UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME LIBRARY
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260 THE 11IISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
as many clergymen as were needed to fill the ecclesiastical
posts of their district, and knowing elsewhere that they
were little fitted for missions among the savages, decided
that it was absolutely necessary to establish a new parti­
tion, which being fitted to the character and the particular
talents of the two orders, fixed unalterably their relations
from this time forward. It decided to establish the Capu­
<chins in all the French posts, and to charge the Jesuits
with the spiritual management of the savages, under the
will and pleasure of the Bishop of Quebec, who had
warmly approved this arrangement by his letters.
"In consequence it made an agreement on February 20,
1726, with the Jesuit Fathers, by which they engaged to
furnish missionaries not only in all the places of their
district, but also at the homes of the savage nations, where
it might be to the interest of religion and of the state to
-establish them, in the territory formerly conceded to the
Capuchins.
�, It was not possible to avoid, in this agreement, accord­
ing an establishment in New Orleans to the superior of the
Jesuit missions. He could' not receive without it those
who came from France for his missions. It is this resi­
dence, moreover, which puts him in position to render ac­
count to the Commandant-General, and to the council, of
that which the missionaries inform him touching the dis­
position of the savages, whose friendship is our security.
But the Company did not accord this establishment to the
superior of the Jesuits except on the condition that there
should not be any ecclesiastical functions without the con­
sent of the Capuchins.
" In the month of December, 1726, there departed from
France the number of Jesuits necessary to supply the mis­
sions which they had agreed to establish. Their arrival at
New Orleans and the publication of their agreement caused
at first a great deal of jealousy in the Capuchins, but as








266 THE �lI-IISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
the cause at court, and his letter to M. de la Loe, Secretary
of the Company of the Indies, detailing the difficulties he
encountered,' but also the testimony of those familiar with
the proceedings. A very full account of the trip of the
nuns to New Orleans is preserved in the letters of Made­
leine Hachard.ê one of the pa-rty, and she not only speaks
of Pere Beaubois fl" able conductor of this entire
enterprise," bu+ al ., a:
"It is tl T • �':'tJud. Pere de Beaubois, of the Society of
Jesus, who A .rmed the noble project of our establishment
at New Orleans; this missionary is full of zeal and wis­
dom; you can not imagine how many obstacles he has had
to surmount to make his enterprise succeed; it is now
happily come to a conclusion by the aid of heaven."
Madeleine Hachard journeyed from Rouen to Paris in
the latter part of October, 1726, in company with two
Ursuline sisters, Marie Mahieu and Cécile Cavalier, having
been preceded thither by Mother Marie Tranchepain, the
superior of the new community, Sister Marguérite Jude,
the assistant, and Sister Marianne Boulanger, the deposi­
tary, who had gone ahead to make the necessary contracts
with the Company. Her account of the trip is so pleasantly
written that it is worthy of free quotation. She says:
" We left Paris with the Reverend Pere D'Outreleau" and
Brother Cruey, Jesuits, who were to go with us to Louisi­
ana, the 8th of December, at five o'clock in the morning,
after having heard the holy mass, recited the prayers of
travelers, and breakfasted. The Brittany coach came to
take us at the door of the convent; it cost us forty livres
for each person to carry us to Rennes, without including
meals. * * *
lWritten from L'Orient, Nov. 2,1726. Jesuit Relations, Vol. LXVII,
p.265.
2Relation du Voyage de Dames Ursulines de Rouen à la Nouvelle­
Orleans. Gravier's Edition, Paris, 1872.
aShe spelled the name "Doutrelo."











272 THE MISSION 'TO tu» OUABACIIE.
followed by sixty-one barrels of brandy belonging to the
Company. 'l'his let the vessel off, and a favoring tide soon
after carried them to safety. Our chronicler says they
were. not desirous to land on this island because it was in­
habited by savages who were said to be" very cruel," and
justly so by her report, for "not only do they eat the
whites but first make them suffer torments a thousand
times worse than death. Sometimes they make the whites
drink their own blood, and in brief make them endure
most cruel martyrdom."
On July 23 they arrived at Balise, the French port at
the mouth of the Mississippi. Here they remained till the
20th awaiting news from Pere De Beaubois, who had sup­
posed them lost at sea on account of their long voyage of
five months. They made the trip to New Orleans, twenty
leagues up the river, in three boats, and the fatigues of
the six days required for this were worse than anything
endured on the ship. The mother superior, with the
younger sisters, Pere D'Outreleau and Frere Cruey were
in a pirogue - a boat made from a hollowed log. The
other sisters occupied a launch, and the domestics and
workmen of the reverend fathers came in a second.pirogue.
There were no settlements along the river and the vegeta­
tion was 80 dense that they had to camp at night on the
immediate banks of the river. Among the greatest troub1es
were the mosquitoes, which, our chronicler asserts, "were
at times in so great number that one could cut them with
a knife," and whose assaults called for much precaution.
"Our sailors, to make us bars, stuck canes in the ground
in the form of à bower, over a mattress, and we retired
two by two under our bars where we slept fully dressed;
then they covered the bower with a large sail cloth in a
way that the mosquitoes were not able to find any little
opening through which to visit us. We slept twice in the
midst of mud and of water which fen from the skies in


274 THE l,JISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
settlements in a letter of April 24, 1728, saying: "I must
not neglect to acquaint you with the sorry adventure come
to our two reverend fathers, Tartarin and D'Outreleau, ol:r
worthy conductors of the voyage. We learn from their
letters that when within twenty leagues of the Illinois the
canoe which carried Pere D'Outreleau was destroyed in
passing a river. He saved himself in his shirt by swim­
ming, having lost all his church equipment, his robes and
his baggage. He had come five hundred leagues happily
enough, to be thus shipwrecked at port. As soon as he
reached Pere Tartarin, who was in another canoe, he had
the charity, having two cassocks, to give him one, and so
they proceeded."
Aside from the reference to Father D'Outreleau as "at
the Ouabache" in the memoir of N ovem bel' 21, 1728, be­
fore quoted, we have no further account of him, until his
arrival at New Orleans, in 1730, gave the French definite
information of the great Indian outbreak of that year.
Writing from New Orleans, following an account of the
murder of Father Souel, Father Petit says:
"One of the Yazous having stripped the Missionary
(Father Souel), clothed himself in his garments, and short­
ly afterwards announced to the Natchez that his nation re­
deemed their pledge, and that the French settled among
them were all massacred. In this city there was no longer
any doubt on that point, as soon as they learned what came
near being the fate of Father D'Outreleau. This Mission­
ary had availed himself of the time when the Indians were
engaged in their winter occupations, to come and see us,
for the purpose of regulating Borne matters relating to his
mission. He set out on the first day of this year, 1730, and
not expecting to arrive at the residence of Father Souel,
of whose fate he was ignorant, in time to say Mass, he de­
termined to say it at the mouth of tbe little river of the
Yazous, where his party had camped.


