^ :\R7a§ e^^ THE EARLY HISTORY ov MICHIGAN, \ FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT TO 1815. BY E. M. SHELDON. A. S. BARNES AND COMPANY, NEW YORK AND CHICAGO 1874. Entered according to Act of (Congress, in the year 1856, By a. S. BARNES & CO., In the Clerk'? Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. ^3~ / TO HON. LEWIS CASS, SECOND GOVEKNOE OF MICHIGAN, ■WHOSE JUDICIOrS MAXAGEJfENT OF THE NUMEEOUS INDIAN TEIBES OF THE NOETHWEST SECURED TO THE PENINSULAR STATE ITS PEACEFUL SETTLEIIEXT AND C0NTINT7ED PEOSPEEITT. f l]is Mmt 18 EESPECTriLLY DEDICATED. DETROIT IN 1796. PREFACE. Three years since, while editing a literary periodical in Detroit, I commenced the publication of such facts as I could obtain con- cerning the early history of Michigan. Hon. Lewis Cass becom- ing interested in them, generously presented me with a large col- lection of manuscripts, containing official and narrative letters relating to the early French settlement, which he procured from f:^f t ■•?'* ^ the Colonial Archives at Paris, during his residence there as Minister Plenipotentiary. On examination of these papers, I found them interesting and valuable, furnishing many links in the broken chain of the early history of the Northwest. Encouraged by the commendation and proffered assistance of Eev. H. D. Kitchel, Capt. E. B. Ward, Rev. 0. 0. Thompson, and Messrs. U. Tracy Howe, George F. Porter, Henry Hurlbut, and Robert E. Roberts, of Detroit, I undertook the task of translating and compiling the manuscripts, hoping thereby to be of some service to the American reader, and especially to the inhabitants of Michigan and other portions of the great Northwest. In this translation I was assisted by a native Parisian, and by an accomplished French scholar from Boston, Mass. The trans- lation was made with the greatest possible care, every sentence being revised and compared with the original. Whatever the 6 PREFACE. work may lack in beauty of diction, and gracefulness of expres- sion, unwearied pains liave been taken to make it bistorically correct. I have cliosen to embody in tbe work tbe manuscripts tbem- selves, ratber tban to give the facts in a more modern style, partly because the unique mode of expression often used has at- tractions to my own mind, and partly because most historical readers love that which has the savor of antiquity, and prefer the original of an old book to the most polished modern version. The names of all persons and places, and of some few words hav- ing a local signification, have been spelled as in the original manuscripts, except Micliilimackinac, which in some instances was spelled Missilimakina ; but, this being an Indian word, I have preferred Schoolcraft's orthography. Though a large portion of this volume is composed of the manuscripts, much research has been necessary to obtain cor- roborating testimony and connecting facts. The principal author- ities which have been consulted for that purpose, are " Hennepin's Travels," Wynne's " History of the British Empire," Parkman's " Conspiracy of Pontiac," Schoolcraft's " Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes," Lanman's "History of Michigan," IngersoU's " Second War," and Bancroft's " History of the United States." The facts concerning Detroit, after its occupation by the Amer- icans, were obtained from Hon. S. Conant, Major Joshua Howard, Major Abraham Edwards, and Hon. B. F. H. Witherell ; and from Mrs. M. McCarty, and !Mrs, Piobert x^bbott, daughters of Peter Audrain, first Secretary of the Territory, all of whom were then residents of Detroit. By the politeness of Mr. Amos T. PREFACE. I Hall, Register of the city of Detroit, I have also had access to ] the old records, and have biought thence a bundle of gleaning-s. I am under many obligations to the " Mechanics' Library As- sociation" of Detroit, and to the " New York Historical Library," ' Mercantile Library Association," and " Astor Library" of the city of New York, for the use of books contained in their several valuable collections. Mr. Joseph G. Cogswell, librarian of the Astor Library, has also kindly rendered essential service, by a patient examination of many of the manuscripts, and by reliable advice concerning the plan of the work. And by no means of the least account in the sum of obliga- tion, is the gratitude due to Rev. Joseph P. Thompson for an in- troduction to my publishers ; to whom I am indebted for the handsome appearance of this volume, and by whose liberality the public are presented with the life-like portraits of some of those distinguished men, Avhose names are well known in connection with the early American history of Michigan. Hon. Lewis Cass, second Governor of Michigan — whose por- trait, engTaved from a daguerreotype taken during the present session of Congress, will be immediately recognized, — retained ^ his office as governor, from the time of his appointment in 1813 till he was appointed Secretary of War in 1831. Li 1836 he was appointed Minister to France, and returned in 1842. In January, 1845, he was first elected to the United States Senate. Hon. James Witherell, one of the " Board of Governor and Judges," was a native of Massachusetts, and was appointed a Judge of the Territory of Michigan, April 23d, 1808. His term of office expired July 1st, 1824, after which he was reappointed ffi 8 PEEFACE. for four years. On the 1st of February, 1828, he was appointed Secretary of the Territory, He died January 9th, 1838. Hon. James May was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of jCommon Pleas, about the year 1800. He held that office for seven years ; and his name often appears in the subsequent pub- lic records of the Territory, He died in January, 1829. Rev. Gabriel Richard, Vicar-general, Sulpitian, was born at Saintes, in France, October 15th, 1*764. He was educated at Issy, near Paris, and became a priest of the Society of St. Sulpitius in 1*791. With a number of priests of the same order, he ar- rived at Baltimore, in the United States, June 24th, 1*792. After laboring some time as missionary among the Catholic missions of Illinois, he came to Detroit in June, 1798. He closed a long and laborious life at Detroit, on the 13th of September, 1832. All efFoils to obtain a portrait of Hon. Augustus B. Woodward, one of the first judges, and author of the " Woodward Code of Laws," have been unsuccessful, and it is believed that none exists. He was a native of Virginia, and was appointed a Judge of the Territory of Michigan in 1805. His term of office expired in 1824, and he was soon after appointed one of the Judges of the Territory of Florida, and died there three years later. Far from considering this volume above criticism, yet believing that it contains historical facts which will be appreciated by the reading public, and especially by the inhabitants of the great Northwest, this portion of the Early History of Michigan is re- spectfully submitted. New Yoke, March, 1856. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Francis I. grants a commission to Jacques Cartier — ^Voyage of discovery — Second voyage — Ceremony of embarkation — Tempestuoiis voyage — Discovery and naming of the river St. Lawrence — Island of Hochelaga — Indian account of the Far West — Cartier names New France — Cliarter granted to Roberval — He proceeds to America — Erects a fort on the coast — Colonization Company formed in 1603 — Expedition under the command of Champlain — Emigration of the Franciscans — Jesuits — Champlain appointed governor — Missionaries visit Saut Ste. Marie — Death of Kaymbault at Montreal — Jogues attempts to return to his missionary work — Taken prisoner by hostile savages — Eansomed by the Dutch — Eene Mesnard visits Lake Superior — Mysterious disap- pearance — Establishment of a mission at Saut Ste. Marie by Allouez and Marquette — Speech of Allouez — Death of Marquette 17 CHAPTER n. Count Frontenac appointed Governor-General of New France — Fort Frontenac built — La Salle appointed Commandant — Resigns his com- mand — Crosses Lake Ontario — Ascends the Niagara river — ^Builds the GrifQn — Traverses lakes and rivers to Michilimackinac — Indian vil- lages on the Detroit — Storm on Lake Huron — Michilimackinac — Sig- nification of the name — Murder of two French traders — Arrest of the murderers — ^Their trial and execution 38 CHAPTER III. Count Frontenac removed from office — Succeeded by M. le Barre — Le BaiTC recalled, and De Nonville appointed — M. du Lhut ordered to establish a fort on the Detroit — Count Frontenac reappointed to the 10 ■ CONTENTS. government of Canada — Attempts a reconciliation with the Illinois — Invasion of Canada hy the English in 1090 — Attack on Montreal — Unsuccessful expedition against Quebec- — -Frontenac mvades the coun- try of the Iroijuois — M. la Motte Cadillac appointed coinmandaiit at Michilimackinac — Remonstrates against the prohibition of the sale of brandy to the Indians — General account of the country, its condition, and inhabitants 60 CHAPTER IV. The peace of Ryswick — France retains her possessions in America — Commercial rivalry between the French and English — Cadillac's man- agement of the Indians — Their attachment to the French — Upper Nations send envoys to Montreal in 1700 — Written treaty made and signed by the governor-general and envoys — Importance of a fort on the Detroit — M. la Motte Cadillac goes to France — Recital of his plans to Count Pontchartrain — Project approved by the king — Cadillac ap- pointed commandant — Returns to Canada — Leaves La Chine for De- troit — Establishes Fort Pontchartrain in 1701 — Company of the colony organized 83 CHAPTER V. Difficulty between the Jesuits and Franciscans — Character of M. Ca- dillac — Letter to Count Pontchartrain — Account of religious affairs — Removal of the savages to Detroit — Hurons — Miamis — Messages from the Outawa-Siuagos and Kiskakons — Necessity of presents to the sava- ges — Trade in buffalo-skins — MulbeiTy-trees on Grand river — Fine harvest at Detroit — Indian chiefs wish to visit France — Plan to form a company of Indian soldiers — Establishment of a seminary for the savages — Settlement by the Canadians — Cadillac complains of the large number of "permits" — Massacre of the Miamis by the Sioux — Other Indian difficulties arising from the ' ' permits' ' 99 CHAPTER VI. Letter from M. Cadillac to M. la Touche — Complains of the Jesuits that , they do not occupy their Mission at Detroit — Danger of opposing them — The "Company of the Colony" make a new contract with M. Cadillac — His account of the agreement — JI. Cadillac detects two of the commissioners in fraud and embezzlement, and reports them to CONTENTS. 11 the Directors — Descends to Montreal, and is arrested on charges pre- ferred by the Directors — Suit not decided till 1705 — M. Touti com- mands in his absence 133 CHAPTER VII. Examination of M. Cadillac before Count Pontchartrain — Cadillac re- ceived with reproaches — His defense — Gives a minute account of the settlement of Detroit — Journey thither — Conduct of Father Vaillant — Danger of mutiny — Harmony restored — Ariival at Detroit — Popula- tion of the Indian villages in the vicinity in 1704 — Great number of beaver — Complains of the duplicity of the Jesuits in seeking the de- struction of Detroit — All arises from personal enmity — Account of the embezzlements of the two commissioners — Nineteen packs of furs found — Other proofs of their guilt — Cause of Cadillac's arrest 142 CHAPTER VIU. M. Cadillac's defense continued — Count Pontchartrain investigates the conduct of Cadillac's accusers — Questions Cadillac concerning the price and sale of goods — Requires a minute account of all the circumstances which caused the difficulty between him and the "Company of the Colony" — Cadillac details facts, and gives explanations and argu- ments — Conduct of M. Denoyer — His imprisonment by Cadillac — M. Vincelot sent to Detroit — His character 164 CHAPTER IX. Cadillac's defense continued — He gives his reasons for appealing to a higher court — Narrates the measures taken to secm-e the destruc- tion of Detroit — Offer of a pension to M. Tonti — Government sends M. Decouverte to the Ottawas and Miamis with goods — M. Mantet sent with presents and necklaces — M. Yincemies sent to the Miamis with three canoes loaded with goods — Euin of Detroit determined at Quebec — ^Fort at Detroit set on fire — Church, house of the Eecollets, and dwelling of M. la Motte Cadillac burned — All the provisions of the fort consumed — Generosity of the savages — Miamis attack the Detroit savages — M. Cadillac negotiates a peace between the several nations — War-party of the Illinois made prisoners by the French — Brought to the fort — "Whipped with rods — Ottawas of Michilimackinac remove to Detroit — Sixty Ottawas make a descent upon the Iroquois at Fort Frontenac — Paganism of the savages 187 72 CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. Disaffection of the Iroquois toward Detroit — Detroit Indians invited by Liie English to Albany, in 1703 — Eeturn disaffected toward the French —Firing of the fort — The consequences — Letter from Father Marest, at Michilimaickinac — Additional account of the difficulties with the Indians — Fears for the safety of the French — M. Chartier resolves to leave the mission-house at St. Ignace, and go alone to Fort Michili- mackinac — Prevented by the offer of Merasilla, an Outawa-Sinago — He assures the missionary of his own safety — Asks a flag and letters to the French at Michilimackinac — ^Three Frenchmen retm-n with him — Michilimackinac more securely fortified — M. Amaud makes presents to the savages — The old men in council disapprove of the f^onduct of their tribe in going to Detroit — Great anxiety about the missionaries at St. Joseph — Friendship of Koutaouiliboe — Onask6 bends an apology to the governor-general for his seeming remissness in duty to the French — Savages returned from Detroit report two Frenchmen killed, one a KecoUet priest 205 CHAPTER XL 1^ Motte's reply to two letters of the governor-general — Gives an ac- count of the attacks of the savages mentioned by Father Marest — Jean le Blanc demands peace by a branch of porcelain — M. Bourmont receives the branch, and refers the affair to the decision of M. la Motte — M. la Motte thinks this outbreak no sudden freak — Savages proba- bly instigated by others — Desertion of the French soldiers on their way to Detroit — Expresses thanks that powder is no longer allowed to be sold to the hostile savages by the traders — ^Arrival of one hundred warriors, Sauteurs and Amikouecs — Numerous councils held between them and the French — M. la Motte demands of them the death of Le Pesant and three or four others — Hurons and Miamis determined to plunder the traders at Michilimackinac 218 CHAPTER Xn. The governor-general orders the principal chiefs of the tribes engaged in the attack on Detroit, to descend to Montreal — They arrive June 17, 1707 — Governor-general refuses to see them — Council called the next day — Jean la Blanc's speech — Second council, June 20th, speech of the governor-general — Third council, Jean le Blanc's reply — Fourth CONTENTS. 13 coiincil, governor-general again addresses the savages — Demands the death of Le Pesant — Finally refers the aifair to M. la Motte Cadillac at Detroit — Last council : Jean le Blanc consents to the demands of the governor-general 232 CHAPTER XIII. The chiefs proceed to Detroit — First council held by M. la Motte, August 6th, 1707 — M. la Motte addresses the savages — Second council : Oton- tagon replies — ^Third councU : M. la Motte addresses the Hurons and Miamis — Sastarexy replies — Fourth council : a general council of the Outawas, Hurons, and Miamis — M. la Motte's speech — Otontagon, Sastarexy, and Onask6 address the council — M. la Motte demands the delivery of Le Pesant into the hands of the French — ^The chiefs finally accede to the demand 251 CHAPTER XrV. Outawas and Kiskakons return to Michilimackinac — ^M. St. Pierre and soldiers from Detroit accompany them — Grand coimcil convened — Difficulties settled — Le Pesant delivered up — Sent under guard to Detroit — M. St. Pierre returns to Quebec with Koutaouiliboe and Sakima — ^They arrive at Quebec, October 7th, 1707 — Council convened — Speech of Koutaouiliboe, giving a minute statement of affairs at Detroit and Michilimackinac — Second council, governor-general's reply — ^Dismisses the chiefs with presents — Letter from the governor- general to Father Marest, missionary at Michilimackinac 263 CHAPTER XV. M. la Motte pardons Le Pesant — ^Dissatisfaction of the Miamis — They demand vengeance upon Le Pesant — Kill three Frenchmen and com- mit other depredations — Hurons and Iroquois raise war-parties to at- tack the French — M. la Motte complains that it is Jesuitical influence which occasions these disturbances — Asks for a re-enforcement of troops and a better fort — Advises the destruction of Fort Frontenac — Thinks a new fort below Fort Frontenac would afford better protec- tion to the passage to Detroit and Montreal — Complains of the Cou- reurs des Bois — Lispection of the several posts by M. d'Aigrement — He remains nineteen days at Detroit — Accuses M. la Motte of tyrann}' — Measures the valuable lands at Fort Pontchartrain — Only twenty-nine of the inhabitants landholders — ^Taxes — ^Asserts that the mainte- 14 CONTENTS. nance of Detroit must be prejudicial to all Canada — Ti'ouble at Detroit with the Miamis — Detailed account — Proceeds to Michilimackinac — Considers it an important post — Describes its location and advantages — Urges the necessity of sending a commandant with a good garrison — ^Approves of the ' ' permits' ' 276 CHAPTER XVI. War between France and England — ^English attempt the reduction of New France — Port Koyal taken — Fifty thousand crowns raised by the merchants of Quebec to complete their fortifications — ^English unsuc- cessful — Outagamies suddenly make their appearance — In 1712, Outa- gamies and Mascoutins attack Detroit — Long siege — Garrison relieved by their allies — The enemy routed, and nearly all destroyed — Letter from Father Marest to the governor-general, giving an account of the attack — Urges the re-establishment of Michilimackinac — Memorial of M. Begon, opposing the immediate re-establishment of Michili- mackinac 295 CHAPTER XVII. France cedes to England large portions of territory in New France — English attempt to conciliate the savages — Fail, through the influ- ence of Father Eafle, a French Jesuit — English set a price on the head of the priest — Savages exasperated — Make incursions upon the English — Destroy their crops, but spare life — Outagamies trouble the French — In 1716, M. Louvigny proceeds to their country and obliges them to capitulate — Hostages die of small-pox at Quebec — M. Lou- vigny again visits the country of the Outagamies — Official report of M. Tonti's return from Quebec to Detroit 311 CHAPTER XVIH. Chiefs of the three villages at Detroit assembled in council — Orders of M. Vaudreuil — Speech of Sastarexy, the Huron orator — Unusual state of tranquillity in all New France — Increased number of settlers at Detroit — Enlargement of the stockade — Barracks erected — Canada in 1725 — Commencement of "the old French war" — Extensive warlike preparations made in the colonies — Arrival of French and English fleets off the coast of Newfoundland — Quebec taken by the English — Montreal and all the French possessions in the northwest ceded to England — Major Eogers takes possession of Detroit — lieut. Leslie CONTENTS. 15 takes possession of Michilimackinac — Description of Michilimackinac by Henry — Conspiracy of Pontiac — Massacre at Michilimackinac — Its reoccupancy — Removal of the fort to the island 320 CHAPTER XIX. Detroit in 1763 — Description by Bancroft — Number of French inhabit- ants — Enumeration in 1764 — French farms — English fort — Gladwyn commander — Pontiac's plan for its destruction — His attempt and de- feat — Major Campbell's captivity and death — Continuation of the aege — Battle of Bloody Bridge — Indians obliged to disperse in search of food — Gladwyn provisions the garrison — Comparatively quiet win- ter — Fort le Noult built in 1778 — Detroit in 1798 — Description by Spencer — ^Americans take possession of Detroit in 1796 340 CHAPTER XX. Localities of Detroit — ^The city in 1701 — In 1763 and 1796 — ^River Savoy- ard — Settlements at Grosse Point, along the St. Clair river — French inhabitants — Domestic life — Increase of immigration — Settlements on the Detroit — Improved appearance of the country — Social life at De- troit — Business — French characteristics — Summer recreations — Le grand marak — ^Winter amusements — Easy life in the fort — Establish- ment of the civil goverimaent — Michigan territory organized — Detroit burned — Arrival of the government ofi6.cers — Act of Congress for the relief of the sufferers by fire — Legislative board organized 365 CHAPTER XXI. Judge Woodward's plan for the new city of Detroit — Survey of the city — Apportionment of lots — Incorporation of the Bank of Detroit — First code of laws published called the "Woodward Code" — Bank charter revoked in 1809 — Land granted for St. Anne's church, Roman Catho- lic — ^Building lots granted for boys' and girls' schools — Resolution to grant building lots to foreigners — Peter Desnoyers — Building lot granted for a Protestant church — Tecumseh plans the destruction of Detroit — Disaffection of the Shawanese and Wyandots induces the in- habitants to build a stockade around the new city — Governor Hull effects a treaty with the Indian tribes in 1807 — Facetious resolution of Judge Woodward — Resolution concerning American manufactures — Answer to an official communication from Governor De Witt Clinton, and others, of the State of New York 378 16 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXII. Eenewed disaffection of the Indians — ^Resolution to increase the mili- tary force — William Hull appointed commander-in-chief of the military force of the northwest — Army of twelve hundred raised in Ohio — Gen. Hull proceeds to Detroit — Vessels containing valuables captured by the British — Orders from the Secretary of War — Army cross the river to Sandwich — Col. Cass takes Canard Bridge — Gen. Hull returns to Detroit without attacking Maiden — Surrenders Detroit to the British — Facts concerning the surrender obtained from an eye-witness — Col. Lewis Cass appointed governor 393 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. CHAPTER I. Francis I. grants a commission to Jacques Cartier — Yoyage of discovery — Second voyage — Ceremony of embarkation — ^Tempestuous voyage — Discoveiy and naming of the river St. Lawrence — Island of Hochelaga — Indian account of the Far West — Cartier names New France — Charter granted to Roberval — He proceeds to America — Erects a fort on the coast — Colonization Company formed in 1603 — Expedition under the command of Champlain — Emigration of the Franciscans — Jesuits — Champlain appointed governor — JVIissionaries visit Saut Ste. Marie — Death of Eaymbault at Montreal — Jogues attempts to return to his missionary work — ^Taken prisoner by hostile savages — Ransomed by the Dutch — Een6 Mesnard visits Lake Superior — Mysterious disap- pearance — ^Establishment of a mission at Saut Ste. Marie by AUouez and Marquette — Speech of AUouez — Death of Marquette. The enthusiasm awakened in Spain and England, at the beginning of the sixteenth centuiy, hj the discover- ies of Chi-istopher Columbus and Sebastian Cabot, was soon commimicated to impulsive France, and Francis I. granted a commission to Jacques Cai*tier, of St. Malo, to prosecute discoveries in the unknown regions of the 'New World. Cartier's outfit for this expedition consisted of two ships, of sixty tons burden each, and a crew of sixtj-one 18 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Carder's Voyage of Discovery — Second Voyage. efficient men. He set sail from St. Malo on the 20tli of April, 1534. The SiDaniards abeady occupied Florida ; the English had taken possession of the middle portion of the con- tinent ; the more northern regions, therefore, alone re- mained for the French, and thither the adventm'oiis commander directed his com-se. His first voyage was merely a survey of the northern coast of Newfoundland, which was prosperously accomplished ; but fearing the disastrous effects of the autumnal storms upon his ships, he turned prow homeward, and arrived safely at St. Malo on the 15th of September, 1534. The favorable account which he gave of the voj^age was well received at court, and preparations were immediately commenced for a second expedition. Dm'ing the wanter of 1534-5, three vessels were fitted out, which were to constitute the squadron of M. Car- tier. Tliey were the Great Hermina, of about one hun- dred and twenty tons, which was the flag-ship ; the Little Hermina, of sixty tons ; and the Hermirillon, of forty tons. The day of embarkation. May 15th, 1535, at length arrived — a most important day at St. Malo. The ad- venturers, who were about to embark for the just-discov- ered, yet almost unknown world, were objects of general and enthusiastic interest ; and in this hour of separation EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 19 Ceremony of Embarkation— St Lawrence — Hochelaga. from kindred and coimtiy, the priests of their religion had prepared a gorgeous pageant for their future support and consolation. The officers and crew of the whole squadron, having confessed and received the sacrament, presented themselves before the altar in the spacious cathedral of St. Malo, where the bishop, arrayed in sa- cerdotal robes of the most costly magnificence, bestowed on them his benediction. The voyage was very tempestuous. When the fleet arrived within sight of JSTewfoundland, they still con- tinued to sail to the westward, and entered a broad gulf on St. Lawrence day, in commemoration of which event they gave the name of St. Lawrence to the gulf, and to the river that flows into it. Crossing 'the gulf, Cartier ascended the river to the island of Orleans, where he arrived in September. Here the natives made him bountiful presents of corn and fish, but strongly opposed his farther progress. Disre- garding their opposition, he continued his course until he reached the island of Hochelaga. He found this beautiful island in the possession of a band of TVy- andot Indians. Tlieir principal ^'illage was circular in form, and contained about fifty houses, built of wood, and thatched with strips of bark ingeniously joined together. This village was at the base of a hill which commanded a magnificent prospect, to which Cartier 20 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAISr. Cartier names New France — Roberval's Charter. gave tlie name of Mont-rojal — the site of the present city of Montreal. Cartier was told by the natives that " there was, far away to the westward, a coimtry called Saqnenay (Saginaw ?), where were great stores of gold and cop- per; and that there were three great lakes, and a sea of fresh water so large that no man had ever foimd the end." Before leaving the island of Hochelaga, Cartier erect- ed a cross, and a shield emblazoned with the Fleur-de-lis^ emblems of Church and State, and named the region of his discoveries New France. He departed on the 5th of October, wintered on the St. Croix river, and the following snmmer returned to France. On his arrival he reported that the country he had explored was destitute of gold and silver, and that its coast was bleak and stonny. The representations of Cartier, whose candor was known to be equal to his judgment and energy, so far checked the 23rogress of French enter23rise, that not mitil four years after his retm-n was another expedition at- tempted. Early in the year 1540, Francis I. granted to Francois de la Roque, Seigneur de Roberval, a charter covering all the region north of the British occupancy, and in- vesting him wath supreme power within its bounds. EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 21 Fort erected — 1603, Colonization Company formed. Dming the summer of the same year, a squadi'on, con- sisting of five vessels, mider the command of Admiral Cartier, and fm-nished with all the necessary men and provisions for founding a colony, bore Koberval to his new possessions. The voyage was prosperous. On then* aiTival, a fort was erected — the location of which is now unknown — and Cartier was appointed commandant. Eoberval immediately retm-ned to France, and the same year brought thence a remforcement of men, and a large supply of stores and arms, for the relief and protection of the fort. Nothing farther is known of this colony: indeed the history of New France, from that period to the founding of Quebec, is almost en- tirely lost. In 1603, a number of merchants of the city of Rouen, in France, fonned a Colonization Company, designing to realize large profits from the fur-trade. A charter was obtained granting them the same privileges which, sixty years previously, had been bestowed upon M. de la Roque. The first expedition of this company was made the same year that the charter was gi'anted, mider the com- mand of Samuel Champlain, a member of the company, a bold, energetic inan, and one well fitted for the ar- duous duties with which he was intrusted. In 1608, Champlain founded the city of Quebec. His 22 EARLY HISTORY OF MIGHIGAlSr. Quebec founded — Franciscans — Jesuits. time seems to liave been employed during a few of the succeeding years in strengthening and improving the colony, and in making farther explorations. In 1611, he discovered the beautiful lake which still bears his name. ' Champlain made a voyage to France in 1612, and on his return brought with him four Franciscans, or Recol- lets, for the conversion of the savages in the vicinity of Quebec. Five years later he brought over his family, and entered with renewed vigor upon all the enterj^rises connected with colonial life. The colonists were greatly encouraged to find their governor willing thus to unite all his interests with theirs, and pursued the arduous labors, and endm-ed the privations of their lot, with an energy and fortitude hitherto unknown. The adventm-e-loving and persevering Jesuits had formed a part of each emigrating band, and, in 1611, had established a mission among the savages. Dm-ing many subsequent years, despite the efforts of Champlain and others who favored the Franciscans, the Jesuits ex- erted a controlling influence throughout ISTew France ; though Hennepin asserts that " from the arrival of the Eeverend Father Martin de Yalence, one of the first of the Franciscan priests, to the year 1621, there had been five hundred converts of the KecoUets established in the New World." EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 23 Jesuit College founded — Death of Champlain. In 1622, the Duke de Ventadour, who had taken orders for the avowed pni'pose of aiding in converting the savages, sent over to Canada a large number of the Jesuits ; and in 1635 a college of the order was founded at Quebec, under the dii-ection of the Marquis de Ga- mache. Samuel Champlain, first governor of Kew France, died in 1635. Under his administi-ation the colony had been uniformly prosperous, and his loss was justly con- sidered a great calamity. Lauman, in his History of Michigan, pays the following tribute to his memory : " With a mind warmed into enthusiasm by the vast domain of wilderness which was stretched around him, and the glorious visions of futm-e grandeur which its resom'ces oj^ened, a man of extraordinary hardihood and the clearest judgment, a brave officer and a sci- entific seaman, his keen forecast discerned, in the mag- nificent prospect of the country which he occupied, the elements of a mighty emjDire, of which he had hoped to be the founder. With a stout heart, and ardent zeal, he had entered upon the project of civilization ; he had dis- seminated valuable knowledge of its resources by his explorations, and had cut the way through hordes of savages for the subsequent successful progress of the French toward the lakes." M. de Montmagny succeeded Champlain as governor. 24 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Prosecution of the Fur-trade — Jesuits visit Saut Ste. Marie. The fnr-ti-ade was the principal object of his attention, and to prosecnte this most effectually, the wilderness in. the region of the St. Lawrence was explored ; and rude forts were erected as a means of defense to the ti'ading- houses. Not far remote — a never-failing auxiliary — was the chapel of the Jesuit, surmounted by a cross. Gradually these explorations were extended westward until, in 1632, Father Sagard, a Jesuit missionary, as- cended the "great river of the Ottawas," and after enduring many hardshijis, reached the shores of Lake Huron. In September, 1641, Charles Eaymbault and Isaac Jogues, two other Jesuit missionaries, who had pre- viously established a mission at the head of Pentangui- ehine Bay — at that time the western terminus of the ti-aveled route between Montreal and Lake Huron, by the way of the Ottawa river and Lake Simoe — embarked in a frail birch canoe, and pm'sued their course northwest, through the Georgian Bay and among the comitless islands of the St. Marie's river. After a voyage of seventeen days, amid scenery of imequaled beauty, the crowning glory of all, Saut Ste. Marie, burst upon their enraptured vision. Here, where the evergreen of the imbrokeu forest was conh-asted with the matchless beauty of the foam-crested waters, and the handiwork of Deity was everywhere strikingly man- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 25 Indian Account of the Lake Superior Region. ifest, tLe weaiy voyageurs found, a settlement of two thousand of natm-e's own cliildren, the hospitable Chip- pewas. The chiefs of the tribe gave the ti-avel-worn missionaries a cordial reception. "We welcome you as brothers, and will profit by your words," was their as- surance, when the object of the long, wearisome journey had been exjslained. A few days' observation convinced the missionaries that the j)eculiar facility afforded by the raj)ids for catching the white-fish that abomided in those wa- ters, more than any other advantage of the location, was the great attraction which made the Saut de Ste. Marie the abiding-place of so large a number of the roving Aborigines. The Chippewas informed their guests that, beyond the foaming rapids and the clear, placid Ste. Marie's river above, was a lake, called by them Gitchi Gomee (Great Water), larger than either Lake Huron or Lake Michi- gan, which was then called by the French Lac des Illi- nois. Beyond the western limits of Gitchi Gomee^ the coimtry was said to be destitute of trees, while countless herds of deer and bufialo roamed over the vast j)rairies. But that favored portion of the earth was inhabited by the Sioux, a warlike band, between whom and the Chip- pewas had long existed a deadly hatred. Tims were those choice hunting-grounds, to the Chippewas, like 26 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Death of Eaymbault— Jogues' Capthity and Eansoin. paradise to oui* fii-st parents, protected from intrusion by the weapons of destruction. Yery late in the autumn of the same year, 1641, the two missionaries retm-ned to Pentanguishine, intending to revisit the Saut early the following spring. But the devoted Eaymbault was already the -victim of that in- sidious disease, consumption, induced, no doubt, by the exposm'es and privations he had suffered ; and the fol- lowing year Father Jogues accompanied him to Quebec, where he died, in October, 1642. After the death of Kaymbault, Father Jogues attempt- ed to return to Saut Ste. Marie, but Mobile ascending the St. Lawrence he was captured by a marauding band of Mohawk Indians. A small number of Huron Indians, who were with him, were also captm-ed, and were burned at the stake. The missionary himself was sub- jected to the most ignominious treatment, but was finally ransomed by the Dutch in the vicinity of Albany. He retm-ned to France, and subsequently revisited the scene of his labors in the New World. On the 28th of August, 1660, Eene Mesnard, another Jesuit missionary, left Quebec, resolved, if possible, to make greater progi'ess than his ]3redecessors in the ex- ploration of the IN^orthwest. He took with him only a scanty supply of the necessaries of life; "for," said he, " I trust in that Providence which feeds the little EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 27 Mesnard's Explorations — Mysterious Disappearance. birds of the air, and clotlies the wild-flowers of the desert." Soon after his arriA^al at Saut Ste. Marie, he ascended the river in a birch canoe, and coasted along the south- ern shore of Gitchi Gomee. On the 15th of October he reached the head of Keweenaw Bay, to which he gave the name of St. Theresa — the day of his arrival being the anniversary of that pati'on saint. Here in the wilderness, far removed from the comforts of civilization, did the old man (for he was past the me- ridian of life) spend the long dreary winter, with no other companions than the untutored red men. In the spring, accomjjanied only by a single Indian, he started for Chaquamegon Bay, near the head of the lake. They took the route through Portage Lake ; and while the Indian was engaged in carrying the canoe across the portage to Lake Superior, Father Mesnard wandered into the woods, and was never again heard of. The presentiment that he should never retm-n to Quebec, which he had often expressed in letters to his friends, was thus verified, August 20th, 1661. Undaunted by the melancholy fate of his predecessors, resolved to gratify his own love of adventure, and at the same time benefit his fellow-men, Claude Allouez embarked at Three Kivers, August 8th, 1666, in com- pany vrith about fom- himdred Indians, who had been to 28 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, Claude Allouez — First Map of Lake Superior. Quebec for the purposes of trade, and were now returning home. Allouez was devotedly attached to the Order of Jesuits, and unwilling that any of their plans should fail to fully accomplish the desired object. No doubt his enthusiastic mind, in its solitary day-dreams, pictm-ed hordes of savages converted fi-om heathenism by his in- sti'umentality. The missionary and his savage companions arrived safely at Saut Ste. Marie early in September. From thence Father Allouez proceeded immediately to Lake Superior. " This lake," said he, " shall henceforth bear the name of M. de Tracy, in token of the obligations the people of this region owe to him." Accordingly, the first map of Lake Superior, drawn in 1668, and published in 1672, supposed to be the work of Al- louez and Marquette, bears the name of Lao Tracy ou Su^eriewp. Of this map, Dablon says : "It was got up by two Fathers, very intelligent and observing, who did not wish to incorporate any thing except what they had seen with their own eyes. That is the reason why they have only inserted the upper parts of Lakes Huron and Illinois, although they had coasted much on both." In "Foster and "Whitney's Report of the Lake Superior Kegion," are the following observations: "When it is considered that these men were not engineers, and that EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGA]Sr. 29 Lake Superior a divinity— Copper region. to note the geographical featiu-es of the country formed no part of their requirements, this map may, for that age, be regarded as a remarkable production ; although, occasionally, points are laid down half a degree from their true position. The whole coast, sixteen himdred miles in extent, as well as the islands, were explored. Even Caribou, a low island in the midst of the lake, and not visible except within a few leagues, did not escape their observation." "The savages," remarks Allouez, "respect this lake as a divinity, and offer sacrifices to it because of its size, for it is two hundred leagues long, and eighty broad ; and also in consequence of its furnishing them with fish, upon which all the natives live, when hunting is scarce in these quarters." That the discovery of copper in those regions is not a recent event, is evident from the following description of Allouez. He says : " It frequently happens that j)ieces of copper are found, weighing from ten to twenty pounds. I have seen several such pieces in the hands of the sava- ges ; and, since they are very superstitious, they regard them as divinities, or as presents given to them to pro- mote their happiness, by the gods who dwell beneath the water. For this reason, they preserve these pieces of copper, wrapped up with their most precious articles. In some families they have been kept for more than fifty 30 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN Eock of Copper — Chaquamagon Bay. years ; in others, they have descended from time out of mind, being cherished as domestic gods. " For some time there was seen near the shore a large rock of copper, with its top rising above the water, whicb gave opportunities to those passing by to cut pieces from it ; but when I passed that vicinity, it had disappeared. I believe that the gales, which are frequent, like those of the sea, had covered it with sand. One savage tried to persuade me that it was a divinity, who had disappeared, but for what cause he was unwilling to tell." At the bay called by Father Mesnard Ste. Theresa, Father Allouez found " two Christian wom^en, witnesses of Mesnard's labors, who had preserved their faith, and sparkled like two stars in the midst of the darkness of infidelity. Having refreshed their memories with our mysteries, we proceeded on. After having traveled one hundred and eighty leagues along the border of the lake, on the southern side, where the Lord often tried our pa- tience by means of gales, famine, and fatigue, both day and night, we landed, on the first day of October, at Chaquamagon, a beautiful bay, on whose margin dwelt numerous savages. Their warriors amounted to eight hundred men." Chaquamagon is the old La Pointe of the voyageurs. Tliere this self-denying missionary lived two years. He built a chapel, and zealously prosecuted the work of win- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGA]Sr. 31 Allouez visits Fond du Lac— Interview with the Sioux. ning converts to his own faith. When he first arrived, he learned that the Chippewas were about making a warlike expedition against the Sioux ; but being permit- ted to advise, he had the satisfaction of diverting them fi-om their bloody enterprise. The fame of Allouez extended to all the surrounding ti'ibes, who gathered around the mission-house to gratify that curiosity which is an inherent quality in every human breast, mingled, no doubt, with an indefinable desire to be benefited by his instructions. Some time during the two years of his sojourn, he vis- ited Fond du Zac, where he met a number of the Sioux, who informed him that there was a vast country still farther west, spread out in beautiful j)raines, over which roamed immense herds of buffalo. They also told him of a great river called Messepi (Mississippi), along whose banks dwelt the beaver. / Allouez also extended his labors to the ISTipissieiniens, TlI on the north shore of the lake. Becoming more and more deeply interested in the spiritual necessities of the Indians, he retm-ned to Quebec in the fall of 1667, to obtain aid in establishing missions in different parts - of the Korthwest. So successful were his appeals, that only two days after his arrival, having accomplished his object, he again set out on his return to the wil- derness. 