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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles ^iuivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. trrata to pelure, n d □ 32X 1 2 3 t 2 3 4 5 6 \ /':i/^> TH8 CATHOLIC PIONEERS OF A.MERICA. BY JOHN O'KANE MURRAY, M. A., M.D.. AUTHOR OF THE 'POPULAR HISTORY OF THE CATHOUC CHURCH IN THE UNITED STA TES OF AMERICA "PROSF AND POETRY OF IRELAND," ^'LITTLE LIVES OF THE GREA T SAINTS," "LESSONS IN ENGLISH I ITER A- TURE," AND -LIVES OF THI CA THOI.IC HE- ROES AND HEROINES OF AMERICA •' Honor to whom honor is due. Veritas vincit omnia. men "Next to the merit of performing worthy deeds is. if not equal th ■ru of duly recording them."~Afr/ib,s/ioP Mac Hale ' NEW EDITION, REVISED. PHII^ADELPHIA : H. I.. KILNER & CO., PUBUSUIiRS. COPYRIGHT, 1882, By John O'Kank Murray, M. A., M. D, All Rights Reserved. THIS BOOK 18 MOST AFFECriONATKLY DKDICATEU TO MY BROTHERS— Rev. BERNARD F. MURRAY, Mr. JAMES J. MURRAY, AND Mk. EDWARD F. MURRAY, in memory of our school-days and many pleasant rambles by field and wood and water in this Western World, which owes so much to its noble Catholic Pioneets. 1 I II tl PREFACE. HIS little volume is the imperfect fulfilment of a long-cherislied design. It trenches on no other work h merely moves into an unoccupied place — a place of its own. We speak a language in which, I regret to say, it has been the fashion for centuries to give as little credit as possible to Catholics and the Catholic Religion. I have often fell the want of a cheap, handy work on the present subject. Among people otherwise well informed, there is. beyond all doubt, a great deal of disgraceful ignorance as to what Catholics have achieved in the New World. Let me illustrate On one occasion, an American lady — wiio had just given the finishing touches to her education at Paris — expressed astonishment on my saying that Cluistopiier Columbus was a Catholic, and that he found in iiis religion the chief motive that led him to double the ^ize of the world's map. It seemed to sound stranger than if I had asserted that the illustrious .Admiral was a Mormon, a Mahometan, or even the great grandson of Jack the Giant-killer. Some \ears ago, I was amused to hear an educated gentleman state that Champlain was a Huguenot, because his name was Samuel; and he assured me that he had tjjis ridiculous piece of information from the principal of a school in Canada. A well-known ])ro- fessional gentleman of this city recently expresseil some vi Pre/cue, surprise on hearing that Magellan was a Catholic. But it is unnecessary to multiply such instances. Books and conversation furnish them in abundance. 1 am not a .vare, however, of any j-ood reason why this sini^iiljr ignorance should prevail. l'e(jple wiio ciin tiiix ihienilv on Silting Ihill, Cai)tain Kidd, Tom I'aine, or Brigh.im \oung, might t crtainly be expected to know something about the great Catholics wiio discovered, explored, and settled America. But it must be admitted that the ordinary sources of information are very imperfect. I take up one ot the most popular encyclopaedias in this country, and l{;ok in vain for Mar(]uelte, Rochambeau, Jogues, De Biebeuf, rinzon, Champlain, La Salle, De Maisonneuve, Barry, Callitzin, Castcjn, ('harles Carroll of Carrollion, and, in- deed, most of the names i.i this volume. Was it preju- dice or ignorance — or both — in the compilers that led to such a shnmefnl omission ? I turn over the pages of the s;ime boasted encyclopa?din, and I find that the traitor lU'nedict Arnold gets nearly half a column of close print; tlie immoral monster Hrigham Young, nearly a column; the infidel Tom Paine, a column; and the spy Andre, two columns! This is the way fame is distributed and merit rewarded l)y the publishing blockheads and bigoted literary hacks who get up what is called an encyclopaedia. "Wh.v not consult the standard works on American history ?" somebody may suggest. Just so, my friend. We shall reach them in a moment. Many of them cer- tainly ( laim our attention — if it be for nothing else than the extreme care taken by their authors to insult the Catholic reader by slandering the Catholic Church as often as convenient. Bancroft has written a small library J^rrfnic. VII called T/ie History of the I'nited States. 1 pick up ihe first volume, and scarcely get half-through, when 1 an» rewarded tor my industry by being informed that, " Luther resisted the Roman Church for its immorality; Calvin, fur Its idolatry." Wl.at called for this item of calumny \\\ The Jlistory of the United States? Hail JJancroft read more deeply, and not been blinded by the false historical infallibility that comes from being stuffed with religious l)rejudices, lie might have added in a note, that Luth.er and Calvin would have lived and died pagans, if the Catholic Church had not baptized them, instructed them, and taught them the Ten (!onnnandments, which they forgot to practise before old age, and one of which says, riiou shalt not bear false witne>m against thy neighbor." Parkman, whose style is charming, pictures the Cath- olic Church, in one of his finest works, as '* the right arm of tyrants," "dark with the passions of Hell," "masked in hypocrisy and lies," and concludes that "clearly she is of earth, not of Heaven." Does he give any facts in proof of assertions so wild and blnsjjhemous ? Not at all — how could he ? In reading l^ie Jesuits in North America^ we every here and there stumble across ; in;h offensive passages, passages which mar a book other- wise so delightful. Prescott can sneer at the Catholic Religion in exquisite English; and even the gentle Irving has his moments of weakness. Belknap, in his Biographies of the Early Discoverers, takes care to note all about De Soto's ])igs and their rapid increase; but not a word is said concerning the twelve Catholic missionaries who ac- companied the great explorer. On the other hand, a recent writer, Mackenzie, in his America — A IJisto'y, tells V\l\ Prfface, his readers that De Soto's "camp swarmed with priests. Do twelve priests make a " swarm"? It is folly f.o expect fairness or justice at the hands of men who have so little rt'S|)ect for ti'ulh and the Catholic Religion. Belknap |>lii(cs the port of Palos in the Mediterranean Sea, and makes Columbus sail through the Straits of Gibraltar in going to America! This is about as correct as saying that Brooklyn is at the mouth of the Si. Lawrence. But blunders of this sort are trifles compared to the malicious remarks, profane in- terpretations, and ignorant assertiow* that are given forth willi such an air of profound knowledge. One of the foregoing writers speaks of the piety of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, as " mental intoxication," and " the vagaries of an insane mysticism." Olier, says the same author, *' signalized his piety by the most disgusting exploits of self-mortification." Everett knows no better than to state that he saw nuns saying Mass at New Orleans. A recent writer talks gravely of "morning Vespers." Kip makes Father Rale celebrate Mass in the evening; and even the cultured Parkman tells his readers that Father Jogues "reached the church in time for evening Mass" on Christmas Day. Mackenzie speaks of the Sign of the Cross as "the exhibition of the Cross" — as if a sign is an exhibition. Such idiotic blundering is enough to exasperate a saint. But it is only another proof of what I have long been convinced — that nearly all Protestant authors write about the Catholic Church and its doctrines and ceremonies out of the abundance of their ignorance. Mackenzie states that Champlain, "although a bigoted Preface, IX Catholic, was a sincere Christian." He informs his readers that the Mississippi was discovered by "an exploring party composed of six men." It would not do to mention feather Marquette, who was one of the six. A«. - cordinj^ to this singular method of writins; history, it mij^lit be said that America w.is discovered by "a party of sailors c(jtnposed of one hundred and twenty men," and (luiitly lump up Columbus with the crowd of nobodies. In a laige work claiming to be a complete Ili:^tot) -^ Xort/i and South America^ and recently published in New York, Charles Carroll of CarroUton is just once rv.'fened to as "a respectable Roman Catholic gentleman"; .ud, mitabiU (iictii, the l-Jt'^ notorious James Kisk gets half S. \. ;e of close print. Let is have a new definition ut history, How would this do? "History is a record of the 'lecds of successful rascals, ruffians, and polilirai humbugs. Good Catholics are not mentioned — or only to be sneered at." Those who have read the Annals of Tacitus will re- member how that famous historian but bigoted heathen speaks of the Christian Religion as a "dire superstition." The old Roman knew just as much al)out the Christian Religion as he did about a steam-engine; still he does not hesitate to slander it in elegant Latin. It is nearly the same with the Protestant historians of America, from Robertson down to Mackenzie. It is nothing but " super- stition" here and "superstition" there, whenever they r-fer to the Catholic Religion. Graham, in his History of l\'orth America^ sneeringly refers to the immortal labors of the Jesuit Fathers among the Indians as the substitu- tion "of one superstition in place of another. " He speaks preface. of the chastity of the Catholic :nission..ry as "supersti- tion." St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, and our Lord must have been very " superstitious." Towlc ( anuot write the story of Magellan for boys without saying: "Men in those days, even the wisest, wero all sui)erstitious, and believed in miracles." Indeed I Now, wc have the atheist, the infidel, the nihilist, and the communist, who do not believe in miracles — and we are not happy ! But it is only right to know that there are to-day two hundred and fifty millions of sincere, intelligent people who hold the same religious belief as Magellan did, and 1 feel it an honor to say that 1 am one of them. But what is quite as offensive in some American writers as their religious bigotry is that hateful malady called Anglo-mania. It is a sort of niental catarrh, and is almost incurable. When this disease assumes a chronic form, the unhappy victim of it delights in playing literary flunkey to that grasping nation which would have hanged George Washington, if he had not managed, with the aid of Roch- ambeau, to give them a sound thrashing. In theworksof the historian afflicted with Anglo-mania, an atteni]jt is made in every chapter — or as often as ])ossible — to ram England down the reader's throat, and to offer for his serious contemptation the unrivalled Anglo-Saxon race — the first of whom, be it known, was Adam ! My book has been prepared under many disadvantages. The duties of an exacting profession called for repeated delays and interruptions — often as annoying as they were unavoidable. Just when absorbed in the march of Cortes to Mexico, I have been summoned to see a boy with a bone in his throat ; and when I arrived on the scene, I Pn/aee. XI found the bone had happily taken its way farther down. Often while sending my pioneer through the Straits of Magellan, up the River St. Lawrence or down the Mis- sissippi, I have been suddenly called upon to study the mysteries of malaria, asthma, rheumatism, pneumonia, bronchitis, or some of the thousand-and-one ills to which the flesh is heir. A prescription would be written, and then 1 would take up the broken thread of my narrative to have it again broken a few minutes later — perhaps, by a pushing book-canvasser whose hopes to make a new victim by selling the works of the great Bombastus, or some other Jumbo of literature, would be quickly dashed in pieces. I have carefully consulted the best authorities, and be^ to acknowledge my indebtedness to the works of De Lorgues, Charlevoix, Faillon, Ferland, Bressani. Robert- son, Irving, Prescott, Parkman, Bancroft, Ramsay, Towle, O'Callaghan, Kip, Diaz, Garneau, Shea, Clarke, White, McSherry, Graham, Gleason, Belknap, Sparks, Martin, Finotti, Madden, Spalding, Margry, Lafayette, and Rochambeau. T have gladly quoted non-Catholic au- thorities. Great pains have been taken to secure a<> . curacy of dates, facts, and statements. The New World, in ten years more, will \n- rtlebrating the fourth centenary of its discovery. I hope my little book will do something to prepare the way for that glorious anniversary. Its pages will ncall to mind many a bright but half-forgotten name, and for the rest it must speak for itself. John O'Kane Murray. Brooklyn, N. Y., May 3olh. 1882. INDEX TO 1 HE LIVES. Americus Vespucius, . JUDIN, StEPHKN rH4.0I>0RE, iJalboa, Vasco Nunez de, I^iltimore, Loid, Barry, John, Bourgeois, Venerable Margaret Brebeuf, John de, <:abot, John, Cabot, Sebastian, Calvert, Leonard, Calvert, George, Cancer, Louis, Carey, Matthew, Caron, Joseph Je. , Carroll, Charles, Carroll, John, • 'artier, James, Casas, Barthr'nmew las, . <'hn.mplain. Sainiul de, Cheverus. John Louis de, Columbus, Bartholomew, Columbus, Christopher, Corpa, Peter de. Cortes, Hernando, Cosa, John de la. OANiKt,. Anthony, Daulac, Adam, . De Balboa, Vasco Xnfiez, 35 427 53 326 29S 22'' '44 210 172 133 381 177 360 345 1J5 153 184 37f^ 41 I 170 95 20 217 243 53 Index to tluLties. De Brebeuf. John, De Champlain, Samuel, De Corpa, Peitr, , De la Cosa, Jolui, De la Pellrie, Maiy .Magdalen, De la Saile, Roberi Cavelier, De Laval, Francis Xavier, De LeoL, John Ponce, . De Maisonneuve, Paul, . De Ojeda, Alonzo, De Soto, Hernando, Diaz, Bernard,* . , D'jliard, Adam, , Dongan, Thomas, , Dubois, John, England, John, Eicano, John Sebastian, . Gaston, William, Galiitzin, Demetrius Augustine, Guyard, Venerable Mary, Incarnation Vfakrahi.k Mary JOGUEs. Isaac, . La Cosa. John dk. Lafayette, Gilbeit Motier de, Lalor, Tere«a. La Peltrie. Mary Magdalen de, La Salle. Robert Cavelier de, La,-, Casas. Bartholomew, Laval. Francis Xavier de, Le Caron, Joseph. Leon. John Ponce de, . MacNkvkn. Will iam James, Magellan. Fernniido. Maisonneuve, Paul de, . OF THE xni . 222 . 184 . 170 2U • 275 . 264 • 304 . 6i . 290 • 25 . 124 . 162 • 243 • 307 . 402 . 407 76 • 41? . 385 . 279 . 27(J . 198 20 • 369 ■ 423 • 275 . 264 . 153 • 304 . 177 . 61 • 396 . 6:; • 29U XIV Index to the Lives, Mance, Jane, Marquette, James, Martinez, Peter, Mary of ilie Incarnation, the Venerable, M<:ncle/, janifs, .Menciidcv, iVler, Moylan, Stephen, . , NUNKZ DK li.AI.IiOA, VASCO, , OjEOA, Al.()N/() 1)K, I'KLTKiK, Mary Magdalen de la, Pinzon, Vincent Vaflez, Pizarro, Francis, . , Pulaski, Casimir, , , Rale, Sebasiian, Roehambeau, John Baptist de, . Salle, Robek t Cavelier de la, Serra, Francis Juniper, . Seton, Elizabeth Ann, Verrazano, John da, . Vespucius, x\niericus, . . White, Andrew, . , , . 286 . 251 . 150 279 ■ 85 . 158 . 343 58 25 275 48 113 318 313 332 264 321 • V 353 80 ' % • 35 234 •' < THE CATHOLIC PTOXEERS OF AMERICA. i CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. T//£ DISCOVEKEK OF AMERICA. Died A. D. 1506. HE eventful and glorious life of Christopher Columbus is that marvellous link in the chain of time, which connects the history of the Old World with that of the New. We can catch but faint glimpses at the early years of this immortal genius. His virtuous parents, Dominic Colombo' and Susanna Fontanarossa, were in fair circumstances, when their first child came into the wofld, .at Genoa, Italy, about the year 1435. The little stranger was baptized Christopher, which signifies bearer of Christ. His father gave him the best education his limited 1 The name is written Colombo in Italiun, and Colon m Spanish ; Columbiw is the Latinized form. 2 The Catholic Pioneers of America. means permitted, aiul at the age of ten, the bright, precocious boy was sent to the University of Pavia. where he studied Latin, and laid the foundations of that knowledge of geograpliy, mathematics, and the natural sciences which proved so valuable in after life. But his collegiate career was brief, for he was soon obliged to return home and assist his father. At the age of fourteen, liowever, Columbus began " life on the ocean wave" under the command of a relative irnd namesake — a veteran admiral in the ser- vice of the republic of Genoa. The long period passed in this rugged school gave him that skill and experience which make the hardy, accomplishe I navigator. Nor were spirit-stirring scenes wanting to develop his natural bravery, and to aid in expand- ing his master-mind. He had spent many a year "before the mast," when an event occurred that gave his life a new di rcction. During a fierce naval encounter off Cape St. Vincent, the ship commanded by Columbus took fire, and was soon enveloped in flames. The sea alone offered a place of safety, and the future dis- coverer 6f America, seizing ati oar, boldly struck for land, some six miles distant. He reached the shore, after a desperate struggle, and piously thanked Heaven for his fortunate escape. God reserved him for greater things. Finding himself thus cast penniless on the strange coast of Portugal, he directed his steps to Lisbon, ChristopJur Columbus. where he was so happy as to find his brother Bar- tholomew This was about llic)ear 1470. The capital of Portu(^al was then the centre of uU that was emi- nent in commerce and naviij^ation. Columbus found a home under the hospitable roof of liis enterprising brother, and supported himself by drawing maps and charts. Nor did he ever forget his aged parents, to whom, from time to time, he remitted sums of money. Filial love was one of the most beautiful traits in his reliLjious and macfnificent character. While at Lisbon, a romantic attachment, that ended in marriage, took place between Columbus and a noble young lady, Dofia Felippa de Perestrello. Neither was wealthy. . Miss de Perestrello's riches were her virtue, beauty, and accomplishments. She was the daughter of an eminent navigator who died Governor of Porto Santo, but who, by an unhappy reverse of fortune, was compelled to leave his family with little but the memory of an honored name. This alliance of Columbus with a family of high standing, however, proved serviceable to him in more ways than one. It introduced him to the greatest men of the court, and the most noted scholars of the country. Besides, his ardent spirit of discovery received a fresh impulse in the notes and journals of his deceased father-in-law. He en- gaged in many voyages, carefully noting everything new or valuable. His studies, his researches, his experiments, all tended towards one object — the The Catholic Pioneers of America. grand project of penetrating the great ocean which stretched away towards the west. By degrees he became convinced of the true shape of the earth ; and his piercing intellect grasped the great problem of reaching other continents by a direct course across the Atlantic, on whose wide expanse no mariner dared to venture. Its vast and deep waters were regarded with mysterious awe, seeming to bound the world as with a chaos, into which conjecture could not penetrate, and enter- prise feared to meet ruin or misfortune. Columbus was poor in the goods of this world. To aid him in carrying out such a vast and brilliant design, the assi stance of a rich patron was essential. But alas, for manly worth and genius, long years were spent in fruitless efforts to obtain even a hear- ing. Nothing, however, could daunt the fearless energy of this incomparable man. He was a firm believer in the divinity of his mission. He was con- vinced that the time had arrived to accomplish it. For " There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." The long and painful preparatory efforts of Columbus to interest Europe in his enterprise would, at this day, seem almost incredible. He besought Genoa and Venice for a ship or two to find his world, and they refused him. The Portuguese tried to steal his plan, and carry it out themselves ; but Provi .01, % 'fa. Christopher Columbus, 5 lich I ape the )y a wide vast awe, into nter- orld. lliant mtial. years hear- arless firm Lscon- ish it. iambus It this Genoa d, and steal Provi dcnce would not permit America to be discovered by thieves. He remained for years about the court of Spain appealing to the wisdom of the wise, the judgment of the learned, the ambition of the brave, and the avarice of the acquisitive; but he argued, appealed, petitioned in vain! No one believed in his theory, or hoped in his adventure. The wise smiled scorn- fully, the learned laughed in their academic sleeves, and even the brave had no ambition for battling the tempest, or for planting their banners in the wide sea-field, or on the shores of unknown continents. Nearly all looked upon him as a "dreamer of day- dreams wild" ; and regarded him in the same light as we should a person of the present day who would launch forth in an air-ship on a voyage of discovery to the moon ! Columbus, however, was no faint-hearted enthusi- ast. His soul was too lofty and Christian to be cast down by the malice of fortune. Heaven strength- ened him, and his pure and elevated motives enabled him to bear up bravely against delay, poverty, and contempt. What does history tell us of this inspired mariner's motives? I. Columbus solemnly desired to open the way to pagan lands ; to be the means of carrying the sav- ing truths of the Catholic Religion to the heathen who sat in darkness and the shadow of death. 2. He conceived the grand idea of raising sufficient sums 6 Tlu Catholic Pioneers of America. of money, from his discoveries, to defray the ex- penses of equippinj^ a large army for the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the grasp of the inlkleland barbarous Turks. The discoverer of America was, in deed, a true Catholic son of the old Crusaders, pious and enthusiastic as Peter the Hermit, patient and fearless as Godfrey de Bouillon, dauntless as the Cceur de Lion, and a partaker in the holy wisdom of Saint Louis and Saint Bernard. The story of his voyage has been often told. But it can never become threadbare — can never cease to be interesting to all who love the true, the sublime, and the beautiful. Columbus had reached the age of fifty-seven, and his prospects of securing a patron to aid him were as distant as ever. He was about to quit Spain, a sad and disappointed man. On his way he called at the convent of La Rabida, where he had left his little son, and over which ruled his ac- quaintance, the good Franciscan, Father John Perez. When the cultured, kind-hearted monk beheld Co- lumbus once more at the gate of his convent, humble in garb and depressed in spirit, he was greatly moved. Father Perez had once been confessor to Queen Isabella, and he bethought himself as to what he could do. He borrowed a mule, and rode off in the direction of Santa F6. He obtained an interview with the royal lady. A gentleman named Santangel, likewise, pleaded in behalf of the mission of Colum- bus. And Isabella the Catholic, noble and unselfish Christoplier Columbus. 7 woman that slie was, took the matter to heart, and ex- clainicd: "I undertake it for my own crown of Castile, and I will pledge my jewels to raise tlic necessary hinds. ' Thus on the very first page of American history three Catholic figures stand out in bold relief — a mariner, a monk, and a noble lady, ihe Now World is their monument. Even after the terms of agreement' were drawn up and signed by Ferdinand and Isabella, it required no small trouble and delay to complete the prepara- tions. At length, all was in readiness, and the day dawned on which Columbus was to sail on his im- mortal voyage across the unknown and mysterious deep. It was Friday,' August 3d, A. D. 1492. "The morning is breaking on Palos hay, On its town and wharf, and ramparts gray, On three barks at their moorings that gallantly ride, With the towers of Castile on their flags of pride. But where are their crews, our lost kinsman who shall Embark before noon in each doomed caravel ? There's wringing of hands, and wailing and woe. As the gathering crowds to the churches go." What sacred emotions stirred the brave heart of Co- lumbus on that early morning ! How ardently he must have implored high Heaven for success ! In those ' ("olumbus was declared Admiral of the Seas and Viceroy of all the countries he slioukl discover, and was to receive a tcntii nart of the profits. ' P'riday was always a fortunate day for Col jmbus. On F"riday he sailed from Palos, on Friday he discovered America, and on Friday he reSntered Palos in triumph. It is the blessed day of the Redemption. « Tlu CatJiolu Pioneers of Auterica. distant days of faith, no great enterprise \\ as under- taken without invoking the aid of rehgion and the solemn blessing of the Church. On the day before departure, Columbus marched in procession at the head of his crews — numbering one hundred and twenty men — to the monastery of La Rabida. Eacli confessed his sins, obtained absolution, lieard Mass. and received the Holy Communion — the true bread of saints and heroes. On August 3d, before the last stars had ceased to glitter in the morning sky, Columbus had heard Mass and received Holy Communion, in the chape! of the monastery, from the hands of his friend, Father Perez. After bidding adieu to the kind Franciscans, he stepped on board his vessel, and was received with all the honors due to an Admiral of Castile. The sig- nal to sail was given half an hour before sunrise, and a fair wind bore the little fleet out to sea, under the protection of the most Holy Virgin. • Although Columbus had the title of High Admiral, his squadron consisted of only three small vessels, named the Santa Maria, the Pint a, and the Nina. The Santa Maria^ wdis his flag-ship. The Pinta was commanded bv Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and the Nina by Vincent Yailez Pinzon. As they sailed along, each evening heard the prayer of the Catholic • Santa Maria signifies Holy Mary. It was Columbus himself who gave th# vessel this name--her name before he took charge of her having been Gallega— and he had her bles6ed,and placed under the special protection of the Immaculate Virgin. This is worthy of note in connection with the discovery of America. Christopher Columbus. 9 mariners to God. and their pious liymns of praise to tlie most Blessed Virj^in. The grand old Latin verses of the Salve Regina and tlic Ave Maris Stclui were the fust sounds that ever broke the silence of ages on that trackless waste of waters. And how ap propriate are the beautiful words of the Ave Mans Stella : '• Bright Mother of our Maker, hail ! Thou Virgin evcr-biessccl, The Ocean's Star by which we sail. And gain the port of rest." When week after week had vainly glided by, and the compass itself began to vary, despair took the place of hope in the breast of each ignorant, terror- stricken sailor; but there was still one guiding master- mind, " constaiit as the northern star.'' The great soul of Columbus, aided by Heaven, awed despair and mutiny into submission. At length, the New World burst on their view. It was Friday, the 12th of October, 1492. At the dawn of day there was seen issuing from the mists, a flowery land, whose groves, colored by the first golden rays of the morning sun, .exhaled an unknown fragrance. The scenery was smiling and beautiful. Before the ships lay an island of considerable extent, level, and without any appearance of mountains. Groups of half-naked people cautiously stole down to the shore, and gazed in mingled fear and amazement at the little squadron as it rode at anchor 10 Thi CatJiolic Piojieers of America. The Admiral entered his cutter, richly attired in scarlet, and bearing ihc royal standard. His two chief officers, the Pinzons, likewise stepped into their boats, each bearing the banner of the enterprise, em- blazoned with a green cross. "On landing, Colum- bus threw himself on his knees," says Irving, "kissed the eartii, and returned thanks to God with tears of )oy. Me arosC; drew his sword, and declared that he took possession of that land in the name of Christ for the Crown of Castile. He then ordered the carpenters to construct a large wooden cross. A hole was made in the earth, the end of the erected standard of redemi)tion was placed in it, and held in position by the Admiral him- self, while the hymn Vcxilla Regis was joyfully chanted by the whole part}". " Forth comes the standard of the King — All hail, thou mystery adored ! Ricssed Cross on which He died Himself, And Ijy death our life restored." When the sacred symbol was firmly fixed in the soil, the 7"^' /Av/;// W3 3 sung, and the solemn music was wafted over wave and forest. Columbus called the island San Salvador.^ And such was the first land- ing of the prince of Catholic Pioneers in the New World, almost four centuries ago. • Columbus now steered in a southerly direction, ^ 1 San Salvador signifies Holy Saviour. It is one of the Bahama Islands. I fit Christopher Columbus. 1 1 ion, and discovered Cuba, where the Spaniards first saw potatoes and tobacco. Continuing his explorations, he reached Hayti, vvhicli he named Ilispaniola. and on the coast of which the Santa Maria grounded on a sand banl<, and was soon a total wreck. Tiie Ad- miral built a fort at this point, and leaving it in trust of a small body of mariners, he boarded the Nimiy and sailed for Spain in January, 1492. But scarcely was the prow of his little bark turned on its homeward voyage, when a fearful tempest threatened to engulf the discoverer of America. His skill was tasked to the utmost; nor did he fail to look up to Heaven for assistance. In those dark hours of distress, he implored the pro- tection of our Blessed Mother, and vowed a pilgrim- age to her nearest shrine the first land he touched — a vow punctually fulfilled. When the great Admiral once more touched the shores of sunny Spain, his first act was a solemn procession to the Monastery of La Rabid a. The faithful Father Perez said a Mass of tllanhsfrivin'^ and the Tc Deum was chanted. In his letter to the Spanish sovereigns, signifying his arrival, there is no tinge of egotism, no talk about his achievements. He simply asks Spain to exhibit a holy joy, " for Christ rejoices on earth as in Heaven, seeing the future redemption of souls." The Court was at ilircelona. and the progress of Columbus towards i.uu city was like the march (>\ 12 The Catholic Pioneers of A tnerica. some victorious monarch. Ferdinand and Isabella received him with royal magnificence. ■' A thousand Uumpets ring within old Barcelona's walls, A thousand gallant nobles throng in Barcelona's halls. All meet to gaze on him who wiought a pathway for mankind, Through seas as broad, to worlds as rich, as his triumphant mind ; And King and Queen will grace forsooth the mariner's array '1 lie lonely seaman, scoffed and scorned in Palos town one day' He comes, he comes ' The gates swing wide, and through the streets advance His cavalcade in proud parade, with plume and pennoned lance, And natives of those new-found worlds, and treasures all untold— And in the midst rilK ADMIR.i.L, his charger trapped with gold, And all are wild with joy, and blithe the gladsome clarions swell, And dames and princes press to greet, and loud the myriads yell. They cheer, that mob, they wildly cheer — Columbus checks his rem, And bends him to the beauteous dames and cavaliers of Spain. " The discoverer of America was now honored by- princes, and his praise was sounded by those who had mocked him in other days. It was a moment of prosperity — a gleam of sunshine before the gath- ering clouds that announce the storm. Up to this time, his enemies had done nothing worse than to waste his time and health and strength, and delay his work. It was now to be their base part to ruin liis benevolent schemes, to bring his gray hairs in sorrow to the grave, and to heap reproaches on his memory. After a short repose, Columbus pushed the prepa- rations for a second voyage. He had in view the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic Faith and vast schemes of colonization. Among the noted per- Chrt stop her Columbus. H by ho ent th- his to his his ow ory. sons who accompanied him were Alonzo de Ojcda, John de la Cosa, John Ponce de Leon, his old friend I'ather John Perez, O.S.F.,' and the Vicar Apostolic, heather Bernard Boil, O.S.B. There were twelve mis- sionary priests. The expedition, which consisted of seventeen ships and about fifteen hundred persons, reached Hispaniola* late in the fall of 1493. The foundation of the ill-starred city of Isabella was laid, and the work of settlement commenced. But from that to the day of his death, the life of the illustrious Admiral was one ceaseless conflict with calumny, avarice, villainy, and misfortune. He was soon surrounded by a host of bitter enemies. I cannot, however, enter into details. There is no space and the story is too sad. In a few years, Columbus found it necessary to leave his brother Don Bartholomew in command and proceed to Spain in order to defend himself against the slanderous charges made by his foes in the New World. He succeeded. He then organ- ized an expedition for his third voyage, in which » he discovered the mainland of South America. August 1st, 1498. The part first seen was the delta of the Orinoco. But misfortune kept pace with his discoveries. In a short time the malice of his enemies succeeded in • li is also -tilted that Tather Perez " was the first priest who landed in the New W( I ill, iiiid the tirst who said Mass there." * Mow tailed Hayti V 14 The Ciitkolic Pioneers of America. having him sent iiome in chains. And thus shame- fully shackled in irons were "hands that the rod of empire might have awayed." " I shall preserve these chains, ' said the great discoverer, "as memorials of the reward of my services !" '* He did so," writes his son Ferdinand. " I saw them always hanging in his cabinet, and he re- quested that when he died, they might be buried with him." The sight of Columbus in chains aroused a feeling of indignation. It was a most disgraceful affair. Ferdinand and Isabella, it is true, expressed great sorrow ; but a gross injustice — never to be repaired — was done the venerable prince of discoverers. After another period of repose, he set out on his fourth and last voyage in May, 1502. He was ac- companied by his younger son Ferdinand, his noble brother Don Bartholomew, and his faithful friend James Mendez. Though now sixty-six years of age and in broken health, the great old Admiral intended to circumnavigate the globe. Various reasons made him hope to find a strait at the Isthmus of Darien. He would pass through it, and sail around the world. He was mistaken, of course; but the guess ran strangly near the truth. .The astonishing resources of his genius, and his }'atience in suffering, were never more heavily taxed than in this expedition. He discovered the north- Cliristophc*' Coliiuibhs, 15 ern coast of Ho!iduraS; and after a desperate strugj^le with wind and waves, the badly-damaged ships rounded a cape, and at once found fair weather and free navigation. Columbus, full of gratitude to Heaven, named the cape Gracios a Dios. or Thanks be to God' — a name retained to this day. He then stood towards the south, and coasted along the Isthmus of Panama, carefully examining every bay and inlet in search of his supposed strait between the Atlantic and the Pacific . and not find- ing what he sought, he rl-Vected the prows of his now sinking, crazy, and worm-eaten vessels across the Caribbean Sea, but was forced to run them aground on the shores of Jamaica. While there, mutiny weakened his authority, and famine stared him in the face.' It was only by predicting an eclipse that he compelled the savage and treacher ous natives to supply him with food, thus preserving himself and his diminished crews from death b}' starvation. After countless adventures, and weighed down by age and infirmities, he returned to Spain in 1504. The death of the generous Isabella destroyed his last hopes of being reinstated in his dignities. Fer- dinand treated him with shameful ingratitude. The mighty Admiral who gave Spain a hemisphere, did not own a roof in Spain, and closed his days in the shades of poverty and neglect. In a letter to his r:i ' See the lives of Bartholomew Columbus and James Mundez. lO Tlu Catholic Pioneers oj Auicrica, son James, he urges him to extreme economy. ** I receive nothing of the revenue due to me," he writes, " but live by borrowing. Little have 1 profited by twenty years of toils and perils, since at present I do not own a roof in Spain. I have no resort but an inn, and during most of the time, I have not money to pay my bill." But to the last his moral and intellectual great- ness stood out in bold relief, clear and majestic. He made his will, turned his thoughts to Heaven, received the last Sacraments with all the devotion of his magnificent soul, and murmured in dying accents, " Into thy hands, O Lord! I commend my spirit." His bed was surrounded by his two sons, James and Ferdinand,' some friends, and a few Franciscan Fathers. And thus died Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America, on Ascension Day, the 30th of May, 1506. He was about seventy- one years of age. In person, Columbus was tall, well formed, and commanding. His face was a pure oval, upon which nature had stamped a look of unusual grace, gravity, strength, and beauty. The noble expanse of his forehead was indicative of his richly gifted intellect. His bright eyes were gray, keen, and strong; while his nose was aquiline, and his finely- 'd lips expressed the magnanimity of his ' 'iiv uh', lied the rights, titles, and dignities of the Admiral, and Fer- il nr:. ■ is life. Christopher Columbus. 17 id er- heart. A dimpled chin, a few freckles, a ruddy complexion, and hair white as snow since his thir- tieth year — such is the rough pen-picture of that wonderful man left us by his contemporaries. His presence enforced respect, and everything about him suggested an air of modest distinction. Such was his natural dignity, that, though a poor wool-carder's son, he appeared before kings and grandees with as much ease and grace as if he had been born in a palace. To the day of his death, he was an ardent student, " ever trying to find out the secrets of nature." His mind had grasped all kinds of knowledge. He was equally familiar with the ancient geographers and the Fathers of the Catholic Church. His poetical imagination was governed in its flights by a strong practical judgment ; and his discovery of America has been truly called "a con- quest of reflection." But it was virtue, above all, that crowned the manly integrity of his character. God and religion held the first place in his mind. "Throughout his life," says Irving, "he was noted for a strict atten- tion to the offices of religion ; nor did his piety consist in mere forms, but partook of that lofty and solemn enthusiasm with which his whoie character was strongly tinctured." A Catholic of Catholics, if this prince of pioneers desired to open the way to unknown continents, i8 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. and to raise large sums of money, it was not througli any motive of grasping sclfishnei^s. Before St, Ignatius Loyola adopted the maxim, Ad majorem Dii ^/onam, Columbus put it in practice. To carry the light of the Gospel to the heathen, to connect the ends of the earth for the glory of Heaven, to rescue the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the infidel Turk — such were the grand ' motives that guided his life's labors. Though a lay- man, he was one ot the greatest of missionaries. His discoveries led to the salvation of millions of souls, and this messenger of the Cross rivals the most illustrious of the saints in being the means of unlocking the portals of Paradise to countless multi- tudes. ■ Whom shall we name braver than this inspired mariner — the immortal discoverer of America? His victories stand alone in history. " He was the con- queror," writes Helps, " not of man, but of nature . not of flesh and blood but of the fearful unknown — of the elements." By the unaided force of his genius, his dauntless spirit, and the blessing ol Heaven, he rose superior to every danger and every tlifftculty. With him originated the brilliant idea that the Atlantic could be made a pathway across the world ; and in spite of years of bitter opposition, and the most heartless persecution, he succeeded in impressing the truth of his conviction upon others. His hair was white at thirty, from deep reflection Christopher Columbus. 19 (»n the subject of discovery; aiul li ■ -as fifty-seven, when, triunii)liin^ over man and tempest, lie phmted the cross on the wild shores of San Si^vador. Hut never for a moment was he deserted by sublime courajTc. He was ever a man without fear and without reproach; and his noble forbearance in the wrongs, insults, and countless injuries heaped on his declining years, reveals a soul, to the last, heroic and beautiful in its magnanimity. How shall we define true greatness? By what standard shall we judge men so as to be .ible, with some justice and precision, to point out the greatest. It may be safely laid down, that he is the ^i^rcatest man to wJiom the world is most imiebted. Measured by his unparalleled achievements and their vast results, Christopher Columbus, I venture to assert, stands first on the roll of the truly great, heading the list of the most illustrious men of all time. There is nothing in history to compare with his work in splendor and permanence. lie imitated nobody, and nobody could repeat his actions. To him science, commerce, and religion owe more than to any other man. He introduced Europe to America. He found the lost hemisphere, and dispelled the darkness that ignorance had thrown around the globe for thousands of years. Though unjustly named after another, the New World reveres him as its father and discoverer. The Catholic Church recognizes in him one of her 20 The Catholic Pioneers of America. ^neatest arui most worthy children. In short, the wliole earth and all mankind are his debtors. His noble chara(iter transcends praise, as his heroic deeds baffle description ; and as there is but >ne America on the map of the world, so there is but one Columbus among the sons of men.' I number myself with those, who, having care- fully studied the life and labors of Christopher Columbus, ardently hope to see the cause of his canonization soon brought forward in due form. Years ago, in referring to this subject, Pope Pius IX., of glorious memory, said, '* There is no harm in trying." JOHN DE LA COSA, ^A'.T OF THE BRAVE COMPANIONS OF COLU^fBUS. Died A . D. 1509. AMONG the earliest of the famous companions of Columbus that perished on the shores of the New World, was the hardy, kind-hearted veteran, John de la Cosa. He was a native of Biscay, in the • I 'or a fuller account of Columbus, see my Lh'es of the Cathotic Hero-.-s and Ili'roimx of A mcrica; and The Life 0/ Christopher Coluvtbus^ by Father A. G. Knight, S.J. JoJiu Df La Cosa. ?I north of Spain, and first rose to notice as ,i disciplt.. cf tile great Adinir.ii, witli whom lie sailed in his first and second voyages. At that time, I)e ia C'o>a was regarded as an oracle of the seas, and an accom- plished master in all nautical affairs. When the bold Ojeda undertook a voyage of ex- ploiMtion, in 1499, De la Cosa sailed as his chief l)ilot Now called Hayti. 22 Till- Cat /will Pioneers of Atncrica. ()JL(l.i welcomed his lieutenant with the warmest affection. A deep attaclinicnt and mutual admira- tion existed between the adventurous young Gover- nor and the gray-headed veteran of tlie seas. LaLe in the fall of 1 509, four vessels might be ^een entering the lonely harbor of Carthagena, on the northern coast of South America. It was Ojcda's colonizing armament. De la Cosa knew the place well, and warned the Governor to be on his guard in treating with the savage natives — a fierce race that fought like tigers, and threw poi- soned arows which rarely failed to make a fatal wound. Ojcda landed with a part of his force, including a number of priests, whose mission was to convert the Indians. Crowds of wild men flocked to see the strangers. The Governor endeavored to gain their friendship, but they raised a war-cry and brandished their weapons. In spite of the wise remonstrances of the more experienced De la Cosa, Ojeda at once ordered an attack, and dashed at the naked foe. Tiiey were quickly routed. Nor cid the conflict stop here. The Governor, whose fighting spirit was aroused, pursued the flying enemy ten or twelve miles into the interior. Though De la Cosa was far from approving such a foolhardy expedition, he kept near the person of Ojcda like a guarding spirit. The Spaniards scoured the forests, shouting " San Jago," and de* JoJin De I AX Cosa. ^3 feated large bodies of Indians. At length, after hours of rash pursuit and >iieedy victory, they found themselves in the evening at a village, whose frightened inhabitants had fled to the mountains. While the Spaniards were carelessly roaming from house to house in scattered bands, a troop of well- armed savages rushed from the surrounding woods. The distant hills echoed their }ells, as the awful work of carnage commenced. On the first alarm Ojeda collected some of his men, and quickly tiirew himself into an enclosure which was surrounded by a rude fence. Here he fought with desperate bravery, his companions one by one sinking dead at his side. The faithful De la Cosa soon heard of the peril of his commander, and hastily gathering around him a few soldiers, he ran to his assistance. " Stationing himself at the gate of the palisades," says Irving, " the brave Hiscayan kept the savages at bay until most of his men were slain, and he him- self was severely wounded. Just then Ojeda sprang forth like a tiger into the midst of the cncnu'. dealing his blows on every side. De la Cosa would have seconded him, but was crippled by his wounds, lie took refucje with the remnant of his men in an Indian cabin, the straw roof of which he aided to throw off, lest the enemy should set it on fire. " Here he defended liimself until all his comrades 24 The Catholic Pioneers of America. but one were destroyed. The subtle poison' of his wounds at length overpowered him, and he sank to the ground. Feeling death at hand, he called to his only surviving companion : ' Brother,' said he, ' since God has protected you from harm, sally forth and fly, and if ever you should see Alonzo de Ojeda, tell him of my fate."" The Spaniard who lived to recount this touching story was the only one, of the seventy followers of (3jeda on that fatal day, who escaped the vengeance of the savages. And thus fell this accomplished navigator, the noble veteran, John de la Cosa, devoted, fearless, faithful, and unflinching to the last gasp. Though the grass of three centuries has hidden his loneh' grave, and the rust of time has dimmed much of the shining splendor that adorned the romantic age of discovery, still his name holds an honored place among the Catholic Pioneers of America. A curious planisphere drawn by him in the year 1500 uas discovered during the present century. ' Miller, in \\\^ K/,iii,-nts of C/ieiiiistry. states that the woorara, with which tlie Indians i)t Sowtli AnuTiiu poison their arrows, is a variety of strythninc. t is so ileailly that the scratch of a needle dipped in it will produce death. r The Catholic Pioneers of America. 2% '^ ALONZO DE OJI^DA, DISCOVERER OF THE GULF OF yENEZUKLA, A.VD U'ARR'OR PROTEGE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. Died about A. D. 151 1. HALO of romance, undimmed by time, still surrounds the name of Alonzo de Ojeda. His career is justly renowned. He was born in S[)ain, about the year 1465, and grew up, trained to arms and hardy exercise, in the service of the Duke of Medina. He fought \\i the Moorish wars. From the first his life was marked by a love of bold adven- ture, and the old Spanish writers take pleasure in recounting his reckless exploits. Ojeda sailed with Columbus in his second voyage, intending, no doubt, to advance his fortunes in the Xew World. At that time, he is described as a dashing young cavalier, handsome in person, rather under the middle height, but well-formed, and of great strength and activity. He was a master of the arc of war, an admirable horseman, and unmatched in the use of all kinds of weapons. " l^old of heart," says Irving, '' free of spirit, open of hanil, fierce in fight, quick in quarrel, but ever ready to forget and 26 The Catholic Pioneers of America. iorgive an injury, he was destined, for a long cime, to be the admiration of the wild and roving youth who flocked to the New World." Before his departure from Spain, Ojeda had beer introduced to Bishop Foncesa, and the prelate made him a present of a little Flemish painting of the most Holy Virgin. In all his wanderings, the de- vout young soldier carried this picture about him. and it rises to fame in the story of his adventures. Columbus gave the command of all perilous en- terprises to Ojeda — whether it was the charge of hunting up the nine foolish mariners who got lost among the cannibals of Guadaloupe ; or the work of exploring the unknown interior of Hispaniola ; or the still weightier responsibility of holding an ex- posed position against the hostile savages. Nor could the work have been placed in braver hands, and his tact was such, that where he failed, no man might hope to succeed. The accomplished cavalier was appointed com- mander of Fort St. Thomas, and his skill and in- trepidity were soon sharply tested. This advanced post lay within the dominions of Caonabo, a warlike Carib chieftain, who ruled in the mountains of Cibao, and was called " Lord of the Golden House." He determined to take it, and to destroy at one blow the handful of Spaniards. But Ojeda was never unprepared. Nor did he fear any danger, for he con- sidered himself at all times to be under the powerful Aionso De OJ/da. 27 protection of the most Holy Virgin ; and to her "es- pecial care,' says one of his biographers, " he at- tributed tlie remarkable circumstance that he had never been wounded in any of the innumerable brawls and battles into which he was continually betrayed by his rash and fiery lemperament." One day, Caonabo suddenly surrounekd Fort St, Thomas with 10,000 warriors. He hoped to sur- [)rise the little garrison. But Ojeda was ready for him, and the naked savages tried in vain to force an entrance. The wily chief next attempted to reduce it by famine. The siege lasted for thirty d.iys, and the Spaniards suffered severely. In the meantime, however, Ojeda displayed the greatest activity of mind and fertility of resource. He baffled all the arts of Caonabo, concerting stratagems of various kinds to relieve the garrison and annoy the foe. He sallied forth whenever the enemy appeared in any force, leading the van with that headlong valor for which he was noted, making great slaughter u iih his single arm, and, as usual, escaping unhurt amid showers of darts and arrows. Seeing that many of his bravest warriors had fallen, the Indian chief, at the end of a month, gave up all further attempts on the fortress, and retired filled with admiration at the skill and prowess of the hardy soldier, who carried a picture of the jilessed Virgin in his knapsack, and who with (jnly fifty men, consumed by hunger and thirst, had bade 28 The Catholic Pioneers of America. defiance to an arnny of hostile savages. But in truth, with his dear Madonna about him, and his trusty sword by his side, Ojeda feared neither man nor demon. Tiie power and ferocity of Caonabo, however, would make the s&ttlement of Hispaniola a work of I lime and peril, Columbus was extremely perplexed. Ojeda said he could remove such an obstacle to Spanish progress. He offered to capture the Carib ruler, and bring him alive to the Admiral. But it seemed the rashest of rash enterprises. Choosing ten tried and fearless followers, well armed and well mounted, and invoking the protec- tion of the Blessed Virgin, whose image as usual he bore with him as a safeguard, Ojeda plunged into the forest, and made his way above sixty leagues into the wild territories of Caonabo. He found the dusky chieftain in one of his largest towns, and met with a friendly reception. Ihe Spanish commander made it appear that he came as the Admiral's representative. lie urged Caonabo to proceed to the town of Isabella for the puri)ose of making a treaty with Columbus, and becoming the ally and friend of the white people. It is said that he even offered him, as a lure, the bell of the little church at Isabella. This bell was the wonder of the island. When the Indians heard it ringing for Mass. and saw the Spaniards haslenii g towards the church, they imagined that it talked, i i B| Alonzo De Ojetia. 29 and that the white men obeyed it. But while the savages regarded the bell as a wonder that had dropped from the skies, their aflmiration indeed for all metallic instruments was unbounded. Caonabo accepted Ojeda's invitation, and began his march towards the Spanish settlement with a strong force of picked warriors. This arrangement was not to Ojeda's taste; but he at once devised a daring scheme, and hastened to put it into execution. He presented a highly polished pair of steel mana- cles to the Carib ruler, and invited him to mount behind him on his horse. The invitation was proudly accepted. The pieces of glittering steel were then carefully fixed on his tawny hands as ornaments. The unsuspecting Indian was delighted as Ojeda rode him around his warriors, who kept at a respectable distance. The Spanish commander made several circuits to gain space, followed by his little band of horsemen. At length he made a wide sweep into the forest. Caonabo was quickly bound with cords to Ojeda. and with drawn swords the horsemen dashed at full speed towards home. They took unfrequented routes, and passed through the Indian towns at a gallop. The journey was accomplished in safety, and Ojeda appeared before Columbus with his wild Indian bound behind. Shortly after this, a large force of allied Indians were defeated, and all parts of the island were re- 30 The Catholic Pioneers of Ainerica. duced to obedience. But there was no service too wild and liazarduus for Ojeda. If any appearance of war arose in a distant part of the country, lie would penetrate with his little squad of cavalry throui^h the depths of the forests, and fall like a thunderbolt upon the enem>, scattering their forces like chaff, and enforcing iir.plicit submission. In 1496, he sailed for Spain in company wiih Columbus; but we no longer find him in th'^ service of the discoverer of the New World. •••Tied to become a dis- coverer himself. Ojeda suceeding in r«:tting a commission, and in a short time found himseli the commander of a squad- ron of four vessels. His chief associates were John de la Cosa, tlie skilled navigator, and Americus Vespucius, whose name was afterwards unjustly given to the New World. The expedition sailed in May, 1799. Ojeda followed the track of Columbus in his third vpyage, and after a speedy passage, he touched the coast of South America, at a point south of the Orinoco. lie then coasted towards the north, attacked the cannibals of the Caribbee Islands, and after severely chastisting the brutal man-eaters, lie again sailed for the mainland, and discovered the Gulf of Vene- zuela or Maracaybo, in the northwest of what is now the Republic of Venezuela. This sheet of water is a wide inlet of the Caribbean' Sea and by n • So cuUeil from tlie Carib huiians. Alonr^o l)c OJcda, 31 a narrow strait, is connected witli the Bay of Mara- caybo. Ojeda ^ave the name of St. Barthok)me\v to a port— aow the city of Maracaybo. l^ut after rair.- bHn<^ in \arious directions to little purpose, the expe- dition reached Spain in June, 1300. After an unsuccessful attempt to establish a colony, Ojeda found himself involved in disputes that were only slowly settled by forms of law in the Courts, leaving him indeed " a triumphant client, but a ruined man." Still, his spirit of adventure burned brightly, and in a few years we behold him once more the leader of an expedition. Through the influence of friends at the Spanish Court, and the kind offices of John de laCosa, Ojeda was appointed Governor of a portion of the Isthmus of Darien, which, it will be remembered, was discovered by Columbus in his last voyage. The armament, consisting of four vessels and three hundred men, sailed from San Domingo late in the year 1509. De la Cosa was Ojeda's lieutenant, ind among those on board was Francis Pizarro, the future conqueror of Peru. It seems that illness alone ])revented Hernando Cortes from joining the expedition. Ojeda, contrary to the advice of the more ex- perienced De la Cosa, landed at the harbor of Carthagena. The Indians of this region used poisoned arrows, and fought like reptiles. The very first meeting between them and the fi ry Gov- ernor was followed by a conflict and an unf Jitunate 3^ The Catholic Pioneers of America. raid into the interior, wliicli lias been briefly described in the hfe of De la Cosa. The f.iithtui old pilot was slain, and the Spaniard who escape i to tell the story of his end was the only survivor of seventy that had followed Ojeda in that wild adventure. liut what became of the conqueror of Caonabo? Me fought like a ti^er, cut his way, sword in hand, through hosts of savages, and, at length, found him- self alone in the trackless wilderness. When he thought, however, of the awful fate of his noble lieutenant and brave companions, his heart was ready to break, and he almost yielded to despair. He wandered through the woods, struck the coast line, but here his wonderful strength jave way, and he fell weary and exhausted at the foot of a large tree, where a searching party from the ships found him speechless and still bravely grasping his sword and buckler. He soon recovered. " His followers," writes Irv'ing, " considered his escape from death as little less than miraculous, and he himself regarded it as another proof of the special protection of the Holy Virgin; for, though he had, as usual, received no wound, yet it is said his buckler bore the dints of upwards of three hundred arrows." The Governor now hastened from the neighbor- hood of his misfortunes, steered across the Gulf, and began a settlement on the coast of Darien. He founded a city, and gave it the name of San Sebas- Aionco Dc OJiUia. 33 tian, " in honor of the sainted martyr who was slain by arrows, hoping that lie might protect the inhabit- ants from the empoisoned shafts of the savages. ' But the colony did not take root. Provisions grew scarce. The settlers lost heart, and the Indians daily grew bolder, in spite of the fearful punishments again and a[;ain inflicted on them by Ojeda, w ho " slew more of their warriors with his single arm than all his followers together." In the midst of this gloomy state of affairs, a strange ship appeared in the harbor of San Sebas- tian ; and Ojeda decided to board her, and seek aid for his struggling colony. He left Francis Pizarro in command, and sailed for San Domingo. The ship was wrecked on the southern coast of Cuba. It was a sad misfortune. The poor castaways were hundreds of miles from any Christian settlement, and their only course was to cut a pathway through the swamps, rivers, and tangled forests of Cuba, and then to cross the wide strait that separates it from Hispaniola. Ojeda led the dreary march, and daily infused some of his own hardy spirit into the famished and exhausted travellers. At one point, a swamp ninety miles in extent seemed to bar all further progress. Ojeda had daily offered his prayers before the Flemish painting of the Holy Virgin, and invited his companions to do the same , but now he vowed that if his Heavenly Patroness should conduct him 34 The Catholic Pioneers of America. safely tlinni^li tliis peril, ho would erect a chapel to her iionor in the first Indian village he woukl reach, and leave her picture there as an object of venera- tion to the dusky children of the forest. When the sorely tired travellers, still guided by the iron figure of Ojeda, had cut their way through the frightful morass, it was found that only thirty- five out of the seventy men who left the ship survived. The rest had sunk beneath the burden of their miseries. A path led them to an Indian village. The good old chief consoled the famished, toil-worn Spaniards, " and," says Las Casas, " almost worshipped them as if they were angels," Ojeda built a chapel, placed his famous painting of the Holy Virgin above the altar ; and after ex- plaining the truths of the Catholic religion, he com- mitted it to the care of the chief, who conceived a profound regard for the beautiful Madonna. When Las Casas, the celebrated missionary, visited the village at a later period, he found the little chapel swept clean and decorated. The picture was guarded with sacred care. 4 On reaching San Domingo, Oj6da found himself greatly fallen in popular estimation. The ill success of his colony was received as a bad omen, and, without friends or fortune, he could do little. Poor health added to the ruin already made by poverty and hardship. The brilliant conqueror of Caonabo sank into obscurity, and his changed but still in- Anicriiits I 'ispucius. 35 trcpid spirit soon passed to a better world. Tlie consolations of religion cheered the last hours of the famous cavalier. He requested with dying lips to be buried under the portal of the Monastery of St. Francis at San Domingo, *' that every one who entered might tread upon his grave.',* ** Such," says Irving, *' was the fate of Alonzo de Ojeda — and who does not forget his errors and his faults at the th-eshold of his humble and untimely grave ! He was one of the most fearless and aspiring of the band of ocean chivalry that followed the foot- steps of Columbus. His history presents a lively picture of the daring enterprises, the extravagant exploits, the thousand accidents by flood and field, which checkered the life of a Spanish cavalier in that roving and romantic age. " AMERICUS VESPUCIUS/ If )r |y |o WHOSE NAME WAS GIVEN TO THE VA//' WORLD, ' Died A. Z>. 1512. AMERICUS VESPUCIUS, from whom America accidentally received its name, was born at Florence, Italy, on the 6th of March, 1451. His > This is the Latin form ot the name. It is written Amerigo \'cspucci m Italian. 36 The Catholic Piotuirs of Ainiriia. parents, Anastatic) Vespucci and Elizabctli Mini, tliough not wcaltiiy, were persons of noble rank. Americus received an excellent education from his uncle, I''ather George Anthony Vespucci, a learned monk. It is said that while the youth made indiffer- ent progress in his Latin grammar, lie showed a great liking and aptitude for natural philosophy, geo- graphy, and astronomy — at that time, favorite branches of study, on account of their commercial importance. It is not well known when Americus went to Spain. We find him there, however, in 1496, en- gaged in mercantile pursuits. As one of the mem» bers of a large Florentine firm, at Seville he made the acquaintance of Columbus ; and it seems he was always on friendly terms with the illustrious discoverer of the New World. A desire to visit the newly-found countries seized him; nor was he long in putting his design into execution. As I have already stated in the life of Ojeda, Americus sailed with that adventurous pioneer in 1499 ; '^'^^ ^t is supposed that he aided the expedi- ition to the extent of fitting out one of the four vessels. After coasting along the northern shores of South America, he returned in November of the same year, but immediately took part in a second memorable voyage under Vincent Y. Pinzon. On returning to Spain, however,, Americus wa^- allured by promises into the service of Emmanuel, ".