2íö THE MISSION TO THE OUABACIIE.
seen two of them. Father D'Outreleau, all wounded as he
was, undertook the duty of steering the boat, while his
two companions placed themselves at the oars. U nfortu­
nately one of them, at setting out, had his thigh broken by
a musket-ball, from the effects of which he has since re­
mained a cripple.
"You may well imagine, my Reverend Father, that the
Missionary and. his companions bad no thoughts of ascend­
ing the river. They descended the Mississippi with all the
speed possible, and at last lost sight of the boat of their
enemies, who had pursued them for more than an hour,
keeping up a continual fire upon them, and who boasted at
'the village that they had killed them. The two rowers
were often tempted to give themselves up, but encouraged
by the Missionary, they in their turn made the enemy fear.
An 01d gun which was not loaded, nor in a condition to
be, which they pointed at them from time to time, made
. them often dodge in their boat, and at last obliged them to
retire.
"As soon as they found themselves freed from their ene­
mies, they dressed their wounds as well as they could, and
for the purpose of aiding their flight from that fatal shore,
they threw into the river everything they had in their
boat, preserving ouly some pieces of raw bacon for their
nourishment.
"It had been their intention to stop in passing at the
Natchez, but having seen that the bouses of the French
were either demolished or burned, they did not think it
advisable to listen to the compliments of the Indians, who
from the bank of the river invited them to land. They
placed wide distance between them as soon as possible, and
thus shunned the balls which were ineffectually fired at
them. It was then that they began to distrust all these
Indian nations, and therefore resolved not to go near the
land until they reached New Orleans, and supposing that


TIJE j'iIISSIOS TO in» GUABACHE. 277
the savages might have rendered themselves masters of it,
to descend even to the Balize, where they hoped to find
some French vessel provided to receive the wreck of the
colony.
"In passing the 'I'onikas, they separated themselves as
far as possible from the shore, but they were discovered,
and a boat which had been dispatched to reconnoitre them
was not a long time in approaching. Their fear and dis­
trust was renewed, and they did not decide to stop until
they perceived that the persons in that boat spoke very
good French, when they overcame their fears, and in ihe
weak state they were, gladly availed themselves of the op­
portunity to land. There they found the little French
army which had been formed, the officers compassionate
and every way kind, a surgeon and refreshments. After
recovering a little from the great dangers and m'series
they had endured, they on the next day availed themselves
of a boat which had been fitted out for New Orleans.
"I can Ilot express to you, my Reverend Father, the
great satisfaction I felt at seeing Father D'Outreleau, his
arm in a scarf, arrive after a voyage of more than four
hundred leagues, all the clothes he had on having been
borrowed except his cassock. My surprise was increased
at the recital of his adventures. I placed him immediately
in the hands of brother Parisei who examined his wounds,
and who dressed them with great care and speedy success.
"The missionary was not yet entirely cured of his
wounds when he departed to go and act as chaplain to the
French army, as he had promised the officers, in accordance
with their request. He endured with them the fatigues of
the campaign against the Natchez, and there gave new
proofs of his zeal, his wisdom, and his courage.
"On his return from the Natchez he came to recruit
himself here for six weeks, which he found very long, but
which appeared to me very short. He was impatient to


THE 1'.fISSIOY TO THE O UABA CHE. 279
It may mean three full years, or parts of three years, as in
the biblical statement that Christ was three days in the
tomb. That the latter is the meaning of Sieur de Vin­
cennes is assured by the fact that in the accounts of the
Company the first allowance for salary of the commandant
at the post is in 1731, and only for the last six months of
the year. In 1732 M. de Vincennes receives his full an­
nual allowance of 800 livres. We have, therefore, the fact
established by unimpeachable testimony that the post was
begun in the summer of 1731. And this harmonizes with
all other evidence, with the local traditions and with the
oldest local records, for J udge Law, after his study of them,
came to the concl usion that Sieur de Vincennes came there
about the year 1732.1
The letter also furnishes practically conclusive evidence
that there was no French settlement at this point prior to
the founding of the post. He states expressly that in 1733
the only buildings there were the fort, or stockade, and
two houses within it. It might be urged that he was de­
scribing only the work he had done, and that this state­
ment does not preclude the existence of the houses of set­
tlers, but there are other evidences to the same effect. If
there had been any French settlement at this point the
Louisiana authorities would have known it, and Vincennes
would have mentioned it in describing the location of the
post, but he does this only by giving its distance from the
rivers by which the English descend. Furthermore, the
place was so exposed to attacks from the Southern Indians
that a settlement could not have been maintained there
before a fort was built. As is shown by the appended
documents, and numerous others, these Indians, as well as
the Sioux and the Foxes, were attacking French settlers
even in the vicinity of Fort Chartres. And, furthermore,
1 Law's History of Vincennes, p. 19.


