison avec
cette nation qu'il a deja voulu servir autrefois, niais il ne
peut s'acomoder du prix, et il est capable de tout quand il
est dans le vin ce qui luy arrive très souvant; nous avons
l'honneur d'en ecrire notre sentiment.
J'ay l'honneur etc etc
LEBLOND DE LATOUR.
[TRANSLATION. The fear I have that the letters which r
have the honor to write you, and the plans and maps which
accompany them, are different from those of my predeces­
sors, causes me to put them in charge of M. de N oyan,.
nephew of M. de Bienville, who goes to France with a.
3::--1: J.'HE MISSION TO TIlE O UABACHE.
view of returning to the colony. He should take post on
his arrival, in order that you may receive them as soon as
possible. I would add that he is a cavalier of merit; the
'company had named him commandant at the Ouabaches
which is taken away from him by the last orders. I ven­
ture to assure you Messieurs, that he would be much more
proper to command at the Natchitoches than Sieur de St.
Denis, on whom you cannot rely, and who indeed is dan­
gerous. He knows no subordination, and does not execute
any order that is given him, doing nothing but what snits
him. Moreover he has married a Spanish woman, and he
has frequent communications and great intrigue with that
nation, which he formerly wished to serve but could not
agree ou the price; and he is capable of anything when
he is in liquor, which is very often. I have the honor to
express my opinion of him.
I have the honor, etc.,
LEBLOND DE LA TOUR.]
No.4.
Instruction sommaire pour achever en peu de temps un
solide etablissement dans la Louisiane, dirigée par le Sr.
Drouot de Valdeterre, Capitaine Reformé au regiment du
Prince de Pons, cydevant Commandant L'isle Dauphine et
les Biloxy dans la Louisiane.
[TRANSLATION. Brief instruction for accomplishing in a
short time a permanent establishment in Louisiana, pre­
pared by Sieur Drouot de Valdeterre, invalided captain of
the regiment of Prince de Pons, and former commandant
of Isle Dauphin and Biloxi, in Louisiana.']
The author proposes that there should be five" postes
principaux," attached to each of which should be several
. "postes particulieres." The" 3e poste principal a etablir"
THE JUSSION TO THE O UABA CHE. 325
is Alcanza. In the margin of page 22 is written "Les
houabachee a etablir." Opposite this is:
Il ya deux grosses Rivières qui se jettent ensemble dans
le fleuve lesquelles forment une pointe ou L'auteur du
memoire estime qu'il sera necessaire d'y faire un Etab­
lissement et même d'y construire un fort.
L'une de ces Rivières prend sa source du coté de La
Caroline qui porte le nom de la nation, et L'autre du grand
Lac des Illinois qui en porte le nom. L'entredeux de ces
Rivieres est un terrain des plus beaux pour former les
etablissements.
[TRANSLATION. There are two large rivers which flow
together forming a point, where the author of the memoir
thinks that it will be necessary to make an establishment,
and indeed to build a fort. One of these rivers takes its
rise in the direction of Carolina, and bears the name of the
tribe, and the other comes from the direction of the great
lake of the Illinois,and bears its name. The land between
the two is most excellent for an establishment.]!
No.5.
In the accounts of the year 1743, I find:
Au commandant D'ouabaches par gratiff'on
la somme de huit cent livres, cy 800
(Most of the others received 600 1., but St. Denis, com-
mandant aux Natchitoches had 90 1. a month, or 1080 1.
for the year.)
At most of the posts - Natchitoches, Natchez, Mobile,
Balise, etc.-the priest received 600 L, but the Jesuits still
kept at Ouabache, I presume, for it is not mentioned, but
there is the usual entry:
lThis is very obscure. It is possible that the writer may refer to the
junction of the Tennessee and the Ohio.
326 THE MISSION TO THE OUABAOHE.
Aux P. Jesuites missionaires, pour l'entretien et subsist­
ance de deuze Religeuses prestres, et de deux freres pour le
service des missions, la somme de huit millivres, cy ... 8000
[TRANSLATION. To the Jesuit fathers,for salary and sub­
sistence of twelve priests and two brothers, for the service
of the missions, the sum of 8000 livres.]
No.6.
Memoire sur l'Etat de la Colonie de la Louisiane en
1746.
(P. 11.) Telles sont les habitations Françaises qui se
trouvent sur le fleuve du Mississipi: Il y en a encore
deux autres qu'il ne faut point omettre le premier sur le
Missouri a environ 90 lieues de son embouchure dans le
fleuve du Mississipi, et a 100 lieues des Illinois. L'autre
appelé les petits ouyas, situé sur le Ouabache qui prend le
nom de cette riviere après sa reunion avec l'oye, et de la
se rend dans le Mississipi. Les petits ouyas sont environ
a 70 lieues de l'embouchure de la Belle riviere et a 100
lieues des Illinois. Ces deux établissements sont encore
très peu considerables. Celui des Missouris n'etant com­
pose que d'environ 20 hommes et 10 negres; celui des
petits ouyas n' étant que d'environ 40 hommes et de 5
negres. Leur occupation est la chasse, la culture' du blés
et celle du tabac.