* ■^ t-'v // iHcriius I '(S/>/u i//s. 37 King of Portuj^al, ami undertook two more voyages with the ships of tliat monarch, lie s.iiled from ' l)on in May, 1501, ran along a portion of the coast of Africa, and passed over to lirazil. The object of his fourth and last voyage was to find a western passage to Malacca. He left Lisbon with a fleet of six vessels, in May, 1503, and after a perilous j)assage discovered the famous liay of All Saints, n: Brazil. After many adventures, he arrived in Portugal in the summer of the year following. The King gave orders that some remains of the ship Victoria, in which Americus had made liis list voyage, should be suspended in the cathedral of ^ bon, but fulfilled none of the promises which he Indeed, the merits and services of Americus seem to have been poorly rewarded by the Portuguese monarch, for we again find him, in 1505, at Seville. He was on his way to the Spanish Court, in quest of employment, and carried a letter of introduction from the aged Columbus to his son James. The letter is dated February 5th, and runs thus : ** My dear Son. — James Mendez departed hence on Monday, the third of this month. After his de- parture, I conversed with Americus Vespucius, the bearer of this, who goes there. ' summoned on affairs of navigation. Fortune has been adverse to him, as to many others. His labors have not profited » To Court 38 The Catholic Pioneers of America. him as much as they reasonably should have done. He goes on my account, and with much desire to do somethin had its origin in his writings. He handled a pen '"«th ease and even elegance. Of his first voyage, he drew up an A filer tats Vespucius. 39 amusing and instructive account, and transmitted it lo a friend. He describes the Carib Indians and tlieir immense houses built in the shape of bells — houses of such magnitude as to contain six hundred persons. In one place there were eight vast houses, capable of sheltering nearly ten thousand inhabitants. Every seven or eight years, the savages were obliged to change their places of residence on ac count of the maladies engendered by the heat of the climate in their crowded habitations. As this was long before the days of quinine and medical etluca- tion in the New World, the Indian mode of treating a fever is worthy of mention. In the very height of the disease, the patient was plunged in a bath of cold water, after which he was obiii'^ed to run around a large fire, until he was in a violent heat, when he retired to bed for a sleep — a kind of treatment by •which Americus declares he saw many. cured. Shortly after his return from his last t xpcdition to Brazil, he wrote a letter addressed to an old fellow-student, Rene, Duke of Lorraine. It con- tained a summary account of all his voyages. It claimed considerable credit for its author as a dis- coverer, and soon found its way over all I-Airopc. The work, in its printed form, contains erroneous dates and ambiguous expressions — the blunders, perhaps, of some hasty editor, or ignorant, un- scrupulous publisher — that have led to volumes of angry controversy, and covered the character of 40 The Catholic Pioneers of America. Americus with a great deal of unmerited odium. He was beyond all doubt a skilled, energetic navi- gator, and a man of superior literary and scientific attainments. It is greatly to his credit, that he re- tained tlie confidence and friendship of Columbus to the last. How America came to receive its name from him is not quite clear; but it is certain from the investigations of Humboldt, that Americus him- self had nothing to do with it. The hemisj^here discovered by Columbus was first called Land of the Holy Cross, or Nviv World. It is so named in maps drawn in the early part of the six- teenth century, The word America came from Germany. A selection from the narratives of Americus found its way into that country, and was translated by one Waldseemiiller. As the first printed account of the wonderful discovery, the book sold rapidly, and made a great sensation. It must be remembered that the daily paper was then unborn, and the telegraph a thing of the future. The delighted Waldseemiiller, who, it seems, had never heard of Columbus, proposed that the new continent should, in honor of his favorite author, Americus, be called America, since it is the custom in most languages to make Europe and Asia of the feminine gender.' The name America is first found on an old mai) of 1522, and on a globe of 1570. > America is the feniiiiiiio of Americus, just as Julia is the feminine ut Julius^ or Augusta the feminine of Augustus. Bartholomew Columbus. 41 Thus less than a century after the date of discovery, it was the name generally received. It was first given to portions of South America, as can be seen on Verrazano's map of the world, drawn in 1529; but was afterw^ards extended to the whole western world. " The name of Americus," says Robertson, " has supplanted that of Columbus ; and mankind may regret an act of injustice, which, havir.g re- ceived the sanction of time, it is now too late to redress." had new :hor, >tom the )und lulius BARTHOLOMEW COLUMBUS, HRST GOVERNOR OFIU'PANIOLA, A\D RROT/.KR OF i'llE DIS- COVERER OF THE NEIV WORLD. Died //. Z). 1515. AMONG the brave band of historic pioneers that wc can call " the companions of Columbus," none so nearly approaches the great discoverer in worth, ability, and real distinction as his second self — his noble and fearless brother, Don Bartholo- mew Columbus. - lie was the second of the family, and was born at Genoa. Little is known of his early years. It seems that after a short time spent at school, he began to 42 The Catholic Pioneers of America. assist his father in the wool-combing business. Bar tholomew's tastes were similar to those of his brother Christopher ; and, like him also, he was what we call a self-made man. His superior knowledge of lan- guages, geography, and navigation in after life was doubtless the result of experience and his own manly- toil by long and careful self education. It is not certain at what time Bartholomew went to push his fortune in Portugal, then the most noted centre of commerce and navigation in Europe ; but we find him settled at Lisbon in the year 1470. when he gave an affectionate welcome to the future discoverer of America, who had been shipwrecked on the coast. He was then an able mariner, having spent years on the ocean. We find Bartholomew, fifteen years later, making a voyage to England on the part of his brother, The project of discovery had been rejected by Por- tugal, and Christopher Columbus wished to interest the wealthy English monarch in his mighty designs. The ship Bartholomew sailed in, however, was cap- tured by pirates, who robbed him of everything, and cast him on an unknown shore. For a long time all his energy was taxed to make a living, and to procure suitable clothing. He constructed globes and drew charts for several years before he could succeed in reaching England. There was neither railroad nor steamboat in those days, and poverty did not diminish the slow mode of travelling, Bartholovuiv Co/ urn bus. 43 Nor was that all. Bartholomew had first to learn English, that he might the better explain his brother's plans in person. He had to provide for ills existence, secure the aid of patrons, and become familiar with the usages and etiquette of the English Court. All this required time and toil, and it was only in the middle of the year 1493 that he obtained an interview with Henry VH. The explanation was given with the aid of an atlas, and was so clear and convincing that the King welcomed the project. Bartholemew at once departed for Spain, and while passing through Paris, he learned for the first time that a New World had been discovered, and that the vast and gloomy Atlantic was no longer a mystery. It must have been joyful news to him. As a brother of the great Admiral Columbus, whose name was now on every lip, he was welcomed with marks of rare honor by the King of France. But he made no delay He arrived at Seville, however, only in time to hear that the Admiral had already sailed on his second voyage. He than proceeded to the Spanish Court, and was received with distinction. His dignified bearing, happy mastery of language, and ripe experience as an accomplished navigator secured immediate recog- nition . and he was honored with letters of nobility and given the command of a squadron that was to aid his brother's enterprise by carrying provisions to the colony. 44 The Catholic Pioneers of America. Agaii) lie arrived too late. He reached the new city of Isabella just after the departure of the Admiral for the coast of Cuba, and awaited his return. When the ships of Columbus reappeared in the harbor, the great discoverer lay unconscious on a bed of sickness. On coming to himself a manly, well- known voice sounded like healing music in his ear; and he found himself in the arms of Don Bartholo- mew, from whom he had heard nothing for eight years. It was truly a joyful meeting. Columbus had hitherto only the aid of his younger brother James,' a man of quiet and amiable disposition ; but Providence had now sent him a much-needed brother of a different stamp — a hardy soldier of powerful frame, masculine energy, and rare executive ability. Between the Admiral and his two devoted brothers there was ever a warm, loving attachment ; and as he was now in broken health, surrounded by traitors, foes, and false friends, he certainly required their faithful support. *' To your brother," the great man, shortly before death, wrote to his son James, *' conduct your- self as the elder brother should to the younger. You can have no other, and I praise God that he is such a one as you need. Ten brothers would not be too many for you. Never have I found a better friend to right or to left than my brothers." The Admiral at once appointed Don Bartholomew ' Who in later years studied for the priesthood. Bartholomew Coin >nl>us. 45 Adeiantado, or governor, and put all the power into his hands during his own convalescence. He was also given the chief command wlien Columbus sailed for Spain in 1496. He founded in that year the city of San Domingo, at present the capital and seaport of the Republic of San Domingo. He was an active, prudent, and vigorous administrator. He- made repeated marches of great extent from one re- mote province to another, and was always at the post of danger at the critical moment, l^ut like his brother, the Admiral, many of his wisest plans were thwarted by the grasping avarice and the violence and villainy of colonial ofificers. When the discoverer of the New World was sent to Spain in chains, Don Bartholomew suffered alike indignity, and was confined on board of the same vessel. He accompanied the aged Admiral on his fourth and last voyage, more through affection than inclination. He landed at Capo Honduras — the Admiral being too ill to leave the ship — had Mass celebrated under the trees that lined the seashore, on Sunday, the 14th of August, 1502, and took pos- session of the country in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella. The troubles and dangers of the vo}'age. how- ever, reached a climax, when the remains of the shattered and tempest-tossed squadron had to be run aground on the wild coast of Jamaica. Headed by a bold ruffian named Porras, a part of the crews 46 The Catholic Pioneers of America. mutinied, and added immensely to the difficulties of the situation. When the rebels, after a time, re- solved to attack the Admiral, who was suffering from the tortures of rheumatism, Columbus, in the goodness of his heart, made overtures of peace and pardon on condition of immediate surrender. Don Bartholomew was asked to reason with them ; but the insolent mutineers laughed at all offers, and rushed to the conflict. The brave Adclantado and his followers were not unprepared. Six of the hardiest rebels had made a league to attack Don Bartholomew, but they were so well received by that fearless master of the sword that at the first shock four or five were killed, and among them John Sanchez, a powerful mariner who had once carried off an Indian chief. Porras, in desperation, now assaulted Don Bartholomew. He, too, soon came to grief, and was taken prisoner after a severe struggle. This closed the reign of the mutineers, and the Admiral thanked his heroic brother, who had once more proved an incomparable friend in need. Don Bartholomew returned to Spain, 1504, and proceeded to Court in the interest of the aged Admiral. When King Philip and his Queen Juana arrived in Spain, Columbus sent the Adelantado, always his confidential coadjutor, to represent him, and to present his congratulations to the youthful sovereigns. It was on this occasion that Don Bartlwlomciv Columbus. 47 Bartholomev/ took leave of his immortal brother for the last time. The Admiral died during his absence. Don Bartholomew still held the office of Adclan- tado, although King Ferdinand, through selfish motives, detained him in Spain, while he employed inferior men in voyages of discovery. The monarchy at length, suggested that he might colonize and govern the Isthmus of Darien — an enterprise, it will be remembered, unsuccessfully attempted by Ojeda. But it was now too late. The active and toilsome life of Don Bartholomew was drawing to a close. He died at an advanced age, in 15 15 — nine yeais atter tne illustrious Admiral had passed to a better world. Bartholomew Columbus was a devoted Catholic. He had not, it is true, the gentleness of his great brother, but his manly virtue and genuine nobility of character made ample amends for some harsh- ness of manner and defect of refinement. He was a practical man of business, and an active, fearless leader, who carried his plans into execution, re- gardless of difficulty or danger. His tall stature, powerful frame, dignified bearing, and the fire of mental energy that glowed in his looks — all com- bined to invest him with an air of great authority. He was born to command. He had rare conversational powers, and wrote in a style both lively and elegant. As a writer, he 48 The Catholic Pioneers of America. was gven superior to the Admiral, according to Las Casas, who had letters and manuscripts of both in his possession. lie spoke Italian, Latin, Spanish, English, and Portuguese. But the most beautiful feature in the character of Bartholomew Columbus was his life-long devotion to the Admiral, " One would say," writes the Count de Lorgues, " that he was born to command and if his devotedness had not determined him to remain eclipsed in the glory of his brother, he would have become illustrious on his own account, so much did he possess a high degree of military instinct, the genius of a navigator, and the foresight of an administrator." VINCENT YA^^EZ TINZON, ONE OF THE COMPANIONS OFCOf [\)/BL/S, AND DISCOVERER OF BRAZIL. Date of death is tmknown. WHEN Christopher Columbus visited the little Spanish port of Palos, for the purpose of organizing his wonderful expedition for the discovery of the New World, he was introduced by Father Perez to the Pinzons, a most worthy and enter- Vincent Yancz Pinzon. 49 prising family of mariners, who aided the Admiral all in their power. Three of the Tinzon brothers risked life and fortune in the perilous enterprise. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the eldest, was captain of the Pinta with his brother Francis Martin Pinzon for lieutenant. Vincent Yanez Pinzon, the famous sub ject of this sketch, and the youngest of the brother^, commanded the beautiful little Nina. Thus the name of Pinzon ranks high on the first page of American history. It was towards the close of the year 1499, that Admiral Vincent Y. Pinzon set out from Palos on a voyage of discovery himself. He was a bold, ex- perienced navigator, and did not, like others, closely follow in the track of Columbus. He stood to the southwest, and, after traversing about seven hundred leagues of the Atlantic, crossed the equator and lost sight of the north star. A terrible tempest swept the ships still further into unknown waters, and when the storm had passed away, the very heavens were altered. A strange and beautiful constellation, glit- tering in the evening sky, met the startled gaze of the Spaniards. It was the Southern Cross, ' which since that day has guMed the seamen on the wild waters of the southern hemisphere. The feelings of Pinzon and his companions are, perhaps, reflected in the words of a famous traveller of our own age. « So called becwise it consists of several bright stars arranged so as to form the figure of a cross. 1 50 The Catholic Pioneers of Amirua. " From the time wc entered the torrid zone," writes Humboldt, "we were never wearied with ad- miriii<|, every night, the beauty of the soutiicrn sky, which, as we advanced souiluvard, opened new con- stelhitions to our view. We feel an indescribable sensation, when, on approaching the equator, and particularly on passing from one hemisphere to the other, we see those stars which we have contem- plated from our infancy progressively sink and fmally disappear. *' Nothing awakens in the traveller a livelier re- membrance of the immense distance by which he is separated from his country th.ui the aspect of an unknown firmament. The gr()ui)ing of stars of the first magnitude, scattered nebuLt, rivalling in splendor the milky way, and tracts of space re- markable for their extreme blackness, give a peculiar physiognomy to the southern sky. This sight fills with admiration even those who, uninstructed in the branches of accurate science, feel the same emotion of delight in the con- templation of the heavenly vault as in the view of a beautiful landscape or a majestic struct- ure. " The pleasure we felt on discovering the SoutJi^ em Cross was warmly shared by such of the crew as had lived in the colonies. In the solitude of the seas, we hail a star as a friend from whom we have long been separated. Among the Portuguese and fe^ Vimcuf Yaiuz Pinzon. 5' I the Spaniards peculiar motives seem to increase this fcelitiii. A reilLrious sentiment attaches them to a constellation the form of wliich recalls the Sign of Faith planted by their ancestors in the wilds of the New World." After this digression, let us go back to the intre- pid Pinzoj\ who was among the first of I-luropeans to gaze on the southern hemisphere and the beautiful cross that shines in its firmament. His spirit did not quail at the angry howl of the tempest, or the great change in earth and sky. lie boldly contin- ued his course towards the west, anil on the 28th of January, 1500, his eye was gladdened by the sight of 1 great headland, which, as a good Catholic, from motives of pious gratitude, he named Cape Holy Mary of Consolation.' It is now called Cape Saint \ugustine, and forms the extreme eastern point of Brazil.^ He landed and took possession of the new country in the name of the Spanish sovereigns. Sailing thence towards the northwest, he discovered the mighty Amazon River, and continued across the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico until he found i nseif among the Bahamas, where he lost two of his vessels in a rocky channel. A wild hurricane swal- 1< <:d up the crews in sight of their terrified compan- ■ Sanla Maria de la C'onsolacioii. ' It is often stated by careless writers tluit Cabral, the famous Portuguese navh gator, discovere>' Brazil. This is untrue, ("abrul reached the coast of Brazil iJ.ee months aft-i I'lnzori, and named the country " Landot the Holy Cro« ' 52 The Catholic Pioneers of America. ions. On repairing damages, the Admiral turned the prows of his remaining barl Leon is the Spanish of lion. ''Kn r m The Catholic Pioneers of America. western shores. A passage around Southern Amer- ica, MageUan reasoned, would be a much shorter hi^'hway for the rich commerce of the Molucca or Spice Islands, tiian the usual route by the Cape of Good Hope. Besides, it such a passage were dis- covered, he could then sail around the world. This splendid idea, it will be remembered, owed its origin to the genius of Columbus; but It remained for Another great Catholic Pioneer to carry it into execu- tion. •■' , Magellan at once made his plans known to Car- dinal Ximincs and King Charles, and met with every encouragement. An agreement was drawn up to the effect that Magellan was to be Admiral of the exploring fleet, and governor of all the lands that he might discover. He was also to have one twentieth part of all revenues arising from his discoveries, besides many other privileges. ITavi ig bade a last loving farewell to his young wife, Magellan stepped on board his ship at Seville. The fleet dropped down the river, and soon reached the old seaport of San Lucar. Here the ships stores were completed, Mass was celebrated for the success of the enterprise, and the Admiral at the head of his crews received Holy Communion. Let us glance at the little squadron before it de- [)arts. It was the 2oth of September, 15 19. The vessels were five in number, and carried eighty cannon. Magellan's flag-ship w^as named the Trinity ; Fernando Mai^cllan. ^7 y then there were the Innnaculatc Conception^ tlic St. Anthony, the Victoria, and the St. Janus The crews numbered two hundred and fifty men. Among the most noted of the (officers were Magel- lan's brother-in-law, Edward Ikirbosa ; John Serrano, cap'ain of the St. James ; Anthony Pigafetta, whd aftet'vvards wrote an account of the voyage, and John Sebastian Elcano, a distinguished pilot. Several priests acconii)anied tlie expedition. Magellan stood to the southwest, and after buf« feting the waves of the Atlantic for over two months, he reached the shores oi what is now Southern Brazil in South America. His first act was to land, and have a little altar erected on the beach. Officers and men knelt around devoutly, and Mass was celebrated for the first time in that wild region, which seemed to be the favorite abode oi demons, parrots, monkeys, and cannibals. The Admiral skirted along the coast towards the south, keeping a careful watch for every bay and inlet. *' He did not reach the River de la Plata,' says Robertson, "till the 12th of January. 1520. The spacious opening through which its vast body of water pours into the Atlantic allured him to enter, but after sailing up it for some days, he con- cluded, from the shallowness of the stream and the freshness ot the watci that the wished-for strait was not situated there, and continued his course towards the soutlix ! '•>• t •.I I 68 The Catholic Pioneers of America. " On the 31st of March he arrived at the port of St. Julian, about forty-eight degrees south of the hnc, where he resolved to winter. In this uncom- fortable station he lost one of his scjuadron ; anu the Spaniards suffered so much from the excessive rigor of the climate, that the crews of three of his ships, headed by their officers, rose in open mutiny, and insisted on relinquishing the visionary project of a desperate adventurer, and returning directly to Spain. " This dangerous insurrection Magellan sup- ])ressed, by an effort of courage no k^ss prompt than intrepid, and inflicted exemplary punishment on the ringleaders." He held his course towarus the south in tlie midst of blinding tempests. The weary, dis- heartened sailorr, again grew clamorous , and the Admiral was obliged to exhibit a stern front, and exert all his authority. " I shall go on," he said, " even till we reach the ice-seas of the southern pole. The land of this con- tinent must end somewhere ; and when we rc;ich this limit we shall h.ive achieved our object. We still have food, water, clothing, and sound ships. Why, then, should we despair?" The 2 1st of Octob ' 1520, a bright, sunny morn- ing, was the festival of the Eleven Thousand Vir- gins. The vessels were making brisk time, and Mass was just finished, at a little altar on the poop, when a sailor from the look-out cried that he saw a ^ the con- acli We ips. Fernando Magellan. cape in the distance. It was soon visible to all. Magellan called it Cape of the Virgins, the name by which it is yet known, and un rounding it a vast expanse of water, which proved to be the long- sought-for strait, was seen to extend inland. ingled hope and fear filled the heart of Magcl- l.in as he steered into the strange opening. He can tiously crept along the winding, unknown ciianncl, which -I* some points narrowed to five m'lcs in width, and at others expanded to thirty. The navi- gation was as difificult as it was dangerous. Tm At ring snow-crested mountains, with cloven peaks, r^uard the Strait like so many hoary senti- nels. Bays, shady inlets, and small sheltered har- bors break the base of these mountain walls on each side, while above the sombre forests, above the line of vegetation, lie vast fields of snow and ice — gla- ciers in which the voyager can count every rift and deep crevice as he sails past them, and from which countless cascades descend, and mingle with the waters below. After sailing for twenty days in this lonely, laby- rinthine, but picturesque strait, to which he gave his own name, which is three hundred miles in length, and where one of his ships deserted him, Magellan beheld the boundless expanse of the Southern Ocean. The illustrious pioneer thanked Heaven for seeing what he had so long sought The Tc Dcum was chanted, and the joyful booming of the <\.-\i S( 'J i ■■■;?• \% Y? 'o The Catholic Pioneers of Anurica. cannon was echoed for miles around by the wild, hilly shores. ILivin;^ made some repairs, and taken i/i a fresh supply of wood, water, and provisions, Magellan steered towards the northwest, determined to push his way to the far-famed Molucca, or Spice Islands, and thence homeward, thus encircling the globe. 1^'or weeks the weather was calm, and gentle breezes wafted the vessels over the unknown waters. The Admiral was much impressed with this tranquillity of the mighty deep. One day he called his officers about him. " My comrades," said he, " we are sailing on an unknown ocean. No European ship has ever before ploughed these gentle waters. On our charts, this vast expanse is nameless. Do you not see that its surface is as smooth as a lake ? its breezes are mild : and soft and even is its temperature. Comrades, I will give this great sea a name, and christen it. Henceforth, let it be known as the Pacific.'" Magellan held on his course, but was soon visited by cruel hardships. " He sailed during three months and twenty days," writes the historian Robertson, " in a uniform direction towards the northwest, without discovering land. In this voyage — the longest that had ever been made on the unbounded ocean — he suffered incredible dis- tress. His stock of provisions was almost exhausted, the witer became putrid, the men were reduced to 1 Fernando Magellan. 71 isited three orian ; the this de on dis- sted, :ed to the shortest allowance with whicli it was possible to sustain life ; and the scurvy, the most •dreadful of all th'^ maladies with which sc.i-faring people are in- flicted, be^^an to spread amon\ Magellan on accoun! of the sttalhiir propensity 'jf the natives. Th<' ^roup consists ot about twentv small isl.iiids * The Philippine Islands number over 1,200, some •>? tbem bein=(lartje and im- portant . Sec a map. V ir f2 The Catholic Pioneers of America. be present at the sacred ceremonies. It was a scene for a painter. An altar was erected on shore. Weatlier-beatcn sailors and brave officers gathered around this lone centre of Catholic devotion. Ma- gellan, in his Admiral's uniform, with a swarthy king on each side, knelt with dignity and reverence ; and as the priest raised the Holy Host to Heaven, ever)' worshi[)p(jr bowed down to the earth, and the cannon from the ships pealed forth one salute after an- other in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, And thus was celebrated the first Mass in that re- gion of untutored barbarism, whose inhabitants were given to the worship of idols and demons. A few days after this, the Admiral erected a large cross on a lofty neighboring hill, and explained to the pagan King that it was the symbol of the true God. From Mazzava the Admiral sailed for the beau- tiful neighboring island of Sebu, accompanied by his royal friend. The Spaniards were kindly re- ceived. Magellan and the priests began the work of conversion. It was indeed a glorious work to plant the first seeds of L^uth in that wild archi- pelago. When the young princes expressed their belief in the truths of the Catholic Religion, Magellan said : " "You must not accept our Faith from any fear of us, or in order to please us. If you wish to be- come Christians, you must do so willingly. No Jjarm will be done ygy if ^ou do not embrace our I Fernando Magellan, n chi- icir fear be- No our religion; but those who do will be more loved, and better treated than the others. Moreover, if you become Christians, I will leave you arms, as my King ha;; commanded; and then you can defend yourselves from your enemies." The day for baptism was fixed, and when the liour came the Admiral, accompanied by the two royal converts — the Kings of Mazzava and Sebu — mounted a platform prepared for the occasion. The dusky rulers were asked the necessary questions, and the sacrament that made them children of the Catholic Church was administered with impressive ceremonies. About fifty of the chief men of the island followed their "xam[)le. Mass was then celebrated, and a cro erected in the centre of the town. rlagellan was about to bid adieu to Sebu and its ricndly monarch, when he received a startling item of information. The people of Matan, a neighbor- ing island, headed by a bold chief, had risen in rebellion against the King of Sebu on account of his becoming a Christian, and were about to declare hos- tilities. Magellan resolved to punish the heathen rebels himself. He landed at Matan with three boats and sixtv veterans: and found fifteen hundred half-naked warriors drawn up on a hill. The Admiral, through an interpreter, promised forgive- ness to all who would lay down their arms and re- turn to their allegiance. He was answered by yells of defiance. \m III ;4 77«^ Catholic Pioneers of America, The wild barbarians rushed down on the Span- iards, but were wefl received by tliese liardy swords- men. Magellaai fought hke a lion at the head of his men. His long sword made havoc in the ranks of the foe , but it was in vain that skill and valor battled for supremacy. The contest was too un- equal. The natives pressed to the fight in over whelming numbers; and, at length, the Admiral fell, mortally wounded, by a poisoned javelin. This misfortune decided the conflict The nfuriated savages fell upon the fearless but exhausted dis- cr>verer with staves and clubs ; and he expired under their blows, murmuring a prayer to God and His Blessed Mother, on Saturday, the 17th of April, 152 1, at the age of forty-one years. The name of Magellan is one of the brightest in the history of discovery. He was a true Catholic. He had the zeal of a missionary. He burned to see the Ancient Faith extend its conquests. Like the great discoverer of America, he observed the .festivals of the Church in the wildest situations. His character was firm, noble, generous, and enter- prising. In vain did disease, famine, hardship, and treachery oppose him. Till surrounded by the shadow of an untimely death, he triumphed over the rase of man and the furv of the elements. His voyage was a brilliant achievement that threw a new light on the size of the globe, and completed the unfinished work of Columbus. He not only named Fernando Magellan. 75 le IS. the Pacific Ocean — that vast expanse of water which covers two-fifths of the whole cartii — but was the first European to sail across its briny bosom. He is best known by the stormy Straits which gave him a passage around America. "Forever sacred to the hero's fame, These foaming Straits shall bear his deathless name." The hfe of the great pioneer ended before he completed the circuit of the world, but to him belong the glory and success of the enterprise. "Though an untimely fate," writes Robertson "deprived Magellan of the satisfaction of accom- plishing this great undertaking, his contemporaries, just to his memory and talents, ascribed to him not only the honor of having formed the plan, but of having surmounted almost every obstacle to the completion of it ; and in the present age, hi>, n.^nie is still ranked among the highest in the role nf eminent and successful navigators." ' i 1 bee the life uf Elcaao fur uu iiccouut uf Uie vuyiige after Magcllau s deatU. 'er is ;w le ■.VS 76 The Catholic Pioneers of America, Spain. JOHN SEBASTIAN ELCANO, ONE OF THE COMPANIONS OF MAGELLAN, AND COMMA NDE/i OF THE Sllir VICTORIA— THE ONLY ONE OF THE SQUAD- RON THAT COMPLETED THE FIRST lOVAGE AROUND THE IVORLD. Died A. D, 1526. OIIN SEBASTIAN ELCANO was born towards tlic close of the fifteenth century, at Guetaria, a little village in the north of He became a skilled navigator by years of study and experience, and sailed as pilot with Ma- gellan in his famous voyage. The general confidence in his prudence, bravery^ and abil'ty was fitly recognized after the Admiral's death at Matan,.and the treacherous massacre of Barbosa, Serrano, and other oflficers by the apostate King of Sebu. Elcano succeeded to the command of the Victoria. It was jesolved, with the two ships that now re- mained, to continue the course laid down by Magel- lan. After visiting some of the smaller islands, the voyagers touched at the great island of Borneo, where they were well received. Two richly ca- parisoned elephants bore a number of the Spanish JoJin Sebastian Elcano. 77 officers from the wharf to the Kiiij^'s pahice. Tliey were treated to cloves and cinnamon, and ate rice with gold spoons. The Spaniards, learning, however, that they had left the celebrated Molucca, or Spice Islands,' a distance behind them, retraced their steps, and, after some dangerous navigation, reached Tidorc, one of the largest of the islands. Forests of clove and nutmeg trees met the eye in this favored region, and the air was balmy with delicious odors. The appearance of the newcomers was the astonishment of the Portugue ;e traders, ' * who could not comprehend how the Spaniards, by holding a westerly course, had arrived at that sequestered seat of their most valuable commerce, which they themselves had discovered by sailing in an opposite direction." A cargo of spices was taken in ; but, at the moment of sailing for Europe, the Trinity sprang a leak. It was agreed that the Victoria should pro- ceed alone. Elcano directed the prow of his ship homewards, coasted the southern shores of Java and Sumatra, and soon found himself ploughing the waters of the Indian Ocean. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope in a terrible storm, atul after many exciting adventures, and months of weary sailing, suffering, and disaster, the tempest-tost • These islands lie east of Borneo, from which they are separated by Macassai Strait and the island of Celebes. See a map, v?l ) \ r 1 h-^t % ^ a 1 ■' ^;. '/ //, Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ i-V S ,v ^9> V ^^ 4^ \ :\ # \ <<- 6^ %^ <> 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) 873-4503 <' ^^^ ' ^.^ \ 6^ ;8 The Catholic Pioreers of America. U P I"!' II Victoria entered the harbor San Lucar on the 6th of September, 1522, having completed the circuit of the globe in a little less than three years. The first act of the brave Elcano, on landing, was to form his diminished, weather-beaten crew in line, and proceed to tiie nearest church , and there, on liieir kntes before the altar, these veteran Catholic pioneers who first sailed around the world sang the Te Deiim in thanksgiving to Heaven for their safe arrival home. The news of vhe Victoria s arrival made a great sensation in Spain, and soon spread over Europe. Charles V. inx?led Elcano and his comrades to the Court at VaIi«. I' '* we saw a number of people, who came to the shore of the sea, and who fled as we approached, sometimes stopping and turning around, gazing with much admiration but reassuring them with various signs, some of them came near, showing great pleasure on looking at th*; wonders of our dress and figure and white complexions, making many signals as to where the boat could most easily land, and offering us their food." He coasted along towards the north, landing here and there, until he came to the fine bay of New York, where he found " an outstretched country rising somewhat above the sandy shore in beautiful fi':lds and broad plains, covered with immense forests of trees more or less dense, too various in colors and too delightful and charming in appearance to be described." •'Rowing up in his boat through the Narrows^ under the steep heights of Staten Island, he saw the harbor withm dotted with canoes of the feathered natives, coming from the shore to welcome him. But what most engaged the eyes of the white man ivas the fancied signs of mineral wealth in the neighboring hills. " No prophetic vision, it seems, enabled Verrazano to peer into the future, and get a glimpse at New York and Brooklyn— those queenly Cities of the sea whose intimate relations are well symbolized by the cpstly and splendid bridge that unites them together. • Parkmhn John Da Verrajsano, 83 " Following the shores of Long Island, writes Parkman, '* they came to Block Island, and thence to the harbor of Newport. Here they stayed fifteen days, most courteously received by the inhabitants. Among others appeared two chiefs, gorgeously ar- rayed in painted deer-skins — kings, as Verrazano calls them, with attendant gentlemen ; while a party of squaws in a canoe, kept by their jealous lords at a safe distance from the caravel, figure in the narra- tive as the queen and her maids. The Indian wardrobe had heen taxed to its utmost to do the strangers honor — copper bracelets, and wampum collars, lynx skins, raccoon skins, and faces badaubed with gaudy colors." Verrazano pushed along the rugged coast of New England, and continued his voyage as far north as Newfoundland, where want of provisions obliged him to sail for France. On arriving at Dieppe, he wrote to the French monarch a letter dated the 8th of July, 1 524 It is a short sketchy report of his dis- coveries and explorations. The news of his arrival was hailed with joy, and Sfave rise to great hopes that were never realize*^ Verrazano himself was desirous " to return, plant a colony, and bring the heathen tribes within the pale of the Church.' He offered to Francis I. a vast country in a temperate climate, on which France mi^ht well have concentrated her active enterprise, and which would have repaid her a hundredfold 84 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. as a colony, and a school for her maritime forces. But the times were unfavorable. The treachery of Bourbon, the death of the heroic Bayard, and thi fatal field ol Pavia soon brought la belle FranC( nearer annihilation than during the recent struggli with Germany, and all thought of colonization beyond the seas was out of the question.' We now lose sight of the bold explorer himself. He was alive in 1526, but after that his figure dis- appears from history. He is one of the Catholic Pioneers of America whose glory and services have been unjustly obscured. His letter from Dieppe to the King of France is " the earliest description known to exist of the shores of the United States.*' " Verrazano," says Brevoort, *' was the first one that we know to have sailed along our coast, and his name deserves to be attached to some prominent point of it.' »» t • Brevoon. * A map of the world, drawn in isag by Jerome da Verrazano, a brother of John, was discovered in the library of the College of the Propaganda at Rome, in 1832. On this map. South America is marked Terra America, our Atlantic States are named ^Cova Galiioi sad ihe UuU States have the uncomplunentarf title of Ttrra Incognita* The Catholic Pioneers of America, 85 JAMES MENDEZ, ONE OF THE FAITHirL COMPASIOSS OF COLUMBUS. Died A. D. 1536. |MONG the most distinguished of those who followed the fortunes of Columbus was Ijames Mendez,abrave and faithful Spaniard. His devoted services during the disasters of the great Admiral's last voyage are worthy of admira- tion. He was Chief Notary of the expedition. On one occasion, while the ships were on the coast of Veragua, Mendez discovered the treachery of an Indian chief by boldly penetrating to his resi- dence on the crest of a hill, which was hideously ornamented with three hundred posts capped by a like number of grinning skulls, taken from enemies slain in battle. The Admiral was thus forewarned, and Don Bartholomew Columbus with seventy-four men took the chief prisoner, and intended to hold him as a hostage. It was night when the Spaniards reached the coast on their return. As they were row- ing towards the ships, the w ily savage, taking ad- vantage of the darkness, and the carelessness of his captors, plunged into the water like a frog, and dis- n i 86 7/u' Catholic Pioneers oj America, ■ 1 1 i«l: appeared. He reached the shore and soon proved an open and bitter enemy. But the misfortunes of the voyage were completed when Columbus was obliged to run his crazy, sinking vessels aground m a beautiful bay on the coast of Jamaica. This was on the 24th of June. 1503. It was necessary, however, to make the best of the situation. Thatched cabins were built at the prow and stern for the accomodation of the crews, and the wreck was placed in the best possible state of defence. Thus castled in the sea, the Admiral trusted to be able to repel any sudden attack of the natives, and at the same time to keep his men from roviii^j about the neighborhood and indulging in their usual ex cesses. No one was allowed to go ashore with- out especial permit, and the utmost precaution was taken to prevent any offence being given to the Indians.' Provisions were soon required, and as usual the brave Mendez proved his tact and usefulness. He went among the savages, far and near : and by his kindly, winning manners gained the friendshipof the chiefs. He established a regular system of supplies at fixed prices. He bought an excellent canoe from a chief at the extremity of the island, and paddled his way back along the wild coast. He was cheered by liis companions on his arrival, and the Admiral ' Irving. James Mindez, •r received him with open arms. For the present, at least, there was no danger of famine. But how was Columbus to obtain aid from His- paniola ?' He was wrecked on a savage island in a sea seldom visited. Jamaica is separated from His- paniola by a stormy gulf over forty leagues wide. There was no ship at hand— nothing larger than a canoe Who would undertake the perilous voyage in such a frail craft? During nine days this cost Columbus many an anxiour thought. He finally sent for Mendez, when the following conversation occurred. ' James Mendez, my son," said the venerable Admiral, none of those who are here understand the great danger in which we are placed, except you and myself. We are few in number, and those savage Indians are many, and ot fickle and irritable natures On the least provocation they could throw firebrands from the shore, and >'v5nsume us in our straw-thatched cabins. The arrangement which you have made with them tor provisions, and which at present they fulfil so cheerfully, to-morrow they may break in their caprice, and may refuse to bring us anything, nor have we the means to com pel them by force, but are left entirely at their pleasure " I have thought of a remedy, if It meets with your views. In the canoe which you have purchaseu » Hayti If tm il f§ I, 88 7/te Catholic Pioneers of America. some one may venture pass over to Hispaniola, and procure a ship by which we may all be relieved from this perilous situation in which we are placed. Tell mc your opinion on the matter." " Scnor," replied Mendcz, "the danger in which \vc are placed, 1 know well, is far greater than is imagined. As to passing from this island to His. j.aniola in so small a vessel as a canoe, I hold it not only difficult but impossible, since it is necessary to traverse a gulf of forty leagues, and between islands where the sea is extremely rough and seldom in repose. I know nobody who would venture to undertake such a perilous vo\n!:;e. ' There was a moment of silence Columbus made no answer, bjcuuse there was nothing to object. It was not a question of reasoning, but one of sacrifice, ilis looks and manner, however, told Mendez that it was proper for him — a man of faith and courage, who had so often experienced the protection of God — to offer himself once more for the safety of his companions. Mendez understood this mute language, and after r, little thought said he would go, if the Admiral, on c.iUingthe crews together and explaining the matter, could fiiul no one who would offer himself for such a dangerous enterprise. " If all decline it," he said, " I will then come forward and risk my life in your service, as I many times have done." Next day the officers and crews were assembled. James Men ties. <9 The Admiral explained the situation to them, and proposed sending a canoe to llispaniola. Hut all held their breath in astonishment. All drew jack and declared it the height of folly and rashnc<^. Then Mendez arose and said ; " Senor, 1 have but one life to lose, yet 1 am willing to venture it for your service, and for the good of all here present; and I hope in the protection of God, which I have experienced on so many other ' ccasions.* The Admiral embraced the intrepid ctficer, saying : "I knew well there was nobody biu yourself n iio would undertake this achievement " Mendez got his cano^ in rcaflincss, and took in provisions. His courage exciterl a noble emulation. Bartholomew Ficschi, one of the captains, of!" M'cd to accompany him to Hispanio'a, and another canoe was soon properly equipped. Each canoe contained six Spaniards and six Indians. Mcndrz was to carry a letter to the Governor of llispaniola, and then, having sent a well-provisioned vessel to Ja- maica, he was to embark for Spain with a letter from the Admiral to the Sovereigns. Don Bar- tholomew Columbus, with an armed band, marched along the shore, keeping company with the two canoes, till they reached the east end of the island. It was now the perilous voyage commenced. Tl'.ere was no wind, the sky was without a cloud, and the sea like a mirror reflecting the burning rays of the sun. The Indians who paddled the canoes I i] 90 The Catholic Pioneers oj A mcrica. would often leap into th : water to cool their glowing bodies and refresh themselves from their toil. At the ;];oing down of the sun, Mendez and his men lost sight of land. During the night the Indians took turns, one-half to row while the others slept. The Spaniards, in like manner, divided their forces , while some took repose, the others sat with their weapons in their hands, ready to defend them- selves in case of any perfidy on the part of their savage companions. Watching and toiling in this way through the night, they were excessively fatigued on the follow- ing day, and began to experience the torments of thirst, for the Indians, parched with heat, had already drained the contents of their calabashes. In proportion as the sun rose, their misery increased, and was irritated by the dreary prospect around them — nothing but water, while they were perishing with thirst. About midday, when their strength was failing them, the commanders produced two small kegs of water, which they had reserved in secret for such an extremity. Administering a cooling mouthful oc- casionally, they enabled the Indians to resume theiv toils. They held out the hopes of soon arriving at a small island, called Navasa, which lay directly in their way, about eight leagues distant from His- paniola. Here they would find water to assuage their thirst, and would be able to take repose. James Mendez. 91 But night closed upon tlieni without any sight of the ishind ; tliey feared that they had deviated from their course ; if so, they should miss the island entirely, and perish witii thirst before they could reach Hispaniola. One of the Indians died of the accumulated sufferings of labor, heat, and raging thirst , others lay panting and gasping at the bottom of the canoes. Their companions were scared)' able to continue their toils. Sometimes they endeavored to cool their parched palates by taking sea water in their mouths, but its briny bitterness only increased their thirst. One after another gave up. and it seemed impossible that they should live to reach Hispaniola. The noble Mendez, by admirable management, had hitherto kept up this weary struggle with suffering and despair ; and now he alone, trusting in God, preserved some hope. He sat watching the horizon, which was gradually lighting up with those faint rays which precede the rising of the moon. As that planet came into view, he perceived it to emerge from behind a dark mass, which proved to be the island of Navasa, but so low, and small, and distant, that, had it not been thus revealed by the rising moon, he would never have discovered it. He immediately gave the animated cry of " land." His almost expiring companions were roused to new life, and exerted themselves with feverish impatience. By dawn of day, Mendez and his companions 92 The Catholic Pioneers of America. '1 III sprang on shore, and returned thanks to God for their deliverance. The island was a mere barren mass of rocks, but they found abundance of rain- water in hollow places. The Spaniards exe.cised some degree of caution in their draughts ; but the poor Indians, whose toils had increased the fever ol their thiist, gave way to a kind of frantic indulgence of which several died upon the spot, and others fell dangerously ill. After reposing for some hours, and feasting on shell-fish gathered along the rocky shore, the hardy voyagers set out for Hispaniola, the mountains of which were distinctly visible ; and after rowing all night, they pulled their canoes on the banks of a beautiful river, where they were kindly received by the natives. It was three days and three nights since their departure from Jamaica. Parting with his companions, Mendez took six Indians of the island, and set off for the city of San Bomingo. After proceeding for eighty leagues against the currents, he was informed that the Governor had departed for Xaragua. fifty leagues distant. Still undaunted by fatigues and difficulties, he abandoned the canoe, and proceeded alone, on foot, through forests and over mountains, until he arrived at Xaragua, achieving one of the most peril ous expeditions ever undertaken by a devoted fol- lower for the safety of his commander. He found Ovando completely engrossed by wars James Mendez. 93 with the natives. The Governor expressed great concern at the unfortunate situation of Columbus, and promised to send him immediate relief; but Mendez remained for seven months at Xaragua, vainly urging for that relief, or for permission to go to San Domingo in quest of it. The constant ex- cuse of the hypocritical Ovando was, that there were not ships of sufificient burden in the island to bring off Columbus and his crews. At length, by daily importunity, Mendez obtained permission to go to San Domingo, and await the arrival of certain ships which were expected. He set out on foot. The distance was seventy league?, and part of his toilsome journey lay through forests and mountains, infested by hostile and exasperated savages. He reached the seaport in safety, and at once hired and provisioned a vessel, wiiich hastened to the relief of the Admiral.' Having carefully dis- charged this part of his mission, the fearless Mendez sailed for Spain, bearing the letter of Columbus to the Sovereigns.* He was kindly received by Ferdinand and Isabella, who bestowed rewards upon him, and ordered a canoe to be added to his coatof-arms. He continued in the service of Columbus. He stood by the death-bed of the great Admiral, and saw his ' Wlifii this vessel, accotnpanieil by another fruir Governor Ovamlo reached Columbus, the venerable discoverer had been inoi-,- than a year perched on the wreck at Jamaica. 'Irving, from whom the foregoing account of the voyage is abridged. m i 94 T/ie Catholic Pioturrs of America. "n^ eyes close upon this world. The faithful pioneer afterwards fitted out vessels at his own expense, and sailed on several voyages of discovery. He died piously in 1536, and ordered that the follow- ing words should be engraved on his tombstone, which was to be ornamented with the figure of a canoe : *' Here lies the honorable Cavalier James Mendez, who greatly served the royal Crown of Spain, in the conquest of the Indies, with the Admiral Don Christopher Columbus, of glorious memory, who made the discovery ; and afterwards by himself, with ships at his own cost . . . Bestow in charity a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria." The wonderful journey of James Mendez from Jamaica to Hispaniola, in which he proved himself the first and greatest letter-carrier of the New World, and the rescuer of Columbus, has long given him a well-merited place in early American history. "The Spaniards," says De Lorgues, "considered, this prodigious voyage, effected in three days and three nights, as marvellous as the preservation of the prophet Jonas during the same length of time in the belly of the whale." This faithful and heroic Catholic mariner of nearly four centuries ago had a small library which he car- ried with him in all his wanderin^js. Among his well-thumbed volumes were. "The History of the Jews," by Josephiis ; " Moral Philosophy," by Aris- Hernando Cortes. 95 totlc ; " The Art of Holy Dyini^," by Erasmus ; " The Book of the Holy Land," and " The Contemplation of the Passion of our Saviour." HERNANDO CORTfiS, THE CONQUEROR OF M EXICO^ A X D DISCOVERER OF CALIFORNIA. Vied A. D. 1547. AMONG the crowd that greeted Columbus at the wharf of San Domingo, after his escape, on his last voyage, from the wreck at Jamaica, might be noticed a handsome, well-educated young man of distinguished bearing, who seemed to take an unusual interest in the venerable discoverer. This was Hernando Cortes, who had lately arrived in Hispaniola. He was born in 1485, at Medellin, a little town in Spain. His parents, Don Martin Cortes and Dona Catherine Pizarro, belonged to ancient families, and were persons of worth, virtue, and distinction. Hernando was educated for the law, and spent two years at the University of Salamanca ; but his daring nature inclined him to a life of adventure, and he afterwards adopted the profession of arms. In 1504, at the age of nineteen, he received some money and the tender blessing of his father and mo- ;i 96 TJie Catholic Pioneers of A mcrica. 1:! P e I' '\ m ther, and sailed in an expedition to the New Worlds On arriving at Hispaniola, young Cortes was well received by his kinsman, Governor Ovando, who employed him in helping to put down a rebellion among the Indians. It was here he gained his first experience in savage warfare. When, in 151 1, Velasquez undertook to subdue and colonize Cuba, Cortes joined the enterprise, and so distinguished himself that he received a handsome reward for his services in large grants of lands and Indians. Cortes now settled down in Cuba, lived on his estate, devoted himself to agriculture, was appointed a magistrate, and married a beautiful lady nimed Dona Catherine Juarez. Time had moulded, ripened, and improved his restless character. Good temper and soldierly frankness were now accompanied by calm prudence in concerting his schemes, by per- severing vigor in executing them, and by what is a peculiar gift of superior genius — the art of gaining the confidence and governing the minds of men. To all these were added the smaller accomplish- ments that strike the vulgar, and command their respect — a graceful person, a winning countenance, remarkable skill in warlike exercises, and a constitu- tion of such iron vigor as to be capable of enduring any fatigue. Such was Cortes at the age of thirty- three, when he was selected by Governor Velasquez to add the recently discovered empire of Mexico to the provinces of Spain. Hernando Cortes. 97 . The future conqueror expressed his warm thanks for the commission ; but Velasquez had no sooner i^ranted the document, tlian the whispering of evil tongues inclined him to revoke it. He sudden!)- grew jealous. He seemed to fear that iiis dasliing and sagacious lieutenant would deprive him of ail the glory of the enterprise. Cortes, however, Tiaintained his command in defiance of the Governor. Never, perhaps, was a great enterprise taken with so little regard for its difficulties and dangers. The fleet consisted of eleven small vessels, and six hundred and seventeen men. Only thirteen soldiers had muskets. Thirty-two were cross-bowmen, and the rest were armed with spears and swords. The cavalry and artillery were summed up in twelve horses and ten small pieces of cannon. The chief banner of the expedition was of black velvet, embroidered with gold, and emblazoned with a red cross on black ground, sprinkled with blue and white flames, and underneath was the motto : '•Let us follow the Cross, and in that sign we shall conquer." The fleet was placed under the protection of St, Peter, the patron saint of Cortes. Holy Mass was celebrated early in the morning by the chaplain of the expedition. Father Bartholomew de Olmedo, O. S. F., and on the l8th of February, 15 19, the trumpet sounded for departure, and the armament bore away towards Mexico. IT 98 T/w Catholic Pioneers of America. After touching at the island of Cozumel — where he had the good fortune to redeem Jerome de Aguilar, a Spanish ecclesiastic who had been eight years a captive among the Indians, and who after- wards proved extremely useful as an interpreter — Cortes doubled Cape Catoche, swept down the broad "I Bay of Campeachy, and cast anchor at the mouth of the little river Tabasco. The shore was lined with Indians. The General asked permission to land, but he was answered with angry gestures and shouts of defiance. He disem- barked, however, and at once found himself sur- rounded by crowds of enemies. The hard-contested battle of Cintla was fought after Mass on the festival of the Annunciation. Forty thousand In- dians made frantic efforts to crush the handful of Spaniards, but Cortes, by a bold flank movement, at the head of the cavalry, turned the scales of victory. The savages were completely routed. " It was not long," says Prescott, describing this brilliant charge, " before the ears of the Christians were saluted with the cheering war-cry of San Jago and Sa7i Pedro! and they beheld the bright helmets and swords of the Castilian chivalry flashing back the rays of the morning 'sun, as they dashed through the ranks of the enemy, striking to the right and left, and scattering dismay around them. The eye of faith, indeed, could discern the patron saint of Spain himself, mounted on his gray war-horse, lead- Hernando Cortes. 