THE }IISSION TO THE OUARACHE. 281
This explains the special interest of Father de Beaubois
in having a post on the Ouabache. When he went to
France, in 1725, there were no Indians on the Ouabache,
within the Province of Louisiana, among whom a mission
could be established, and yet he arranged for such a
mission, and brought Father D'Outreleau over to take
charge of it. It was not until 1726 that the project of
having Sieur de Vincennes bring the Ouiatanons within
Louisiana was announced. Indeed the Company, in its
letter to De, Boisbriant, of December 22,1725, advised only
that Vincennes and the Ouiatanons be asked to co-operate
from Canada, and not to move into Louisiana. The change
of plans was coincident with the appearance of Father
de Beaubois in France, and in the absence uf any other
known cause for the change, and in consideration of its.
harmony with his preparations for a mission, it is quite
probable that he induced it.
But there is no indication that Father D'Outreleau was
actually on the Ouabache except in the memoir of 1728�
before quoted, and he could not possibly have been there
actually then, because there was no post, no settlement no
Indians on the Ouabache within Louisiana at that time.
The contract of the Jesuite was to supply missionaries for
Louisiana, not Canada, and their support was paid for by
the Louisiana Company. In what little mention there is
of Father D'Outreleau, he is spoken of as coming from
the Illinois and going to the Illinois. In the letter of
Bienville and Salmon, of May 13, 1737, he is spoken of as
"former superior at the Tllinois."! The key to the situa­
tion is probably found in the statement of the same letter
that he was" too old to learn the Indian idiom." This is
a curious statement to be made nine years after his sup­
posed entry on the mission work, for, of course, no one
could do such work effectively without understanding the
IAppendix, Second Report, Section 24.


282 THE lIIISSION TO TlIE O UABA CHE.
Indian language, and he was not" too old" when he be­
gan.! The probability is that he went to the Illinois to
study the Indian tougue while waiting for the establish­
ment of the Ouabache post, and discovered that he was
one of those persons who have no aptitude for acquiring
languages. But he had other gifts, and in accordance with
Jesuit policy he was set at work for which he was fitted,
and became superior of the order in the Illinois settlements.
His recommendation for appointment as chaplain of the
hospital at New Orleans was in the same year (1737) as the
announcement of the return of the Piankeshaws to Canada,
and presumably this first attempt at a mission to the Oua­
bache, from the Louisiana side, was then abandoned.
As a missionary enterprise it was a failure, but it is prob­
.able that the effort to secure it was largely instrumental
in securing the establishment of Post Vincennes, and
caused the attempt to hold the Indian trade against the
English by means of Indian allies and a small fort, instead
of by a fort with a considerable garrison located at some
point on the Ohio river.
1 Etienne D'Outreleau was born in the Province of Champagne, October
11, 1693. He entered the order July 27, 1715. Jesuit Relations, Vol.
LXXI,p.169.





286 THE JJII8SION TO THE O UABA CllE.
Father, that he would like to have an establishment here
for educating the youth. That would be excellent in one
sense, but we foresee by this that they wish to commence
to run out the Capuchins, as they have done at the Cape,
in order to become the masters there. They are both very
honest people.]
All the documents written by or about Pere Beaubois
relate to his continual bickerings with the Compagnie des
Indies and the Capuchins .. Many of them are intolerably
long. The charges against the Capuchins occupy fifty-one
closely written pages of foolscap, and are rebutted by the
Superior of that order in a memoir which runs to seventy­
fi ve foolscap pages. As far as I could gather from a nec­
essarily cursory examination, Father Beaubois claimed to
have contracted" treaties," whilst in Paris, with his eccle­
siastical superiors and the Compagnie des Indies, which
would have practically given the Jesuits complete control,
spiritual and temporal, of a large extent of country, but­
very unfortunately-the deeds were lost in the wreck of
the vessel which brought him back to America. The in­
finite pains he takes to prove there really had been a ship­
wreck, have, somehow or other, quite a contrary effect.
In none of Beaubois' letters do I find any reference to
fortifications. My researches hitherto have extended from
1725 to 1730, and I also inspected-but not thoroughly-the
previous and succeeding volumes, and M. Moulin, the sub­
librarian, has also searched independently, but without
result.
It is singular that in these volumes I came across no
reference to Vincennes, though the French settled there in
1702. The name of Beaubois' curé was Cascaquia. The
following extract from the accounts of the colony for 1726
will perhaps prove of interest:


THE �MISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 287
A Ouabache, lors qu'il sera etably-
Un Pretre 600 } 1
Pour vin, farine, cierges, etc 195 980
Pour un domestique 185.8
Aux Cascaquia
Village Français et Curé
Le R. P. Beaubois, Jesuitte
qui passe en France par la Bellona.
[TRANSLATION.
At the Ouabache (Post), when it shall be established-
APriest 600 } 1
For wine, flour, wax tapers, etc 195 980
For a domestic 185.8
At Cascasquia
French village and curé,
The Rev. Father Beaubois, Jesuit,
who went to France by the Bellona.]
On one of the Governor's reports (dated 13th March,
1726) some one has written, in pencil, "Vincennes Oua­
bache Uhactas," though the names do not occur in the re­
port. I will conclude with an excerpt from this report,
which may, perhaps, give a new version of some well
known or little known incident, and interest local his­
torians:
"Depuis le depart de Mons. de Bienville il n'est rien que
les Anglais n'ayent faits pour gaigner les nations sauvages.
Ils ont envoyés tant aux Alebamons qu'aux Abecars
Chactas et Chicachas plus de deux cent chevaux chargés
de Marchandise pour les attirer dans leur party, heureuse­
ment que les Chactas et Chicachas qui sont les plus proches
voisins (à nous) se sont brouillés avec eux après cependant
leur avoir traitte beaucoup de pelletries, il y a en dans leur
Brouilleries de deux Anglais de tués et la charge de dix­
huit a dix-neuf chevaux pilles. Ces sauvages donnerent
apres les autres Anglais qui estoient partis il y avoit en­
viron huit jours qu'ils ne purent joindre. Cette catastro­
phe n'a point rebute les Anglais, ils ont envoyés dire aux
Chactas qu'ils estoient prest à faire la paix avec eux aux