32 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Mission established at Saut Ste. Marie— Grand Council. The following year, 1668, Claude Dablon and James Marquette proceeded to Saut Ste. Marie, and established a permanent mission. From this period, therefore, Saut Ste. Marie dates its actual settlement, being, according to Bancroft, the oldest in the State of Michigan, In 1669, Marquette succeeded AUouez at Chaquama- gon, or La Pointe, and the latter established himself at Green Bay. / " In May, 1671," says Foster and Whitney's Eeport, "a gi-and council assembled at Saut Ste. Marie. The chiefs from fourteen of the tribes of the Northwest and the soldiers of France sat in council together. M. j^iCCff- I Fallon, then governor-general of ISTew France, had sent ,^hi/t4*vtU*td there M. de Lusson, to take possession, in the name of « His Majesty, of all the lands lying between the east and west, and from Montreal to the south, as far as it could be done. "When the tribes were assembled, the ambas- sador selected a hill above the village, planted the standard of the cross, and raised the arms of the king. The cross was blessed with all the ceremonies of the Church, by the superior of the missions; and while being raised, the Yexilla was chanted by the assembled Frenchmen, to the gi'eat delight of the savages. The shield of France was suspended from a cedar post above the cross, while they chanted the Exaudiat^ and prayers were offered for the sacred person of His Majesty. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 33 St Lusson takes possession of the Country. " St. Lusson formally took possession of the lands ; after which guns were fired, and other manifestations of joy exhibited. " Father Allouez was present, mindful of the interests of his divine as well as temporal master. He pro- nounced the following panegyric on the king, which is worthy of being preserved : " ' It is a most important affair that calls us together. Cast your eyes on that cross which is high above your heads. It is there where the Son of God was willing to be attached and to die, in order to satisfy His eternal Father for your sins. He is the master of our lives, and also of heaven, and earth, and hell. It is He of whom I have often spoken, and whose name and word I have borne into these distant lands. " ' But, at the same time, look upon that other column, to which are attached the arms of that great chief of France whom we call king. He lives beyond the sea. He is the chief of chiefs, and has not his like in the world. All the chiefs of whom you have heard are but children compared with him. He is like a great tree, while they are mere shrubs which we tread upon. You know Onontio (the governor-general), the renowned chief of Quebec. You know that he is the teiTor of the Iro-- quois, and that his name is sufficient to make them tremble, since he has desolated their lands, and carried 34 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. AUouez' panegyric on the King of Prance. jBre among their settlements. There are beyond the sea, ten thousand Onontios like him, who are but war- riors of the great chief, our king, of wliom I speak. When he says, "I go to war," everybody obeys, and these ten thousand chiefs raise bands of warriors both for tlie land and tbe sea. Some embark in ships, like those you have seen at Quebec. Your canoes will hold but four or five men, twelve at the utmost. Our vessels carry four or five hundred, and even a thousand. " ' Another portion go to war on land, but in such numbers that when arranged in double ranks, they would reach to Mississaquenk, which is twenty leagues from here. "When he attacks, he is more fearful than thunder. The earth trembles, and the air and sea are on fire from the discharges of his cannon. He has been seen in the midst of his squadron covered with the blood of his enemies; so many of whom has he put to the sword, that he does not number their scalps, but merely the rivers of blood which he causes to flow. He carries such a number of captives with him that he does not value them, but lets them go when they please, to show that he does not fear them. Kobody dare make war on him. All nations beyond the sea have sued for peace with great submission. Tliey come from every quarter of the globe to listen to him, and to admire him. It is he who decides upon the ajffairs of the world. EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 35 Mission at St. Ignace — Exploration of Marquette. " ' Wliat shall I say of his riches ? Tou think your- selves rich when you have ten or twelve sacks of corn, and hatchets, and kettles, and other things of the kind. He has more cities than you have men, which are scat- tered over a space of more than five hundi-ed leagues. In each city there are hatchets enough to cut all your wood, kettles enough to cook all your caribou, and sugar enough to fill all your wigwams. His house extends farther than from here to the Saut, is higher than the tallest of your trees, and contains more people than the largest of your settlements ever contained.' "The same year Marquette removed to St. Ignace, north of Mackinac. Here he built a chapel and gath- ered about him the wandering Hurons. Marquette and Dablon made numerous excursions to the tribes which dwelt in the territory now embraced in. northern Illinois and eastern Wisconsin. " Marquette, like Allouez, had heard marvelous ac- counts of the region beyond the great lake, and longed to explore it ; but it was not until the year 1673 that he was enabled to carry his project into execution. His route lay up the Fox river through Lake "Winnebago, and thence down the Wisconsin into the Mississippi. In this expedition he was accompanied by Joylet, a courtier of France. They descended the mighty current as far as the Arkansas, and then turned back. They 36 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Chicago — Death of Marquette. represented that tliej were hospitably entertained bj the Illinois, who dwelt upon its banks, while by other tribes they were repulsed. "The relation of this voyage of Marquette was not published until some time after his death, and by some was considered fabulous, but Bancroft is disposed to adopt it as worthy of entire credence. " Late in the season, the voyagem's reached Chicago. Joylet hastened to Quebec to announce the result of their discoveries, while Marquette remained to plant the standard of the Cross among the Miamis. " The manner of his death is thus narrated by Ban- croft. 'In sailing from Chicago to Mackinac dm-ing the following spring, he entered a little river in Mich- igan. Erecting an altar, he said mass after the rites of the Catholic Chm'ch ; then begging the men who con- ducted his canoe to leave him alone for half an horn* — ' In the darkling wood, Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks And supplication.' " ' At the end of half an hour they went to seek him, and he was no more. The good missionary, discoverer of a world, had fallen asleep on the margin of a stream that bears his name. Near the mouth, the voyageurs dug his grave in the sand.' EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 37 Allouez, Marquette, and Joguos — Catholic Converts. " This event happened May 18th, 1675. " Allouez died soon after, in the midst of his labors among the Miamis. "Allouez, Marquette, and Jogues were remarkable men ; and had their lots been cast in a different sjihere, thej" would have left a more durable impress upon the age in which they lived. Their efforts to win the tribes of the Northwest to the standard of the Cross, prose- cuted with great zeal, and under circumstances of pri- vation and suiffering, may be regarded as abortive. "There is something impressive in the rites of the Catholic Chm-ch, something in its mysteries calculated to overawe the wild men of the woods. So long as the missionary was in then* midst and superintended their labors, they yielded to his guidance and adopted his recommendations, so far at least as conduced to their comfort; but when he withdrew, with equal facility they glided into their former habits. The superstruc- ture, raised wnth so much care, fell to the ground the moment the sustaining hand was withdra-v\Ti. " The effect of the contact of the two races has been to afford the Indian additional incentives to vice, while his intellectual and moral elevation has been little ad- vanced ; and at this day, it cannot be said that he stands higher in the scale of civilization than when first known by the white man." CHAPTER II. Count Frontenac appointed Governor-General of New France — Fort Frontenac built — La Salle appointed Commandant — Resigns his com- mand- — Crosses Lake Ontario — Ascends the Niagara river— Builds the Griffin — ^Traverses lakes and rivers to Michilimackinac — Indian vil- lages on the Detroit — Storm on Lake Huron — Michilimackinac — Sig- nification of the name — ^Murder of two French traders — Arrest of the murderers — ^Their trial and execution. Frequent clianges occurred in the administration of the colonial affairs of 'New France, from the death of Champlain, in 1635, to the year 1672, when the Count de Frontenac was appointed governor-general. He was the god-son of Louis XIII., and was honored with his name. Brave, judicious, and energetic, Frontenac was well qualified to manage the affairs of this new province. His first efforts were directed to the extension of the French interests in the region of the great lakes. Under his guidance and encouragement, the posts at Michili- mackinac and Saut Ste. Marie were established, former explorations perfected, and conciliatory treaties made with the immense hordes of Indians who roamed through that far-off wilderness. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 39 Old Eoute to the Upper Lakes — La Salle — Fort Frontenac The route by ^hich the Jesuits and traders penetrated into these wilds was by way of the Ottawa river, with its numerous rapids, and consequent toilsome portages, as far as Little Eiver. Ascending this stream, they crossed numerous small lakes to Lake iN^epissing, thence down the French river to Georgian Bay, which forms the eastern portion of Lake Huron. Birch canoes, so light as to be carried over the portages on the shoulders of one or two men, were their ships ; while their stores, and munitions of war, consisted only of such articles as could be transported in like manner. While Mesnard, Allouez, Marquette, and others were thus exploring the far Northwest, La Salle, with another band of adventm-ers, ascended the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario. ISTear the outlet of the lake, on the northern shore, they established a trading-post to which they gave the name of Fort Frontenac, in honor of the governor- general. Robert, Chevalier de la Salle, was appointed comman- utV^t^^ dant. He was a man of genius, enterprise, undoubted talent, and indomitable perseverance, and the originator of the plan for a chain of fortifications afterward estab- lished on the water-line in the Northwest. Ambitious to complete the exploration of the Mississippi which had been begun by Marquette, and unwilling to under- take the voyage in the frail canoes hitherto employed, 40 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAISr. Griffin, first Vessel on Lake Erie — Louis Hennepin. he formed the design of building a vessel suitable for his purpose. Accordingly, he resigned his command at Fort Frontenac, traversed the length of Lake Ontario, ascended the l^iagara river to the great cataract, where he " made the portage," Two leagues above the great fall he erected a rude fortification, and commenced his work, undaunted by the numerous difficulties that sur- rounded him. Late in the autumn of 1678 the keel of the vessel was laid, and on the 7th of August, 1679, she set sail on the first voyage which had ever been made by Europeans upon that inland sea, amid the sound of Te Deuiiis and the discharge of arquebuses. The vessel was called the Griffin^ and the image of that mythological animal was carved upon her prow. She was of sixty tons burden, and carried five guns. La Salle was her commander, and Louis Hennepin, the missionary, ardently zealous in the pursuit of new dis- coveries, was the journalist of the expedition. Tlie crew consisted of fur-traders belonging to the Canadian colo- nies. Ignorant of the depth of the water, they sounded frequently while dashing along over Lake Erie's foam- crested waves. On the 10th of August they reached the islands which are grouped at the entrance of Detroit river, where they anchored. Hennepin says of these islands : " They are the finest in the world. The strait (detroit) is finer than Niagara, EAilLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 41 Detroit Eiver — Teuchsagrondie — Storm on Lake Huron. being one league broad, excepting that part wliich forms the lake that we have called St. Clair." Ascending the river, the explorers found along its banks several Indian villages, belonging to different ti'ibes who were at peace with each other. A large village of the Hurons, called Teuchsagrondie,, stood on the present site of Detroit. These villages had been visited bj the Jesuit missionaries, and the coureurs des hois, but no settlement had yet been attempted. On Lake Huron, La Salle's vessel encountered a vio- lent storm, and was in imminent danger of shipwi-eck. The pilot was a skillful and ex]3erienced seaman. While the rest were saying their prayers and preparing for death, he stood at the rudder, " cursing La Salle, who had brought him hither to perish in a dirty lake, and lose the glory he had acquired by his long and prosper- ous navigation of the ocean." At length the stoiTu abated, and the following day the Griffin lay anchored in a little cove oj)posite the island of Michilimackinac, sheltered on the north by a point of the peninsula on which stood a village of the Hm-ons. The word Michilimackinac* (great turtle) is a most « Schoolcraft says that the present Indian signification of the name of this island is " Place of the Dancing Spirits," and that the popular ety- mology, which derives the word from "big turtle," dates still farther back, and is founded on the fact that the 7nichi were turtle spirits. 42 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Michilimackiuac — Signification — ^Habits of the Savages. significant name for tliis island. It is nearly round, and rises high above the water, at first view appearing not unlike a gigantic specimen of the animal whose name it bears. The French gave the same appellation to all the country in the immediate vicinity, both on the uj^per and lower peninsula. Father Hennepin says : " Michilimackiuac is a neck of land to the north of the strait through which the lake of the Illinois discharges itself into Lake Hm'on. We lay between two difierent nations of the savages ; those who inhabit the point of Michilimackiuac are called Hurons, and the others, who are about three or four leagues more northward, are Outawas." Describing the habits of the savages, he says: "They BOW Indian corn, which is their ordinary food, for they have nothing else to live upon, except the fish they take fi-om the lakes. They boil their fish with their saga- Tnitiee, a kind of broth made of water and the flour of corn, which they beat in a mortar made of the ti'unk of a tree, which they make hollow by fire," In 1683 two French ti-aders, Jacques le Maire and Colin Berthot, left Saut Ste. Mai'ie with a large quantity of merchandise, which they were carrying to Kiaonan, an Indian village and trading-post on the shore of Lake Superior. They were murdered on the way by three Indians, belonging to two difierent tribes, who secreted EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 43 Murder of French Traders— Bravery of Du Lhut and Pere. their bodies and the merchandise which they had in their custody. As soon as a knowledge of the affair reached M. du Lhut, commandant at Michilimackinac, he at once set about bringing the offenders to justice. Almost alone, in the far-off wilderness, with but a handful of French- men in the whole region, at the mercy of countless hordes of savages, the daring intrepidity exliibited by M. du Lhut and M. Pere has scarcely a parallel in the history of the settlement of this country. The follo^ving letter from M. du Lhut to Count Fron- tenac, governor-general of Canada, gives a minute and interesting account of the occurrence : " MicmiJMACKiNAO, April 12, 1684. " MoNSEETiE : — I did myself the honor to wi*ite to you in September and October of last year, giving an ac- count of a murder committed by the children of Achi- ganaga. Allow me now to inform you of the means I used to avenge the death of the two assassinated French- men of whom I spoke. " To follow the affair step by step, be pleased to know, sir, that on the 24th of October last, I was told that Folle-Avoine, accomplice in the mm'der and robbery of the two Frenchmen, had arrived at Saut Ste. Marie, with fifteen families of the Sauteurs, who had fled from Cha- V I 44 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. M. du Lhut, with only six men, proceeds to the Saut. ouamigon, on account of an attack wliicli they, together with the people of the land, made last spring upon the Nadouecioux. " He believed himself safe at the Saut, on account of the number of allies and relatives he had there. Eev. Father Albanet informed me that the French at the Saut, being only twelve in number, had not arrested him, believing themselves too weak to contend with such numbers, especially as the Sauteurs had declared that they would not allow the French to redden the land of their fathers with the blood of their brothers. " On receiving this information, I immediately re- solved to take with me six Frenchmen, and embark at the dawn of the next day for the Saut Ste. Marie, and, if possible, obtain possession of the murderer. I made known my design to the Kev. Father Enialran ; and at my request, as he had some business to arrange vidth Eev. Father Albanej;, he placed himself in my canofe. " Having arrived within a league of the village of the Saut, the Rev. Father, the Chevalier de Fom-cille, Car- donniere and I, disembarked. I caused the canoe, in which were Baribaud, Le Mere, La Fortune, and Magons, to proceed, while we went across the wood to the house of the Rev. Father, fearing that the savages, seeing me, might suspect the object of my visit, and cause Folle- Avoine to escape. EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 45 Arrest of Folle-Avoine — Council called — Achiganaga accused. "Finally, to cut the matter short, I arrested him, and caused him to be guarded day and night by six Frenchmen. " 1 then called a council, at which I requested all the savages of the place to be present, where I repeated what I had often said to the Hurons and Ottawas since the departure of M. Pere, giving them the message you ordered me, sir, that in case there should be among them any spirits so evil- disposed as to follow the exam- ple of those who have murdered the French on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, they must separate the guilty from the innocent, as I did not wish the whole nation to suffer, unless they protected the guilty. "I informed them that I expected those present to declare themselves ; that if there were any factious spirits who intended to shield Folle-Avoine, I might know them, and they would see that I did not fear them enough to prevent me from doing my duty. "The savages held several councils to which I was invited ; but their only object seemed to be to exculpate the prisoner, in order that I might release him. All united in accusing Achiganaga and his children, assu- ring themselves with the belief that M. Pere, with his detachment, would not be able to aiTest them, and wish- ing to persuade me that they apprehended that all the Frenchmen might be killed. 46 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. French threatened — Intrepidity of M. du Lhut. "I answered them, in respect to Folle-Avoine, that I was not obliged to believe a man whom I looked upon as having helped to shed the blood of my brothers ; that meanwhile, in consequence of the submission to the orders of Onontio, their father, which they manifested, I should determine nothing, until I might be better informed of the facts ; and, moreover, if I had no more convincing proof against him than that which was already known to me, I would give him back to them. If, on the con- trary, it was true that he was of the number of the assassins, I would see in what way I would dispose of him. As to the antici]3ated death of M. Pere, as well as of the other Frenchmen, that M'-ould not embarrass me, since I believed neither the allies nor the nation of Achi- ganaga would wish to have a war with us to sustain an action so dark as that of which we were speaking. So, having only to attack a few murderers, or at most those of their own family, I was certain that the French would have them, dead or alive. This was all the answer they had from me during the three days that the councils lasted; after which I embarked, at ten o'clock in the morning, sustained by only twelve Frenchmen, to show a few seditious persons, who boasted of taking the pris- oner away from me, that the French did not fear them. " I received accounts daily of the numbers of savages that Achiganaga drew from his nation to Kiaonan, under EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 47 M. P6r6 arrests Achiganaga and his four Sons. pretext of going to war in the spnng against the l^a.- douecioux, to avenge the death of one of his relatives, son of Ouenaus, but really to protect himself against us, in case we should become convinced that his children had killed the Frenchmen. This precaution placed me between hope and fear respecting the expedition which M. Pere had undertaken. " On the 24:th of November he came across the wood, at ten o'clock at night, to tell me that he had aiTested Achiganaga and fom* of his children. He said it was true that they were not all guilty of the mm-der, but he had thought proper, in this affair, to follow the custom of the savages, which is, to seize all the relatives. Folle-Avoine, whom I had arrested, he considered the most guilty, being without doubt the originator of the mischief. " I immediately gave orders that Folle-Avoine should be more closely confined, and not be allowed to speak to any one ; for I had also learned that he had a brother. Bister, and uncle in \he village of the Kiskakons. "M. Pere informed me that he had released the youngest son of Achiganaga, aged about thirteen or fourteen years, that he might make known to their nation, and to the Sauteurs who were at Nocke and in the neighborhood, the reason why the French had ar- rested his father and brothers. M. Pere bade him 48 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Prisoners brought to Saut Ste. Marie — Council called. assure the savages that ' if any one wished to complain of what he had done, he wonld wait for them with a fimi step ;' for he considered himself in a condition to set them at defiance, having fonnd at Kiaonan eighteen Frenchmen who had wintered there. However, no one opposed his design. " On the 25th, at break of day, M. Pere embarked at the Saut, with four good men whom I gave him, to go and meet the prisoners. He had left them fom* leagues from there, under a guard of twelve Frenchmen, and at two o'clock in the afternoon they arrived. I had prepared a room in my house for the prisoners, in which they were placed under a sti'ong guard, and were not allowed to converse with any one. " On the 26th, I commenced proceedings ; and this, sir, is the course I pursued, I gave notice to all the chiefs and elders to appear at the council which I had appointed, and gave to Folle-Avoine the privilege of selecting two of his relatives to support his interests ; and to the other prisoners I made the same offer. " The council being assembled, I sent for Folle-Avoine to be interrogated, and caused his answers to be wi-itten ; and afterwards they were read to him, and inquiry made whether they were not, word for word, what he had said. He was then removed from the council under a safe guard. I used the same form with the two eldest sons EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 49 Testimony committed to writing — Confrontation of the Prisoners. of Achiganaga; and as Folle-Avoine had indirectly charged the father with being accessory to the murder, I sent for him, and also for Folle-Avoine, and bring- ing them into the council, confronted the four. Folle- Avoine and the two sons of Achiganaga accused each other of committing the mm-der, without denying that they were participators in the crime. Achiganaga alone strongly maintained that he knew nothing of the design of Folle-Avoine, nor of his children, and called on them to say if he had counselled them to kill the Frenchmen. They answered ' No !' "This confrontation, which the savages did not ex- pect, sm^prised them ; and seeing the prisoners had con- victed themselves of the mm-der, the chiefs said : ' It is enough, you accuse yom-selves ; the French are masters of your bodies.' "The next day I held another council, in which I said there could be no doubt that the Frenchmen had been robbed and murdered ; that the murderers were known, and that they knew what the practice was among themselves on similar occasions. To all this they said nothing, which obliged me on the following day to hold another council in the cabin of Brochet, where, after having spoken, and seeing that they would make no decision, and that all my councils ended only in reducing tobacco to ashes, I told them that since 50 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Savage Customs — French Council— Threats of the Savages. they did not wisli to decide, I should take the responsi- bility, and that the next day I would let them know the determination of the French and myself. "It is proper, sir, you should know that I observed all these ceremonies only to see if they would feel it their duty to render to us the same justice that they do to each other, having had divers examples of similar cases in which, when the tribes of those who had com- mitted the murder did not wish to go to war with the tribe aggrieved, the nearest relations of the murderers killed them themselves, that is to say, man for man. " On the 29th of Il^ovember I gathered together the French that were here, and after the interrogations and answers of the accused had been read to them, the guilt of all three appeared so evident, from their own con- fessions, that the vote was unanimous that all three should die. But, as the French, who remained at Kiaonan to pass the winter, had written to Father / I Emalran and to myself, to beg of us to treat the affair with all possible leniency, the savages declaring that if they made the prisoners die they would avenge them- selves on the French. " I told the gentlemen who were with me in council, that this being an affair without a precedent, I believed it was expedient, for the safety of all the French who would pass the winter in the Lake Superior country, to EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 51 The Decision— Council of the Chiefs— Speech of M. du Lhnt put to death only two, as the death of the third might bring about grievous consequences ; while, on the con- trary, the putting to death of man for man could give the savages no cause for complaint, since this is their ovm custom under the circumstances. M. de la Tour, chief of the Fathers, who had served much, sustained my opinions by strong reasoning ; and all the gentlemen whom I had called in council decided that two should be shot, namely, Folle-Avoine, and the elder of the two brothers, while the younger should be released, and hold his life as a gift from you, sir. " I then returned to the cabin of Brochet with Messrs. Boisguillot, Pere, De Repentigny, De Manthet, De la Ferte, and Magons, where w^ere all the chiefs of the Outawas du Sable, Outawas Sinagos, Kiskakons, Sau- teurs, Mississagues, D'Achiliny, a part of the Hurons, and Oumamens, chief of the Amikoys. 1 informed them of our decision, telling them, that, not being ignorant of the murder committed on the two Frenchmen, and knowing all the murderers, I was surprised that no one dared to decide for us, and cause justice to be done. Meanwhile, Onontio had lost his blood, it was yet warm, and it was necessary to have other blood to satisfy him. "I then informed them that the Frenchmen having been killed by two different nations, one of each nation must die, and that the same death they had caused the 52 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAK. Two Murderers sentenced to Death — Surprise of the Savages. French to suffer, they must also suffer ; therefore thej must be shot; that, to the third prisoner, jou, sir, would give his life, on condition that he would tell all his allies the great kindness you had done him. I told them that if I did not relax the rigor of om* laws, I should put to death all six of those who had participated in the theft, and perhaps contributed to the murder by their wicked counsel, but for this time I hoped you would not con- demn me for my mildness. "This decision, to put the murderers to death, was a hard stroke to them all, for none had believed that I would dare undertake it. " The Outawas du Sable, and the Outawas Sinagos, in order to have no trouble with yon, su', had appeared to blame their conduct, and not to care what became of them ; but then, Falon Seleva, chief of the Outawas du Sable, after a long harangue, concluded that, if I dared, I would give them life. " The chief of the Outawas Sinagos said that he had captured some of the Iroquois, and that M. Com-celle asked him to deliver them over to him, promising that they should have their life, and that I ought to do the same by the prisoners. The Sauteurs having left the Saut, had appointed Oumamens, chief of the Amikoys, to speak for them. He thanked me that I had satisfied myself with so little, praising the Frenchman for his EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 53 Eeasons given in Council for condemning the Murderers. good heart, which prompted him to release the father and three of his children. The other nations said nothing. "The different sentiments expressed, made me reply to the first, that if the accused were prisoners of war, I should do myself the pleasure to give them their life ; but, being murderei*s, it was necessary they should die, as an example to those who might have similar de- signs, and, by this fear, would be prevented from com- mitting murder so easily, especially from taking the lives of Frenchmen. I told them they knew very well that I loved all men, but that I did not fear them enough to prevent me from executing your orders, which are, to cause those to die who kill the French ; that, having become master of those who had killed your first chil- dren, if I did not cause them to be put to death, you would believe it was the fear I had of men ; and that as soon as I should come into your presence, you would make me suffer the death which their crime deserved. Besides, I was not the author of their death, but only spoke the sentiments of all the elders. " I also reminded them that this was but the fruit of their own teachings : they had taught their youth that to kill a Frenchman was not an affair of much im- portance, since one was acquitted for a captive or a pack of beaver ; for, till now, no more troublesome con- 54. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Prisoners baptized— Executed — Goods found. Bequences than these had befallen those who had mur- dered. But, had thej taught their young men that mm'der was a wicked thing, and, if committed, the nation would abandon them, they would have been more wise, and the Frenchmen would still be alive. " I then left the council, and asked the Eev. Fathers if they wished to baj^tize the prisonei-s, which they did. " An hour after, I put myself at the head of forty-two' Frenchmen, and in sight of more than four hundred savages, and within two hundi-ed paces of theii* fort, I caused the two murderers to be shot. "The impossibility of keeping them till spring, to send them to you, sir, made me hasten their death, being persuaded that in such cases j)rompt execution is necessary to calm all things, and not to give time to interested persons to take measm-es to get away the prisoners. "When M. Pere made the arrest, those who had committed the murder confessed it ; and when he asked them what they had done with our goods, they answered that they were almost all concealed. He immediately proceeded to the place of concealment, and was very much surprised, as were also the French who were with him, to find the goods in fifteen or twenty difierent places. By the carelessness of the savages, the tobacco EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 55 Tobacco and Powder destroyed — Discovery of the Bodies. , and powder were entirely destroyed, having been placed in the pinery, under the roots of the trees, and being soaked in the water caused by ten or twelve days' con- tinued rain, which inundated all the lower country. The season for snow and ice having come, they had all the trouble in the world to get out the bales of cloth. They then went to see the bodies, but could not remove them, these miserable wretches having thrown them into a marsh, and thrust them down into holes which they had made. IsTot satisfied with that, they had also piled branches of trees upon the bodies, to prevent them "from floating when the water should rise in the spring ; hoijing that, by this precaution, the French would find no trace of those who were killed, but would believe them drowned, by being uj)set, as they reported that they had found in the lake, on the other side of the Portage, a boat with the sides all broken in, which they believed to be a French boat. " Tliose goods which the French were able to secure, they took to Kiaonan, M^here were a number of French- men, who had gone there to pass the winter, and who knew nothing of the death of Colin Berthot and Jacques le Maire, until M. Pere arrived. The ten who formed M. Pere's detachment, having conferred together con- cerning the measures they should take to prevent a total loss, decided to sell the goods to the highest bidder. 56 EAELY HISTOEY OF MICHIGAN. Rescued Goods sold — M. P6r6 and the Savages. The sale was made for 1100 livres^ wliicli amount was to be paid in beavers, to M. de la Chesnaje, to whom I send the names of the purchasers. "The savages who were present when Achiganaga and his children were arrested, wished to dance the calumet to M. Pere, and give him captives to satisfy him for the murder committed on the two Frenchmen ; but he knew their intention, and would not accept their offer. He told them neither a hundred captives nor a hundred packs of beaver would give back the blood of his brothers ; that the murderers must be given up to me, and I would see what I would do. "I caused M. Pere to repeat these things in the council, that in futm-e the savages need not think by presents to save those who commit similar deeds. Be- sides, sir, M. Pere showed plainly, by his conduct in investigating this affair, that he is not so strongly in- clined to favor the savages as was reported. Indeed I do not know any one whom they fear more, yet who flatters them less, or knows them better. " The criminals being in two different places, M. Pere being himself obliged to keep four of them, sent Messrs. de Pepentigny, Manthet, and six other Frenchmen, to arrest the two who were among their peoj)le eight leagues in the woods, which they did jDromptly and vigorously. Among others. M. de Eepentigny and M. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 57 Chevroti^re — Peace Councils— Mutual Gifts. de Manthet sliow.ed that tliey feared nothing when their honor called them. " M. de la Chevrotiere has also served well in person and by his advice, having indicated the place where the prisoners were. Achiganaga, who had adopted him as a son, had told him where he should hunt during the winter. "Two days after the murderers were shot, the Kis- kakons, Outawas du Sable, and the Outawas Sinagos held a council, in which they gave me six strings of wampum, each nation two, ' to cover the dead French- men and dry up their blood, that the earth might be beautiful in future.' " An hour afterwards, they made the same presents to Achiganaga, and to the Mends of Folle-Avoine, who were still here. "The next day I had a great festival of corn and tobacco in the cabin of Brochet, in order ' to take away the sickness of heart that he had, because I pronounced the sentence of death on two savages in his house, with- out even speaking to him about it.' " To this feast, all the chiefs and elders of the nation before-mentioned were invited. The Hurons gave me three strings of wampum for the same reason that the others were given. Tliey also gave three for the Sau- teurs and the Folle-Avoines. 68 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Presents to Achiganaga — His Departure and Death. "It still remained for me to give to.Acliigaiiaga and his three childi-en the means to retm-n to their family, which they could not do without my assistance. Their home, from which they were taken, was nearly twenty- six leagues from here. Ejiowing their necessity, I told them you would not be satisfied with giving them life. You wished also to preserve it, by giving them all that was necessary to prevent them from dying with hunger and cold by the way, and that your gift was made by my hands. I gave them blankets and shirts, guns and ammunition, tobacco, meat, hatchets, knives, twine to make nets for beavers, and two bags of com, to supply them till they could kill game. "They departed two days after, the most contented creatures in the world ; but God was not, for when only two days' journey from here, the old Achiganaga fell sick of the quinsy and died, and his children retm-ned. When the news of his death arrived, the greater part of the savages of this place attributed his death to the French, saying we had caused him to die. I let them talk, and laughed at them. " It is only about two months since the children of ' Achiganaga returned to Kiaonan. I gave them lettere to the French there, requesting them to say nothing to the savages about the death of their companions, having taken the satisfaction that I believed to be just. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 69 Acbiganaga's Children— The Sauteurs. " Tlie Sauteurs gave them necklaces, to remind them that they should take good care to avoid agitating the subject of the death of their brother ; and in case any should have a wicked design, the necklaces, of which they were the bearers, would deter them from its exe- cution. " As for me, I doubt not this example will make them wiser, and that it may produce good results." CHAPTER III. Count Frontenac removed from, office — Succeeded by M. le BaiTe — ^Le Barre recalled, and De NonvUle appelated — M. du Lhut ordered to establish a fort on the Detroit — Coimt Frontenac reappointed to the government of Canada — Attempts a reconciliation with the Illinois — Invasion of Canada by the English in 1690 — Attack on Montreal — Unsuccessful expedition against Quebec — ^Frontenac invades the coun- try of the Iroquois — M. la Motte Cadillac appointed commandant at Michilimackinac — Eemonstrates against the prohibition of the sale of brandy to the Indians — General account of the country, its condition, and inhabitants. A MAN" of Count Frontenac's abilities could not long occupy an exalted position without making enemies ; and so successful were his enemies in their intrigues, that they accomplished their design of causing his removal from the government of Canada, in the summer of 1684. M. de la Bari'e, his successor, arrived at Quebec the same season. He was entirely unacquainted with the Indian character, and commenced his administration by attempting to overcome the Five Nations by force of arms. The consequences were most disastrous to the French ; and in 1685 La BaiTc was recalled, and the Marquis de Konville appointed in his place. In 1686 M. du Lhut, who still commanded at Michili- mackinac, was succeeded by M. Perot, and received, EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 61 M. Perot succeeds Du Lhut — Detroit. through M, Dm-antaye, special commissioner, the foUow- iiig orders concerning his future movements : UETTEE TO M. DU LHUT. " MoNTREAi, 6th June, 1686. " MoNSEEUK : — Although I have ordered you to come to me this autumn, that I might confer with you con- cerning many things that may not be written, yet Rev. Father Anjolran having come here, and being obliged to return to Michilimackinac as soon as the restitution of prisoner shall have been made, yom* presence is much more necessary to the Outawas than to me. Therefore, I now direct you to remain, and unite with M. de la Dm-antaye, who is to be at Michilimackinac, in the execution of the orders which I send him, for the safety of om* allies and friends. " You will see by the letter which I have written to M. Durantaye, that I wish you to establish a post on the Detroit, near Lake Erie, with a garrison of fifty men. I desire you to choose an advantageous place to secure the passage, which may protect our savages who go to the chase, and serve them as an asylum against their enemies and om-s. " You will do and say nothing to the Iroquois, unless they undertake something against us and our allies. You will also see that my intention is, that you go to 62 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Orders concerning the Establishment of a Trading-post. this new post as soon as possible, with twenty men only, whom you will establish under the command of your lieutenant. You will select such a man for this station as shall best suit you, one whom you consider most suit- able for the command. "After having given all the ordei*s that you may judge necessary for the safety of this post, and having well secured obedience from the soldiers, you will return to Michilimackinac, there to await Rev. Father Anjolran, by whom I will communicate what I wish of you there. Tou will then return to the said post, with thirty other men, whom you will receive from M. Diu'antaye, in order to fully establish the j)osition. You will take care that each provide himself with provisions sufficient for his subsistence at the said post, where, I doubt not, you may trade for peltries ; therefore your men will not do ill to carry some goods there also. " I strongly recommend you to maintain a good under- standing with M. Durantaye, without which our designs will come to nothing, and the service of the king and the public will suffer much. The post to which I send you is of much more importance, as I expect it will bring you in contact with the Illinois, to whom you will make known those things of which you will be informed by Eev. Father Anjolran. Consider nothing of so much importance as the proper execution of all EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 63 Fort St. Joseph built — Abandoned in 1688. which I now command you, and which I shall make known to yon by the Rev. Father on his return to Michilimackinac. "I send you the necessary commission for the com- mand of this post, also one for your lieutenant. Con- cerning your own interests I say nothing ; but you may expect that I will do with pleasure all that will be for yom* advantage. " Allow me to repeat to you once more, that you can- not use too much diligence to succeed in all that I shall require of you for the service of the king. If you can so arrange your aflfairs that yom* brother can be near 3'ou in the sj^ring, I shall be very glad. He is an intel- ligent lad, and might be a great assistance to you ; he might also be very serviceable to us. " I beg you to avoid, in conversation, any allusion to our designs."* In obedience to these instructions, M. du Lhut pro- ceeded to the entrance of the strait from Lake Huron, where he erected a fortified trading-post, which he named Fort St. Joseph. This fort was abandoned in 1688, only two years after it was built. It stood on the present site of Fort Gratiot. « "This letter is without signature, but every thing causes us to think that it was from the governor-general." — Nok on the MS. 64: EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. War in Canada — Far Indians — Frontenao reappointed. Meanwhile, affairs in Canada waxed worse and woree. The English traders, who had become quite numerous in the region of the Iroquois, instigated that powerful nation, or rather confederacy of nations, to an attack upon the French settlements in Canada. An open war ensued. In almost every skirmish — for the Indians sel- dom fight open battles — the French were the most severe sufferers. The Far Indians, as those in the vicinity of the great lakes were called, began to manifest dissatisfaction and distrust of the French. In this critical state of affairs, M. de ]^onville was recalled, and Count de Frontenac reappointed governor-general. He arrived at Quebec October 15th, 1689, to the great joy of the colonists. "The arrival of Frontenac," says the McDougall MS., "was hailed by the French as the dawn of a deliverance from their calamities. The wise policy pm*- sued by him dmiug his former administration was now apparent to every one. A more judicious selection could not have been made in the present desperate situ- ation of affairs. "New and unforeseen troubles began to arise. The abdication of James II. involved France in a war with England. The example set in Em-ope of forming na- tional alliances was greatly improved in America ; for, while the English colonies had become the allies of the EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 65 Frontenac's Proposals for Peace rejected by the Iroquois, Five ISTatioiis, they, in turn, became the allies of tlie Far Indians. " Connt Frontenac first attempted to bring abont a reconciliation with the Illinois. For this purpose, he sent ambassadors to their country to inform them ' that their old friend Frontenac had returned ; that he had brought back Tawerahet, the Cayuga sachem, and twelve of their tribe, who had been sent to France by De I*^on- viUe ; that he was sorry the tomahawk had been dug up dm'ing his absence ; and that he was desirous of j)lant- ing the tree of peace, and burying the hatchet under its branches.' "The savages, encouraged by the English, and fiu*- nished with guns and ammunition, instead of listening to these propositions, assumed, if j)ossible, an aspect more terrific than ever ; and Frontenac soon found that he had to contend, not only with the English colonies and Iroquois, but with the Ottawas, Hurons, Miamis, Illi- nois, Pottawatomies, and several other tiibes of western Indians. " The good old governor, now in the sixty-eighth year of his age, did not once sufier his fortitude to forsake him. His mental and physical abilities were undimin- ished ; and by his indefatigable exertions, several of the outposts, which had been partially demolished and aban- doned, were rebuilt. 6 66 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Invasion of Canada by the English and Iroquois. " Early in 1690, an invasion of Canada was planned by the l^ew England and New York colonies, in con- junction with, tlieir allies. The l^ew Tork troops and Indians were to march by land and attack Montreal, while the New England forces were to proceed by water and storm Quebec. " Accordingly the land forces, under the command of Major Schuyler, left Albany about midsummer. Hav- ing arrived at Chambly, they were discovered by a Frenchman, who proceeded with all possible speed to Montreal witli the intelligence, so that a day or two was allowed to prepare for the invaders. Monsieur Callieres was commandant at Monti-eal, and, fortunately, the gov- ernor himself was there at that time. "The attack was commenced on the militia, which gave way ; but as soon as the regulars were brought into action the English were repulsed at every point, and finally dispersed, not, however, without the loss of three hundred men. " On receiving intelligence that a large armament was in the St. LawTcnce, Frontenac, with three hundred troops, repaired forthwith to Quebec; and by rowing night and day, arrived there a day or two before the attack was made. This fleet, consisting of thirty-four sail and two thousand men, commanded by Sir "William Phipps, arrived on the Tth of October. The town con- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. 67 Frontenac — Sir Wm. Phipps at Quebec. tained but few troops, and would have surrendered at discretion, had an attack been made at once ; but with the same imbecility which prevented a co-operation with Major Schuyler, Sir William continued to disgrace the expedition. He accordingly came to anchor, and lay in the bay five days, and did nothing but send a flag on the fourth day to Frontenac, with an insulting letter, requiring an unconditional surrender. " The next day it was discovered that Sir William was landing twelve or fifteen hundred men four miles below the town. The French and Indians repaii'ed to a wood through which the English must pass, and concealed themselves. The unsuspecting invaders had ]3roceeded part way through the wood, when suddenly they were assailed in every direction. They fled precipitately, in the utmost confusion, leaving nearly four hundred dead on the spot. The total loss of the French and Indians was only sixteen ! " On the following day, Sir William landed four pieces of artillery, with one thousand men, to force the wood, while he commenced bombarding the town. These were again met and completely repulsed, with the loss of between three and four hundred of the enemy and all their artillery, while the loss of the French was but forty. Sir William, having kept up the fire for twenty-four hours, raised the siege, proceeded down the 68 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Savage Incursions — Frontenac's Eetaliation. St. La\vi"euce, and arrived at Boston on tlie 13tli of ^November. " The savages continued their incursions all along the St. Lawrence, laying waste plantations, and carrying off many scalps. The farmers could not cultivate their land, provisions became scarce, and the inhabitants were obliged to feed the soldiers, while their own childi-en were famishing. " In the summer of 1693, Frontenac invaded the country of tlie Iroquois, destroyed three castles, and, two years afterward, rebuilt Fort Cadaraqui. The following year, 1696, he destroyed a stroDg fort at Onondaga, erected by the English about six years previously, to- gether with several Indian villages. He also made a number of prisoners. "Thus the war was continued, with varied success, until the peace of Ryswick restored order in Em-ope, which soon extended to America." During this eventful period in the history of New France, while many of the French tradingq^osts were abandoned, Saut Ste. Marie and Michilimackinac, though suffering much from constant anxiety and privation, with- stood the tide of war, and maintained their 2)osition. M. Perot, commandant at Michilimackinac during the first years of the war, was a man of great ability ; yet he often found his j)ower8 fully taxed in maintaining order EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 69 Saut 8te. Marie — Michilimackinac. and subordination amid the discordant elements of his little garrison, consisting of soldiers, fm'-traders, and (xmreurs des hois, deprived of their former exciting oc- cupations, and surrounded as they were with every pos- sible discouragement. The disaffection of many of their Indian allies, and the frequent incursions of the hostile Iroquois, almost destroyed the fur-trade, while nearly all intercoui*se with Quebec and Montreal was cut off. Yet the heroic commandant remained firm at his post — though at one time, for many months, the fish, which were abundant in the waters almost beneath theu* feet, constituted the only food of the garrison. About the year 1691, M. de la Porte Louvigny was aj)pointed commandant in place of M. Perot, and was himself superseded by M. de la Motte Cadillac in 1696. Since the year 1684 the Iroquois had kept up an almost continual state of warfare with the French and their allies; and Count Frontenac found there was no way to terminate this harassing state of aflairs, except by treating the prisoners of war according to the Indian customs, and M. de la Motte Cadillac received orders accordingly. Representations of the bad effects produced upon the Indians by the sale of intoxicating drinks had been re- peatedly made to Louis XI Y. In 1694 the king and bishops began seriously to question the propriety of 70 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Decision of the Sorbonne — Cadillac's Eemonstrance. allowing brandy and other intoxicating drinks to be transj)orted to Micliilimackinac as an article of traffic. After mnch discussion, the subject was finally referred to the Sorbonne for decision. Upon mature deliberation, this august body decided the question in the negative, and the king immediately issued an edict forbidding the transportation of brandy to Michilimackinac as an article of traffic. The French at that post submitted to this prohibition with a very bad grace, and the following letter from M. de la Motte Cadillac gives his view of the subject. It also contains an interesting history of the condition of the fort and its surroundings, with an account of his obedience to the barbarous but perhaps necessary orders of Count Frontenac. The letter appears to have been written to a personal friend, at Quebec. " FoKT BuADE, Michilimackinac, August 3, 1695. "Monsieue: — You already know, without doubt, that Count Frontenac aj)pointed me, last year, to the com- mand of this country, in the place of M. Louvigny ; and that the convoy which I conducted revolted, the season being bad, and very far advanced. . I " My departure was on the 24th of September, and I 'jW.Ai could only go twenty-five leagues in twelve days, on ii I '^''" account of the continued rains and contrary winds that EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. 71 Mutiny — Voyageurs return — Cadillac proceeds. prevailed. I did all I could to encom-age the voyagem-s to proceed on the journey, but to no purpose ; and, not knowing what else to do, I took the resolution to send them back, in good condition — foreseeing that they would not fail to go, even without my permission. I pj^^Ul^^"^ was not sori-y afterward that I resolved upon this course, ^^^r*- though the remainder of the journey seemed frightful, on account of the quantities of floating ice in the large lakes which we must cross. However, I decided, with-'^ out hesitation, to accomplish the journey, or perish by s gff/e/t^S the way. Accordingly, I made choice of five of the ^j^mnyAj most vigorous men in the convoy, and two savages ; and iJUj jxC**-) taking only sufficient food for two months, I continued ^^V*^- my jom-ney, and at length reached my destination. ^^n j. ^ " I immediately found myself in circumstances of Jpiuva^ great embaiTassment, in consequence of the departm-e of A* Yt^i*') the convoy that goes down to Montreal yearly, and by kiHU i^^^Y the arrival of the one that comes from that place. This h^iiy-^ post is the rendezvous of the chiefs of all the nations in the surrounding counhy, and I was obhged to be in their i^4(4t^ councils to decide all their difierent propositions. These ^ yAt/Zk^'^ circumstances caused me so great heaviness, that I ,.*— -7 sought relief by fully informing Count Frontenac of ffl ^ ^ afiairs here, and you, without doubt, have received bet- ^ . ter information from him than I could give, whatever ' ^^^ care I might devote to the subject. /L 72 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Eenewal of the War with the Iroquois — Prisoners burned. " As there was a cessation of hostilities, on proposi- tions of peace made by the Iroquois, with mnch appa- rent submission, it was necessary to make great efforts to induce all these nations to recommence the war, ac- cording to the orders I had received. Although there went out from here, and from the villages depending npon this post, about eight or nine hundred men, in different parties, they only brought in fifty-six scalps, and made four prisoners, whom we burned, according to their custom, notwithstanding all the assurances the victims could give that a treaty of peace had already been made at Montreal. "As the Iroquois are not to be trusted, our allies were not disposed to believe the assurances of the pris- oners, and finally subjected them to the visual treat- ment of those who fall alive into the hands of their enemies. There are several parties which have not yet returned ; if they bring any prisoners to me, I can assure you their fate will be no sweeter than that of the others. " From the orders he gave me, I am persuaded that the Count will j)rosecute the war with greater energy than ever before. Kor do I believe that in future he will be in a mood to listen to any propositions from the Iroquois, who have at last yielded to the powerful efforts made by the English to dissuade them from com- EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Y3 Manath6 — Condition of Michilimackinac. pleting the treaty of peace for which thej had been so very solicitous. "I am full J persuaded of the necessity of taking Manathe. As long as that place stands, -vre shall never be masters of these nations. Experience has tanght me, better than I had before known, that, so long as Manathe stands, occasions will always be found for its people to annoy us. " In regard to the decision made by the court, con- cerning the transportation of liquors to this place, I am far from daring to disapprove of it; but nothing can induce me to be entirely silent on a subject involving so deeply the interest of the king. " It is a great mistake, if j)eople have an idea that this place is deserted ; if it be possible that any are in this belief, I think it my duty to correct the erroneous im- pression. It is very important that you should know, '. l^TyvlHW^ in case you are not already informed, that this village is ^4^^/' one of the largest in all Canada. There is a fine fort of pickets, and sixty houses, that form a street in a straight line. There is a garrison of well-disciplined, chosen soldiers, consisting of about two hundred men, the best-formed and most athletic to be found in this New World ; besides many other persons who are resi- dents here during two or three months in the year. This being an indubitable fact, it seems to me that I u EAELY HISTOEY OF MICHIGAN. Michillmackinac — Food of the Inhabitants — Population — Products. this place should not be deprived of the privilege which His Majesty has accorded to all the other places and villages in Canada — the privilege of furnishing them- selves with the necessary drinks for their use. If there are but few places which should enjoy this liberty, this would undoubtedly be one, as it is exposed to all kinds of fatigue. The situation of the place, and the food also, require it. "The houses are arranged along the shore of this great Lake Huron, and fish and smoked meat constitute the principal food of the inhabitants, so thai a drink of l)Tandy^ after the rejoast^ seeinis necessary to cook the hilious meats^ and the crudities which they leave in the stomach. The air is penetrating and corrosive, and without the brandy that they use in the morning, sick- ness would be much more frequent. " The villages of the savages, in which there are six or seven thousand souls, are about a pistol-shot distant from ours. AH the lands are cleared for about three leagues around their village, and perfectly well culti- vated. They produce a sufficient quantity of Indian corn for the use of both the French and savage inhab- itants. The question is, then, what reason can there be for this prohibition of intoxicating drinks, in regard to the French who are here now, and who only go and come once a year? Are they not subjects of the king, EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, T5 Cadillac's argument for sale of Brandy — War customs of the Savages. even as others ? In what country, then, or in what land, until now, have they taken from the French the right to use brandy, provided they did not become disorderly? And if, by chance, some should become so, the com- mandants know how to apply the remedy. They can imprison, fetter, and chastise disorderly persons here as well as elsewhere. " Now what reason can one assign that the savages should not drink brandy bought with their own money as well as we ? Is it prohibited to prevent them from becom- ing intoxicated ? or is it because the use of brandy reduces them to extreme misery — placing it out of their power to make war, by depriving them of clothing and arms ? If such representations in regard to the Indians have been made to the Count, they are very false, as every one knows who is acquainted with the ways of the savages. " It is an undeniable fact, that the law strictly forbids any one to ti'ade with the savages for their arms, under pain of a large pecuniary fine. As for their clothing, can any one assert that clothing is necessary for them when they go to war, since everybody knows that it is the custom of all the nations here, when they ' go to eat their enemy on his own land,'* they go naked, and paint * " When the business is to declare war, in form, between two or three iiations, the manner of expressing it is, to ' hang the kettle over the fire ;' which has its origin, without doubt, in the barbarous custom of T6 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. War-paint — Disposal of Property — Eendition to the Victors. themselves black and red from head to foot, if they are rich enough to do it. " It is the custom, when the moment comes for their departm-e on warlike expeditions, for each warrior to dispose of all his clothing, making presents of the dif- ferent articles to those who remain at home ; and on their return, while they are singing their songs of war, of prowess, and of victory, it is permitted to each of them to gather all that belongs to him, such as guns, bows and arrows, kettles, and even all they can seize of the S]3oils of their enemies, which consist only of such articles as I have mentioned. "It is bad faith to represent to the Count that the sale of brandy reduces the savage to a state of nu- dity, and by that means places it out of his power to make war; since he never goes to war in any other condition. " It is certain that the bravest of their warriors have never used more than half a pound of powder, and a pound of balls, in one battle. Their manner is to fire eating their prisoners, and those tliey liave liilled, after hoiling them. They likewise say, simply, that 'they are going to eat such a nation,' which signifies that they are going to make war against them in the most destructive and outrageous maimer ; and indeed they seldom do otherwise. When they intend to engage an ally in the quarrel, they send him a porcelain or wampum, which is a large shell, in order to invite him to drink the blood, or, as the terms made use of signify, the broth of the flesh of their enemies." — CJuzrlevoix. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 77 Savage mode of Fighting — Great Council — Indian Speech. three or four times, and when thej have the advantage of their enemy, they rush upon him. They are very stroDg and quick, and, as they never rally, their battles are soon ended. " Finally, this prohibiting the transportation of brandy to this place, has much discouraged the Frenchmen who are here, from trading in future. Ceasing to sell liquor to the savages has caused a universal commotion among all the nations, as will be seen by what took place here on the 21st of last March. All the chiefs, and a large number of the inhabitants of all the surrounding villages, assembled here, and addressed me as follows : " ' O chief, what evil have thy children done to thee, that thou shouldst treat them so badly ? Those that came before thee were not so severe upon ns. It is not to quarrel with thee that we came here, it is only to know for what reason thou wishest to prevent us from drinking brandy. Thou shouldst look upon us as thy friends, and the brothers of the French, or else as thy enemies. If we are thy friends, leave ns the liberty of drinking; our beaver is worth thy brandy, and the Master of Life gave us both, to make us happy. If thou wish to treat ns as thy enemies, or as thy slaves, do not be angry if we carry our beaver to Orange, or Corland, where they wiU give us brandy, as much as we want.' 78 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. Cadillac's reply — Hurons go to the English for Brandy. "This speecli did not fail to embarrass me, and I thonglit best to make them the following answer : " ' My children, I am a good father ; I have a very tender heart, and I hear from afar the cries of my chil- dren. I do not wish to wrong you, still less to treat you as ray enemies, or my slaves. Do not be angry if you Lave no brandy this year. The reason for it is, that the trees which produce it on the other side of the great water, have frozen this year, and the vessels only brought a very little, so that the French could scarcely have what they wanted for themselves. The frost that de- stroyed your corn this year, has also destroyed the fruit from which they make the liquor ; it is to be hoped that next year you will not lack. Take courage, do not be disheartened ; Onontio will send you a sufficient quantity to rejoice you.' "They replied that they wished me to write to the governor-general, which I promised. Meanwhile, to show you that this people care only for the present, and never regard the future, I ought to tell you that on the 4th of July, twenty Hurons departed from here without the knowledge of any one, and have gone to the Iroquois to make negotiations of peace, in order to facilitate the passage to the English, where they can trade and get brandy. " This is the effect produced by the bad counsel given EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 79 Indignation of Cadillac — Contentment of the Savages — Missionaries. to the Count; and, indeed, tliere is notliing more pro- vokins: tlian to witness the manifestation of a wish to take from a people not yet civilized, the rights they have enjoyed ever since they have known the French. " It seems very strange that they should pretend that the savages would ruin themselves by drinking. The savage himself asks why they do not leave him in his beggary, his liberty, and his idleness ; he was born in it, and he wishes to die in it — it is a life to which he has been accustomed since Adam. Do they wush him to build palaces, and ornament them with beautiful furni- ture? He would not exchange his wigwam, and the mat on w^hich he camps like a monkey, for the Louvre ! " An attempt to overthrow the present state of afiairs in this country, would only result in the ruin of com- merce and the destruction of the colony. " Perhaps it will be said that the sale of brandy makes the labors of the missionaries unfruitful. It is necessary to examine this proposition. If the missionaries labor only for the extension of commerce, pursuing the course they have hitherto, I agree to it ; but, if it is the use of brandy that hinders the advancement of the cause of God, I deny it; for it is a fact which no one can deny, that there are a great number among the savages who never drink brandy, yet who are not, for that, better Christians. " All the Sioux, the most numerous of all the tribes 80 EARLY HISTORY OF xMICHIGAN. Sioux"s hatred of Eeligion — Death of Count Frontenac. who inhabit the region along the shore of Lake Superior, do not even like the smell of brandy — are they more advanced in religion for that? They do not wish to hear the subject mentioned, and when the missionaries address them, they only laugh at the foolishness of preaching. Yet these priests boldly fling before the eyes of the Europeans, whole volumes filled with glow- ing descriptions of the conversion of souls by thousands, in this country, causing the poor missionaries from Eu- rope to run to martyi"dom, as flies to sugar and honey. " I am an eye-witness to all that passes here, yet I do not believe I shall ever be in humor to write on this point." Count Frontenac, who had devoted the best portion of his life to the service of New France ; the friend and adviser of the struggling colonists ; the guide and con- troller of those rash, enthusiastic adventurers, whose zeal in prosecuting distant explorations seemed unquench- able ; the safe director of the intricate workings of colonial home-policy, and the successful general, having conducted his country through a most perilous and dis- tressing war, lived only to conclude a peace with his savage neighbors, and died, in 1699, in the seventy- eighth year of his age. His death was universally la- mented. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 81 Frontenac's Valor in early Life— Subjugation of the Iroquois — Bravery at Quebec. " At the age of fifteen," says a note in the Cass MSS., " Connt Frontenac signalized himself in Holland, where he served his aj)prenticeship of arms. He was recalled to France for the service of the king. He commanded the regiment of ISTormandie, and in the several battles which were fought in Germany and Italy, he merited, by his valor and his talents, to be successively promoted as master and marshal of the camp, and even to com- mand a separate corps of the army. " Wten the Venetians sent to ask aid of Louis XI Y., this prince consulted Marshal Turenne on the choice of a commanding officer for the troops of the Republic, and M. de Frontenac was the one designated by the great captain. "In Canada, he justified his reappointment to its government, by subduing the Iroquois, and by re- pulsing the English. When the English envoys de- manded of him the surrender of Quebec, giving him a certain time in which to decide, placing his watch in his hand to mark the time, his haughty answer was, ' My reply is from the mouth of my cannon ;' notwith- standing Quebec was almost without ammunition and food. " M. de Frontenac had his arm broken at Orbitelle. His grandfather was one of the most distinguished of the French nobility, and all his connections and family 82 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Oallieres succeeds Frontenac — His sudden Death — Appointment of M. Vaudreull. alliances were suflScient recommendations for any ordi- nary man ; but the Count added to all these illustrious names the glory of his own services." M. de Callieres succeeded Count Frontenac in the government of Canada. He occupied the post of gov- ernor-general until early in the summer of 1703, when he died suddenly. The Marquis de Vaudreuil was ap- pointed his successor. CHAPTER IV. The peace of Ryswick — France retains lier possessions in America — Commercial rivalry between the French and English — Cadillac's man- agement of the Indians — Their attachment to the French — Upper Nations send envoys to Montreal in 1700 — Written treaty made and signed by the governor -general and envoys — Importance of a fort on the Detroit — M. la Motte Cadillac goes to France — Recital of his plans to Count Pontchartrain — Project approved by the king — Cadillac ap- pointed commandant — Returns to Canada — Leaves La Chine for De- troit — Establishes Fort Pontchai-train in 1701 — Company of the colony organized. The peace of Ryswick, ratified Sept. llth, 1697, al- lowed France to retain all the places of wliich she had possession at the beginning of the war, but it did not quiet the restless spirit of the English colonists. Thej were not willing to pursue the same conciliatory course which had giv^en the French an almost unbounded in- fluence over the savages, yet were exceedingly jealous of that power which thus retained the profits of the fur-trade. This commercial rivalry, and strife for dom- ination, kept the French and English colonies, even during the brief peace, in a state of inimical excitement. By the prudent management of M. de la Motte Cadillac, who was commandant at Michilimackinac from 1695 to 1699, permanent ti-eaties of peace had been 84 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Indian Envoys sent to Montreal — "Written Treaty — Cadillac proceeds to Versailles. made with the tribes in that distant res-ion, and they liad become strongly attached to the French. In July, 1700, fonr of these " npper nations" sent envoys to Mon- treal " to weep for the French who had died in the war." The governor-general took advantage of this visit, and of the conciliatory spirit recently manifested by the Iroquois, to make a written treaty with the Five Nations, and these allies from the ITorthwest. All the preliminaries were amicably settled, and the treaty was signed by each nation, with its own to-tem, or symbols. The sad experiences of the recent war with England and the Iroquois, and the evident disaffection which still existed, though restrained by the treaties from absolute outbreak, rendered more than ever apparent to the French, the importance of a fort on the Detroit, which should command this channel of communication with the great lakes, thus preventing the English from having access to the Far Indians. The attempt of M. du Lhnt had failed, and M. de la Motte Cadillac, fearing that a written petition would meet with a repulse, proceeded in person to Versailles, and presented the subject to the consideration of Count Pontchartrain, the colonial min- ister. The coimt received the self-appointed envoy with ■great kindness, and listened attentively to the plan of his proposed enterprise. The following conversation EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 85 Interview between Cadillac and Count Pontchartrain. then ensued, which Cadillac afterward committed to ^^...^ writing. -"^^-^^ Count. " "What reasons have you for wishing to estab- ■^vtfJPl lish a fort on the Detroit ? %£^^^^^^ La Motte. " I have many ; the first, and perhaps most important object, would be to make it a permanent post, not subject to frequent changes as are many of the others. To effect this, it is only necessary to have a good number of the French, soldiers and traders, and to draw around it the tribes of friendly Indians, in order effec- tually to conquer the Iroquois, who, from all time, have ruined the colonies, and prevented the advancement of civilization. Cmint. " That would be well, if what you proj)ose could be executed without great difficulty ; but it seems to me that, instead of fortifying the colony by this estab- lishment, you will only weaken it. La Motte. " That would be true, if the Iroquois were the friends of the French inhabitants, but they are the enemies. The forces of the French are too much scat- tered ; they live too far apart. It is absolutely neces- sary to draw them together, because when it is desirable to attack the Iroquois in their villages, the French must make great movements, and march in large numbers, which causes the king very heavy expenses. Often, the result of such a march consists in killing four or five 86 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Advantages of securing the passage to the upper Lakes — Iroquois. unhapj)j wretches, because great movements cannot be made without noise, and without the savages knowing it. They retire into the woods when their forces are inferior, and by this means render useless the expense and preparation of the French. Count. " I see that you are. right, since the great en- terprises which have been undertaken in Canada, and even the general movements of the whole colony have been unsuccessful, having done no other harm to the Iro- quois than merely pillaging their grain, which they had left to 2)m'8ue the chase along the Detroit; and their game has furnished them subsistence till the following harvest. I see that you will tell me, if Detroit were for- tified with a good number of French and savages, they would deprive the Iroquois of the resom-ces of the chase ; and by the continual incursions they would make upon them, on account of the proximity of the post, the L'o- quois would be reduced to the last extremity, and often perish with hunger. La Motte. " Sir, your penetration has anticipated my speech ; I am persuaded that when you have heard the other reasons for this establishment, you will be still more deeply convinced of the necessity for it. It is in- contestable that all the waters of the great lakes jjass through this strait, and this is the only practicable path by which the English can carry on their trade with the EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 87 Low price of English goods— Improvidence of the Savages. savage nations, whicli liave coiTespondence "witli tlie French. The English use every possible means to ob- tain trade, but, if that post were fortified in form, the English would entirely abandon the hope of depriving us of its advantages. Count. " I understand what you intend ; yom* design is good. You would deprive the enemies of the state, of the means of prosecuting the fur-trade in that country ; but how will you prevent the savages from going to them, if they wish, and if they are drawn by the advan- tageous price of goods % La Motte. " I confess that is a great atti'action for them ; but experience shows us that although the savages in the neighborhood of Quebec, Three Elvers, and Montreal, are perfectly well informed that their furs sell better with the English, and that they can obtain goods at a lower price, yet they make all their trade with us. There are many reasons for this. One is, that each sav- age, one with another, kills, per year, only fifty or sixty beavers, and as he is neighbor to the Frenchman, fre- quently borrows of him, paying in proportion to his retm*ns by the chase. With the little that remains to him, he is compelled to make purchases for his family. Thus he finds himself unable to go to the English, be- cause his remaining goods are not worth the trouble of carrying so far, not being sufficient to pay him for the 88 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAE". French cunning — Extent of the Hunting-grounds — Variety of Furs. expense of his jom*nej. Another reason is, that in fre- quenting the French he receives many caresses; they are too cunning to allow his furs to escape, especially when they succeed in making him eat and drink with them. " The loill to go to the English still exists among the savages, but they are skillfully reduced to the impossi- bility of its execution. If Detroit is not established, sir, we shall soon see all the savages of the country going to the English, or inviting them to come and establish themselves in the Indian country. Count. " Have you not still other reasons ? La Motte. " One camiot deny that our savages have hitherto hunted north of Lake St. Clair, but by this es- tablishment, they would pursue the chase as far as two hundred leagues south of Lake Erie, toward the sea. Consequently, those furs that make the greater part of the trade of the English by means of their savages, would be conveyed by ours into the French colony, and make a very considerable increase in its commerce. Count. " What furs are there in that countiy ? La Motte. " The skins of the stag, deer, elk, roebuck, black bear, and buffalo, with wolf, otter, wildcat, beaver, and other small furs. Count. " Are those larger skins worth money, and do the traders find sale for them ? Could we not find means EARLY HISTORY OP MICHIGAN. 