99 ing the rescue, and trampling over the bodies of the fallen infidels!" The terror stricken Tabascans humbly submitted, acknowledged the King of Spain as their sovereign, made liberal presents to the victors, and gave all the information in their power about Mexico. Nor did Cortes forget that the spread of the Catholic Religion was one of the first objects of the expedi tion. He broke down the idols, and set up crosses. The priests instructed the Indians, who embraced tlve Faith in large numbers. On Palm Sunda}', there was a solemn procession of the whole army, "each soldier bearing a palm-branch in his hand." Next day the Spaniards returned to their ships, and coasted along towards the northwest till they came to the harbor of San Juan de Ulloa. Here they disembarked, and were visited by some Mexi- can officers, with whom Cortes entered into negotia- tions regarding a visit to Montezuma, who then ruled with nearly absolute sway over the empire of Mexico. Montezuma sent the Spanish General rich presents — among which were a basket of gold and silver ornaments, some boxes filled with pearls, and two large circular plates of massive gold, one representing the sun and the other the moon — but objected to his visiting the capital. Cortes, however, resolved upon seeing the Em- peror in his capital, and was not to be daunted by opposition. " This is indeed a rich and powerful % ■|r lOo The Catholic Pioneers of A vicrica. prince, he remarked to his officers, "but it shall go hard if we do not one day pay him a visit." Having founded the town of Vera Cruz — or the True Cross — and burned all his ships but one, so that his troops could not return, and must henceforth conquer or perish, our hero, with a force reduced to four hun- dred Spaniards and a considerable number of In- dians, lent him by dissatisfied chiefs dependent on Montezuma, prepared to march for the city of Mexico. Before departing, he made an address to his soldiers, some of whom were discontented. "As for me," he said in conclusion, "I have chosen my part. I will remain here while there is one soldier to beir me company. If there be any so craven as to shrink from sharing the dangers of ^wx glorious enterprise, let them go home, in God's 'lame. There is still one vessel left. Let them take that, and return to Cuba. They can tell how they deserted their commander and their comrades, and patiently wait till we return loaded with the spoils of the Mexicans." This address had a magical effect. Shouts of *' On to Mexico 1" resounded through the camp, and the line of march was begun on ihe i6th of August, 1 5 19. The hardy veterans scaled the table-lands of Mexico amid sleet and hail, and erected crosses as they passed along. " The route of the army," says Prescott, " might be tracked by these emblems of man's salvation." . I Hernando Corti^s. lOI as On coming to the proud little republic of Tlascala, Cortes requested permission to pass through the country on his way to the capital of Mexico. lie was refused, and had to whip two large armies, before the Tlasca?ans recognized his power and genius, and became lis friends and faithful allies. The Spanish General continued his march with his forces swelled by 6,000 Tlascalan warriors. He next came to the beautiful city of Cholula, the sanc- tuary of the Mexican idols. Here he learned of a bold plot to massacre his whole force, but, heading off the treacherous barbarians, he fell on them like a flash of lightning, in swift and terrible chastise- ment. The slaughter lasted for two days. The 'lead bodies of six thousand Cholulans filled the :ity with terror, and carried dismay into the very neart of the empire. Thfc Spaniards and their allies pressed on through a lofty country of picturesque grandeur. For a few leagues the way led up the steep side of a great vol- canic mountain, then in a state of eruption, although its fires are now extinguished. A dense forest for a time impeded their march ; then, as they ascended, vegetation ceased, and they passed within the line of everlasting snow. At length, rounding a shoulder of the mountain, the great Valley of Mexico, s-^en afar in that clear air, spread itself before them in all its glory of lake and city, of garden and forest, and cultivated plain. It was a vision never to be for- '' ii m lo2 The Catholic Pioneers of America. gotten. Cortds was received with great pomp by the Emperor in person. He was conducted to a vast pahice. '* You are now," said the politic Mexican ruler, ** with your brothers in your own house. Refresh yourself after your fatigue, and be iiappy till I return." Cortes and his companions entered the capital on the i8lh of November, 15 19. It has been well said that in a time of great festivity, they would have formed but a poor and mean sacrifice to have been offered to the Mexican gods. The population of the celebrated city — then the greatest in the New World — was estimated at 300,000 souls. It was built on islands in a shallow salt-water lake, and was approached by three principal causeways, of about thirty feet in breadth, and constructed of solid masonry. At the end of these causeways were \Tooden draw-bridges, so that in time of war communication could be cut off between the cause- ways and the city, which would thus become a citadel. Tiiere were numerous temples, and the royal palaces were vast and magnificent. The market-place accommodated fifty thousand people. " Who shall describe Mexico," exclaims Helps — "the Mexico of that age? It ought to be one who had seen all the wonders of the world ; and he should have for an audience, those who had dwelt in Venice and Constantinople, who had looked down upon Granada from the Alhambra, and who I Hernando Cortes, 103 had studied all that remains to be seen or known of the hundred-gated Thebes, of Babylon, and of Nineveli." The Spaniards were regarded in this land of wealth and splendid barbarism, as those descendants of the sun, who, according to a current prophecy, were to come from the east, and overthrow the Mexican empire — a tradition, it seems, that was worth a good many soldiers to Cortes. An attack on the Spanish colony at Vera Cruz by one of Montezuma's generals, however, proved that the white men were mortal, and would have been the ruin of them, but for the bold decision of Cortes, who immediately seized the Emperor, and removed him in silent pomp to the Spanish quarters. " This," says Helps, " is an unparalleled action. There is nothing like it, I believe, in the annals of the world." Montezuma's submission was stretched to the ex- tent of making him acknowledge his allegiance to the King of Spain. But the grand triumph of Cortes, and that use of his power for which he has been compared to Judas Maccabeus, was in the destruc- tion of the hideous Mexican idols, the cleansing of their foul temples, and the stern forbidding of any more human sacrifices. The number of victims immolated on the accursed altars of Mexico ** would stagger the faith of the least scrupulous believer. Scarcely any author 104 The Catholic Pioneers of America. 11; pretends to estimate the yearl}'^ sacrifices through- our the empire at less than twenty thousand, and some carry the number as high as fifty thousand. It was customary to preserve the skulls of the sacri- ficed in buildings appropriate to the purpose. The companions of Cortes counted one hundred and thirty six thousand in one of these edifices!"' The Mexican ruler had been about six months among the Spaniards, when one day he requested an interview with Cortes. *' I pray you," he said, '■ take your departure from my city and my country, for my gods are very angry that I keep you here. \^ you want anything, ask it, and I will give it to you. Do not imagine that 1 am jesting. I am very much in earncFt." " I understand you," replied the Spanish General, and thank you for expressing your sentiments. Name a time when you wish us to depart, and so it shall be." , " I do not wish to hurry you," remarked Monte- zuma. '• Take the time that seems to you neces- sary, and when you do go, I will give to you, Cortes, two loads of gold, and one to each of your com- panions." ■ "You are already aware," explained Cortes, " how I destroyed my ships, when I first landed in your territory. But now we have need of others to return to our own country. I should be obliged if ' Frescott, Hernando Cortes 105 you would give us workmen to cut and work the timber; and when the vessels are built we shall take our departure. Of this you can inform your gods and your subjects." Montezuma agreed to this arrangmcnt. The Spaniards were now in a critical situation ; but in a few days an event occurred that scattered all preconceived plans to the wind. Governor Velasquez of Cuba, enraged at the success of his former lieutenant, sent an army of fourteen hundred infantry, eighty horsemen, and twenty pieces of cannon, undj,'r an experienced commander, with instructions to seize Cortes and his companions. Cortes, at the head of only seventy faithful ^'ctcrans, sallied forth, met this new force, over- •lowered it by a sudden night attack, and sccuitd its illegiance. But during his absence the Mexicans had risen in the capital. He returned rapidlv', by forced marches, and had scarcely reached the {)alace when countless multitudes, led by a brother of Montezuma, began a fierce assault on the Spanish quarters. The artillery made terrible havoc, but tl:e barbarians fought with reckless bravery. The battle spread from the streets to a lofty neighboring temple, whence the Mexicans galled tlic Spaniards with showers of arrows. Cortes headed a successful attack on this stronghold, "and there showed liimself," writes Diaz, '* to be a very valiant man, as he always was." io6 The Catholic Pioneers of America. I ( ii It is said he had a narrow escape from the dread- ful fate of being thrown from the top of the tower. Two warriors of strong muscular frames seized him, and were dragging him violently towards the brink. Aware of their intention, he struggled with all his force, and before they could accomplish their pur- pose, succeeded in tearing himself from their grasp, and hurling one of them over the walls with his own arm.' Every Mexican in the temple was put to the sword. During these wild scenes, Montezuma, who was still kept in the Spanish quarters, appeared on the terrace with the view of pacifying his people ; but he was wounded by a stone — an indignity against his royal person which he took so much to heart that he died in a few days. The safety of the Spaniards now lay in retreat, and during the stillness of the night, Cortes began to withdraw his forces from the capital. But an alarm was given. The whole city was soon aroused, and as the little army took its way along the short- est causeway, it was assailed on all sides by thou- sands of frantic Mexicans, who fought with the fury inspired by hatred and vengeance. Every step was marked by disaster. The slaughter was fearful. When morning dawned, and the General reviewed the shattered remains of his forces in the open countrw it is said he was overcome with emotion, > Prescolt. Hernando Cortes. 107 and wept like a child, 'on recalling to mind the many faithful friends and gallant veterans who had perished on that night of sorrow. Cortes pushed on towards Tlascala — the only- place where he could hope for a friendly reception — but was met in the Valley of Otumba by a vast army of Mexicans, who had vowed his utter de- struction. It must be death or victory. In the heat of the conflict, the General pointed to the commander-in-chief of the barbarians. " There," he exclaimed to the cavaliers at his side, " is our mark. Follow and support me!" " Then crying his war-cry," writes Prescott, " and striking his iron heel into his weary steed, he plunged headlong into the thickest of the press. Mis enemies fell back, taken by surprise and daunted by the ferocity of the attack. Those who did not were pierced through with his lance or borne down by the weight of his charger. The cavaliers followed close in the rear. On they swept with the fury of a thunderbolt, cleaving the solid ranks asunder, strew- ing their paths with the dying and the dead, and. bounding over every obstacle in their way. " In a few minutes they were in the presence of the Indian commander, and Cortes, overturning his supporters, sprang forward with tlie strength of a lion, and striking him throu*;]! with his lance, hurled him to the ground." The imperial stand. ird was captured. A general panic seized the dusky io8 T!ie Catholic Pioneers of A mcrica. warriors, and they fled in all directions. It was a glorious victory, in which Cortes '' by his single arm saved the army from destruction." When Cortes and his toil worn, battle-scarred veterans reached Tlascaia, they were received with hearty friendship. " How it grieves us to hear of your losses and your sorrows !" exclaimed the kindly Tlascalans. " Have we not told you many cimcs that you should not trust in the Mexican people ? But now the thing is done, and nothing more remains at present but to refresh and cure you." When all were ** refreshed and cured, ' Cortes '~>!ganizcd a large army — composed chiefly of Indian .'i'lies — for the conquest of the Mexican Empire, and its subjugation to the Crown of Spain. One of the rules he laid down was that no soldier should profane the Holy Name of God. He marched on the capital, and at once began siege operations. To command the lake, he had the materials of a fleet cut in Tlascaia, and transported to Mexico by 30,000 men. " It was a marvellous thing," writes Cortes himself, "that few have seen or even heard of — this transportation of thirteen vessels of war on the shoulders of men for nearly twenty leagues across the mountains !" A siege of nearly three months, ended by a ter- ri.ble assault of two days, left the Spaniards anrl their allies masters of the capital on the 13th of Hernando Cortes. 109 August, 1 521. Famine had assisted in the vvoefu! work of death and destruction, and the city lay in ruins " like some huge churchyard with the corpses disinterred, and the tombstones scattered about." '• I have heard many say," writes Oviedo, " that the number of the dead was countless — greater than at Jerusalem, as described by Josephus." The whole Mexican nation was now completely subjected, for though some attempts at revolt were afterwards made, they were soon crushed by the Conqueror, who had been appointed Governor and Captain-Genv-.al of the country by the Emperor Charles V. A new city arose on the ruins of the old ; ind a stately cathedral soon stood on the site of the famous temple. Missionaries began the work of ::onversion, the country was explored, and Corte? proved that he could govern a great empire as well as conquer it. In 1528, Cortes returned to Spain to meet some calumnies against him, and was received with marked distinction. On his return to Mexico, however,' two years later, he was divested of much of his authoi - ity. He fitted out several expeditions at his own expense, and discovered California. In 1540, he again returned to his native land, but was coldly received at Court, from which he soon retired, and prepared for his end at a little village near Seville. He re- ceived the last Sacraments with devotion, and died on the 2d of December, 1547, at the age of sixty two years. no The Catholic Pioneers of America. The Conqueror of Mexico was one of the most gifted men in all history. His life was far from fault- less, but his career is marked by dazzling splendor. He was certainly a great general. He stands with- out a peer the first military genius the New World has yet seen. He had a marvellous knowledge of luiman nature, and in him *' valor was welded to prudence as the blade of the sword is to its handle." He was a grent explorer and discoverer. He was a statesman of the first order. His letters, written with manly strength and simple elegance, give him an honorable rank in literature. He was charitable and sincerely religious. He always felt that he was a Catholic soldier of the Cross; and that the most brilliant of his achievements consisted in planting the blessed sign of man's redemption over the blood-stained temples of pagan Mexico. " He [)referrcd," writes the brave Bernard Diaz, one of his companions-in-arms, *' to be called Cortes by us, to being called by any title; and with good reason, for the name of Cortes is as famous in our da)' as was that of Caesar among the Romans, or of Hannibal among the Carthaginians. ... "In his whole appearance and presence, in his discourse, his table, his dress — in short, in every- thinu— he had the air of a jjreat lord. His clothes were in the fashion of the time. He set little value on silk, damask, or velvet, but dressed plainly and exceedingly neat ; nor did he wear massy chains of !'>f>. Ihriiando CorU's. 1 1 I gold, but simply a finf our IMessed Lady and her precious Son, with a Latin niolto cut upon it. " He was acquainted with Latin, and, a? I have understood, was made Bachelor of Laws ; and wlicn he conversed witli learned men wiio addressed liim in Latin, he answered them in the same language. He was also something of a poet. His conversation was agreeable, and he had a pleasant elocution. In his attendance on the services of the Church he was most punctual, devout in his manner, and charitable to the poor. "When he swore he used to sav : On viy con- science ; and when he w.is vexed with anv one. Plague on you ! With hi- men he was very ])atient ; and they were sometimes impertinent and even in- solent. When very angr)', the veins in his throat and forehead would swell, but he uttered no re- proaches against either officer or soldier. " He was fond of cards and dice, and when he played was always in good humor, indulging freely in jests and repartees. He was affable with his fol- lowers, especially with those who came over with him from Cuba. In his campaigns he paid strict at- tention to discipline, frequently going the rounds himself during the night, and seeing that the senti- nels did their duty. He entered the quarters of his soldiers without ceremony, and chided those I 112 The Catholic Pioneers of America, ii II whom he found without their arms and accoutre- ments, saying, // ivas a bad sheep that could not carry its own wool. "On the expedition to Honduras he acquired the habit of sleeping after his meals, feeling un well if he omitted it ; and, however sultry or stormy the weather, he caused a carpet or his cloak to be thrown under a tree, and slept soundly for some time. " He was frank and exceedingly liberal in his dis- position, until the last few years of his life, when he was accused of parsimony. But we should consider that his funds were employed on great and costly enterprises, and that none of these, after the Conquest, neither his expedition to Honduras nor his voyage to California, were crowned with success. " It was perhaps intended that he should receive his recompense in a better world ; and I fully be- lieve it ; for he was a good cavalier, most true in his devotions to the Holy Virgin, to the Apostle St. Peter, and to all the other Saints. May God pardon his snis, and mine too, and give me a pious end, which is of more concern than the conquests and victories that we had over the Indians." Tiie Catliolic Pioneers of America, i'5 FRANCIS PIZARRO, THE DISCOVERER AND CONQUEROR OF PERU. Died A. D. 1541. MONG the Catholic Pioneers of the New World who rose to distinction and chiselled their names in the marble of history, none begun life in such poverty, ignorance, and degreda- tion as Francis Pizarro. The illegitimate son of a military officer, he was born at Truxillo, in Spain, about the year 1471. The child, it seems, was wholly neglected by his parents, never taught to read or write, and spent his time in taking care of pigs. But as he grew up, this humble employment became intolerable. His bold, aspiring mind longed for fields of adventure ; and he enlisted as a common soldier, serving through various campaigns in Spain and Italy. Pizarro's roving spirit led him to the New World. In 1509, he joined the ill-fated expedition of Ojeda, in which John de la Cosawas killed, and the attempt to found a colony at San Sebastian ended in failure. He then followed the fortunes of Balboa, was present at the discovery of the Pacific Ocean, and 114 The Catholic Pioneers of America. displayed j^rcat bravery and resolution in various contests with the Indians. A little later on, he arrested his noble chief, and led him to a death of violence. He next engaged in trafficking with the natives on the shores of the newly-discovered Ocean. In a few )'cars more, he joined the victorious banner of Cortes, and served in the conquest of Mexico. Speaking of the famous night attack on the forces sent by Velasquez, Bernal Diaz Arites: "Cortes ordered that, in the attack, the first thing to be done was to seize the artillery. For this duty he selected seventy soldiers, of which number I was one, and put us under the command of Pizarro, an active lad, whose name, however, was at that time as little known as that of Peru." It will be remembered that Balboa had heard of Peru, and formed the design of conquering it; but after his untimely death, all thought of that mys- terious land of gold and dusky civilization seemed to have faded from the popular mind. Some con sidered it a dazzling fiction. There resided on the Isthmus of Panama, however, three men who had a firm belief in its existence — namely, Francis Pizarro, James de Almagro, and Hernando de Luque, a priest. When the splendid achievement of Cortes re- sounded through the world, giving a fresh impulse to adventure, these three friends put their heads to- Francis Pizarro, 115 gtther, formed a kind of solemn partnership, ratified at the altar, and fitted out a small expedition for the discovery and conquest of Peru. Pizarro took command. In 1524, about four years after Magellan's squadron had entered the Pacific, he spread his sails, and bore away towards the south on the same boundless Ocean. He crept down the coast, and landed from time to time, only to find a rugged and barren country. * Hunger came, and many of the men died. Nor was that all. The Indians fought with poisoned arrows, the climate was un- wholesome, and the forests were dense beyond de- scription. Almagro brought a reinforcement ; but the hope- less toil became intolerable, and most of the men returned to Panama. Pizarro, with only fourteen followers, sought shelter on the uninhabited island of Gorgona, *' which those who have seen it compare to the infernal regions." Here they spent five miserable months, living on shellfish, and anything else the sharpened eye of hunger could discover. At length fresh supplies from Almagro enabled the dauntless commander to set forth once more, and achieve the discovery of northern Peru. The Spaniards landed, and their eyes beheld a country rolling in wealth and barbarous splendor. The precious metals were everywhere. Pizarro returned to Panama, carrying with him numbers of costly and beautiful ornaments of gold and silver, specimens 1 n6 The Catholic Pioneers of A meriea. of woollen clotli of silky texture and brilliant hue, and some llamas, or alpacas— all of which he had received frijin the rich and generous natives. In 1528, the indomitable Pizarro sailed for Spain, and landed at Palos, where he accidentally m.^t his old chief, Cortes, who was then spending a few days of repose, after his voyage, at the hospitable Monastery of La Rabida. " The meeting of these two extraordinary men, ' says Prescott, "the Con- querors of the North and of the South in the New World, as they set foot, after their eventful absence, on the shores of their native land, and that, too, on the spot consecrated by the presence of Columbus, has something in it striking to the imagination." Pizarro appeared at Court with the dignity and frank manners of a soldier, and recounted to Charles V. the thrilling story of his wonderful discovery. He was appointed Governor and Captain-General of Peru. Returning to Panama, he set sail for Peru with a small but well equipped force of one hundred and eighty-three men and thirty-seven > horses. He landed at S*-. Matthew's Bay in 1531, marched tov'^ards the soutri,and was joined by small reinforcements under i he gallant Hernando de Soto and other officers. He becran to advance cautiously into the in- terior, and soon learned the real state of the country The golden empire of Peru, which stretched along the Pacific Ocean, from north to south, for over ll'*,- Francis Pizdrro. n; fifteen lunulred miles, was convulsed in ci\il war. A quarre.l liad arisen between Hu.iscar ami Atahualpa, the two sons of the late monarch. Atahualpa, triumphant in battle, liad taken his br(Ulu r prisoner, and was encamped beyond the Andes with a vic- torious army of fitt\' thousand men. Just at this point Pizarro aj)peared on the sccjie. and decided to meet the \ ictor. " Let every one of you," he said to Ids men, "take lieart, and go forward like a good soldier — nothing daunted at the smallncss of your numbers. For in the greatest extremity God ever fights for his own ; and no doubt He will humble the pride of the heathen, and brin^ him to the knowledge of the True Faith — the great end and object of the Conquest." "Lead on!" shouted the troops, *' wherever you think best. We will follow with good will, and you shall see that we can do our duty in the cause of God and the King." He took up his line of march for the Andes, whose vast summits soon " cast their shadows on the little army, and the toilsome ascent began The path was so steep that the cavalry dismounted and with difficulty led their horses upward — so narrow that there was barely room for a horse to walk. Li many places it overhung abysses thousands of feet in depth, into which men and liorses looked with fear. As they rose, the opulent vegetation of the tropics was left behind, and they passed through ii8 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. dreary forests of stunted pine-wood. The cold was piercing. But tiie summit was reached in safety, and the descent of the eastern slope began. As they followed the downward path, each step dis- closed some new scene of grandeur or of beauty." The hardy battalions passed down to the city of Cassamarca, and were courteously received by Ata- hualpa. Pizarro, however, well knew the peril of his position. Me thought of Cortes and Monte- zuma, and, during a public interview, he . boldly seized the King, and, by a few swift and well di- rected charges, routed the panic-stricken Peruvian army. It was all the work of less than an hour. Atahaulpa, now a captive in his own country, in the hands of strange and terrible warriors, sought to regain his liberty by offers whose magnificence as- tonished Pizarro and his soldiers. ** He offered," says Mackenzie, " to fill with gold, to a height of nine feet, a room whose area was seventeen feet in breadth and twenty two feet in length. A room of smaller dimensions was to be twice filled with sil- ver ; and he asked only two months to collect this enormous ransom. The offer was accepted, and the [nca' sent messengers to all his cities, commanding that temples and palaces should be stripped of their ornaments. " In a few weeks, Indian carriers began to arrive at Cassamarca, laden to their utmost capacity with * Inca was the title given to monarchsof Peru. W Francis Pizarro. 119 silver and gold. Day by day, they poured in, bear- ing great f^olden vessels, which had been used in the palaces — ,^reat plates of gold, which had lined the walls and ruofs of temples — crowns and collars and bracelets of gold, which the chieftains gave up. in the hope that they would procure the liberty of their ma.-ter. At length, the room was filled up to the red line which Pizarro had drawn upon the wall as his record of this extraordinary bargain." This immense mass of gold and silver — equal, it has been computed, to fifteen or twenty millions of dollars — was melted down ; one-fifth was set aside for the King of Spain, and a small portion was given to Almagro, who had just arrived with reinforce- ments. The General reserved the rest for himself, his officers and soldiers. It is said that each horse- man receiv^ed about forty thousand dollars. " There is no example in history," says Robert- son, " of such a sudden acquisition of wealth by military service ; nor was ever sum so great divided among so small a number of soldiers." But though it was proclaimed by sound of trumpet that Atahualpa had paid his ransom like a king, he still continued a prisoner. It is related that the captive monnrcli found pleasure in the visits of tlie knightly Hernando de Soto, who knew how to treat him with becoming respect. But in the presence of Pizarro, " he was always uneasy and overawed. This dread soor came to be mingled with contempt. I n I20 Tlie Catholic Pioneers of A merica. Among all the European arts, what he admired most was that of reading and writing, and he long de- liberated with himself, whether he should regard it as a natural or acquired talent. In order to deter- mine this, lie desired one of the soldiers who guarded him to write the name of God on the nail of his thumb. *' This he showed successively to several Spaniards, asking its meaning ; and to his amazement they all, without hesitation, returned the same answer. At length Pizarro entered ; and, on presenting it to him, he blushed and with some confusion was obliiied to acknowledge his i Robertson, I \ I Francis Pisarro. 121 I le he reproached his chief, and expressed his firm behef that Atahualpa had been basely slandered. Pizarro now marched and took possession of the Peruvian capital — " the great and holy city of Cusco." It contained a population of about three hundred thousand. The streets crossed each other at rigiit angles, and the houses were built chiefly of stone. It was adorned with numerous and splendid palaces, and guarded by a mighty fortress built on a lofty eminence. '* This noble city was the pride of all Peruvians. It was to them what Jerusalem was to the Jews, or Rome to the Romans." In less than ten years, Pizarro made himself master of the Peruvian empire. Ho erected churches, cast down idols, and set up crosses on the highwa)s. He founded the city of Lima in 1535. But the demon of strife appeared among the conquerors. An open rupture between Pizarro and Almagro led to new scenes of blood and appalling slaughter. Al- magro was defeated, taken prisoner, and mercilessly condemned to be strangled. Though in feeble health, and pressed down with the burden of sev- enty-five years, he died with the dignity and forti- tude of a veteran. Almagro perished, but he left behind him a strong party that hated Pizarro, and plotted his destruc- tion. About noon, on Sunday, the 26th of June, 1 541, a band of conspirators rushed into the resi. dence of the Governor, exclaiming : *' Long livf: I 122 The Catholic Pioneers of America. the King! Down with the tyrant !" Pizarro wasin his apartment, surrounded by Qnly a few followers. On becoming aware of his danger, he ordered the door to be shut, grasped his sword, and said : "Courage, companions, we are yet many enough to make these traitors repent of their audacity." When the door opened, the struggle grew despe- rate. Pizarro threw himself on his enemies like a lion aroused in his lair. " Traitors !" he cried, " have you come to kill me in my own house !" and his sword fell with fatal force on numbers of his enemies. But all his followers were soon killed or •vounded, and at length the fearless old man re- •^.eived a mortal stab in the throat and fell '* Jesus !" exclaimed the dying General, "and tracing across •vith his finger on the bloody floor, he bent down Jiis head to kiss it, when a stroke more friendly than the rest put an end to his existence." ' And thus perished Francis Pizarro, the stern Con- queror of Peru, who had surmounted so many stu- pendous difficulties on land and water, who had served under Ojeda and Balboa and Cortes, who had braved hunger and thirst and disease, who had smiled at the wrath of man and the fury of the tempest, who had broken through the lofty barrier of the Andes, and triumphed at the head of his vete- rans on countless battle-fields. He was about sev- enty years of age. He was never married. Simple • Prescott, Francis Pizarro. 12^ in dress and manners, he was tall in stature and well proportioned, with an air of soldierly distinc- tion. He rose early, and was temperate in eating and drinking. Far from hoarding up the vast wealth that poured in upon him as Governor of • Peru, he generously employed it in promoting Qreat public enterprises. He was a w.irrior of dauntless courage, iron nerve, and rare power of patient en- durance ; but, in many of. his boldest actions, he simply imitated Cortes, and trusted to luck for suc- cess. Though often guided by noble and generous impulses, his wonderful career is marked by deeds of cunning, cruelty, and treachery. The conquest of Peru is a long and bloody drama, in which he was the chief actor , but it is only right to remember chat this terrible genius was a poor, unlettered "son of sin and sorrow." To judge him fairly, we must judge with charity. prft^* 124 T/itr Catholic Pioneers of America HERNANDO DE SOTO, THE CO\QUEROR OF FLORIDA, AND DISCOVERER OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. Died A. D. 1542. ^^g]., J " twenty-seven years after the veteran ^^1 Ponce de Leon had visited Florida, in search lUPmB, ;ji ♦^he ■'^V>ied fountain of youtii, a more re- nowned pioneer stepped on its lonely shores, and struck boldly into the wilderness of North Amer- ica. It was Hernando dc Soto.' He was born in Spain about 1501. Though of a noble family, the young cavalier began life with no fortune but his sword and buckler. His checkered career opens in the New World, where, as the com- panion of Pizarro and commander of a corps of cavalry, he rose to distinction, and had no small share in the conquest of Peru and the spoils that fell to the victors. It will be remembered to the honor of De Soto that he crained the confidence and affection of the unhappy Inca Atahunlpa ; and, on findin^^ that, dur- ing his absence from the camp, the monarch was put to death, he did not conceal his just indignation. •'You have acted rashly," he said to Pizarro. Hernando de Soto, 125 "The Inca has been basely slande/td. He should have been taken to Spain, and judged by the Em- peror." De Soto returned to his native land with wealth and reputation. Success of all kinds awaited him at home. He appeared at the Court of Charles V. with a magnificent retinue; and his commanding figure and attractive manners made him the " ob- served of all observers." He ^'ained the favor of the Emperor. He married tlic daughter of a dis- tinguished nobleman, and might now have settled down to a life of ease and honor. But De Soto's imagination took fire whenever he thought of the New World, overhung as it was with countless wonders, and promises of wealth, adven- ture, and the spread of the Catholic Religion. He cast his eyes towards Florida. The various expedi- tionstothat famous but unexplored land had hitherto failed, and he asked and obtained permission of Charles V. to undertake its conquest at his own risk and expense. He was appointed Governor of both * Cuba and Florida. A well-equipped armament stood across the At- lantic, touched at Cuba, and on the 25th of Ma)-, 1539, De Soto landed at Tampa Bay, Florida, " witii six hundred and twenty chosen men, a band as gallant and well-appointed, as eager in pursuit and audacious in hope, as ever trod the shores of the New World. The clangor of trumpets, the neighing 126 The Catholic Pionetrs of America. of horses, the fluttering of pennons, the glittering of helmet and lance, startled the ancient forest with unwonted greeting. " Amid this pomp of chivalry, religion was not forgotten. The sacred vessels and vestments, with bread and wine for the Eucharist, were carefully provided; and De Soto himself declared that the enterprise was undertaken for God alone, and seemed to be the object of his especial care." ' The conver- sion of the savages was considered a matter of the first importance, and twelve priests accompanied the expedition. The Governor took possession of the country in the name of the Emperor Charles V. It is said he dreamed of nothing b..it success, and moved by the example of Cortes, sent most of his ships back to Havana. The savages did not like the new-comers, and gave vent to their wrath in hideous yells and showers of arrows. But a well-directed charge of the cavalry gave fleetness to the heels of the greasy, loud- mouthed warriors. The loss of a fine charger, however, warned the Spaniards that the Indian arrow was no mean weapon. The fatal shaft had flown with such force as to pass through the saddle and bury itself between the ribs of the horse. The work of exploration began, but from the out- set it was a toilsome and perilous enterprise. The little army pushed patiently along towards the north. > Farkman. I Ilcrnando Dc Soto. 127 The line of march lay through a trackless wilderness covered by dense forests, and intersected by muddy rivers and vast swamps. On every side the savages proved hostile. The Spaniards were obliged to figlit and push on while burdened down with a large stock of provisions and ammunition. A cannon was hauled through treacherous bogs' and tangled underwood, with immense labor, and the care of scores of head- strong pigs must have added enormously to the difificulties of the dangerous journey. When Sunday or some festival came, a halt was ordered. A temporary altar was erected, perhaps beneath some lordly tree which towered to the skies, like the steeple of a Gothic cathedral. Mass was celebrated, and the gallant De Soto and his cavaliers devoutly knelt oii the grass around. Every religious practice was observed, and as the little army cut its way through the wilderness of Florida, the beautiful ceremonies of the Church were duly performed. The Governor used every effort to gain the friendship of the Indians. He assured them that his mission was peaceful, and that all he desired was a passage through their territories. But in vain were his assurances. Full of hatred and suspicion, the dusky warriors would lie in ambush, discharge a 1 In some of the morasses they had traversed, the surface would appear hke firm land, vet, on stepping upon it, would tremble for twenty or thirty paces around, and on being trodden by horses would give way, and plunge steed and rider into a suffocating quagmire.— /rfiw/. ■ ' .• ,1 I 128 The CatJiolic Pioneers of America volley of arrows, and then fly to the thicke^^s of the woods. Thus the army was e^'cr exposed to the attacks of lurking savages, and unce^'sing vigilance was necessary. The moment a Spaniard strayed from the camp, he was likely to be shot down, and instantly scalped. On one occasion De Soto's favorite dog — a splen- did hound — made himself famous. Several Spanish soldiers and a band of Indians were talking in a friendly way on the banks of a river. But in an un- guarded moment one of the treacherous savages struck a Spaniard with his bow, and plunged into the water. All his companions followed. The dog seemed to understand the whole affair, and in an in- stant rushed after the savages. He swam past the hindermost Indians until at length he came "to the one who had committed the assault, 'when, laying hold of him, he tore him to pieces." Ever skirmishing, and always on the march, De Soto held on his course towards the north of Flor- ida. At one point an immense morass stopped his progress. It was surrounded by a thick forest of lofty trees and tangled underwood, and all points were guarded by hostile Indians. Bridges of trees, made with great labor, enabled the way-worn Span- iards to cross such portions as came above their middle. But every inch of this muddy route had to be won at the point of the sword ; and it was only after a dreadful conflict of four days, in which Hernando Dc Soto. 129 ail fought and many fell, that the troops found then»oelves safely across the great swamp. Aftc* months of such toilsome marching, the cold weather came on. A halt was ordered at an Indian village called Apalachee, which stood on the site of Tallahassee, the present capital of Florida. And there," in the midst of the wilderness, this band of adventurous Spaniards passed the winter together." The natives of this region proved to be large, fierce warriors ; and in spite of the strict discipline of the camp, many a careless cavalier lost his life and scalp at the hands of prowling war-parties. De Soto left his winter quarters in March, 1540, and proceeded towards the north, earnestly bent on finding a rich region — some imaginary Peru or Mexico. " For month after month, and yea*- after year," writes Parkman, "the procession of priests and cavaliers, cross-bowmen, arquebusiers, and In- dian captives laden with the baggage, still wandered on through wild and boundless wastes, lured hither and thither by the ignis-fatiius of their hopes. " They traversed great portions of Georgia, Ala- bama, and Mississippi, everywhere inflicting and en- during misery, but never approaching, their phan- tom El Dorado. At length, in the tiHid year of their journeying, they reached the banks of the Mississippi, a hundred and thirty-two years before its second discovery by Marquette. One of their number describes the great river as almost half a A ■ ' \ 1; '^:z 130 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. league wide, deep, rapid, and constantly rolling down trees and driftwood on its turbid current. " The Spaniards crossed over at a point ab the mouth of the Arkansas. They advanced west- ward, but found no treasures — nothing, indeed, but hardships and an Indian enemy, furious, writes one of their officers, 'as mad dogs.' They heard of a country towards the north where maize could not be cultivated because the' vast herds of wild cattle devoured it. " They penetrated so far that they entered the range of the roving prairie-tribes; for, one day, as they pushed their way with difficulty across great plains covered with tall, rank grass, they me' band of savages who dwelt in lodges of skin se.. together, subsisting on game alone, and wandering perpetually from place to place. Finding neither gold nor the South Sea, for both of which they had hoped, they returned to the banks of the Mississippi.' A short time before this, an interesting religious ceremony occurred. The army halted at an Indian village, and the chief with a band of picked war riors came forth. *' Sefior,' said he to De S616, " as you are superior to us in prowess and surpass us in arms, we likewise believe that your God is better than our god. These you behold before you are the chief warriors of my dominions. We implore you to pray to your God to send us rain, for our fields are parched for want of water!" Hernando Dc Soto. »3' De Soto replied that he and all his followers were sinners, but they would supplicate the God of mercy. A large pine cross was made, and raised on a high hill. The whole army formed in line, and marched in solemn procession towards the sacred emblem of man's salvation. The priests walked be fore, chanting the Litany of the Saints, while the soldiers responded. The chief took his place be side the Governor, and thousands of Indians crowded around. Prayers were offered up at tlie cross, and the imposing ceremony closed with the lofty strains of the Te Denm. Rain fell the next night, to the great joy of the Indians. It is a pleasure to think that, over three centuries ago, the cross, the sign of our holy and beautiful re- ligion, was planted by a famous Catholic pioneer on the banks of the Mississippi, and that its silent for- ests were awakened by the solemn hymn of praise and gratitude. The effect was vivid, but transitory. The " voice cried in the wilderness," and reached and was answered by every heart; but it died away and was forgotten, and was not heard again in that savage region for many generations.' Three years of unceasing toil, hardship, and dis- appointment now began to tell on the rugged frame and lofty spirit of De Soto. Assailed by fresh dis- asters, he was touched to the heart at the suffering of his diminished but faithful followers. A raging ■ Irvio([. ■V' I m 132 T/w Catholic Pioneers of America. fever seized him, and his days drew rapidly to a close. But he met death like a fearless Catholic soldier. He made his will, bade an affectionate adieu to his officers and men, and having made a last humble confession, his soul calmly passed away, amid the tears of the whole army, on the 21st of May, 1542. " And thus died Hernando de Soto," writes the historian of early Florida — " one of the boldest and bravest of the many brave leaders who figured in the first discoveries, and distinguished themselves in the wild warfare of the Western World. How proud and promising had been the commencement of his career — how humble and helpless its close! Cut off in the vigor and manhood of his days, he was but forty-two years old when he expired." He was a true knight, ** without fear and without reproach.' As the hostile savages might dishonor the body of the Governor, if buried on land, his officers formed a new design. An immense oak was cut down. A space large enough for the body was scooped out of the trunk, and planks nailed over the opening. This was De Soto's coffin. At the dead of night, in the midst of silence, a few boats were rowed to the centre of the river, and slowly and sadly the rude coffin was lowered to its strange res^^ing-place. As ft sank, the sorrowing stream took the precious remains in ^.'^v to its breast. The dis- coverer of the great river slept beneath its waters. Louis Cancer J O. S, D. 133 •* His soldiers," writes Bancroft, " pronounced his eulogy; and the priests chanted over his body the first requiem that was ever heard on the waters of the Mississippi.' .: " 1 LOUIS CANCER, O. S. D., ONE OF THE MARTYRS OF FLORIDA. Died A. D. 1549. THE Spanish missions in the New World had their Catholic heroes — holy pioneers, who toiled amid the poverty and hardship of the wilder- ness, and often met death with joy. Father Louis Cancer was one of them. A Dominican, and a native of Saragossa, in Spain, he began his labors as a missionary among the Indians of Mexico. While in the fallen empire of Montezuma, he heard of the fierce tribes of Florida, and ardently desired to preach the Gospel among them. With three members of his Order, he landed on the western shore of the wild peninsula, on Ascension Day. 1549. The priests knelt' amid "the forest 1 Alter more hapless wandering and disaster, the foUowers of De Soto built % tew rude vessels, and found their way to Mexico. 134 The Catholic Pioneers of America. ! 1 I primeval," where the *' murmuring pines and the hemlocks bearded with moss, stood like Druids of old, with voices sad and prophetic." They recited a litany, and recommended their enterprise to God. Leav^ing Father de Peflalosa to establish a mission at the landing-place, Father Cancer went on board the vessel, and moved down along the coast to Tampa Bay. Here he was informed by a Spaniard, who lived amongst the Indians, that Pefialosa had been murdered by the treacherous savages. The natives at Tampa Bay, however, seemed very peaceable, and the good Father at once determined to preach the word of truth to them. But he was soon made aware that the apparently good disposi- tions of this people were not to be reiied upon. " I expected nothing less," he said. " How often have I reflected on the execution of this enterprise, and felt that we could not succeed in it without losing much blood. So the Apostles did, and at this price alone can faith and religion be introduced." Father Cancer was not the man to be frightened by danger, and he bade a last adieu to his friends on the ship. In vain did they beseech him not to expose his valuable life. His only reply was : " This work is not to be accomplished without blood!" He landed. As he proceeded up the hilly shore the savages surrounded him, took off his hat, and with loud cries rushed upon the heroic son of St. Dominic, who fell beneath, their clubs, and with yamei Cartier, J35 dying lips exclaimed, " Oh, my God !" His precious death occurred on the 25th of June, 1549. " Ah ! the souls of saints that die, Are but sunbeams lifted higher." — Longfellow. LIS JAMES CARTIER, THE DISCOVERER OF CAN A DA AND THE RIVER ^ T. LA WRENCB. Died about A, D. 1555, SEVENTY-FOUR years before Henry Hudson sailed up the beautiful river that bears his name, and eighty-five years before the melancholy hymn of the Puritan announced the arrival of a new race at Plymouth Rock, a bold Catholic pioneer holding aloft the banner of France, had erected crosses on the St. Lawrence, and pushed his way into the very heart of the savage continent. It was James Cartier. He was born on the last day of the year 1494— • two years after the discovery of the New World — • of a good family in France, at that famous seaport to which the Irish St. MalogdiWQ his name. Little is known of his early years, but he became a skilled navigator ; and, when he married Miss Mary Catherine des Granches, the daughter of a knight, in 1 5 19, he had reached the rank of master pilot. 136 The Catholic Pioneers of America. The dim memory of Verrazano's voyage remained, and France still thought of discovering a passage to the riches of India, and of founding a colony beyond the seas. Cartier was commissioned to make a preparatory exploration. He sailed from St. Malo on the 20th of April, 1534, coasted a portion of Newfoundland, steered through the Strait of Belle Isle, crossed the Gulf of St. Lawrence, entered the Bay of Chaleurs, passed northward to the smaller Bay of Gaspe, and there took possession of the country in the name of Francis I. A cross thirty feet high was erected on a point of land. It bore the arms of France and the words Vive le Rot de France, " Long live the King of France.' After some further exploration of the Gulf, Cartier turned the prows of his ships homeward, and arrived at St. Malo in September. " The spirit of discovery," writes Parkman, ** was awakened. A passage to India could be found, and a new France built up beyond the Atlantic. Min- gled with such views of interest and ambition was another motive scarcely less potent. The heresy of Luther was convulsing Germany, and the deeper heresy of Calvin infecting France. Devout Catho- lics, kindling with redoubled zeal, would fain requite the Church for her losses in the Old World by win- ning to her fold the infidels of the New." Three small vessels were equipped for a new ex- oedition. Cartier " was a man of deep religious James Cartier. m X- |us feeling,** and, in imitation of Columbus, before de- parting, he assembled his officers and crews in the Cathedral of St. Malo, on Whit-Sunday, the i6th of May, 1535. All went to confession, received Holy Communion, and after Mass the Bishop gave them his solemn blessing. Two Benedictine Fathers, Dom William and Dom Anthony, accompanied the expedition as chaplains : ' In the seaport of St. Malo, 'twas a smiling morn in May, When the Commodore James Cartie/ to the westward sailed away. In the crowded old Cathedral all the town were on their knees, For the safe return of kinsmen from the undiscovered seas ; And every bitter blast that swept o'er pinnacle and pier. Filled manly hearts with sorrow, and gentle hearts with fear." After a stormy pasi,age, Cartier entered a small bay opposite the island of Anticosti, on the north shore of the gulf he had explored twelve months be- fore. It was the loth of August, the feast of the holy martyr St. Lawrence, and he "called it the Bay of St. Lawrence, a name afterwards extended to the entire gulf and to the great river above." The little squadron took its way up the lonely majestic stream, whose savage grandeur must have deeply impressed the Frenchmen. At length, they came to a point where bold towering cliHs, three hundred feet high, thrust themselves into the river, narrowing its channel, and standing like grim senti- nels appointed to guard its waters. Here a dusky chief named Donnacona ruled over the Indian vil- w^ r\ "38 77ie CatJiolic Pioneers of A merica. lage of Stadacon^ ; and here, in later years, Quebec, the rock-built capital of Canada, reared its frowning battlements. Donnacona visited the ships, attended by a fleet of canoes. Cartier entertained him with bread and wine, and the greasy ruler was overjoyed. When the French commander went ashore, he was received with delight. Squaws and warriors danced before him ; and, when he distributed beads and knives, the simple creatures made the hills echo with their songs and merriment. Cartier learned that a greater village named Hochelaga lay further up the river ; and as soon as he found a safe harbor for his ships, he set out for it in two boats and a pinnace. The Frenchmen pushed up the St. Lawrence for nearly two weeks before they came to the object of their search. They were warmly welcomed. The village of Hochelaga was built on a large island. It was cir- cular in form, "and three rows of palisades inclosed in it about fifty tunnel-shaped cabins, each over fifty paces long, and fourteen or fifteen paces wide. It was entered by a single gate, above which, as well as along the first palisade, ran a kind of gallery, reached by ladders, and well provided with stones and pieces of rock for the defence of the place." ' When Cartier and his men entered this igul • Charlevoix. James Cartier. 139 metropolis of dusky power, they were led to an open square in the centre of the village. The squaws beheld them with wonder, rubbed their hands and faces, cried with delight, and brought their children to be touched by the mysterious strangers. Mats were spread on the ground for the Frenchmen, and the warriors seated themselves around. The chief was then borne by ten men on a litter and placed on a mat next to Cartier He seemed to be about fifty years of age, and had no mark of distinction but a cap ornamented with porcupine's quills dyed red. He took it off, and gave it to the Captain, requesting him to rub his arms and legs, which trembled with the palsy. A crowd of sick, blind, and lame now crowded around — all wishing to be relieved of their miseries. "The simplicity of these people," writes Charle- voix, "touched the Captain, who, arming himself with a lively faith, recited with all possible devo- tion the beginning of the Gospel of St. John. lie then made the Sign of the Cross on the sick, and gave them Beads and Agnus Deis. This done, he began to pray, and earnestly besought the Lord not to leave these poor idolaters longer in the hades of unbelief. Then he recited aloud the whole passion of Jesus Christ. This was heard with great atten- tion and respect by all present, and the pious cere- mony was closed by a blast of trumpets, which put % I ii 140 The Cat italic Pioneers of America. II I ?i |! ' these Indians beside themselves with joy and wonder." A magnificent hill looked down on the village, and that was the next point visited by Cartier. On reaching the top, he was charmed, and called it Mount Royal — Montreal. The name is now well known. " From the summit," says an American historian, •' that noble prospect met his eye which at this day Is the delight of tourists, but strangely changed, since, first of white men, the Breton voy- ager gazed upon it. Tower and dome and spire, congregated roofs, white sail and gliding steamer, animate its vast expanse with varied life. ** Cartier saw a different scene. East, west, and south, the mantling forest was over all, and the broad blue ribbon of the great river glistened amid a realm of verdure. Beyond, to the bounds of Mexico, stretched a leafy desert; and the vast hive of industry, the mighty battle ground of later cen- turies, lay sunk in savage torpor, wrapped in illimit- able woods."' The French departed from Hochelaga amid the regrets of the kindly savages, and their arrival at Stadacon^ was hailed with pleasure. Cartier de- cided to pass the winter there. The ships were properly secured. Cold set in. Jack Frost threw an ice-bridge across the river, and the snow fell in more than abundance. In short, all the rigors of aCana- ' Parkman. Jumes Car tier. 141 dian winter had to be endured. Nor was this all. Scurvy soon added its appalling horrors to the miseries of the ice-bound Frenchmen. A good number died, and dozens were stricken down. The flinty ground denied the dead a burying-place, and the corpses had to be hidden in the huge snow- drifts ! In this woeful distress, Cartier, with the piety of a brave son of the Ancient Faith, implored the pro- tection of Heaven. " Our Captain," says the ac- count of the voyage, ** seeing the misery and malady thus spread, summoned all to prayer and devotion. He caused an image in remembrance of the Virgin Mary to be borne over the snow and ice and set up against a tree, a bow-shot distant from our fort ; and he ordered that, on the Sunday following. Mass should be celebrated at the said place, and that all those who could walk, both sick and well, should go in procession, singing the Seven Psalms of David, with the Litany, praying the said Virgin that it would please her dear Child to have pity on us. The Mass said and celebrated before the said image, the Captain declared himself a pilgrim to Our Lady of Roquemado, promising to go there if it pleased God to permit him to return to France." Shortly after this, Cartier learned of a remedy for scurvy from one of the savages. It "was a decoc- tion of the leaves and bark of the white pine, pounded together." The poor, bloated, woebegone 142 The Catholic Pioneers of America. I I !!■ u. mariners drank the disagreeable medicine, and its effects were surprising — all were soon restored to good health. When the sun of May broke the icy- fetters that bound the ships, and drove the vast masses of ice down the river, the French com- mander took formal possession of the country by erecting a cross thirty-five feet high, bearing the arms of France and the inscription — Francisciis Primus, Dei Gratia, Francornin Rex, regnat, " Francis the First, by the grace of God, King of France, reigns." The sails were spread on the 6th of May, and Cartier steered for home. Donnacona and two Indians were on board. St. Malo was reached in July, 1536. Cartier gave a good account of the strange coun- try beyond the Atlantic, and the mighty river that swept past Hochelaga and Stadacone. Though the times were unfavorable,- a new expedition was fitted out. Roberval, a nobleman, was appointed Governor of Canada. Cartier received the post of Captain- General, and in May, 1541, he steered for the banks of the St. Lawrence, with a squadron of five vessels. Roberval was detained in France. Summer was fading away when the French began to form a settlement and build a fort some leasfues above Stadacon^, Cartier himself went up the river, and explored the rapids above Hochelaga. He returned in November. Roberval had not come. The settlers prepared for winter, and, no doubt, they James Cartier. 143 had a hard time of it before spring appeared ; for as soon as the ships could drop down the river, the disgusted colonists packed their trunks, and set sail for France. On arriving, however, at the harbor of St. John, in Newfoundland, they met Roberval, who was on his way with three ships to establish a colony in Canada. Cartier refused to return, and bore away for France. And what became of the ill-starred colony? It had a brief existence. The King sent Cartier to bring home the survivors, as he needed the services of Roberval. And here abruptly closes the public career of the discoverer of Canada. He was ennobled, retired tc his estate, near St. Malo ; and when he died, about 1555, the wild Indian was still sole master of the vast country watered by the St. Lawrence. Cartier had pointed out the way. It remained for a more renowned Catholic pioneer — a man of a later genera- tion — to begin in real earnest the work of found- ing a nation which to-day holds a conspicuous place on the map of North America. 144 The Catholic Pioneers oj A merica. JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT, THE DlSCOVERKKSOl' NEWFOUNDLAND, THE CUI.EOEST. LAfV- FENCE, A ND THE MA INI. A ND OF NOR Til A MERICA . Dads of death arc unknown, EBASTIAN CABOT, the son of John Ca- bot, an accomplished merchant of Venic*^, in Italy, was born at Bristol, in England, during the residence of his parents there, about the year 1477. " Sebastian Cabot told me," says Eden, " that he was born in Bristol, and that, at four years of age, he went with his father to Venice, and so returned again into England with his father, whereby he was thought to have been born in V»t enice. Young Cabot was but fifteen years of age when Columbus discovered the New World. This splendid achievement aroused the spirit of enterprise. If Spain had gained the prize of a continent. Fr. ice and England felt they should make an p^' ^;t to get something. John Cabot, his son Seb an, and his other sons obtained a commission of Hmry VII. to make a voyage of discovery. They were cm- powered by the selfish, close-fisted old King *' to sail to all ports of east, west, and north, under the John and Sebastian Cabot, »45 royal banners and ensigns ; to discover countries of the heathen unknown to Christians; to set up the King's banners there , and to occupy and possess as his subjects such places as they could subdue," on condition of paying to Henry one fifth of all the profits. Little is positively known of this voyage. John Cabot and his three sons — the most skilled and scientific of whom was Sebastian — sailed from Bristol in a vessel called The Matthew, in May, 1497. After battling with the billows of the Atlantic for six or seven weeks, and dodging many a treacherous ice- berg, the hardy Catholic Pioneers came in sight of an island early in the morning of the 24th of June. Cabot called it St. John, because the discovery was • made on the festival of St. John the Baptist. " The inhabitants of this island," says an account of the voyage, " wear the skins of beasts. In their wars they use bows, arrows, pikes, darts, wooden clubs, and slings. The soil is barren in some places and yieldeth little fruit ; but is full of white bears and stags — far greater than ours. It yields plenty of fish, and those very great, as seals and salmons. There are soles above a yard in length : but espe- cially there is great abundatice of that kind of fish which the savages call Baccalao.^ In the same island are hawks and eagles, as black as ravens, and par- tridges. The inhabitants had plenty of copper." I Codfish. ii 1 \ 146 The Catholic Pioneers 0/ America. It is almost certain that the island thus described was Cape Breton Island, which lies northeast of Nova Scotia. There is a copy of a planisphere by Sebastian Cabot, in the National Library of France, and it is said to show distinctly that the first land discovered was Cape North of Cape Breton Island. After cruising for some time around the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Cabots bore away towards the north, passed through the Strait of Belleisle — the course taken to-day by the Canadian mail steamers — and, feeling that provisions were beginning to run short, they sailed for England, and safely reached home in August. This voyage had no practical result — though the foundation of England's claim to her North American possessions—and it seems that a few years later on the venerable John Cabot died, . In 1 5 12, King Ferdinand invited Sebastian Cabot to fill the important office of Chief Pilot, left vacant by the death of the famous Americus Vespucius. He accepted the invitation of the Sp nish monarch, and was warmly welcomed at Court. An old contemporary writer quaintly describes Cabot, as " so valiant a man and fowell practised in all things pertaining *3 navigation and the science of cosmography, that at this present he has not his equal in Spain, iniiomuch that for his virtue he is prefL^rred before all other pilots tnat sail to the West Indies, who cannot pass there without his license, and is therefore called the Grand Pilot." John and Sebastian Cabot. 