288 'l'HE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
conditions qu'ils leur apporteroient la teste de l'interprette
Francais qu'ils accusent fort malapropos de leur avoir fait
tués et l)"illés quoique ces sauvages paroissent fort bien in­
tentionés pour nous il est à craindre que les Anglais ne les
gagnent parcequ'on manque toujours icy de Marchandises
convenables pour les sauvages."!
[TRANSLATION. Since the departure of M. de Bienville,
the English have done nothing but make attempts to win
over the Indian tribes. They have sent not only to the
Alabamas but also to the Abecars, Choctaws and Chicka­
saws more than two hundred horses loaded with goods to
win them over to their side. Happily the Choctaws and
Chickasaws, who are our nearest neighbors, quarreled with
them after having sold them a large quantity of skins. In
their altercation two English were killed and the loads of
eighteen or nineteen horses were stolen. The Indians
went in pursuit of the other Eng1isb, who bad left about
eight days before, but were unable to overtake them.
This catastrophe has not rebuffed the English. They have
sent a message to the Choctaws that they were ready to
make peace with them on condition that they would bring
them the head of the French interpreter, whom they ac­
cuse, most wrongfully, of the killing and robbery. Al­
though these Indians appear very well-intentioned toward
us there is danger that the English may win them over,
because we lack here always satisfactory goods for the
Indians.]
I am, dear Mr. Light,
Yours faithfully,
ROBERT B. DOUGLAS.
1 Reports, Louisiana, Vol. X.


THE llIISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 291
le Grand, de glorieuse mémoire se fit toujours un plaisir de
protéger ceux que la Providence honore d'un si saint Min­
istère, & de marquer par la zéle qu'il avait pour la propa­
gation de la Foi. Heritier de ses heroiques vertus, comme
vous l'êtes de son superbe Diadême, Sire, faites éclates le
même zéle, qui ne peut que vous être infiniment glorieux.
N ous avons droit, ce semble, de l'attendre de vôtre piété,
qui a paru si eminente dans le choix que vous avez fait de
la plus vertueuse Princesse du monde, pour la placer à
côté de vous Bur le plus auguste Trône de l'univers.
[TRANSLATION.
ADDRESS TO THE KING OF PERE DU BEAU­
BOIS, JESUIT.
SIRE-This savage, who has the honor to appear before
Your Majesty, is not a common -man, and yet, although
chief of his village, and one of the most distinguished of
his nation, he has nothing of that splendor nor of that
grandeur which surround princes, and which make them
so estimable to the peoples who are subject to them, but
which are unknown to the nations of America. In addi­
tion to this, that which Your Majesty will esteem, without,
doubt in him, is that this Indian, born, so to speak, in an­
other world, and reared in the midst of forests, has been
able to conceive a high enough idea of your supreme'
grandeur to desire so ardently to see it more closely,
and to come to pay homage. An unfortunate shipwreck,
which frightened those who were to accompany him, did not.
intimidate him, and since he has been in France the sight
of that which is the wonder of all foreigners has served to
increase his ardor to see the monarch of so powerful an
empire. The principal chief of all the Illinois nation
greatly envies the good fortune of this one, as he himself


292 THE l.IISSION TO THE O UABA CHE.
says to Your Majesty in so striking a manner, and hag
often regretted, so to speak, that his presence in his own
country was so necessary to the French nation.
Deign, Sire, to receive with kindness the letter which he
has ventured to write to Your Majesty, and to respond
favorably. For myself, Sire, I consider myself most happy
to approach today to your throne, and to be witness of the
marvels which France admires in your sacred person.
Permit me, Sire, to ask of Your Majesty the royal protec­
tion for the missions of Louisiana, that vast province,
where one could not increase them enough for the good of
your colony and to give sufficiently to the su,vage nations
which dwell there the knowledge of the true God. Louis
the Grand, of glorious memory, made it always bis pleas­
ure to protect those whom Providence honored with so
holy a ministry, and to testify by tbe zeal he had for the
propagation of the faith. Heir of his heroic virtues, as
you are of his superb diadem, Sire, make resplendent the
same zeal, which is able to make you eternally glorious.
We have the right, it would appear, to expect this of your
piety, which is shown so notably in the choice which yon
have made of the most virtuous princess in the world to
place by your side on the most august throne of the uni­
verse.]
Pere Beaubois also presented a letter and necklace from
Matuantouenea, the head chief, who said in his letter he
would have liked to come-
"Mais mes Pères de Boisbriant & du Tisné qui tiennent
la place, m'ont dit du rester pour maintenir mon Village,
Defendre les Robbes noires & le village français contre les
Renards, tes ennemis & les nôtres."
[TRANSLATION. But my fathers de Boisbriant and du
"I'isne, who command here, have told me to remain to


296 THE lIJISSIOS TO THE O UABA. CHE.
No.8.
A Ouabache qui a toujours esté negligé et sur lequel se­
lon moi pour les connaissances que j'en ay, on auroit du
premier y etablir par rapport que cest une clef des Anglais
par laquelle ils pourroient plûtot s' emparer de la Province
de La Louisiane que par aucun endroit, et seduire nos na­
tions quoyqu'en paix ils ont fait de ce Tentatif plusieurs
fois ; il seroit necessaire dans cette poste J'enverois pour
ainsy dire le nombre il faudroit plûtot y mettre quartre
cent hommes que trois.
From Memoire de M. de St. Denis commandant aux
N atehitoches, du 30 Novembre 1731.
[TRANSLATION. On the Ouabache, which has always been
neglected, and on which, in my opinion, by the information
I have had, we should be the first to form an establishment,
for by report it is a key of the English by which they would
be better able to get hold of the Province of Louisiana than
by any other place, and to entice away our tribes, because
in peace they have made this effort many times. There
will be necessary in this post-I would advance the num­
ber needed there, so to speak, to four hundred men rather
than three.]
No.9.
Fro� Estat des Officiers que le Roya resolu d'Etablir à
Ja Louisiane et des Appointements quelle leur a Reglé à
commencer du premier Juillet 1731.
Aux Illinois.
Un commandant tout pour ses appointements que
pour l'Entretien du fort 2,000
A Ouabache.
Un commandant id 800
Fait a Versailles le 30 Janvier 1731.
Signé Maurepas.