89 Beaver prohibited Merchandise in France — Value of other Furs. to occuj^y the savages in the pui'suit of these animals, and cause them to abandon that of the beaver, which is now prohibited merchandise ? The vast accumulation of beaver fur is becoming burdensome to France. La Motte. " Those skins are actually in favor ; the skins of the deer and the stag are worth sixteen francs a-piece ; those of the elk, twenty francs ; the black bear, ten fi'ancs ; the roebuck, five francs, and the rest in pro- portion ; therefore it is certain that we could easily oc- cupy the savages in this pursuit, provided we fm-nish them with goods to the value of their peltry. This would be an unfailing means of making sale for the beaver in the kingdom, since, instead of one hundred and thirty thousand now received every year at the store- house iji Quebec, there would be tut about seventy thousand, which would be a large yearly diminution. I do not include the inferior beaver of Canada. Count. " You have given many excellent reasons, the means of humbling the Iroquois, and causing them to respect the French ; the exclusion of the English com- merce and consequent French domination, and their in- creased profit by ti-ading for different fm-s. It is abso- lutely necessary to establish this post. "If the king approves this project, I will give you two hundred chosen men, of different trades, with six companies of soldiers, in order that the place may be in 90 . EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Iroquois— Enmity of the Jesuits — Cadillac receives orders to found Detroit. a condition to liold the Ii'oqiiois in subjection in time of peace, and to destroy them if they wish for war; and particularly that om- allies may be secure un- der this protection. Therefore, prepare yourself to re- turn to Canada, and commence the establishment of Detroit. La Motte. " I will go, since you command me, but I shall find many difficulties to overcome in the accom- plishment of this enterprise, as the Jesuits of that coun- try are, personally, my enemies. Count. " Only go, do not place yourself in difficulty ; vigorously prosecute this aflair, and if you find obstacles which prevent your success, you have only to return and render me an account of them." After some time, M. de la Motte Cadillac was again summoned into the presence of Count Pontchartrain, who remarked : " The king has examined your project, and has given me orders to send you back, without delay, to take prompt possession of Detroit, wishing you to command there mitil fm-ther orders. You will, therefore, depart immediately for Rochefort, whence you will embark. "Pardon me, sir," replied La Motte, " but I beg you will take into consideration the expense of the two pain- ful voyages I have already made, which have exhausted my own pm-se and the liberality of my friends ; also, the EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 91 Commission from the King— Returns to Quebec— Arrives at Detroit. expenditures I shall be obliged to make in perfecting this establishment." " I will take care of you ; only pursue such a coui'se as will insure you success," said the count. " Provided I am supported by the honor of your protection, I am sm-e of perfecting this work," was La hi^i»(i i^ Motte's enthusiastic rejoinder. -—"^TfZ^n^i^^ Count Pontchartrain then presented him with a com- ^t/'^'y^ mission as commandant, and a grant from his majesty, W y Louis XIY., of a tract of land, fifteen acres square, "wherever on the Detroit the new fort should be es- tablished." M. Cadillac arrived at Quebec on the 8th of March, 1701 ; thence he proceeded to Montreal, where he was occupied until June in making the necessary prepara- tions for his expedition. He left La Chine on the 5th of June, with fifty soldiers, and fifty Canadian traders and artisans. His officers were M. de Tonti as captain, and Messrs. Dugue and Chacomacle as lieutenants. A Kecollet priest accompanied the ti'oops as chaplain, and a Jesuit went as missionary to the Indians. Li com- pliance with the orders of the governor-general, he took the old route by the Ottawa river, and arrived at Detroit on the 24th of July, ITOl. The fortification erected by M. de Cadillac was noth- ing more than, a strong stockade of wooden pickets. 92 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN", First Fort— Detroit in 1701— Object of the Establishment The space inclosed was nearly square, with wooden bas- tions at each angle, only two of which seem to have been serviceable, according to M. d'Aigrement, who says — " there are two bastions, so small and of such irregular figure as to be of little use."* Within this inclosure, which was dignified with the name of Fort Pontchar- train, M. de la Motte caused a few log huts to be erected, the roofs of which were thatched with grass. Such was Detroit in 1701. As the principal object in the establishment of this post, as well as Forts Frontenac, Michilimackinac, and Saut Ste. Marie, was to secure to France the immense fur-ti-ade of the great Northwest, of necessity one of the first acts of the colonial executive at Quebec must have been to make such arrangements as would best promote the interests of the government, and at the same time most effectually guard against oppression on the one part, and disaffection on the other, among the ofiicers, subordinates, and traders, occupying points so remote from the capital. The most natural, and probably the most effectual method of accomplishing these objects, would be the •■■= The first fort erected at Detroit inclosed the portion of ground ex- tending from where the house of Mr. Joseph Campau now stands, on Jefferson Avenue, to a few feet below Shelby-street, and thence to Wood- bridge-street, which was then very near the margin of the river. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 93 Organization of the Company of the Colony of Canada. organization of the traders, occupying any sucli post, into a company with certain privileges and restrictions. In. accordance with this universal business principle, a com- pany was formed by the merchants interested in the trade at Fort Frontenac and Fort Pontchartrain, known as the " Corai3any of the Colony of Canada," and the following contract was duly confirmed at Quebec, Oc- tober 31st, 1701 : "COMPANY OF THE COLONY OF CANADA. '"''Contract made with the Company of the Colony of Canada concern- ing Fort Frontenac and Detroit^ to enable said Company to traffic for beaver and other peltries^ in conformity to the agreement made in a contention held at Quebec^ October 31s^, 1701. " Before the royal notaries, at Quebec, in "Eqw France, appeared M. le Chevalier Callieres, lieutenant- governor for the king in this country of New France, and Monsieur Champigny, administrator of justice, po- lice, and revenue of the said country, who testify that, in consequence of orders which they have this year re- ceived from his majesty, to intrust to the Company of the Colony of this said country the posts of Detroit and Fort Frontenac, there was held at the Chateau St. Louis, in this city, on the eighth of the present month, a general assembly of all the inhabitants of this country who have a deliberative voice in the said company, that all the arrangements might be made in their presence, 94 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Contract of the Colony — Seven Directors-general. if the company should decide to accept the said posts of Detroit and Fort Frontenac. " There were present at this assembly the seven direc- tors-general of the said company, the governors of Mon- treal and Three Rivers, many civil and military officers, and the merchants and other inhabitants interested in the company. " After mature deliberation, the result was declared to be the acceptance of these posts by the company, for the purposes of trade in beaver and other j)eltries, to the entire exclusion of all j^nvate individuals, who are now, or may hereafter become, residents of that country ; and that the act of said acceptance shall be j)assed between the governor-general and intendant, and the directors- general of the said company. "In consequence of said decision, the following arti- cles of agreement have been made between the governor- general and intendant on the one part, and Messrs. d'Auteuil, procureur-general of the king in the sovereign council of this countiy, Lotbinieres, lieutenant-general of this city of Quebec, Irazeur, Gobin, Macart, and Pierre, gentlemen, merchants of this city of Quebec, all directors-general of the said company, on the other part. " Be it known, that the governor-general and intend- ant, in consequence of the express ordere which they have this year received fi'om the king, do, l^y these pres- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 95 Exclusive traffic in Furs ceded to tlie Corapany— Eadisson and Arnault overseers. ents and acceptances, in the name of His Majesty, cede and convey to the directors of the said Company of the Colony the said posts of Deti'oit and Fort Frontenac, giving into the possession of the said Company of the Colony, from this day forth, the said posts in the state in •which they now are, for their use, to traffic in fm's, to the exclusion of all other inhabitants of said country, so long as it shall please His Majesty. " It shall be the duty of the said company to complete the construction of the fort at Detroit, and the buildings properly belonging thereto; and the company shall in future keep said fort and buildings in good repair, that they may be maintained and rendered in the same state in which they are now, and better, if possible, whenever His Majesty shall judge proper to receive them, if in the course of time he so order. " The Company of the Colony is also to take charge of the goods which have been sent to the said place, obey- ing the conditions that have been agreed upon — Messrs. Eadisson and Arnault to be overseers of the storehouse of the said goods which the intendant has placed in the hands of the directors of the company. They are also to have charge of the other advances made by the king for this establishment, and to make payment for the said goods, and advances to the intendant from the first bills which shall be retm-ned from Detroit ; and in case said 96 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Bills of Exchange— King's gift to poor Settlers— Garrison supported by the King. bills should not be sufficient, on the first of October, 1702, the said overseers shall give bills of exchange for the remainder, which shall be drawn uj)on the director and commissioners of said company in Paris, payable to the securities and overseers of the storehouses, for the purpose of liquidating the claims against the said com- pany, conformably to the agreement made with the said lord-lieutenant. " The intendant shall deduct fi-om the amount due, six thousand livi-es, French money, being the gift ordered by His Majesty for the support of honest families in this country who may need assistance. " The payment of the said sum of six thousand livres shall be made by the said company every year, on the said first of October, so long as it shall enjoy the com- merce of the said j)ost of Deti^oit. "It is also agreed that the king shall support, at his expense, the garrison which the governor shall order for the protection of the said fort of Detroit, and that the* commandant and one other officer only, shall be main- tained by the company. "The said commandant and soldiers shall not make any trade for furs with the savages nor French, directly nor indirectly, under any pretext whatever, under pain of confiscation of the said fm's, and other pmiishment prescribed by the king. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAIJ'. 97 Transportation of Goods by the Company — Fort Frontenac — Inventory of Goods. "Moreover, tlie said company binds itself to cause to be conveyed from Monti-eal to Detroit, at its own expense, the provisions and other articles which His Majesty shall furnish to the said garrison, with the help of fifteen livres per hundred weight, which the intendant shall cause to be paid from the treasuiy of His Majesty to the comjjany. " In regard to Fort Frontenac, it will remain as it now is, fully and entirely at the disposal of His Majesty, un- less the company can advance some better claim than that of placing deputies there to make commerce in furs for their profit, to the exclusion of all others. " Until His Majesty's orders shall be received, the deputies shall be lodged, and their goods stored, in the storehouses of the fort, as the magazine guard and the goods of the king have been heretofore. There shall be made an inventory of all the effects which shall be found at the said fort, for the commerce of the said place, after the return of the last convoy for this year, which effects shall remain for the company, who shall be bound to pay for them at the price ex- pressed in the invoice and statement which is in the hands of the intendant. The said amount to be paid during the year 1702, fi'om the returns of the commerce ; and in case that the said returns shall not be sufficient, the balance shall be paid in bills of exchange, which shall 98 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Fort Frontenac — Exclusive Fur-trado secured to the Company — Provisions of Contract be drawn upon the said commissioners of the said com- pany, and its director in Paris. "The said company shall be required to pay the sum of seven livi-es and ten sous, French money, per hundi'ed weight, for the transportation of effects from Montreal to the said fort; and the said company enjoying, as hereinbefore stated, the privilege of trading for furs at the said place of Fort Frontenac, exclusive of all others, will be required to transport to the said Fort Frontenac the articles necessary for the subsistence of the garrison of the said place, confomiably to the orders of the king, contained in his dispatches of the present year. Tlie commandant, officers, and soldiers which the governor- general shall hold thej'e in garrison, shall make no trade, directly or indirectly, on pain of confiscation of their fiu's, and other punishments prescribed by the laws of the king, until the agi'eement be revoked. " Executed and conveyed at Quebec, Chateau St. Louis, in the forenoon of the thirty-first day of October, 1701, the said gentlemen interested and the notaries having signed at the time, the agreements remaining in the ofhce of M. de ChambloUy one of the notaries." CHAPTER V. Difficulty between the Jesuits and Franciscans — Character of M. Ca- dillac — Letter to Count Pontchartrain — ^Account of religious affairs — Eemoval of the savages to Detroit— Hurons — Miamis — Messages from the Outawa-Sinagos aud Kiskakons — Necessity of presents to the sava- ges — Trade in buffalo-skins — Mulberry-trees on Grand river — Fine harvest at Detroit — Indian chiefs wish to visit Fi-ance— Plan to form a company of Indian soldiers — Establishment of a seminary for the savages — Settlement by the Canadians — Cadillac complains of the large number of " permits" — Massacre of the Miamis by the Sioux — Other Indian difficulties arising from the "permits." The directors of tlie " Company of tlie Colony" were Jesnits, and it was by their solicitation, aided by the united petition of the Jesuit missionaries already estab- lished in different portions of the Korthwest, that they succeeded in obtaining from the governor-general the appointment of Father Yaillant to accompany M. de la Motte Cadillac, and establish himself as missionary at Detroit. M. Cadillac was a zealous Catholic, as his correspond- ence abundantly testifies ; but he was a Franciscan, and a cordial hater of the Jesuits. This fact was undoubt- edly well known, as he did not hesitate to speak liis sen- timents in his official letters, and in his private corre- spondence; and a disposition to thwart his plans and 100 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAISr. Character of M. la Motte Cadillac — His voluminous M8S. purposes was soon manifested by that j)Owerful and com- pletely organized body. Many of tbe difficulties which subsequently arose in the colony, are clearly traceable to these personal dislikes. M. de la Motte Cadillac was a bold, ambitious, enthu- siastic man ; somewhat visionary in his plans, prompt in action, fearless in speech, and of that decided cast of mind that always gives its possessor many enemies. Yet he was kind-hearted ; and, if the decision of a supe- rior court is any evidence, more fi-equently right than wrong in the course he pursued in the management of the affairs of the colony. A man's writings usually contain the impress of his mind, at least in a sufficient degree to enable one to judge quite correctly of his habits of thought, and thence to infer, with some certainty, his general course of con- duct. Tlie voluminous MSS. of M. la Motte are deeply interesting. They give the reader a more correct idea of the man as he was, than any mere individual opinion could do, while a life-like picture of those early scenes is here preserved, which would otherwise have been lost in oblivion. The following letter, addressed to Count Pontchar- train, shows the state of the colony two yeai-s after its settlement, and details the plans of the zealous com- mandant for its futiu-e welfare : EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 101 Letter to Count Pontchartrain — Jesuits — Superior of Quebec. "FoKT Pontchartrain, Aug. 31, 1703. " MoNSEiGNEUK : — I had the honor to write you, last year, a full account of all the affairs of this post ; and I write you again, not knowing what an'angements you may have made concerning it. "Doubtless you have noticed the regulations which were made by M, le Chevalier de Callieres, between Rev. Father Bouvert and myself, while I was at Quebec, and have supposed that all its stipulations were fulfilled on both sides. "These regulations prove, with evidence, the oppo- sition which the Jesuits in this country have raised against the settlement of the savages at this post ; and I did hope that they would keep the promises which they made by public compact. "You had the kindness to write me that the king wishes the savages to be served by the Father Jesuits ; and that the Superior of Quebec would give me those who would enter into my plans better than did Father Vaillant. " One would suppose that your orders would have sufficed to engage the services of the Superior in pro- viding for this mission immediately; especially when you had so kindly favored him by permitting Father Yaillant to remain in this country after opposing, as he did, the intentions of His Majesty. 102 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Account of Religious affairs — Salary of Missionaries. " The regulations of M. Callieres seem also to require him to provide for the missions, as it is clearly ex- pressed there. Yet yon will see that till now, the Jesuits have done nothing towards executing the in- tentions of His Majesty, though you have plainly ex- j)ressed them to M. de Callieres and the Superior of Quebec, and have also been pleased to inform me of them. " I do not know whether you have been informed that, in consequence of these regulations, the Company of the Colony have agreed to pay to the missionaries on the Detroit, the yearly sum of eight hundred francs each, and furnish them with necessary food and clothing, to be transj)orted to their stations at the expense of the com- pany ; lodging them in the villages of the savages until more commodious houses can be erected for them. " I am satisfied, on my part, in regard to the meas- ures they have taken ; and the company seems to be satisfied on its owa part, having this spring, in con- formity to the regulations, sent an express canoe for Father Marest, Superior of Michilimackinac. He pre- tended to have very important reasons for not coming here ; and the company iucm-red the expense of the voyage to no pm"j)ose, as they had before done for Father Yaillant. " You wished me to be a friend of the Jesuits, and to EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 103 Cadillac's opinion of tlie Jesuits — Immigration of the Sauteurs and MississaguSs. have no trouble with them. After much reflection, I have foimd only three ways in which this can be accom- plished : the first is, to let them do as they please ; the second, to do whatever they desire ; and the third, to say nothing of what they do. " If I let the Jesuits do what they please, the savages will not establish themselves at Deti-oit ; nor would any of them ever have settled here. If I do what they would desire, it will be necessary to have this post abandoned ; and if I say nothing of what they do, it will only be necessary for me to pursue my present course. Notwith- standing this last essential point, I cannot yet engage them to be my friends. " It is for you, my lord, to say whether you wish me to continue to induce the savages to establish themselves here, that this post may be preserved and sustained with eclat. If these are your sentiments, as I believe they are, perhaps I am the proper person to cany your plans into execution. But, I dare say to you, that the opinions of the Jesuits in this country are totally opposed to yours, at least on this point. " All these things have not prevented the Sauteurs and Mississagues from coming here again this year, to build a village on this river. By my advice, these two nations have united into one. I judged this proper, thinking their union would be better for themselves, and 104 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Hurons of Michilimackinac — Father Carheil. for us, if any rupture should occur between these colo- nies and their enemies. " Thirty Hurons of Michilimackinac arrived here on the 2Sth of June, to unite themselves with those already established here. There remain only about twenty-five at Michilimackinac. Father Carheil, who is missionary there, remains always firm. I hope, this fall, to pluck out the last feather of his wing, and I am persuaded that this obstinate old priest will die in his parish, without having a single parishioner to bury him. " Several small bands of the Miamis have established themselves here, and also a few of the Nepisserinieux ; some have joined tlie Hurons, and others the Outawas, and the Oppenagos, or Loups. " The remainder of the Outawa-Sinagos, who are still at Michilimackinac, have sent me a necklace, in secret, to tell rae they will come to join their brothers at De- troit, after they have gathered in their harvest. Six wigwams of Kiskakons have sent me the same mes- sage. I have replied, by necklaces, that I was going to mark out the land where they could make their fields. " This proceeding on the part of the savages, shows how much the Jesuits intimidate them, by causing the apprehension to creep into their minds that some bad trick will be played upon them if they come here. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 105 Six thousand Francs— Presents for Savages— Supply of Goods necessary. " "When it pleases you that I should make an entire reunion of our allies at this place, it will be very easy to accomplish it ; though on account of the extraordinary war of Canada, it will now be necessary to hare about six thousand francs placed at my disposal, to be em- ployed as I judge expedient, for the success of this enterprise ; and of which I will give an exact ac- count to M. de Callieres, and M. Beauharnais, the in- tendant. " I have already had the honor to write you concern- ing the presents and necklaces which we give the sava- ges. These are especially given to induce their trans- migration^ and are, to them, pledges of our fidelity to the promises we make them ; and are titles which give them the right to possess, or abandon, as contracts do among civilized people. / " You know that, to this day, the company have not contributed a farthing for gifts, to put the savages in motion. It is true that they have placed in my hands a considerable stock of goods, to give an appearance of prosperity to this establishment, without cost to the king ; and I believe they have reason to be satisfied with my management, since it is certain that they have rather gained than lost. I am better informed concerning this than any one else ; at any rate, if they complain of the expenses which it has been, or may be, necessary to in- 106 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, Cadillac pledges Indemnification — Desires some Service as proof of liis Sincerity. cur to sustain this post, I willingly pledge myself to in- demnify tliera, and to ui'ge on affairs here as your High- ness may desire. " If you doubt it, I will, whenever you please, give you such proof, that I dare flatter myself you will fully believe my statement. " If this portion of the country had not been excluded from commerce, it would have fortified itself, " I think the shortest way by which I could inspire you with confidence, would be by actual service. Have the kindness to employ me in some enterprise, and sus- tain me with the honor of your protection ; and if, in spite of all the malice and trickery of my enemies, I do not succeed, never use me again. " My enemies are continually attempting to overthrow my plans, or at least to produce vexatious delays, by presenting numerous arguments against them, represent- ing the obstacles to be insurmountable, while I am em- ployed in proving the fallacy of their objections. " I do not know that the trade in buffalo-skins could be sustained, on account of the contempt in which they are held by the company. They do not pay the savages for them more than six francs a-piece. This does not please the hunters, because a package of hides, weighing two hundred and fifty or three hundred ]30unds, must be transported from three to four leagues inland, which EARLY HISTORY OF iMICHIGAN". 107 Copper on Lake Huron— Facilities for obtaining the Ore — Plan of Exploration. tliey find too much labor. Tliey tlierefore prefer to em- ploy themselves in hunting beavers and other animals, whose skins are lighter and easier to transport. " If the company does not increase the price of buffalo- skins, I think the savages will follow this chase only at a time when they can obtain no other furs. " "We have found a mine of copper on Lake Huron, of which I send you a specimen, w^hich seems to me very pure. I have sent as much to M. de Callieres, and to the directors of the company, in order that they may take measm'es to know if it is sufficiently abundant to induce them to make an enterprise of it. The conveni- ences would be great, as the boats, and even the vessels could go to the places where it is, not being very far distant from this post. " If you will permit me to explore the mines in the neighborhood of the lakes and rivers, I will devote my- self to the exploration, visiting the different localities in person, that you may be more certainly informed of the facts. I am not able to incur the expense, but will only ask permission to choose for this enterprise twelve capa- ble men, in Canada, who shall have the liberty to carry goods to the amount of four hundred francs each, and no more, into the places which they shall visit. In con- forming myself to your wishes, I will close the mouth of all my enemies. By this means, perhaps, there will 108 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Mulberry -trees on Grand Eiver — Cultivation of Silk — Abundant harvest. remain to the euvious, only the vexation of seeing me succeed. " In any case, this attempt will cost nothing to the king, nor to the public ; consequently, they will have little ground of complaint. " The Grand river, so called, on Lake Erie, near the farther extremity, is about fifteen leagues from here ; and along its shores, and extending into the depths of its forests, are great numbers of mulberry-trees ; the land is also perfectly good. If you will have the kindness to grant me six leagues on each side of the river, and as much in the forest, in title of marquisate, with the rights of hunting, fishing, and trade, I wall undertake the cul- tivation of silk, by having people come from France who understand the business, and who will bring with them the necessary quantity of silkworms. Should you grant me this kindness, I will take measures to have them come by the first vessels, in order that they may arrive here before winter. "As to trade, I will not make any tiU after the lease of the company expires. " We have made a fine harvest this year, and have abundant supplies for a garrison of one hundred and fifty men, but I do not believe we shall be at that trou- ble, on account of the objections that are made to giving me soldiers. EAELY HISTOllY OF MICHIGAN. 109 Military importance of Detroit — Chief of the Hurons — Indian soldiers. " I have contented myself with asking for only fifty effective men ; they left me but twenty-five, and I do not know as they will grant me even the additional twenty-five. I beg you to order M. de Callieres to grant me fifty more next year, that this garrison may be com- posed of one hundred effective men. "This post should be equal to all emergencies, not only on account of our enemies, but also on account of our allies, whom it is necessary to hold in abeyance. It would be still better if you would send me some troops from France. " The principal chief of the Hurons, who is very absolute in his nation, told me to write to you that he would be very glad to go to France, to assm'e His Majesty of his fidelity, and of his earnest desire to engage in the French service. He proposes to form a company of fifty men, of his nation, provided the French will make him captain, and give him a lieu- tenant and ensign. He also requires that we should pay him and his soldiers, by the month, the same wages that the oflScers and soldiers of the army are paid in this country. "Tliere is another chief, of the same nation, who ob- ligates himself to do the same thing. They beg of you also to give them a passage on a vessel, to visit the king. I believe they intend to have a hunting expedition for 110 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Message of the Outawa Chief— Indian soldiers — Chiefs request Clothing, &c. the purpose of obtaining furs for a present to yourself, as an expression of their good-will. " The prmcipal chief of the Outawas, who is one of the noblest looking men I have seen among all these nations, and who is Frenchified in his habits, requested me to write you, that he also is anxious to visit you, but his age will not permit him to take so long a journey. However, he will send his nephew, with another friend, to France, to offer his services to the king. If His Ma- jesty wishes to incur the expense, I think it will be the best means by whicli to secure the entire subjection of these two nations. " I think it would be necessary to spare these Indian soldiers a little in the beginning, and only oblige them to do military duty once a month, when they would be reviewed with the other troops. It might even be expe- dient to release them entirely from military duty for three months during the winter, when they are engaged in hunting ; but it would be necessary to be very exact in paying these companies every month. "Tlie chiefs who propose to form these companies, wish to have standards and clothes like the other sol- diers; and they hope you will also furnish them with arms. They have assured me that they would obey me in all things pertaining to the service of the king, and have also promised obedience to all others who are EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAISr. Ill Residence of the Huron Chief— Outawa Chief visits Montreal. commissioned by him. I have fully explained to them how they must behave as soldiers, and especially that they would be expected to exercise a spirit of subordina- tion. They expressed themselves satisfied with all my instructions. "None need be astonished at their ready acquies- cence, for all men, in whatever state they are born, lack neither vanity nor ambition ; and there are always enough who are anxious to make themselves esteemed and renowned among their fellow-men. " The chief of the Hm-ons is already so inflated by this proposition, that he has requested M. de Callieres to cause him to live in French fashion. I received an order, when in Quebec, to build him a house of oak, forty feet long, and twenty-four feet wide. This house is delightfully situated on the margin of the river ; it stands on a little eminence, and overlooks the village of the Hurons. His example has induced- the chief of the Outawas to go to Montreal, to ask the same favor of M. de Callieres. He has not yet returned, but, without doubt, his request will be granted. " You will perceive, by what I have written, that my plans seem to be working well. My opinion is, that these things are the most sure to render this people per- manently subject to the king, and afterward to make them Christians. These projects will have a better eifect 112 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAK Good results of the efforts of the Missionaries — Indian Seminary needed. than the preaching of the missionaries, since it is certain that thej do not make any progress, and that all the good they do, is that which arises from the baptism of those children who die after having received it. " Permit me to insist npon the great necessity there is for the establishment of a seminary at this place, for the instruction of the children of the savages with those of the French — instructing them in piety, and, at the same time, teaching them our language. "The savages, being naturally proud, seeing their children placed among ours, would dress them in the same manner, and make their attendance at the semi- nary a point of honor. It is true that it would be neces- saiy, at first, to allow these little savages great liberty, and only confine ourselves to the design of civilizing them, and rendering them capable of receiving instruc- tion ; and leave the rest to Him who made the heart. " This expense would not be very great ; I believe if His Majesty would grant a thousand crowns to the sem- inary at Quebec, that institution would commence this pious and holy work. Those gentlemen are so full of zeal for the service of God, and of charity for all that regards the subjects of the king in this colony, that we cannot help admiring them. All the country is under inexpressible obligations to them for the good education they give the youth, together with their good example EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 113 Cadillac pledges himself for the future Support of the Seminary — No lack of Hunters. and docti'ine. It is these efforts which have produced very good subjects in the service of the Churcli in Kew France. " I think you cannot commence this work too soon, and, if you object to it on account of the expenses which may arise afterward, I will pledge myself to raise, in this country, the amount necessary to continue to the savages this gratification, without any farther cost to the king. " There is no reason to fear that savages will be want- ing to do the hunting necessary to supply beaver and other furs. There are many nations in the vicinity of the lakes, and in the depths of the immense forests, who will never, perhaps, be i*eached by civilization, quite sufficient to kill all the animals whose furs are useful in trade. " If these nations immediately around us are brought into subjection to the service of the king, in the manner I have proposed, it would not prevent them from doing their hunting at the proper time. These things will only bring them into a state to be Frenchified, and en- able them to take arms in the service of the king, when he shall need them. " One can easily perceive that if the savages were to-day upon the proposed footing, it wonld be of great advantage to the colony ; since it is certain that, at the first beat of the drum, we could place under arms those 114 EARLY HISTORY, OF MICHIGAN. Advantages of firm Union with Indian allies— Decisive Orders necessary. savages who are disciplined, and their example would easily attract all the rest to follow them, and do like them. Thus, in the present war, these people, if united with us, would make incursions and terrible inundations upon the English colonies. Instead of that, they are divided among themselves, and are content to see us do, while we are only too happy if we can continue to hold them in that state. "I foresee that there will be many objections to the plans which I have the honor to lay before you. I can- not prevent them, but can only assure you that the plans shall succeed if you wish. " To come to the point, it will be necessary for you to send good orders, very decisive and exact, and to speak a little with the great teeth. " If these plans were jDroposed by some one who has the protection of the Jesuits, they would have an ex- cellent relish for them, and nothing would appear more easy to be put in execution. But, because I have not consulted them, or rather, because I have not been dis- posed to allow myself to be treated as a slave, as some of my predecessors were, who commanded in this coun- try, they represent as impossible every thing that I pro- pose. It seems to me, nevertheless, that if the Count would pay attention to these plans which I have the honor to present, and of which M. de la Touche is EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 115 Synopsis of Memorial— Change in the Fur-trade. well-informed, it could be clearly seen whetlier I reason wisely or extravagantly. "I will not repeat the different designs I have pre- sented to the Count, I will only speak of Detroit. When I had the honor to present my memorial to you, remem- ber, if you please, what trouble there was on account of the too great quantity of beaver, for which they could not find sale in France. The old traders complained that, on this account, they would not be able to sustain their lease. I mentioned this in my memorial, asking for the establishment of Detroit, and pledged myself to employ the savages in hunting other animals, such as the deer, the wild goat, the Canadian elk, the roebuck, the black bear, and the wolf, together with the lynx, otter, pecquans, and other small furs, for three years, without hunting the beaver, in order that they might, by this means, have time to sell a considerable quantity of the furs already amassed. I have so far executed what I promised, that there have been sent out from Detroit only about eight thousand beaver-skins in three yeare ; and the surplus trade has been of large skins and small fiu'S. The books of the company show that this fact is indisputable. " The second design that I had in projecting this es- tablishment, was not so much to have another post for commerce, as to afford a protection to commerce ; since 116 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Good garrison indispensable — Grants of Land to Soldiers — Canadians. from this place we can go by canoe to all the nations that are aronnd the lakes. It is a door by which one can go in and out, to trade with all our allies. " I confess that to give success to this establishment, it will be necessary to make it a substantial post; to keep here a good garrison, to give the liberty to settle here, and not to allow any other establishment in the upper country. " As several of the soldiers desire to establish them- selves in this place, and for this purpose have asked of me grants of land, have the kindness to inform me if you wish me to comply with their request. They would take the confirmation of the grant from M. de Callieres and M. de Beauharnais. " Do you wish the soldiers to marry here, when they shall be in a condition to support a family ? I think it would be policy to settle a certain number of them every year. " Be pleased also to inform me if you wish dwelling- places granted to the Canadians : there are several who persecute me continually for them. " It is for you to speak decidedly on this point, for I cannot conceal from you that the company do not wish to do any thing about it. They pretend that this emi- gration would weaken the posts on this side of Quebec and Montreal. As for me, I do not believe that forty or EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. IIT Inhabitants needed at Detroit — French Settlements — Jesuits. fifty men, more or less, in those larger places, would make much difference, or prevent the execution of any of their projects, while at this post they would, without doubt, be a great assistance. l!