147 During 15 15, he was engaged in revising maps and charts, in connection with the duties of his office, and in planning a northwest passage to China and the East Indies, which, however, was laid aside on account of the death of Ferdinand in the year fol- lowing. Caboi,, 'ike Columbus, seems to have been no favorite with the Court parasites, and he was now subjected to a series of contemptible annoy- ances. This usage induced the great navigator to return to England; and, in 15 17, he was appointed by Henry VIII. to command an expedition to the nortacni latitudes ot the New World. Me entered Hudson Bay, over a century before Henry Hudson, and gave names to several places. But the voyage proved a failure, owing to the malice or cowardice of his chief officer. Sir Thomas Perte. Cabot again directed his steps to Spain, and was made Grand Pilot by Charles V. It was during this period of life that he examined the coast of Brazil, passed along to the great Rio de la Plata, and ex- plored it for some hundreds of miles, with the object of founding a colony. He then returned to Spain* where he remained for many years. When over seventy years of age, the veteran once more landed in England, where he was well received by young Edward VI., who gave him a pension, and made him Inspector of the Navy. Almost the last account we have of him refers to a visit which he 148 TJie Catholic Pioneers of America. paid, in the spring of 1556, to a vessel about to sail on a voyage of discovery. ** The 27th of April, being Monday, the right worshipful Sebastian Cabot came aboard our pin- nace at Gravesend, accompanied by many gentle- men and gentlewomen, who, after they had viewed our pinnace, and tasted of such cheer as we could make them, went ashore, giving to our mariners right liberal rewards. The good old gentleman, Master Cabot, gave to the poor most liberal alms, wishing them to pray for the good fortune and pros- perous success of the Search thrifty our pinnace. "And then, at the sign of St. Christopher, he and his friends banqueted, and made me and them that were in the company great cheer ; and for very joy that \vi had to see the towardness of our intended discovery, he entered into the dance himself, among the rest of the young and hearty company, which being ended he and his friends departed, most gently commending us to the guidance of Almighty God." At this time the venerable navigator was nearly eighty years of age. He was still alive in 1557, but the date of his death is unknown. He is often re- ferred to as "the good old man." His gentle kind- ness and love of maritime adventure perished only with his last breath. Referring to the deep im- pression that the discovery of the New World by Columbus made at the English Court, he stated that '• all men with great admiration said that it was John and Sebastian Cabot, 149 itly a thing more divine than human." The spirit of faith was yet alive. It was then also that he made up his mind to imitate the illustrious Admiral, and devote his life to navigation. John and Sebastian Cabot are justly renowned Catholic Pioneers ; but there is no good reason why their discoveries should be magnified at the expense of the truth. This has been done again and again, by a nation noted for its grasping policy, and its host of lying and insolent writers. When England planted large colc.iies in what is now the United States of America, she founded her right of posses- sion on the discoveries of Cabot. But as he never touched this soil, the claim was a fiction. It is cer- that he never saw an inch of the coast from Maine to Florida. There is no evidence to prove that he sailed south of Nova Scotia. In short, as Brevoort well remarks, " Cabot himself never published any such statement." rly Ibut re- ind- Inly lim- by :ed Ivas li ISO The Catholic Pioneers of A nurica. li W^ PETER MARTINEZ, S. J., THE FIRST JESUIT WHO LANDED IN THE xXElV WORLD, Died A. D. 1565. ATHER PETER MARTINEZ, superior of the first band of Jesuits that trod the soil of America, was born in 1533 at Ferue!, a little village in the north of Spain. Wh"le yet a mere boy, he consecrated himself to Heaven by a vow of perpet- ual chastity. He entered the Society of Jesus — for which at first he felt an aversion — and soon became noted for virtue and learning. When Menendez undertook the conquest of Florida, in 1565, he asked and obtained some Jesuit missionaries. Father Martinez was appointed su- perior. Owing to an unexpected delay, however, the Fathers did not sail with the Admiral, but took passage, several months later, in another ex- pedition. Before departing. Father Martinez ad- dressed a long letter to the celebrated St. Francis Borgia, then General of the Society of Jesus, " By the mercy of God," he writes, " I undertake this voyage with courage, and with entire confidence in His grace, having often devoted my life and my blood to His service in the mission which obedience Peter Martinez, S. J, ISI assigns me. Rest assured, dear Father, that we shall employ all our strength, with the assistance of divine grace, in bringing those provinces to the knowledge of their Creator and Redeemer — that the souls redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ may not perish forever. . . . *' Gladly, indeed, would we have received the bene- diction of our most Holy Father Pius V., humbly prostrate at his feet. But as this was not in our power, we were sufficiently consoled by the letter which informed us that he wished us well, and, though absent, conferred upon us especial favors ; and your Paternity can assure him, in our name, that besides myself — who am bound to him by the vow of my profession — faithful sons of the Holy Roman Church are about to depart for the acquisition of a new flock, for which end they are ready, with the aid of divine grace, to shed their blood ; and they will account it a very great favor of God to lay down their lives for the spiritual advancement of those whom they may gain to Christ." When the vessel in which the Fathers sailed approached the coast of Florida, it separated from the rest of the squadron, taking a northern direction. The Captain on nearing the shore desired a few men to land in a yawl, and explore the country. All refused to hazard their lives among the fierce savages. Finally, about a dozen Belgians and Span- iards offered to comply, in case Father Martinez PIP 152 The Catholic Pioneers of America. 4il \ % •J i was allowed to accompany them. He was informed of this. The fearless priest, moved by charity, was the first to leap into the boat. The exploring party landed, but had scarcely done so, when a sudden storm arose, driving the ship which they had left far from the shore. The position of the castaways was extremely perilous. Far and wide nothing met their gaze but a dreary wilderness — on one side the rough and threatening ocean, on the other vast and un- known solitudes ! On this savage coast they waited ten days, thinking that perhaps some other vessel might present itself. " Occasionally they wandered about," says Tanner, " to gather a few herbs, Father Martinez at their head, bearing the image of Christ crucified, and, as some of his companions afterwards related, performing prodigies of chanty." Would space permit, pages might be filled with the adventures of the brave JesuiL and his sorely- tried companions in their efforts to reach a Spanish settlement. At one of the rivers which they crossed, the kindness of Father Martinez in waiting for two tardy Belgians caused his own death. Rushing to the boat, a troop of hostile savages seized the heroic priest, forced him on shore, and began their murder- ous work. With hands uplifted to Heaven, he re- * ceived the repeated blows of a heavy club until life was extinct ! His death occurred on the 28th of September, 1566, within about three leagues of the th 'O :o )ic ^r- e-' fe of Bartholomew Las Casas, O. S. D. 15.S mouth of the St. John's River. And thus the good and fearless Father Peter Martinez, the first Jesuit who stepped on the soil of America, baptized it with his martyr-blood ! BARTHOLOMEW LAS CASAS, O. S. D., •"THE FIRST PRIEST ORDAINED IN THE NEW WORLD, PrtOTEC TOR OF THE INDIANS, AND BISHOP OF CHI A PA IN MEXICO. Died A. D. 1566. BARTHOLOMEW LAS CASAS, the renowned missionary and friend of the poor Indians, was born in the year 1474, at Seville, in Spain. He be- longed to a family of French origin. While the young man was pursuing his studies at the University of Salamanca, his father — who had accompanied Colum- bus in his second voyage to the New World — made him a gift of an Indian, who acted for some time as his servant. But the generous Isabella soon pub-^ lished a decree, giving freedom to all Indians in Spain. The piousstudent at once joyfully liberated his dusky servant, "and sent him back to his na tive land loaded with presents." Thus it happened that the unflinching advocate of human freedom had once been the owner of a slave himself, and that he had made the familiar acquaintance of a •54 The Catholic Pioneers of America. simple son of the forest at that happy period of life when the mind is open to receive deep and lasting impressions. In 1502, Las Casas accompanied Ovando in his expedition to Hispaniola, and eight years later he was ordained priest — the first, it is said, who was raised to that sacred dignity in the New World. When the Spaniards conquered Cuba, he was ap- pointed to a parish in a small settlement. It was here that he began to signalize himself in favor of the oppressed Indians, and to raise his voice in ac- cents of holy indignation against the crimes of his own countrymen. At this period, under the title of rcpartimientos ox distributions, whole districts of the newly-found countries were held by Spanish noblemen or adven- turers. The poor savages were divided with the lands, which they were compelled to cultivate. They had also to dig in the mines, or hunt the rivers for precious stones. So hard were their cruel task- masters that the native race began to wither away. -It was a diabolical systen. " The Indians were coupled together like beasts of burden," says Charlevoix, " and when forced to carry loads wholly beyond their strength, they were urged forward by the lash. On falling from exhaus- tion, a vigorous use of the whip obliged them to rise. A colonist, in ordinary circumstances, rarely wen.t any distance from his house, except when borne in a litter by two Indians. Bartholomeiv Las Casas, O. S. D. 155 "There was no scruple made of separating husband and wife — the man being sent to the mines, from which he seldom returned, and the woman being employed in the cultivation of the lands. While engaged in this severe labor they were all forced to live on roots and herbs. To see them die of such violence and of pure fatigue was an ordinat-y spec- tacle." " 1 have found many dead on the road," says Las Casas, "others gasping under the trees, and others in the pangs of death, faintly crying, hunger! hunger!" The good priest was touched to the heart at the sight of such shameful scandals and appalling injustice. How could religion make any progress? It was mockery indeed to expect that the Indians would sincerely embrace the Christian Religion — the faith of their heartless and tyrannical oppressors. To oppose the cruel system of repartimicntos, Father Las Casas went to Spain, where he prevailed on Cardinal Ximenes to send a commission of inquiry to the West Indies ; but the work of the commission was far from satisfying his zeal, and lie revisited Spain to procure the adoption of still stronger measures for the protection of the natives. He was honored with the title of Protector -General of the Indians, and his exertions in their behalf were unceasing. He carried his cause before Charles V., and as \\% h. ■56 llie Catholic Pioneers of A merica. had warm opponents, the Emperor first heard the spokesman of the opposition. When the turn of Las Casas came, he arose with dignity and presented the rights of the Indians in a discourse of great vigor and eloquence. " The Christian Reh'gion," he concluded, " is equal in its operation, and is accom- modated to every nation on the globe. It robs no one of his freedom, violates none of his inherent rights on the ground that'he is a slave by nature, as pretended ; and it well becomes youi" Majesty to banish so monstrous an oppression from your kingdoms in the beginning of your reign, that the Almighty may make it long and glorious." Las Casas gained his point. In 1 520, he attempted to form a settlement of Castilian peasants in the West Indies, with the view of giving more complete effect to his designs in behalf of the Indians; but unhappily, he had to contend against such a host of difficulties that his plan ended in failure. He had hitherto been a secular priest. He now retired to the Dominican convent in Hispaniola, and became a son of St. Dominic. His well spent time was divided between spiritual duties, missions, and the composition of various famous works relating to the New World and the cause of his dear Indians. He traversed Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, and other vast countries, everywhere exercising the double functions of missionary apostolic and Protector of the Indians. BartholoiHL'iv Las Casus, O. S. D. 157 c The venerable priest refused the rich bishopric of Cusco, in Peru ; but, at length, he was persuaded to accept the poor see of Chiapa, in a wild province of Mexico. He was near seventy years of age when he began his episcopal labors. How he toiled and suffered, and battled for the rights of the red man, and pointed out the road to heaven with dauntless courage, cannot be told here. In 1 55 1, the great Bishop resigned his s?e. He crossed the Atlantic for the last time, retired to the Monastery of Atocha, at Madrid, where he spent many years in preparing his soul for that blessed end which came in July, 1566. He died at the advanced age of ninety-two, and his faculties were unimpaired to the last. Las Casas was a sainted Catholic Pioneer, who loved justice and abhorred iniquity. He was in- spired by one great and glorious idea. He crossed the Atlantic sixteen times, and toiled for over half a century, in the midst of danger, hardship, and soul-trying opposition, to ameliorate the unhappy condition of the Indians, and to spread the light of the Gospel in the dark wilderness of the New World. Nor was his pen less active and eloquent than his tongue. He is one of the great writers of Spain. " In the course of his work," says Irving, " when Las Casas mentions the original papers lying before him, from which he drew many of his facts, it makes one lament that they should be lost \ ■pr i=i8 The Catliolic Pionii'rs of ^[inerica. to the world. Besides the journals and letters of Columbus, he says he had numbers of tire letttis of Don Hartholomcw, wlio wrote better than Ins brother, and whose writinj^fs must have been full of energy. Above all, lie had the map, formed fron^ study and conjecture, by which Columbus sailed or his first voyage. What a precious document vvoul'' this be for the world !" PETER MENENDEZ, FOUXDF.R OF ST. A UGUSTINK, TIIR OLDEST CITY IN THE UXITED STA IKS OF AMERICA Died A, D. 1574. PETER MENENDEZ.' one of the greatest of Spanish naval commanders, was born in 15 19, of an ancient family. His daring nature and fond- ness for the sea were traits of character that showed themselves at an early age. He was but a mere boy when he ran away from home, boarded a man-of- war, and soon had his first blows with the corsairs of Barbary. He rose rapidly from one grade to another, until, as Admiral Menendez, his achievements on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic made his name > Sometimes written Melendez. ■^\ Peter Menende::. i59 famous. Hut while a career of glory seemed to open before him, the clouds of misfortune suddenly gathered overhead. His son sailed from Mexico in a vessel that perished on the coast of Florida. Shortly after, Menendez was cast into prison on some frivolous charge ; and it was nearly two years before he found himself a free man a^^ain. He at once sought the presence of Philip H. He had a petition to make. He longed to seek for his lost son, who might still be alive. He desired to conquer, settle, and convert that wild Florida which had defied Ponce de Leon and Hernando de Soto. "The blindness of so many thousands of idolaters," he said to the King, " has touched me so sensibly, that of all employment with which your Majesty could honor me, there is not one to which I would not prefer that of conquering Florida, and peopling it with true Christians." Menendez received his commission as Governor of Florida, afid was getting an expedition in readiness, when he learned that a party of French Huguenots, under Laudonnifere and Ribault had already seized a foothold in his territory. He increased his forces, and sailed from Cadiz, in June, 1565. After a stormy passage that scattered his fleet, he touched the mouth of the St. John's Riv^^r, in Florida. Near by lay Fort Caroline and the little French settlement. The Spanish AdmiraJ gave unsuccessful chase to I I i6o The Catholic Pioneers of America, ;i number of French ships in the vicinity, and then sailed towards the south along the coast. He entered a small inlet, and threw up a rude fort. It was the foundation of St. Augustine — to-day the oldest town in this Republic. Theri follows the woeful tale of blood and butciiery. Menendez "marched against Fort Caro- line, took it by surprise, and put the garrison to the sword, only Laudonniere and a few of his followers escaping. Ribault and most of his men afterwards surrendered, and were massacred in cold blood ; a remnant of the Frenchmen were captured a'ld sent to the galleys." ' " It was he," says Parkman, " who crushed French Protestantism in America." For years St. Augustine remained the only European settlement within the present limits of the United States. It was the headquarters of missionary effort. The Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits toiled like apostles among* the wild, dusky children of the everglades. Many watered the soil of Florida with their blood. Not a few were scalped, and eaten by the savages. Pope St. Pius V. took such interest in these early missions that he addressed a brief to Governor Menendez. " In the conversion of these Indians and idolaters," wrote the great Pontiff, ** nothing is more important than to endeavor by every means 1 Hassard. Peter Mencndez. i6r IS lis to prevent the giving pf scandal, through the vices and immoralities of such as go to those western parts. It is the key of this lioly work, in wliich is included the whole essence of \-our charjje." The genius of Menendez was so highly appreciated at home, that when Spain meditated the invasion of England, he was summoned from the wilds of America to command the Invincible Armada. Amid the din of preparations, however, the founder of St. Augustine closed his eyes on this world, " at Corunna, still vigorous and unbroken by age, in the height of his glory, a brave, loyal, and disinterested naval t:ommander, but whose fame is blemished by one act of blood. His death was a fatal blow to Spanish c:olonization in Florida." I ^^"'•""mmmm 162 The Catlwlic Pioneers of America. BERNARD DIAZ, ONE OF TJ IE BRAVE COM r ANIONS OF CORTES^AND HISTORIAN OF THE CONQ UES T OF MEXICO. Dale of death if uukno'ivn. ERNARD DIAZ,' the famous soldier-histo- rian of the Conquest of Mexico, was born in Spain during the last years of the fif- teenth century. He belonged to a poor but virtu- ous family. Though he learned to read and write, lie never claimed to be a scholar. In 1 5 14, he came to seek his fortune in the New World. Two years later he joined the expedition of Cordova to Yu- catan ; and, in 1518, he accompanied Grijalva on his voyage of discovery to the coast of Mexico. This was a good apprenticeship for more difificult enter- prises. Diaz w - among the hardy adventurers that fol- lowed the banner of Cortes. He witijessed many a wild, impressixe scene. He was in every great action of the Conquest, and at al'. times "displayed the old Castilian valor, and a loyalty which made him proof against the mutinous spirit that too often disturbed the harmony of the camp. On ' The full name in Spiuiish is Hernal Diaz del Castillo. H c mar ii Diaz. 163 \ lis ^1- Lit »o m every occasion he was found true to his commander and to the cause in which he was embarked. And his fidelity is attested not only by his own report, but by the emphatic commendations of his General, who selected him on this account for offices of trust and responsbility which furnished the future chron- icler with access to the best means of information in respect to the Conquest."' Nearly fifty years after the thrilling historic drama that marked the downfall of the golden em- pire of Montezuma, we find one of the conquerors filling the office of Regidor of the city of 'Guatemala, and recounting the story of his checkered life to an- other generation. It was the simple, kind-hearted veteran, Bernard Diaz. He had survived his General and nearly all his ancient companions in-arms. Five only remained of that gallant band who had ac- companied Cortes on his. expedition from Cuba; and those five, to borrow the words of the old chronicler, were "poor, aged, and infirm, with chil- dren and grandchildren looking to them for support, but with scarcely the means of affording it — ending their days, as they had begun them, in toil and trouble.'" In 1568, the white-haired Diaz began to write his True History of the Conquest of Mexico, one of the most remarkable books in the whole range of modern literature. '* He transfers the scenes of ' Prescott. » Ibid. 164 The Catholic Pioneers of America. real life," says Prescott "by a sort of daguerreotype process, if I may so say, to his pages. He is among chroniclers what Defoe is among novelists. He in- troduces us into the heart of the camp, we huddle round the bivouac with the soldiers, loiter with them on their wearisome marches, listen to their stories, their murmurs of discontent, their plans of conquest, their hopes, their triumphs, their disap- pointments. All the picturesque scenes and ro- maiitic incidents of the campaign are reflected in his page as in a mirror. The lapse of fifty years has had no power over the spirit of the veteran. The fire of youth f^'ows in every line of his rude history." His piety, simple faith, and rigid love of truth are well illustrated, when he refers to the often-told legend of the apparition of St. James at the battle of Cintla. " I acknowledge," he says, " that all our exploits and victories are owing to our Lord Jesus Christ, ind that in this battle there was such a number of Indians to every one of us, that if each had thrown a handful of earth they might have buried us, if by the great mercy of God wc had not been protected. It may be that the person whom Gomara mentions as having appeared on a mottled gray horse, was the glorious Apostle St. James, or St. Peter, and that I, being a sinner, was not worthy to see him. This I know, that I saw Fran- cis de Morla on such a horse, but as an unworthy transgressor, I did not deserve to see any of the Birnard Diaz. 165 vc ot »m ed es, [ot jm- Ihy he ►i holy Apostles. It may have been the will of God that it was as Gomara relates ; but until I read his History, I never heard among any of the conquerors that such a thing h?id happened." On first seeing the city of xMcxico and its glitter- ing splendor, he writes: ''When we beheld the number of populous towns on the vvaler and firm ground, and that broad causeway, running straight and level to the city, we could compare it to noth- ing but the enchanted scenes we had read of in Amadis of Gaul — from the great towns and teni{)les and other edifices of stone and lime which seemed to rise out of the water. To many of us it appeared doubtful whether we were asleep or awake; nor is the manner in which I express myself to be wondered at, for it must be considered, that never yet did man see, hear, or dream of anything equal to the spectacle which appeared to our eyes on that day ." His pen picture of the last Indian Emperor of Mexico is full of interest. " The great Montezuma," he writes " was, at this time about forty years of 'ig-j o^ good stature, well prcporticiied and thin. His complexion was much fairer than that of the Indians. He wore his hair short, just covering his ears, with very little beard, well arranged, thin and black. "His face was rather long, with a pleasant countenance, and good eyes. His words were marked by gravity and good humor. He was very 1; 1 66 The Catholic Pioneers of America, ■iiiii delicate and clean in his person, bathing himself every morning. The clothes which he wore one day he did not put on for four days after. ** He had two hundred of his nobility as a guard, in apartments adjoining his own. Of these, certain persons only could speak to him ; and when they went to wait upon him they took off their rich mantles, and put on others less ornamental, but clean. They entered his apartment barefooted, their eyes fixed on the ground, and making three profound bows as they approached him. " In addressing him, they said, * my lord,' or * great lord.' When they had finished, he dismissed them in a few words, and they retired, with their faces towards him, and their eyes fixed upon the ground. I also observed that when great men came from a distance about business, they entered his palace barefooted, and in a plain dress, and they did not enter the gate directly, but took a circuit in going towards it." Some may fancy, perhaps, that the Spanish soldiers enjoyed an enviable repose during their residence in the palace of Montezuma. It was far otherwise. Besides the drudgery of continually mounting guard, every man slept on his arms, and at all times held himself in instant readiness for action. " I may say without vaunting," writes Diaz, " that I was so accustomed to this way of life, that since the conquest of the country I have 1' Bernard Diaz. 167 never been able to lie clown undressed, or in a bed ; yet I sleep as sound as if I were on the softest down. " Even when I make the rounds of my encomienda I never take a bed with me, unless, indeed, I go in the company of other cavaliers, who might impute this to parsimony. But even then I throw myself on it with my clothes on. Another thing I must add, that I cannot sleep long in the night without getting up to look at the heavens and the stars, and stay awhile in the open air, and this without a cap or covering of any sort on my head. And thanks be to God, I have received no harm from it. I mention these things that the world may understand of what stuff we, the true conquerors, were made, and how well drilled we were to arms and watching." The stout-hearted veteran recounts with artless simplicity that the first entrance of fear into his breast was occasioned by the horrible sight of a body of Spanish prisoners in the act of being sacrificec!. to the war god of the Mexicans. It occurred during the siege of the capital. *' Now," he writes, ** that I am past these furious combats, through which, praise be to God, He was pleased to conduct me safely, I have to mention a certain fact relative to myself. It is this. When I saw the sacrifice of our seventy-two countrymen, and their hearts taken out and offered to the war god of the Mexicans, I had a sensation of fear. 1 68 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. " Some may think this a want of firmness, but if they weigh it fairly, they will find that it was in truth the result of too much courage, which caused me to run into extreme and uncommon dangers For at that time I considered myself a most valiant soldier, and was so esteemed by all. *' But as I have said before, when I saw my com- panions sacrificed, their hearts taken out palpitating, and their legs and arms cut off and eaten, I feared it might one day or other be my own lot ; for they had me in their hands twice, but it v/as God's will that I should escape. " I remembered, however, and thought on what I had seen, and from this time I feared that cruel death ; and this I mention, because before I went into battle, I felt a great depression and uneasiness about my heart, and then recommending myself to God and His Blessed Mother Our Lady, it left me the instant I was engaged with the enemy. Still, I am surprised that it came upon me when I should have felt more valiant than ever, on account of tlie many battles in which I had been engaged. But I declare I never knew what fear was, until I saw the massacre of the seventy-two soldiers." His description of the once splendid city of Monte- zuma after it was taken, is sadly suggestive. But it is the language of an eye-witness. " It is true," he says, "and I swear Amen, that all the lake and the houses and the barbacans were full of the bodies I lit e It! 'S Bernard Diar: 169 and heads of dead men, so that I do not know how I may describe it. For in the streets, and in the very courts of Tatelulco, there were no other things, and we could not walk except among the bodies and heads of dead Indians. I have read of the destruc- tion of Jerusalem ; but whether there was such a vast loss of life in it I do not know." When the white-haired veteran had finished the True History of the Conquest of Mexico, he submitted it to two critics, who had nothing but good words for his wonderful memory and the simplicity and photographic clearness of his work. " But they remarked," he writes, "that it would have been as well if I had not praised myself and my comrades so liberally, but had left that to others. To this I answered that it was common for neighbors and friends to speak kindly of one another, and if we did not speak well of ourselves, who would? Who else witnessed our exploits and our battles — unless, indeed, the clouds in the sky, and the birds that were flying o\ er our heads?" Bernard Diaz closes his inimitable volume with i\ summary of the one hundred and nineteen battles in which he had fought. The last lines were written on "the 26th day of February, 1572." The brave old Catholic Pioneer was then nearly eighty years of age, and he piously thanks our Lord that he had escaped so many dangers " to make these things manifest." r 170 The Catholic Pioneers of America, PETER DE CORPA, O. S. F., ONE OF THE MA R TYRS OF FL OKI DA . Died A. D. 1597. ATHER PETER DE CORPA. a distin- guished preacher, was one of the brave band of Spanish Franciscans who carried the light of the Gospel among the dusky savages of the South. With three companions he labored for a short time among the Indians who inhabited what is now the coast of Georgia. The next scene of their toils lay around St. Augustine, in Plorida. The priests weret well received ; and, for two years, successfully carried on their labors. Their hardships and fatigues, the journeys which they performed, barefooted, from village to village, exposed to the broiling sun, with the austerities enjoined by their rule, were amply repaid by the ..umerous converts who gathered around them. To abolish the practice of polygamy, however, was the greatest obstacle the missionaries had to encounter. No man was baptized who did not put away all his wives but one. And Father de Corpa's firmness in upholding the sanctity of the marriage Piter De Cor pa, O. S. P. 171 .\ tie was the cause of his death. The son of one of the chiefs, a convert, returned to his former life of immorality, thus giving great scandal. The zealous Franciscan found it necessary to reprove him pub- licly. Enraged at this and at former private remon- strances of the Father, the young savage deter- mined to silence forever the lips which preached a doctrine so offensive to his loose instincts. Col- lecting a number of braves one evejiing, he secretly approached the rude chapel. Father de Corpa was alone before the altar at his devotions. He fell — his head gash'^d by a blow of the chief's tomahawk. The eloquent tongue of the martyr was now stilled in death ; but his brave, bright soul, leaving the fiendish murderers in the dark, winged its happy flight to regions of bliss, and found its reward in the bosom of God. At the head of a band of red-skin ruffians, the young apostate ravaged all the missions ; and the fearless Father de Corpa's colleagues shared his fate, dividing with him the crown of martyrdom. These events occurred in September, 1597, a little more than one hundred years after the discovery of America. W f , 'jlr IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I »ii|||IM ill ■• ilM |i|||22 ■ m IIIIIM 1.8 1.25 1.4 lA .4 6" — ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 •^^ ^ />.. ^^ .^ r/. :/. fi' 172 The Catholic Pioneers 0/ America, Is'l SIR GEORGE CALVERT, LORD BALTIMORE T/f£ CA THOLIC FOUNDER OF MARYLAND. Died A, D Viyi. |HE most illustrious name among those of our colonial founders is tb ;t of the Catholic peer, Lord Baltimore. Ht. was the son of Leonard Calvert, of Yorkshire, England, and was born in the year 1582. His parents being members of the Anglican Church, he was, of course, brought up in the same belief. Younp; George was sent to the University of Oxford, and such were his rare gifts and application, that at the age of seventeen he graduated, with high honors. Bachelor of Arts. A tour on the Continent completed his education. In his twenty-fifth year he married Miss Minne, an accomplished young lady of Herdforshire; and a little later, through the influence of Sir Robert Cecil, then Prime Minister, he obtained a position at Court. In honor of his patron, he called his eldest son Cecilius, afterwards the worthy inheritor ot his name and his noble designs. Calvert's pro- motion from one office to another was now rapid ; for his ability and diligence had already attracted Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. \ 73 the attention and won the esteem of the King, who, in 1617, conferred upon him the honor of knight- hood, having already appointed him one of the clerks of the Privy Council. In 1620, he was made Secretary of State, with a pension of five thousand dollars a year. He afterwards became a member of the House of Commons, representing first York- shire, and then the University of Oxford. All recognized his distinguished integrity, ability, and eloquence. The cruel persecution of the Catholics, then going on in England, touched the generous heart of Sir George Calvert. He made a searching exami- nation of their faith and their principles. The Religion of Bede, Alfred, and the Black Prince assumed new beauties the more carefully it was scru- tinized. New light was shed on the sincere, pene- trating mind of Calvert. If vile persecution was to be the lot of the true followers of Jesus Christ, then there could be little difficulty in finding them out! And with the courage and manliness inspired by grace, he became a Catholic in 1624. His conscience no longer allowing him to hold his position as .Secretary of State, he at once tendered his resignation to James I. ** I am now," said the brave Knight, "a Catholic, so that I must be wanting to my trust, or violate my conscience in the discharge of this office." James, though a bigot of the worst stamp, was sometimes generous m »74 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. d' lii' to the open and candid, and was so moved by Cal- vert's honest avowal, that while he accepted his resignation, he continued him as a member of the Privy Council for life, and soon after created him Lord Baltimore^ of Baltimore — that little Irish town which has since been immortalized by the poet Davis in the " The Sack of Baltimore," when, " The yell of Allah broke above the prayer, and shriek, and roar— Oh, blessed God ! the Algerine was lord of Baltimore !"' To found a colony in the New World, as a refuge for his persecuted co-religionists, now became the great object of Lord Baltimore's life. His heart was grieved at the foolish animosity and wicked intolerance that surrounded him on every side. Before his conversion he had purchased a portion of Newfoundland — the peninsula forming the south- eastern extremity of the island — was a member of the Virginia Company, and took a great interest in colonial affairs generally. He now endeavored to turn this knowledge and his American possessions to good account. And with his family he sailed for Newfoundland in 1626, and spent two years and over $100,000 in laboringto establish the settlement of Ferryland. But he was painfully disappointed. ' BaltiniDre is a small seaport in the County of Cork, Ireland. " On the aolh of June, i6u," writes Davis, " the crews of two Alperine galleys landed in the dead of night, sacked the town, and bore off inio slavery all who were not too old, or too young, or too fierce for their purpose." From this Haltimore never recovered ; but it can claim the honor of having conferred its name on one of the g;reat cities of America, Sir George Calvert ^ Lord Baltimore 175 Nature was not to be changed. The severe climate, rugged country, and unfruitful soil forbade the hope of establishing a flourishing community in that bleak island, with its cloudy skies and long win- ters. In 1628, however, he sailed for Virginia, with new prospects lighting up his pathway. Again he was doomed to disappointment. There nature was kind, but man was cruel. Scarcely had he landed, when the sour religious bigots, like so many mosquitos, began to buzz around his person. He was requested to take the barbarous Protestant oaths of supremacy and allegiance — "ironclad" formulas, which every good Catholic would scorn in his soul to pronounce. Lord Baltimore refused to take the proposed oaths, and was compelled to leave the waters of Virginia. He then sailed up Chesapeake Bay, and explored a portion of the present State of Maryland. The noble pioneer was pleased with the beautiful and well-wooded country which surrounded the borders and inlets of the great bay ; and determined there to found a new state, where conscience should be free, and every man might worship God ac- cording to his own heart, in peace and perfect se- curity. To give the stamp of success to this noble enter- prise, he returned to P.ngland in order to obtain the royal consent. Charles I. had succeeded his father, James, upon the throne. Lord Baltimore made 176 The Catholic Pioneers of America, \\\. A 'j!, I Hi m Hi spplication for the grant of territory ; and with his own hand drew up a charter, famous for its liberality, which he likewise presented for the King's appro- bation. Remembering Lord Baltimore's services, and moved, perhaps, by the intercession of his Catholic Queen, Henrietta Maria, Charles directed the patent to be issued ; but owing to the tedious forms of public business, before the document could be executed and pass the seals, the father and founder of Maryland had passed to his rev/ard. He died piously in the religion of hi.> choice, on the 12th of April, 1632. In the June following, the charter received the royal signature. Lord Baltimore's title and privi- leges were inherited by his eldest son, Cecilius Calvert, who carried out the designs of his il- lustrious father in the manner elsewhere re- counted.' The personal appearance of Lord Baltimore re- flected, as a mirror, the eminent qualities of his mind and heart. The calm, massive forehead and large, keen eyes were truly expressive of his prudence, serenity, and uncommon ability. His mild temper, manly piety, and generous, truth-loving nature adorned a spotless character, whose every act was marked by good sense and moderation. In an intolerant age and nation, he was a model of that true liberality which springs from Christian charity. ' See the lives of Leonard Calvert, and Father Andrew White, S.J. Joseph Le Caron, O. S. F. ^77 To possess truth and save his soul, he was read} to sacrifice every earthly advantage. Mar) land is his monument, and the great city of Baltimore shall transmit his name to future a^es. JOSEPH LE CARON. O. S. F.. DISCOIERER OF LAKE HUKO\\ AND lOLWVEli OF THE HURON MISSION. Died A. D. 1633. WE are told by Bancroft, that "years before the Pilgrims anchored within Cape Cod, the Catholic Church had been planted by missionaries from France in the eastern half of Maine; and Le Caron, an unambitious Franciscan, had penetrated the land of the Mohawks, had passed to the north in the hunting-grounds of the Wyandots, and, bound by his vows to the life of a beggar, had, on foot, or paddling a bark canoe, gone onward and still on- ward, taking alms of the savages, till he reached the rivers of Lake Huron." Who was this devoted priest, to whom the his- torian of the United States so briefly refers, and what did he do? In the seventeenth century, there stood a modest Franciscan monastery near the small French seaport m ! U\ i [ .1 r ; 1 ! ^li:: f- 178 77/^ Catholic Pioneers of America of Brouagc, on the Bay of Biscay. Among its pious inmates was Father Joseph Le Caron. When Cham- plain laid the cornerstone of a Christian nation in Canada, his first thought was to aid in saving the souls of the dusky savages that roamed its bound- less wilderness. " The salvation of a single soul," said this noble pioneer, " is worth more than the conquest of an empire." The founder of Canada looked about for "some good priests who would have zeal and affection for God's glory," and such he found in the Franciscan monastery near his native Brouage. Father Joseph Le Caron and three companions' soon got themselves in readiness for the mission of New France. ** They packed their church ornaments," says Champlain, *' and we our baggage." Each went to confession and placed himself in the state of grace. A vessel was boarded at Honfleur, and Champlain and his Franciscan friends hastened across the Atlantic, and stepped ashore at Quebec in May, 161 5. After the erection of a rude little monastery, and the celebration of the first Mass in Canada since the days of Cartier, the Fathers took counsel together, and each was assigned a portion of the vast mis sionary field that stretched around them on every side. The spiritual charge of the Hurons fell to Father Le Caron, and he at once directed his steps towards 1 i-ui'.icrs Denis Jamet and John Dolbeau, and Brother Pacific du Plessis. yoseph Lc CaroUy O. S. F. »79 that distant Indian nation. After paddling one hundred and eighty miles up the St. Lawrence, he came to the present site of Montreal. Scores of canoes lined the shore, and Huron warriors were in abundance. The annual trading expedition had brought them to this point to make exchanges with the French, but in a few days the red-skinned traders would disappear — vanish like an apparition. The zealous Franciscan was engaged in studying the strange manners and stranger language of his new flock, when Champlain arrived on the scene. The priest had already made up his mind to return with the savages and winter among them, and the Governor's dissuasions to the contrary were of no avail. " What," exclaimed this hardy, apostolic man, ** are privations to him whose life is devoted to perpetual poverty — who has no ambition but to serve God?" The savages were impatient to return home, and Father Le Caron, accompanied by twelve armed Frenchmen, took his place in the fleet of canoes. The first portion of their rugged, watery highway lay up the Ottawa River. The long voyage was no pleasure excursion. " It would be hard to tell you," writes the Fran- ciscan to a friend, ** how tired I was with paddling all day, with all my strength, among the Indians ; wading the rivers a hundred times and more, through the mud and over the sharp rocks that cut my i8o The Catholic Pioneers of America. I: '. iJ i-i) It:; feet ; carrying the canoe and luggage through the woods to avoid the rapids and frightful cataracts ; and half-starved all the while, for we had nothing to eat but a little sagamite — a sort of porridge made of water and pounded maize, of which they gave us a very small allowance every morning and night. But I must also tell you what abundant consolation I found under all my troubles ; for when one sees so many infidels needing nothing but a drop of water to make them children of God, he feels an inexpres- sible ardor to labor for their conversion, and sacrifice to it his repose and his life." On arriving at the tributary waters of the Mat- tewan, the canoes turned to the left, skimmed over Lake Nipissing, passed down the French River, and glided into Lake Huron — Father Le Caron being the first white man who beheld the placid waters of this great inland sea. After paddling along the shores of the Georgian Bay, the fleet of canoes touched the land bathed by its southern waters. The weary travellers had at last reached the ancient cc untry of the Hurons — a district comprised in the present county of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Ti:e Indians built a small bark cabin for the missionary near Carhagouha, one of the chief villager. He made an altar, and Champlain arrived in time 'o be present at the first Mass. It was the 1 2th of August, 1615 — a date that should be hal- lowed in the memory of all the Catholics of Western Joseph Le Car on, O. S. F. i8i Canada. When the holy sacrifice was finished, a cross was made, blessed, and erected in the presence of a crowd of wondering savages. The little band of Frenchmen chantei the TV Diuin ; " and then," says Parkman, '* a volley of their guns proclaimed the triumph of the Faith to the oktes, manitous, and all the brood of anomalous devils who had reigned with undisputed sway in these wild realms of darkness. The brave Friar, a true soldier of the Church, had led her forlorn hope into the fastnesses of Hell. He had said the first Mass in the country of the Hurons." Father Le Caron now began his apostolic labors. He went from village to village, writes Charle- voix, " to lay the foundation of the missions which he proposed to establish among the Hurons, and he turned every moment to account in study- ing the language. But he had no time to make great progress — this «tudy not being a matter of one or two years, give it what application you will." Champlain wintered with the Indians. When spring came, he set out for Quebec, accompanied by Father Le Caron. The inhabitants of the rude little capital had given up the Governor and the Franciscan as lost, and they were welcomed back with wonder and open arms. F'ather Le Caron now proceeded to France, and on his return, in March, 1617, he celebrated the ' I II 1 < ' 1 ( - liii mv. -. 4 ' ; i ili]: ; 1, ^ : ]^ t 5 ^ r m 1 ffff * lii) 1 , if ![l 1 1 & 1 , W i Lk 182 TAf Catholic Pioneers of America. first Christian marriage that took place in Canada. It was at Quebec. The names of the parties were Stephen Jonquest and Ann Hebert. On the arrival of Father Viel and Brother Sagard from France, in 1623, Father Lc Caron in- vited them to a place in his canoe, and the three paddled to the distant missions of the Hurons. The old cabin was renovated, and the priests began to labor among the savages as well as they could. Two adults were baptized. But it was a hard life, and a stony field. The Franciscans subsisted cWefly on Indian corn, peas, and squashes. A little stream that ran near the door furnished their only drink. On the long winter evenings they read by the light of the fire — having no candles. They retired to rest on beds of bark, and slept soundly after the daily round of ceaseless toil. In the summer of 1624, Father Le Caron returned to Quebec on business of importance. The aid of the Jesiiits was requested in the work of the missions , and in the year following three Fathers arrived in Canada. Le Caron, however, remained at Quebec. The clouds of disaster were settling down on the infant colony . and, at length, the English flag waved for a time above Quebec. The devoted Franciscan bade adieu to Canada, deploring the ruin of his toil . and, in company with his brother missionaries, landed in France. ol Ihe :rs I at Ish Joseph Lc Caron, 0. S. F. "83 When, in a few years, Canada was restored to France, Father Le Caron met with such provoking opposition from the civil authorities of the colony, that he was unable to return to his beloved mission, and it is stated that he "died broken-hearted, on the 29th of March, 1632." And thus passed to a better world the discoverer of Lake Huron, the brave priest who said the first Mass and planted the first cross in the wilderness of Western Canada. " He was," writes S^sa, "a man of eminent piety, zeal, and virtue; and aj founder of the Huron mission, one of the greatest servants of God in the annals of the American missions." ler f !: 184 The Caiholic Pioneers of America. SAMUEL DE CITAMPLAIN, THE FOUNDER OF QUEBEC, FATHER OF CANADA, AND -DIS- COVERER OF LA KES CI I A M PLAIN A ND ONTA RIO. Died A. D. 1635. ONG before the ice-crusted pines of Ply- mouth," says Parkman, ' had listened to the rugged psahnody of the Puritan, the soHtudes of western New York and the shadowy wilderness of Lake Huron were trodden by the iron heel of the soldier and the sandalled foOt of the Franciscan Friar. France was the true pioneer of the Great West. They who bore the fleurde-lis were always in the van. patient, daring, indomitable. And fore- most on this bright roll of forest chivalry stands the half-forgotten name of Samuel de Chaniplain." He was born in the year 1567, at Brouage,a small French seaport on the Bay of Biscay. He belonged to a noble family, his parents being Anthony de Champlain and Margaret le Roy. Educated for the profession of arms, he drew his flashing blade on many a battle-field. He served in the royal navy, and rose to the rank of captain. He fought on land and water for France. Champlain made his first acquaintance of the Samuel De Champlain. 185 New World in a cruise to the West Indies. He visited many of the scenes made famous by Colum- bus, Balboa, and Cortes ; and, while at Panama, he even planned a ship-canal across the isthmus, "by \vhich," he says, " the voyage to the Pacific Ocean would be shortened by more than fifteen hundred leagues." On his return, an association of merchants at Dieppe engaged him to make a voyage of explora- tion to Canada, which still lay an unbroken wilder- ness, untouched by the hand of civilization. Cham- plain sailed from Honfleur in 1603, crossed the At- lantic, held his way up the lonely St. Lawrence, passed the bare, frowning cliffs of Quebec, where all was solitude, and, at length, reached the island of Montreal — sixty-eight years after the first visit of Cartier. Mount Royal looked dov/n as before, but Hochelaga had vanished. The new pioneer explored the St. Louis Rapids, and tried to learn what he could about the country from a few wander- ing Indians. He then sailed homeward, "the ob- jects of his mission accomplished, but his own ad- venturous curiosity unsated." On his arrival in France, he was invited to join the expedition of De Monts, a nobleman, who held a commission from the King to settle Acadia.' Champlain was pilot. Two vessels were equipped, and sailed in March, 1604. The voyag'^rs coasted ■ Now Nova Scotia. w ■ % 1 86 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. the southern extremity of Nova Scotia, explored the Bay of Fundy, sailed up the St. John's River, and began a fort and settlement on a rocky islet near the mouth of the St. Croix. Winter came, and proved very severe. Scurvy attacked the colonists. Before the wa.*m sun of May shone out, thirty- six Frenchman had peopled the little ceme- tery. "Yet among them,' writes Parkman, "there was one at least, who, amid languor and defection, held to his purpose with an indomitable tenacity ; and where Champlain was present there was no room for despair. ' The settlement was soon removed to Port Royal, and Champlain continued his explorations. He took observations, made charts, and carefully ex- amined every bay, river, harbor, and island from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Thus the first coast survey of New England was made by a Catholic Pioneer fifteen years before the Puritans landed at Plymouth. But we must now leave the hapless colony of Acadia, and follow Champlain to the great labor of his life. He directed the attention of De Monts to Canada. That nobleman obtained a monopoly of the fur trade of Henry IV. for one year, and it was at once decided to establish a colony on the St. Lawrence. De Monts appointed Champlain his lieutenant, with all necessary powers. In 1608, Champlain sailed from Honfleur, and was Samuel De Champlain. 187 soon on his way up the great river of Canada. He cast anchor at a point where the St. Lawrence was narrowed by a bold rocky cape that thrust itself into the channel, and was crowned by vines and walnuts. The natives called it Quebec. Stadacone had disappeared. The eagle eye of Champlain saw in this striking place the key to the valley of the St. Lawrence ; and in July he laid the foundation of what was destined to be one of the most famous cities in America. "Our habitation," wrote the founder of Quebec, " is in forty-six and a half degrees north latitude. The country is pleasant and beautiful. It is suitable for all kinds of grain. The forests are stocked with a variety of trees. Fruits are plentiful — wild, of course — as the walnut, cherry, plum, raspberry, gooseberry, etc. The rivers produce fish in abun- dance, and the quantity of game is infinite." The little French colony sat down on the hanks of the St. Lawrence. Before it took firm root in the soil, however, it was condemned to be shaken by many a tempest — to be decimat'^d by disease, tormented by the Iroquois, and attacked by its neighbors of New England. Indeed, during a long period, it seemed to be on the point of perishing; but, with the aid of Providence, it picked up vigor, and finished by naturalizing itself under the rigorous sky of Canada.' • Ferland. 1 88 The Catholic Pioneers of America. i When the first long winter at the rude fort of Quebec had passed away — leaving only eight men alive out of twenty-eight — Champlain felt strongly urged to begin the work of exploring the country. But it was a dangerous enterprise. He quickly learned what was meant by scalping-parties of savages. As he was one of the bravest of men, how- ever, the perilous toil had its fascinations. At that time, two great Indian families — the Hurons and Algonquins — ranged the woods of Canada, and claimed to be *' lords of the fowl and the brute," in its wilderness. The Algonquin hunters roamed the wide territory that stretches from the city of Quebec along to the head-waters of the Ottawa Riv'er ; while the Hurons inhabited villages in a country of limited extent, which lay south of Georgian Bay. The Hurons and Algon- quins were allies in a deadly struggle with the Iroquois, or Five Nations — famous warriors of hardy mould and fierce disposition, who occupied fortified towns in what is now the central part of the State of New York.' The assistance of the great white chief at Quebec was eagerly sought by his red neighbors. Fighting and exploration went hand in hand. One day, in the summer of 1609, a fleet of canoes might be seen skimming along the calm surface of the Richelieu River. It was a wpr-party of Hurons and ' Lives 0/ the Catholic Heroes and Heroines of America. Samuel De Champlain. 189 Algonquins on their way to attack the Iroquois ; and Champlain and two Frenchmen, well armed, were in company. The canoes, at length, gliilcd into a beautiful sheet of water, which to-day bears the name of Lake Champlain, after its intrepid dis- coverer. When paddling near the historic site of Crown Point, the allies suddenly fell in with a party of their enemies. The canoes were pulled ashore. For reasons of policy, the three Frenchmen were hidden in the ranks of the Hurons and Algonquins. About two hundred Iroquois warriors stepped to the con- flict with great order and steadiness. At their head were three chiefs who could be easily recog- nized by their long, waving plumes. The two parties being face to face, at a little dis- tance from each other, the allies opened their ranks, and loudly called on Champlain to come to the front. He wore a coat of light armor, and had four balls in his gun. '* I walked some twenty paces ahead," he writes , " till I was within thirty paces of the enemy, when they perceived me, and halted to look at me, and I at them. As I saw them moving to fire at us, I raised my arquebuse, and aimed directly at or.e of the three chiefs." Two chiefs and a warrior fell mortally wounded. Then arose a series of wild war-cries that were echoed back by the Adirondacks, and a shower of arrows filled the air. The two other IVenchmen w Hi 190 T/ie Catholic Pioneers 0/ America. were concealed behind trees, and now one of them discharged his arquebuse. This ended the battle. The Iroquois broke and fled in terror. It w?s the 30th of July, 1609 — nearly two months before Henry Hudson entered New York Bay. Thus Champlain was the first white man whose foot pressed the soil of New York ; he was the first of that countless crowd of tourists who now visit the Adirondacks — not to fight the vanished Mohawk, but to find health and pleasure. Champlain, on arriving at Quebec, sailed tor France. He gave De Monts an account of his labors and explorations ; and had a pleasant interview with his old master, Henry IV.. to whom he pre- sented a belt adorned with porcupine's quills. But his stay was short. He was soon in Canada, again fighting, exploring, and building up the infant colony. It was during a visit to Paris two years later that he married Miss Helena Boull^, a gifted and beautiful girl, who — unknown to the hero ot the Canadian forests — had been secretly educated a Protestant. Under his instruction, however she became a pious and sincere Catholic, and God blessed their companionship. In 161 3. Champlain, misled by the story of a lying Frenchman, named Du Vignan, set out in search of a northwest sea. He paddled up the turbid current of the Ottawa, till the far-away island Samuel Dc Champlain. 191 of Allumette was reached. Great was the astonish- ment of the savages on seeing the bold pioneer. "These white men must have fallen from the clouds,'' exclaimed an old warrior. '* How else could they have reached us through the woods and rapids which even we find it hard to pass? The French chief can do anything. All that we have heard of him must be true. When he learned that he was deceived in hoping to find a great sea and a road to China in that direction, Champlain turned about and pursued his way homewards, accompanied by a number of Indian traders. On reaching the Chaudiere Falls, at the site of the present capital of Canada, he witnessed a ceremony which the savages never omitted in passing that picturesque but dangerous place. The dusky voyagers assembled at the bottom of the foam.ng waterfall. " They stood in a circle. A wooden plate was passed around, and each deposited on it a small piece of tobacco. The collection made, they sang around the plate. A harangue was pro- nounced. Then all followed to see the tobacco thrown into the Falls; and this offering to the guardian Manitou' was accompanied by a general and prolonged shout. To pass down without making the accustomed gift would be to insult the Manitou and call forth his vengeance! • Manitou, ihe Indian woid foi sf>iri(. " Poor, simple souis ; they fancied, in every lirinR thine A spirit good 01 evu, that claimed their worshipping '" 5 '!! tg2 The Catholic Pioneers oj America. While Canada had careless royal protectors, and greedy merchants looked to it for lurs and profit, Champlain was its true life and soul. He says that he bore his toils and hardships, in order " to plant in this country the standard of the Cross, and to teach the knowledge of God and the glory of His Holy Name." He longed to rescue from perdition A people living "like brute beasts, without faith, without law, without religion, without God. In short, the noble founder of Quebec declares that ' the salvation of a single soul is worth more than the conquest of an empire.' I have already related in the life of Father Le Caron, how Champlain brought three priests and a lay brother to Quebec. This was the foundation- stone of the Catholic Church in Canada. The first Mass in the rude little capital was celebrated by Father John Dolbeau on the 25th of June, 161 5. '* Nothing was wanting to render this action solemn as far as the simplicity of the infant colony would permit. . . All made their confessions and received Holy Communion. The 7> Deum was chanted, and its sounds mingled with the roar of the artillery and the acclamations of joy, which were reechoed by the surrounding solitudes." In fulfilment of a promise to the savages, Cham plain started for the Huron country in 161 5, shortly after Father Le Caron had passed along the same long, wild, and tedious pathway. He paddled up Samuel De Champlain. 193 the St. Lawrence, stemmed the rapid currents of the Ottawa, skimmed over Lake Nipissing, and down the French River into Georgian Bay, at the southern portion of which lay the Huron villages, scattered in various directions. He arrived in time to be present at the first Mass said in Western Canada. Father Le Caron was the celebrant. A council of war was held in the chief village, and it was decided to attack the Iroquois in their own country. Champlain and twelve armed French- men accompanied the Huron war-party. They crossed the wilderness of Western Canada, launched a fleet of canoes on Lake Ontario — Champlain being the first white man who gazed on its sparkling waters — landed on the New York side, and advanced to attack a fortified Seneca town. But after three hours' hard fighting, they were repulsed. Cham- plain and seventeen warriors were wounded. The allies lost no time in making for home; and the " great French chief" was obliged to pass the winter in a Huron wigwam, over nine hundred miles from Quebec. When Champlain returned to Quebec in July, i6i6, the Franciscan Fatners offered a solemn Mass of thanksgiv^ing in their little chapel. But all was confusion and disorder. The bickerings between the Catholics and Huguenots were ceaseless. The faithless merchants who should have en- couraged colonization, opposed it, and sought only II 194 The Catholic Pioneers of America, 'i H ^n1 to purchase furs at low prices from the savages. •'It was to the advantage of their pockets that the Indian and the wild beasts that he pursued, should continue to occupy the continent, undisturbed by the coming-in of strangers. And thus they thwarted to the utmost all the efforts of Champlain. In de- fiance of authority, they paid in fire-arms and brandy for tlie furs which were brought to them ; and the red men, whose souls Champlain so earnestly desired to save, were being corrupted and destroyed by the greed of his countrymen." ' In the midst, however, of difficulties that would have disheartened and disgusted any other man, the pious and chivalrous Champlain looked up to Heaven, and toiled for the interest of the colony with energy and devotion. His young and amiable wife accompanied him to Quebec in 1620. During the four years she remained in Canada, she learned Algonquin, taught the little savages the catechism, and shed a happy influence around her.' Im- migration began to swell the number of inhabit- ants. A settlement was formexJ at Three Rivers. The capital was making fair progress; but re- ligious troubles blasted the happiness of the colony. Misfortune, however, did her worst, when the sorely-tried Champlain was obliged to surrender Quebec to an English armament under Sir David Kirk in 1629. > Mackenzie. > After Champlain's death, she became an Ursuline. Samuel De Chavtplain. lys The great pioneer hastened to Paris, and used his efforts so successfully that Canada was restored to France three years later. In 1633, he landed at Quebec, bearing liis commission as Governor of Canada. The Indians were delighted. Ihe colony grew in numbers and prosperity. A band of Jesuit Fathers arrived ; and the illustrious De Brebeuf and two others prepared to labor in the Huron country. Champlain introduced them to a party of chiefs and warriors. ''These are our Fathers," said the venerable man. " We love them more than we love ourselves. The whole French nation honors them. They do not go among you for your furs. They have left their friends and their coun- try to show you the way to Heaven. H you love the French, as you say you love them, then love and honor these our Fathers." The wonderful story of the Huron mission will be found in the lives of Le Caron, Jogues, Daniel, and De Brebeuf. The Jesuits founded at Quebec the first college in the New World north of Mexico. " Its founda- "tion was laid," writes Bancroft, " under happ)- auspices, in 1635, just before Champlain passed from among the living ; and two years before the immigration of John Harvard, and one year before the General Court of Massachussettshad made pro- visions for a college." The angel of death came in the midst of those happy circumstances. It was on Christmas Day, 1^6 I he Catholic Pioneers of America. wi 1635, that the bright, heroic spirit of Samuel dc Champlain, fortified by all the consolations of that holy religion he had loved and practised so well, "bade adieu to the frame it had animated, and to the rugged cliff where he had toiled so long to lay the corner-stone of a Christian empire." " Of the pioneers of the North American forests," says Parkman, " his name stands foremost on the list. It was he who struck the deepest and boldest strokes into the heart of their pristine barbarism. At Chantilly, at P'ontainebleau, at Paris, in the cabi nets of princes and of royalty itself, mingling with the proud vanities of the Court ; then lost from sight in the depths of Canada, the companion of savages, sharer of their toils, privations, and battles, more hardy, patient, and bold than they — such for successive years were the alternations of his life. Here, while New England was a solitude, and the settlers of Virginia scarcely dared venture inland beyond the sound of cannon-shot, Champlain was planting on shores and islands the emblems of his Faith.'" "Champlain," writes Charlevoix, "may well be called the Father of Canada. He had good sense, much penetration, and very upright views ; and no man was ever more skilled in adopting a course in the most complicated affairs. Wh:it all admired ' " They were large crosses of white cedar, placed at various points along the xwtx.