(P.27.) Nous avons deja parlé da poste des petits ouyas
sur le Ouabache, lequel depend de la Louisiane. En re­
montant plus haut la même riviere, a 60 lieues de distance,
il y a un petit etablissement aux grands ouyas, c'est de
ceux qui qui dependent du Canada celui qui est le plus
avancé vers la Louisiane. Il n'est composé que d'environ
20 habitans. Il s'y fait un commerce de traite assez con­
siderable. * * * A la Source du Ouabache on trouve
lès Miamis qui sont environ au nombre de 300 guerriers,
THE . .lIISSIO.:.V TO THE OUABACHE. 327
et ou il ya encore un poste François a peu près aussi foible
que celui des grands ouyas. L'objet est le meme, qui est
de s'assurer de la traite des pelleteries.
[TRANSLATION. Such are the French settlements on
the Mississippi river. There are still two others which
should not be omitted, The first is on the Missouri about
90 leagues from where it empties into the Mississippi river,
and about 100 leagues from the Illinois. The other is
called the Little Weas,* situated on the Ouabache, which
holds this name after itsjunction with the Ohio, and under
it flows into the Mississippi. The Little Weas is about 70
leagues from the junction of the Ohio, and about 100
leagues from the Illinois. These two establishments are
quite inconsiderable, that of the Missouris being composed
of only about 20 men and 10 negroes, and that of the
Little Weas having about 40 men and 5 negroes. Their
occupation is hunting and the culture of wheat and
tobacco. * * *
(P. 27.) I have already spoken of the post of the Little
Weas, which belongs to Louisiana. Going higher up the
same river, at a distance of 60 leagues, there is a little
establishment at the Great Weas; it is the nearest to
Louisiana of those belonging to Canada. It has about 20·
residents. It has quite a considerable Indian trade.
* * * At the head of the Ouabache are found the
Miamis, who are about 300 warriors in number, and here
there is still another French post almost as weak as that
of the Great Weas. Its purpose is the same, which is to
assure the trade in skins.]
* The Vincennes post. The name refers to the Ouiatanon or Wea.
Indians, of whom the Piankeshaws were sometimes considered a part. At
that time the common English rendering of this name was Little Wiauta-·
non, which was usually abbreviated "L. Wiaut."
328 THE ��fISSION TO THE O UABACHE.
No.7.
Letter of M. de Vaudreuil, Governor, dated 8th April,
1747.
(P. 3.) La crainte que j'en ai eu m'a fait insister
Monseigneur a vous faire sentir de quelle importance nous
seroit le fort projetté sur Ouabache, et j'en sens tellement la
necesaité, que j'aurois pris sur moi a le commencer cette
année si je n'eusse trouvé a ce sujet .vos ordres trop pre­
cises. Ces considerations me font esperer Monseigneur
que vous voudrés bien m'en donner par le prochain vais­
seau qui puissent déterminer cet etablissement suivant les
plans que vous en aves reçu.
[TRANSLATION. The fear which I have always had makes
me insist, Monseigneur, that you consider of what impor­
tance to us will be the projected fort on the Ouabache, and
I feel the necessity of it so much that I should have taken
it on myself to commence it this year, if I had not found
your orders on this subject very explicit. These consider­
ations make me hope, Monseigneur, that you may be will­
ing to authorize me, by the next vessel, to make this
establishment, according to the plans which you have
received.]
No.8.
Report of de Bienville, 27 July, 1734.
Le Pere Baudoin lui mande aussy que le jeune Oanadian
qui avoit été pris par les Chicachas il y a 2 ans avoit êté
ramené sur la Riviere d'Ouabache au dessus I'etablissement
francais où les sauvages 1'011 mis dans une Pirogue avec un
aviron et les vivres necessaire pour se conduire au fort; il
tient cette nouvelle des prisonniers que les Ohactas ont
emmené.
l'IIE HL�81O.".v TO THE OUABA(''HE. 329
[TRANSLATION. Father Baudoin reports also that the
young Canadian who was taken by the Chickasaws two
years ago has been released on the river Ouabache, below
the French establishment, where the Indians put him in a
pirogue with a paddle and the food necessary to supply him
to the fort; he obtained this information from the prisoners
whom the Choctaws have brought in.]
SAUVAGES DE LA RIVIERE OUABACHE.l
(From the same Report.)
Le Sieur de Vincennes qui y commande lui mande que
les Peanguichas qui sont etablis auprès de notre fort ont
envie d'attirer à eux un Village de la même nation qui en
reste à GO lieues plus haut. Deux raisons lui font gôuter
ce dessein, la première pour fortifier nôtre établissement,
et la seconde pour ôter à ce village la commodité de com­
mercer avec les Anglais qui ont deux Magasins établis
chez les Chaouanons sur la Rivière d'Oio. Cet officier
ajoute qu'il ne seroit pas difficile de leur enlever cette
nation qui ne leur donne la préférence que parcequ'ils ne
sont pas à portée de tirer leur besoins de nous comme des
Anglais. Il assure qu'une partie a dessein dese retirer au
Detroit et l'autre auprès de luyo Si Monseigneur juge que
ces changements conviennent je donnerais les ordres en
consequence au Sieur de Vincennes. Au surplus, comme
le poste d'Ouabache est un des plus importants de la
Colonie puisque c'est une Barrière qu'on oppose aux
progres des Anglais, qui de tout temps ont beaucoup fre­
quenté ces Quartiers, il a donné ordre a M. Dartaguiette
de detacher 30 hommes avec deux officiers pour en com­
poser la garnison.
(Marked" approuvée.")
IThis is in part the same as section 21 of the second report.