^othing can ever be ac- complished here without more inhabitants. Our allies, who are already established here, and those who are on the way, would soon consider it a bad omen, and draw vexatious inferences concerning the faithfulness of om* promises, as we have told them this should be a very considerable establishment. "Perhaps you are already aware that there are no French settlements in this country, even to the habita- tion of M. Juchereau,* where there are not Jesuits. Detroit is the only exception. As they express so much earnest zeal in serving the missions, this fact shows the good-will they have toward me. As they trouble them- selves so much with my affairs, I do not desire to see them here ; yet they should choose for themselves, and make known their decision, that measures might be taken to have other missionaries come. " It is proper that you should be informed that more than fifty years since, the Iroquois, by force of arms, di'ove away nearly all of the other Indian nations from * M. Juchereau' s was the most distant trading-post of the Northwest, and was, I think, at the western extremity of the coimtry of the Illi- nois, heyond Lake Michigan. 118 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Lake Superior region— Michilimackinac — M. Cadillac — Montreal. this region to the farther extremity of Lake Superior — a country five hundred leagues north of this post, and frightfully barren and inhospitable. About thirty-two years ago, these exiled tribes collected themselves to- gether at Michilimackinac, which is also an ungrateful land. There they were obliged to subsist principally upon fish, in the manner that I explained to you in a statement which I made when in France, and with which you had the kindness to tell me you were well satisfied. " It seems that God has raised me as another Moses to go and deliver this people from captivity, or rather, as Caleb, to bring them back to the country of their fathers, to their ancient dwelling-place, of which there remained to them but a faint idea. " Meanwhile, Montreal plays the part of Pharaoh ; he cannot see this emigration without trembling, and he arms himself to destroy it. But I hope the Count, no- ticing that he is a ferocious beast without a guide, and without light, will smooth my path, and break through the impediments only to inundate and submerge those who have the rashness to desire the overthrow of a de- sign so just. " The people of Montreal do not know what they ask. They have broken the scepter of their first king, who is God himself. They wished to reject, and even stone EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN'. 119 Iroquois abandon that region — Company of the Colony. Him, who caused exquisite food to be rained upon the most ungrateful lands, and broke the rocks to satisfy their thirst. " Of what do they complain, since the post of Detroit is established in an abandoned country, which has long remained in the possession of the Iroquois and the wolves ? " The Iroquois pursued the chase in all that region, and brought the beaver and small furs to the English. This is an indubitable fact, and one must be full of stubbornness to dispute it. I have, therefore, taken the right time to commence this establishment. The L*o- quois have entirely withdrawn, or if any remain, they ' are intermingled with our allies. All the hunting is done by our savages, and all the trade returns to us. It is, then, a benefit to the kingdom of France, and a som'ce of profit which we have torn from England. "Individuals have complained that the Company of the Colony have the sole profit. I do not deny it ; I leave them the liberty to clamor ; I only wish that they may have eyes to distinguish that it is not the fault of the establishment, nor of him who planned it. " I confess to some degree of boldness in coming to erect a trading-post for the company, in the midst of an ungoverned people. Tliey now begin to have some first ideas of subordination, but these will soon be ef- 120 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Commissioners — Cadillac's management of the Allies. faced, since the company have suddenly reduced them to the necessity of accepting whatever the commissioners feel disposed to give. The savages are also exposed to the insults of these commissionei'S of the company, who treat them according to their whim, or rather according to the brutal disposition which this kind of people usually possess. "I wish to believe that the affairs of the kingdom have induced the Count to adopt the present system for a time, with the intention of uniting this post to His Majesty's domain, after the lease has expired. It is in this belief that I have devoted myself here to the service ' of the king. In managing our allies, I endeavor to make them understand that this second captivity, or rather this barbarous t}^ranny, will soon end. I do not know whether all om* promises can induce them to be patient till that time. I fear that this kind of servitude will cause them to trade with the English, and form alliances with them. It will not be just to blame me if this should be the case. " If this establishment is bad, it would be well for the Count to decide its fate at once. I have spoken my opinion about it ; I have explained the circumstances of the case : you have been convinced of the necessity for erecting this fort, and its utility in the service of the kmg, the progress of religion, and the advancement of EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 121 Cadillac requests special Eegalations for his Post. the colony. It only remains for me now to imitate tlie governor of the Holy City — take water and wash my hands of the affair. " Had it been the pleasure of my lord to grant me the government of this colony, it would have been in my case as in all others. Cries and complaints would have been changed into congratulations and compliments; because those who envy me, and who, without cause, fear my advancement, have sufficient power to blacken all I do, with the desire to effect my removal ; while, if they saw their hopes frustrated, they would follow the ordinary course of people, and applaud the very project against which they had inveighed. " If you would yourself make the regulations for this post, instead of sending general orders to Canada, every thing would go much better; for, not being near the governor-general and intendant myself to urge my own claims, they always have some private reason for not granting me the protection which I ask of them. All this is done, in order to manage those who oppose me. It is not in my power to prevent this, whatever measures I may take. " They continue to send out traders among om- allies, under the plausible pretext of a continuation of the peiTnits. The traders, finding themselves at greater liberty now than ever before, are guilty of conduct 122 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAjST. Disgraceful Conduct of the Traders— Disaffection of the Allies — Robhery of M. Bonder. disgraceful to the French nation, and enormities are committed that deserve correction. These things cause great disaiiection among om- allies, which it will be difh- cult to remedy. "Last year thej sent M. Boudor, a Montreal mer- chant, into the country of the Sioux, to join Le Sueur. He succeeded so well in that jom-ney that he transported thither twenty-five or thirty thousand pounds of mer- chandise, with which to trade in all the country of the Outawas. This proved to him an unfortunate invest- ment, as he has been robbed of part of the goods by the Outagamies. I believed it necessary that you should be informed of this affair, that you might aj^ply a remedy. "The occasion of this robbery by one of om* own allies was as follows : I speak with a full knowledge of the facts, as they occurred while I was at Michilimackinac. From time immemorial, our allies have been at war with the Sioux; and on my arrival at Michilimackinac, in con- formity to the orders of M. Frontenac, the most able man who has ever come into Canada, I attempted to negotiate a truce between the Sioux and all our allies. Succeeding in this negotiation, I took the occasion to tm'u their arms against the Iroquois, with whom we were then at war ; and soon after, I effected a treaty of peace between the Sioux, and the French and their allies, which lasted two years. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 123 Sioux visit the Miamis — Take tlieir departure — Iteturn and massacre three thousand. " At the end of that time, the Sioux came, in great nnmbers, to the villages of the Miamis, under pretense of ratifying the treaty. They were well received by the Miamis, and after spending several days in their villages departed, aj^parently perfectly satisfied with their good reception, as they certainly had every reason to be. " The Miamis, believing them already far distant, slept quietly ; but the Sioux, who had premeditated the attack, returned the same night to the principal village of the Miamis, where most of the ti-ibe were congregated, and, taking them by surjDrise, slaughtered nearly thi-ee thousand, and put the rest to flight. " This perfidy irritated all the nations. They came to Michilimackinac with their complaints, begging me to join with them and exterminate the Sioux. But the war we then had upon our hands did not permit me to listen to their proposition, so it became necessary for me to hold a great coimcil, and play the orator in a long harangue. In conclusion, I advised them to ' weep their dead, and wrap them up, and leave them to sleep coldly till the day of vengeance should come ;' telling them that we must sweep the land, on this side, of the Iroquois, as it was necessary to extinguish even their memory, after which the allied tribes could more easily avenge the ati'ocious deed that the Sioux had 124 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Allies complain tliat the Frencli Traders carry Manitions of War to the Sioux. just committed upon them. In sliort, I managed tliem so well that the affair was settled in the manner that I proposed. " But the twentj-five permits still existed, and the cupidity of the French induced them to go among the Sioux to trade for beaver. Our allies complained bit- terly of this, saying it was gross injustice to them, as they had taken up arms in om* quarrel against the Iro- quois, while the French traders were carrying munitions of war to the Sioux, to enable them to kill the rest of om* allies, as they had the Miamis. They begged me to remedy this, esjDccially as the French were j)assing over their land and before their villages, which was a viola- tion of their rights. " I immediately informed M. Frontenac ; and M. Champigny having read the communication and noticed the reasons that I gave, commanded that an ordinance be published at Montreal, forbidding the traders to go to the country of the Sioux for the purpose of traffic, under penalty of a thousand francs fine, the confiscation of their goods, and other arbiti'ary penalties, according to the opinion which I might give on the subject. This ordinance was sent to me at Michilimackinac, with orders to publish it there, and in all the other remote posts. This was faithfully executed. " The same year I descended to Quebec, having asked EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 125 French traders carry goods to the Sioux— Cadillac reminded of his promise. to be relieved. Since that time, in spite of this prohibi- tion, the French have continued to trade with the Sioux, bnt not without being exposed to affronts and indignities from our allies themselves, which bring dishonor on the French name. " All the nations, remembering the promise which I made to go with them against the Sioux as soon as the war with the Iroquois was ended, have now called on me to fulfill it. As the season furnished me a good excuse, I have made use of it ; also telling them that to- day I was fighting against the English, and they must be patient a while longer. " They replied, that, if I would not enter into their quarrel, they had one request to make, which they hoped I would grant, namely, to prevent the French, as I did at Michilimackinac, from going, to the homes of the Sioux to carry them arms and munitions of war. Tliey thought I ought to be the more determined in my orders, as they had recently had a combat with the Sioux, and had found among the slain the bodies of two Frenchmen, who had fought with the Sioux against our own allies. "I have giv.en my opinion on this subject to M. Callieres and M. Beauhamais, and explained to them clearly that it is important that we should not thus vio- late our promises, and that we cannot do so without 126 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAIJ'. Cadillac requests that commerce with the Sioux be prohibited — Le Sueur. exposing ourselves to the danger of losing the confidence of our allies. I do not consider it best any longer to allow the traders to cany on commerce with the Sioux, under any pretext whatever, especially as M. Boudor has just been robbed by the Fox nation, and M. Juchereau has given a thousand crowns, in goods, for the right of passage through the country of the allies to his habita- tion. They assert that they have a right to demand this, as he carries succor to their enemies — and I believe they reason correctly. " The allies say that Le Sueur has gone to the homes of the Sioux on the Mississippi ; that they are resolved to oppose him, and if he offers any resistance they will not be answerable for the consequences. It would be well, therefore, to give Le Suem* warning by the gover- nor of Mississippi. "All these disorders arise solely on account of the remote trading-posts, which are all useless, or rather very injurious, since they serve only as pretexts for ob- taining permits. When these are obtained, instead of going directly to their several posts, they traffic for beaver and smaller furs along the great river of the Outawas, on the shores of Lakes Huron, Superior, and Michigan, and all through the country of the Outawas. It is thus they have been in the habit of doing, and still do. Messrs. de la Forest and De Tonti, and now Juche- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 127 Lawless conduct of the Canadians — Country of the Illinois granted tp La Salle. reau and Pascaucl, who are associated with them, ti'ade in all this countiy, even to the environs of Detroit. "These things cause public jealousy, and give license to all the pranks of the lawless Canadians, who say, without ceremony, that it is only the circumspect and obedient who are dupes. In truth, they are not entirely wrong ; for it is grievous to them to see the traders, with permits, skimming the very cream of the country, which had previously been given to themselves. I have "wfitten often on this subject, but a perfect silence has thus far been maintained in all my instructions from government. " You know that the country of the Illinois has been granted to M. la Salle, with stipulations and conditions, by none of which, however, did he consider himself bound; and that post has only served to cause many disputes among His Majesty's traders, on account of the bad quality of beaver there. This is the reason that the Count has forbidden Messrs. la Forest and Tonti to estab- lish themselves there, while, at the same time, he permits them to trade for small furs — which excites much siu*- prise, since it is well known that there are no other fure than the skins of the buffalo and roebuck. Of these, however, they can find enough elsewhere, as they have always had the liberty of trading where they pleased, without any reproof. 128 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. War between the Sauteurs, and Sacs and Foxes— Goods for presents withheld. " The Sauteurs, being friendly with the Sioux, wished to give passage through their country to M. Boudor and others, permitting them to carry arms and other muni- tions of war to this nation ; but the other nations being opposed to it, differences have arisen between them, which have resulted in the robbery of M. Boudor. This has given occasion to the Sauteurs to make an attack upon the Sacs and Foxes, killing thirty or forty of them. So there is war among this people. " I sliould have remedied all these disorders, and put an end to these differences, if I bad not been here with my hdton Manc^ witb no instructions from the king to employ it in favor of the savages, to whom we never speak on subjects of importance with empty hands. " Similar massacres have been committed formerly, but I have been able to settle all difficulties, because M. Fron- tenac sent me, every year, a considerable amount of goods, to be disposed of according to circumstances, the intendant taking certificates of the disti'ibutions as I made them. " Since his death, the government has pursued a dif- ferent course, sending me nothing to Detroit for sucb emergencies. I have wiitten to the governor-general and intendant for such a fund, but they have not deigned to reply. There being, in all this region, no other establishment than this, of whicb M. CalHeres has EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 129 Special envoys sent into the Wilderness — Perversion of the orders of Government given me tlie general command, this authority Mall be but a shadow, if they continue the practice that they have commenced, which is to send special envoys to the homes of the nations with presents. " These envoys cannot go without expense ; or, at least, the government must permit those who go on such an embassy to load their canoes with goods for the pur- poses of trade. The effect is, that these persons have no other object than to obtain the greatest possible number of beaver, even employing the presents with which they are charged, for their own profit, having no person to inspect their conduct. " It would be much more natural that all such com- missions should be addressed directly to Detroit, and that every thing should pass through my hands, because I should order the chiefs of the nations to come here and settle all their disputes. In regard to the distribution and use which I should make of the presents that might be committed to my care, I would give my certificate for them, and the other officers, the missionaries, and even the agents, might give theirs — so there would be no abuses committed. Besides, who can be chosen to settle the quarrels of the savages, that knows their man- ners, their habits and inclinations, better than I, or in whom they have more confidence ? "Would it not be exj)edient for you to send me a 130 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJ^. News of tlie death of M. ois, who will remain masters there as long as there are no troops. " Under existing circumstances it seems far better that the journey of M. Louvigny should be deferred until spring. If he should attempt the. journey this fall, he must leave between this and the 15th of next month — and should he be two months in ascending the river, as the canoes were last year, he would not reach Michili- mackinac before the 15th of November. The savages would then be hunting, and would not return till May, when they come to plant their corn ; and not till then could M. Louvigny hold a council "vvith them concerning the afiairs of the colony. " M. Louvigny could not undertake the journey at his 308 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Transportation of Troops too expensive in Autumn. own expense. Provisions and clotliing for himself and the troops, and presents for the savages, wonld require a considerable sum, and tliere are at present no funds, the storehouses are empty, and all kinds of merchandise are very dear. By waiting until spring, he would be able to supply himself from the stores which His Majesty will send this autumn. Besides, the principal object of the journey of M. Louvigny being the re-establishment of Michilimackinac — which has been delayed until the peace, because it was not considered expedient to weaken the colony during the war — it seems necessary, before proceeding further, to know the intentions of His Majesty. There must necessarily be great expense in- curred for the officers, for the garrison, and in presents to the savages, and if the project meet His Majesty's approbation, he will appropriate funds for that purpose. " Michilimackinac might be re-established without ex- pense to His Majesty, either by surrendering the ti-ade of the post to such individuals as will obligate themselves to pay all the expenses of twenty-two soldiers and two officere, to furnisli munitions of war for the defense of the fort, and to make presents to the savages. Or, the expenses of that post might be paid by the sale of per- mits, if the king should not think proj^er to grant an exclusive commerce. It is absolutely necessary to know the wishes of the king concerning these two propositions ; EARLY HISTOET OF MICHIGAN. 309 Conreurs des Bois a benefit to the Colony. and as M. Ligneiy is at Michilimackinac, it will not be any greater injury to the colony to defer tbe re-establish- ment of this post, than it has been for eight or ten years past. " The conduct of the coureurs des hois is an evil which has lasted a long time, and we muSt learn whether the king will grant them a general amnesty, or punish them according to the rigor of the ordinance, which is cor- poral punishment, and the confiscation of their goods. "Until this decision is made, their trading at Michili- mackinac will not injure the colony any more than if they pursued the same course elsewhere. It seems ne- cessary, in order to prevent the savages from going to trade with the English, where goods are cheaper than they are at Montreal, that our goods should be carried to them. Therefore, though the coureurs des hois de- serve punishment for disobeying the ordei"S of the king, no doubt the trade 'vhich they carry on with the nations is advantageous to the colony. This trade, during the war, has brought beaver and other furs to Montreal that would otherwise have gone to the English, had there been no French in the upper country. Besides, the prin- cij)al object being to prevent any intelligence passing between the Outawas and Iroquois, the French should caiTy all that the savages might need, lest they be at- ti'acted to the English, first by necessity, and afterward '/ 310 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Michilimackinac re-established in 1714. 1 7/3 ^^ ^^® cheajDness of their goods ; and it being impossible to prevent their going, the fur-trade in Canada, which is our principal dependence, would be ruined. The sav- ages would also array themselves against us in the first war, as they always take the part of those with whom they trade. "Written at Quebec, Sept. 20th, 1713. (Signed) "BEGON." There seemed good reasons for adopting M. Begon's suggestion, to defer sending men to Michilimackinac until another season ; but early in 1714, M, Yaudreuil dispatched the long-wished-for garrison and comman- dant. New life was thus given to the settlement, yet the French could not regain their influence over the savages. English goods were cheaper and more abundant, and the low state of financial affiiirs in France was alleged as the reason that the merchants of Quebec and Mon- treal did not receive a supply of goods equal to the de- mand. Hence, the largest portion of the northwestern fur-trade passed to the English. CHAPTER XVII. France cedes to England large portions of territory in New France — English attempt to conciliate the savages — Fail, through the influ- ence of Father Eafle, a French Jesuit — English set a price on the head of the priest — Savages exasperated — Make incursions upon the English — Destroy their crops, but spare life — Outagamies trouble the French — Tn 1716, M. Louvigny proceeds to their country and obliges them to capitulate — Hostages die of small-pox at Quebec — M. Lou- vigny again visits the country of the Outagamies — Official report of M. Tonti's return from Quebec to Detroit. By the ti-eatj of Utreclit, ratified April 11, 1713, France ceded to England a large extent of territory, comprising Nova Scotia or Acadia, and Port Royal, with all the adjacent country included in the ancient boundaries. Bancroft says : " On the surrender of Acadia to Eng- land, the lakes, the rivulets, the granite ledges of Cape Breton — of which an irregular outline is guarded by reefs of rocks, notched and almost rent asunder by the constant action of the sea — were immediate^ occupied as a province of France, and in 1Y14, fugitives from Newfoundland and Acadia built their huts along its coasts, wherever safe inlets invited the fishermen to spread their flakes, and the soil to plant fields and gar- dens 812 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. English and French contend for the favor of the Savages. " From Cape Breton, the dominion of Louis XIV. ex- tended up the St. Lawrence to Lake Superior, and from that lake, through the whole course of the Mississij^pi, to the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Mobile." While the hardy Canadians were forming new settle- ments in the inclement North, the attention of the Court of France was more particularly directed to the settle- ment of Louisiana. Treasures were lavishly expended in fitting out expeditions to that El Dorado, while the al- ready established posts of the whole northwest were left to stniggle on, almost unaided. After the treaty of Utrecht, no efforts were spared, on the part of the English, to conciliate the savages. The Abnaquais, who remained true to the French, continued to ravage New England. The English continued to use every means to win their favor, and among other pro- jects, they established a free-school at the mouth of the Kennebec, where the young Abnaquais could be boarded and educated without expense. But all in vain. Father Kafle, an active, zealous Jesuit, had long dwelt among them as missionary, and so strongly were they attached to him, that they followed his dictates in every respect. Enthusiastically attached to his country, as well as to his religion, he used every means to excite in the minds of the savages a continued hostility to the English. All remonstrances were unavailing. At last the Eng- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 313 Eeward oflfered for the Head of a Priest. lish attempted to gain possession of his person, and, fail- ing in that, they set a price upon his head. The savages were highly exasperated at this attack upon their favor- ite priest, and immediately sent out messengers to all their allies to meet them at Narrantsouak. From thence they made incursions upon the English settlements along the rivers, demolishing the houses and destroying the crops, but sparing the lives of the inhabitants. They took four or five prisoners, and held them as hostages to secure the lives of some of their messengers, who had been caj)tured and retained prisoners at Boston. Less forbearing than their savage enemy, the English broke down the fortifications about Narransouak, shot the ofiending missionary, burned the wigwams, and plundered the church. The destruction of this settle- ment, for a time, restored tranquillity to New England, but made the Abnaquais deadly foes to the British gov- ernment. The severe chastisement which the Outagamies re- ceived from the French in 1Y12, instead of subduing, only exasperated them. Their scouting-parties infested every line of communication between the distant posts, robbing and murdering the traders. So well did they succeed in their outrages, that the Sioux were induced to form an open alliance with them, and many of the Iroquois secretly favored them. Indeed, there seemed 314 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Expedition of the French against the Outagamios. to be great danger of a general conspiracy among all the Bavage nations against tlie Frencli. As the only means of safety, M, "Vaudreuil resolved upon the utter extermi- nation of the Outagamies. Accordingly, in the spring of 1716, an expedition was fitted out, consisting of an army of eight hundred men, under the command of M. ' Louvigny, lieutenant of Quebec. Proceeding to the countiy of the Outagamies, they found that nation in- trenched within a fort of palisades, evidently aware of the enemy's approach, and expecting no mercy. There were about five hundred warriors, and nearly three thousand women and children. M. Louvigny, having brought with him two or three small pieces of ordnance, commenced a formal siege. In spite of the governor-general's avowed determination to exterminate the Outagamies, he had given secret in- structions to M. Louvigny, not to j^rosecute the war any farther than was necessary to obtain advantageous terms of j)eace. After a few days' siege, the Outagamies de- sired to capitulate. Their terms were rejected, and the siege was continued until, at last, the savages were com- pelled to accept peace upon the terms proposed by the French. By one of these stipulations, six sons of six of the principal chiefs were delivered to M. Louvigny, as hostages, to secure their sending deputies to Montreal the ensuing year, to ratify the peace. A wi'itten treaty EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 815 Small-pox in Canada— Death of three Hostages. was made, coutaining the cession to the French of all the country of the Outagamies. It is probable the sav- ages were entirely ignorant of this clause in the treaty. Tlie following winter, the small-pox raged in Quebec and Montreal. Among the victims were the famous OutagAmie chief, Pemoussa, and three of the hostages. Fearing the consequences of this mortality, M. Vaudreuil wejit on the ice from Quebec to Montreal, to give orders to/M. Louvigny to set out for Michilimackinac at the Qarliest moment practicable. / M. Louvigny found it impossible to commence his ' journey till late in May, 1717. He took with him one of the surviving hostages, who had lost an eye by the small-pox, that he might convince his nation that his comrades had not died for want of care. Immediately after their arrival at Michilimackinac, the hostage and two French interpreters, well supplied with presents " to cover the dead hostages," were dispatched to the coun- try of the Outagamies. The deputation was very cor- dially received, and the Outagamies expressed their gratitude to Onontio for his forbearance toward their na- tion, and gave repeated assurances of a lasting peace with the French. They said that for certain reasons they could not wait on Onontio till the next year, but they would never forget their obligations to him. The hostage set out with the interpreters on their re- 316 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Breach of Faith — M. Tonti returns to Detroit. turn to Micliilimackinac, but, after traveling a few leagues, he left them, saying he must return home to make his countrymen keep their promise. "No more was heard of him, nor did the deputies make their ap- pearance at Montreal. The reason afterward given by the Outagamies for this breach of faith was, that " an enemy, provoked beyond a certain degree, could never become a reconciled friend." About the time that M. Louvigny started on his jour- ney to Michilimackinac, M. Tonti, commandant at De- troit, set out on his return to that post. An official report of his voyage was sent to M. Yaudreuil, bearing date October 12th, 1717. Tliis report was submitted to the Council of Marine, and, as was customary, a summary was made by the secretary, and approved by the coun- cil. The following copy throws a ray of light upon the state of affairs at Detroit at that time : " October 12tli, 1717. " At the same time that M. Louvigny left Montreal to . > go to Michilimackinac, M. Tonti also started for Detroit, '' the commerce of that post having been granted to him only on condition that he should not extend his trade be- yond his own jurisdiction, nor employ others to carry goods to sell to more distant tribes. " In conformity to the orders of the council, M. Tonti , EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 317 Savages go to Orange — Management of M. Tonti. took the route of the lakes, and met, on Lake Ontario, three canoes from Michilimackinac, three from Detroit, and three from Saginaw, which were going to Orange. He succeeded, by fair words and presents, in persuading them to follow him to Detroit. Two days later, when he was six miles from Niagara, he met seventeen canoes of savages bound for Detroit, but who were fii'st going to Orange. He induced them also to abandon their design, by the promise that the price of merchandise at Detroit should be diminished, and he would also give them some brandy. Ten canoes followed him to Detroit, and seven took the route to Montreal. L'Oranger, the interpreter, was dispatched to accompany these last, and prevent their going to the English. He was only able to con- duct six of them to Montreal ; the seventh escaped and went to Orange. " According to his promise, M. Tonti made satisfactoiy arrangements with the merchants. He also permitted the savages to buy two or three quarts of brandy each, to take to their villages. But they first agreed that it should be carefully distributed by a trusty person. He hoped the council would not disapprove of what he had done, nor of the continuance of the same com'se, as he had no other intention than merely to hinder the savages from going to the English. " M. Tonti arrived at Detroit, July 3d, and immedi- 318 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Council at Detroit — Complaints of the Savages. ately held a council with the nations which are estab- lished there, in order to engage the chiefs to come to Montreal, to testify concerning what had passed in the war with the Foxes ; but they were nnable to come, on account of an affair which occurred a short time before, which obliged them to remain in their own village. They have promised to come next year, without fail. They complained that the French had sold their goods too high, but they hoj^ed the change of commandant would reduce the prices ; if not, they should go to the English. M. Tonti then called a meeting of the merchants, and they all agreed upon a price for certain kinds of mer- chandise, with which the savages appeared satisfied. "The difficulty which hindered the principal chiefs from going from Detroit to Montreal, was caused by an Outawa of this post and four other savages. All five of them pretended to start on a war excursion against the Flat Heads ; but, while they were in the river of the Miamis, they killed an Iroquois and his wife, who was a Miami, and two children. This bloody deed would cer- tainly have caused a war, for the Iroquois and Miamis took the part of their murdered people against the Outa- was and other nations at Detroit. M. Tonti persuaded the nations at Detroit to join him and go to Saginaw for the murderers, and deliver them up to the Miamis. For this purpose the Outawas and Pottawatomies each sent a •■ EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 319 Difficulty between the Outawas and Miamis.. canoe, to which M. Tonti added one of the French, and placed the whole under the command of Lieut. Brage- lonne. The three mm-derers were arrested and brought to Detroit, where M. Tonti kept them in custody till he obtained news from the Miamis, to whom he immediately made known the satisfaction the Outawas were ready to Differ them. By this means, and by the presents which the nations of Detroit and even the French will make to the Miamis, M. Tonti hopes that nation will be concili- ated, and the war prevented. "Approved by the Council of Marine, January 18, 1718. "L. A. DE BOUKBON." CHAPTER XYIII. Chiefs of the three villages at Detroit assembled in council — Orders of M. Vaudreuil — Speech of Sastarexy, the Huron orator — Unusual state of tranquillity in all New France — Increased number of settlers at Detroit — Enlargement of the stockade — Barracks erected — Canada in 1725 — Commencement of "the old French war" — Extensive warlike preparations made in the colonies — Arrival of French and English fleets off the coast of Newfoundland — Quebec taken by the English — Montreal and all the French possessions in the northwest ceded to England— Major Eogers takes possession of Detroit — Lieut. Leslie takes possession of Michilimackinac — Description of Michilimackinac by Henry — Conspiracy of Pontiac — Massacre at Michilimackinac — Its reoccupancy — Kemoval of the fort to the island. Fkom 1717 to the close of 1721, there was a constant succession of difficulties between the French and the dif- ferent tribes of Indians. As soon as one " bad affair" was adjusted, some other real or suj)posed injury would call forth savage indignation and revenge. The forts at Detroit and Michilimackinac, though still maintained, were in a very low state, and, to the savages, were ob- jects of contempt rather than of terror. It is impossible to trace a connected chain of events at these posts, and only now and then can we find an isolated fact concern- ing them. On the 7th of June, 1721, M. Tonti, who still com- manded at Fort Pontchartrain, assembled the chiefs of EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 321 Council at Detroit — War proposed against the Outagamies. the three villages in the immediate vicinity of Detroit — Hui'ons, Ottawas, and Pottawatomies — and commnni- cated to them the orders of M. Yaudreuil, which he had just received. An important item in the business under debate, was a request from the governor-general to the three villages, to give their consent that no more brandy should be sold to them, as it had been expressly prohibited by the Council of Marine. It was also pro- posed that all the nations should unite with the French in a war against the Outagamies, who were again com- mitting depredations upon the more remote posts. This warlike tribe had also diiven the Illinois from their hunting-grounds on the Mississippi, and made dangerous the whole passage to Louisiana. According to custom, the chiefs required two days " to consider the words of Onontio," when they reassem- bled in vast numbers at the council-house, and Sastarexy, the great Huron orator, replied to Onontio in an eloquent speech. He remarked that the French had a perfect right to do as they might think proper about selling brandy to the savages; acknowledged that it would have been far better for them if the French had never taught them to use it ; and portrayed, in a vivid man- ner, the many evils it had brought upon all the nations ; but they had now become so much accustomed to its use that they could not do without it. Hence, it was easy 21 322 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Speech of Sastarexy — DifficuUlee with Outagamies adjusted. to infer tliat, if the French would not sell them their favorite beverage, they would obtain it of the English. In regard to the war with the Outagamies, he said nothing could be determined, except in a general coun- cil of all the nations which acknowledge the authority of Onontio. Perhaps all would be agreed in thinking a war necessary, but they would have great difficulty in again placing confidence in the French. All would re- member that, having once united the nations to assist in exterminating this enemy, the French had granted them peace without even consulting the allies, and without sufficient reason for such a proceeding. Soon after this council at Detroit, the difficulties with the Outagamies were adjusted. The Mississippi scheme lost much of the enthusiastic interest it had awakened in France, and, with the exception of occasional outbreaks among the Indians, which were soon quelled, for many years New France remained in a state of unwonted tranquillity. From this period until 1760, when the whole of the great northwest passed into the hands of the British, no veiy serious calamity of any kind befell the establish- ment at Detroit. As the number of settlers increased, the stockade that inclosed the town and constituted the fort, was enlarged and strengthened, until it inclosed eighty or one hundi-ed small houses, closely crowded to- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 323 Loss of the ship Camel — Death of M. Yaudreuil. geLlicr aud thatched with straw. Tlie new palisades were twenty-five feet high, having a wooden bastion at each corner. Over each of the two gateways a block- house was erected. Barracks for the soldiers were also built on the spot where the first rude fort was constructed in 1701. Near these barracks was the council-house. The only other public building was St. Anne's Church, a small rude structure. The sti'eets were very narrow, ex- cept a wide carriage-road called the cJiemin du roiide^ which encircled the town just within the palisades. In 1725, while all Canada was rejoicing in the rapid increase of its population and wealth, the loss of the French ship-of-war Camel, which was Avrecked near Louisburg, produced the utmost grief and consternation. Besides the desti'uction of the rich cargo, the whole colony mourn- ed the greater loss of many valuable lives. M. Louvig- ny, for many yeare lieutenant of Quebec, and afterward intendant of Canada, who had recently been appointed governor at Three Rivers, a son of the late governor of Monti'eal, a large number of colonial officers, and many ecclesiastics of all denominations, perished in the wreck. In the autumn of the same year, an additional calam- ity befell the colony, in the death of M. Yaudreuil, the governor-general. This sad event took place October 10, 1725. M. Yaudreuil had governed Canada for twenty-one years, to the general acceptance of the peo- 824 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Succession of M. Beauharnals — British colonial Army. pie, who deeply mourned his loss. He was succeeded in the government by M. Befiuharnais. The almost un- broken quiet of more than twenty years, though greatly enhancing the prosperity of the country, became at length very irksome to the restless spirit of the French. They had long been jealous of the rapidly increasing set- tlements of their English neighbors, and had often mani- fested their dislike by petty annoyances ; but, in 1746, they made such encroachments upon the undoubted property of the English, that the British government was aroused. By order of His Majesty James I., the Secretary of State required all the governors of the English colonies in America, to raise a large number of indej^endent companies of soldiers. The troops of 'New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, were to be formed into one corps, under the command of the Lieu- tenant-governor of Yirginia, Brigadier-general Gooch. The colonies were to furnish leyj money and provisions, and His Majesty was to bear the exj)ense of arming, paying, and clothing the troops. The army was to be aided by a suitable armament sent from Europe, and the whole to be under the command of General Sinclair. The object was nothing less than the entire subjugation of Canada. On their part, the French made equally extensive EAELY HISTOKY OF MICHIGAN. 