*^— Parkman, Satnuel De Champlain. 'y/ most in him was his constancy in following up his enterprises; his Brmness in the greatest dangers; a courage proof against the most unforeseen reverses and disappointments; ardent and disinterested patriotism ; a heart tender and compassionate for the unhappy, and more attentive to the interests of his friends than his own ; and a high sense of honor and great probity. His memoirs show that he was not ignorant of anything that one of his profession should know ; and we find in him a faithful and sincere historian, an attentively observant traveller, a wise writer, a good mathematician, and an able 'Tiariner. But what crowns all these good qualities is the fact that in his life, as well as in his writings, he shows himself always a truly Christian man, zealous for the service of God, and full of candor and religion. He was accustomed to say what we read in his memoirs, ' that the salvation of a single boul is worth more than the conquest of an empire.* " Iy8 The Catholic Pio/ucrs oj A merica* ss ISAAC JOGUES, S. J., THE FIRST APOSTLE OF THE IROQUOIS. Died A. D, 1646. NE of the brightest names in the missionary history of North America is that of Isaac Jogues. He was born in the city of Orleans, France, on January loth, 1607. At the early age of seventeen, he entered the Society of Jesus ; and hav- ing laid a solid founda^^ion of virtue, and gone through a brilliant course of study, he was ordained priest in 1636. > Lalement, his preceptor, had often repeated to Jogues the prophetic words, ** Brother, you will die in Canada ;" and on becoming acquainted, at the College of Rouen, with the illustrious De Brebcuf, who had just returned from the wilds of the New World, the young Jesuit's desire of laboring in a foreign mission received a fresh impulse. He was soon sent to Canada. . After a tedious voyage of nearly three months Father Jogues first beheld the rude ramparts of the since famous city of Quebec. It was in the summer of 1636. He was told that his destination was the Isaac ypgueSy S.% 190 Huron mission — the scene of Le Caron's toils — in a wild region a\ or-^ nine hundred miles inland. No steamer then cu the waters of the St. Lawrence, and a journey at that time was anything but s pleasure excursion. Crouching in a bark canoe, and barefooted, lest his shoes should injure the frail :raft, Father Jogues* turned his face towards the west. The party skimmed along the St. Lawrence. The priest was obliged to keep a profound silence, as his Indian companions and nimself could not understand one another. Their only food was a pittance of Indian corn crushed between two stones, and mixed with wacer. At night they stretched themselves on the banks of the river. The canoe and baggage had to be carried foi miles around scores of swift rapids and savage cataracts. After stemming the currents of th«. picturesque Ottawa, the party glided mto Lake Nipissing, passed down the French River, and along the shores of the great Georgian Bay, finally draw- ing their light craft aground in a region washed by its southern waters. This was the Huron country — the seat of the most famous mission in North America. Great was the joy in the bark cabin of the Jesuits on the arrival of the new Father. He was received " as an angel from heaven." The lives of these devoted missionaries might be called the romance of holy heroism. They were 200 The Catholic Pioneers of America. thousands of miles from the civilized world, and its prizes and comforts. A bark hut was their mansion, and the Fathers sat on large logs instead of chairs. Pounded Indian corn formed the usual repast. The smoke-holes of the roof let in the only light for study or reading. From the sheets of bark on which they slept, a bell aroused them at four o'clock each morn ing. Masses, private devotions, reading, and break- fast preceded the labors of the day among the savages. It was a work that called for the patience of Job. When small-pox swept the villages, the toil of the missionaries amid woeful scenes of misery, and the ungrateful curses of the red-skins, must have been to the last degree revolting to human nature. The Jesuits often made journeys both long and difficult. On one occasion, Father Jogues and a companion were sent to open a mission among the Indians of the Tobacco Nations. The distance was about thirty miles through dense forests. It was mid winter, and the trees were bowed down with vast burdens of snow. The Fathers missed their way, and night overtook them in a swamp studded with snow-bedecked spruces. They made a bed of the branches ; and " praised be God," says Jogues, " we passed a very good night." After toiling for five years among the Hurons and their dusky neighbors, Father Jogues pene- trated westward and preached the true Faith at V Isaac y agues, S. ^. 201 r Sault Ste. Marie. He was the first to plant the Cross on the soil of Michigan. To obtain supplies for his new mission, he proceeded to Quebec in 1642. In the summer of that year he was returning with a party of Huron warriors, numbering about forty, in twelve canoes. While paddling along the St. Lawrence, near the site of the present town of Sorel, they fell into an Iroquois ambuscade. Nearly all were killed, or taken prisoners. Father Jogaes, young Rene Goupil, and a noted Christian chief named Ahatsistari, were among the unhappy captives. A number of Iroquois fell on the Jesuit with the fury of demons, and beat him with their fists and war-clubs until he was half-dead ; and when he revived a little, they chewed his fingers with their teeth. Goupil was treated with the same ferocity. Then the journey homeward commenced. Paddling up the Richelieu River, they glided into Lake Champlain, and on a small island at its southern extremity they were met by a band of some two hundred Mohawk warriors, who greeted their victorious countrymen with volleys of mus- ketry. Here on the side of a rocky hill, the prisoners were subjected to the most cruel treatment for the amusement of their ferocious captors. The savages formed two lines, each warrior being armed with a tough, knotted club. Through the narrow passage nr 202 The Catholic Pioneers of America. between the two lines, and up the steep declivity, the miserable prisoners were obliged to wend their via dolorosa. Blows from the Indian clubs fell with furious rapidity, as the neighboring rocks and valleys echoed the yells of the delighted Mohawks. This inhuman punishment was called "running the gauntlet." Father Jogues was last in the line, and got the lion's share in a storm of blows. He fell drenched in blood, after which his hands were mangled, and fire applied to his naked body. A night of woe in the company of clouds of mos- quitos succeeded. Next morning the party pushed on, and soon came in sight of Lake George. " First of white men," says Parkman, *' Jogues and his companions gazed on the romantic lake that bears the name, not of its gentle discoverer, but of the dull Hanoverian king. Like a fair Naiad of the wilderness, it slumbered between the guardian mountains that breathe from crag and forest the stern poetry of war." In a frightful condition, half-starved, tormented by mosquitos, and sinking under a heavy load, Father Jogues was compelled to advance. Thirteen days were consumed on his painful journey from the St. Lawrence to the Indian villages on the banks of the Mohawk. He was again twice obliged to run the gauntlet, which he happily terms "the narrow road to Paradise." His torments indeed had merely commenced. Nearly all his fingers were cut off . J Isaac Jogues, S. J. 203 joint by joint. His toes were similarly mutilated; and they burned his naked body with red-hot irons.' In short, cruelties the most diabolical were repeated in the various Mohawk towns through which the heroic Jesuit was compelled to pass. The mind revolts at the terrible recital of his sufferings. Father Jogues's young French companion, the brave and pious Goupil, had likewise to undergo the most cruel torments. A fanatical Dutchman had informed the savages that the sign of the cross came from the devil. Goupil was seen instructing a child to make this sacred sign, and a deadly blow from a tomahawk finished his career in this world. The young hero died murmuring the name of Jesus Christ. '* He was a martyr," writes Father Jogues, '* not only of obedience, but of faith and the Cross." Father Jogues's painful captivity lasted over a year. Nor was it time spent in vain. Like a good angel he passed around, and God passed with him. So far as his restraints would permit, he instructed children, and baptized dying infants — thus trans- forming little Indians into little angels. He com- forted many Huron prisoners, heard their confes- sions, and, often in the midst of the flames, en- couraged them to meet the terrors of death with manly fortitude and Ciiristian resignation. An Indian woman was condemned to be burned. He baptized her in the fire, while lifting a cup of water 204 The Catholic Pioneers of America. to her parched lips. On another occasion the holy priest was thrown an ear of corn for his meal. A few drops of rain water clun^r to the husks, and with these he baptized two captive converts. But he knew not his own fate. His life hung by a hair. He lived in daily expectation of the toma- hawk, and at times he would have welcomed a blow as a boon. He sometimes wandered in the woods, saying his rosary, raising his heart to God, and re- peating passages of Holy Scripture. " On a hill apart," writes Bancroft, " he carved a long cross on a tree, and there, in the solitude, meditated the Imitation of Christ, and soothed his griefs by reflecting that he alone, in that vast re- gion, adored the true God of earth and heaven. Roaming through the stately forests of the Mo- hawk valley, he wrote the name of Jesus on the bark of trees, engraved the cross, and entered into possession of these countries in the name of God — often lifting up his voice in a solitary chant." "This living martyr," says Parkman, "half-clad in shaggy furs, kneeling in the snow among the icicled rocks and beneath the gloomy pines, bowing in adoration before the emblem of the faith in which was his only consolation and his only hope, alike a theme for the pen and a subject for the pencil. Father u u . days of captivity drew to a close in the li. t .»vl and adventure. After much Isaac yogucs, S. J. 205 difificulty, the Dutch of Fort Orange effected his release by generously paying a large sum for his ransom. He boarded a small vessel, and for the first time a Catholic priest sailed down that beau- tiful river, * Where Hudson's wave o'er silvery sands Winds through the hills afar." On arriving at New Amsterdam, he was received with much honor by Governor Kieft, with whom he remained for some time. This was in the fall of 1643. Manhattan Island was then a rude place, containing about five hundred inhabitants, a motley crowd of so many nationalities, that the Governor informed Father Jogues that eighteen languages were spoken in their midst. The apostolic Jesuit found just two Catholics — a young Irishman and a Portuguese woman. The faithful, warm-hearted son of Erin had the honor and happiness of making his confession, and receiving absolution from the martyr of the fierce Mohawks, the first priest who had ever set foot on Manhattan Island. This was the first time the Sacrament of Penance was ad- ministered in the great Empire City, which is now the see of a Cardinal-Archbishop, and contains fifty Catholic churches. The hospitable Governor Kieft gave Father Jogues a new suit of clothes — something he was painfully in need of — and procured him a passage in 206 The Catholic Pioneers of A vurica. the first \'p'3sel bound for the shores of his native France. The voyage was long and painful. A storm cast the vessel on the coast of England, and the martyr-Jesuit fell into the hands of some thievish wreckers — a band of men little removed in barbar- ism from the wild Mohawks that ranged the forests of New York. He was stripped of everything he possessed. Ilvcn his clothes were not spared. After many hardships, however, he found his way across the English Channel in a collier's bark, and was landed on the shores of Brittany, December 25th, 1643. It was Christmas morning, and the venerable Jesuit, in a rude sailor's coat, leaning on a staff, pushed along towards the highway unrecognized- How his heart swelled with gladness ! To the good peasants he at once became an object of tender sympathy. At first they took him for some poor Irish Catholic who had fled from the ferocious penal laws of England. On learning his desire to go to church, they lent him a hat and a little cloak. He made his confession, received Holy Communion, and heard Mass — for the first time in sixteen months. On returning from Mass, his kind hosts first be- held the mutilated condition of his hands, and the great missionary was compelled to satisfy their pious curiosity. He gave them a modest sketch of his adventures, and they listened in pity and ad- Isaac JogHtSy S. J. 207 miration. The little girls were so moved that they offered him their pocket-money as an alms. -'They came," says the famous Jesuit, "with so much modesty and generosity to offer me two or three pence — which was perhaps all their treasure — that I was moved to tears." By the assistance of these good peasants, Father Jogues was enabled to reach the city of Rennes, which contained a college of his Society. It was early morning, and when the porter came to the door to answer the call, he beheld a poor and almost deformed beggar. The stranger humbly asked if he could see the Rector. The porter hastily answered, that he was about to say Mass, and could not be seen at that hour. " But," per- sisted the stranger, " tell him that a poor man from Canada would gladly speak with him." The Father Rector was putting on his vestments, when the porter whispered the message. At the name *• Canada," which was the great missionary field of the French Jesuits, the Rector disrobed, and at once proceeded to the parlor. The poor and ragged traveller handed him a letter of character from Governor Kieft. Without even glancing at it, the Rector quickly inquired : "Are you from Canada?" "Yes." *' Do you know Father Jogues?" " Very well." 2o8 The Catholic Pioneers of America. '• The Iroquois have taken him," continued the Rector ; " is he dead ? Have they murdered h'm ?" •* No," answered Jogues, "he is alive, and at liberty, and I am he." As he uttered these words, he fell on his knees, asking his Superior's blessing. That was a day of joy at the College of Rem s. Great was the rejoicing in the Society of Jesus over all France. It was supposed Father Jogues was dead, and his sudden reappearance amongst them was something extraordinary. At the French Court he was received as a saint and martyr. Queen Anne of Austria kissed his mutilated hands. The nobility and ladies of the Court vied in exhibiting their deep sentiments of respect and veneration. Indeed, the slave of the Mohawks became the re- vered and "admired of all admirers." The Pope granted him a special dispensation to celebrate Mass with his mutilated hands, saying: " It would be unjust to refuse a martyr of Christ the privilege of drinking the blood of Christ." It was the desire of all that Father Jogues should remain in France ; but he sighed after his American missions, and returned to Canada in 1645. In July of the next year he was present at the peace nego- tiations at Three Rivers, between the French and Hurons and the Mohawks. This event led him to conceive bright hopes of founding a permanent mission among the Iroquois. In May, 1646, he set out with a companion for the Mohawk towns, to Isaac jfogucs, S. J. 209 confirm the peace already made. On this journey he again passed by Lake George, to which he gave the n.imc of Lake of the Holy Sacrament. Having established peace on what he considered a firm basis, Father Jogues returned to Canada with the intention of making all the necessary preparations for the conversion of the Five Nations. He returned a second time with his young com- panion, Lalande, in September, 1646. The vene- rable man had a singular presentiment of his fate, for previous to his leaving Canada, he wrote to a friend: " I shall go, and shall not return." He had scarcely reached the confines of the Mohawk Na- tion when his danger became apparent. A little box which he had left behind on his first visit was now returned to him. The bad crops, the sickness, and all the mischief that had befallen the nation were attributed to the mysterious box ! It sealed his fate. Suddenly seizing the holy missionary, some Mohawks cut " strips of flesh from his back and arms," at the same time cruelly taunting him. " You shall die to-morrow !" was the stern sentence. The sun of his earthly hope had set, to rise again in brighter skies. He was about to water the scene of his toils and sufferings with the last drop of his blood. A murderous tomahawk crashed into his skull as he stooped to enter a wigwam ; and the immortal missionary breathed his soul to God. His 2IO The Catholic Pioneers of America, head was then hacked off, and placed high on the village palisades. It was the i8th of October, 1646. And •' thus," says Parkman, " died Isaac Jogues, one of the purest examples, of Catholic virtue which . this Western Continent has seen.' LEONARD CALVERT, THE FIRUT GOVERNOR AND CHIEF JUSTICE OF MARYLAND Died A. D. 1647. I HAVE alread.v briefly related the life of Sir George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, who died while on the point of carrying out his great design of founding the colony of Maryland. His eldest son, Cecilius, the second Lord Baltimore, a good Catholic, took immediate steps to carry out the plans of his illustrious father. He appointed his brother Leonard, Governor, with full powers to establish the new colonv. The expedition was soon in readiness. It con- sisted of two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, en board of which were Governor Leonard Calvert, his youngest brother, George Calvert, Fathers Andrew White and John Altham, of the Society of Jesus, and about two hundred emigrants, ** nearly all of whom were Catholics and gentlemen of fortune and Leonard Calvert, 211 respectability, who desired to fly from the spirit of vntolerance which pervaded Enjrland, and to rear up their altars in freedom in the w ildcrncss." '* On the 22d of November, in the year 1633, being St. Cecilia's day," says an account of the voyage, ** we set sail from Cowcs, in the Isle of Wight, with a gentle east wind blowing. And after committing the principal parts of the ship to the protection of God, and His most Holy Mother, and St. Ignatius, and all the guardian angels of Mary- land,'" the pioneers bore away for the New World. After a stormy voyage of four months, they entered the Chesapeake Bay, and were soon glad- dened by the sight of Maryland. The colonists first landed on a small island which they called St. Clement.' An impressive religious ceremony marked the occasion. "On the feast of the Annunciation of the most Holy Virgin Mary," writes Father White, " the 25th of March, in the year 1634, we offered in this island, for the first time, the sacrifice of the Mass. . . After we had finished the sacrifice, we took upon our shoulders a great cross, which we had hewn out of a tree, and advancing in order to the appointed • Relatio. 'The name has disappeared ; and almost the whole oi the island, as it seems, has been washed away by the river. It was situated at the mouth of the bay, which is now called St. Clement's Bay. All that is left of it is a sand-bank of about ten acres, which can hardly be cultivated. It has kept the name of Herons Island.— Dnlrymple. 212 The Catholic Pioneers of America. place, with the assistance of the Governor and his associates and the other CathoHcs, we erected it as a trophy to Christ our Saviour, while the Litany of the Holy Cross was humbly recited on bended knees with great emotion of soul." Governor Calvert, accompanied by Father Alt- ham, sailed up the Potomac to the principal village of the Pascatoways — the most powerful Indian tribe in that region. This centre of dusky power was situated some distance below the site of Washington. The Jesuit prcacl.cd to the chief and his warriors. He told them that the pale-faces had come neither to make war upon them, nor to do them any wrong ; but to instruct them in Christianity, to make them acquainted with the arts of civilized life, and to live with them like brothers. " You are welcome," replied the chief; "we shall use one table. My people will hunt for my brother, and all things will be in common between us." Such was the first friendly meeting between the Catholic settlers and the gentle and peaceful Indians of Maryland. Under the grant of the Crown to Lord Baltimore, Governor Calvert v s entitled to the possession of the soil, according to the laws of nations ; but he deemed it just and prudent to purchase the rights of the Indians to their country, and gave them some English cloth, axes, hoes, and knives, in re- Leonard Calvert. 213 e , I- turn for which they granted him about thirty miles of territory, embracing a tongue of land now known as St. Mary's County. An Indian village which the Governor named St. Mary was included in the grant. The settlers took possession of their new homes in a few days. The corner-stone of Maryland was laid. " Fair and beautiful," says McSherry, " was the origin of the State. No wrong or injustice towards the natives stained the hands of its founders; no persecuting domination or exclusive franchise was reared upon its shores ; but around the rough-hewii cross ox\ the island of St. Clement, gathered the Catholic and the Protestant, hand in hand, friends ar.d brothers, equal in civil rights, and secure alike \\\ the free and full enjoyment of either creed." It is not surprising to learn that a colony thus founded on justice and freedom grew and flourished. New settlers arrived. The outposts of civilization were extended, and great success attended the mis- sioi ary efforts of the Jesuit Fathers. Leonard Calvert proved himself a wi.se and just Governor. In 1637, Lord Baltimore sent him a new commis- sion, increasing his powers and conferring on him the titles of Chief Justice and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia. He was also President of the legis- lative assembly. " Some idea," writes Clarke, " may be formed of the primitive and infant condition of the colony at T i 214 //le Catholic Pioneers of America. i'l; _liill this time, from a law passed for the erection of a water mill, by which the Governor and Council were empowered to contract for the mill, the cost of which should not exceed 20,000 pounds of to- bacco, then the legal currency of the province, equivalent in the currency of the present day to $333-33K' which was to be paid in two years by a general assessment of the inhabitants." The fame of this wild home of liberty soon spread abroad, and towards it the persecuted of every clime bent their steps. " Catholics," says Bancroft, " who were oppressed by the laws of England, were sure to find a peaceful asylum in the quiet harbors of the Chesapeake, and there, too, Protestants were sheltered from Protestant intolerance." The Puritan who was hunted out of Anglican Virginia, and the peaceful Quaker whose ears were cropped in Puritan New England, found a refuge among the liberal and warm-hearted Catholics of Maryland. Ten years passed away before misfortune frowned on what has been so well styled " the land of the sanctuary." A party of Puritans who had been expelled from Virginia in 1642, and received with open arms in prosperous Maryland, soon began to manifest the spirit of insurrection. In Clayborne, a bold and lawless man, who was plotting to over- throw the government of Lord Baltimore, they found a worthy leader ; and with base ingratitude, these vile men turned their arms against the kind Leonard Calvert. 215 le 1 to friends who had succored them in the hour of need. Like vipers, they turned about, and bit the very benefactors who had warmed them into life. In 1644, Clayborne and his . Protestant mob triumphed. Leonard Calvert was obliged to fly, and with him fled peace, justice, and religion. Many of the Catholics were robbed of their posses- sions, and banished from the province. For two years lawlessness, usurpation, and intolerance freely stalked the land. Even the altars of religion were ruthlessly overthrown ; and the Apostle of Mary- land and the other good missionaries were seized, put in irons, and, like criminals, shipped to Eng- land. The return, however, of Governor Calvert from Virginia, in 1646, with a body of troops, restored peace and order to the homesteads of St. Mary's. The bigotry of the times in England is well illus- trated by an anecdote related by Burnap. After the Parliament had triumphed over the King, " Lord Baltimore, on the occurrence of some difficulty with the Virginia colony, was called before a committe of that body. In the course of the interview it was thrown out to his Lordship that he had inserted a provision in the laws of the colony protecting the Virgin Mary from reproach. Whereupon a mem- ber of the committee arose and said, that he won- dered such an excepti(^n had been taken; 'for,' he added, * does not the Scripture say that all genera- 210 Till Catholic Pioneers of America. I' I'. tions shall call iier blessed?' And the argument completely silenced the scriptural canters. ' Leonnrd Calvert lived to seethe sun of peace and prosperity shine once more on Maryland, and then he passed to a better vvorld. He died on the 9th of June, 1647. He was a good Catholic and a good Governor — so mild and upright in the exercise of his various powers, " that no man could ever say he received an injustice at his hands. *' During the space of fourteen years," says the historian of Maryland, "he had guided the colony through the storms which darkened around its in- fancy- — he had devoted his life and energies to its permanent establishment — with a disinterested self- devotion, he had striven, in the wilderness, for its glory and its prosperity ; and it seemed as if, through a special providence of Heaven, to reward his labors, a beam of sunshine and tranquillity had broken over the province as he was about to die, at peace with all, triumphant over the enemies of Maryland, full of honor, and enriched with the prayers and blessings of a rescued people. His character, public and private, was without stain. He was, indeed, a great and good man — more truly illustrious in what he founded and reared, than the greatest conquerors in wliat they have overthrown and destroyed.* » McSherry. »♦ 1 The Catholic Pioneers of America, 217 Aj NTHONY DANIEL, SJ., THE FIRST MAHTYK OF THE HURO!/ MISSION: Died A. D. 1649. ATHER ANTHONY DANIEL, who has the glory of having been the first priest SB that found a martyr's grave in the wilder- ness of the Huron mission, was born at Dieppe, France, in the year 1601. He entered the Society of Jesus about the age of manhood, and was one of the band of brave mis- sionaries who accompanied Champlain across the Atlantic in 1633. Towards the end of May in that year, the booming of cannon from the little fortress of Quebec joyfully announced the arrival of the Governor and four Jesuit Fathers* in the sea-beaten vessel that was about to cast anchor in the St. Lawrence. After more than a year spent in the study of the Huron language at Quebec, Father Daniel took his place, barefooted, in a birch-bark canoe, and began the long, wild, dangerous, and toilsome journey that led to the missions. Fathers de Br^beuf and Davost > They were Fathers de Rr^beuf, Daniel, Davost, and Masse. B.I. !■ 2l8 T/ie Cat J 10 lie Pioneers of America. were in different boats in the same fleet. The savages treated Father Daniel with great meanness, and even deserted him ; but he was fortunate enough to be picked up by another party, that carried him» worn and weary, to his destination. After toiling for two years among the Hurons, living daily a sort of martyrdom in the midst of savage ignorance, vile odors, smoke, fleas, cold, hunger, anxiety, and cou'^^' s dangers. Father Daniel was ordered to descei f Quebec in charge of some Indian boys who were sent to a school in the capital of the colony tor ii tru . < n.' He was the first to jump ashore at the ciid of the long journey. " At the sight of him," writes the Superior, Father Le Jeune, ** our heart was moved. The good Father's face was full of joy and gayety, but all wasted away. His feet were bare, an oar was in his hand, his person was covered by a worn-out cassock, his Breviary hung from his neck, and the shirt on his back was ready to fall in pieces." Father Daniel after a time returned to the savage scene of his labors, and over a dozen years more were passed in the stony field of the Huron mission. A great change, however, had lately taken place The number of Jesuits had increased, and their con- verts came to be counted by thousands. But a dark war-cloud was gathering over the ill-fated Hurons • It was exceedingly difficult to keep Indian boys at school in their own country ; and the Jesuit Fathers attempted to give stability to their labors by founding a school at Quebec for the training of these wild sons oi the forest. Ant/iony Daniel, S. J. 219 and the nation was destined to perish in its shaduw. The fortified town of St. Joseph' was situated on the southeastern frontier of the Huron country, and was thus doubly exposed to an attack from the ever- dreaded enemy — the Iroquois. It contained about two thousand inhabitants. Father Daniel had been stationed here for four years, and had made many conquests to the True Faith. It was the 4th of July, 1648. The sun arose, and its early beams glanced over the tops of giant trees, and along the roofs of the bark cabins. The warriors of St. Joseph were nearly all absent hunting, or on a trading expedition. Father Daniel had just finished Mass, and the chapel was still filled to the door with dusky but devout worshippers. In a moment an awful cry arose. "The Iroquois! the Iroquois!" was wildly shouted from mouth to mouth, as a band of swift-footed warriors suddenly dashed on like demons towards the opening in the palisade." The brave priest at once flew to the point of danger. He rallied such of his terror-stricken flock as could make a defence, and encouraged them to battle like Christian heroes for their homes and kindred. Then, hurrying from cabin to cabin, he called on the unbelievers to repent in the name of Christ, and be baptized. His burning words gath- ered around him such multitudes in quest of bap- > The Indian name of St. Joseph was Teanaustay^. a The pahsade was a strong, high fence enclosing the town, means of defence. It served as a •> i'. 220 T/ic Catholic Pioneers of America, I'. ;fl|t tism, that he was obliged to steep his handkerchief in water, and administer the sacrament by aspersion. " Brothers !" he exclaimed, " to-day we shall be in Heaven." The Huron warriors, few in number, were soon overpowered. A fierce yell announced that the Iroquois had entered the town, and that the hour for hope and mercy in this world had passed forever- Father Daniel was entreated to save himself. But no — so long as he could baptize or hear a confession* he would die at the post of duty. "Fly, my brothers!" exclaimed the fearless Jesuit to his flock. " My life is nothing. Be stead- fast in the Faith. I will stay here. We shall meet again in Heaven." He then pronounced a general absolution, and from the rear of the chapel once more urged his people to save themselves by flight. Many escaped. The priest then walked to the main door and closed it behind him. The Iroquois were at hand. When the savages saw him, says Parkman, "radiant in the vestments of his oflfice, confronting them with a look kindled with the inspiration of martyrdom, they stopped and stared in amazement ; then recovering themselves, bent their bows, and showered him with a volley of arrows, that tore through his robes and his flesh. A gunshot followed ; the ball pierced his heart, and he fell dead, gasping the name of Jesus. They rushed upon him with yells of triumph, stripped Anthony Daniel, S. J, 221 him naked, gashed and hacked his lifeless body, and, scooping his blood in their hands, bathed their faces in it to make them brave. The town was in a blaze ; when the flames reached the church, they flung the priest into it, and both were consumed together." And thus died, in the forty-eighth year of his age, Father Anthony Daniel, a man of fearless heart, great patience, and incomparable meekness. The wilder- ness gave him a grave, and the Huron nation were his mourners. "It was not for himself," the poor Indians exclaimed, "but for us that the good Aro7iioin^ exposed his life and died. The Faith which is capable of inspiring such sacrifices must, indeed, be a holy Faith." The invincible zeal of this heroic priest had merited to obtain the rare gift of gaining the wild children of the woods to Christ ; and when he perished at the hands of heathen murderers, his beautiful soul had not yet ceased to glow with the fire of lofty meditations — made in spiritual retreat but three days before at the headquarters of the mission. It is said that even after death, he took a visible interest in the welfare of his scattered flock and beloved companions. At a council of the Fathers, Chaumonot saw him " seated in their midst as of old, with a countenance radiant and majestic." On another occasion, he appeared to > Father Daniel's ladian name. 222 The Catholic Pioneers of America. the same Father, who asked what he should do to please God most." ** Never fail," said the martyr, " to remember your sins." ^ i ■ii-ii, !? JOHN DE BREREUF, S. J., THE APOSTLE OF THE HUKONS. Died A. D. 1649. IF some adventurous traveller, late in the summer of 1626 — over two centuries and a half ago — had stood amid the unbroken wilderness on the site of the city of Ottawa, the present capital of Canada, near the Chaudiere Falls, whose ceaseless roar was echoed for miles around, he would have seen, through the trees, a party of Huron warriors on the long, rugged highway that led to their own country, in the act of carrying their canoes overthe portage. The eye of the traveller would be caught by the cassocks of three priests — a strange sight at that wild, picturesque spot, and in such company. But so it was. One of them was conspicuous by his powerful frame and tall, commanding figure ; and this was Father John de Br^beuf. His biography is not, indeed, found in Butler's Lives of t lie Saints, but we search in vain through that excellent work for anything to surpass it in sublime interest. In John Dc Bn'bcuf, 5. J. 223 his iron vigor of constitution and supernatural gifts, he resembled St. ColuirSkillc ; while his lion-heart and martyr-spirit would liave done honor to St. Lawrence. He was the prince of Indian mission- aries — the greatest of the Americar. Jesuits. John de Brc'beuf was born in France, on the 25th of March, 1593. He belonged to an ancient and noble house that gave Normandy many a brave soldier and fearless knight. In his twentyfifth year the gifted young man entered the Society of Jesus ; and such was his humility that he re- quested to be admitted as a simple lay brother. One of the pioneer band of Jesuits sent to Canada, he landed beneath the bold cliffs of Quebec in 1625. The winter of that and the following year he spent as a kind of apprenticeship, wandering in the neighboring woods and mountains among the savages. It was a rude school. Fatigue, disgust, hunger, thirst, and intense cold are but tame ex- pressions when applied to what he endured. In 1626, accompanied by another Jesuit, a Fran- ciscan Father, and a band of Indians, Father de Br^beuf passed over the long and perilous route that led to the Huron country. It was a journey of nearly one thousand miles. Here, as I have already related, a mission had been commenced about ten years previously by Father Le Caron, O. S. F., who was now at Quebec. The conversion of the Hurons, however, made little 224 The Catholic Pioneers of America. progress. It was such up hill, fruitless labor that his colleagues soon retired, and the fearless Father de Brcbeuf was left alone. He was hundreds of miles from a fellow-Christian, but he toiled on as pen cannot picture. Living amongst the Indians, he became one of them by adoption. He received the name of Echon. In short, he made himself all to all, that he might gain all to Christ. The good effect of his untiring toil and instruction had begun to tell on the multitude of wild men, when an unhappy event occurred. England obtained tem- porary possession of Canada. The missionary received orders to return to Que- bec. On learning that he was about to depart, the Indians crowded around his person, and exclaimed in touching accents : " O Echon, are you going to forsake us ! For two years you have lived among us to learn our language, and to teach us to know the Master of life. You now speak like one of ourselves, but as yet we know not how to adore and pray to God like you — and you leave us!" The heart of the great Jesuit was full, and he could scarcely restrain his tears; but in obedience to duty he tore himself from his kind, dusky flock, blessed them, bade them hope for his return, and waving an affectionate adieu, he set out on the long, pathless route that led to the little rock-built capital of Canada. Father de Brcbeuf and his colleagues were made prisoners by the English, and shipped t^ John Dc Bn^bcuf, S. J. 22$ Frpnce. Here he lived among his religious biethren witli the simplicity of a iittle child. The thorny ay of the Indian missions had but advanced him on the royal road of the Cross. In a few years, France regained possession of Canada, and the cassock of the Jesuit might once more be seen on the rude streets of Quebec. Thr Apostle of the Hurons was again on the banks of the St. Lawrence. In July, 1633, one hundred and forty canoes were pulled ashore at the warehouses of Quebec. Over six hundred Huron warriors and chiefs had come on their annual trading expc iition. After some preliminary arrangements, a council was eld in the fort. French ofificers, Jesuit Fathers, eind Indian chiefs formed this singular assembly. Its object was to come to an understanding with the savages in regard to sending three priests amoni; them. To Fathers de Brebeuf, Daniel, and Davosi had fallen the honors, dangers, and woes of tho Huron mission. Champlain introduced the three to the dusky chiefs and warriors. ^* These are our Fathers," said the noble founder of Canada. ** We love them more than we love ourselves. The whole French nation honors them. They do not go among you for your furs. They have left their friends and their country to show you the way to Heaven. If you love the French — as you sav vou love them — then love and honor these our Fathers." But just on the eve of ml 226 T/ic Catholic Pioneers of America. luJ'; departure an unfortunate occurrence prevented the missionaries from proceeding on their toilsome journey. * s Another year rolled by before the fleet of canoes came down the lordly stream. This time the dusky traders la»^ ed at Three Rivers; and on their return trip Fathei de Brebeuf and his two brother mission- aries set out with them. Well he knew the long and difficult route. The canoes skimmed along the St. Lawrence to the Ottawa, then up the Ottawa to the Mattawan, across Lake Nipissing, down the French River, and along the shores of the great Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. The priests had to paddle all the time. No shoes were worn in the frail bark vessels. The toil was extreme, and the only food was a daily pittance of Indian corn. For nine hundred miles not a house or a white countenance was seen. The canoes and baggage had to be carried for miles over scores of portages. In wading up raging currents, the tender, bare feet of the apostolic travellers were cut by the sharp stones. Night alone brought any repose. Father de Brebeuf " complains that he had no moment to read his Breviary, except by the moon- light or the fire, when stretched out to sleep on a bare rock by some savage cataract of the Ottawa, or in a damp nook of the adjacent forest." The great missionary and his Huron con. pinions, after thirty days' ceaseless toil, at last pulled theii JjJin De BribcH/, S. J, 227 canoes ashore, on a little peninsula which is bathed by the southern waters of Georgian Bay. The savages were in bad humor, and so uncivil as to throw the priest's baggage on the ground, and leave him to his own resources. The villages were about twenty miles away. He knelt, thanked God, and shouldering his heavy burden, boldly pushed on alone. After penetrating many a league of gloomy forest, he at length entered a wild clearing, and saw before him the bark roofs of a Huron village. It was Ihonatiria. A crowd ran out to meet him. He was known at once. *• Echon has come again !" *' Echon has come again," they exclaimed, and gathered around their old teacher. The stately Jesuit was led to one of the chief wigwams, and treated with true Indian hospitality. After weeks of waiting, Fatheis Daniel and Davost arrived. They could scarcely be re- cognized. Half-dead with hunger and fatigue, the two priests resembled living skeletons more than men. Father Br^bcuf and his fellow-missionaries had now reached their destination. The ancient country of the Hurons comprised the eastern and notheastern portion of Simcoe County, situated south of Georgfan Bay, Ontario Canada. The whole nation ac that time counted thirty-two villages, with a population of about 2o,ODO. On the west and southwest of the Hurons proper lay the kindred tribe of the Tobacco Nation, 2J8 The Catholic Pioneers oj America. so called from their luxuriant fields of tobacco. South of both of these, from Lake St. Clair to Niagara, was the Neutral Nation, which obtained its name from the neutrality observed by its people in the lon^ and deadly struggle between the Hurons and Iroquois. Such were the political divisions of Western Canada two hundred and fifty years ago. After the Huron model, a house for the black- robes was erected. Hundreds of Indians joined in the work, and in a few days the bark mansion rose, a completed structure. Its divisions were a store- house, dwelling-house, and chapel. The furniture, scanty as it was, soon became the wonder of the whole Huron country. Visitors were in abundance. It was the clock, above all, that puzzled and pleased the curious savages. For hours they would sit in expectant silence, squatting on the ground, waiting to hear it strike. They thought it was alive, and asked what nourishment it tooV. The magnifying- glass, which transformed a flea into a monster, was also viewed with mingled awe and admiration. I Father de Brcbeuf, as Superior of the mission, I with Fathers Daniel and Davost, now began their labors. How they lived and divided their time between toil, study, and devotion are points that have been already noticed in the life of Father Jogues. The Gospel was announced to all, but the work of conversion was long and difficult. In fact, during the first few years no adults were baptized, John De Br^beuf, S. J. 229 save those at the point of death. The experienced De Br^beuf knew Indian nature well, and he greatly feared backsliding. Hence his caution. In his eyes one good Christian wa.^ better than a multitude of bad ones. Besides, all the savage vices — and the I^urons were corrupt to the core' — had to be eradi- cated before the Catholic Religion could be planted. The Herculean toil of battling against depravity, hatred, and open persecution, and of seeing that neither young nor old died without spiritual aid — such was the unceasing task of the Jesuits. They were frequently threatened with death. Small-pox also ravaged the nation ; and in the wild scenes of misery that followed, no words can picture the heroic toils of Father de Br^beuf. Nor was his fight against disease and human wickedness only. In every possible way the powers of darkness assailed the great priest. Demons in troops appeared before him, sometimes in the guise of men, sometimes as bears, wolves, or wildcats. He called on God, and they vanished. Death, like a skeleton, sometimes menaced him; and once, as he faced it with an unquailing eye, it fell powerless at his feet. Angels also appeared to hirn ; and more than once St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin were visibly present to his sight. Thus consoled and strengthened from above, in vain did accidents, enraged savages, and troops of devils war against him ' See tbe Introduction 10 Parkman's yetuits in North America. 230 The Catholic Pioneers of America. "Go and leave our country," exclaimed an old chief, " or we will put you into the kettle and make a feast of you !" The heroic Jesuit on one occasion was paralyzed by a fall which broke his collar-bone. Creeping on his hands and feet along the frozen road, he was obliged to sleep unsheltered in the snow, when the very trees were splitting with cold ! But God, at length, blessed the toils and sufTer. ings of His fearless Apostle. The stony hearts of the Indians were touched. Thousands came into the Church. Ferocious savages became model Chris- tians. Almost the whole Huron nation embraced the Ancient Faith, and Religion flourished among the children of the forest in the snow-clad wilderness of the North. The cross towered above every village. In March, 1649, there were in the Huron country eighteen Jesuit Fathers. Some time previously. Father de Br^beuf saw an immense cross in the air. It stretched from the land of the Iroquois, even to where he stood. This ominous vision found its interpretation in his glori- ous death. At the dawn of day, on the i6th of March, 1649, a force of over one thousand Iroquois warriors ap- peared before the village of St. Louis, in which were stationed the Apostle of the Hurons and Father Lalemant. About eighty brave Catholic Hurons prepared to defen'^ the place. The war- John De Br/beuf, 5. % 231 whoop of the hostile savages shook the very wigwams. In the very hottest of the contest, however, were the holy and dauntless De Brebeuf and his gentle companion, the one in the breach giving absolution, the other baptizing the catechumens. The fierce but unequal struggle soon terminated. A yell of triumph announced the victory of the Iroquois. The two Fathers were made prisoners, stripped of their clothing, had their nails torn out by the roots, and were borne in wild triumph to the village of St. Ignatius, which had also been taken that morning. Here they were frightfully beaten with clubs. But the noble De Brebeuf thought only of others, iiis eye kindling with sacred fire, he thus addressed the Christian Huronswho were his fellow-captives: •' My children, let us lift up our eyes to Heaven in the midst of our sufferings. God is a witness of our torments. He will soon be our reward. Die in this faith. I feel more for you than for myself." " Echorif" they replied, "our hopes shall be in Heaven. Pray for us." Enraged at those words of the heroic Jesuit, the fiendish Iroquois led him apart, tied him to a stake, scorched him from head to foot to silence him ; whereupon, in the tone of a master, he threatened them with everlasting flames for persecuting the worshippers of God. As he continued to speak with voice and countenance unchanged, they cut I 232 The Catholic Pioneers of America. away his lower lip and thrust a red hot iron into his mouth. The sublime man still held his lofty form erect and defiant, with no sign or sound of pain. Maddened at their own impotence, the savages next hung around his neck a collar made of hatchets heated red-hot, but the indomitable priest, sustained by grace, stood it like a rock. Boiling water was now poured on his head, but he did not flinch ; and exasperated beyond bounds, they cut strips of flesh from his limbs, and devoured them before his very eyes. After a succession of other revolting tortures, they scalped him ; and on seeing him nearly dead, they laid open his breast, and came in a cfowd to drink the blood of so valiant an enemy, thinking to imbibe with it some portion pf his marvellous courage. A chief then tore out his heart and devoured it.' And thus died the glorious John de Brebeuf, the Apostle of the Hurons and the most renowned of American martyrs. The Catholic Religion alone can produce such a man. Even his savage murderers wondered at his virtue and heroism. But his whole life prepared him for such a sublime death. " When he was made Superior of the Huron mis- sion," wrote one of his companions, "and had many others under his charge, every one admired his skill in the management of affairs, his sweetness, which gained all hearts, his heroic courage in every under- ' Parkman. li John De Bribeuf, S. J. 233 taking, his long-suffering in awaiting the moments of God's good pleasure, his patience in enduring every- thing, and his zeal in undertaking whatever might promote God's glory. His humility inclined him to embrace with love, with joy, and even with natural relish, whatever was most lowly and painful. If on a journey he carried the heaviest burdens, if travel- ling in canoes he paddled from morning till night, it was he who threw himself first into the water and was the last to leave it, notwithstanding the rigor of the cold and the ice. He was the first up in the morning to make a fire and prepare breakfast, and he was the last to retire, finishing his prayers and devotions after the others had gone to repose. What is most remarkable is, that in all the labors he thus took upon himself, he did everything so quietly and dexterously that one would have believed that he had but acted in accordance with his natural inclina- tion. ' I am but an ox,' he was wont to say, alluding to the meaning of his name in French. ' I am fit for nothing but carrrying burdens.' / »» 1 ' Ragueneau. — The head of Father de Brdbeuf, in a silver shrine, is preserved at Quebec. Several miracles have been wrought by his holy intercession. Father I.allement, too, met his end like a Christian hero. He lived in torture till the next day ; and " when the sun had arisen on the 17th of March, they closed his long martyrdom by tomabawkiag bim,and left bis body a biackand mangled mass." IT '■ ' ! 234 ne Catholic Pioneers 0/ A mertca. ANDREW WHITE, S. J ^''^ APOSTLE OF MAliVi^^:,^^ I^ied A. D. itt^-j |NE of the immortal pioneers of the CafhM- Religion in America was the hr, ^"'>°''c , , Father Andrew Whrteu"''^"'"' London in 1C70 ti, '""«. He was born at -. the fou'n?of I Lt^e H? ^'' '^^^ ^ was a shameful period r.,l '^'S" '^nd. It '» Great Britain^nd ireland "/T'^ "^--"'"-d forbidden to teach A ' ""'' "" Catholics were offered for the d^ovtroT^' °J '."' """^^ -- master. ""^ °' ^^ch Catholic school- wh^l^'blt Sistd frir o ' ^r"""^ P-f™ of the famous Ca^l ITle^-a', 7"f. "P^-''^ was established in ,;68 it n" .^"S'"'' ~"ege nearly two centuries ind T I, ^f? ^' '" ^™""- For of the British irs^'c e'd^'^l^ ^^''oiic students "owned institution. There th^fl ^^ '° ""'^ '«• nourished and the hVht of T , J""^ "' f"''"' was when all was bigot fa„dr°""'^^ "^^P' •'"^"'"g once Catholic land of'ESa'd'rh'^''""^ '" "•' ngiand-the home of the holy Andreiv White, S. % 235 cs Bede, the great Alfred, and the dauntless Cceur de Lion. There were trained those bands of devoted priests who laid down their lives in laboring to restore the true faith among their unhappy countrymen. There our Catholic Bible was translated into English. There the pious and learned Alban Butler, author of the Lives of the Saints, received his education. And there likewise the future Apostle of Maryland earnestly labored and studied to prepare himself for his high and holy calling. Father White was elevated to the sacred dignity of the priesthood about the year 1605, and was at once sent to labor on the London mission. But as.the penal laws were rigidly enforced, he had to temper his zeal with the greatest prudence. Nor did this suffice. In spite of all precautions he was discovered. Rewards, varying according to the rank of the victim, were offered for the discovery of Catholic ecclesiastics. At one period, the same price was offered for the head of a priest, and that of a wolf. Even Jews came from Portugal to hunt down Catholic priests in the British Isles, and found it a profitable business. Bribes were offered to all who would betray Catholics. " They bribed the flock, they bribed the son, To sell the priest and rob the sire; Their dogs were taught alike to run Upon the scent of wolf and friar." In short, the fierce Mohawk, ranging the ancient 236 The Catholic Pioneers of America, forests of New York, was not more eager and skil- ful on the trail of an enemy, than was the fanatical and barbarous Government of England in its search after Catholic priests. And the humanity of the American Indian compares quite favorably with that of the Protestant Briton. The very year that Father White returned to England, the saintly poet and Jesuit, Southwell, was brutally tortured on the rack, ten different timeSy and finally executed with the most revolting cruelties. And all because — he was a Catholic priest ! We find the name of Father White in a list of forty-seven priests, who, from different prisons, in 1606, were sentenced to perpetual banishment. He reached the Continent. He had hitherto been a secular priest, but now sought admission into the Society of Jesus ; and after passing his novitiate of two years at Louvain, he obtained permission to return to his native land — although he was well aware that for the banished Catholic priest who re- turned to England the penalty was death. It was a perilous mission, and the brave Jesuit was soon recalled, and appointed professor in a college of the Society at Seville. Father White was a ripe and finished scholar, and at various periods filled the chairs of Holy Scripture, Hebrew, and Theology in Spain and Belgium. But he was now to pass from the halls of science to the wild woods of the New World. Andrew White, S. J. 23; During a visit to England, F'ather White had made the acquaintance of Lord Baltimore, who was then maturing his design of founding a Catholic colony in Maryland. The nobleman wished to place it under his spiritual care, and the Society of Jesus seconded his desires. Father White was appointed Superior, and with him were associated Father John Altham and two lay Brothers. The missionaries sailed in the expedition commanded by Governor Leonard Calvert, and reached the shores of Marv- land in the spring of 1634. On the 25th of March, the Feast of the Annuncia- tion of the Most Holy Virgin, Father White cele- brated, on St. Clement's Lsland, the first Mass ever offered up in that region, and at the conclusion of the sacrifice a large cross was erected. It was a real "cross in the wilderness." The Catholic Religion had come to stay in Maryland. The savages gathered around. *' It is pleasant," writes Father White, '' to hear these natives ad- miring everything, especially wondering where in the world a tree had grown large enough to be carved into a ship of such huge size ; for they sup- posed it had been cut icom a single trunk of a tree, like an Indian canoe. Our cannon filled them with astonishment." For ten years this devoted priest labored with the zeal of an apostle, dividing his time between the colonists and the Indians, and truly making himself 238 The Catholic Pioneers of America. all to all that lie might gain all to Jesus Christ. The missionaries were invited to sit in the first Colonial Assembly, but earnestly desiring to be excused from taking part in secular concerns, their request was granted. Though nearly sixty years of age. Father White cheerfully began the tedious and difficult task of mastering the Indian languages ; and then devoted himself to labor for the conversion of the Patuxents and Pascatoways.' The rivers often served as high- ways for the minister of God on his errand of peace and mercy. When this was the case, the daily life of joyful toil is this recounted by the Apostle of Maryland himself: " We sail in an open boat — the Father, an inter- preter, and a servant. In a calm, or with a head wind, two row, and a third steers the boat. We carry a basket of bread, cheese, butter, dried roasted ears of corn, beans, and some meal, and a chest con- taining the sacerdotal vestments, the slab or altar - for Mass, the wine used in the holy sacrifice, and blessed baptismal water. In another chest we carry knives, combs, little bslls, fishing-hooks, needles, thread, and other trifles, for presents to the Indians. We take two mats, a small one to shelter us from the sun, and a larger one to protect us from the rain "The servant carries implements for hunting and ' The venerable Jesuit— thorough, hard-working student that he was -com- posed a catechism, grammar, and dictionary in the language of the Maryland Indians. Andrew W/titc, S. J. 239 cooking utensils. We endeavor to reach some Indian village or Rnglish plantation by nightfall. If we do not succeed, then the Father secures the boat to the bank, collects wood, and makes a fire, while the 'other two" go out to hunt ; and after cooking our game, we take some refreshment, and then lie down to sleep around the fire. When threatened with rain, we erect a tent, covering it with our large mat. Thanks be to God, we enjoy our scanty fare and hard beds as much as if we were accommodated with the luxuries of Europe." One of the most remarkable of Father White's dusky converts was Chilomacon, chief of the Pas- catoways. This lord of the forest lived at Kittama- quindi, the principal village of the tribe. It was situated near the site of Washington. Chilomacon received the venerable Jesuit with extreme kindness, and made him reside in his own rude residence. It seems that a remarkable dream, which he had some time previously, was the cause of the chief's kindness. He related, that in his sleep, he seemed to see Father White and his fellow missionary, while a voice whispered in his ear: "These are the men whr from their souls love you and all your tribe. Wiin them they bring those blessings by which, if you desire, you can be happy !" When he beheld the Jesuits he recognized them in a moment as the strange men who bore the rare blessing referred to in his dream. 240 The Catholic Pioneers oj A merica. On recovering from a severe illness, Chilomacon asked to be baptized. But the missionary told him that it was first necessary to be well instructed in the doctrines of the Catholic Religion. Never was there a more willing pupil. Father White daily instructed the chief and his wife and family — all attentive listeners. Chilomacon was equally anxious for the conver- sion of his whole tribe. Convinced himself, he wished to make the truth known to others. He assembled his warriors, and in an eloquent appeal told them "that cnildish superstition had reigned too long in the wigwams Of the Pascatoways. There was but one God who was worthy of the homage of brave nen. He was the Creator of all things. He was the Great Spirit worshipped by the blaclv- gowns. The herbs and the stones adored by the Indians were but the humble work of His hands." To show his contempt for their former idols, he took one and tossed it with his foot. The warriors ap- plauded the language and bold action of their chief, and henceforth Christianity made a rapid conquest of this trlhe. Chilomacon accepted Father White's invitation to visit the towti of St. Mary's, and was delighted with the peace, happiness, and prosperity which he there beheld. He now eagerly begged to be baptized, and at length the day was fixed. The ceremony took place on the 5th of July, 1640, at his Andreiv White, S. J, 241 rude capital, in a chapel built of bark for tne occa- sion. Governor Leonard Calvert, his secretary, and many of the principal inhabitants of the colony were present. Father White ofificiated. Chilomacon, his wife, their little son, and many of the chief men of his council were solemnly admitted into the Catholic Church by the regenerating waters of baptism. The chief assumed the name of Charles in honor of the English sovereign and his wife that of Mary. The other converts also received Christian names. In the afternoon Charles and Marv were married ac- cording to the rites of the Church. A cross of great size was then borne in procession by the chief, Governor Calvert, the secretary, and others, while two priests preceded them, chanting the Litany of the Most Blessed Virgin. Having reached a place prepared for its reception, the sacred emblem was erected with imposing ceremonies in commemora- tion of the important events which had just taken place. Under the guidance of the Jesuit Fathers, the spiritual condition of the colony was admirable. A church was erected in the town of St. Mary's ; and peace, happiness, and religion smiled on the quiet s^iores of the Chesapeake. " The religious exercises," says one of the Fathers, writing to Rome, "are fol- lowed with exactness, and the Sacraments are well frequented. By spiritual exercises we have formed the pnncipal inhabitants to the practice of piety, 342 The Catholic Pioneers of America. \\ 41 and they have derived signal benefits from them. The sick and dying, whose number has been con- siderable this year, have all been attended, in spite of the great distance of their dwellings, so that not a Catholic died without having received the benefits of the Sacraments." Such was the edifying piety and fervor of these good Catholic settlers, that many of the Protestants, touched by their bright example, gladly embraced the faith of their forefathers. But a cloud had arisen, and was hanging over the peaceful and prosperous colony. In 1644, the insur. rection of Clayborne and his fanatical adherents passed over the fair Maryland like a devastating hurricane. Religion and its altars were ruthlessly overthrown, the Catholic inhabitants plundered, and their rights trampled upon. Even the venerable Father White and his unoffending companions were seized, put in irons, and sent to England, where they had to undergo a long and painful imprisonment. " Thirsting for the salvatton of his dear Mary- landers," writes Oliver, "he sought every oppor- tunity of returning secretly to that mission . but every attempt proving ineffectual, he was content to devote his remaining energies to the advantage of his native country. In his old age, even to the end, he continued his custom of fasting on bread and water twice a week. Whilst a prisoner he was re- minded by his keeper to moderate his austerities, and to reserve his strength for his appearance at Adam Dauiac, 243 Tyburn. 