THE �1IISSION TO THE OUABAOHE. 297
[TRANSLATION. From Roll of the officers that the King
has decided to establish in Louisiana and of the salaries
which have been fixed for them, to commence July 1, 1731-
At the Illinois.
A commandant, in full for salaries and for the
support of the fort 2,000 (livres)
At the Ouabache.
A commandant, the same 800
Done at Versailles, January 30, 1731.
Signed Maurepas.]
No.10.
From Projet de l'Estat des Depenses pour l'année 1731.
A Ouabache.
A l'officier commandant tout pour suplem' d'ap­
pointements que pour l'entreti.en du fort pour
les six ders mois 1731, à raison de 800 par an..... 400 :-:
(In these same estimates I also find)
Offrs reformés.
Au S. Jantzen, lieutenant, pour les appointements
des 6 ders mois, à raison de 480 par an .. oo........ 240
Au S. de St. Ange Père, id 240
Au S. de Vincennes, id...... 240-
[TRANSLATION. From Statement of Expenses for the
year 1731.
At the Ouabache.
To the commandant, both for the allowance of
salary and for the maintenance of the post for
the last six months of 1731, at the rate of 800
livres per year 400 :-:


l'HE llIISSIO.LV TO THE OUABACHE. 299
No.12.
Quoyque trés propre pou; le poste qu'il occupé il l'en­
droit de meilleurs services s'il avoit un commandem' dans
quelque poste. Celuy des Islinois luy conviendroit fort, il
est aimé de ces sauvages, il y a demeuré longtemps, et il ne
seroit pas eloigné (?) d'y retourner. Il y feroit plus de
progres que le S. de St. Ange, Père qui y commande, et
qui les Sauvages trouvent trop vieux.
Concerning D' Artaguiette, from a report by Salmon to
the Minister, Maurepas, 29 March, 1732.
[TRANSLATION. Although very well fitted for the posi­
tion he occupies, he would render greater service if he had
command in some post. That of the Illinois would suit
him admirably. He is loved by these Indians; he lived
there a long time; and he will Dot have to remove far to
return there. He will make more progress there than
Sieur de St. Ange, the father, who commands there, and
"whom the Indians find too old.J
No.13.
I
¡
In "The estimate of public expenses for the year 1732" l
I find an entry, 1
An garde magazin à Ouabache......................... 300
[TRANSLATION. For a storekeeper at the Ouabache... 300J
No.14.
Is a long "Ordonnance donnée par monsieur de St.
Ange au Sujét de l'assasinat commis en Lapersonne du­
nommée pierre roston Dit Langenin soldat De Lagarrison
du fort de Chartre." The Court Martial consisted of the
St. Anges, father and son, Lient. Bassée and Ensigns
Dutisné and Buchet. St. Ange fils is described as an en­
sign. I do not find any matter of general interest in the
trial. The murderer, Francois Frétél, was executed Oct.
16th, 1732.


TIlE lIIJSSION TO THE OUABACHE. aoi
D'un autre Costé le Sr. de Vincennes, qui commande
aux Miamis, marque que les Sauvages etablis sur Ouabache
ne sont pas plus tranquilles que les Illinois, qu'il n'est
point en Etat de les Empecher d'avoir Commerce avec les
Anglois, parce qu'il faudroit tons les faire reunis, et qu'il
n'a point de Marchandise pour les yengager, que Ia Gar­
rison d'ailleurs est trop foible pour contenir ces Nations.
[TRANSLATION. By the same letter Sieur St. Ange testifies
that he is little assured of the fidelity of the Illinois, who
often give him alarm, and make pretense of fear of our
resentment for their past faults to have a pretext for agi­
tation.
On another side Sieur de Vincennes, who commands at
the home of the Miamis, states that the savages established
on the Ouabache are not more tranquil than the Lllinois;
that be is not in condition to prevent them from trading
with the English, because it would be necessary to bring
them all together, and he has not the merchandise to in­
vite them, in addition to which the garrison is too feeble
to constrain this nation.]
No.17.
Letter of M. Perier, 25 Jan., 1733, to the Minister:
Les Ouyatonons chez qui est Le Sr. de Vincennes se sont
liez avec les Akansas pour faire La Guerre ensemble aux
Chicachas, etc.
[TRANSLATION. The Ouiatanons, at whose home is Sieur
de Vincennes, are united with the Arkansas to make war
together on the Chickasaws, etc.]
No. IS.
Letter from M. de Vincennes,-presumably, as also with
the one following, to the Governor, but with no address
given. The spelling is as in the original.


302 THE )JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
Le 7 Mars, 1733.
MONSIEUR:
pour faire reponse a 1 honneur De Lavostre je Com­
menceray par vous informé que Le Ouabache est compoze
De Cinq nations, qui Compoze quatre Villages Dont Le­
moindre ets de soixante hommes portant Les armes et Le­
tout peut faire six a sept Cent hommes qu'il serais neces­
saire Derassembler pour Lebien Du service et Lenrs oster La
proximite Des Langlais ille ma Esté impossible De faire ras­
semblertoutes ces Nations parcequil a toutjours manqué De
marchandise Dans Cette anùroit. Lefort que jay fait faire
est à quatre Vinq Lieues Dans Le Ouabache au Desus Des
Rivieres par oules anglais anront peu Disendre et ouvir com­
merce avec Ces nations. Landroit est furt propre pour y
faire U ngros Establissement ceque jaurois fait si jauvis eut
Des forces, à Lesgard du Commerce que Lonny (l'on y?)
peu faire est Lapelletrie i11e pent sortir tonte les annee De
Ce poste pour trante milluire (milliers?) Depelletrie Voyla
Monsieur tout Le Commerce que Lonpourrit faire pour
Lepresent.
jamais onna eut plus Debesoing Detroupe Dan Ces an­
droit qua present Les Sauvages tant illinois que miarnis et
autres sont plus insollent quil nont jamais eté et ce La De­
puis que Lerenard est Defait. Le peut Dexperiance que
jemesuis acquis Depuis 20 (?)1 anneés que je suis avec eux
mefait craindre quelque mauvais Retour De Ces nations
surtout Les miens qui Voyt Une Establissement que jay
Oommancé et qui ne paroitre pas vouloir Estre continue
puisque Depuis trois années ilnevient Rien cepandant mon­
sieur Cost Lapassage Detoutes les nations tant Des Lacs
que Des autres androyts.
Vous mefaitte Lhonneur Dememarquer Devous anvoy
U ne Estats Des ouvrages faitte et à faire ille ny a quun
1This is a very doubtful reading as may be seen from the fac simile.