325 French and English fleets — Commencement of War. preparations — collectiug troops, erecting new fortifica- tions, even within the British territory, and doing every thing in tlieir power to harass the English. In the mean time, the French and English commissaries were at Paris disputing about the claims of their respective nations, but bringing about no adjustment. At length the English government received intelligence that a French fleet was about to sail from Brest, bound to America. Accord- ingly, Admiral Boscawen was ordered to set sail with twelve ships-of-war, and watch their movements. This armament was soon after reinforced by six ships-of-the- line and a frigate, mider the command of Admiral Hol- bourne. The French king had instructed his ambassa- dor that, should the British show sio;ns of actine; on the offensive, intimation was to be immediately given that the firing of the first British gun would be considered by the French as a declaration of war. In due time. Admiral Boscawen arrived at ITewfound- land, and took his station off Cape Race. Soon after- ward M. Bois de la Motte arrived with the French squadron. On account of a dense fog, the English did not see the French fleet ; but two French vessels, named the Alcide and the Lys, being separated from the rest, were captured. About 8,000 francs were found on board. Thus commenced the war known as tlie old French "War, during whose sanguinary continuance the 326 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAlSr. Success of the English — Canada surrendered. name of "Washington was first recorded in the book of fame. For ten long years the war continued. "With the exception of that rashness which resulted in Braddock's defeat, the war was conducted with marked success to the English. Yet Canada could never be conquered while Quebec and Montreal, the strongholds of the Trench, still remained in their possession, and thither the English force was gathered — the lion in search of his prej. Every scene of the battle on the plains of Abraham, where fell the brave Wolfe, and his great adversary, the young and chivalrous Montcalm, is familiar as house- hold words. On the 18th of September, 1759, Quebec, " the rock-built citadel of Canada," passed forever from the hands of the French. Quebec, Niagara, Frontenac, and Crown Point, were now in the possession of the English ; but Montreal and the adjacent country still held out, and early in the year 1760, three divisions of the British army entered Canada at three different points, and, conquering as they went, converged toward Montreal. By a singular coincidence, all three reached the neighborhood of that city on the same day. The enfeebled and disheartened garrison could offer no resistance, and on the 8th of September, 1760, Montreal and all its dependencies were surrendered to the British crown. This capitulation included not only EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 827 English take possession of Detroit — French Commandant the surrender of Montreal and its immediate vicinity, but of Detroit, Micliilimackinac, and all other portions of Canada still in the possession of the French, On the 12th of September, 1T60, Major Eobert Kogers received ordere from General Amherst to advance, with a sufficient force, and take possession of Detroit, Michil- imackinac, and indeed all the northwest, and administer the oath of allegiance to the inhabitants. Dm-ing the war, the distant tribes of the northwest had continued allies of the French, and, as a consequence, Deti-oit and the other outposts in that region had remained unmo- lested. So entirely unacquainted with the progress of events were the soldiers, and even the officers, that Cap- tain Bellestre, commandant at Detroit, was at fii'st quite inclined to dispute the authority by which Major Rogers demanded the surrender of Fort Pontchartrain. Indeed, so sure was the French officer that the demand was in- formal, that he not only placed himself in a hostile atti- tude, but attempted to rouse the fmy of the Indians, by erecting on a pole an effigy of a crow pecking a man's head, representing the manner in which the French would treat the English if they continued to advance. At last, becoming satisfied by letters furnished by Major Rogers from the governor-general of Canada, that the fort must indeed be surrendered. Captain Bellestre, with ill-disguised chagrin, declared his garrison at the 328 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN-. Indian allies — French troops— Canadian inhabitants. disposal of tlie Englisli commander. The Frencla garri- son defiled upon the plain, and laid down their arms. The Canadian militia were called together, disarmed, and the oath of allegiance administered. The fleuv-de lis^ which had for sixtj years waved over this little for- tress, beneath whose folds had been acted many a stir- ring scene in life's drama, was lowered from the flag- staff, and the red cross of St. George became the symbol of the ruling power. With that facile transfer of favor which is everywhere paid to power, seven hundred Indians, but a few days since the fast allies of the French, now sent up a shout of exultation, and tauntingly signified that the English- man was the crow, and the French captain the victim. The French troops were sent as prisoners of war to Phila- delphia, and the Canadian inhabitants were permitted to retain their houses and farms, on condition of taking the oath of allegiance. Major Rogers, with a small de- tachment of troops, attempted to prosecute his journey to Michilimackinac, but the advanced season rendered this impossible. Leaving Captain Campbell in com- mand at Detroit, he set out on his return to Pittsburg, on the 23d of December, 1760. In the spring of 1761, the British troops, under the command of Lieutenant Leslie, took possession of Mich- ilimackinac, Green Bay, and the Saut Ste. Marie, and the EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 329 Michilimackinac in ITW — Description by Henry. whole northwest passed forever from under the dominion of France. The French troops gave place to the Eng- lish, and, as at Detroit, the cross of St. George floated where the fleur-de-lis had so long held sway. The jealousy of the Indians was excited by this change of rulers ; but the Canadian inhabitants, who had gathered within and around the fort at Michilimackinac, preserved their tranquillity, while the coureurs des hois were quite willing to enjoy the favors of their new allies. A fresh impetus was given to the fur-trade, by the reduced prices of English goods, and the whole trade at Michilimacki- nac was monopolized by fom" English traders. One of these traders, Alexander Henry, who arrived there just before the troops, and who was one of the few that escaped the massacre in 1763, thus describes the fort and its surroundings : "Fort Michilimackinac was built by order of the governor-general of Canada, and garrisoned with a small number of militia, who, having families, soon became less soldiers than settlers. Most of those whom I found in the fort, had originally served in the French army. Tlie fort stands on the south side of the strait which is between Lake Hm-on and Lake Michigan. It has an area of two acres, and is inclosed with pickets of cedar- wood ; and it is so near the water's edge that, when the wind is in the west, the waves break against the stockade. 330 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Defenses of the Fort — Inhabitants— L'Arbre Croche. " On tlie bastions are two small pieces of brass cannon, taken some jears since bj a party of Canadians who went on a plundering expedition against the posts of Hudson's Bay, wbich tliey reached by the route of the River Chm-chill. Within the stockade are thirty houses, neat in their appearance and tolerably commodious, and a church, in which mass is celebrated by a Jesuit mis- sionary. The number of families may be nearly equal to that of the houses, and their subsistence is derived from, the Indian traders, who assemble here in their voy- ages to and from Montreal. Michilimackinac is the place of deposit, and point of dej^arture, between the up- per and lower countries. Here the outfits are prepai-ed for the countries of Lake Michigan and the Mississippi, Lake Superior and the northwest ; and here the retm-ns, in furs, are collected and embarked for Montreal " At the entrance of Lake Michigan, and at about twenty miles to the west of Fort Michilimackinac, is the village of L'Arbre Croche, inhabited by a band of Otta- was, boasting about two hundred and fifty fighting men. L'Arbre Croche is the seat of the Jesuit mission of St. Ignace de Michilimackinac, and the people are partly baptized and partly not. The missionary resides on a farm attached to the mission, and situated between the village and the fort, both of which are under his care. The Ottawas of L'Ai'bre Croche, who, when compared EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 331 Disaffttction of the Indians — ^Delaware Prophet with the Chippewas, appear to be much advanced in civilization, grow maize for the market of Michilimacki- nac, where this commodity is depended upon for pro- visioning the canoes." Henry says Fort Michilimackinac and the Mission of St. Ignace were on the south side of the sti-aits, which is corroborated by the ruins still visible, while Father Ma- rest, M. Cadillac, and others, distinctly state that these places were on the north side. The exact period at which the change was eflPected, cannot be determined ; probably it took place at the time of the re-establishment of Michilimackinac by the French in 1714. The spirit of disaffection with which the Indian ti'ibes at first re- ceived their new rulers, was continually increased by the haughty and often unjust treatment of the English. Set- tlers took possession of the choicest hunting-grounds, without even a semblance of treaty or purchase. The Delawares and Senecas were most exasperated by these acts of aggression, and every means was used by the French to add fuel to the flame. A prophet arose among the Delawares. By his visions and intei'preta- tions he aroused the savage hordes, who had been brood- ing over their wi'ongs, but feared to avenge themselves. In 1761, an aboi-tive attempt was made to destroy the posts along the frontier. During the year 1762 many outbreaks occurred, but no decisive blow was struck. It 332 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Pontiac plans the destruction of the British forts. was then that Pontiac, a celebrated chief of the Otta- was, conceived a plot for the extirpation of the English aggressors. Comprehensive in design, and minute in detail, the scheme of Pontiac would have reflected honor on any civilized mind. He possessed courage, resolu- tion, a certain kind of wisdom, a quick perception and ready ada23tation, and the gift of convincing eloquence. His plans once perfected in his own mind, he persever- ingly addressed himself to their accomj)lishment. Ee- venge and ambition urged him on. With the close of the year 1762, Pontiac's arrangements were complete. Far and near he dispatched his swift messengers with gifts of tobacco and belts of wampum, to call the tribes to a great coimcil on the banks of the River Ecorces, a short distance from Detroit. The villages of Pontiac's tribe, the Ottawas, and the wigwams of the Hm-ons and Pottawatomies, his more immediate allies, were near the place of meeting. Hither came deputations from the Iroquois, Delawares, and Senecas of the east, and from the Illinois, and all the other numerous tribes of the northwest. The council fire was lighted, and the pipe of peace was passed around the dusky circle. Then Pontiac, the tall and stately chieftain, arose and ad- dressed the assemblage in strains of impassioned elo- quence. He spoke of their former haj)piness under the mild sway of the French, and detailed the wrongs in- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIG-AN". 833 Great Council— Pontiac unfolds his plan. flicted on them by the English. He repeated the fabri- cation of the traders, that Onontio, their great French father, was hastening on his soldiers to help them subdue the English. He described the numbers and prowess of the tribes represented in council, and spoke of the ease with which their united efforts could crush the English, and restore to the Indian ti'ibes the imdisputed possession of the hunting-grounds of their fathers. Tlien unfolding his plan, he assigned to the representatives of each tribe their part in the great tragedy. Tlie destruction of Michilimackinac was allotted to the Ojibwas and Sacs, Fort St. Joseph to the Illinois, the forts east and south of Lake Erie to different tribes of the Six Nations, while Detroit, the most important of them all, was reserved by Pontiac for himself and his allied tribes. The assembled chiefs expressed their approbation, other preliminaries were settled, and with war-dance and carousal the vast assemblage dispei-sed. The destructive blow was to be everywhere simultane- ously struck, each chief devising his own plan for the execution of his part of the scheme. Minavavana, chief of the Ojibwas, to whom was assigned the destraction of Michilimackinac, adopted a very simple expedient, which proved but too successful. On the morning of the 4:th of June, the birthday of King George, a large number of Ojibwa chiefs came to the fort, and invited 334 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Minavavana — Game of Ball at Michilitnacklnac. the officers and soldiers to be present at a great game of ball wliich was to be played between their nation and the Sacs. It being a holiday, the discipline of the gar- rison was relaxed, and the fort was soon half deserted. The gates were wide open, and the soldiers stood in groups near the palisades, watching the progress of the game, many of them unarmed. A large number of the Canadians were also present, and a multitude of squaws, wi-apped in blankets, wandered about among the crowd. Captain Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie stood in the gateway, the former betting on the success of the players. Tlie game progressed to its finale. Parkman thus graph- ically describes the scene : " Tlie plain in front was covered by the ball-players. The game in which they were engaged, called haggatta- way by the O jib was, is still, as it always has been, a favorite with many Indian tribes. At either extremity of the ground a tall post was planted, marking the sta- tions of the rival parties. The object of each was to de- fend its own post, and drive the ball to that of its adver- sary. Hundreds of lithe and agile figures were leaping and bounding upon the plain. Each was nearly naked, his loose black hair flying in the wind, and each bore in his hand a bat of a form peculiar to this game. At one moment the whole were crowded together, a dense throng of combatants, all struggling for the ball ; at the EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 335 Garrison massacred — OflBcers taken Prisoners. next, they were scattered again, and running over the grounds like hounds in full cry. Each, in his excite- ment, yelled and shouted at the height of his voice. Rushing and striking, tripping their adversaries, or hurl- ing them to the ground, they pursued the animating con- test amid the laughter and applause of the spectators. Suddenly, from the midst of the multitude, the ball soared into the air, and, descending in a wide curve, fell near the pickets of the fort. This was no chance stroke. It was part of a preconcerted stratagem to insure the sur- prise and destruction of the garrison. As if in pursuit of the ball, the players turned and came rushing, a mad- dened and tumultuous throng, toward the gate. In a moment they had reached it. The amazed English had no time to think or act. The shrill cries of the ball- players were changed to the ferocious war-whoop. The warriors snatched from the squaws the hatchets which the latter, with this design, had concealed beneath their blankets. Some of the Indians assailed the sj)ectators without, while others rushed into the fort, and all was carnage and confusion. At the outset, several sti-ong hands had fastened their gripe upon Etherington and Leslie, and led them away from the scene of massacre toward the woods. Within the area of the fort the men were slaughtered without mercy." A mere handful of men escaped from this dreadful 336 EAKLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Green Bay evacuated — Prisoners released — Eeach Montreal. carnage. For a short time they were held prisoners by the Indians, but were finally set at liberty, or ransomed through the friendliness of the Ottawas of L'Arbre Croche. Captain Etherington, the unfortunate com- mander of Michilimackinac, was permitted to send a letter to Lieutenant Gorell, commander at Green Bay, acquainting him with the disastrous condition of af- fairs. On the reception of these tidings, Lieutenant Gorell immediately resolved to evacuate his post, and return to Montreal. Accordingly, on the 21st of June, he em- barked, with his troops, in batteaux, accompanied by about ninety Indians in canoes. They crossed Lake Michigan in safety, and arrived on the 30th at L'Arbre Croche. Here they found Captain Etherington, Lieuten- ant Leslie, and eleven men, detained as prisoners by the Ottawas, yet treated with great kindness. By dint of persuasion on the part of Lieutenant Gorell, the prisoners were set at liberty, and on the 18th of July, 1T63, about BIX weeks after the massacre, the English left L'Arbre Croche, escorted by a fleet of Indian canoes. They reached the portage of the Ottawa river in safety, and arrived at Montreal on the 13th of August. Saut Ste. Marie had been partially destroyed by fixe the previous winter, and was at this time unoccupied by the English. The post at Detroit now contained EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 337 Northwestern posts re-established by the English. the only British soldiers to be found in all the region of the lakes. For a little more than a year, the forts at MichiK- mackinac, Green Bay, and Saut Ste. Marie, were only occupied by the coureurs des hois, and those Indian bands which chose to make them a temporary residence. After the treaty of peace with the hostile Indians at Detroit, made by General Bradstreet in 176J:, Captain Howard was dispatched with a sufficiently large detach- ment of troops, to take possession of these deserted posts ; and once more the cross of St. George was the rallying point, and the protection of the adventurous ti-aders. In 1779, a party of British officers passed over from the point of the peninsula to the island of Michilimacki- nac, to reconnoiter, with the intention of removing the fort thither. After selecting a location, they asked per- mission of the Indians to occupy it. Some time elapsed before their consent could be obtained ; consequently, the removal was not effected mitil the ensuing summer. A government house, and a few other buildings, were erected on the site of the present village, and the troops took possession on the 15th of July, 1780. The removal of the inhabitants from the main land to the island was gradual, and the fort, which was built on the site of the present one, was not completed until 22 838 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Fort Holmes— "Isle of the dancing spirits." 1Y83. This fortification, standing on a high cliff which overlooked the village, occupied a controlling and pro- tecting position in regard to the assaults of the In- dians; but, during the war of 1812, another fortifica- tion was erected on a still more elevated point, the apex of the heights, and named Fort George — subse- quently called by the Americans, Fort Holmes, in honor of a gallant officer, a Kentuckian, who fell in the unsuccessful attempt of Colonel Croghan to retake the island in 1814. Like Detroit, Michilimackinac has been the theater of many a bloody tragedy. Its possession has been dis- puted by powerful nations, and its internal peace has continually been made the sport of Indian treachery, and of the white man's duplicity. To-day, chanting Te Demns beneath the ample folds oi ihQ fleur-de-lis^ to- morrow yielding to the power of the British lion, and, a few years later, listening to the exultant screams of the American eagle, as the stars and stripes float over the battlements on the " isle of the dancing spirits." As a military post in time of war, the possession of Michili- mackinac is invaluable ; but as a commercial mart, now that the aboriginal tribes have passed away, the location is one of little consequence. In these later days, to the invalid and the pleasure- seeker, the salubrity of the pure atmosphere, the beauty EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 339 Michilimackinac — It present importance. of the scenery, the historical reminiscences which render it classic ground, and the many wild traditions, peojDling each rock and glen with spectral habitants, combine to throw around Michilimackinac an interest and attrac- tiveness unequalled by any other spot on the Western Continent. CHAPTER XIX. Detroit in 1763 — Description by Bancroft — Number of French inhabit- ants — Enumeration in 1764 — French farms — English fort — Gladwyn commander — Pontiac's plan for its destruction — His attempt and de- feat — Major Campbell's captivity and death — Continuation of the siege — Battle of Bloody Bridge — Indians obliged to disperse in search of food — Gladwyn provisions the garrison — Comparatively quiet win- ter — Fort le Noult built in 1778 — Detroit in 1793 — Description by Spencer — Americans take possession of Detroit in 1796. Banckoft gives the following beautiful description of Detroit and its surroundings, in 1763, just before the consummation of the conspiracy of Pontiac : " Of all the inland settlements, Detroit was the largest an.d most esteemed. The deejj majestic river, more^than half a mile broad, carrying its vast flood calmly and noiselessly between the strait and well-defined banks of its channel, imparted a grandeur to a country whose rising grounds and meadows, plains festooned with pro- lific wild-vines, woodlands, brooks, and fountains, were tio mingled together that nothing was left to desire. The climate was mild, and the air salubrious. Good land abounded, yielding maize, wheat, and every vegetable. The forests were natural parks stocked with buffaloes, deer, quails, partridges, and wild turkeys. Water-fowl of EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 341 Bancroft's description of Detroit — French population. delicious flavor hovered along its streams, which yielded to the angler an astonishing quantity of fish, especially the white fish, the richest and most luscious of them all. There every luxuiy of the table might be enjoyed by the sole ex^Dense of labor. "This lovely and cheerful region attracted settlers, alike white men and savages; and the French had so occupied the two banks of the river, that their numbei-s were rated even so high as twenty-five hundred souls, of whom were five hundred men able to bear arms ; three or four hundred French families. Yet an enumeration in 1764 proved them not so numerous, with only men enough to form three companies of militia ; and in 1768, the oSicial census reported but five hundred and seventy- two souls ; an account which is in harmony with the best tradition. The French dwelt on farms which were about three or four acres wide on the river, and eighty acres deep y indolent in the midst of plenty, graziers as well as tillei's of the soil, and enriched by Indian trafBc. " The English fort, of which Glad^\yll was commander, was a large stockade, about twenty-five feet high, and twelve hundred yards in circumference, including per- haps eighty houses. It stood within the limits of the present city, on the river bank, commanding a wide prospect for nine miles above and below the city." In maturing his plans for the destruction of the Eng- 342 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Pontiac's plot divulged to the English. lish posts, Pontiac had reserved Detroit for his own 8]3ecial field of action, partly because his village was on a little island just above " lie au Cochon," or Belle Isle, as it is now called, but more especially because Detroit was the most important post, and would require the greatest degree of caution and skill to secure its capture. That he failed in this most important part of his vast project was not owing to any deficiency in his plan, nor lack of energy in its execution, but was entirely the result of circumstances beyond his control. The treacherous chief was himself beh*ayed. His well-arranged plot was divulged to the English. Catharine, a beautiful Ojibwa girl who dwelt in the callage of the Pottawatomies, had become much attached to Major Gladwyn, and the day before the intended massacre she brought to the fort a pair of moccasins which she had wrought for him. Improving the opportunity thus afibrded, she re- vealed to him the impending danger. The same after- noon "William Tucker, a soldier at the fort, who had been captured in his boyhood, and adopted into the tribe of his captors, received from his Indian sister intimations of the designs of Pontiac, which he communicated to Gladwyn. Strict secrecy was enjoined on Tucker by the commander. The little time which remained was dili- gently employed in preparing for the assault. The guards were doubled, officers were on the alert, soldiers EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJS'. 343 English preparations for defense— Indian war-dance. and inhabitants were ordered to be ready for immediate service, yet the nature and extent of the danger was un- revealed. The garrison consisted of only one hundred and twenty-two men, and eight officers. There were also about forty traders and engagees who resided in the fort. Two small vessels, the Beaver and the Gladwyn, lay anchored in the river, though it is not known that their commanders were apprised of Pontiac's design. The day had been rainy, but toward evening the clouds were swept away, and the sun set gloriously. During the afternoon, the Pottawatomies, flurons, and Ottawas had gradually withdrawn from their villages and congre- gated at the council-ground of their chief. Only a few squaws and little children remained. And now, when the light of day had departed, and the curtains of night, gemmed with stars, closed around the beautiful earth, fierce, discordant notes were borne on the breeze to the ears of the wakeful sentinels and anxious officers of that feeble fort in the wilderness. Not unfamiliar were the booming sounds of the Indian drum and the cadence of the war-song, now wailing out the dying agony of the victim, now shouting the fierce cry of triumj)h. Tlien, indeed, the ■ garrison needed no explanation of the un- wonted preparations ; too well they understood the reason for the vigilance of their officers. Aware of the vast superiority of the Indian force, 344 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAlSr. Pontiac and his Allies cross the Detroit. Gladwyn feared that, in the excitement of their fiendish orgies, they might break over the authority of their chief, and make an immediate attack on the fort. But the night of anxious suspense passed away, and the morning of May 6th, 1763, dawned upon a quiet landscape. The misty vail which hung over the river and obscured the southern shore was scarcely lifted, when a large flotilla of birch canoes was discovered crossing the river at some distance above the fort. Only two or three savages could be seen in each, yet the convoy moved slowly, as a if deeply laden. Every canoe was indeed filled with warriors, lying flat on their faces, that their great num- bers might not excite suspicion. Pontiac and his nume- rous chiefs landed just above Parent's Creek, out of sight of the fort, while the other canoes were drawn up along the shore nearer the town, and the occupants soon found their way to the common behind the fort. They were joined by the women and children from the villages, and while it was yet early, the extensive area presented an animated spectacle. The savage throng moved hither and thither as if preparing for a game of ball, a favorite pastime with the Indians. Yet there was an uneasy rest- lessness, then a suddenly assumed indifierence manifested by the warriors, which was never apparent in peaceful times. Meanwhile the brave Gladwyn was on the alert. !N'o EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 345 Pontiac and sixty Chiefs demand admittance to the Fort one was permitted to leave the fort. The impending danger was fully known. Every soldier was under arms, and Sterling and the other fur-traders closed their store- houses, and armed themselves and those in their employ. Every thing was in the most complete readiness, and the little handful of brave-hearted men calmly awaited the result. About ten o'clock, sixty chiefs, with Pontiac at their head, came marching down the river-road in Indian file. They moved slowly on, with solemn and stately tread, their faces begrimed with paint, and their heads fantas- tically adorned. All were wrapped to the throat in colored blankets, beneath which were concealed the rifles they had shortened for that purpose. Reaching the eastern gate of the fort, they demanded admittance. It was readily granted. As Pontiac entered the gate, and traversed the short distance which intervened be- tween it and the council-house, he became half convinced that his plot was discovered. Around the gate, at the door of the council-house, and far down St. Anne-street, was an unwonted array of armed soldiers. Tlie guns on the bastions were also manned, yet all was calm, sternly, fearfullv calm. When they an-ived at the door of the council-house, the savages found Major Gladwyn and his ofBcers wait- ing to receive them. " Why do I see so many of ray 846 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Council convened — Eloquent speech of Pontiao. father's young men standing in the streets with theii* guns?" demanded Pontiac. Gladw}Ti answered by M. la Butte, the interpreter, that it was customary to exer- cise the soldiers every day. After some hesitation, Pon- tiac and his chiefs seated themselves on the mats prepared for them, and the business of the council commenced. The customary pause ensued, then Pontiac arose and began his harangue. He assured the English of his unchanging friendship, and, addressing the commandant, said he and his chiefs had come to smoke the pipe of peace and strengthen the cords of friendship. At any other time, the great Ottawa might have com- manded admiration. His tall, majestic form was drawn up to its full height as he spoke of the number and prowess of his braves, and the lightning flashed from his eye while he rehearsed their deeds of valor. When he spoke of the English, his reverence for their superior knowledge, and his desire to conciliate their favor, the subdued expression, bowed head, and half-supplicating gestures, were the very personification of graceful, ap- propriate eloquence. But life and death hung upon a single movement of the treacherous hand which held that sacred emblem of peace, a belt of wampum. "With the keenest vigilance was every gesture watched by the officers as they listened to his hollow words. Once Pon- tiac raised the belt to give the preconcerted signal of EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 347 Discomfiture of Pontiac — Gladwyn's reply — Eage of the Savages. attack, but the quick eye of Gladwjn caught the motion, and he passed his hand across his brow. A sudden clash of arms was heard without, the drum rolled the charge, and the rapid tramp of armed men resounded along the street, Pontiac stood in mute astonishment, while Glad- wjn sat unmoved, with his calm eye fixed on the treach- erous chief. A few more professions of friendship were stammered out, and the belt was presented in the usual manner. After a pause, Gladwyn commenced a brief reply. He assured his savage auditors of the friendship and protection of the English so long as they continued to deserve it, but threatened the most fearful vengeance for any act of perfidy or aggression. The council broke up. The gates of the fort, which had been closed during the interview, were thrown open, and the bafiled savages departed. ISTo sooner were they beyond the precincts of the fort than their rage burst forth in most terrific yells. A small party rushed madly to a lone house on the com- mon, where dwelt an Englishwoman and her two sons, whom they massacred. Others ran to the water's edge, sprang into their canoes, and proceeded to He au Cochon, and wreaked their vengeance on a discharged sergeant and his family, who resided there. Meanwhile, the main body of the Indians, consisting of about one thousand warriors, stationed themselves behind the picket fences, 348 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Eemoval of Pontiac's camp — Detroit besieged. and the houses and barns on the common, and com- menced firing upon the garrison. It is said that Pontiac took no j)art in these demon- strations, but sullenly walked away alone, embarked in his canoe, and paddled to the Ottawa village on the southern shore. With every expression of demoniac rage, he ordered the immediate removal of the camp to the opposite shore. His commands were obeyed with the utmost alacrity, and before nightMl the wigwams of Pontiac's camp occupied the rising ground beyond Pa- rent's Creek. 