'You must know, replied Father White, 'that my fasting gives me strength to bear any kind of suffering for the love of Jesus Christ !* This truly great and good man died peaceably in London, on the 6th of January, 1657. From the comparison of various documents, I believe he was in his seventy- eighth year at the time of his death." ADAM DAULAC/ THE HERO OF THE LONG SAUL7 Died A. D. 1660. IT was less than half a centufy after Champlain had fired his gun, loaded with four balls, into the ranks of a band of bewildered Iroquois at Crown Point, that those wild warriors, made more terrible by the possession of fire-arms, fell upon his dusky allies, and crushed them to the eaitb. The Huron nation was drowned in blood. The Algonquins were scattered like chaff. A few thousands of Fieiich settlers, living along the banks of the St. Lawrence, had now to bear the brunt of savage vengeance. The hounds of war howled in the wilderness. The merciless Iroquois were everywhere. Canada was in a state of terror. ' The name is sometimes written Dollard 244 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. There was no safety outside the fortified posts of Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal. ** Every- where," writes the Superior of the Jesuits in 1660, " we see infants to be saved for Heaven, sick and dying to be baptized, adults to be instructed — but everywhere we see the Iroquois. They haunt us like goblins. They kill our newly-made Christians in our arms. If they meet us on the river, they kill us. If they find us in the huts of our Indians, they burn us and them together." In May, 1660, it was learned from an Indian prisoner, that a force of some eight hundt-ed Iroquois warriors was below Montreal, and that they awaited another band of four hundred from the Ottawa River to start on the war-path. It was the design of the combined savage forces to surprise Quebec, scalp its. inhabitants, and then destroy Three Rivers and Montreal. How was the execution of this murderous design prevented ? It has been well said, that "as one small point of steel disarms the light ning of its terrors, so did the heroism of a few in trepid youths divert the storm of war and save Canada from possible ruin." Adam Daulac was born in 1635 of a good family in France, He was trained to the profession of arms, and came to Canada at the age of twenty-two. It was while he held the post of commander ot the little garrison at Montreal, that he formed the plan of giving a check to Iroquois invasions in away that Adam Daula c. 245 ily at was bold to desperation. He communicated a portion of his own devoted and fearless spirit to sixteen other young men, who ghuily accepted the invitation to follow him in an expedition against the pitiless pagan enemy; The seventeen warriors' pre- pared for death with Christian deliberation. Each of them made his will. All went to confession, re- ceived Holy Communion in a body, and bound them- selves by a solemn promise before the altar to accept no quarter, and to assist each other to the last gasp. Daulac and his brave company bade a final adieu to their friends — as it was certain they would never return — and took their way in canoes up the Ottawa. On reaching the foot of the Long Sault," where the river rolled down in angry torrents, they landed and took possession of an old abandoned palisade fort constructed of small trees, and little better than a rude cattle-shed. The Iroquois were sure to pass that way. Some days after their arrival at this wild spot, the French were visited by a band of forty Hurons under the veteran chief Annahotaha, and four Algonquins — all of whom asked to be per- mitted to share in Daulac's perilous enterpiise. He accepted their offers. Next day two canoes, containing Iroquois, were fired at by the French sentinels Several of the savages were killed, but a number escaped to the ' Their ages ranged from twenty-one to thirty-one years. * This must not be confounded with the Long Sault on the St. Lawr«qcc. 246 Tlic Catliolic Pioneers of America. woods, and informed the main body, consisting of about two hundred warriors. The river was soon alive with a fleet of canoes. The Iroquois rushed like demons at the fort, but got such a hot reception that they quickly fell back. They then built a fort at some distance, took counsel, and once more re- newed the attack, only to be beaten off with heavy loss. A third time they fared worse than ever. "This dashed their spirits," says the graphic au- thor of The Old Regime in Canada, "and they sent a canoe to call to their aid five hundred of their warriors who were mustered near the mouth of the Richelieu. These were the allies whom, but for this untoward check, they were on their way to join for a combined attack on Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal. It was maddening to see iheir grand project thwarted by a few French and In- dians ensconced in a paltry redoubt, scarcely better than a cattie-pen , but they were forced to digest the affront as best they might. "Meanwhile, crouched behind trees and logs, they beset the fort, harassing its defenders day and night with a spattering fire and a constant menace of attack. Thus five days passed. Hunger, thirst, ^nd want of sleep wrought fatally on the strength of the French and their allies, who, pent up to- gether in their narrow prison, fought and prayed by turns. Deprived as they were of water, they could not swallow the crushed Indian corn, or hominy, Adam Dan lac. 247 which was their only food. Some of them, under cover of a brisk fire, ran down to the river and filled such small vessels as they had : but this pittance only tantalized their thirst. They dug a hole in the fort, and were rewarded at last by a little muddy water oozing through the clay. "Among the assailants were a number of Hurons, adopted by the Iroquois and fighting on their side. These renegades now shouted to their countrymen in the fort, telling them that a fresh army was close at hand ; that they would soon be attacked by seven or eight hundred warriors ; and that their only hope was in joining the Iroquois, who would receive them as friends. Annahotaha's followers, half-dead with thirst and famine, listened to their seducers, took the bait, and, one, two, or three at a time, climbed the palisade, and ran over to the enemy, amid the hootings and execrations of chose whom they de- serted. Their chief stood firm ; and when he saw his nephew. La Mouche, join the other fugitives, he fired his pistol at him in a rage. The four Algon- quins, who had no mercy to hope for, stood fast, with the courage of despair. " On the fifth day an uproar of unearthly yells from seven hundred savage throats, mingled with a clattering salute of musketry, told the Frenchmen that the expected reinforcement had come ; and soon, in the forest and on the clearing, a crowd of warriors mustered for the attack. Knowing from 248 The Catholic Pioneers of America. the Huron deserters the weakness of their enemy^ they had no doubt of an easy victory. They ad- vanced cautiously, as was usual with the Iroquois before their blood was up, screeching, leaping from side to side, and firing as they came on ; but the French were at their posts, and every loophole darted its tongue of fire. Besides muskets, they had heavy musketoons of large calibre, which, scattering scraps of lead and iron among the throng of savages, often maimed several of them at one discharge. The Iroquois, astonished at the persist- ent vigor of the defence, fell back discomfited. The fire of the French, who were themselves com- pletely under cover, had told upon them with deadly effect. Three days more wore away in a series of futile attacks, made with little concert or vigor ; and during all this time Daulacand his men, reeling with exhaustion, fought and prayed as before — sure of a martyr's reward. " The uncertain, vacillating temper common to all Indians now began to declare itself. Some of the Iroquois were forgoing home. Others revolted at the thought, and declared that it would be an eternal disgrace to lose so many men at the hands of so paltry an enemy, and yet fail to take revenge. It was resolved to make a general assault, and volunteers were called for to lead the attack. After the custom on such occasions, bundles of small sticks were thrown upon the ground, and those picked Adam Daulac, 249 them up who dared, thus accepting the gage of battle, and enrolling themselves in the forlorn hope. No precaution was neglected. Large and heavy shields four or five feet high were made by lashing together three split logs with the aid of crossbars. Covering themselves with these mantelets, the chosen band advanced, followed by the motley throng of warriors. In spite of a brisk fire, they reached the palisade, and crouching below the range of shot, hewed furiously with their hatchets to cut their way through. The rest followed close, and swarmed like angry hornets around the little fort, hacking and ^earing to get in. *' Daulac had crammed a large musketoon with oowder, and plugged up the muzzle. Lighting the 'use inserted in it, he tried to throw it over the barrier, to burst like a grenade among the crowd of savages without ; but it struck the ragged top of one of the palisades, fell among the Frenchmen and exploded, killing and wour.ding several of them and nearly blinding others. In the confusion that fol- lowed, the Iroquois got possession of the loopholes, and, thrusting in their guns, fired on those within. In a moment more they had torn a breach in the palisade ; but nerved with the energy of despera- tion, Daulac and his followers sprang to defend it. Another breach was made, and then another. Daulac was struck dead, but the survivors kept up the fight. With a sword or a hatchet in one hand n kl^ 250 The Catholic Pioneers of Avierica. and a knife in the other, they threw themselves against the throng of enemies, striking and stabbing with the fury of madmen ; till the Iroquois, despair- ing of taking them alive, fired volley after volley and shot them down. All was over, and a burst of triumphant yells proclaimed the dear-bought victory." And thus fell Adam Daulac, the dauntless hero of the Long Sauit, on the 21st of May, 1660, at the age of twenty-nve years, after achieving a feat of arms that deserves to be immortalized. The glorious death of this youthful Catholic Pioneer and his brave companions saved Canada, and taught the Iroquois a terrible lesson, as fully one-third of their number lay dead and dying around the ruined fort. The Catholic Pioneers of America. 251 \"\ JAMES MARQUETTE. S. J., THE DISCOVERER OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI, AND APOSTLE OP THE MISSISSIPPI I -A LLEV. Died A. D. 1675. EVER were the words of the Holy Book, that " the humble shall be exalted," more truly fulfilled than in the illustrious subject of this sketch. He fled from fame. He despised the fleet- ing glory of earth. Yet both sought him — followed him like his own shadow ! James Marquette was born at the ancient seat of his family, in the city of Laon, France, in the year 1637. The Marquettes were a noble stock, of high antiquity and martial spirit, whose members have constantly figured in the wars of France. Our own Republic is not without its obligations to the valor of the Marquettes, three of whom died here in the French army during the Revolutionary war. The father of the future discoverer of the Mississippi was a worthy representative of his ancient house ; while his mother, Rose de la Salle, was a lady of distinguished piety, and a near relative of the Venerable John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. X 2$ 2 The Catholic Pioneers of America, James received an excellent education, his pious mother developing in his character one of its most beautitul traits — childlike and sublime devotion to the Immaculate Virgin. In his seventeenth year he entered the Society of Jesus. Fourteen years of character-building— of retreat, study, and teaching — passed away, and he was invested with the sacred dignit)' of the priesthood. Taking St. Francis Xavicr an his patron and model, he ardcntl) sought a foreign mission to some heathen people. Soon his wish was gratified. Father Marquette landed ^t Quebec on September 20th, i666. At Three Rivers, eighteen months glided by in the study of the Algonquin and Huron languages. He was appointed to the Lake Superior missions, and began thait long and painful journey, of many hundred miles, over rivers, lakes, and wilderness, which led to his destination. In i668, he founded the famous mission of Sault Ste. Marie, " and planting his cabin at the foot of the rapids, on the American side, he began his missionary career." He instructed, labored, and soon built a church — the first sanctuary of the faith raised at that cradle of Christianity in the West. But a missionary was urgently needed for Lapointe, and to that ungrate- ful field Marquette with joy bent his steps. Here indeed, it was up-hill work. The Ottawas and Hurons, among whom he was now stationed, were fearfully corrupt. As he himself testifies, they were James Marquette, S. y. 253 *' far from the kingdom of God, being above all other nations addicted to lewdness, sacrifices, and jug- gleries." In the letter just quoted (dated 1669), Father Marquette for the first time mentions the Missis- sippi: " When the Illinois' come to Lapointe," he writes to the Superior, " they pass a large river, almost a league wide. It runs north and south, and so far that the Illinois, who do not know what canoes are, have never yet heard of its mouth. . . . This great river can hardly empty in Virginia, and we rather believe that its mouth is in California. If the Indians who promise to make me a canoe do not fail to keep their word, we shall go into this river as soon as we can with a Frenchman and this young man' given me, who knows some of the lan- guages ; we shall visit the nations which inhabit it, in order to open the way to so many of our Fathers who have long awaited this happiness. This dis- covery will also give us a complete knowledge of the southern and western sea." The clouds of war, however, \vere gloomily over- shadowing Lapointe. Provoked by the Huronsand Ottawas, the fierce Sioux swooped down on their villages and obliged them to fly. Father Mar- quette followed his fleeing Hurons to Mackinaw, founded the mission of St. Ignatius there, and built * An Indian tribe from wiiom the State of Illinois derives its name. « A young Ottawa Indian. 254 TJie Catholic Pioneers of Auiirica. m 1 II '«!!;i a chapel in 1671. Tliis rude log church " was the first sylvan shrine raised to the Catholic Religion at Mackinaw." The star of hope which lit up his fancied pathway to the " Father of Waters," now grew dim, and at last faded almost out of view. Still he hoped against hope, labored among his Indians, and fer- vently prayed to the Most Blessed Virgin to obtain for him the privilege of discovering the great river, and of spreading the light of the Gospel among the dusky inhabitants of its banks. Two years passed away ; and one day late in the fall of 1673, a canoe approached Mackinaw, and landed. It contained Louis Joliet, a French Cana- dinn gentleman of learning and experience, who liad orders from the Count de Frontenac, Governor of Canada, to go on the discovery of the Mississippi, taking Father Marquette as his companion and guide. ''The day of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin," writes the missionary in his Journal, "whom I had always invoked since I came to this Ottawa country, to obtain of God the grace to be able to visit the nations on the Miss- issippi, was the very day on which Mr. Joliet ar- rived." Father Marcpictte was enraptured at the good news. The whole winter was spent in making the necessary preparations. A rude map of tlve 'iver was drawn uj) from information received from tne Indians, and all facts of any value were care- jfa)fii's Marqiiitti\, S. J. 2S5 fully made in note- books. The discovery was dan- gerous, but it was not to be rash ; all was the re- sult of calm, cool investigation, and never was chance Isss concerned than in the discovery of the Mississippi. '• V/e took all possible precautions," says Father Marquette, " that, if our enterprise was hazardous, it should not be foolhardy." On the 17th of May, 1673, two canoes, with Mar- (juette, Joliet, and five men, set out, and their nimble paddles cut the bright surface of Lake Michigan. They soon reached Green Bay Mere, the priest tells us: "I put our voyage under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate, promising her that if she did us the grace to discover the great river, I would give it the name of Conception." They pro- ceeded up Fox River, crossed by a portage to the Wisconsin, sailed down tliat stream, and reached the mouth of the long-desired Mississippi, whicii, says Marquette, " we safely entered on the 17th ot June, with a joy that I cannot express." The Jesuit was a close obscr\er, and attentively remarked all the peculiarities of the renowned river — birds, beasts, fishes, plants, trees, Indians -nothing escaped his keen, scientific eye. His acuteness of observation was onl)- equalled b\- his descriptive power. His own nairative of the exploring x'oyage is a charming piece of composition. Ouicisly their light canoes fled down the mighty stream, " proceed- ing on thtiir way amid a solitude frightful by its Oil 'A 256 The Catholic Pionttrs of America. « utter absence of man." At length, on the 25th of June, they saw footprints on the shore, and a beaten path leading to a beautiful prairie. Here they landed, and leaving their men to take care of the c^.noes, Marquette and Joliet directed their steps inland to an Illinois village, where they were well received with a great many savage ceremonies Joliet told the Indians that he represented the Governor of Canada, the renowned white chief, and that Marquette was the ambassador of the Great Spirit. After the usual greetings, the grand Sachem arose and said : " I thank the black gown and the Frenchman for taking so much pains to come and visit us . never has tne earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright as to-day ! . . . I pra} you take pity on me and all my nation. You know the Great Spirit who has made us all , ask him to give me life and health, and come and dwell with us that wt may know Him." He then made them presents, among others a valuable, but all-mysterious calumet. " This council,'" says Marquette. " was followed by a great feast that consisted of four courses, which we had to take with all their ways. The first course was a great wooden dish of saganimity — Indian meal boiled in water and seasoned with grease. The master of ceremonies, with a spoonful of saganimity, presented it three or four times to my mouth. a< we would do with a little child. He did the same to Mr. Joliet. James Marquctt . S. J. 257 '' For a second course he brought in a second dish containing three fisii ; he took some pains to remove the bones, and having blown upon it to cool it, put it in my mouth, as we would food to a bird. For the third course, they produced a large dog which they had just killed, but learning that we did not cat \\ t was withdrawn. Finally, the fourth course vv.i~< a piece of wild ox, the fattest portions of which were put into our mouths.'' Then came the parting, amid nun'< us ceremonies. Nearly six hundred Indians escorted the priest and his companion to their canoes, and saw them embark. Aft':. ].:ssing through many adventurep, and danger:. '00 numerous to relate — they reached the mouth of the Arkansas. Here they halted, and after much deliberation, resolved to return. Mar- quette and his companions learned all they wished to know — "that the Mississippi undoubtedly had its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico." By proceeding further they might fall into the hands of the Span- iards, then at war with the French. On the 17th of July, the hardy voyagers turned the prows of their canoes about, and began the pain- ful and laborious work of ascending and stemming the currents of the majestic river. Green Bay was reached four months after their departure from it, The distance travelled over wms about two thousand six hundred miles. *' Had all the voyage," says Father Marquette, if « X ■ Jil ;i ■Ml Hi' it t" i;y^ 2^8 The CatJiolic Pioneers of Aifierica. |j " caused but the salvation of a single soul, I should •ueein all my fatigue well repaid ; and this I have reason to think, for, when I was returning, I passed by the Indians of Peoria, who brought me to the water's edge a dying child, which I baptized a little before it expired." The apostolic Jesuit regarded the salvation of one soul as a matter of greater im- portance than all his discoveries. Joliet proceeded to Canada to publish the news of the great discovery to the world, while the humble Marquette remained at Green Bry to recruit his de- clining health before renewing his lab*, rs among the Indians. " He sought no laurels," says Shea, " he aspired to no tinsel praise.' By an accident in shooting one of the St. Lawrence rapids, Joliet lost his map and papers — a circumstance that gave a double value to P^ather Marquette's map. The latter was afterwards published by the Superior at Paris. A good copy of it may be seen in Shea's " Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi," a valuable work of much learning and research. The remaining portion of the story of Marquette's heroic life is short, but touching and beautiful. His superhuman labors had broken down his once vigorous constitution. During the winter of 1674, he lay on a sick couch, the victim of a complication of diseases. When the summer of the same year arrived, and his good health had partly returned, he received the necessary orders to establish a mission t ! i; J James Marquette, S. J. 259 among the Illinois — in fulfilment of his promise when descending the Mississippi. On thr 25th of October, he set out for Kaskaskia, Leaving Green Bay, with two men and a number of Indians, he coasted along the western shore of Lake Michigan, reaching the Chicago River in December. Weak in health, with a severe winter staring him in the face, Father Marquette could not think of making the overland journey to Kaskaskia. He determined to winter where he was, his two faithful French companions remaining with him. A log hut was built — the first human habitation erected on the site of the since great city of Chicago. The priest playfully told them that this was his last voyage, that his end was near. Hearing of his illness, the Illinois in great griei sent a deputation to visit their black-gown. He received the Indians with extreme kindness, promis- ing to make every effort to reach their village, were it but for a few days. *' On this," says Marquette, * they bid me t;ake heart and stay and die in their country, as I had promised to remain a long time." The red men then returned to their winter camps. His sickness did not prevent him from spending that long winter in prayer, meditation, and retreat. Feeling his weakness daily increase, and fearing he would not be able to fulfil his promise to the Illinois, he and his companions had recourse to the Most Blessed Virgin by a novena. Their prayer was !'■ 26o The Catholic Pioneers of America. heard. As spring returned, so did a portion of the good priest's strength. On the 8th of April, he reached Kaskaskia, and was received as an angel from Heaven. On the Monday of Holy Week he began liis instructions. Soon a rustic altar, adorned with pictures of the Most Holy Virgin, was erected, and Mass celebrated for the first time in his new mission. Chiefs and warriors, young and old, gathered around their beloved black-gown ; and there, at least, the seeds of the Gospel fell on good ground. Easte'r was past, and his Illinois mission estab- lished, when the painful malady returned with re- newed force. Well aware that he had reached the boundary line of life, the indomitable Jesuit set out for Mackinaw, hoping to die among his fellow- missionaries. He passed by the mouth of the St. Joseph River, proceeding to the north along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. As the two canoe- men urged the frail craft over the lonely waters, the sight and strength of the priest gradually failed , " and he was at length so weak that he had to be lifted in and out of his canoe when they landed each night." " On the eve of hi-« death," writes Father Dablon, "he told them, all radiant with joy, that it would take place on tlie morrow During the whole day, lie conversed with them about the manner of his burial, the way in which he should be laid out, the Janus Marquette, S. J 261 place to be selected for his intermer.t, how they should arrange his hands and face, and raise a cross over his grave. " He even went so far as to enjoin them, only three hours before he expired, to take his chapel- bell, as soon as he was dead, and ring it while they carried him to the grave. Of all this he conversed so calmly and collectedly that you would have thought he spoke of the death and burial of another, and not ot his own. *'Thus did he speak 'o them as he sailed along the lake, till perceiving the mouth of a river, with an eminence on the bank which he thought suited for his burial, he told them that it was the place of his last repose. They wished, however, to pass on, as the weather permitted it and the day was not far advanced, but God raised a contrary wind, which obliged them to return and enter the river which the Father had designated. "They then carried him ashore, kindled a little fire, and raised a poor bark cabin for his use, laying him in it with as little discomfort as they could . but they were so depressed by sadness that, as they afterwards said, they did not know what they were doing, '• The Father being thus stretched on the shore like St. Francis Xavier, as he had always so ardently des^d, and left alone amid those forests — for his companions were engaged in unloading — he had < ,11 ^ 4 \ 4 f hi 26j The Catholic Pioneers of America. I I leisure to repeat all the acts in which he had em- ployed himself during the preceding days. " When his dear companions afterwards came up, all dejected, he consoled them, and gave them hopes that God would take care of them after his death in those new and unknown countries; he gave them his last instructions, thanked them for all the charity they had shown him during the voyage, begged their pa^on for the trouble he had given them, directed them also to ask pardon in his name of all our Fathers and Brothers in the Ottawa country, and then disposed them to receive the Sacrament of Penance, which he administered to them for the last time. " He also gave them a paper on which he had written all his faults since his last confession, to be given to his Superior, to oblige him to pray to God more earnestly for him. In short, he promised not to forget them in Heaven, and as he was very kind- hearted, and knew them to be worn out with the toil of the preceding days, he bade them go and take a little rest, assuring them that his hour was not yet so near but that he would wake them when it was time — as, in fact, he did two or three hours after, calling them when about to enter into his agony. "When they came near, he embraced them again for the last time, while they melted in tears at his feet. He then asked for the holy water and his reliquary, and, taking off his crucifix, which he always James Marquette, S. J. 263 ; wore hanging from his neck, he placed it in the hands of one of his companions, asking him to hold it constantly opposite him, raised before his eyes. " Feeling that he had but a little while to live, he made a last effort, clasped his hands, and, with his eyes fixed sweetly on his crucifix, he pronounced aloud his profession of faith, and thanked the Divine Majesty for the immense favor He bestowed upon him in allowing him to die in the Society of Jesus, to die in it as a missionary of Jesus Christ, and above all, to die in it, as he had always asked, in a wretched cabin, amid the forests, destitute of all human aid." His last words were, Mater Dei, memento met — " Mother ot God, remember me." And thus, on the lone, wild shores of Lake Michigan, died, at the age of thirty-eight, on Saturday, the 18th of May, 1675, Father James Marquette, the first explorer of the Mississippi and the Apostle of the Illinois.' Among the Catholic Pioneers of the New World, his name is one of the purest and brightest. It shines with dazzling splendor. It combines virtue, genius, and heroism. This noble priest was full of joy and sunshine, and the wildest savage paid him the homage of respect. In his letters we see the devoted missionary, and the keen, polished scholar He was the first to give a theory of the lake tides, and modern science has nor added to his discovery ' " The river where he died," writes Harkman. " is a small stream in the west of Michigan, some distance south of the promontory called the Sii;-/>in^- Hear. It long bore his name, which is now borne by a larger neighboring stream." ' 'if if tillj 5 HX: M ■ '-ii t 264 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica and explanation. If the great Society of Jesus had produced but Father James Marquette., it would be forever entitled to the gratitude of all Americans. ROBERT CAVELIER DE LA SALLE, THF. DISCOVERER OF THE OHIO RIVER, AND EXPLORER OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Died A. D. 1687. THE angel of death had scarcely called away the beautiful spirit of Father Marquette, when an- other intrepid Catholic Pioneer, who was maturing in his mind a vast scheme of settlement and exploration, prepared to sail down the Father of Waters and to develop the exhaustless riches of the great Missis- sippi Valley. It was Robert Cavelier, more com- monly known as La Salle.' He belonged to a wealthy and honorable family, was born in the city of Rouen, France, in the year 1643. It is said that in early youth lie entered the Society of Jesus, in which he remained for several years, studying and teaching. He had a great love for the exact sciences, especially mathematics, in > The family name was Cavelier. " I.a Salle," writes Parkman. "was the name of an estate near Rouen, belongin*' to the Caveliers. The wealthy French burghers often distinguished the various members of tlieii families by designations borrowed from landed estates '' Robert Cavclicr De La Salle. 265 which he attained remarkable proficiency. La Salle left the seminary of the Jesuits, bearing with him the respect of his superiors for purity of char- acter and rare energy. On account, however, of hav- ing entered the religious state, he was, by an unjust provision of the French law, deprived of his fortune. He at once commenced a new career, and sailed for Canada in the spring of 1666. From the priests of St. Sulpice he obtained the grant of a large tract of land near Montreal, at a place named La Chine, Commencing the study of the native languages, his great abilities enabled him, in two 01 three years, to master Iroquois, Algonquin, and five or six other Indian dialects. In the winter of 1670, La Sialle organized an ex- pedition which included some Sulpitians, and pro- ceeded towards the southwest. Our accounts of it are somewhat vague. He discovered the Ohio, however, which he sailed down as far as the present site of Louisville. His men leaving him, he re^ turned alone to Canada. We next find him commander of the newly es- tablished Fort Frontenac — now Kmgston. He held this position when the tidings of Marquette's dis- covery of the Mississippi reached him. This was a new and welcome idea. La Salle at once identified ** the great river of IMarquette with the great river of De Soto." His schemes of exploration received a fresh impulse. I \ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^^ ./IV4. 1.0 f^^ i I.I 1.25 2.5 «^' IM 1111122 IM ^ «- IIIIIM lilll 1.8 U II 1.6 6" V <^ /i 'c*l Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST V .JN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■^^4^'' '9.^ z <^ 7[ 266 The Catholic Pioneers of America. II: I i'f '\ ■r!l •^iii Three thoughts, rapidly developing in his mind, were mastering La Salle, and engendering an in- vincible purpose : (i.) He would achieve t'lat which Champlain vainly attempted, and of which our own generation has but seen the accomplishment — the opening of a passage to India and China across the American Continent. (2.) He would occupy the Great West, develop its commercial resources, and anticipate the Spaniards and English in the posses- sion of it. (3.) For he soon became convinced that the Mississippi discharged itself into the Gulf of Mexico — he would establish a fortified post at its mouth, thus securing an outlet for the trade of the interior, checking the progress of the Spaniards, and forming a base whence in time of war their northern provinces could be invaded and conquered. Such were the great projects conceived and nursed in the fertile brain of this heroic, but penniless young Frenchman.' The better to carry out his vast enterprises, La Salle returned to France in 1675, obtained from Louis XIV. a grant of Fort Frontenac, a monopoly of the lake trade, and a patent of nobility. He then sailed for Canada. Some time after, he again returned to his native country, and received a com- mission to continue the exploration of the "great river." As his lieutenant he chose Tonti, a one- armed Italian veteran, whose " energy and address * Parkman. %: Robert Caveiier De La Salle. 267 made him equal to anything." He also enlisted thirty mechanics and mariners for the expedition, which was accompanied by several Franciscan Fathers. In 1678, he reached Fort Frontenac for a third time; and at once dispatched Tonti and a number of his men to build a ship at the head of the Niagara River, on Lake Erie. La Salle himself immediately followed. He laid the keel with his own hands, and drove the first bolt. The vessel, which carried about forty-five tons, was soon finished, and named The Griffin, in honor of the arms of the Count de Fron- tenac, Governor of Canada. On August 7th, 1679, she was launched with great ceremony, amid an admiring crowd of Indians, who gathered around the French. This was the first vessel heavier than a canoe that ever cut the sparkling waters of the great American lakes. Amid the sounds of many voices, chanting the TV Deum, the good ship left her moorings ; rode the waves of Erie ; passed to the north through a little lake, which La Salle called St. Clair, in honor of the holy virgin of that name ; sped over Huron and a portion of Michigan ; was nearly lost in a violent storm, and finally landed at Green Bay, on the 2d of September. Many of the brave La Salle's previous plans having failed, he found himself deeply in debt ; and to satisfy his creditors, he loaded the Griffin with a cargo of rich furs and sent her back. La Salle and his men now directed th?ir course M in t: i-.)! li'i: i'ii !? i ffiil I' il ill f ; *;*■■■ h::. H *;''■■' ■ .|:: if ■; ''1 ■ y; /^J';;: 268 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. towards the south. On reaching Lake Peoria, on the Illinois River, he began the construction of a fort, which he called Crhjccoeur,^ on account of the unhappy news which here reached him. The Griffin had perished in the waters of Michigan ! His sup- plies were exhausted. He depended on the return of his vessel for more. Far from being discouraged •by the frowns of fortune, the indomitable commander, with fearless energy, set out on foot through the wilderness for Fort Frontenac — a distance of over 1,200 miles. He reached it only to learn of fresh disasters. " This was," says Margry, *' the most arduous march ever made by Frenchmen in America." The difficulties of correspondence in such a posi- tion are thus hinted at by La Salle in a letter to a friend. '* I have written it," he says, "at twenty different times and in twenty different places, and am more than one hundred and fifty leagues trom where I began it. I close it now more from want ■ of paper than of matter, for I have still a hundred things to tell you, but I must send off this canoe if I want my letter to reach you. It will not be easy for it to reach Quebec before the vessels sail, having more than three hundred leagues to make in a month." Sometimes a letter took over a year in reaching France. The express train and ocean steamer were conveniences then unknown. ' The broken-lieartcA. ' This was the fint civihzed occupation of the region which now forms the State of Illinois. The s[H>t may still be seen a little below Peoria." - Parktmin. Robert Cavelier De La Salle, 269 While La Salle was gone, Father Hennepin, by his orders, left Crfevecceur, and explored the upper Mississippi as far as the Falls of St Anthony, a name given it by the Franciscan, in honor of the famous St. Anthony of Padua. Ever " up and doing, with a heart for any fate," La Salle, in a canoe, again set out for Fort Cr^ve- coeur, which he reached and found abandoned by Tonti and his men. Continuing the search for his lieutenant, he found him at Mackinaw, whither want had driven the whole party. Their canoes were once more directed to Fort Frontenac. Here vigor- ous preparations were resumed to begin* the expedi tion anew. Winter had scarcely relaxed his icy clasp on the great rivers of the West when the indefatigable explorer, with a few Franciscan priests, twenty-three Frenchmen, and eighteen Indians — all inured to war — directed their course towards the Mississippi. Floating down the Illinois River, they reached the " Father of Waters" in February, 1682. Without delay, they began the descent of the mighty stream As they pressed on, they frequently came in con- tact with the Indians, whom La Salle won by his eloquence and engaging manners. We are told that after the Indian motle, he was " the greatest orator in North America." The missionaries also announced the words of truth to the savages. ** As the great explorer pursued his course down the Mississippi," li {:> W f 270 7/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. writes Bancroft, " his sagacious eye discerned the magnificent resources of the country." At every point where they landed, La Salle planted a cross, for he *' was most zealous for the Faith." Finally the mouth of the majestic river was reached, and they beheld — m w p. W.' "The sea! the sea' the open sea, The blue, the fresh, the ever free." On the 9th of April, La Salle took possession of tlie country in the name of Louis XIV. For this purpose he had a cross erected, while the whole party chanted the Vexilla Regis : " Forth comes the standard of the King — All hail, thou mysteiy adored! Blessed Cross on which He died Himself, And by death our lives restored." The impressive ceremony was finished with the TV Detim, and the raising of a column with the follow- ing inscription • *' Louis the Great, King of France ' and Navarre, reigns . the 9th of April, 1682." Then, "amid a volley from all our muskets,' writes Father Membre, *' a leaden plate, inscribed with the arms of France and the names of those who had just made the discovery, was deposited in the earth." By his energy and enterprise La Salle had now explored from the Falls of St. Anthony to the Gulf of Mexico. In honor of his sovereign he named all !|;l Robert Cavelier De La Salle. 271 the territory along the great river, Louisiana — a name, at present, restricted to one Stcte Turning, he ascended the Mississippi and sailed for France, in order to secure the assistance of Louis XIV., and the cooperation of his countrymen in colonizing the great valley, and in developing its immense natural resources. Success seemed to smile on his plans. The government provided him with four ships, and a large number of persons was soon enlisted in his enterprise. In July, 1684, he bade adieu for the last time to the shores of sunny France ; and with his ships and 280 persons, including three Franciscan Fathers and three secular pries:s, well supplied with all the neces- saries to plant a colony at the mouth of the Missis- sippi, he directec' his course across the Atlantic. But the entrance of the Father of Waters was hard to find. La Salle missed it, went westward, and early in 1685 landed his colony at Matagorda Bay, in Texas, where he built Fort St. Louis. In the choice of his men, he soon found that he had made a fatal mistake. They were a mixed party, largely composed of vagabonds picked up on the streets of Rochelle, and their conduct was in keeping with their character, as events unfortunately proved. After several vain attempts to reach the mouth of the Mississippi by sea, T.a Salle resolved to strike out for it by land. Father Douay, O. S. F., his chaplain, has left us a minute account of their ad- f ! ll I; |v I m' 272 TAe Catholic Pioneers of A merica. venturous course over plains, forests, rocks, and rivers. After six months' fruitless wanderings, however, they were obliged to return to Fort St. Louis. Here La Salle heard that his last vessel was wrecked. ** With the giant energy of an indomita- ble will," says Bancroft, ** having lost his hopes of fortune, his hopes of fame, he ref.olved to travel on foot to his countrymen at the North, and return from Canada to renew his colony in Texas." With a few priests and twenty men, he set out on this immense journey early in 1687. For nearly two months and a half, the intrepid travellers boldly forced their way, despite the hardships to be endured from a winter climate, and the countless obstacles offered by a savage country But mutiny began to manifest itself. Some of the party nursed dark designs. It is best to give the last scene of the sad narrative in the language of an eye-witness. " Asking me to accompany him," writes Father Douay, " La Salle took two Indians and set out. All the way he conversed with me in relation to matters of piety, grace, and predestination, expatiat- ing on all his obligations to God for having saved him from so many dangers during the last twenty years that he had traversed America. He seemed to me particularly penetrated with a sense of God's benefits to him. •' Suddenly I saw him plunged into a deep melan- choly, for which he himself could not account. He l-V ' ' If :^. Robert Cavelier De La Salle, 2/3 was so troubled that I did not know him any longer. As this was far from his usual state, I roused him from his lethargy. *• Two leagues after, we found the bloody cravat of his lackey. He perceived two eagles flying over his head, and at the same time saw some of his people on the edge of the river, which he approached, ask- ing them what had become of his nephew.' "They answered us in broken words, showing us where we should find him. We proceeded some steps along the bank* to the fated spot where two of these murderers were hidden in the grass, one on each side, with guns cocked. One missed La Salle, the other at the same moment shot him in the head. He breathed his last an hour after, on the 19th of March, 1687. He had confessed and fulfilled all his devotions just before we started that day. . . During his last moments he elicited all the acts of a good Christian. . . Thus died our wise commander, constant in adversity, intrepid, generous, skilful, capable of everything." La Salle " is the worthy compeer of De Soto and Marquette ; he stood sword in hand under the banner of the Cross, the tutelary genius of those great States which stretch away from Lake Ontario to the Rio Grande. Every league of that region he trod on foot, and every league of its water he > Who had been murdered. * The crime was committed on a Bouthern branch of the River Trinity. ^;i :t I ! .1 |;fl| !.' ■ ' ■ ■ 274 7'/ic Catholic Pioneers of A merica. navigated in frail canoes or crazy schooners. Above his tomb the Nortiiern pine should tower : around it the Michigan rose and the Southern myrtle should mingle their hues and unite their perfumes." ' Never, exclaims Parkman. " under the impene- trable mail of paladin or crusader, beat a heart of more intrepid mettle than within the stoic panoply that armed the breast of La Salle. To estimate aright the marvels of his patient fortitude, one must follow on his track through the vast scene of his interminable journeyings, those thousands of weary miles of forest, marsh, and river, where, again and again, in the bitterness of baffled striving, the untir- ing pilgrim pushed onward towards the goal which he was never to attain. America owes him an en- during memory : for in this masculine figure, cast in iron, she sees the heroic pioneer who guided her to the possession of her richest heritage." m^ The CatJtolic Pioneirs of Amarica. 275 MARY MAGDALEN DE LA PELTRIE, FOUNDRESS OF THE URSULINE COS VEST, QUEBEC. Died A. 1). 1671. MONG the noble pioneers whose memories are embalmed in the early history of Canada is that of the pious, heroic, and beautiful Madam de la Pcitrie. She was born of a wealthy and noble family at Alen^on, France, in 1603 : and, at the age of seventeen, in compliance with her father's wishes, she married Charles de la Peltrie, a gentleman of rank and character. Five years later, her husband died, and she found herself a widow and childless. A perusal of the first Jesuit Relations attracted her attention to Canada. '* Alas !" wrote Father Lc Jeune, " is there no charitable and virtuous lady who will come to this country to gather up the blood of Christ by teaching His word to the little Indian girls?" This appeal found an immediate echo in the tender, religious breast of Madam de la Peltrie. There was no school for girls in the wilderness of Canada, and she nobly determined to spend her life 2^6 The Catholic Pioneers of America, I ' iiii-'i and fortune in founding such an institution. But it was only after overcoming a host of obstacles that she found herself free to devote herself to the good work. From Father Poncet, S. J., Madam de la Peltrie learned of a remark.ible Ursuline nufi — Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, — and subsequently, on a visit to Tours, made her acquaintance. She decided to found an Ursuline convent at Quebec. On a bright day, in the summer of 1639, a small vessel glided up the St Lawrence, and neared the little capital of Canada. The cannon roared welcome. All labor ceased. Dusky, battle-scarred Hurons and Algonquins hastened down to the river. The Cover nor, some Jesuit Fathers, and a file of soldiers were ranged at the landing A party of religious ladies stepped ashore, and, as they did so, prostrated them- selves, and kissed the soil of the New World. It was Madam de la Peltrie, Mother Mary of the Incarnation, two other Ursulines, and some Hospital Sisters The Te Deuvi was sung, and the gentle newcomers received a warm welcome. When Madam de la Peltrie visited an Indian village near by, she pressed every little dusky girl she met to her bosom, ''and kissed her with a mother's fondness, unmindful of much that might have created disgust." Canada was now to have its pioneer school for the instruction of girls — humble at first, but destined to grow in fame and usefulness. hi,. ■ Afary Mai>tiaU'n Dc La IMtrie. 277 *' Madam de la Peltrie, who had never desired to be rich, " says the historian of New France, " and who had so cheerfully become poor for Christ's sake, could not refrain from saying that she wished to have at her disposal enough to draw all the tribes of Canada to a knowledge of the true God ; and she took a firm resolution, which she observed her whole life, to spare herself in nothing where th*- salvation of souls was to be effected. Her zeal h d her even to till the soil with her own hands, t ^ have wh re- with to relieve the poor neophytes. In a f<^w days she had stripped herself of all she had retained for \\:\ own use, so as to reduce herself to want of actual necessaries, in order to clothe the children brought to her almost naked ; and her whole life was but a series of acts of the most heroic charity.'" Within the walls of the Ursuline Convent at Quebec both French and Indian girls received a solid, refined, and religious education. From time to time, when the little dusky pupils were permitted to have one of their pantomimic dances, they invited Madam de la Peltrie to join in the sport, and the charming, kind-hearted lady whi knew how to be all to all, did so "with the best grace in the world." She was present at the foundation of Montreal, and helped to decorate its first rustic altar. When Governor De Maisonneuve erected a large cross on Mont Royal, and Mass was said, Madam de la Peltrie * Charlevoix. 278 The Catholic Pioneers of America. received Holy Communion " on the mountain-top, a spectacle to the virgin world out-stretched below." The joy of the pupils at the Convent of Quebec was unbounded, when the ioundress returned to leave them no more. Tollicm she devoted her life. She shared the labors of the nuns, washing, dressing, and teaching the little Indian girls committed to their care ; and the whole colony mourned her loss, when, at the age of sixty-eight, the angel of death called her to receive the reward of tlije faithful Chris- tian, on the i8th of November, 1671. This pious, high-born lady gave Canada its first female academy ; and for thirty-two years, devoted her time, and gifts, and wealth to its progress and prosperity. It must be understood that she was not an Ursuline Nun, under vows ; but simply a religious woman, who chose to live in a poor little cottage at the convent she had founded. She often heard the war- whoops of the Iroquois thirsting for scalps. To the last she preserved her gay 'j,miability, and hand- some countenance, spiritualized by a beautiful life. " No one ever thought'she was growing old," writes an Ursuline. f ' •r-' lilji The Catholic Pioneers of Anurica. Zf^ VENERABLE MARV GUYARD FIRST SUPERIORESS Ot THE URSULINE CONVENT^ QUEBEC. Died A. D. 1672 ARY GUYARD, better known in the history of the New World as Mother Mary of the Incarnation, was born on the 28th of October, 1599, at the city of Tours, France. Her parents were persons of virtue, in modest circum- stances. " The good education whicl/ I received from my parents, who were most pious Christians," wrote this great woman, "laid an excellent foundation in my soul ; and I cannot but bless the Father of good- ness for His gracious kindness to me in this con^ nection. It is a happy step in the way of virtue, and a precious preparation for a high degree of piety, to fall jnto hands which carefuU}' mould the first years of our existence." Mary Guyard gave her hand in marriage — more through obedience to her father and mother, than love or inclination — to a young man, a silk manu- facturer, named Martin. He died two years later, leaving his young widow at the age of twenty, with an itifant sun, and scant mcano of support. 280 Tkg Catholic Pioneers of America, w m \ After twelve years of sorrow and suffering, how- ever, she confided the boy' to her sister's care, and entered the Ursuline Convent of Tours. She became a professed nun in 1633. Hitherto the life of Mother Mary of the Incarnation had been passed in a rude but useful training school. There lay ah^^ad a great work — buried, it is true, in the bosom of the mysterious future. God was pre- paring her for it. *' I now see," she wrote near the end of her days, " that all 'the states of life, trials and labors through which I have passed, have had but one object — to form me for the work to be done in Canada." While a novice she had a remarkable dream — a glimpse at her future career. She seemed to be 'talking cautiously along a dark and dangerous pathway with an unknown lady. A venerable personage directed the travellers to a vast pile of buildings. On one side was a chapel, and the Holy Virgin and her Infant Son appeared to occupy a throne on its summit, looking intently at a distant, desolate country covered with gloom and fogs and traversed by mountains. A little church was visible in the wilderness. Mother Mary pressed forward, and the Queen of Heaven smiled gra- ciously and kissed the forehead of the devoted traveller. She then whispered some message to 1 Who afterwards entered the Order of St. Benedict, and became a learned •iriest. Venerable Mary Guyard. 281 IS the Divine Child. It concerned the salvation of souls. Though Mother Mary heard not the words, she caught their meaning, and on awaking, iier glow- ing heart burned more than ever for the conversion of pagan nations. When Madam de la Peltrie, whose life I have sketched in another place, appeared in the Ursuline Convent at Tours, Mother Mary of the Incarnation at once recognized in her the beautiful unknown companion of her dream. The Archbishop of Tours was the venerable figure that pointed out the way. When presenting Mother Mary of the Incarnation and Mother St. Joseph to Madam de la Peltrie, he said: ** These are the two foundation-stones of the temple which you are about to erect in the New World for the glory of God. I entrust them to you for this end, and according to your request. On the model of the Jerusalem above, may they be two precious stones in the foundation. May this edi- fice be a mansion of peace and grace and celestial blessings, more abundant than the ancient temple of Solomon. May the efforts of hell never prevail against it, any more than against the Holy 'church." Mother Mary of the Incarnation, Madam de la Peltrie, and two Ursulines landed at Quebec on the 1st of August, 1639; and, after kissing tb^ ground, they were escorted by the Governor, Jesuit Fathers, and a body of troops, to the little chapel, which had 282 The Catholic Pioneers of America. If'' '■ \r • i* ■ I >ii ■J!;' •'r?t: been built by Champlain. Mass was celebrated, the Te Deum chanted, and, after dining at the fort, the gentle ladies began their heroic labors. The first convent was a little building, consisting of two rooms. The smaller was transformed into a classroom ; the larger served as bed-room, choir, parlor, kitchen, and refectory. An additional wing was added and became the chapel. But the scourge of small-pox soon changed the little convent, for a time, into a hospital. The work of instruction progressed rapidly. Mother Mary and her nuns bent themselves to the study of the Huron and Algonquin languages' and soon the little Indian girls enjoyed the same advantages as their French sisters. Th? parlor was often visited by Indian warriohs. who received not only the food of instruction, but other food demanded by the laws of Indian hospi- tality. Among those untutored sons of the wilder- ness it was considered an affront to send away a guest without inviting him to eat. The "pot of ^ sagamite" had to be constantly on the fire. From time to time, a more ** splendia banquet" was prepared for sixty or eighty dusky visitors. On such occasions it required *' a bushel of black plums, twenty four pounds of bread, a due quantity of Indian meal or ground peas, a dozen of tallow candles melted, and two or three pounds of fat pork" — all well boiled together. " It would be a ' Venerable Mary Guyard. 283 ,t pity, ' writes Mother Mary of the Incarnation, "to deprive these poor people of such a feast, since it requires no more to content even their sachems and war-chiefs." Mother Mary's first Huron pupil was the niece of a famous war-chief, who brought his little Teresa to be trained in the '* House of Jesus, ' as the Indians called the convent. She was a very gifted girl, and her progress in virtue and knowledge was remarkable. When battle-scarred warriors came down from the Huron country, they heard her with astonishment. "Teresa has more sense," said a veteran of the wilderness, " than any one who has ever appeared ii> our country. Her teacher must be the greatesr genius among the French." Teresa studied at the convent for two years, and many a tear rolled down her dusky cheeks on the day of departure. From Three Rivery she wrote to Mother Mary of the Incarnation : " My Dear Mother,— " I am going to rny distant home. We are ready to start . I thank you for all the care you have bestowed upon me. I thank you for having taught me to serve God. Is it for a thing of small value that I offer you my thanks? Never shall I for- get you. Tkresa." The educational programme of this pioneer female academy of Canada was most sensible, practical, md 284 The Catholic Pioneers oj A merica. % !i:; ?!■ Christian. It was in the seventeenth century, we must remember, and there were fewer subjects taught than at present. But what was done, was done thoroughly. The pupils were taught reading, gram- mar, the Christian Religion, sacred History, practical arithmetic, penmanship, and needlework. We hear no mention of a piano, and the formidable *ologics were omitted ; but it remained for our day to try the ridiculous experiment of studying everything — a sure road to the mastery of nothing.' The Ursulines entered their new convent in 1642 ; but eight years later it was wholly destroyed by fire. Then Venerable Mother Mary's energy and Madam de la Peltrie's purse were taxed to the utmost. A new and more substantial residence was the result. It stands to this day. After thirty-three years of ceaseless toil at Quebec, the life of the Venerable Mother Mary drew to a close. Her sorrowing daughters asked her to pray that such a precious life might be prolonged. Nor did she refuse. "My God," she exclaimed in feeble accents, " if I can yet be of service to this little community, I refuse neither labor nor fatigue. Thy will be done." "No, my good Mother," urged her confessor. Father Lallement, S. J., " you must join our petitions and ask to recover." The saintly lady did as com- manded ; but in a few weeks more the last Sacra^ > Livti of the Catholic Heroes and Heroines. iij Venerable Mary Guyard. 28$ ments were administered, and Mother Mary of the Incarnation died on the 30th of April, 1672, at the age of seventy-two years. This pioneer educator of Canadian women was, to the last day of her beautiful life, the great teacher, guide, model, and mother of her community. She had rare executive ability. Nothing escaped her attention ; and her capacity for labor seemed limit- less. She wrote a prodigious number of letters, and everything from her pen is marked by beauty of style and solidity of judgment. She prepared for the use of her nuns and pupils a sacred history, catechism, dictionary, and collection of prayers in Algonquin , a catechism and dictionary in Iroquois ; a catechism in Huron ; and several works in French. She excelled in all kinds of needlework and em- broidery, as well as in gilding and painting. She sanctified those accomplishments by contributing the fruit of her own hands to the decoration of chapels, churches, and altars, in every part of the country. She even possessed remarkable skill m sculpture and architecture ; but what crowned all those gilts with glory, was the heroic practice ot virtue on which the Catholic Church placed her unerring seal of approval by declaring Mother Mary of the Incar nation Venerable^ on the 15th of September, 1877. 286 The Catholic Pioneers of America. v\ m it ': W' JANE MANCE, fOUNDRESS OF THE Ho TEL DIEU, MONTRItAL, Died A. D. 1673. |ANE MANCE, the noble woman who gave Montreal its first hospital, was born, in 1606, of a distinguished family \\\ France. While a mere child, she made a vow of chastity. An excellent education served to develop natural gifts of the first order, and she became a refined, graceful, and ac- complished lady. On the death of her parents, Miss Mance decided to devote her life to the service of God and His creatures in the wilderness of Canada. She was among the band of pious colonists that sailed with the knightly De Maisonneuve to found a town in honor of the Most Holy Virgin on the Island of Montreal. Madam de la Peltrie accompanied the pioneers from Quebec, and aided Miss Mance to decorate the first altar at Montreal on the i/th of May, 1642. It was the birthday of a great city. Miss Mance, with the money furnished by a wealthy and charitable lady, built a hospital, which i:. Jant, Mance. 287 iihc managed herself. As the town grew, and the bloodthirsty Iroquois began to prowl around, so did the work increase. But for seventeen years this heroic lady bore the burden and heat of the day, and with the aid of four or five charitable women, daily met the countless and repulsive duties of her little Hotel Dieu. A fall on the ice, however, in the winter of 1657, so injured her right arm, that it began to wither away ; but on a visit to France she applied a relic of Olicr to the shrivelled limb, and from that hour its health and vigor were restored. It was during this visit to her native land, that Miss Mance secured the services of three Hospital Nuns of St. Joseph' for the Hotel Dieu at Mon- treal — then a little place consisting of a rude fort and about forty houses. The good lady and her religious friends were warmly welcomed, but their quarters were anything but corrifortable. The chamber of the nuns, "which they occupied for many years, being hastily built of ill-seasoned planks, let in the piercing cold of the Canadian ' winter though countless cracks and chinks ; and the driving snow sifted through in such quantities that they were sometimes obliged, the morning after a storm, to remove it with shovels. Their food would freeze on the table before them, and their coarse brown bread had to be thawed on the hearth before 'thcv could cut it." • Sisters Judith ile Brcsoles, Catherine Mac^, ami Mary Ma.illet. I: 288 T/ie Catholic Pioneers oj America, But toil, cold, hardship, and poverty were not the only difficulties to be encountered b)- Miss Mance and her nuns. There was another enemy seldom absent — the terrible Iroquois. " More than once," writes the author of the Old Regime in Canada^ ' one of these jiiowling savages was known to have crouched all night in a rank growth of wild mustard in the garden of the nuns, vainly hoping that one of them would come out within reach of his tomahawk. During summer, a month rarely passed without a fight, iometimes A'ithin sight of their windows. "A burst of yells from the ambushed marksmen, lollowed bv a clatter of musketr\', would announce *he opening of the fray, and promise the nuns an ■addition to their list of patients. On these occa- sions they bore themselves according to their several natures. Sister Morin, who had joined their number three years after their arrival, relates that Sister Brdsoles and she used to run to the belfry and ring the tocsin to call theinhabitants together." *' From our high station," she writes, " we could sometimes see the combat, which terrified us ex- tremely, so that wc came down again as soon as we could, trembling with fright, and thinking that our last hour was come. When the toscin sounded, Sister Maillet would become faint with excess of fear; and Sister Mace, as long as the alarm cc n-« tinned, would remain speechless, in a state pitiable Ml Jane Mance. 