'l'HE MISSION TO THE OUABACHE. 303
fort et Deux maisons dedans et ille faudroyt presentement
:y faire faire Uncordegarde avec Des Cazernes pour loger
Leesols Dats ille nest pas possible Dereste Dans cette androy
avec si peut Detroupe ille faudroyt trante hommes avec
Une officier Jesuis plus anbarasée que jamais Dans cette
.androyt par Laguerre Des chicacbies qui SOllt Venus
Deux fois depuis leprintamps ille ny a que Douze jours que
Lederuier party a améné trois personnes et Comme Cest
Lefrancois qui leurs amis Le Cassetete alamain je suis
obligé Defaire tout les jours De Ladepence jespere Devostre
Bontez que Vous voudré Bien avoir Esgard acette an droit
et a Lapeine oujesuis tant pour moy que pour Lapetite
garnizon que jay cest Lagrace quattand Devous Ce Luy
-qui a Lhonneur Destre avec Unprofond respect
Monsieur
Vostre trés humble et trés obeissant Servituer
VINSENNE
[TRANSLATION.
March 7, 1733.
MONSIEUR-To make reply to the honor of yours, I will
commence by informing you that the Ouabache nation is
-composed of five tribes, which include four villages, of
which the least is of sixty men bearing arms, and in all
.about six or seven hundred men, whom it will be neces­
sary, for the good of the service, to gather together and
remove from proximity to the Englisb. It has been im­
possible for me to bring together all these tribes because
I have always lacked merchandise in this place. The
fort which I have had built is eighty leagues up the
-Ouabachc, above the rivers by which the English will be
able to descend and open trade with these tribes. The
place is well fitted for the location of a large establish­
ment, which I would have made if I had had the troops.
In regard to the trade which can be had, it is in furs. It


304 THE ltIISSION TO 'J'HE OUABAC'IIE.
is possible to send out from this post every year about
thirty thousand skins. That, monsieur, is all the trade
that can be secured for the present,
'I'here has never been so great need of troops at this
place as at present. The Indians, Illinois as well as Miamis
aud others, are more insolent than they have ever been,
and that since the Foxes have been overthrown. The little
experience I have acquired in the twenty (?) years I have
been with them, makes me fear some bad return from these
nations, especially mine, which sees an establishment that I
have begun and which there has appeared no desire to
continue in the past three years. The only thing that can
come in the meantime, Monsieur, is the loss to us of all
the tribes, both of the lakes and of other places.
You have done me the honor to ask me to send you a
statement of the works finished and to be constructed.
There is only a fort and two houses in it, and there should
at once be built a guard room with barracks for lodging
the soldiers. It is not possible to remain in this place with
so few troops. It will need thirty men with an officer.
I am more embarrassed than ever in this place by the war
with the Chickasaws who have come here twice since
spring. It is only twelve days since the last party brought
in three persons, and as it is the French who have put the
tomahawk in their hands, I am obliged to be at expense
continually. I hope of your kindness that you will give
special attention to this place and to the trouble which I
experience, as well for myself as for the little garrison that
I have. It is a favor expected of you by him who has the
honor to be with profound respect, Monsieur,
Your very humble and very obedient servant,
VINCENNES.]


THE ][JSSION TO THE OUABACHE. 305
No.19.
A second letter from M. de Vincennes-as above.
21 Mars, 1733.
MONSIEUR:
je viens derecevoir Un paquit demonsiour Lernarquis De
bauharnois que janvoy partire amons" de St. Ange pour
vous Lefere tenir antoute di1ligence.
monsieur Lemarquis de Bauharnoie manvoy Un collier
et Unealumet pour Les illinois que janvoy a monsr. de St.
Ange pour insister Los nations a aller frapér sur les chica­
chias toutes les nations du Canada et de Lacs parte Ce
priutamps pour y aller tons ceux Dicy isont alles jusqua
Leurs chef ille nest pas resté dan tous ces Villages un seule
homme et tout ea apasée par ce poste cequi napas L'etée
de bien court.
jay eut lhonneur Devous marquer par ma derniere que
Les chicachias ontstuez cette otthomne six francois Dans
Ouabache qui savenoit a ce poste et dont ils estoit abitaut
ce meme party atuez LT nde ces sauvages De ceposte avec
sa feme sille commance avenir dans Ces Lieux il sera
Dificile De voyager monsieur Lemarquis debauharnois me
marque quil veut absolument faire detruire les chicachias
et Leurs allies et dinviter (?) ces nations a Ci joindre a
Ceux du Canada.
Nous sommes Denuéz de tout Dans ceposte je suis obligé
danprunter Des voyageurs et dedonner Le peu que jay
pour obvier (?-illegible) a toutes Les affaires qui arrive
journellement jay Lhouneur de vous suplier monsieur
Devouloir bien avoir esgard a ce la et De me faire Ram­
bourcér ceque jay fourny je previens quil maura ancore
conter Baucoup quand ces nations Reviendrou puis que
tout Les nrisonniers ouil ameniront Nous seront donnés et
quil fant.!. payer Ce 8�rte dechose aussi bien qne Decouvrir
Les morts sille perde Dumonde jespere quils yront cette
20