'No watery banier now intervened between the blood-thirsty warrior and his beleaguered foe. Detroit was in a state of siege. Day and night an incessant firing was kept up by the Indians, and a simultaneous attack upon the fort was hourly expected. When the council was held in the fort, Gladwyn was by no means aware of the extent of Pontiac's schemes, and considered the attack on Detroit merely as one of those impulsive outbreaks which frequently occurred; but he was soon undeceived by the commission of an act of treachery for which even the Canadians were unprepared. Major Campbell, who had held the command since the country passed into the hands of the British, still re- mained at the fort. He was highly esteemed, both by the Canadians and Indians. Pontiac formed the design EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 349 Treachery of Pontiac — Major Campbell retained as Hostage. of getting this officer into his possession, and making his life an equivalent for the surrender of the fort. The Canadians were the means of communication be- tween the British and Indians. By them Pontiac sent a request that Major Campbell would visit him in his camp, that they might "settle all difficulties, and smoke the pipe of peace together." He gave the most positive assurances that Campbell should be permitted to go and retm-n in perfect safety. Messrs. Godfroy and Chapoton were deputed to visit Pontiac, and assure themselves of his sincerity. Conversant as they were with the Indian character, they were deceived by his consummate du- plicity, and advised Major Campbell to accept the invi- tation. Anxious to terminate this vexatious warfare, even at the hazard of his own life. Major Campbell, ac- companied by Lieutenant McDougall, and a number of Canadians, repaired to Pontiac's camp. At first they were well received, but soon became aware that they were in the power of a treacherous foe. Tlie Canadians were sent back, with a messao:e from Pontiac to Major Gladwyn, that Major Campbell and Lieutenant McDougall would be held as hostages for the surrender of the fort. The prisoners were detained at the house of M. Meloche, near the bridge which spanned Parent's Creek. They were permitted to walk out occa- sionally, and during one of these walks. Lieutenant 350 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Major Campbell massacred by an Ottawa. McDougall proposed making an attempt to escape. The Indians were so numerous tliat there was little prospect of success ; and, fearing that his own defective vision might impede the progress of his friend, Major Camp- bell declined. They parted, and Lieutenant McDougall reached the fort in safety. The weary days of Major Campbell's captivity passed on. All attempts at negotiation with Pontiac received but one reply : " Sm-render the fort, and Major Camp- bell shall be set free." But those tedious hours were numbered — deliverance was near. One day, while taking his accustomed walk, he was met by an Ottawa, whose uncle, a celebrated chief, had been killed by the English at Michilimackinac. Fired with the sj^irit of revenge, the blood-thirsty savage rushed upon Major Campbell, and by one blow of the tomahawk put an end to his valuable life. Apprehending the vengeance of Pontiac, the murderer fled to Saginaw. In vain was every effort made by the indignant chief to apprehend the miscreant, whose own life would have paid the pen- alty of his temerity. The death of Major Campbell was a sad blow to the besieged and almost disheartened "&^ garrison. On the 21st of May, the schooner Gladwyn was dis- patched to Niagara, to hasten the arrival of the supplies which were daily expected. On the 30th, a convoy of EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAX. 351 Convoy captured — News of the destruction of other Forts. boats was descried coming around the point, and the whole garrison jojfullj flocked to the bastions. A sa- hite was fired from the fort, but, instead of the answering gmis, the Indian death-cry came wailing across the waters. The convoy, consisting of twenty-two batteaux laden with provisions and mimitions of war, and manned by a re-enforcement of troops, was in the hands of the enemy. The prisoners were taken to He au Cochon, and put to death with all the horrors of Indian barbarity. This loss was a terrible calamity. Then came the news of the destruction of Michilimackinac and St. Joseph's at the north, and the capture of Forts Sandusky, Miami, and Presqu'ile at the south. West of N'iagara and Fort Pitt, Detroit was the only remaining post. About this time, a large body of the warlike Ojibwas joined themselves to the Pottawatomies, Hurons, and Ottawas, and Pontiac felt certain of success. Still the little fort held out. Every building outside the ramparts which could shelter the Indians, was burned with hot shot fired from the fort, or by sorties made for that pur- pose by the garrison. Every man was on duty. " For sixty days and nights," said William Tucker, one of the soldiers, " I was a sentinel on the ramparts, catching a few hours sleep, with my clothes on and a gun by my side." The news of peace between France and England, and 352 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Neutrality of Canadians— Attempts to burn the Vessele. the cession to the English of all the French possessions in Canada, reached Detroit on the 3d of June. It was immediately communicated to the French inhabitants, who found their relations essentially changed. From being prisoners by capitulation, they now had the power to continue their neutrality, or take part with the con- tending parties. They chose to remain neutral ; nor could all the persuasions or threats of Pontiac induce them to join him. On the 30th of June, the vessel which had been sent to Niagara for aid, after having been, twice attacked by the Indians, succeeded in reaching Detroit in safety. She brought a re-enforcement of sixty troops, with pro- visions and ammunition. Pontiac now saw the necessity of destroying the two vessels which again lay anchored before the fort. For that purpose, rafts were constructed of materials obtained by demolishing the barns of some of the inhabitants. Pitch and other combustibles were added. Tlie rafts were towed to a proper position above the vessels, and set on fire, with the expectation that the current would bring them in contact, thus securing the destruction of these formidable foes. Twice was the attempt repeated, but by the precautions of the English, the rafts passed the vessels without inflicting the slightest injmy. On the 29th of July, another fleet of Boats was seen EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 353 Captain Dalzell and three hundred Troops r^ach Detroit. ascending the river. Former experience liad moderated the hopes of the weary garrison, but had by no means diminished their anxiety. A gun was fired from the fort, and, to the great joy of the eager throng, an an- swering salute was returned by the boats, each of which carried four swivels and two mortars. On board was a detachment of three hundred regular troops, under the command of Captain Dalzell, an aid-de-camp of the British commander-in-chief, Sir Jeffrey Amherst. On the very day of his arrival. Captain Dalzell sought an interview with Major Gladwyn, and asked permission to attack Pontiac in his camp. Fresh, vigorous, and en- thusiastic, he endeavored to convince the more cautious GladwjTi that the time had come when one decisive blow would terminate this vexatious war. Gladwyn hesitated, explained the position of afiairs, and the dan- ger of such an attempt, but was, at last, persuaded to yield a reluctant consent. By the carelessness of some of the ojBScers, Dalzell's design became known to the Canadians, and Pontiac was soon apprised of it. He had recently removed his camp farther back from the river, beyond the grand marais^ a locality subsequently well known to the citizens of De- troit. The camp was immediately broken up, and the Indians repaired to the vicinity of the creek, and sta- tioned themselves along the route which their enemy 354 EAELY HISTORY OP MICHIGAN". Expedition against Pontiac's camp — Parent's Creek. would traverse. One party of warriors concealed them- selves behind the outhouses and cord-wood on a farm just beyond the creek ; another was stationed within the pickets that lined the road on the farm of M. Dequindre. Indeed, wherever there was a place of shelter, beyond the range of the cannon at the fort, there a band of In- dians was concealed. On the morning of the 31st of July, about two o'clock, the gates of the fort swung open, and three hundred sol- diers marched silently forth. In double file and perfect order, they proceeded along the river road, while two large batteaux rowed up the river abreast of them. Each boat was full-manned, and bore a swivel in the bow. The advanced guard of twenty-five men was led by Lieutenant Brown ; Captain Gray commanded the center, and Captain Grant's detachment brought up the rear. The night was dark, still, and sultry. On the right of the advancing troops lay the broad, placid river, and on their left the farm-houses and picketed fields of the Canadians appeared in dim outline. Parent's creek entered Detroit river about a mile and a half from the fort. At that point its course lay through a deep ravine, and only a few rods from its mouth, where the road crossed, it was spanned by a narrow wooden bridge. For a little distance beyond the bridge, the ground was rugged and broken. Along the summit EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 355 Night inarch — Bloody Bridge — Indian ambuscade. of the highest ridges were rude intrenchments, which had been thrown up by Pontiac to protect his former camp. The troops pushed rapidly forward, unsuspicious of danger, till they neared the bridge. As they j^assed the farm-houses of the Canadians, the wolfish watch-dogs, roused from their slumbers, barked furiously, and some- times a head would be seen cautiously protruded from a dormer window, but naught gave token of the pres- ence of an invisible foe. Tlie bridge was nearly gained. On the left stood the house of Meloche, where Major Campbell had been held prisoner; in front was the bridge, scarcely visible, and beyond rose the banks of the ravine, dark as a wall of night. Still onward — the advanced guard had reached the farther extremity of the bridge, and the main body was just entering upon it, when the fearful war-whoop burst forth, and Indian guns sent out a volley of leaden death. Half the ad- vanced guard fell, and the survivors shrank back ap- palled. Captain Dalzell immediately advanced to the front, his clear voice rose above the din, and the h'oops rallied, and rushed madly across the bridge and up the ascent beyond. But their foes had fled. In vain they sought them in the gloom ; yet their guns flashed almost incessantly, and the war-cry rang out with undiminished ferocity. The English were unacr^uainted with the lo- 356 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Indians attack the British — Captain Gray killed. calitj, and were soon bewildered in the darkness. At every pause of the soldiery, the unseen enemy renewed their fire. Farther advance was useless, and the only alternative was to retire to the fort, and resume the at- tack by daylight. Captain Grant withdrew his company across the bridge and stationed them in the road. A small detachment remained to keep the enemy in check while the dead and wounded were conveyed to the batteaux, which, during the action, had been rowed up to the bridge, and the remaining troops recrossed the bridge and joined Captain Grant. During these proceedings a sharp firing was kept up on both sides ; and in attempting to dislodge the enemy from one of their positions, ( "aptain Gray was killed. Suddenly, volley after volley was heard in Cap- tain Grant's vicinity. A large body of Indians had taken shelter in the house of Meloche, and in the adjoining orchards. The brave Grant and his no less courageous troops advanced and dislodged the foe at the point of the bayonet. From two Canadians whom Captain Grant found in the house of Meloche, he learned that the In- dians were resolved to effect the complete destruction of the English, and had gone in great numbers to occupy difierent points below. An immediate retreat was there- fore necessary, and the men resumed their marching order. Captain Grant was now in advance, and Dalzell EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAIS'. 357 Terrible slaughter — Eetreat of the English — Dalzell's death. in the rear. About a mile from the fort, on the right as they descended, was a cluster of houses and barns in- trenched within strong picket fences. The river ran close on the left, and there was no way of escape except along the narrow passage that lay between. To many of the retreating soldiers it was the way of death. Hundreds of Indians lay in ambuscade. The troops were suffered to advance unmolested till they were di- rectly opposite, when, with terrific yells, the Indians poured volley after volley upon them. The troops broke their ranks, and but for the presence of Dalzell, himself twice wounded, they would have fled, and thus secured their complete destruction. Encouraged by the voice of their leader, the soldiers again rallied, and comparative order was restored. A little farther on, the brave Dalzell stepped aside from the ranks to aid a wounded soldier, and was shot dead by a ball from the enemy. The Indians still pressed on in hot pursuit, and de- struction seemed inevitable, when Major Rogers and his rangers succeeded in gaining possession of the house of M. Campau, which commanded the road and covered the retreat of the regulars. Meantime Captain Grant had moved forward half a mile, and was able to maintain his position within the inclosm-e of an orchard until the arrival of the remaining- troops. All the men he could spare were detached to 358 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Survivors reach the Fort — Bloody Run. different points below, and the constantly arriving troops enabled liim to reinforce these posts till a line of com- munication was formed to the fort, effectually securing the retreat. But Major Rogers and his men found them- selves besieged in the house of Campau by about two hundred Indians. The two batteaux, which had brought the dead and wounded to the fort, now returned and oijened a fire fi-om their swivels, which dispersed the savages and covered the retreat of Rogers. At eight o'clock in the morning the survivors entered the fort, having lost sev- enty men killed and forty wounded. Thus disastrously terminated the sanguinary battle of Bloody Bridge, the most terrible conflict on record in the annals of Detroit. Fearfully appropriate is the present name of that little stream. Though the bridge is gone, the way-marks are all there, and many an eastern traveler turns aside to call up reminiscences of the past on the very spot where trod the renowned Pontiac, and where the life-tide of many victims crimsoned the waters of Bloody Run. No other battle was fought, but from early in May until the end of September, Detroit continued in a state of siege. Yet the garrison still held out. At last, when hope had almost expired, the advanced season obliged the Indians to seek in the chase that sustenance which EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 359 Termination of the Siege — Treaty of Peace. they could no longer find in the vicinity of the fort. By great efforts the indefatigable Gladwyn obtained from the Canadians sufficient provisions for the town during the winter. This long, dreary, hopeless season was passed in comparative quietude. With the opening of spring the Indian tribes again began to move toward Detroit, but the negotiations of Sir William Johnson, and the approach of General Brad- street, a dreaded name among the Indians, induced them to relinquish their vengeful pui-pose. Treaties of peace were at length made, and Michilimackinac, Green Bay,' and Saut Ste. Marie, were again garrisoned. The war of the revolution had no other effect on De- troit and the more distant posts, than to subject them to greater annoyances from the Indian tribes, though the progress of the tide of war was watched with some de- gree of anxiety. The success of the American arms at Yincennes in 1Y78, and the prospect that the victorious troops would continue their course onward to Detroit, induced Major Le Noult, the commanding officer, to erect a fort on the rising ground, or " second terrace," outside of the palisades, and back of the city. This large and efficient fortification was called Fort le Noult until after the war of 1812, when it assumed the name of Fort Shelby. By the treaty of peace made in 1783 between Great 360 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Indian war — Northwest Territory organized. Britain and tlie United States, it was claimed that Michi- gan was within American bounds ; but minor questions sprang up between the two governments producing mu- tual dissatisfaction, and when President "Washington sent Baron Steuben to Quebec to make arrangements for the transfer of the northwestern forts, he was informed by Sir Frederick Haldimand that the surrender of the forts could not take place at that time, and was refused pass- ports to Niagara and Detroit. The Indian tribes, greatly dissatisfied with the aggres- ■sions of the American settlers upon their lands, and probably instigated by the British, made frequent at- tacks u^Don the feeble settlements on the borders of Ken- tucky and Ohio. An Indian war was the result, and Harmar, St. Clair, and "Wayne prosecuted their several campaigns before peace was established. In 1787, the whole region claimed by the Americans lying northwest of the Ohio river, though still occupied by the British, was organized by Congress into a North- west Territory^ and Gen. Arthur St. Clair was appointed governor. "CTnder the British rule, there was a constant improve- ment in the appearance of Detroit, but more especially in the military appointments. ]N'ew barracks for officers and soldiers were built, and a handsome esplanade, and two or three military gardens, were laid out between the EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 361 Description of Detroit in 1T93 by Spencer. fort and the town. The palisades which surrounded the town were extended so as to intersect the corners of the fort, and thus afforded additional protection to the in- habitants. The following minute description of Detroit in 1793 is given by Rev, O, M. Spencer, who was then a lad twelve or thirteen years old. While at play with other boys near Cincinnati, Ohio, he was taken captive by a band of Miami Indians, and brought to their village, near the present site of Fort Wayne. By General Washington's request, General Simcoe, commander-in-chief of the Bri- tish forces in the northwest, ordered Colonel England, who then commanded at Detroit, to ransom the lad. After a few months' sojourn with his kind British friends at Detroit, he was safely returned to his parents. Though a mere child, young Spencer kept a written journal du- ring his captivity, which forms the basis of a narrative since published, and from which this remarkably correct extract is taken. " Detroit," says Mr. Spencer, " was then a small town, containing only wooden buildings, but few of which were well finished, surrounded by high pickets, inclosing an area of probably half a mile square, about one-third of which, along the bank of the river, as the Strait was called, was covered with houses. There were, I think, four narrow streets running parallel with the river, and 362 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Citadel— Esplanade— Size and construction of the Fort. intersected by four or five more at right angles. At eaeli end of the second street was an entrance into the city, secured by heavy wooden gates. Korth of this sti'eet, at the west end of the town, was a space about two hundi-ed feet square, inclosed on a part of two sides with palisades, within which a row of handsome two-stoi-y barracks, for the accommodation of the offi- cers, occupied the west side, and buildings of the same height for the soldiers' quarters, stood on the north and a part of the east side. The open space was occupied as a parade-ground, where the troops were every day ex- ercised by the adjutant. In the northwest corner of the large area, inclosed with pickets, on ground slightly elevated, stood the fort, separated from the houses by an esplanade, and surrounded first by an abatis of tree-tops about four feet high, having the butts of the limbs sharpened and projecting outward ; then by a deep ditch, in the center of which were high pickets; and then by a row of light palisades, seven or eight feet long, projecting horizontally from the glacis. " The fort itself, covering not more than half an acre of ground, was square, having a bastion at each angle, with parapets and ramparts so high as to entirely shelter the quarters witliin, which were bomb-proof. Its en- trance was on the south side, facing the river, over a di-awbridge, and through a covered way, over which, on EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 363 Artillery — Officers — Garrison — Shipping. each side, were long iron cannon, carrying twenty-four pound shots, and which the officers called the ' British lions,' while on each of the other sides were planted two, and on each bastion four cannon of various caliber — six, nine, and twelve pounders. By the side of the gate, near the end of the officei*s' barracks, was a twenty-four pounder ; and, for the protection of the south side of the town, there were two small batteries of cannon on the bank of the river. " The fort was garrisoned by a company of artillery, under the command of Captain Spear, while two com- panies of infantry, and one of grenadiers of the twenty- fourth (Colonel England's regiment), were quartered in the barracks ; the balance of the regiment was at Mich- ilimackinac and other northern posts. "In the spring of 1793, there were anchored in the river in front of the town, three brigs of about two hun- dred tuns each — the Chippewa and the Ottawa, new ves- sels, carrying eight guns each, the Dunmore, an old ves- sel of six guns, and a sloop, the Felicity, of about one hundred tuns, armed with only two swivels, all belong- ing to His Majesty George III., and commanded by Commodore Grant. There were, besides, several mer- chantmen, sloops, and schooners, the property of private individuals." By the stipulations of the treaty of Greenville, made 364 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. British evacuate Detroit — Americans take possession. bj Gen. Wajne with the Indian tribes in August, 1T95, Detroit and all the region of the northwest became the undisputed property of the United States. Before evacuating the fort at Detroit, the British sol- diery filled the wells with stones, broke the windows of the barracks, and locked the gates of the fort, commit- ting the keys to the care of an old negro, in whose pos- session they were afterward found. In 1796, Captain Porter, with a detachment of troops from General Wayne's army, took possession of Detroit, and flung out to the breeze the first American banner that ever floated over the soil of the Peninsular State. --»*- )RI!. JI^raES KfliKiV, CHAPTER XX. Localities of Detroit— The city in 1701— In 1763 and 1796— River Savoy- ard — Settlements at Grosse Point, along the St. Clair river — French inhabitants — Domestic life — Increase of immigration — Settlements on the Detroit — Improved appearance of the country — Social life at De- troit — Business — French characteristics — Summer recreations — Le grand marak — "Winter amusements — Easy life in the fort — Establish- ment of the civil government — Michigan territory organized — Detroit burned — Arrival of the government officers — Act of Congress for the relief of the sufferers by fire — ^Legislative board organized. To enable the reader who is familiar with Detroit as it now exists, to trace the boundaries of the old town by the well-known localities of the new, we will describe as accui'atelj as possible the site of Fort Pontchartrain in ITOl ; the boundaries of Detroit as it existed in 1763 ; and the localities indicated on the map of 1796. Old Fort Pontchartrain, built by M. la Motte Cadillac in 1701, occupied the ground where now stand the " Cooper block," and the Farmers' and Mechanics' and Peninsular banks, and extended west a little below the " Michigan Exchange ;" thence running south to Wood- "bridge-street, which was then the margin of the river, thence east and north to the place of beginning, includ- ing a space about equal to one square block of the pres- ent city. 366 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Detroit at the time of Pontiac's conspiracy. At the time of Pontiac's conspiracy in 1763, the origi- nal fortifications had been greatly enlarged (the whole town was inclosed in palisades and was called the fort), and extended from the river bank, on Griswold-street, north to the alley between Jefferson Avenue and Larned- street, thence as far as the western boundary of the first fort, thence south and uniting with the old palisade, in- closing a space about twelve hundred yards in circum- ference. " Pontiac's Gate" was the eastern entrance to the town, and occupied the site of the United States Courthouse. This gate received its name from the fact that here the renowned chief entered when he came to hold a council with Major Gladwyn, and through it he retreated, crest-fallen, when he found that his perfidy was discovered. St. Anne's chm-ch, a rude chapel, stood on the north side of St. Anne-street, nearly in the mid- dle of the present Jefferson Avenue, and in front of the " Conant block." Opposite the church, on the south side of St. Anne-street, was a large military garden, iu which stood a blockhouse, where all the councils with the Indians were held. It was also the place of meet- ing for deliberative consultations among the officers of the garrison. These two were the only public build-' ings in the town. In 1796, the eastern boundary of the town remained the same as far north as Congress-street, then taking an EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 367 Localities indicated on Map of 1796. angular direction, intersected the southeastern angle of Fort le Noult or Shelby. The southern angle of the palisade, which marked the western boundary of the city, was at Cass-street. It extended from the river north, and intersected the western angle of the fort, giv- ing the town a triangular form. Tlie fort extended from Wayne-street to about half way between Shelby and Griswold streets, thence north to Lafayette-street. The south side fronted on Fort-street, the southeast angle ex- tending across to about half way between Fort and Con- gress streets. The River Savoyard ran between Congi-ess and Larned streets, and emptied into the Detroit near " Kendrick's foundry." This stream was sufficiently large to float canoes, and parties of officers and their ladies often em- barked from the beautiful esplanade, and passed down its rippling waters to the broad, placid Detroit. Hither and thither, ever within range of the protecting guns of the fort, danced the tiny barks with their light-hearted voyagers, and the wild song of the Canadian boatmen woke the slumbering echoes of the distant shore. The large grants of land offered to actual settlere, with rations from the fort for a specified time after their arri- val, had, during the British domination, induced a few Scotch and English families to immigrate, and settle along the banks of the Detroit and St. Clair rivers. The 368 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. French Inhabitanis— Settlements along the St. Clair. French inhabitants, many of whom had intermarried with the Indians, had been permitted to retain and enjoy their farms above and below the city, and when the American eagle became the symljol of the ruling power, they were in a prosperous condition. They owned large herds of cattle and wild horses, and numerous flocks of sheep, and raised sufficient grain to supply their own necessities. Of the manufacture of wool they were en- tirely ignorant, using the fleeces to protect their cellar windows from the frost, and like strange appropriations of that valuable article. The women were indifierent housekeepers, sewing being their principal employment, many of them earning considerable sums by the manu- facture of rude garments for the Indian traffic. Soon after the stars and stripes began to wave above the fort, a number of emigrants from France, who had spent some years in the colonies, removed to Detroit, and about the same time a few Americans also ventm-ed to find homes in this far-ofi" wilderness. From 1796 to 1805 there was a constant, gradual accession to the number of inhabitants in the town and surrounding country. A small settlement had already been formed at Grosse Point, twelve miles above Detroit on Lake St. Clair, and a few adventurous farmers had even dared to find homes on the St. Clair river, in the vicinity of the present vil- lage of Newport. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 369 Vicinity of Detroit — Agriculture — Mills. Along the banks of the Detroit new farm-houses arose, and agriculture assumed a better character un- der a more enlightened cultivation; yet the progress toward independence was very much slower than in new settlements at the present day. The great number of Indians compelled the inhabitants to settle in close proximity along the rivers, and prevented them from selectino; the richer lands of the interior. The lack of water-power also obliged them to depend solely upon the rudely constructed windmills of the French for the flouring of their grain; while their lumber was sawed by the slow and laborious method of whip-sawing. Six miles below the city, on the river Kouge, was a windmill known as "Baby's mill," afterward "Knoggs' mill," around which was gathered a considerable settlement. Another mill was built by a Mr, Peltier on the Savoyard, a little way from its entrance into the Detroit. "Within the town all was bustle and business ; some of the French traders still remained, and they and the Brit- ish merchants had full possession until 1799. Joseph Campau, Robert Gonier, George Moniot, Jean Baptiste le Duke, Gabriel Cote, Jacques Allaird, Conrad Ten Eyck, Hugh Martin, and Meldrum and Park, comprised the whole list, and they were very prosperous. All kinds of merchandise brought good prices and met with ready sales. Coffee sold for thirty-eight cents a pound, 21 370 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. Business within the City — Social Life. tea for two dollars ; calico was seventy-five cents a yard, and all articles of wearing apparel were in like proportion. Colonel Stephen Mack was the first American merchant in Detroit. He came in 1799, and with ti'ue Yankee inde- pendence erected a shanty in the very heart of the city, and spread out his goods to the admiring gaze of throng- ing cnstoraers. He had a large supply of that plaid cotton fabric called " apron check," for which he found ready sale at the moderate price of one dollar a yard. The narrow streets and alleys of the city were constantly thronged with savages hastening to the trading-houses to exchange their peltries for goods, or reeling about under the influence of the baneful " fire-water." At the wharves vessels were busy discharging their freights of merchan- dise, and receiving return- cargoes of furs from the well- filled storehouses. The prevailing style of the dwellings was one-story blockhouses with dormer windows, a few of which were covered with clapboards. In social life, the French characteristics predominated. During the summer the days were devoted to business, and the evenings were spent by the older portion of the inhabitants in social visiting, and by the younger in dancing, promenading, and moonlight sailing on the beautiful Detroit. Barbecues were occasionally held in a grove near Baby's mill, almost the only daytime rec- reation during the business season. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 371 Detroit in Winter — Le Grand Marais. In winter, when a vast sea of ice separated them from their eastern neighbors, and their Indian allies were far in the depths of the forest engaged in the chase, the denizens of the fort and of the crowded town gave them- selves up to unrestrained pleasure-seeking. Three or four miles above the city was a large marsh, called by the French Le Grand Marais. It extended down to the river brink ; and when the autumnal rains came the entii'e sm-face was submerged, and the wintry frosts soon converted it into a miniature sea of glass. In the ab- sence of sufficient snow for sleighing, the Grand Marais^ which could be readily gained from the icy margin of the river, was a favorite drive for the citizens ; and late in autumn the young men of the town would erect on its border a long one-story building, with stone chimneys at each extremity, and furnished with rude tables and benches. Every Satm*day morning during the long, cold winter, carioles filled with gay young men and laughing girls might be seen gliding over the glassy surface of the ice- bound river, or, if there were snow, flying along the river road, where now extends the broad and beautiful Jefferson Avenue, each finally landing its freight of life and beauty at the Hotel du Grand Marais. The box- seats of the carioles were always well filled with myste- rious baskets and packages, which were speedily trans- 3Y2 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Pastimes — Improvidence — Life at the Fort ferred to the aforesaid long tables, and soon the rattling of the dinner-service was heard in the lulls of the gay chatter of the French girls ; and the aroma of the fragrant Mocha escaped into the frosty air in delicate smoke- wreaths, — an incense of anticipation to the coming re- past. As soon as the dinner was over, the tables and benches were removed, and dancing commenced, which continued until the booming of the evening gun at the fort warned the merry party that" The evening shades might be but 'vantage ground For some fell foe. The next day, Sunday, after morning mass, the gentle- men were accustomed to repair to the Grcmd Marais and spend the day in carousal, and feasting on the re- mains of yesterday's store. Sleigh-riding on the ice, and balls and parties in town, filled up the week's interim. The summer's earnings scarce sufficed for the winter's waste. At the fort all went on prosperously : the troops had no other service than the usual military routine in time of peace, except, perhaps, the occasional punishment of 8ome stray band of marauding savages. A gay, indolent life they were leading, very unlike that of their French predecessors a century before. Meanwhile, the civil government was preparing to EAELY HISTOEY OF MICHIGAN". 3T3 Michigan Territory organized — Detroit burned. supplant the martial law, by which Detroit from its first settlement had been principally controlled. On the 11th of January, 1805, that part of the North- west territory lying between Lake Michigan on the west, and Lakes Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, and their connecting straits on the east, was organized into a sepa- rate territory by an act of Congress. William Hull was appointed governor, and Augustus B. Woodward, Fred- erick Bates, and John Grifiin, judges. The winter passed, spring came and departed, and still the expected governor and his associates had not arrived. , On the 11th of June, 1805, just five months after Gov- ernor Hull's appointment, a fire broke out at mid-day in the midst of the crowded town of Detroit, and when darkness settled down upon the world, the whole town was one vast scene of smouldering ruins, and the entire population were homeless. Within the limits of the stockade, one small French-built dwelling-house, on St. Anne-street, and a large brick storehouse almost in range standing below, near the river, were all that remained of the city. During the conflagration, the utmost panic and confusion prevailed. The flames raged with such fury as to defy all control. There was no place of safety within the city. Furniture, once removed, was soon de- stroyed by the advancing fire, and, as a last resort, ta- bles, chairs, bedsteads, and such other articles as would 374 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Arrival of the Government Officers— Oath of Office. not be thus injured, were sunk in the river, as the only means of saving them from the flames. Every skiff and canoe was employed in conveying clothing and other easily removed valuables across the river. Two larger vessels were in port, but they were obliged to drop down the river for their own safety. The day after the destruction of Detroit, the governor and other territorial officers arrived. A sad spectacle presented itself to the astonished gaze of these newly- appointed dignitaries. Instead of a flourishing town, growing rich by a lucrative traflic with the Indians, they found only a wide-spread waste of still smoking ruins. The inhabitants, suddenly impoverished and greatly dis- heartened, were gathered on the common within range of the guns of the fort, with no other abiding- place than cloth tents, or rude huts erected from such materials as they could obtain. Tlie little children, and the sick and aged, had found refuge among the hospitable farmers on both sides of the river. The fort afforded an asylum for the governor and his suit. On the second Tuesday of July, 1805, the oath of oflSce was administered to the several territorial officers, and Michigan commenced its governmental existence. Again inspired with hope, the inhabitants of Detroit gath- ered together their remaining means, and began to build for themselves new homes. The first house in the new EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 875 Act of Congress concerning the new Town. town was erected by Peter Audrain, secretary of the ter- ritory, Numerous other dwellings were soon built, and the town began to assume a less desolate appearance. Yet there was much suffering among those of the inhab- itants whose whole available property had been de- stroyed. On the 10th of October, 1805, an official statement of the destruction of the city, and the consequent deplora- ble condition of the inhabitants, was made to the Secre- tary of State, by Governor Hull and his associates. At the next session of Congress, the following act was passed for the relief of the sufferei-s, and to encourage an in- creased immigration : " Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Eepre- sentatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled : That the governor and judges of the terri- tory of Michigan shall be, and they are hereby author- ized to lay out a town, including the whole of the old town of Detroit and ten thousand acres adjacent, ex- cepting such parts as the President of the United States shall direct, to be reserved for the use of the military de- partment, and shall hear, examine, and finally adjust all claims to lots therein, and give deeds for the same. And to every person, or the legal representative of every per- son, who, not owing or professing allegiance to any for- eign power, and being above the age of seventeen years, 376 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. Donations of Land to the Sufferers. did, on the eleventh day of June, one thousand eight hundred and five, when the old town of Detroit was burnt, own or inhabit a house in the same, there shall be granted by the governor and the judges aforesaid, or any three of them, and where they shall judge most proj^er, a lot not exceeding the quantity of five thousand square feet. " §2. And be it further enacted, that the land remain- ing of the said ten thousand acres, after satisfying claims provided for by the preceding section, shall be disposed of by the governor and judges aforesaid, at their discre- tion, to the best advantage, who are hereby authorized to make deeds to purchasers thereof, and the proceeds of the lands so disposed of, shall be applied, by the gov- ernor and judges aforesaid, toward building a courthouse and jail in the town of Detroit ; and the said governor and judges are required to make report to Congress, in writing, of their proceedings under this act." The " Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Gov- ernor and Judges of the Territory of Michigan," contains the following record : " Pursuant to the above act of Congress, the governor and judges of the territory of Michigan convened at the house of Governor Hull, on Saturday, September sixth, one thousand eight hundred and six. Present, William Hull, Governor; Augustus B. "Woodward, Chief Judge, EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 377 Legislative Board organized — Officers — Judge Woodward. and Frederick Bates, Senior Associate Judge. Peter Audrain was continued legislative secretary, and Asa Jones was appointed sergeant-at-arms, with a compensa- tion of twenty-five dollars a month. After the business of organizing had been dispatched, the act of Congress was read, and refeiTed to Judge Woodward as commit- tee, with insti'uctions to report from time to time, by bill or otherwise." CHAPTER XXI. Judge "Woodward's plan for the new city of Detroit — Survey of the city — Apportionment of lots — Incorporation of the Bank of Detroit — First code of laws published called the ' ' "Woodward Code' ' — Bank charter revoked in 1809 — Land granted for St. Anne's church, Eoman Catho- lic — Building lots granted for boys' and girls' schools — Resolution to grant building lots to foreigners — Peter Desnoyers — Building lot granted for a Protestant church — Tecutnseh plans the destruction of Detroit — Disaffection of the Shawanese and "Wyandots induces the in- habitants to build a stockade around the new city — Governor Hull effects a treaty with the Indian tribes in 1807 — Facetious resolution of Judge "Woodward — Resolution concerning American manufactures — Answer to an official communication from Governor De Witt Clinton, and others, of the State of New York. The following is a copy of a bill presented by Judge "Woodward, at the very next session of the Board, held September 8th, 1806 : " Resolved^ That it is expedient immediately to lay out and survey a town under the said act of Congress, and to adjust the titles and claims to lands and lots therein. " Resolved^ That the basis of the said town be an equi- lateral triangle, ha-vdng each side of the length of four thousand feet, and having every angle bisected by a perpendicular line upon the opposite side, such parts be- ing excepted as, from the approximation of the river or other unavoidable circumstances, may require partial deviations. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, 379 Apportionment of City Lots to Claimants. " Resolved^ That it will be expedient to allow and con- vey to individuals having legal claims, the lots within their respective limits, reserving so much as may be necessary for pubKc squares or spaces, avenues, streets, and lanes, the increased value of the property as lots be- ing considered as more than an equivalent for the same, excepting in some particular cases, where the proprietor, having but a small quantity, the whole or the greater part may be taken up, in which case special indemnifi- cation will be necessary ; and reserving also to those having legal rights, and who may not think the benefit greater than the damage, the right of having their damage ascertained according to law. '"''Resolved^ That it will be expedient, in adjusting the titles and claims, to allow to every person the quantity to which he may have a good title ; and when a person has been in possession of a farm without a good title, to allow him the quantity he was in possession of in front, by nine thousand feet in rear, provided that encroach- ment on public land, unusual and unjustifiable under the circumstances of the country, be not comprehended therein. " Resolved^ That it will be expedient to make deeds immediately to proprietors and purchasers, securing all sums due to the public by mortgages and bonds. " Resolved, That it be requested of Mr. Joseph "Wat- 380 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Act of Incorporation — Plan of the new Cily. son to prepare the deeds, mortgages, and bonds whicli may be necessary, at the following charges, to be paid by the party receiving the title : that is to say, for a deed, one dollar ; for a mortgage, one dollar ; for a bond or other WTiting, twenty-five cents. '''■ JResolved^ That the committee on this subject be in- structed to report a bill or bills to carry into execution the preceding resolutions, and that the committee be farther instructed to collect a list of all claims, and from time to time report an opinion on the respective claims. " Besolved, That it will be expedient immediately to incorporate the said town of Detroit into a city, and to provide by law for the government of the same." On the 13th of September, 1806, we find the following record : " The engrossed bill relative to the city of De- troit was read a third time, and thereupon ^^ Resolved^ unanimously, that the said bill do pass to be a law, and that the title of the said law be, ' An Act concerning the City of Detroit.' " The plan of the new town of Detroit, said to be similar to that of Byzantium, was on a magnificent scale, and, if fully carried out, would have far surpassed the present city. Jefferson and Woodward Avenues, and some of the streets near the river, were immediately surveyed, and the adjudication of claims went on as rapidly as possible. Early in 1807 the whole survey was com- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAJST. 381 Bank of Detroit — " Woodward Code of Laws." pleted. The triangle around the fort was the military reservation, and was not divided into lots until about 1826. The great scarcity of money in the territory, and the difficulties arising from using only specie as the commer- cial medium, had long been felt by the merchants, and on the very day of the organization of the " Board of Governor and Judges," a petition was presented by Rus- 8el Stm'ges, Henry Bass, Jr., Benjamin Wheeler, Samuel Coverly, Nathaniel Parker, and Bazillary Homes, and their associates, stating that they were merchants on the Atlantic coast, and interested in the peltry trade in Michigan, and that they had experienced great hazards and inconveniences in the transmission of specie to so great a distance, and praying, for that and other reasons, for the passage of an " act of incorporation for a bank at Detroit." The subject was referred to Governor Hull, as committee. On Monday, September 15th, 1806, a bill was passed incorporating the first " Bank of Detroit." Dm-ing the winter of 1805-6, the Legislative Board had been busy in establishing a more efficient judiciary system ; and in May, 1806, the first code of laws for the territory of Michigan was adopted and published. They were drafted by Judge Woodward, and were called the " Woodward Code." These laws, with the Act of incor- poration and plan of the city of Detroit, and the " Act incorporating the Bank of Detroit," were approved by 382 EAELT HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". St Anne's Cathedral — Eev. Gabriel Richard. Congress at its nest session, early in 1807. The exist- ence of tlie Bank of Detroit was very brief; its bills were in circulation until 1809, wlien tlie charter was revoked by Congress. The bank was built on the northwest cor- ner of Jeffereon Avenue and Eandolph-street, and two lots were sold to the directors for three hundred and ninety-five dollars and seventy-five cents. The Franciscans had sustained a mission at Detroit from the period of its settlement in 1701, and at the time of the fire in 1805, St. Anne's church was the only house of worship in the town. In consequence of the widening of the street, in the new plan of the city, the old church site was found to be nearly in the center of Jefferson Ave- nue. It therefore became necessary to obtain a new loca- tion. Accordingly, on the 4th day of October, 1806, the governor and judges granted a petition to that effect, made by Rev, Gabriel Richard, Vicar-general of the or- der of Sulpitians, by the following enactment: ^''Resolved., Tliat the Roman Catholic church be built in the center of the little military square, on section No. 1, on the ground adjacent to the burying-ground ; the said lot fronting on East and West Avenue,* two hun- dred feet wide, and running back two hundred feet deep, and bounded on the three sides by three other sti-eets." <* Michigan Avenue. EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 383 Catholic Schools — Meeting of the Inhabitants. The previous day a petition from Angelique Campeau and Elizabeth Williams (nmis), asking for the donation of a lot on which to erect an academy for young ladies, was received, and referred to the standing committee. A petition was also presented by Eev, Gabriel Eichard, asking for a lot for an academy for boys. Subsequently, a lot was donated for the nuns' school, on what is now the comer of Randolph and Congress streets, and one for the boys' academy on Bates-street, opposite the site for St. Anne's cathedral. Tlie "governor and judges" found great difficulty in adjusting the claims of the inhabitants of the old town of Detroit, to the satisfaction of all parties ; and, finally, a meeting of the citizens was called on the 14:th of Octo- ber, 1806, to devise some means by which this object could be accomplished. The following plan for adjust- ing the donation claims of the inhabitants of the old town of Detroit was finally agreed upon, and a committee ap- pointed to present it to the Board, by whom it was adopted : " The committee chosen by the inhabitants of the late town of Detroit, on Saturday, the 11th inst., recommend to the honorable Legislative Board the following plan fbr adjusting their donation claims in the firat class : " All those belonging to the first class who have im- proved the lots now in their possession, we conceive 384 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Kesolutions concerning " Donation lots." ought to retain them for their donation, or in exchange for an equal quantity of ground in the old to"RTi, paying for the surplus feet, agreeable to the conditions of sale : to wit, two cents for each square foot. All lots that the Legislative Board have disposed of since the Act of Con- gress, or that remain unsold, together with those that are improved, ought to be numbered and balloted for by the claimants of the first class who are not satisfied. All those persons who have built dwelling-houses on lots considered to be in the fii-st class, and who are claim- ants in the second class, shall retain said lots by paying to the person in the first class who draws the lot, two cents for each square foot, in the course of twelve months. Those who are not claimants, having built a dwelling-house on a lot in the first class, ought to pay to the person drawing said lot, the same price that the Legislative Board were to receive. It is understood by the committee, that the lots for the first class should be those fronting on the Courthouse Avenue from the river, to the corner lots on the north side of Main-street, inclu- sive, and those on the street commonly called Main- street. " The claimants in the second class ought to have the next choice of the best lots remaining after the first class is satisfied, and to have their claims adjusted on the same system with the fii'st class. EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 385 Liberal construction of " Act of Congress." "The claimants in the third class should have the next choice of the best lots remaining after the second class ai'e satisfied, and the system taken to adjust their claims to be the same as recommended for the first class." Then came petitions for " donation lots," from married women, minors, and persons residing outside of the pali- sades at the time of the fire, but now, by the new city survey, brought within the corporation, the result of which was the passage of the following resolution by the "Board:" " Tuesday.^ Novernher ll^A, 1806. — On motion of Judge "Woodward: Resolved^ That the governor and judges will so construe the Act of Congress, that wives, and those who resided out of the old town, but within the corporation, shall be considered donees, and that the donations of married women, and persons residing out of the town, but within the corporation, shall, in all cases, be to the northward and westward of the Catholic Church Square, and not on the Avenue leading from the Catholic Church Square to the Statehouse Circus." Notwithstanding this liberality, there still remained one class of sufferers mipi-ovided for — the foreign resi- dents, principally French, who had not sworn allegiance to the United States. In many instances they were among the most prominent citizens, and strong adherents 25 386 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Foreign residents — Peter Desnoyers. to the American interests. To meet tlieir necessities, we find the following record on the journal of the governor and judges : " Thursday^ January 22(^, 180Y. — On motion of the governor : Resolved^ That any person or persons born in a foreign country, but ha^Hlng resided in this country since the independence of the United States, over the age of seventeen years, and having owned or inhabited houses at the time of the conflagration of the town of Detroit, and who jDroduce no other evidence of their not owing or professing allegiance to any foreign power than their residence here, and their being subjected to the laws of the country, may, if they think proper, be heard before the Board on the question of their right to a dona- tion lot under the Act of Congress." In compliance with the above resolution, Peter Des- noyers appeared before the Board, and made the follow- ing statement : " Peter Desnoyers, a native of France, of the age of thirty-four years, arrived at Detroit on the seventeenth day of August, 1796, in the quality of armorer, in the service of the public. He came from Paris to America in the year 1790, lived at Gallipolis several years, and afterward at Pittsburg, from which place he came to Detroit, where he has resided ever since. He has never professed allegiance to the government of France, or to EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 387 First Protestant Church — Tecnmseh and Ellshwatawa. any other foreign government, since liis landing in the United States." Henry Berthlet, John Gentle, George Smart, William McDowell Scott, and others, also obtained a hearing be- fore the Board, and, after due consideration, donation lots were granted to the several applicants. On Monday, April 27th, 1807, " a petition for a lot on which to build a Protestant church," was presented to the Board, and a lot on the corner of Larned-street and Woodward Avenue was granted, and a house of woi-ship erected, known as the First Presbyterian church. Rev. John Monteith was the first Protestant clergyman em- ployed by the citizens of Detroit, and through his instru- mentality a Protestant church was organized, embracing all the different denominations then represented in the city. No distinctive creed was adopted, but the form of organization was Presbyterian. In 1806, the celebrated chief Tecumseh, and his brother Ellshwatawa, or the prophet, belonging to the Shawanese tribe, devised a plan, quite similar to the famous project of Pontiac, to effect the destruction of Detroit and the other American settlements in the terri- tory. They were probably encom-aged in this by the British, whose allies they were. The disaffection soon manifested by the Wyandots and other Indians in the vicinity of Detroit, caused the governor, early in 1807, 388 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Stockade built around the new Town. to order the inclosure of the inhabited part of the new town in a strong stockade. The eastern boundary of this stockade was along the eastern line of the " Brush farm," about where Brush-street now runs. There was a gate on Atwater-street, near the present Pontiac depot, and a blockhouse on Jefferson Avenue, a few rods east of the present site of the Biddle House. The western line of the stockade ran along the eastern line of the Cass farm, then known as the Macomb farm, and the western gate was on Jefferson Avenue, about one hundred feet below Cass-street. The northern line ran about in range with the fort. During the year 1807, General Hull effected a treaty with the Ottawa, Chippewa, Pottawatomie, and Wyandot tribes, yet the threatening movements of the Shawanese, and the little reliance that could be placed on Indian fidelity, had its influence in retarding the very rapid growth of Detroit. Still there was a constant progress. Many of those who have since given character and influence to this chief city of a prosperous State, were young, enterprising immigrants to Detroit, between 1807 and 1812. "The Board of Governor and Judo^es" were busv ad- justing land claims, and devising and perfecting such plans for the future prosperity of the city as came within their province. Their "Journal" contains no record of particular interest to the general reader, except the fol- EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN-. 389 Judge "Woodward's "Resolution"— Indian disaffection. lowing extracts. On Friday, Oct. 14th, 1810, the fa- cetious Judge "Woodward offered the following reso- lution : ^'' HesoT/ued^ That the president of the governor and judges, sitting under the ' Act of Congress concerning the town of Detroit,' and under the ordinance, be re- spectfully requested to accommodate the said governor and judges with fire during their sitting; the expense accruing thereby to be defrayed, one moiety from the territorial funds, and the other in the same manner as other expenses attending the execution of the said 'Act of Congress,' or in such other equitable proportion as the said president, from his knowledge of the arithmetical rules of proportion, vulgar and decimal fractions, and the algebraic rules of equation, shall ascertain to be reason- able and conscientious." The resolution did not pass, but we presume a fire was speedily provided. The growing disaffection between the United States and Great Britain, its evident effect upon tlie Indians, and the probable result, were subjects of much interest to Detroit. Fully sympathizing with the general govern- ment, and imbued with the American spirit of resistance and independence, on Saturday, January 19th, 1811, Judge "Woodward, clothed completely in American manufactures, moved the following resolution : 390 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Legislative action concerning American manufactures. " "Whereas, the encouragement of American manufac- tures is a duty imposed on all good citizens of the United States, by the dictates of benevolence as well as by the injunctions of patriotism ; and whereas the consummation of domestic manufactures is, at the same time, the most simple and the most efficacious encouragement of them ; and whereas it is at all times becoming that those who receive both honors and emoluments fi'om the execution of public trusts should exhibit themselves the foremost in examples of utility ; therefore, " Resolved^ That it be respectfully and earnestly recom- mended by the legislative authority of the territory of Michigan, to all the officei's of this government, to ap- pear clothed in articles the manufacture of the continent of North America, at all times, when engaged in the execution of any public duty, power, or trust, from and after the fourth day of July, 1813." This resolution " was passed unanimously, and a copy thereof was signed by the members and attested by the secretary, in order to be dejDosited in the office of the secretary of the territory ; and the secretary was ordered to take such measui-es for the fm-ther publication and communication of the same, as he might judge expe- dient." In accordance with the above direction, James Watson, Secretary of the Board, wrote the following let- ter to an editor in Pittsbm-g, Penn. : EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 391 Legislative correspondence — Internal navigation of New York. "Detroit, Mich., January 29th, 1811. " E. Pentlane, Esq., " Editor of the Commonwealth : "Sir — In obedience to directions received from the legislative authority of the territory of Michigan, I hereby take the liberty of requesting that you will insert the an- nexed resolution, at an early period, in your paper ; and have the honor to be " Your fellow-citizen, and "V. 0. H. S., "JAMES WATSON." ^'' Thursday ^ January 9^A, 1812. — ^The committee, to whom was referred the communication from the com- missioners of internal navigation in the State of New York, made the following report, which was unanimous- ly adopted : "Whereas, the commissioners of internal navigation in the State of New York have addressed to the gov- ernor and judges of the territory of Michigan certain communications relating to a canal in the State of New York, which have been duly considered ; therefore, '''"Resolved^ That in the opinion of the undersigned, the canal contemplated by the commissioners, from Black Rock to Rome, would not be so desirable as a canal around the cataract of Niagara, and another by the Falls of Oswego." 892 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAlsr. Letter to the Commissioners of the State of New York. On Tuesday, January 14tli, 1812, a letter inclosing the above resolution, was signed by the governor and judges of Michigan, addressed to Goveraeiu* Morris, De "Witt Clinton, Simeon Dewitt, William North, Tliomas Eddy, Kobert K. Livingston, and Kobert Fulton, Esqrs., commissioners of internal improvement in the State of Kew York. [H]®K!. Jli^KflES ^DTTKllIL^EILIL, O"' ^ oi tbp fi ""^t .^nfl^es CHAPTER XXII. Renewed disaffection of the Indians — Resolution to increase the mili- tary force — William Hull appointed commander-in-chief of the military force of the northwest — Army of twelve hundred raised in Ohio — Gen. Hull proceeds to Detroit — Vessels containing valuables captured by the British — Orders from the Secretary of War — Army cross the river to Sandwich — Col. Cass takes Canard Bridge — Gen. Hull returns to Detroit without attacking Maiden — Surrenders Detroit to the British — Facts concerning the surrender obtained from an eye-^tness — Col. Lewis Cass appointed governor. During the year 1811, the Indians, probably instigated by the British, had occasioned some trouble to the in- habitants of Michigan, and no sooner had winter set in, separating this thinly-populated region from eastern aid, than their savage neighbors showed symptoms of in- creasing disaffection. This state of affairs caused the Legislative Board to pass the following resolution, which was subsequently carried into effect : " Whereas, the turbulent disposition manifested by the savage tribes in the vicinity of this territory, menaces it with danger : " Resolved^ That if, in the opinion of the governor of this territory for the time being, it shall be deemed necessary to call any part of the militia of this territory into actual service, should not the general government 394 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. War with Great Britain declared— Northwestern Army. provide for their pay and subsistence, this government will do it, provided that, j^revious to incm-ring such ex- pense, an estimate thereof, and the number proposed to be called into service, be laid before the governor and judges of the Territory of Michigan, acting in their legis- lative department." War was declared by Congress against Great Britain on the 18th of June, 1812, but by a most culpable neg- lect on the part of the "War Department, the north- western frontier was not appiised of it until the enemy was upon them. Indeed, the first intimation of the decla- ration of war, received by Lieut. Hancks, commandant at Michilimackinac, was a demand from the enemy to sur- render the fort, which occm'red on the ITth of July. Previous to the declaration of war, and in anticipation of such an event, General William Hull, governor of Michigan, was appointed commander-in-chief of all the forces of the northwest. An army of twelve hundred men, drafted from Ohio by the President, and consider- ably augmented by volunteers, was collected at Dayton, Ohio. This force was divided into three regiments, which were placed under the command of Colonels McArthur, Cass, and Finelly. A fourth regiment of in- fantry, numbering about three hundred men, under Colo- nel Miller, completed the Ohio army. General Hull was commanded to proceed to Detroit, and there await EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 395 American vessel captured — Orders to General Hull. farther orders. The army left Dayton about the middle of June. They were obliged to cut their way through a trackless forest, and, after enduring many hardships, ar- rived at Detroit on the 5 th of July. A vessel which had been hired to convey to Detroit a few sick soldiers, hospital stores, General Hull's baggage, and many valuable documents, took the usual com*se up the river, by the Maiden channel. On arriving opposite Maiden, the vessel was captured by the British, the astonished ci:ew being informed by the boarding oflScer that war was actually declared. On the 9th of July, General Hull received the follow- ing orders from Mr. Eustice, Secretary of War : " Should the force under your command be equal to the enter- prise, and should it be consistent with the safety of your own posts, you will take possession of Maiden, and ex- tend your conquests as circumstances will allow." The army, whose numbei-s were increased by the Michigan militia, manifested great anxiety to engage in this under- taking, and m-ged upon their commander its immediate prosecution. Maiden was the key to that portion of the British provinces, and its possession was of great im- portance to the Americans. The garrison was weak, and seemed an easy conquest. Having made arrangements for the expedition, General Hull crossed the Detroit river on the 12th day of July, 396 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Expedition against Maiden— Canard Bridge. and encamped at Sandwicli. Here lie issued a procla- mation to the inhabitants, urging them to enroll them- selves under the American banner. " Had I any doubt of ultimate success," says this proclamation, " I should ask your assistance ; but I come prepared for every emergency. I have a force which will break down all opposition, and that force is but the vanguard of a much greater." Day after day passed, and the army still remained en- camped at Sandwich. "Weary of the monotony of the camp, Colonel Cass, with a detachment of about two hundred and eighty men, left the camp to reconnoiter the ground toward Maiden. He found a picket of the British army stationed at Canard Bridge. A skirmish ensued ; the enemy were routed, with the loss of ten men, and the Americans took possession of the bridge. It was only four miles from Maiden, and Colonel Cass, deeming it an important post, urged General Hull to re- tain it as a good position for a future attack. His sug- gestion was disregarded. After remaining nearly a month at Sandwich in a state of inactivity, with a brave, vigorous army chafing under the restraint. General Hull was so much intimidated by the hostile manifestations of the Indians, and the report that a large British force would soon arrive at Maiden, that he recrossed the river to Detroit, on the 9th of August, without having made a EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 397 General Hull returns with his Army to Detroit. single attack upon Maiden. Here he remained until the 15th, the day of his inglorious surrender. Every cir- cumstance connected with this most unaccountable and disgraceful affair is too well known to need repetition. The course pursued by General Hull seems more strange, from the fact that, in the army of Washington, he had distinguished himself by his bravery. The facts contained in the following account of the surrender, were given me by Mrs. M. McCarty, one of the daughters of Peter Audrain, first secretary of the ter- ritory, who then resided at Detroit. It presents a social and domestic picture of that eventful time. I have pre- served the narrative form, but am unable to give the language of the narrator. "Detroit, in 1812, scarcely deserved the name of town, for it was, in reality, but a small village. The old town had been burned to the ground, and the inhabitants were obliged to build such houses as their means would allow, and but few of these were either elegant or convenient. Atwater was then the principal street, and the dwellings there were quite compact. A few houses were scattered here and there on the other streets; and around the whole town — small, compared with its present dimen- sions — was a stockade of tall pickets, as a protection from the Indians. Between the town and the fort there was no stockade, but the space was laid out in a beauti- 398 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Detroit and its Defenses in 1812. ful esplanade, where the troops were drilled and exer- cised. Then came the fort, with its grass-covered sides, surrounded by a deep moat. All around the top of the fort, on the inside, were placed the cannon, alike for destruction and defense. On the west side of the fort was the cantonment, built around a neat court, with gravel walks and shade-trees. Two sides of the canton- ment were dwellings of the officers' and soldiers' families, and the other two sides were barracks. At the west end of the town, near the gate of the stockade, stood the cita- del, a strong blockhouse, used also for a guard-house. Along the river, above and below the citj, were the farms of the inhabitants, mostly French, some of whom were devoted to the British, and some to the American interests. " The morning before the surrender was sultry in the extreme. The sky was overspread with a thick haze, not a breath of wind lifted the drooping foliage, and the straggling rays of sunlight which now and then pierced through the gloom, were pale and sickly. Humanity seemed, for once, in unison with nature — listless and un- happy. Men gathered in groups about the market-place, and talked gloomily of the war, and their own future prospects ; old women rocked to and fro, recalled their supei-stitions, and prophesied evil at hand; children were uncommonly peevish; and the usually bustling EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 399 Batteriee at Sandwich — Panic of the Inhabitants. housewife, languid and depressed, shrank from the bur- den of her daily duties. " We had scarcely breakfasted, when the clatter of a horee's hoofs was heard along the streets, and the sten- torian voice of an officer warned the inhabitants to seek a place of safety, as the batteries recently thrown up at Sandwich would probably soon open their fire upon the town. Immediately all was panic and confusion ; women bustling about, packing their valuables for removal; men running to and fro, seeking a retreat for those dearer to them than life ; crying infants clinging to their half-distracted mothers, and older childi-en everywhere but where they should be, made the town a second Babel. About noon the inhabitants began to leave the town ; but, alas! where is safety in the midst of the stirring scenes of war? Our enemies were near us with their missiles of destniction ; the forest swarmed with Indians, professing friendliness — yet who would vouch for savage integrity, should the enemy gain the ascendency ? A deep ravine on the ' Cass farai,' a short distance below the city, then owned by General McDonald, seemed to offer the best security, and there the women and children were assembled, with a few of the sterner sex for pro- tectors. " The cannonading commenced at four o'clock in the afternoon, and continued at intervals during the night, 400 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, British cannonade the Fort without effect. keeping us in constant alarm, but doing little injury on either side. Often, while we sat huddled together in the ravine, did the ill-directed balls from the enemy's can- non plow through the orchard, tearing up the ground, but, fortunately, doing no other damage. A few shells also burst near us, harmlessly. Near midnight, those remaining in the ravine were persuaded to remove to a large stone root-house in the orchard, that we might be protected from the chilly dews of the night. " My health had been failing for some time previous, and the fright, fatigue, and bad air of the crowded root- house, brought on an illness so violent that my friends were obliged to convey me to the dwelling-house, the basement of which we found already crowded. I was placed in an upper room, a most dangerous position, as, it being nearly daybreak, the firing was more fre- quent. Alarmed for the safety of my two children, who with my mother had accompanied me, I prevailed on my mother to leave me alone, and seek a more secure place for herself and my little ones. My father and hus- band were at the fort, and, though my wants were all supplied, none else were willing to peril their own lives by remaining with me, as their presence would be no safeguard to my life. Hour after hour I passed thus alone, listening to the booming cannon, and now and then starting and shrieking as a ball whizzed by the EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 401 British cross the Kiver at Springwells. house, sometimes feeling almost sure tliat it was a mark for the enemy, and thinking perhaps the next shot would temiinate my existence. " Day dawned at length, and the cannonading ceased. Presently my mother came to tell me that the ' red- coats' were crossing the river at Springwells. 'Now,' said she, ' we shall be between two fires, and where to go for safety I cannot tell.' Her voice trembled with emotion, but her tearless eye flashed forth the determina- tion of a resolute heart. She seated herself by a wdndow that looked out on the beautifid Deti'oit. Unlike yester- day, not a cloud appeared on all the face of heaven ; the cool breeze came sweeping up from its lake-bathings, rippling the river, and refreshing poor humanity. The glad song of birds hailed the rising sun, and the green herbage and the bright-eyed flowers nodded assent to their hymn of praise. But the reveille at the fort broke harshly on the ear amid the peaceful beauty of nature. It proclaimed the fearful ti-uth that, for glory or mam- mon, man will murder his fellow-man, desolate the homes of the happy, and even himself rush into the pres- ence of his Judge. The river below us was thickly dotted with canoes and barges, filled with scarlet-clad soldiery, and the reflected sunbeams flashed from bur- nished implements of war. There was a bustle at the fort, but no forming of troops on the esplanade. At 26 402 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Advance toward the Town — No preparations for Defense. length a cannon was placed at tlie west gate, and small detachments of troops were stationed here and there, be- hind the strong picket-fences that lined the road-side from Springwells to Detroit. The British troops, hav- ing breakfasted only a mile below us, formed and com- menced marching toward the town. " ' What ails our men !' exclaimed my mother, as the troops continued to advance ; ' why don't they fire upon them V " ' Perhaps they might kill us,' I suggested. " ' We might as well be killed,' she replied, ' as to fall into the power of the " red-coats" and Indians. But we must try to find a safer place than this, for if General Hull is not a coward, we shall have bloody work to-day.' " Supported by my mother, I succeeded in reaching the foot of the stairs, where my father, who had obtained leave of absence from the fort for half an hour, met us, and, taking me in his arms, carried me to om* old retreat in the ravine. After telling me that my husband was on duty at one of the outposts, he returned to the fort. Kind friends made me a bed on the cold damp earth, my children were brought to me, and, when all was done for my comfort that could be, my restless mother again sought the house, to watch the movements of the bel- ligerents. EARLY- HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". 403 Flags of Truce — Disgraceful surrender — Captain Snelling. " A flag of truce was sent from the fort across the river, and presently one of General Brock's aids galloped by, toward the fort, also bearing the white flag. After a short absence he returned, and was sent a second time, when he was met outside of the gate by a deputation from the fort. Soon after, to our utter dismay, the American banner was hauled down, and a white flag, in token of sm-render, run up in its place. In the mean time ordere had been issued to recall the detachments, and Captain Snelling, who stood at the cannon by the gate, with a lighted match in his hand to fire the gun, the report of which had been agreed upon as a signal of attack by those in ambuscade, had the match struck from his hand by a superior officer, who, pointing to the flag of smTender, told him not to flj'e, at the peril of his life. " Scarcely were the terms of capitulation signed, before the British took possession of the town and fort, and an officer rode through the lanes and orchards, assuring the trembling inliabitants of protection from the Indians, who were swarming in vast numbers in the rear of the British troops. There was one universal bm-st of indig- nation from officers, soldiers, and inhabitants, at this dis- graceful surrender, this stain on our national honor. General Hull's son, more brave than his father, raved and swore most fearfully. My father saw many of the 404 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. Indignation of Officers and Inhabitants — General Brock. officers break their swords, and weep over their disgrace like little children, " I wish you could have heard the opprobrious ej)ithets that were heaped upon the head of General Hull hj the indignant women. I really believe they then felt that they preferred victory, or even an honorable defeat, at the expense of life, to this ignoble surrender. Nor could they, even now, anticipate any safety for themselves and their families. They well knew that the Indian allies of the enemy, greater in number than the white force, could not be entirely conti'olled by the most strenuous efforts on the part of the commanding officers, and constant an- noyance, pillage, and perhaps massacre, were seen in the murky vista of the future. Nor were they mistaken; the ensuing year was one of terror. " It is true that the orders of General Brock were very strict ; he did all he could to protect us, and probably prevented a general massacre of the Americans. Many supposed that he dared not provoke the hostility of the Indians, by punishing petty grievances ; and whenever a murder was committed, the murderer was kept out of the way till the affair was forgotten. Human life in time of war is little valued, and it required but a few days for a single murder to be forgotten, except by the immediate friends of the deceased. " When my father went to his house in town, the day EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 405 Sufferings of Americans from Indian hostility. after the sun-ender, lie found that it had been broken open, and phmdered of every valuable article. Mr. McCartj owned one of those narrow farms, about a mile below the city, to which my father removed what little he had left, and my father's family and our own remained together till the close of the war. My husband and my father were prisoners of war, but were permitted to be at home most of the time on parole. Three several times during the year our house was plundered, and we fared quite as well as our neighbors. " When winter came, the difficulty of obtaining fuel in the city induced many families to remove to their farms in the vicinity. Scarcely would they begin to feel secure in the enjoyment of their comforts, when, j)erhaps at noidnight, a band of savages would enter the house, and carry off every thing that temj^ted their cupidity. Happy were the helpless families if they escaped with life, for the slightest offense was sure to be punished by toma- hawking the offender. " During the whole period that the British held posses- sion of Detroit, while the Americans were suffering so much, the Canadian families in the vicinity were unmo- lested. A red mark on their sheep and cattle, and red doors to their dwellings, insured them the respect ot their Indian allies. But the Americans would not adopt this expedient. Perhaps I can best give you an idea of 406 EARLY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Canadian families safe — Singular expedient. the feeling upon this subject that prevailed among them, by telling you a little anecdote of Mr. McCarty. Some time in the month of October, a friendly Indian came to cm- house, and had a long talk with my husband. My sister and I saw him glance at us, then point to Mr. McCarty, and encircle his own crown, sigAificant of scalping, but he spoke so low that we could not under- stand a word he said. When he was gone, we anxiously inquired what news the Indian brought. " ' Do not be alarmed,' 'said my husband ; ' Ocomo has only been trying to convince me that, if I wish to escape the tomahawk, I must go to the fort. He says you women are safe, because you are French, and have black eyes and hair ; but my blue eyes and light hair are against me.' '"Why don't you paint your door red?' asked my sister. " ' 'No British red about me, if I die for it !' he indig- nantly exclaimed. This was the general feeling among the inhabitants. " The British held possession of Detroit about a year. They did not seem to expect to retain it so long, for the very next day after the surrender, they commenced re- moving the military stores to Maiden, and for a whole month the river was covered with small boats engaged in the transportation. After two or three months the EAELY HISTOEY OF MICHIGAN". 407 News of General Harrison's approach. British troops were withdrawn, except a detachment at the fort, and quite too many of their Indian allies re- mained prowling about the country, like ravening wolves. "It was a long, wearj year to us poor inhabitants, and a joyful time when General Harrison came to the rescue. The news of his approach was first brought by an old citizen of Detroit, whom we had suspected of being a toiy, because he was allowed greater privileges than, others who had not taken up arms. This gentleman, who had been a few weeks at Maiden, came riding by, early one morning, on his way home, when my mother called to him through the lattice, and inquired the news. " ' Good,' he replied, without looking toward the house. He passed on to his own residence, put his horse in the stable, and seated himself on the front piazza, without entering the house, lest he might possibly excite suspicions that would lead to a forcible communication to the British of General Harrison's movements. If our neighbor was indeed a tory, he seemed by his conduct to have become sick of British rule. " About an hour afterward, my brother James sprang through the gate at the foot of our garden, which ex- tended down the sloping bank to the river's brink, and ran with all speed into the house. My father immedi- 408 EAELY HISTORY OF MICHIGAN". Detroit retaken by the Americans. ately barricaded the door, and begged my daring brother not to go too near the window- blinds, lest he should be seen by the Indians. James was an officer in General Harrison's army, and so great was his anxiety to know the fate of his father's family, from whom he had long been separated, that he obtained permission to cross the river a little in advance of the army, and thus was the first of our deliverers who set foot on shore. " General Harrison and his army soon arrived. The Kentucky soldiers, who formed a part of the force, were tall, robust men, clad in blue hunting-shirts, red belts, and blue ti'owsers fringed with red. This singular uni- form gave them a demi-savage appearance. The fort was sm-rendered after a mere show of resistance ; the American flag again floated in trimnj^h over the S2)ot where a year before it had been so shamefully dishon- ored, and our joy was now as enthusiastic as then om' in- dignation was unbounded." In October, 1813, Colonel Lewis Cass, who had ren- dered essential service to the territory, was appointed Governor of Michigan. The country was in a most de- plorable condition. Devastated by war, overrun by tribes of hostile savages, and very thinly settled, it pre- sented a most discouraging theater for the gratification of a youthful ambition. Immediately after the ratification of peace with Great EAKLY HISTORY OF xMICHIGAN. 409 Colonel Lewis Cass appointed Governor. Britain, in 1815, Governor Cass devoted liis energies to the conciliation of the Indian tribes, and so successful was he in controlling these savage hordes, that the period of his accession to the government was the commencement of a new and prosperous era in the Early History of Michigan. THE END. ih*^^7. S^:^-