289 to see. They would both gel into a corner of the rood-loft before the Blessed Sacrament, so as to be prepared for death , or else go into their cells. "As soon as I heard that the Iroquois were gone, I went to tell them, which comforted tl.em, and seemed to restore them to life. Sister Brdsoles was stronger and more courageous; her terror, which she could not help, did not prevent her from at- tending the sick, and receiving the dead and wounded who were brought in." Miss Mance toiled at Montreal for thirty-one years to establish the Hotel Dieu on a firm foundation ; and passed to a better world in June, 1673, at the age of sixty-seven, leaving behind the golden record of a beautiful life. She was a holy heroine — a glorious Catholic Pioneer. re 11* :■ II!' I ■ '* ■, 290 T/te Catholic Pioneers of America. PAUL C. DE MAISONNEUVE.' THE FCUNDliR OF MONTREAL. Died A. I). 1676. |HILE Champlain was laying the corner- stone of a nation in the wilderness watered by the St. Lawrence, Paul de Maisonneuve was born in France. He entered the army at the age of thirteen ; and in a time of libertinism and heresy, kept his brave heart pure and his Catholic faith intact. Years rolled on. The young soldier distinguislied himself on many a hard-contested field ; and after long pondering the matter, he made up his mind to serve God in his profession by consecrating his sword to the Church i 1 some religious enterprise. Nor was the oppr .tunity long wanting. An as sociation of pious persons in France had purchased the Island of Mon real, where it was their design to build a town wb ch should be at once a home for the missions, a aefence against the Iroquois, a cen. tre of commerce for the future colonists, and which should be dedicated to the Most Holy Virgin under the name of Ville Marie, or the town of Mary. ' The full name was Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, if Paul C. De Maisounfuve, 29 T A wise and valiant leader was wanted for this un- dertaking. One of the associates heard of De Mai- sonneuve, and sought an interview. He was de- lighted. He had found the rare man destined by I'rovidence for the achievement of such a great work. " I have no interested motives," said De Maisonneuve at the close of the conversation, *' my income is sufficient for all my wants ; and I would^ gladly devote my purse and life to this noble enter- prise.' He was appointed Governor of Montreal, anil the expedition was soon on its way across the Atlantic. In the fall of 1641, De Maisonneuve, forty men. Miss Mance, and a few women, sailed into the harbor of Quebec. It was too late in the season, however, to ascend the river, and the party wintered as well as they could at the poor little capital. Governor Montmagny tri^d to persuade De Maisonneuve not to proceed to Montreal ; but rather to fix his colony in the Island of Orleans, near Quebec, where there would be less danger from the hostile savages. *' 1 have not come here," said the brave leader, •' to de- liberate, but to act. It is my duty and my honor to found a colony at Montreal ; and I would go, if every tree were an Iroquois!" On the 1 8th of May, 1642, four boats approached the Island of Montreal. It was Maisonneuve and his hardy colonists. The commander sprang ashore, fell on his knees, and all followed. An altar was 2g2 Tlic Catholic Pioneers of America. erected, and decorated by Miss Mance and Madam de la Peltrie. Mass was celebrated by Father Vi- mont, S. J., and at its close, he said to the devout little congregation that knelt around : "You are a grain of mustard-seed, that shall rise and grow till its branches overshadow the earth. You are few, but your work is the work of God. His smile is on you, and your children shall fill the land." It was the birthday of Ville Marie, or Montreal. The terse words of the Jesuit were prophetic. De Mdisonneuve cut down the first tree. A clearing was made. Rude habitations arose, and the colony began to take root. The first enemy that appeared was an inundation. Winter had scarcely set in when the St. Lawrence arose, and threatened to drown the settlement. De Maisonneuve, pious as he was brave, placed a cross in front of the ap- proaching flood, and vowed to carry a large cross on his shoulders to the top of Mont Royal, and erect it on the summit, if the waters would subside. His prayer was heard, and his vow carefully fulfilled. On the 6th of January, 1643, a large cross could be seen on the mountain-top, where, for years after, the sacred symbol " reniained an object of pilgrimage to the pious colonists of Ville Marie." Under the wise guidance of Governor De Maison- neuve, the town grew and prospered. Religion flourished, and even the garrison was noted for Paul C. De MaisoHueuve. 293 piety. From among his best soldiers, De Maison- ncuve chose a band of sixty-three volunteers, a4fi specially vowed to defend the Town of Mary. This number was suggested by the years which the Holy Virgin lived on earth ; and those hardy veterans, in the spirit of crusaders, formed in the forests of Canada a kind of military confraternity. They said the beads every day, wore the medal of their order as a decoration, and often approached the sacra- ments. The soldiers, and every one else, had plenty to do as soon as the Iroquois discovered the settlement. Numbers of those lynx-eyed savages would hang around the neighboring forests, skulking behind trees or logs ; and the heedless colonist often paid the penalty of negligence with his life and scalp. A number of trained dogs — and among them one named Pilot — proved very useful as sentinels. The following vivid pen-picture is descriptive of a charac- teristic event in the every-day life of the heroic founder of Montreal. " De Maisonneuve," writes the non-Catholic author of The Jesuits in North Ajueriea, "was as brave a knight of the Cross as ever fought in Palestine for the sepulchre of Christ ; but he could temper his valor with discretion. He knew that he and his soldiers were but indifferent woodsmen ; that their crafty foe had no equal in ambuscades and surprises ; and that, while a defeat might ruin the French, it Jl.l: ,. 294 The Catholic Pioneers of America. lilpft would only exasperate an enemy whose resources in men were incomparably greater. Therefore, when the dogs sounded the alarm, he kept his followers close, and stood patiently on the defensive. They chafed under this Fabian policy, and at length im- puted it to cowardice. Their murmurings grew louder, till they reached the ear of De Maisonneuve. *'The religion which animated him had not de- stroyed the soldierly pride which takes root so readily and so strongly in a manly nature ; and an imputa- tion of cowardice from his own soldiers stung him to the quick. He saw, too, that such an opinion of him must needs weaken his authority, and impair the discipline essential to the safety of the colony. ** On the morning of the 30th of March, 1644, Pilot was heard barking with unusual fury in the forest eastward from the fort ; and in a few moments they saw her running over the clearing, where 'the snow was still deep, followed by her brood, all giving tongue together. The excited Frenchmen flocked about their commander. ^^ ^ Monsieur, les ennemis sont dans le bois ; 7ie les irons- nous jamais voir?* ' *' De Maisonneuve, habitually composed and calm, answered sharply — " * Yes, you shall see the enemy. Get yourselves ready at once, and take care that you are as brave as you profess to be. I shall lead you myself.* > '^ The enemy are in the woods, sir; are we never going to see them?** Paul C. Dc MaisoHHcuvc. 295 ''All was bustle in the fort. Guns were loaded, pouches filled, and snow-shoes tied on by those who had them and knew how to use them. There were not enough, however, and many were forced to go without them. When all was ready, De Maison- neuve sallied forth at the head of thirty men, leaving D'Ailleboust, with the remainder, to hold the fort. They crossed the snow clearing and entered the forest, where all was silent as the grave. They pushed on, wading through the deep snow, with the countless pitfalls hidden beneath it, when suddenly they were greeted with the screeches of eighty Iroquois, who sprang up from their lurking-places, and showered bullets and arrows upon the advancing French. *' The emergency called, not for chivalry, but for wood-craft; and De Maisonneuve ordered his men to take shelter, like their assailants, behind trees. They stood their ground resolutely for a long time; but the Iroquois pressed them close, three of their number were killed, others were wounded, and their ammunition began to fail. Their only alternatives were destruction or retreat ; and to retreat v.as not easy. The order was given. Though steady at first, the men soon became confused, and over-eager to escape the galling fire which the Iroquois sent after them. " De Maisonneuve directed them towards a sledge- track, which had been used in dragging timber for 296 Tlic Catholic Pioneers of America. building the hospital, and where the snow was firm beneath the foot. He himself remained to the last, encouraging his followers and aiding the wounded to escape. The French, as they struggled through the snow, faced about from time to time, and fired back to check the pursuit ; but no sooner had they reached the sledge-track than they gave way to their terror, and ran in a body for the fort. Those within, seeing this confused rush of men from the distance, mistook them for the enemy; and an over-zealous soldier touched the match to a cannon which had been pointed to rake the sledge-track. Had not the piece missed fire, from dampness of the priming, hi. would have done more execution at one shot thar the Iroquois in all the fight of that morning. ** De Maisonneuve was left alone, retreating back- wards down the track, and holding his pursuers in check, with a pistol in each hand. They might easily have shot him; but, recognizing him as thecommander of the French, they were bent on taking him alive. Their chief coveted this honor for himself, and his followers held aloof to give him the opportunity. He pressed close upon De Maisonneuve, who snapped a pistol at him, which missed fire. The Iroquois, who had ducked to avoid the shot, rose erect, and sprang forward to seize him, when De Maisonneuve with his remaining pistol shot him dead. Then ensued a curious spectacle, not infrequent in Indian battles. The Iroquois seemed to forget their enemy, in their '» Paul C. Dc Maisonmuve. 297 /t anxiety to secure .ind carry off the body of their chief ; and the French commander continued his retreat unmolested, till he was safe under the cannon of the fort. From that day he was a hero in the eyes of his men." ' De Maisonneuvewent to France in 1652 to further the interests of the colony, and returned with a body of settlers, and the heroic Margaret Bourgeois, the future foundress of the Congregation de Notre Dame. When the Priests of St. Sulpice became tiie proprietors of the ! 'and of Montreal, he retained his oflfice of governor, and his rare merits were fitly recognized. In 1665, however, to the intense grief of all at Ville Marie, De Maisonneuve was unjustly removed and sent to France by the Marquis de Tracy, the Governor General. It was a base trick of politics, but De Maisonneuve bore the affront with the patience and humility of a true Christian. He died piously at Paris on the 9th of September, 1676. This intrepid Catholic Pioneer, whose manly figure is one of the grandest in the history of tl*e New World, spent twenty-two years in laying the foundation and guarding the infancy of what is now the commercial metropolis of Canada. To the valor of a soldier he joined the fervent zeal of a mission- ary. He had the spirit of Godfrey de Bouillon. > It is the opinion of tlie learned AbM Faillon, that this exploit was aihieved 00 the spot where the great Church of Nutrc Dai:ic now stands. TWTT 298 TAe Catholic Pioneers of A merica. He was the soul of pure disinterestedness, and so little did lie love the world aiid its ways, that, soon after his arrival on the banks of the St. Lawrence, he made a vow of perpetual chastity. '■ How shall we rank thee upon glory's page, Thou more than soldier and not less than sage ?" " Quebec and Montreal," writes the historian Parkman, "are happy in their founders. Samuel de Champlain and Chomedey de Maisonneuve are among the names that shine with a fair and honest lustre on the infancy of nations.'* VENERABLE MARGARET BOURGEOIS, FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTEKS OF THE CONGREGA TION OF OUR LADV. Died A. D. 1 700. THE bright name of Margaret Bourgeois shines among the Catholic Pioneers of America in the seventeenth century ; and her holy and useful influence has been felt in the New World for over two hundred years. •bf^ was born at Troyes, France, on Good Friday, l^. 17th of April, 1620. Her parents were in re- ; • ; ble circumstances, and were noted for virtue I Ich: Venerable Margaret Bourgeois. 299 R and good sense. While yet a child, she had the misfortune to lose her mother. Margaret was dis- tinguished among her little companions by a love of labor, pious dispositions, quickness in learning to read and write, and a singular maturity of judgment. At an early age she exhibited marked traits of character. Even in her tenth year, though she had never seen a religious community, the dear little girl was often observed assembling children, and in- stilling into their infant minds a sense of duty. When somewhat older, her worthy father placed her at the head of his household. It was, however, when she reached womanhood that Miss Bourgois made rapid progress in the path of religious perfection. In Father Jandret, a learned and virtuous priest, she found a wise director. She wished to consecrate herself to God by a vow of virginity. This her confessor forbade her to do be- fore the age of thirty ; but, admiring her wonderful virtue, he, after a time, permitted her to pronounce this sacred vow in her twenty-third year. About this period, Father Jandret was engaged in forming tlie plan of a new religious community, which, after the example of the Blessed Virgin, would unite in their lives the active and contemplative virtues. The rule was given to Miss Bourgeois and two other, young ladies to be observed ; and the three novices for that purpose retired to a spacious apart- ment given them by a sister of De Maisonneuv^, I- ^ i 300 The Catholic Pioneers of America, that gallant gentleman being then Governor of Montreal, in Canada. One of the iadies died, a second withdrew, and finally Father Jandret gave up the design as a fruitless attempt. But, from this short experience. Sister Bourgeois derived lasting advantages. The unsuccessful efforts she made at that time, under the directions of an enlightened priest, served as a rule to guide her in the great work she was one day to accomplish in the wilds of Canada, on the banks of the majestic St. Lawrence. Several singular circumstances convinced Sister Bourgeois that it was the will of her Almighty Master to begin her labors in the New World, and Without delay she presented herself to De Maison- neuve, who was then on a visit to his friends at Froyes, offering to pass under his protection to the Canadian forests. But she was alone, guided by naught save the bright star of confidence in God. Father Jandret warmly approved her design, and gave her his blessing. Yet some questioned the prudence of the undertaking. In her own mind difficulties arose. Her modesty and Christian pru- dence became alarmed. While thus in suspense, a vision appeared to her one morning while alone. A beautiful lady stood before her and said, *' Go, I will never forsake you," instantly disappearing. It was a visit from the Blessed Virgin herself. The courage- ous woman felt strengthened and comforted. In her thirty-third year. Sister Bourgeois dis- Venvrahh' Margaret Bourgeois. 301 tributcd all her possessions in alms, and under the guidance and protection of Governor De Maisoii- neuve she sailed for Canada. In the fall of 1653, she set her foot for the first time on the banks of the St, Lawrence. The Island of Montreal u as then nothing more than a picturesque wilderness, the site of one little struggling outpost of civilization, whose exposed inhabitants ran nightly risk of being scalped by prowling parties of hostile Mohawks. There was not even a chapel in which to celebrate Mass. A rude tent was the only temple of God, and a gigantic tree of the forest the only steeple. Sister Bourgeois now began the work of her sub- lime mission. With equal care and charity she in- structed the little Indians and the children of the settlers; she watched and served the sick; and even the dead received from her benevolent hands the last sad services. The benefactress of the poor soldier, she washed and mended his garments. Her zeal, like the sphere of her usefulness, was boundless. Thus did this heroic lady spend her first five years in Montreal. But she was alone as a teacher — all alone in her labors. It was now that she formed the idea of establish ing a community of Sisters. In search of youthful and devoted hearts to share her holy toils, she made a voyage to her native France. She was successful, and on her return brought four young ladies. In a Stable she opened her new community, givinr it the ifTT ' i: > 302 /7u' Catholic Pioneers oj America. name of Congregation de Notre Dame.^ For the more permanent establishment of her Institution, Mothei Bourgeois received letters patent from Louis XIV., and the necessary confirmation from Bishop T.aval of Quebec. To her religious daugh- ters she proposed two chief objects: (i) Their own sanctification. (2) That of their neighbor. Her Sisterhood is en- tirely devoted to female instruction. This was, I believe, the first religious society founded in the New World. When it was firmly established, Sister Bourgeois resigned the position of Superioress, and the re- maining seven years of her life were spent in special preparation for death. On the last night of 1699, one of the Sisters fell dangerously ill. No sooner 'jvas the saintly foundress informed of it than she exclaimed : " My God ! accept the sacrifice of my life rather than deprive the community of that dear and excellent child." Her prayer was instantly heard. The sick religious got well, and Sister Bourgeois was seized with the same mortal disease. With a holy joy she bore her sufferings for twelve days, and on the f2th of Janua'ry, 1700, expired in her eightieth year. Thus died, amid the scene of her toils, the famous and saintly Margaret Bourgeois, one of the immortal women of America. • Congregation of Onr Lady. Venerable Margaret Bourgeois, 303 Her virtues were of the most heroic cast. On one occasion, learning that a poor soldier had no bed, she sent her own to him. His fellow-inarms came to ask her aid. She gave him the blankets. On another occasion, for the purpose of opening a school for poor children, she walked on foot amid snow and ice from Montreal to Quebec, a distance of about one hundred and eighty miles. She always lay on a bed of straw, and a piece of wood served for her pillow. Is it any wonder that the Catholic Church declared Margaret Bourgeois Venerable in 1879? •'Her portrait," writes Francis Parkman, "has come down to us, and her face is a mirror of frank- ness, loyalty, and womanly tenderness. Her qualities were those of good sense, conscientiousness, and a warm heart. To this day, in the crowded school- rooms of Montreal and Quebec, fit monuments of her unobtrusive virtues, her successors instruct the children of the poor, and embalm the beautiful memory of Margaret Bourgeois." ■m u ■ 304 'r/te Catholic Pioneers of America^ u * FRANCIS XAVIER DE LAVAL, D. D., URST HI SHOP OF QVEniiC. Dial A. />. I7()S RANCIS XAVIER DE LAVAL/ a member of one of the most ancient and noble houses in Europe, was born at Laval, France, on tlic 30th of April, 1623. He was educated by the Jesuit Fathers, and after liis elevation to the priest- hood, he spent years in study, prayer, the practice of virtue, and the instruction of the poor. Just half a century after Cliamplain had founded Quebec, Bishop Laval was a])pointcd Vicar-Apostolic of Canada. He landed at Quebec on the i6th of June, 1659. The little town exhibited great joy. The French and the Indians vied with each other in showing respect to the illustrious newromer. The Kurons called him Hariivawagni, or •' the man of great affairs For some time Bishop Laval was obliged to lodge in the class rooms of Madam de la Peltrie's house. " He is a man," writes Mother Mary of the Incarna- tion, *' of superior merit and singular virtue, and OUcn written Laval Montmorency. Framis XavUr De Laval, D. I). 3f^5 possesses abilities of the highest order. He is above human re i-ect. zealous for the spread of religion, and for every good work. All admire his exemplary life — in short, he is a man chosen b)- Heaven, an apostle worthy of all possible considera- tion. We shall certainly be incommoded to find place in our class rooms for the pupils, but we shall gladly suffer the inconvenience on such an occasion. He will have the enjoyment of a fine garden." The period of Bishop Laval's rule was long and full of troubles. The Iroquois, on the look-out for scalps, were not the only source of annoyance. The first difficulty was to establish his authority, which was threatened by the claims of the Archbishop of Routn and his representative at Montreal. When, )iovvever, this affair was settled, the suppression of the scandalous traffic in brandy called for all his zeal, courage, and energy. It was a temperance question in the interest of the Indians. " Their inordinate passion for brandy had loner been the source of excessive disorders. They drank expressly to get drunk, and when drunk they were like wild beasts. Crime and violence of all sorts ensued ; the priests saw their teachings despised and their flocks ruined." Bishop Laval excommunicated all who engaged in this horrid traffic ; but he soon found himself in collision with the civil authorities. Though hatred and persecution dogged his steps, he ceased not to 3o6 The Catholic Pioneers of A tnerica. m n\ make war on iniquity • and his struggles with Governors Avaugour De Mezy, and Frontenac will ever be famous. The See of Quebec was established in 1674, and the apostolic Laval was now in title, as well as in fact, Bishop of the capital of Canada. His flock were scattered at widely-distant points in the wil- derness, which he often visited in a sleigh or on snow-shoes. He established the Seminary of Que bee, a normal school, a model farm, and a school of arts and trades, thus giv ing a new and powerful im- pulse to the spiritual and temporal growth of the roiony. The pioneer prelate resigned his see in 1688, and died at the Seminary of Quebec on the 6th of May, 1708, at the ripe age of eighty-five years. The venerable Bishop Laval exercised a com- manding influence on the destinies of Canada. He moulded its moral life, and gave a right direction to its Christian civilization ; and to this day the educational and religious institutions on the banks of the St. Lawrence bear witness to his lofty lalors. He f'nds a worthy monument in that splendid Cathv. ic seat of learning at Quebec — Laval Univer- sity. ■■\Y:X The LaUioiu Pioneers oj America. 30; THOMAS DONGANV FIRST C A TJ/OL/C COfERNOR O/'A'EIV YORK 1 • 1 la Vied A. D. 1 71 5. HE name of Thomas Dongan justly holds the place of honor in the list of the colonial Gov- ernors of New York. He belonged to an an cientand noble Irish family, and was born in 1634, in the County of Kildare, Irelatid, His father was Sir John Dongan, of Castletown ; and one of his uncles, on the maternal side, was the famous Richard Tal- bot, Earl of Tyrconnell, who figured so conspicu- ously in the reign of James II., and who, at one time, aimed at securing the complete independence of Ireland. Young Dongan, after receiving an excellent edu- cation, and being well grounded in the religion of his fathers, embraced the profession of arms. He entered the service of France. By his bravery and ability, he soon reached the rank of Colonel, and commanded a rec^iment under Louis XIV. In obedience, however, to a decree of the English Parliament, Colonel Dongan returned to his native ' The Irish form of the name is O Putt? ^ 312 The Catholic Pioneers of Auurica. ** The Right Honorable Thomas Dongao, Earl of Limerick, Died Dec. 141I1, aged eighty-one years, 17x5. Requie-iiat in pace. Amen." Governor Dongaii was a man of marked ad- ministrative ability, clear-headed, \irtuous, liberal, progressive — rare qualities in the English colonial rulers of th ^' ^e. If to-day the State of New York is bou-i * ;n the north by Lake Ontario and the River St. Lawrence, it cannot be denied but this is due to he <^ri^' Catholic Governor. He was a soldier of unsullied honor. He was one of the most unselfish of men. He was liberal in an age of in- tolerance. During his brief rule, a Catholic college was opened in New York. \\vi4A ■ The Catholic Pioneers of America. 313 SEBASTIAN RALE, S. J., THE MAR TyU-M/SS/OXA A' J ' O/- THE A DNA KIS. Died A D. 1724. EBASTIAN RALE, the famous missionary and Indian scholar, was born in 1658, of a re- spectable faniil)' in France. He entered the Society of Jesus, and was sent to labor in the New World soon after his ordination, landing at Quebec on the 13th of October, 1689. He was first stationed in the Abnaki mission village which had been formed at a beautiful cataract on the Chaudierc Ri\er, a stream that falls into the St. Lawrence, near Quebec. Father Rale, it seems, met his first trial in eating with his dusky flock. " What I saw," he says, "certainly did not whet my appetite. The Indians took notice of my dislike to their food, and said, ' W^hy do you not eat ?' I replied, that I was not used to taking my food thus without any bread. ' You must overcome your scruples,' said the\'; 'and is this so hard for a Father who understands the prayer' perfectly ? We, on our part, have diflficul- ' The Indians used the word pmywr in the same sense that we use the won! 3«4 The Catholic Pioneers of America, ■ii iii 'A ties to get over in order to have faith in what we cannot see.' Then I could hesitate no longer. It became necessary to accommodate myself to their manners and usages, that I might win their con- fidence, and gather them into the fold of Christ." He describes the Indian warrior of his day as " a large man, strong, active, of a swarthy com- plexion, beardless, and with teeth whiter than ivory." In 1691, Father Rale set out for the Illinois In- dians, in the wilderness of the far West, among whom he toiled with zeal and energy. "There would have been less difficulty in converting the Illinois," he remarks, " if religion had permitted polygamy amongst them." He remained there for two years. From the year 1695, we find him among his be- loved Abnakis at Norridgewalk, Maine. " The site of his mission," writes Shea, "now called Indian Old Point, is a sequestered spot on the Kennebec, where nature, in all her charms, still arrests the at- tention of the traveller. Rale is not the apostle of the Kennebec. At his arrival the Abnakis were al- most, if not quite, all converted, and had a small but well-built church." *' The traveller knew it was a place of prayer, For the holy sign of the cross was there.* " For a part of the year, the missionary and his flock remained at the village ; but when the crops Sebastian Rule, S, J. 3«5 had been sown, they repaired to the seacoast to fish — a travelling tent, like Israel's tabernacle, being their chapel on the way, and a bark cabin receiving it on the shore. In like manner, the winter was spent in hunting, either on the coast or in the mountains." The war between France and England, in the early years of the eighteenth century, extended is desolating influence to their American Colonits The Abnakis sided with the French ; and in 1705, a party of New-Englanders burned the church and village of Norridgewalk. It was shortly after this that an unhappy accident befell Father Rale on a journey. A severe fall broke both his legs. And. as if to add to his merits and sufferings, the English offercvl a reward for his head ; but, guarded by his faithful Indians, he was safe for the present from bribe and bullet. When the treaty of Utrecht restored peace in 171 3, the Abnakis set about building a new church at Norridgewalk. A number of chiefs went to Boston to engage skilled workmen. Governor Dudley, as a bribe, offered to p;*y the expenses of rebuilding, if the Indians would put away their venerable black-gown, and take a Protestant minister in his place. The proposal was rejected with indig- nation. " When you first came here," replied the Abnaki chief, " you saw me long before the French Gov- ernors ; but neither }Ou nor your ministers spoke 3i6 The Catholic Pionefrs of America, ! r! lidl .1 to me of prayer, or the Great Spirit. You saw my furs, my beaver and moose skins, and of these only did you think. When I had much, you were niy friends, and only then.' "But when the French black-robe came, though I was loaded with furs, he disdained to look at them. He spoke to me of the Great Spirit, ot Heaven, of Hell, of the prayer which is the only \\\\y to reach Heaven. I heard him, and was delighted with his words. At last, the prayer pleased me. I asked to be instructed, and was finally baptized. " Thus have the French acted. Had you spoken to me of the prayer as soon as we met, 1 should now be so unhappy as to pray like you ; for I could not have told whether your prayer was good or bad. Now I hold to the prayer of the French. I agree to it. I shall be faithful to it, even until the earth is destroyed. Keep your men, and your gold, a!ui your minister I will go to my French father!" The church was rebuilt by the French. Father Rale's wonderful influence over the Abnakis, together with the fact that a price was placed on his snow-white head, made him an object of extreme hatred to the English ; and in 1722, a party of soldiers left Boston with instructions to seize him. The aged Jesuit, maimed as he was, had just time to hide in the woods, when the Boston ruffi.ins swooped down on the village, rifled the church, and carried off all his books and manuscripts, in Sebastian Rale, S. J. 317 eluding that of his celebrated Abnaki Dictionary} Two years I-^ter, unhappily, a more successful at- tempt was made on the precious life of the missionary. A force of English and Moliavvk war- riors suddenly surrounded the village, shouting like fiends, and opened a deadly volley of musketr}-. " Father Rale," writes Francis, " apprised of the peril of his people, by the shouts and the tumult, hastened forth fearlessly to present his person to the assailants, in the hope of attracting their attention to himself, and thus securing his flock at the risk of his own life. His expectation was not disappointed. Scarcely had he appeared, when the English uttered a great shout, which was followed by a shower of musket shot. He fell dead near the cross which he had planted in the middle of the village. Seven Indians, who gathered about him to make their bodies his protection, were slain by his side. Thus died this affectionate pastor, giving his life for the sheep, after a mission of thirty-seven years, full of suffering." The brutal wretches hacked and p.iangled ' his body, cut his head open, broke his legs; and after profaning the adorable Host, they fired the little church. 1 It is still preserved in the library of Harvard University. ff^ 318 The Catholic Pioneers of America, t ■''« CASIMIR PULASKI, ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE REVOLUTION. Died A. D. 1779. OUNT CASIMIR PULASKI was one of the bravest and most skilful generalsof the Revo- lution. The son of a patriotic nobleman, ho was born in Poland, in 1747. After receiving an excellent education, Pulaski acquired great military experience in the long and unfortunate wai for the liberation of his country. His deeds of daring, his bold and rapid movements against the overwhelm- ing forces of Russia, have been the themes of many an able pen. But his unhappy country was finally torn in pieces. Austria, Russia, and Prussia, like a pack of wolves, joined together, and prostrate Poland was divided amongst them. Resistance now became hopeless. Count Pulaski, who had lost his brave father and brothers in the war, made his way to Turkey, and afterwards went to France, where he offered his services to Doctor Franklin in aid of American liberty. Count Pulaski, of Poland," wrote Franklin to <( Casiinu I'ulaski, jiy to Gcncr.il W'asliin^ton. " an officer famous tluou^hout Europe for liis bravery atul conduct in defence of the liberties of his country against tlie three great invading powers of Russia, Austria, anil I'russia, will have the honor of delivering this into your hands." The accomplished soldier arrived at Philadelphia in the summer of 1777. At first, he served in the army as a volunteer, but four days after the battle of Brandywine, in which he greatly distinguished himself, he,was appointed by Congress commander of the cavalry, with the rank of Uiigadier-General. After five months, he resigned this command, and entered the main army at Valley Forge in March, 1778. Here, with the consent of Congress, he organized an independent corps of cavalry and light infantry — the first of its kind in the American army. This corps was known as Pulaski's Legion. At the head of it, in 1779, he marched to South Carolina, reached Charleston in May, and vigorously opposed the project of surrendering the place to the British army, then before the city. With his Legion, he made a bold attack on the English ad- vance guard, but was repulsed with considerable loss, he himself escaping with difificulty to the American lines. On the arrival of the French fleet in October of the same year, it was determined to carry the town by assault. Pulaski was placed in command of the French and American cavalry. In w^ 320 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. itn m the heal of the enj;agement, the noble I*ole received a mortal wound, ot which he died after lingering two days ; and thus " closed the life of this extraordinary warriorat the early age of thirty two." His loss was deplored by the whole army. Count Pulaski, the chivalrous soldier and hero of liberty, was also a true son of the Church. It is related that he was in the habit of saying his beads everyday. The memory of his deeds, his dauntless courage, and lofty character should be cherished by everv American. Congress voted him a monument, but it is a suggestive reflection on human ingrati- tude to add that it was never erected. The citizens of Georgia, however, raised one to his honor at Savannah. The name of Pulaski is now given to seven counties in the United States. Ill ' li;^<;."..Hi>' ulI... . : , The Catholic Pioneers of America, 321 FRANCIS JUNIPER SERRA, O, S. R, FOUNDER OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND APOSTLE OF CALIFORNIA. Died A. D. 1784. ENTURIES before the greedy gold-huntcr directed his steps towards California, its loft\- li ills and lovelv valleys were traversed bv tlic Jesuit and the Franciscan — devoted pioneers of the Catholic Religion — who were on a widely different Tiission. One of them has written his name in shining letters on the first page of its history. It is the Apostle of the State — Father Francis Juniper Serra. He was born of poor but pious parents on the 24th of November, 1713, in the island ot Majorca. The bright boy was educated by the Franciscan Fathers, and at the age of sixteen he became a member of that Order. Young Serra's gifts did not mar his virtue. He was honored with the de- gree of Doctor of Theology, filled a professor's chair, and found his happiness in study, teaching, prayer, and the practice of virtue. But Father Serra had the missionary spirit, and he discovered his true field of exertion in the New World. Aftex a stormy passage, he landed in P1-^ T/ie Catholic Pioneers of Anutu^x* 111 l! Mexico, and penetrated on foot to the capital, in company with a ninnber of his brother Franciscans. The Apostohc band reached the city of Montezuma on New-Year's Day, 1750. Father Sena was now sent to labor among the wandering tribes of the Sierra Gorda, and he toiled for years to gain these poor souls to Christ. He was a true spiritual guide. '* He tried each art, reproved each dull delay. Allured lo brighter worlds, and led the way." It is said that in order to give his simple, dusky flock a good example, he made it a custom to go to confession in tlie presence of the people. When the Spanish Government unjustly closed the Jesuit missions in Lower California, the Fran ciscans were ordered to continue the work ; and Father Serra was appointed Superior of the band of priests sent to that province. As soon as the missionaries were properly stationed, he proceeded to carry out the great labor of bis life — the es- tablishment of missions in Upper California, or what is now the State of California. The Spanish missionaries usually accompanied a military expedition, and it was so in this instance. Father Serra and three Franciscans joined the ex- pedition commanded by Galvez in 1769. * The first object of this expedition," wrote the com- mander, in his instructions, ** is to establish the Francis Juniper Scrra, 0. S. F. l^l Catholic Religion among a numerous heathen peo. pie, submerged in the darl:nc.ss of paganism , and to extend the dominion of our sovereign, the King of Spain." The expedition left La Paz, in Lower California, and after some sailing and forty six day. *>* trav^elling by land, it reached the port of the prc-c nt city of San Diego. Here Father Serra began his first mission. The. establishment of a mission may be thus briefly sketched. The place was taken possession of by the military authorities. A tent was erected as a temporary chapel. Father Serra and the other priests then went in procession, and blessed the chapel, on whose front a crucifix or simple wooden cross was raised. Mass was celebrated, and a sermon preached on the coming and power of the Holy Ghost. The Vent Creator was sung, and a Father was charged with the direction and responsibility of the mission. The Indians were attracted by little presents. To the men and women were given small pieces of cloth, or food, and to the children bits of sugar. They would soon gather around the missionaries, when they found how good and kind they were ; and the priests were not slow in picking up the language. They became the fathers and instructors of the poor, ignorant Indians, catechized them in the mysteries of the faith, collected them into villages around the mission church, and taught them h = M ,■■ 324 77u' Catliolic Pioneers of America. to plough and cultivate the lands, to sow wheat, to grind corn, to bake. They introduced the olive, the vine, and tiie apple , and taught the savages how to yoke the oxen for work, how to spin and weave their clothing, to prepare leather from the hides and instructed them in the rudiments of commerce The outposts of religion grew rapidly in numbers and extent. So busy was Father Serra in the wil- derness of California, that he had almost lost sight of the outside world. " As it is a whole year since I received any letter from a Christian country," he writes to a friend in 1771, "your reverence may imagine in what want of news we are, but, for all that, I only ask you, when you can get an oppor- tunity, to inform me what the most holy Father, the reigning Pope, is called, that I may put his name in the Canon of the Mass." " Tell me, also, ' he adds, '* if ii't is true that the Indians have killed Father Joseph Saler in Sonora, and how it happened and if there are any other departed friends, so that I may commend them to God. with anything else that you may think fit to * communi'cate to a few poor hermits, who are separated from human society. To-morrow, we shall celebrate the feast and make the procession of Corpus Christi — though in a very poor manner — in order to scare away whatever little devils there may possibly be in this land." Twelve priests joined in this sacred procession, and the wild but lovely m Francis Jiiniptr Serra, 0. S. F. 325 valleys of Monterey resounded as they had never done before. The Indians embraced the faith in thousands. The only want was more missionaries. " Let those who come here," wrote Father Serra, " come well provided with patience and charity, and let them have a stock of good-humor, for they may become rich — I mean in troubles. But where will the labor- ing ox go that he must not draw the plough ? And if he do not draw the plough, how can there be a harvest?" At the very time when the Fathers of this Republic were drafting the Declaration of Indepen- dence, a mission was founded at San Francisco by order of the saintly Serra. It was on the 27th of June, 1776 '' San Francisco," says a western writer, " has this, at least, to boast of — that the first build- ing erected within it, was dedicated to Gods wor- ship under the patronage of Saint Francis." Though age was rapi(|ly stealing over Father Serra, he continued, as Prefect Apostolic and Supe- rior of the missions in California, to push on the good work with the zeal and energy of a young apostle. He was granted power to administer the sacrament of Confirmation. One of the mission- aries was murdered by the savages. " Thank God !" he exclaimed, " that field is watered.** " Ten mis- sions were already established, and about ten thou- sand Indians had been baptized," when the angel of pr 326 The Catholic Pioneers of A nierica. death came. The great priest with trembling steps went to the church, and received the Holy Commun- ion on his knees. He ordered the carpenter of tlie mission to make his coffin. He was assisted back to his bed, and soon after the solemn tolling of the church bells at Monterey and the firing of salutes by the war vessels in the harbor, with the flags at half-mast, announced to the world that the venerable Father Serra was no more. He died on the 29th of August, 1784, at the age of seventy- one years. ■<'■ JOHN BARRY/ THE FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN NAVY. Died A. D. 1S03. COMMODORE JOHN BARRY, " the father and founder of the*American Navy," was one of the real heroes of the Revolution. He was born in 1745, in the County of Wexford Ireland. His father was a well-to-do farmer, whose cottage was so near the beach that he had but to step out of his own door, to stand beside the sea — " The sea ! the sea I the open sea, The blue, the fresh the ever free. * 1 The Irish form of the name is O'Baire. yokn Barry, 327 The boy was Drought up in virtue and simplicity, and the purest principles of the Catholic Religion were impressed on his mind and heart. As his keen eye daily swe^t the boundless Atlantic, its foam- ing billows came to have the charm of an attraction, and he conceived a great fondness for the ocean. His father, a man of good sense, noticing the direc- tion of his son's inclinations, placed him on board of a merchantman ; and, at about fourteen years of age, John Barry began to sail regularly between Philadelphia and the British ports. By self-culture and fidelity to duty, he rose rapidly in his chosen profession. At the age of twenty, five, he was Captain of the Black Prince, one of the best packet vessels of that day. The owner of this ship was Meredith, of Philadelphia, at whose house Washington was an occasional visitor. Here he first met the young sailor, '* and marked the future Commodore." Captain Barry was already an American citizen. When the Revolutionary War began, he espoused the cause of the oppressed Colonies with great enthusiasm, and embarked his all in the struggles of his adopted country. He gave up, to use his own language, " the finest ship and the first employ in America, and entered into the service of his coun try. • Congress, towards the close of 1776, purchased several merchant vessels with the view of having i ;| ^ i • 3^^ The Catliolic Pioneers of America. mm them hastily fitted out as ships of war. To Captain Barry was committed the superintendence of the equipment of this first American fleet. When all was finished, he was appointed to the command of the Lexington. This was the first ship to hoist the Stars and Stripes. Captain Barry without delay proceeded to sea in search of the enemy's cruisers. In the midst of a superior hostile force, he had a wide and dangerous field for the display of his genius and patriotism. Under the very eyes of an English squadron, he made short work of several of the enemy's small cruisers, and on the 17th of April, 1776, fell in with the armed tender Edwards, which, after a spirited contest, he captured. This affair is worthy of note as the first capture of any vessel of war by a regular American cruiser in battle. Captain Barry was next appointed to the Effiui^- ham, but as the rigorous winter prevented the ship from proceeding to sea, he joined the army, and by his dashing bravery and cool judgment, won the ad- miration of all. After the British army under Lord Howe had obtained possession of Philadelphia, Captain Barry continued in command of \.\\e Effittg- ham, which was still ice-bound in the Delaware, a few miles from the city, and in a position which the English General saw could be rendered of great service to the British, if the vessel and her com- mander could be gained over to the royalist cause. Lord Howe accordingly made an offer of fifteen [Captain of the hen all land of )ist the : delay ruiseis. : had a of his s of an several [7th of iwards, . This of any battle. ^#''.?-- le sliip and by he ad- r Lord elphia, v'are, a ch the great • corn- cause. fteen yn^n Pnrrt, 329 thousand guineas — equal to about one hundred thousand dollars — and the command of a British ship of the line to Captain Barry, if he would deliver up his vessel to the En<^h*sh. With a noble imlif^nation, this heroic Catholic replied that " he had devoted himself to the cause uf his c<'Uiitr\', and nut the value or command of the whole British fleet could seduce him from it." While the English held the Delaware, he gave them constant annoyance by boat expeditions, cut- ting off their supplies and smallercraft. On one occa- sion, with only twenty- eight men in fotir small boats, Captain Barry captured two British ships and a schooner. "The courage that inspired this small and heroic band," says the National Portrait Gallery, '* is not alone sufificient to account for his wonderfur success, but it must be ascribed to a combination of daring bravery and consummate skill by which the diminutive power under his command was directed with unerring rapidity and irresistible force." ** I congratulate you," wrote Washington to Barry, "on the success which has crowned your gallantry and address in the late attack upon the enemx's ships. Although circumstances have prevented you from reaping the full benefits of your conquest, yet there is ample consolation in the degree of glory which you have acquired. You will be pleased to accept of my thanks for the good things which you were so polite as to send me, with my own wishes f 1 330 The Catholic Pioneers of America. vm that a suitable recompense may always attend your bravery." Getting at last to sea, in command of tlie Raleigh of thirty-two guns, Captain Barry kept three J^ritish ships at bay, and after disabling one, he succeeded in running his ship ashore, and saving most of his metv He received the title of Coin- inodore, being the second American officer up( n whom it was conferred. In the famous frigate Alliance, he made many captures, and after a ter- rible engagement, in which he was severely wounded, took the English sloop of war Atlanta and her con- sort, the brig Trepassy. In the spring of i;82, he performed a most bril- liant action. Returning from Havana with a large amount of specie and supplies, he encountered a British squadron, in the very sight of which he at- tacked and disabled the sloop Sibyl. When hailed by the squadron as to the name of the ship, the captain, etc., the Commodore gave this spirited reply: "The United States ship Alliance, saucy Jack Barry, half-Irishman, half-Yankee-— who are After the Revolution, Commodore Barry, as the senior ofificer, continued at the head of the Navy till the day (^f his death. During the misunder- standing with the French Government in 1798, which occasioned a brief naval war, he rendered eminent service in protecting our commerce, and inflicting h;^:il.h jokn Jitury, 331 severe punishment on the French. He died at Philadelphia on the 13th of September, 1803, and was interred in St. Mary's ourjing-ground, where his monument may be seen. Ihe Commodore died without children, and left as his chiet legatee the Catholic Orphan Asylum of Philadelphia. In person Commodore Barry was tall, graceful, and commanding. His manners were simple and courteous, but very dignified. His fine, manly countenance showed the kindness of his heart no less than the firmness of his character. Through life he was a sincere, practical Catholic, remarkable for his strict and noble observance of the duties of religion. He was unsurpassed in all the qualilicb which constitute a great naval commander. "There are gallant hearts whose glory Columbia Idvos to name, Whose deed.-) shall live in story And eveilastinjj fame. But never yet one braver, Our starry banner bore, Than saucy old Jack Bariy, The Irish Commodore.'* 332 Tiu Catholic Pioneers of America, linn JOHN BAPTIST DE ROCHAMHEAU, COMMA \DliR OF THE FRENCH ARMY THA T AIDED THE UNITED STA TES TOACHIhl 7. THEIR INDEPENDENCE. Died A. D.iio'i. jN the 1st of July, 1725 — seven years before the birth of George Washington — there was born in an ancient chateau, at Vendome, France, a child that was destined to have a large aiuj honorable share in securing the independence of this Republic. It was John Baptist de Vimeur, Count de Rochambeau. He entered the arnuy at the age of seventeen, distinguished himself in many a well con- tested campaign, and, at length, rose to the rank of Lieu tenant-General. In 1780, Count de Rochambeau was placed in command of the French army sent to America. The expedition sailed from Brest. "On the 12th of July," writes the commander, " we entered the port of Rhode Island, after a passage of seventy days. We were closely followed by the squad of Admiral Graves,' which arrived at New York i.e day following." t English, John Baptist I)e Rochamheau, 333 The French forces, amounting to about 6,000 men, disembarked at Newport, where everything was put in an excellent state of defence. The superiority of the English fleet, however, fnabled them to bloctcade Newport. While this served to divide the strength of the British " dogs of war, it kept the French for a time in a state of inactivity It thus became necessary to await land and naval reinforcements from France. The vigor and activity of the enemy called for a perfect understanding 'on all points of action between Washington and Rochambeau. This could not be achieved by slow correspondence. The French com mander asked for an interview, but it seems this wise suggestion did not at first meet with the warm approval of either Washington or Lafayette. " It is always right, my dear Marquis," wrote Rochambeau to Lafayette, on the 27th of August, I780, "to believe that Frenchmen are invincible; but I, after an experience of forty years, am going to confide a great secret to you ; there are no men more easily beaten when they have lost confidence in their chiefs, and they lose it instantly when their lives have been compromised, owing to any private or personal ambition. If I have been so fortunate as to have retained their confidence until the present moment, I may declare, upon the most scrupulous examination of my own conscience, that I owe it '. ntirely to this fact, that, of -ibout fifteen thousand 334 The Catholic Pioneers of America. I! , men who have been killed or wounded under my command, of various ranks, and in the most bloody actions, I have not to reproach myself with havini^ caused the death of a single man for my own personal advantage " You wrote to the Chevalier de Chastellux, my dear Marquis, that the interview I requested of our General' has embarrassed him, because it only be comes necessary after the arrival of the second division, when there will be quite time enough to act. But you must surely have forgotten that I have . unceasingly requested that interview imme- diately, and that it is absolutely necessary that he, the Admiral," and I, should concert together all our projects and details, that in case one of the three chances should occur and enable us to act offensively, our movements may be prompt and decisive. In either of these three cases, my dear Marquis, you will find in your old, prudent father some remnants of vigor and activity. Be ever convinced of my sincere affection, and that if I pointed out to you very gently what displeased me in your last dis- patch, I felt at the time convinced that the warmth of your heart had somewhat impaired the coolness of your judgment. Retain that latter quality in the council- room, and reserve £.11 the former for the hour of action. It is always th? aged father, Rochambeau, ' Waslui,;^ton 8 De Terney. II John Baptist De Rochambeau. 335 who is addressing his dear son Lafayette, whom he loves, and will ever love and esteem until his latest breath." It was finally agreed that the conference should take place at Hartford on the 20th of September , and on that day Rochambeau, in company with Admiral de Terney, met Washington and Lafayette. Besides the happy interchange of views and personal acquaintance brought about by this interview, it had another wonderful and wholly unexpected result — • the discovery of Arnold's treachery It was on his return to the American Army, by way of West Point, that Washington learned, just at the right moment, of the base conspiracy to deliver up to the British the keys of that important fortress — the great depot of American stores and ammunition on the Hudson.' When Rochambeau heard of the horrible plot and its discovery, he Wrote to Lafayette : " Provi- dence has declared itself for us, my dear Marquis ; and that important interview, which I have so long wished for, and which has given me so much pleas- ure, has been crowned by a peculiar mark of the favor of Heaven.' In those days even veteran Generals could not take express trains, and the gallant French Com- mander tells an anecdote in relation to his journey to Hartford which is well worth recounting. " The ' See the life of Lafayette. 5iC^ Tlic Catholic Pioneers oj America. carriage," writes Rochambeau, " in which I pro- ceeded to the conference, in company with Admiral de Ten;ey, wlio, by the way, was very infirm, broke down. I dispatched my first aide-decamp, Fersen, to bring a wheelwright, who lived about a mile from the spot where the accident occurred He soon, however, returned to us, saying that he had found the man sick with the ague, and that he had positively declared to him that not for a hat full of guineas would he work at night. I persuaded the Admiral to accompany m e to the man's shop, and we went there. We told him that General Washington would arrive at Hartford the same evening, to confer wi.th us on the following day, and that unless he could repair our carriage, we should be too late to meet him. " * You are no liars at any rate,' he replied; * for I read in the Connecticut paper that Washington was to be there to confer with you ; as it is for the public service, I will take care that your carriage shall be ready for you at six in the morning' He kept his word, and we proceeded on at the promised time. •* As we returned another wheel broke, and we were once more obliged to have recourse to our old friend. ' Well ! said he, * so you want me to work again for you at night ?' ' Yes, indeed, we do,' I replied. * Admiral Rodncx- lias arrived to rein- force threefold the naval forces against which we p ' i^H'.'li'K John Baptist De Rockambcau. hh7 are contending, and it is of the highest importance that we should return without delay to Rhode Island to oppose him. * But what can you do, he continued, 'with your six ships, against the twenty English ones?' * It will be the most glorious day of our lives if they attempt to break our line.' * Come, come,' said he, ' you are good, honest fellows ; your carriage shall be put in repair by to-morrow morning at five o'clock. But tell me, before I set to work, although I do not wish to enquire into your secrets — how did you like Washington, and how did he like you ?' ** We assured him th^t we had been delighted with Washington ; and his patriotism was satisfied, and he kept his word. I do not mean to compare all Americans to this good man ; but almost all the inland cultivators and all the land-owners of Con- necticut are animated with that patriotic spirit which many other people would do well to imitate." It is proper to glance aside at the gloomy state of affairs among the Americans in the North at that time. Such a glancf shows* the immense value of French assistance. "At the North," writes Has sard, " the whole number of soldiers under Wash- ington's command was not as large as the number of Tories alone in the service of the British. Food was very scarce. It was almost impossible to ob- tain recruits, the States beincr nearly exhausted. The French army w^s still at Newport, kept inac- li ; -)r 33S 77/^ Catholic Pioneers of A merica. tive by the presence of the British fleet. The dif. Acuities about money became more and more serious. The Continental bills fell rapidly. A dollar in that currency was soon worth only one cent; finally it took a thousand dollars m paper to equal one dollar in silver , and before the end of the year (1781) Continental bills, of which there were more than $ioo,cxx),ooo in circulation, were worth nothing at all. •* In this extremity the States were relieved by their ^ood allies, the French. When Robert Morris had exhausted all his own means and credit, he ob- iamed a little timely aid from Count Rochambeau, and soon afterwardsmoney, clothing, arms, and am- munition arrived from France." ' ' The chief credit of capturing Cornwallis — which was the death-blow to English power in this Re- public — belongs to Count Rochambeau. The idea of such an expedition originated with him, and he contributed more to its success than any other man. The correspondence of the time proves this; but most historians pa*ss over the matter in silence. It is well known that General Washington, during the summer of 178 1, considered the taking of New York as the first great object to which the com. biped French and American armies should direct their attention. He regarded any movement against "'Cornwallis, as quite a secondary object.*" ' History of the United States of A merica, ^ RochambeaQ. John Baptist De Rochambtau. 339 When the French Admiral de Grasse arrived in American waters, with a powerful naval armament. Count Rochambeau counselled him to sail for Chesapeake Bay, where he gained an advantage over the English Admiral Graves. " I suggested as my own opinion," writes Rochambeau in his Memoirs, " the propriety of attempting an expedition to Chesapeake, against the army of Lord Cornwallis." De Grasse remamed in the Chesapeake, and Wash- ington entered into the views of Rochambeau. It was the doom of Cornwallis. The American forces began to move towards Virginia. The French troops under Rochambeau left Newport, and marched for the same point. '* In the course of this summer," writes the historian Ramsay, " they passed through all the extensive settlements which lie between Newport and York- town. It seldom, if ever, happened before, that an Army led through a foreign country, at so great a distance from their own, among a people of different principles, customs, language, and religion, behaved with so much regularity. In their march to York- town, they passed through 500 miles of a country abounding in fruit, and at a time when the most delicious productions of nature, growing on and near the public highways, presented both opportunity and temptation to gratify their appetites. Yet so C( m- plete was their discii)linc. that in this long march, scarcely an instance could be produced of a peach ? 340 The Catholic Pioneers of America, :i - or an apple being taken, without the consent of the inhabitants." Rochambeau invested Yorktown with 8,400 French soldiers. Washington had 5,500 American troops and about 3,000 militia. In the bay near by was the French fleet, under De Grasse, consisting of twenty- four ships of the line, carrying 1700 guns and 19,000 seamen. Cornwallis was thus cornered like a rat, and he had to surrender. " At length," says Rochambeau in his Memoirs, "on the 17th, the enemy offered to parley; and a capitulation was signed by which Lord Cornwallis and his army surrendered as prisoners of war.' The French and the Americans took possession of the two bastions at noon. Two hours afterwards the garrison filed off, in battle array, between the two armies, and afterwards stacked their arms in piles, together with a few colors. ' " Lord Cornwallis being sick. General O'Hara filed off at the head of the garrison. As he came up to where I was standing, he presented his sword to me. I pointed to General Washington, who stood opposite to me, at the head of the American army, and told him that the French army being only an auxiliary on this continent, it devolved on the American commander to tender him his orders." When the British minister, Lord North, heaid of 1 On the i9tli of October, 1781. ii !'!; John Baptist De Rochambeau. 34 r the surrender of Cornwallis, he exclaimed wildly "It is all over!" and so it was. " As a proof of the wonderful discipline of our troops," says Count Rochambeau, " it will be suf- ficient to say, that, in the course of three campaigns, there was not a single duel or quarrel recorded be* tween our soldiers and the Americans.' Before the brave General sailed for France hewks the recipient of scores of addresses from a fiee, grate- ful, warm-hearted people. Congress presented him with an address and two pieces of cannon captured from the English. The good Quakers of Philadelphia, however, made him smile. " A deputation of the ancient Society -of Friends of Philadelphia accosted me, ' he writes, ' clad in their simple costume. * General,' exclaimed die eldest of the party, * it is not on account of thy military qualities that we have come to present thee our homage. We care nought for thy achievements ,. but thou art the friend of mankind, and thy army liveth in perfect order and discipline. Wherefore have we come to pay our respects to thee." When Rochambeau returned to France in 1783, he was received with high honor by the King, and made Governor of Picardy and Artois. He was raised to the rank of Marshal in 1791. He com manded an army in the year following, but soon re- signed. After narrowly escaping the guillotine during the awful reign of terror, and receiving honors § i :■ » I i aliiil :.! " 342 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. and a pension from Bonapar'tC, this distinguished soldier died on llie 10th of May, 1807, at the ad. vanced age of eighty-two years. General Rochambeau was certainly the ablest and most experienced commander in the War of the Revolution. Before landing on our shores, this prudent and accomplished veteran had seen forty years' service in the best disciplined army in Europe. WhilQ amongst us, his own conduct and that of the troops under him were beyond all praise. 