�03 THE 1IfL'JSIOX TO TIlE GUABACHE.
[TRANSLATION. List of public expenses of 1732,-sal­
aries and perquisites in the posts:
To M. de Vincennes, commandant at the Ouabache.
For allowance 800 livres.]
No.21.
From "La Louisiane "-M. de Bienville sur les sauvages
Chicachas, Natchez & Chactas :
Le Sr. De Vincennes qui y commande lui mande qui les
.Peanguichas qui sont établis auprès de notre fort ont envie
-d'attirer à eux un village de la même nation qui est resté
a 60 Iieues plus haut Deux raisons lui font goûter ce des­
'sein, la première pour fortifier nôtre Etablissement, et la
'Seconcle pour ôter a ce village la commodité de commercer
avec les Anglois qui ont deux Magazins etablis chez les
Chaouanous sur Ia Riviere d'Oio.
[TU.ANSLATION. Sieur de Vincennes, who commands
there, informs me that the Piankeshaws, who are estab­
lished near our fort, wish to draw to them a village of the
same tribe which is located sixty leagues higher up.
'two reasons make him approve this plan; the first is to
strengthen our estublishmeut, and the second to remove from
this village the chance to trade with the English, who
have established two store-houses in the country of the
Shawnees on the River Ohio.]!
No.22.
From a report by the Governors-Bienville and Salmon
-addressed to the Minister, and dated 8th April, 1734:
Pour ce qui concerne Ouabache, M. de Vincennes de qui
nous n'avions point encore eu des nouvelles, nous marque
lThe Ohio above the month of the Wabash. In all this early period
the 'WabaHh was considered the main stream emptying into the Misslssippi,
while the Ohio W:l8 a tributary of the Ouabache,


TIlE llIISSlO.V TO THE OUABACHE. 311
leur Village depuis sa mort, à la reserve d'environ 15
hommes qui etoient encore avec le Sr. de St. Ange. Ils
sont allés plus haut dans Ouabache à un autre village. Je
prevóisque puisque cette station se retire on seroit inquieté
par les Chikachas dans ce poste où la garnison n'est pas
forte. Cette Circonstance et Les Tentatives recentes et
reiterées des Anglais pour penetrer dans la Colonie par la
rivière Oyo par laquelle ils descendent dans Ouabache me
determine à replacer ce fort à 40 Lieues plus bas à l'entree
de cette Rivière. J e l'y aurait mis d'abord si les Sauvages
eussent voulus nous y suivre. Il se trouve aujourdhui que
Les Kikapous et Maskoutins qui sont venus il y a deux
ans faire Village avec les Miamis ne s'accordent point avec
eux et Mr. De La Buissonière m'assure que pour peu qu'an
les invitat ils viendront s'y établir. Je luy envoyeray les
ordres pour ce Changement qui ne sera pas d' une grande
depense et j'espère que Monseigneur les approuvera. Tout
ce que je crains e' est que Left. de Linquetot! officier de
Canada qui commande aux Miamis et Ouyatanons, ne
s'oppose à laisser aller Les Kikapous et Maskoutins, par­
ceque ces deux nations sont de son departement. J e lui
ecriverai a ce sujet.
[TRANSLATION. The Piankeshaws, in whose country
we have a post where the late Sieur de Vincennes
commanded, have almost all left their village since his
death with the exception of about fifteen men who are
still with Sieur de St. Ange. They have gone higher
up the Ouabache to another village. I foresee that
since this station shrinks we will be troubled by the Chick­
asaws in this post, which has a weak garrison. This cir­
cumstance and the recent and repeated attempts of the
English to penetrate the colony by the river Ohio, by
IPresumably De Linetot-one of the Godefroy family-Tanguay, Diet.
Genealog.


3IG THE JII8/3ION TO THE OUAB:WIIE.
some catalogue of MSS.-but whether in France or in
Canada, or whether in a public library or private collec­
tion, he has omitted to note. I will do my best to elucidate
the mystery, and if I can find the document will at once
communicate with you.
I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
ROBERT B. DOUGLAS.
THIRD REPORT OF MR. DOUGLAS.
64 RUE DES MARTYRS, PARIS,
13 November, 1901.
DEAR SIR-In accordance with your instructious, I have
searched the volumes for the years 1720 to 1725 for the
Beaubois memoir, and those of the years 1744 to 1750 for
any information I could find regarding the Ouabache, but,
I regret to say, the success of my search has not been com­
mensurate with the time and labor involved.
There is no reference to Father Beaubois in any of the
series from 1720 to 1725. In several places I find lists and
descriptions of the forty or fifty letters taken from New
Orleans to France in some particular vessel, but there is
nothing at all resembling the document of which we are
in search. That, however, does not surprise me. The
Governor would not have looked favorably on a Jetmit
missionary who interfered in civil and military affairs, and.
Beaubois would, in all probability, have entrusted the doc­
umeut to some priest-a J esnit for choice-returning to
: France. On the other hand, if this had been the case, I
should think there would have been some memorandum
about the document in the archives at the headquarters of
the Jesuits. But Father Sommervogel himself pointed out
to me that in the first edition of his book there was no
mention of this memoir, and therefore he must haye found,


l'IIE lIISSIO�V '1'0 THE O UAEAG"HE. 317
the reference to it between the appearance of the first and
second editions-i. e., between 1886 and 1889. Unfortu­
nately he can not tell me where this reference is, but he
thinks it is in some catalogue of MSS. that he has seen­
in France, he believes-but it might be in Canada.
There are two other points which suggest themselves to
me, and which I give for 'what they are wortb. H Beau­
bois had written his memoir prior to his visit to the King
(an account of which I sent you), aud were the ambitions,
meddlesome man his enemies describe him to have been,
woulel he not have made some reference to his services in
the course of his speech? The second is, could Beaubois
have known sufficient about the country, before 1729-
when he was in disgrace-to make his account of any
value?
At any rate I feel tolerably confident that the memoir is
not in the Colonial Office. The nearest approach to it I
have been able to find is a memoir by Père Baudoin,
which, however, contains nothing of interest. These vol­
umes contain from 500 to 700 pages each. In the earlier
days of the colony, one volume suffices for two years, but
after 1730 or so, two volumes are needed for Olle year. I
have examined in all about twenty-five of these volumes,
and in the six weeks I have worked it would have been
impossible to go as carefully through each volume as I
should have wished, and no doubt anyone who gleaned
after me would find enough to repay his trouble. In fact,
in hunting up the letters for the photographer to copy, I
came across two extracts which I send herewith. My
search in the years 1744-50 has not been prolific of results.
De Vaudreuil, who was Governor then, gives hardly any
news in his letters, which are filled with generalities about
the Indians, the English and financial matters.
No. 1. Shows that the Compagnie des Indes was fully
alive to the importance of establishing factories on the


318 THE )JIISSION TO THE OUABACHE.
Ouabache. I presume it was the transfer of the colony to
the royal authority that delayed the execution of these
orders for several years.
No.2. I have found no previous reference to the writer
of this letter, who I judge from the letter to have been an
oldish or middle-aged man, long resident in the colony.
He says (after the words "en attendant mieux"):
"Vous voyez Mr. qu'il ne me manque plus pour faire un
établissement solide a La Louisiane qu'un certain meuble
qu'on se repent souvent d'avoir pris, et dont je me passe­
ray, comme les autres."
The "certain meuble" was a wife! He complains that
the girls sent from Canada were "a very licentious lot,"
whilst those who came from France "had at least an ap­
pearance of virtue." He had expected that his sister
would send him over a wife, but" his hopes in that quar­
ter had ended in smoke." In his description of the mas­
sacre of the Canadian family, he mentions that one of the
men with his wife and sister, went off für help, leaving the
others" cabanés sur le bord du Mississipi a quatre ou cinq
Iieues de Ouabache." When help arrived, all had been
murdered or taken prisoners by the Scioux.
No.3. From this it would seem that M. de N oyan had
been appointed commandant on the Ouabache by the com­
pany, but had been superseded by the King's nominee
when the colouy came uuder royal control.
No.4. Is a long essay on Louisiana with a scheme for
improving that colony and St. Domingo. I have copied
out all that was of interest.
No.5. The same items occur in the accounts of every
year. The Jesuits are always paid a lump sum, and the
only officers mentioned by name are those at or near New
Orleans.
No.6. He gives the same figures iu a tabulated form
on another page, where he makes the total number of


320 THE .MISSION TO T'lIE GUARACHE.
(P. 3.) Los principaux postes que la Compagnie s'est
proposée de faire fortifier sont l'Isle aux Vaisseaux, les
Alebarnons, et Ouabache.
(P. 12.) Il est aussy necessaire de se poster sur la Riviere
d'Ouabache où les Anglais semblent vouloir s'approcher"
la Compagnie mande au Commandant de la Colonie d'y
placer un corps de Troupes pour occuper le premier tout
ce Terrain et empecher que les Anglais n'y penetrer.
L'Ordonnateur y etablira une Tannerie pour l'aprest des
peaux que l'on y traitera, ce qui empechera que les Mittes
ue les gastent, ce que l'on n'a pu eviter jusque à present
malgré les precautions que l'on y a prises,
(P.15.) L'on pourra tirer une grande quantité de peaux
de boeuf de Ouabache, lorsque notre Etablissement y sera
fait, mais il sera apropos de les tanner pomo les conserver,
et à cet effet d'y construire des Moulins à Tan.
(P. 21.) Fait et arresté par nous, Directeurs de la Com­
pagnie des Indes, a Paris, en l'hostel de la Compagnie, le
quinze Septembre, Mil sept cent vingt. (Signatures fol­
low.)
[TRANSLATION. The principal posts which the company
proposes to fortify are the Isle aux Vaisseaux, the Ala­
bamus and Ouabache. * * *
It is also necessary to have a post on the River Ouabache
where the English appear desirous to push forward. The
company requests the commandant of the colony to place
there a body of troops to occupy first this territory and
prevent the English from penetrating there. The manager
will establish thore a tannery for the preservation of the
skins which will be bought there, to prevent the mites
from spoiling them, which we bave not been able to avoid
heretofore, notwithstanding the precautions that have been
taken. * * *
It will be possible to gather a great quantity of buffalo
skins at the Ouabache, when our establishment shall be


THE ltíŒ'SION TO THE OUABACHE. 321
made there, but it will be desirable to tan them for preser­
vation and, for this purpose, to construct tan mills. * *
Done and ordered by us, Directors of the Company of
the Indies at Paris, in the hotel of the Company, the fif­
teenth of September, 1720.
No.2. 1722.
Extract from a letter of M. Chassiu;' dated "Aux Illi­
nois, le Ir. Juillet, 1722," and marked in corner," Je l'ay
recue à Versailles le 16e Decembre, 1 i22."
Les Renal's continuent toujours leurs insultes et ont deja
-frapé trois fois depuis le printens sur les sauvages du vil­
lage auprès du fort de Chartres. J e ne scais meme s'ils ne
m'ont pas laissé échaper exprès dans un voiage que j'ay
fait aux Kaoukias avec 1\J. 'I'haumar et un officier de cette
garnison, peutêtre aussique comme nous etions tous trois
bien montés et bien armés, ils nous ont vû sans oser llOUS
attaquer.
Enfin deux jours apres que nous fumes passer ils tuerent
une femme à une lieue du fort de Chartres, au bord de la
rivière. (Pages 3 and 4. Then follows on p. 5, a descrip­
tion of tbe massacre of a Canadian family by the Scioux.)
Ils avoient deux canots bien chargés des marchandises
qui avoient descendu fort heureusement des Miamis par
Ouabache. * * *
(P.6.) Je me suis avisé aussi d'en prendre une (conces­
sion) à environ une demie lieue de fort de Chartres, où je
vais reside!'. Elle fera au moins de vingt arpens de face
sur une lieue où plus de profondeur, et j'espère avoir cette
INicolas Michel Chassin was a Commissary, or representative, of The
Company of the ,Vest-John Law's Mississippi Company-afterwards
merged in the Compagnie des Indes. He, with the Principal Commissary,
who was then Marc Antoine de la Loire, and the Commandant, who was
then De Boisbriant, formed the Provincial Council of the Illinois. Kas­
kaskia and its Parish Records, p. 2; Old Fort Chartres, p. 27.
21