1 o him, mainly, belongs the glory of capturing Corn- wallis; and as a Catholic Pioneer, it is not easy to over-estimate his services in breaking down the barriers of religious bigotry. ^Bsa^mmsm The Caihorlic Pioneers of America, 343 STEPHEN MOYLAN, CA VA LR Y COMM. \ NDER IN THE REVOLUilONA R J ' WAR, Died A. D. i8u. TEPHEN MOYLAN wasbornaboutthemid- die of the last century, at Cork, Ireland. He was a brother of the Right Rev. Dr. Moylan, Catliolic Bishop of his native city. Coming to America, he threw himself, heart and soul, into the struggle for Independence. His bravery and ex- cellent judgment soon secured the confidence of Washington, by whom he was made aide-de-camp and commissary general. He was finally transferred to the command of a division of cavalry; and in many a hard-contested action of the war we meet with the dashing Moylan s Dragoons. ** Moylan, the Muratof the Revolutionary army," says a recent writer, " served in every battle in which Washington was engaged from Boston to Virginia. He was Colonel of a troop of horse in the Irish Brigade, or 'Pennsylvania Liners', and on many an occasion by a dashing and desperate charge plucked victory from the flag of the Briton, and hurled upon his ranks disaster and defeat. He 1-' 344 The Catholic Pioneers of America. m was never captured, though leader of a hundred raids and forays, and participator in a score of pitched battles. He lived to see the flag of his adopted country wave in triumph over the enemies of his race." At the close of the war he ranked a full Kriga- dicr-General, and in subsequent years of his life he was always called General Moylan. One of the founders of the Society of the Cincinnati, he wrs jilso the first and last President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Philadelphia. Besides the Bishop of Cork, General Moylan had three other brothers, all of whom took an acti\'e part in es tablishing the independence of this Republic. The General died at Philadelphia, on tiie llth of April, i8ii, and was interred in the burial-ground of St, Mary's Church. As a man, a patriot, a soldier, and a Catholic, General Moylan was equally worthy of our admira- tion. To Poland and to Ireland the American Revolution was indebted for its two most brilliant cavalry commanders. The memories of the gallant Pulaski and the brave Moylan will be kept gieen as long as the thrilling story of the Revolution forms a chapter in the world's history. " In the land tliey loved they have sunk to rest, And their fame burns bright in each freeman's breast.** The CatJwlic Piomirs oj Amu uu^ 345 • JOHN CARROLL, D. D., LL. D., FIRST BISHOP AND FIRST ARCH lilStlOr OF BALTIMORE, Died A. D. 1815. OTHER," said one of her pupils to the celebrated Mother Seton, during an instruc- tion in Christian doctrine, '* I met the word benignity y m my catechism, and I don't know exactly the meaning of it." " My dearest one,'" replied the good lady, with a smile, " I can give you no better answer to your question than to say : * Look ar Archbishop Carroll, and you will see the meaning of that word on his countenance, as well as in his manners.' " There is a volume in this suggestive remark, and it brings us at once to an extraordinary man. John Carroll was born in Maryland, on the 8th of Jannan', 1735. His father, Daniel Carroll, belonged to a dis tinguished Irish family;' while his mother, Eleanor Darnall, was a ni.tive of Maryland, and the daughter of a wealthy Catholic gentleman. The boy received his first education at a private boarding-school, kept by the Jesuits of the province, where himself and ' The Irish form of the name is O'C f,i>i'/ioi!. •, ''id 346 The Catholic Pioneers of America. |.-;.t his illustrious cousin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, were entered as scliolars, in 1747. In the following year the)' were sent to Europe to continue their studies at the Jesuit College of St. Omers, France. Piety, close application, brilliant talents, and amiable deportment were the most marked characteristics of young Carroll during his college career. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in 1753, made his course of philosophy and divinity at Liege, and was elevated to the priesthood in his twenty-fifth year. Nobly taking the cross as his portion, he made over his patrimony to his brothers and sisters in America. For several years Father Carroll filled the professor's chair in various colleges ; and, in 177 1, was received as a professed Father in the Society. By the brief, Dominus ac Redcmptor, the Society of Jesus was suppressed in 1773. Father Carroll deplored the blow, but, in common with the other members of his illustrious Order, he submitted as only a Christian could do — with sublime resignation. In a letter to his brother, Daniel Carroll,' after ex- pressing his grief of heart, he says : " God's holy will be done, and may His name be blessed forever and forever." He now proceeded to England, where he received the appointment of chaplain to Lord • Daniel Carroll was one of the authors of the Constitution of the United States, and one ot the three delegates from Maryland whose names are sub- scribed thnreto. It is said that the national Capitol now stands on what was once liis farm hy the Potomac. John Carroll, D. D., LL. D. 347 Arundel, and took up his residence at VVarduur Castle. When the quarrel between Great Britain and America began to approach a crisis, Katlier Carroll at once took sides with his own country. Bidding adieu to his friends and companions, he sailed from England, and reached his native land in June, 1774. His first impulse was to visit his ' venerable mother and devoted sisters, with the former of whom he took up his residence at Rock Creek. Here, at first, a room in the family dwelling, and subsequently a wooden chapel, were the scenes of the holy priest's ministerial offices. The wooden chapel has since been superseded by a neat brick church, which is now well known under the revered name of Carroll's Chapel. At the time of Father Carroll's arrival in America there was not one public Catholic church in Mar)- land. Under the family roof only could the holy sacrifice be offered up to the Almighty. This ex- plains why the old Catholic chapels of Maryland contam large hearths, and fireplaces within them, and massive brick chimneys projecting through the roofs. In the once beautifully named "Land of the Sanctuary" there were then only nineteen Catholic clergymen — all ex-Jesuits, and nearly all natives of Maryland. Father Carroll continued to reside at Rock Creek. He did not wish to leave his aged mother, to whose declining years he was anxious to minister. The 34« The Catholic Pioneers of America. scene of his missionary labors was mainly in the neighboring country. He always travelled on horse- back, m. iking long and frequent journeys to distant C.ithofic families and settlements, riding frequent!}' thirty miles or more on sick cal.s, and pa)-ing monthly visits to a small congregation of Catholics in Stafford County, Virginia, which was distant fifty or sixtv miles from his home. After about eighteen montiis thus spent in the active duties of the holy ministry, the call of hi*^ country summoned Father Carroll to her service. Open war raged between England and the thirteen colonies. The hopes of a settlement had vanished, and for the first time was heard the macric sound vJ the word Independence. To gain the active assist- ance of the Cemadians, or at least to secure their neutrality, was of the highest importance. It is well known that the embassy sent by Con- j^ress, in 1776, to accomplish the object, was com- posed of Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, anrl Charles Carroll of Carrollton. _ Father John Cairoli was earnestly requested to accompan\' them, "■ it being supposed that from his religious sentiments, character, and knowledge of the French language, his presence and counsels might be useful in pro- moting the objects of the mission with the Cana- dians." He acceded to llic request of Congress;. While on the way, Fninklif fell sick, and his reverend companion nursed In'm with true dc- \-'>tedness. John Carroll, D. D., LL. D. 349 Indeed, the pn>st and the philosopher contracted a sincere friendship, as we find from the grateful letters of FrankHn. " As to myself," he wrote, " I grew daily more feeble, and I think I could hardly have got along so far but for Mr. Carroll's friendly assistance and tender care of me." Franklin did not forget the patriotic Jesuit, when a Catholic Bishop was wanted for the United States. The embassy, however, was not a success. On returning to Rock Creek, Father Carroll re- sumed the duties of the sacred ministry, which he continued to perform uninterruptedly during the entire Revolutionary War. Throughout the great struggle he warmly s\'m- pathized with the cause of Independence. In his correspondence he explained and defended its principles. His fervent prayers were for its suc- cess; and no citizen of the Republic saw with greater joy the glorious consummation of the contest. In 1784, his powers as a controversialist were summoned into service. The Rev. Mr. Wharton, his former friend and fellow-member of the Society of Jesus, had apostatized from the Catholic faith, and wrote a public letter attacking its principles. Carroll's reply is noted for its clearness, strength, and calm, triumphant logic. lie was appointed Prefect Apostolic towards tlie close of 1784, and first Bishop of Baltinu^re in 1789 350 The CatJiolic Pioneers of A nierica. His diocese was the United States, containing, at that time, about thirty thousand Catholics, and some thirty or forty priests. This small flock was scat- tered at widely distant points from Maryland to Michigan, and along the Mississippi Valley. Bishop Carroll, arming hii"^.self with courage, patience, and prurience, surveyed this immense field, and toiled with the zeal of an apostl-'. Catholic education received his earnest attention. George- town College was opened in 1791, and tlie first student to enter his name on its books was William (iaston,' in after \ears a famous judge. On visiting Boston, the new Bishop was well received. " It is wonderful," he writes, " to tell what great civilities have been done to me in Boston, where, a few years ago, a ' Popish' priest was thought to he the greatest mon ,ter in creation. Many here, even of tlieir principal people, have acknowledged to me that they would have crossed to the opposite side of the street rather than meet a Catholic some time ago. The horror which was associated with the idea of a 'Papist' is incredible; and the scandalous misrepresentation by their ministers increased the horror every Sunday." How times have chanijed since then ! The horrors of the Fiench Revolution drove a large number of learned and worthy priests to this Republic, and nothing could have been more timely ' See his life. John Carroll, D. D., LL. D, 351 and welcome than their arrival. Tliese brave soldiers of the Cross were a great addition to the feeble spiritual army that acknowledged the leadership of Dr. Carroll. The Catholic Church of the United States erew rapidly in numbers, on account of the vast stream of immigration. In i8>^8, the Hol\- Father raised Dr. Carroll to the dignity of Archbishop, and new sees were established at Bardstown, Boston, Phila delphia, and New York. Schools and colleges were founded. The Religious Orders were planting themselves in all directions ; and in the midst of these happy circumstances, God called away his faithful servant. Archbishop Carroll died at the age of eighty-one, on the '}^<\ of December, 181 5. Our first Bishop was equally illustrious as a man, a priest, and a patriot. " The nearer we approach Dr. Carroll in our conduct," remarked Prince Gallitzin, " the nearer we approach perfection." He was a ripe and finished scholar. He spoke Latin, French, and Italian with rare fluency. He was unanimously selected by Congress to pronounce the panegyric on Washington on February 22d, 1800. This he did in St. Peter's Catholic Church. Phila- delphia; and the discourse is a real master-piece. I have already pointed out in another work, that " between the early history of the Americnn Rcpnl)- h"c and the American Catholic Church, there are ii > ilistory 0/ the Catholic Chiitch in the I nited Stiitts. 35^ The Catiiolic Pioneers of America. iuany interestiiifj points of resemblance. They arose together. They grew together. Their chiefs were men illustrious in their day — beacon-lights of the past. They were born about the same time, the one in Maryland, the other in Virginia. Washington carried the Republic through its first years of struggle and fiery conflict. Carroll guided the frail ship ot the Church over the stormy billows that broke across its early course. In 1789, George War-hington was elected first President of this Repub- lic. During tlic same year, the Holy See appointed John Carroll first Bishop of the Catholic Church in this Republic. The greatness and wisdom of Wash- ington are equally conspicuous in his life and his writings. He was truly the father of his country. In the character of Carroll may be found the most splendid virtues that can adorn humanity. The wisdom of his words and his acts throws a halo of glory around his illustrious career. He was the Patriarch of the American Church. In both we recognize incomparable patriots. Washington's pa- triotism was enhancitd and beautified by his lofty morality, and his profoundly religious instincts. The venerated Carroll did not love his country less because he loved his faith more." The Catholic Pioneers of America, 353 ELIZABETH ANN SETON. FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS OE CHARITY IN THE UNITED ST A TES OF A ME RICA . Dkd ^. D. 1S2I. ILIZABETIi ANN BAYLEY, better known as Mother Scton, was born on the 28tli of Au- <;ust, 1774, in the city ol New York. Ilcr father, Dr. Richard Bayley, was an eminent American physician. At an early age, death deprived her of her mother. She was brought up in the doctrines and practicesofthe Protestant Episcopal Church, to which her parents and all her friends belonged. Miss Bayloy received the best education the times could afford, and even while a mere girl she was noted for a solid, truth-loving mind, and simple nobility of character. It is related that she wore on her per- son a small crucifix, and was often heard to express he.r astonishment that tins custom was not more general among persons of her own religious belief. In her twentieth year, she married William Seton, a respectable merchant of New York. A voyage undertakei\ for the good of her husband's health led to her convc ^ •^ ». ■;> '/ ^4 Photographic Sciences Corporation v iV ^v '6^ is \ V .1* c> ^^% '>»'^ V^ ^9i- 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEL.*IER,N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 i (/. ^ l m 360 The Catholic Pioneers of America^ ii i;i! Mil 11 : CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON, ON£ OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPEN- DENCE. Died A. D. 1832. H ARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON, whose name shines so brightly in the history of this Republic, was born on the 20th of September, 1737, at An uapolis, Maryland. When a youth, it is said, he endeavored to trace his Hneage back to that noble Irish Carroll " who was chief of the name, and was defeated at the battle of Knock- Lee by Gerald, Earl of Kildare, in the year 15 16." At the date of the future Signer's birth, the Catholics were severely oppressed by those odious enactments known as penal laws. They were even forbidden to have schools. The Jesuit Fathers, however, succeeded, without attracting the atten- tion of the authorities, in quietly opening a gram- . mar school at Bohemia, on the eastern shore of Maryland. Here Charles Carroll of Carrollton re- ceived the first rudiments of knowledge. When about eleven years of age, he was sent, with his first cousin, John Carroll, afterwards Arch- bishop of Baltimore, to the college of the English H'l Charles Carroll of Carrollton. 361 TON, fNDEPEN- XTON, : history 20th of When a > lineage chief of " Knock- ir 1 5 16." rth, the e odious ere even Fathers, le atten- a gram- jhore of llton re- ;as sent, ds Arch- English Jesuits at St. Omers, France, where he pursued the study of the classics for six years. He then spent .1 year at the college of the French Jesuits, Rheims, and two years at the College of Louis le Grand, Paris. At Bourges, he passed another year in the study of civil law ; and in 1757, proceeded to London to the Inner Temple, and earnestly pursued the study of common law for about seven years. An accomplished gentleman, with a cultivated and mature mind, Charles Carroll returned to Maryland in 1764. But in the very land of his birth he found himself almost a helot oii account of his Fait!i. Still, with his natural abilities, moral worth, su- perior education, and large fortune, he started on the road of life well prepiircd to fight its stern bat- tles. Despite many obstacles, he soon took his stand as a man of mark. In 1768, he married Miss Mary Darnell, a worthy and accomplished young lady. Two years later, we find him engaged in one of the most noted political questions of that day. Under the signature of " First Citizen," he boldly upheld the rights of the people in opposition to the arbitrary action of Governor Eden, of Maryland. One of the ablest lawyers in the province became his antagonist. The result was an exciting news- paper controversy. Unusual learning and ability were displayed on both sides. But Carroll, by his close logic, his bold and fearless views, gained a If-^ 1-^ t4 m 302 77/f Catholic Pioneers of A merica. triumphant victory for the popular cause. From all quarters he received congratulations. His fel- low-citizens of Annapolis turned out in a body to thank him. If his opponents, however, were un- able to meet his reasons, they could cheaply insult him. ♦•Papist," "Romanist," "Jesuit," and other equally refined epithets were freely thrown at the advocate of the people's rights. The Catholic Re- ligion was yet in contempt. Hence, neither the position, wealth, nor education of Charles Carroll could save him from the vile vocabulary of reli- gious fanaticism. The happy result of this controversy raised him in the eyes of his countrymen. He had gained an enviable reputation as a man of much learning, sound principles, liberal views, and fearless in- tegrity. In 1773-4-5, he performed an active and prominent part in the measures of opposition and resistance on the part of Maryland to the aggres- sive colonial policy of Great Britain during those years. Catholic by conviction as well as by educa- tion, Mr. Carroll, in common with the Catholic body of the country, had been taught to revere the great principles of liberty. They were familiar with the fact that Cardinal Langton and the Catholic Barons had forced the tyrant John to recognize and affirm the Magna CJiarta, They had been taught to respect the act of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Zachery, in denouncing the tyranny of taxation Charles Carroll of Carrollton, 363 without representation, centuries before the Declara- tion of Independence was penned. They cherished the same great principle because it was promul- gated in that glorious charter which the Catholic Peer, Lord Baltimore, had prepared for the infant colony of Maryland, The established recognition of the great principles of the American Revolution by the highest Catholic authorities for ages will ac- count for the historical fact, that the Catholic body of the country, in 1776, ardently and unanimously espoused the cause of freedom and popular rights. In the day of trial, the Catholic Religion proved the grandeur of its principles. It produced no Tories — no traitors — no oppressors of their country !' From the very beginning, Carroll grasped the principles involved in the contest, and advocated complete independence. We are told that, as early as 1 77 1, when conversing, on one occasion, with Samuel Chase, the latter remarked : *' Carroll, we have the better of our opponents — we have com- pletely written them down." '• Do you think," returned Carroll, '' that writing will settle the question between us?" * To be sure," replied the other. *' What else can we resort to ?" " The bayonet," was the answer , " our arguments will only raise the feelings of the people to that pitch when open war will be looked upon as the arbiter of dis- pute." I Dr. K H. Clarke. ^^^ 1 1 i i ' 1 l| i i. 1 1 i 1 111 ) ri' i 364 T/te Catholic Pioneers 0/ America. Charles Carroll took an active part in the repeal of the odious penal laws against Catholics. These enactments still disgraced the statute book. In 1775, he was appointed a member of the Maryland " committee to prepare a declaration of rights ap.d a form of government for this State." The result was that the great principle of civil and religious liberty, established by Lord Baltimore, was again restored " in the Land of the Sanctuary.' By the Continental Congress he was sent, with Franklin and Chase, to win over Canada to the cause. As is well known, Rev. John Carroll accom- panied the party. If the embassy failed, it was from no want of zeal or ability in the envoys. Charles Carroll left behind him a valuable journal of this voyage. Having returned home, he used the whole weight of his influence to induce Maryland to join the other colonies in declaring for complete indepen dence. He was entirely successful. In 1776, he had the honor of being chosen to represent his native State in the Continental Congress. As he wrote Charles Carroll in a clear, bold hand on the Dec- laration of Independence, a colleague remarked, "There go millions. ' "No," replied another. " there are several Charles CarroUs, and he cannot be identified." Carroll, hearing this, immediately ' An inventory of Carroll's property, made by himself in 1764, sho>vs that he then owned, among other things, forty thousand acrei of land, twenty houses m Annapolis, and two country seats. m Charles Carroll of Carrollton, 36s added to his signature "£>/ Carrollton^' the name of the estate on which he resided, remarkiiii^ as he did 90 : " They cannot mistake .ne no7v /" He was elected a member of the Board of War. He also continued an active and influential mem- ber of the Continental Congress till 1778, when the treaty with France quieted all his fears for the success of American Independence ; and feeljng that his duty as a State Senator summoned him to An- napolis, he resigned his seat in Congress, and re- sumed that in the Maryland Senate. In 1788, he was elected United States Senator from Maryland, under the new Federal Constitution. He was again elected to the Maryland Senate in 1791, re- maining x member till 1801. In that year, upon the defeat of the Federal party, to which he be- longed, Carroll retired into private life. He was then in the sixty-third year of his age. He was an earnest Catholic, and had an ele gant chapel erected at his family residence. " He was so faithful in assisting at the divine office,' says Miss Boyle, "that it was his great pleasure to serve the priest during the offering of the Holy Mass. In the monthly visits of the missionary priest, Mr. Carroll was the first person on his knees in the confessional. He was a monthly communi- cant for many years before his death ; and so ear- nest was his desire to repair any wrong impres- .S)ons caused in earlier days, that he selected the t |iii 1 i«i ■if 'I I 366 The Catholic Pioneers of America, High Mass at eleven o'clock on Easter Sunday to receive Communion." While the whole nation was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence, on the 4th of July, 1826, "the year of Jubilee," there remained but three surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence — Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Charles Carroll of CarrroUton. These three names were mingled with the songs of national joy, and saluted with peals of artillery. But two of the illustrious trio saw not another sun. Adams and Jefferson passed from the scenes of earth that same day. Charles Carroll alone re- mained — sole survivor of the fifty-six patriots of 1776. The undivided homage of the United States was now reserved for the last of that glorious band. In the words of Lossing, " the good and the great made pilgrimages to his dwelling, to behold with their own eyes the venerable political patriarch of America; and from the rich storehouse of his in- tellect he freely contributed to the deficiencies of others." In 1829, the assembled Bishops of the First Council of Baltimore proceeded in a body to pay their respects to the great patriot. He re- ceived them with graceful dignity, and was deeply affected at such a high compliment. In his last days he uttered these remarkable words: "I have lived to my ninety-sixth year; I Charles Carroll oj Carrollton, }^7 have enjoyed continued health : I have been blessed with great wealth, prosperity, and most of the good things which the world can bestow— public appro- bation, esteem, applause: but what 1 now look back on with the greatest satisfaction to myself, is that / have practised the liuiics of my religion.' The end came peacefully— shining with the light of immortality. It was an impressive scene. The illustrious old man, fasting, sat in an arm-chair in his bedroom ; for he well knew that he was about to re- ceive Holy Communion for the last time in this world. A crucifix stood on the table The blessed candles were lighted. The priest was there in his rich robes. Children, grandchildren, and old negro servants, with tears in their eyes, were kneeling devoutly around. When the solemn religious ceremonies were over, he was lifted back to bed : and on the 14th of November, 1832, the sad news flashed over the country that Charles Carroll of Carrollton was no more. "During thirty years passed in public life, says Latrobe, " embracing the most eventful period in the history of the United States, Mr. Carroll, as a politician, was quick to decide and prompt to exe- cute. His measures were open and energetic. He was more inclined to exceed than fall below the end which he proposed. As a speaker, he was concise and animated ; the adv^antages of travel and society made him graceful books, habits of study, and acute 3^3 flu Catholic Pioneers oj America, m 'i'j ^1 observation, made him impressive and instructive. As a writer, he was remarkably dignified ; his ar- rangement was regular: his style was full without being diffuse, and though highly argumentative, was prevented from being dull by the vein of polite learning which was visible throughout." He had a well-selected but old-fashioned library. He cared little for modern works. Among the valued books referred to in his letters, we notice Bossuet s famous History oJ the Variations of the Protestant Churches, and the Abb6 McGeoghegan's History of Ireland. Milner's End of Controversy was one of his favorites. In his last years he also passed considerable time with Cicero's De Senectute, which he grew to love so much as to write to a friend, " After the Bible, read Cicero." llie Catiiolic Pioneers of Anurua. 369 GILBERT MOTIER DE LAFAYETTE, THE FAITHFUL FRIEND AND BE A l^E COMPANION OF h^ASHING- TON DURING THE WAR OF THE RESOLUTION. Died A. D. 1834. ILBERT MOTIER DE LAFAYETTE' was born of an ancient and noble family, in the castle of Chavagnac, France, on the 6th of September, 1757 ; and a few months later his brave father fell at the battle of Minden. His education was suited to his rank. While yet a mere youth, he married a daughter of the princely house of Noailles, and adopted the profession of arms. The young Marquis, while stationed on military duty at Metz — that famous fortress which has since witnessed such gigantic conflicts and even changed masters — heard of the Declaration of Independence, and the bold struggle for freedom in America. It was an event that seized his fancy and his heart. He resolved to offer his sword to the sacred cause of human liberty. Among the few to whom he told his design, was the Count de Broglie, who tried in vain to persuade him to remain in France. " I have ■ The full name was Mary Paul Joseph Koch Yois Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. 370 Tlie Catholic Pioneers oj A merua. If \ y seen your uncle die in the wars of Italy," he said. *' 1 witnessed your father's death at tiie battle of Minden , iiid I will not be accessory to the ruin of the only remaining branch of the family. ' The Government put diflRculties in the way of Lafayette : but he secretly purchased a ship at Bordeaux, and after a long and exciting voyage landed, in 1777, at a port in South Carolina. He- was well received. A dinner was given in his honor at Charleston. *' We drank each other's health, he writes, *' and endeavored to talk in Englii^h, which I am beginning to speak a little." After riding nearly nine hundred miles to Phila- delphia, the young French nobleman — then barely twenty jears of age — delivered his letters to Con- gress,butat fiistmet withacoldreception. Strangers were in more than abundance. Lafayette, seeing the state of affairs, at once penned the following note to Congress : •• After the sacrifices I have made, I have a right to exact two favors — one is, to serve at my own ex- pense ; the other, to serve as a volunteer." This simple, manly appeal had its effect. Congress granted him the rank of Major-General in the army of the United States. The American army was then in the neighbor- hood of Phildelphia, and Washington met Lafayette during a visit to that city. After a warm greeting, he invited the young stranger to make headquarters Gilbert Matter l)c Lafayette. 371 he said. )attle of e ruin of way of ship at ; voyage na. Ho lis honor health, Englitih, to Phila- n barely to Con- L trangers seeing ollowing e a right own ex- " This Congress he army eighbor- ,afayette greeting, quarters his home. '* I cannot promise you the luxuries of a court,' said Washington ; "but as you have become an American soldier, you will doubtless accom modate yourself to the fare of an American armv." A review of the troops was j^oing on, when Lafayette arrived at the camp. He describes them as "about 11,000 men, ill armed, and still worse clothed. Many soldiers were almost naked. The best-clad wore hunting shirts — i.ni^e gray linen coats which were much used in Carolina." " We must feel embarrass . l,"r^marku.i Washing- ton, "to exhibit ourselvc;: before in officer who hai" just quitted French troops." " It is to learn, and not to teach, that I came here," replied the brave Lafayette. Lafayette first heard the crash of arms at the battle of Brandywine, where, in rallying his troops, a ball passed through his leg. " Take care of him," said Washington to the surgeon, "as if he were my son, for I love him the same." It is impossible in this brief sketch tp follow Lafayette closely in his distinguished American career, from the day when he shed his first blood on .th£. field of Brandywine, through many eventful campaigns, till, at length, he had the extreme pleasure of seeing Washington receiving the sword of Cornwallis at Yorktown — five years later. The value of his services to our cause was immense. It was during a visit to his native land, in 1778, that he p f ' i '' H is!; ': f i H- ■rl ' :i ':! I ii, i ' is 'ii! : ■ 'S 1 it : r^i ,!;: ''' P ■ 'i ^^ J f^^f f -r V : 1 »i..i^.- mi ^J^f :■■■ ;! ^:!lf'!i! 572 77/^ Catholic Pioneers of America, obtained the promise of a French army to aid the cause of Independence. He had been enjoined not to ask for French anxiliary troops for the United States, because the popular feehng of jealousy against foreigners, and especially against Frencftmen, not only rendered Congress itself averse to this project, but made that body believe it would excite general anxiety and dis- content. Lafayette foresaw, however, that before the succor could be ready, the United States would feel its necessity, and that it might arrive, as did actually occur, in a decisive moment for the safety of the cause. He boldly took upon himself the re- sponsibility of soliciting in the name of Congress what he had be«n positively forbidden to ask — a succor of auxiliary troops sent to a port of the United States, and he made choice of Newport, Rhode Island, which, having been evacuated by the English, and being in an island suitable for defence, was more likely than any other to obviate all kinds of difficulties. As is well known, an army under the noble and experienced Count de Rochambeau was sent out in 1780.' It was while Washington and Lafayette wtfre re- turning (rom the conference with Rochambeau and De Terney, at Hartford, that Arnold s treachery was happily discovered — just in time. In a letter to the French Ambassador, dated Robinson House, op' * See life of Rochambeau. ^ ' /9 Gilbert Mutter De Lafayette, 373 posite West Point, Sept. 26th, 1780, Lafayette says ; " When I parted from you yesterday, to come anci breakfast here with General Arnold, we were far from foreseeing the event which 1 am now going to relate to you. You will shudder at the danger to which we have been exposed. You will admire the miraculous chain of unexpected events and singular chances that have saved us; but you will be still more astonished when you learn by what instru- ments this conspiracy has been formed. West Point was sold — and sold by Arnold — the same man who formerly acquired glory by rendering such im- mense services to his country. He had lately en- tered into a horrible compact with the enemy, and but for the accident that brought us here at a certain hour, but for the combination of chances that threw the Adjutant-General' of the English army in the hands of some peasants, bej'ond the limits of our stations, West Point and the North River, we should both at present, in all probability, be in possession of the enemy. " When we set out "yesterday for Fishkill, we were preceded by one df my aides-de-camp, and one of General Knox's, who found General Arnold and his wife at breakfast, and sat down at table with them. Whilst they were tocrether, two letters were given to Arnold, which apprised him of the arres- tration of the spy. He ordered a horse to be > Andre. ill 1 ■ [ I** ! 'i ' ! ill' i i ■' 'I ' 1 374 The Catholic Pioneers of A merica. saddled, went into his wife's room to tell her he was ruined, and desired his aide-de-camp to inform General Wa^liington that he was going to West Point and would return in the course of an hour. "On our arrival here, we crossed the river and went to examine the works. You may conceive our astonishmtMit when we learnt, on our return, that the arrested spy was Major Andre, Adjutant- General of the English army ; and when amongst his papers were discovered the copy .of an impor tant council of war, the state of the garrison and works, and observations upon various means of attack and defence, the whole in Arnold s own handwriting. "The Adjutant-General wrote also to the General, avowing his name and situation. Orders were sent to arrest Arnold : but he escaped in a boat, got on board the English frigate the Vulture, and as no person suspected his flight, he was not stopped at any post. Colonel Hamilton, who had gone in pursuit of him, received soon after, by a flag of truce, a letter from Arnold to the General, in which he entered into no details to justify his treachery, and a letter from the English commander, Robert, son, who, in a very insolent manner, demanded that the Adjutant-General should be delivered up to them, as he had only acted with the permission of General Arnold. "The first care of the General' has been to as Washington. M/ I Gilbert Motier De Lafayette. 375 semble, at West Point, the troops that, under various pretences, Arnold had dispersed. We re- main here to watch over the safety of a fort, that the English may respect less as they become better acquainted with'it. Continental troops have, been summoned here, and as Arnold's advice may de termine Clinton to make a sudden movement, the army has received orders to be prepared to march at a moment's warning." Lafayette was in France when England acknowl edged the independence of the United States by solemn treaty, and he was the first to inform Con- gress of the joyful event. In 1784, he visited this Republic, and was so warmly received that his tour was a continual triumph. The prominent share which Lafayette took in the unhappy events that preceded and followed tb«' Revolution in France need not be dwelt upon here. It belongs to history. His visit to the United States in the summer of 1824 was full of touching memories. The American people paid him their homage, and gave expression to their gateful en thusiasm. This brave, generous-hearted old soldier died on the 28th oi May, 1834. at the age of seventy- seven years. He has been called " the hero of two hemispheres." to as ir^ i ■; '; 1 ' M * i. . 1 ' il * 1 • f 1 ^iii«i f J: •I :,H' 1: 14 -■', ■ 'i^i' ?W1 il ; ...ili. 3;6 y//^ Cat/wlic Pioneers uj America, JOHN LOUIS DE CHEVERUS, FIRST BISHOP OF BOSTON, AND AFTERWARDSCARDINAL-ARCH- BISHOF OF BORDKA UX. Died A. D. 1836. • lOHN LOUIS DE CHEVERUS was born at Mayenne, F* ranee, in 1768. His mother was a lady of great piety and prudence. " My son, " slie would often repeat, after the ex- ample of Queen Blanche, " God is my witness how much I love you ; but rather would I see you dead before me than that you should commit a single mortal sin." During play time he was known as "the merriest lad at school," and in hours of study he was the best student. O 1 the dav of his First Communion, he dedicated himself to God one day to become His minister. After finishing a brilliant course of studies at the College of Louis Ic Grand, the Sor- bonne, and other institutions, he was ordained in 1790, and two years later became parish priest of Mayenne. Calamities were now hastening upon happy France. The followers of religion heard the fierce ..n i 1; John Louis De C he virus. 171 storms of the Revolution roar around them. All was danger. Society appeared to have gone mad. Among the exiles who fled in disguise trom Paris to. England was Father de Cheverus. There he learned our language, and^ supported himself by becoming a teacher of French and mathematics. In 1795, he received a letter from his old friend and countryman, Father Matignon, then Catholic pastor at Boston, inviting him to come to that city and share his labors in a new and fruitful vineyard. He at once made over his patrimony to his brother and sisters, and embarked for New England, arriving at Boston in the spring of 1796. It will easily be understood that these two Catholic missionaries encountered a large share of prejudice in the capital of New England. But their learning, humility, simplicity, and graceful manners soon produced a marked change. Bigotry was disarmed. In the persons of its ministers, the Catholic Religion became respected and honored where before it had only been a reproach. Never did virtue and learning gain a more decided victory over prejudice and intolerance. After some time, Father Cheverus began to preach in public. His discourses, remarkable for their simple, earnest vigor, attracted Protestants in crowds to hear him. When he paid his first visit to the Indians of Maine, they we;re delighted. The chil- dren of Father Rale warmly welcomed the gentle 1'. ■i ' 1.' i. ' i ' 1 i -I rf 378 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. black-gown, who continued ever after to visit them once a vear. When Boston was ravaged with yellow fever, his heroism made the whole city his friends. In such high esteem was the excellent priest held, that when President John Adams visited Boston, and was honored by a public banquet, the two highest seats at table were assigned to the President and Father Cheverus. The Legislature of Massachusetts invited him to revise the oath to be taken by all citizens before elections, fearing that there might be some- thing in it offensive to Catholics. When the good missionary prepared his own formula, an . in person submitted it to the Legislature, it was at once enacted into a law. He opened a subscription list for a new church ; at the head of it stands the name of President Adams. Indeed, Protestants vied with Catholics in their contributions for the erection of the Church of the Holy Cross. In 1 8 10, Dr. Cheverus was consecrated Bishop of Boston. But his change of rank made no change in his humble mode of life, or in his simple, modest, and generous bearing towards his old friends. To the end, he treated the venerable Father Matignon as his superior in wisdom and merit. On several occasions he sustained public contro- versies with Protestant ministers, in which his ripe scholarship, mental keenness, and courteous and amiable temper always gave him great advantage. f.ill John Louis De Cheverus, 379 it them ;ver, his [n such at when nd was St seats Father invited citizens ; some- le good person t once ion list e name id with ;tion of jhop of ange in lodest, s. To tignon :ontro- lis ripe us and intage. He was so revered that it was the custom of mothers to call their children John in his honor. Once a child was brought to him for baptism. " Its name?" inquired Dr. Cheverus. " John Cheverus Bishop,'' he was told. " Poor child," he replied, " God preserve you from ever becoming such." In 1816, he accomplished his long-cherished design — the establishment of the Ursuline Convent near Boston for the education of young ladies. He was in his native France when, in after years, he heard of its destruction at the hands of a mob of fanatical ruffians. When the good Father Matignon died, the Bishop was plunged into pro- found grief. The remains of the hpnored dead were borne in procession through the streets of Boston, followed by Dr. Cheverus, wearing his mitre, and accompanied by the clergy and the whole congrega- tion ; both press and people testified their profound respect. Before the daily wear and tear of a most active and laborious life, the health of Bishop Cheverus began to give way. His physicians warned him that if he remained in that stern climate he could not expect to live much lon<^er. For three years he hesitated, however, about returning to his native France, for, as he expresses it, " his heart was torn in pieces" at the thought of leaving his dear diocese. The French monarch urged him to return, and he was offered the vacant see of Montauban. He ac- n' w •*■ If i! E..i?.'I-.fj? I 'I,: '^ ^f m^ 380 7/4^ Catfiolic Pionetrs of America . cepted. From every side generosity brought him gifts, proving the esteem in which he was held by all creeds and classes. Among others, a worthy grocer brought him six thousand francs — his whole fortune — and laid it at the Bishop's feet. The kind but firm refusal to receive it, brought only tears to Jhe good man's eyes. Adieus came to him from all parts of the Union. " Although placed at a great dis- tance from me," writes the Archbishop of Baltimore, "you were, next to God, my firmest support. Will it be possible for me to govern my province after your departure?" On leaving Boston, he was escorted by over three hundred vehicles„which accompanied him many mi'es oil the road to New York. He embarked for France in the fall of 1823, and on his arrival, took possession of the see of Montauban. Full of years and honors, he died Cardinal-Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1836. Two nations mourned his loss. Cardinal Cheverus had a finely-tempered mind and heart. He was a true gentleman, and a mode' Christian. On one occasion, while walking outside the gates of Bordeaux, he was accosted by a beggar The Cardinal, who could never refuse an alms, put his hand into his pocket and gave the man a franc ** Monseigneur," said one of his attendants, " I think you have made a mistake. The man yoi\ have just given money to is a Jew." '* Thank you,' replied the Cardinal, " it is true I did not know it.' iMati/teio Carey. 381 Then, recalling the beggar, he put a five-franc piece into his hand, adding, '* There are so few wlio would give him anything. MATTHEW CAREY, JOURNALIST^ AUTHOR PUPL/Sf/ER, PATRIOT, AND PHILAW THRO PI ST. Died A. D. 1839 MATTHEW CAREY, one of the most gifted men of modern times, was born at Dublin- Ireland, on the 28th of January, 1760. Ho becam*' a printer at the age of fifteen. Wiiile still a mere* youth, he published A Letter to the Catholics of Ire land^ in which the galling oppressions of tlie Penal Code were lashed with virtuous indignation. For this he was prosecuted, and had to fly to Paris, where he was befriended by Dr. Franklin. After a year's exile, the brave young Irishman returned to Dublin, and edited the Freeman's Jour nal. In October, 1783, with the aid of his father — a wealthy baker — he started the Volunteer s Journal, .which did good service for his native land. Carey, however, was a bold writer, and on account of an attack on the British ministry, he was arrested, and imprisoned for a time in Newgate. i i r3 f\ if 382 7/te Catholic Pioneers of America. \ Finding it impossible for him to live with safety under the English Government, he directed liis steps to the United States, and arrived at Philadel- piiia on the 15th of November, 1784. Two montiis later he started the Pennsylvania Herald, "the first newspaper in America that furnished accurate re- ports of the legislative debates." Carey was his own reporter, Washington was a subscriber. "I purposed," he wrote to Carey, on the 15th of March, 1785, "so soon as I understood vou intended to become the publisher of a newspaper in Philadelphia, to request a copy of your weekly production might be sent to me. I was the more pleased with this determina- tion, when, by a letter from my friend the Marquis de Lafayette, I found he has so interested himself in your behalf." In 1786, Carey published a very able satire en- titled T/u Plagi-scurriliad ; a Hudibrastic. Poem. Even then, there was a bad feeling against foreigners among a certain class of American snobs, and none took more occasions to exhibit it than a rival editor. Colonel Oswald, of The Gazetteer ; " Oswald," says Father Finotti, "may be considered the y?r.y/ Know- Nothing in America." Carey was not pleased, and the result was a poem and a duel. "Our disputes," he writes in the pre- face to the satire, " originated irom some illiberal remarks written in his paper against newcomers. Matthew Carey, 383 As a newcomer, I tliought myself called upon to answer thcni. .which I did on November 9th, 1785, under the signature of A Citizen of the Worldy A duel \'as fought. Carey was shot through the thigh-b^ne, and laid up for over a year. In 1787, this ever-active Pioneer published The American Museum, the first well- conducted majia- zine issued in this Republic. George VV^ashington heads the list of subscribers. Though it lived for six years, the perodical was not a financial success. Carey issued the first Catholic Bible printed in the United States, in 1790, and at one time he was the largest bookseller in the countr)-. In 1793, he founded the Hibernian Society in behalf of Irish immigrants. Nor was his pen ever idle. He wrote on yellow fever, politics, banking, railroads, agriculture, relig- ion, political economy, history, — in short, on every- thing. His chief historical work is VindtcicB Hiber- niece; ox Ireland Vindicated. It is *• an attempt to de- velop and expose a few of the many errors and mis- representations respecting Ireland in the Histories of ]Viay, Temple, VVhitelock, Bor]ase, Rushworth, Clarendon, Cox, Carte, Leland, Warner, Macaulay, Hume, and others, particularly in the legendar}' tales of the pretended conspiracy and massacre of 1641." This excellent work, which appeared in 1819, was the fulfilment of a long-cherished design to aid 1 * I' m:'^^ m ■■:< i A!^ <: ' :■■>■ I' ■- 1' II r> P 1 1. ' ' kH 1, r ■y 1 1. i i \i i n i 384 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of America. the cause of Catliolic emancipation in Ireland. It met with flattering success. From this time ho devoted himself almost entirely to politics and commerce. Between 1819 and 1833 he published no less than fifty-nine separate pamph- lets on the subject of the protective tariff alone, and some passed through many editions.' He stood in the front rank as a writer on political economy. This eminjnt man died at Philadelphia on the i6th of September, 1839, '^'^ ^^^® '^a^ °^ seventy- nine years. He was attended in his last moments by his intimate friend, the Very Rev. Dr. Moriarty, O. S. A., and the Right Rev. Dr. Gartland. Matthew Carey wielded a powerful pen, and touched no topic that he did not handle with clear- ness and ability. His mind was keen, logical, and comprehensive. Few were his equals in discussion, and none surpassed him. " He came in collision," writes Father Finotti, "with the famous hybrid, William Cobbett, but conquered him." " He has given more time, money, and labor to the public," remarks Joseph Reed, "than any man I am acquainted with, and in truth, he founded in Philadelphia a school of public spirit." This bold and enterprising Catholic Pioneer — the first to report the proceedings of Congress and to establish a well conducted magazine in the United States — was a man upright, sincere, and charitable ; • Finotti. Demetrius Augustine Gail it sin. 385 and with him time was not money, but merit.' •'For jj long series of years," says Hunt, "he had a charity list on'vviiich were enrolled the names of hundreds to whom he rcjrularly gave, once eacli fortnight, a donation of groceries and other neces- saries of life." i labor to DEMETRIUS AUGUSTINE GALLITZIN, THE RUSSIAN PRhWE, AND APOSTLE OF WESTERN PENNSVL^ VA MA . Died A. D. 1841. ONE of the best illustrations that truth is stranger and more beautiful than fiction, is to be found in the life of Prince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin. He was born on the 22d of December, 1770, at the Hague, his father. Prince Gallitzin, being at the time Ambassador to Holland from the Court of Russia. The name 6f Gallitzin is one of the most ancient and distinguished in the history of Russia. The mother of the future prince-priest belonged td a noble German family. She was the daughter of Field-Marshal Count de Schmettau, one of the favorite heroes of Frederick the Great. His worldly and ambitious father wished to see » Flnotti. 3^6 T/u Catholic Pioneers of A mer^a. I \\ If'^: «i Demetrius a famous soldier ; and, of course, his whole education was of the most complete military cast. He scarcely ever heard of religion. Indeed, in his boyhood he was more familiar with the names of Voltaire and Diderot than with the sacred names of Jesus and Mary. Kis father was an unbeliever. An infidel education had darkened, if not destroyed, tlie sublime faith that lighted up his mother's early years. She was, however, in the highest sense, a gifted lady, whose great personal attractions were onlv surpassed by her beauties of mind and heart ; and God in His own good time mercifully led her back to His Holy Church. In 1786, after a severe sick- ness, a light broke upon her soul — she again became a Catholic. A year later, her only son received the grace of conversion, entered the Church of ages, and took the name of Augustine. The Princess was happy. Ever after this the good lady and her son lived as if they had " but one heart and one soul." "An intimacy which existed between our family and a certain celebrated French philosopher," writes Father Gallitzin, in referring to his own conversion, "had produced a contempt for religion. Ra^ised in prejudice against revelation, I felt every disposition to ridicule those very principles and practices which I have since adopted. . . . During those unfortunate years of my infidelity, particular care was taken not to permit any clergymen to come near me. Thanks to Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin. 387 the God of infinite mercy, the clouds of unbelief were dispersed, and revehition adopted in our family. " I soon felt convinced of the necessity of invcstij^at- ing the different religious systems, in order to find the true one. Although I was born a member oi the Greek Church, and although all my male rela- tives, without any exception, were either Greeks or Protestants, yet did I resolve to embrace that religion only which upon impartial inquiry should appfcar to me to be the pure religion of Jesus Christ. My choice fell upon the Catholic Church, and at the age of about seventeen I became a member of that Church." This conversion did not divert the young Prince from the military career which his father wished him to embrace. In 1792, he was ^lide de-camp to the Austrian General Van Lilien, who commanded an army in Brabant, at the opening of the first cam- paign against France. But the sudden death of the Emperor Leopold and the assassination of the King of Sweden, acts considered as the work of the Jacobins, induced Austria and Prussia to dismiss al'. foreigners from theirarmies. Young Gallitzin being thus deprived of his military position, his father advised him to travel to finish his education. He arrived in the UnitedSt^tesin the fall of 1792, accompanied by a young German mi^ionary. Rev. Mr. Brosius, his tutor. The siglit of the spiritual [f ifflBR f I • 388- The Catholic Pioneers of A inerica. % destitution which the Catholics of our country suffered, aroused in his soul a sacred desire for the priesthood. In November. 1792, Prince Gallitzin, in his twenty-second year, entered the Seminary of St. Sulpice, recently founded at Baltimore. Here lie edified all by his modesty and virtue. Yet the goodness of his heart received increased luslre from the solidity, originality, and brilliancy of his mind. He was elevated by Bishop Carroll to the priesthood on the 1 8th of March, 1795. Prince Gallitzin, though the second priest ordained in the United States, can be truly considered the ^rst-born of the American Church. Father Stephen Theodore Badin, ordained some time previously, had been made a deacon before leaving his native Prance ; and the United States gave him only the final consecration and commission. But Father Gallitzin was all our own. Ours from the first page of his theology to the moment he arose from the consecrating hands of the Bishop, forever and for- ever to bear the seal of the Lord's anointed.' The young priest desired to remain in the happy seclusion of the Seminary, and obtained admission as a member of the priests of St. Sulpice. Bishop Carroll, however, could not dispense with his ser- vices. For four years he labored on various mis- sions. He set about the grand work of establishing a purely Catholic colony, in 1799, and selected for ' Brownson Dcnutrius A ii^ustuic Gallitzin, 389 country re for the allitzin,in lary of St. Here be Yet the usne from his mind, priesthood st orthuncd siciered the her Stephen viously,had his native Am only the But Father he first page se from the ever and for- nted.' n the happy -d admission )ice. Bishop with his ser- various mis- f establishing selected for his domain tlie uninhabited and uncuUivated rei/ions of the Alleghanies, in what is now Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Here he found a small number of Catholics scattered amid the rocks and woods. Out of the clearings of these untrodden forests rose up two buildings, constructed out of the trunks of roughly-hewn trees; of these one was intended for a church — the other a presbytery for their pastor. On Christmas Eve there was not a winking eye in the little colony. And well there might not be! The new church, decked with pine, and laurel, and ivy leaves, and blaziiig with such lights as the scant means of the faithful could afford, was await- ing its consecration to the worship of God ! There Gallitzin offered up the first Mass, to the great edification of his flock, that, although made up of Catholics, had never witnessed such a solemnity; and to the great astonishment of a few Indians, who had never in their lives dreamed of such a wonderful ceremony. Thus it was, that on a spot in which, scarcely a year previous, silence had reigned over vast solitudes, a Prince, thenceforward cut off from every other country, had opened a new one to pilgrims from all nations, and that from the wastes which echoed no sounds but the bowlings of the wild beasts, there went up the divine song, Gloria hi Excelsis Deo. Thus began that glorious Catholic settlement in Western Pennsylvania, which was destined to grow and flourish like a beautiful 390 The Catholic Pioneers of America^ Bffi; mountain-flower in the midst of the wilderness ! In February, i8cK), Father Gallitzin, in a letter to Bishop Carroll, says: " Our church, which was only begun in harvest, got finished fit for service the night before Christmas; it is about forty-five feet long by twenty-five, built of white pine logs, with a very good shingle roof. . . . There is also a house built for me, sixteen feet by fourteen, besides a little kitchen and a stable. I have now, thanks be to God, a little home of my own, for the first time since I came to this country, and God grant that I may be able to keep it. The prospect of forming a lasting establishment for promoting the cause of religion is very great ; the country is amazingly fertile, and almost entirely inhabited by Catho lies. . . , The congregation consists at present of about forty families, but there is no end to the Catholics in all the settlements round about me ; what will become of them, if we do not soon re- ceive a new supply of priests, I do not know. I try as much as I can to persuade them to settle around me." The whole cost of this spiritual and material col- onization was at first individually borne by Father Gallitzin. He lived on the farm which Captain McGuire, a generous Irish Catholic, had given for the service of the church. But, in order to attract emigration around him, be bought vast tracts o\ land, that he sold in farms at a low rate, or even Demetrius Augiisting Gallitzin, 391 gave to the poor, relying on his patrimony to meet his engagements. The wilderness soon put on a new aspect. The settlers follo>ved the impulses of the great missionary, who kept steadfastly in view the improvement of his work. His first care was to get lip a grist-mill; then arose numerous out- buildings; additional land^s were purchased, and in a short time the colony grew in extent and pros- perity. In carrying out his work, the Prince-priest received material assistance from Europe. At first, sums of money were regularly remitted to him by his mother. With her he kept up a fond correspondence, which his great love for her rendered one of the consola- tions of his life. But he lost this good and tender parent in 1806. The Emperor of Russia could not pardon one of his nobles for becoming a Catholic priest ; and he deciiled that Prince Gallitzin could inherit no part of his father's property. Writing to her brother, however, the Princess Maria said : " You may be perfectly easy. I shall divide with you faithfully, as I am certain you would with me. Such was the will of our deceased father and of our dearest mother; and such also will be the desire of my affectionate love and devotedness towards you, my dearest brother." On various occasions she sent large sums to the missionary, who employed them in meeting his en- 11 \i ■-•I It i ■ ■'■;- , j«.t> ^h--^ .,. f'- ^■■ 39-J 'JVie Catholic Piouetrs of America, gagements and in relieving the poor. But on the whole, it amounted to only a small part of the revenues to which. he was entitled. When the Princess married the insolvent Prince of Salm, she said no more about remittances. Thus the saintly man lost nearly all his. patrimony. But, with the most perfect resignation, he offered the sacrifice to God. He cared not for wealth, except to aid the poor, the unfortunate, or the Church. " If he had possessed a heart of gold," said one who knew him well, ** he would have given it to the unfortunate." It is impossible to describe the energy and "snlightened zeal of this apostolic man. We have a graphic picture of his appearance on one of his forest journeys, when he had reached his lixty-fourth year. For it we are indebted to the pen of Rev. Father Lemcke, O. S. B., afterwards his successor. In the summer of 1834, the good Father was sent from Philadelphia to the assistance of the aged missionary. After several days of rough travel he reached Munster, a village some miles from Loretto. Here Father Lemcke procured an Irish lad to pilot him on his way. '* As we had gone." he says, ** a couple of miles through the woods, 1 caught sight of a sled drawn by a pair of vigorous horses, and in the sled a half- recumbent traveller, on every lineament of whose face could be read a character of distinction. He was outwardly dressed in a threadbare overcoat, and Demetrius August inc Gallitzin. 393 on his head a peasant's hat so worn and dilapidated that no one would have rescued it from the garbage of the streets. It occurred to me that some accident had happened to the old gentleman, and that he was compelled to resort to this singular mode of conveyance. *' While I was taxing my brain for a satisfactory solution of this problem, Tom, my guide, who was trotting ahead, turned round, and pointing to the old man, said : ' Here comes the priest.' I immediately coaMed up my nag to the sled. * Are you really the pastor of Loretto ?' said I. * I am, sir." * Prince Gallitzin ?' ' At your service, sir,' he said, with a hearty laugh. **'You are probably astonished,' he continued, ^fter I handed him a letter from the Bishop of Philadelphia, ' at the strangeness of my equipage. But there's no help for it. You have, no doubt, already found out that in these countries you need not dream of a carriage road. You could not drive ten yards without danger of an overturn. I am pre- vented, since a fall which I have had, from riding on horseback, and it would be impossible for me now to travel on foot. Besides, I carry along everything required for the celebration of Holy Mass. I am now going to a spot where I have a mission, and where the Holy Sacrifice has been announced for to- day. Go to Loretto and make yourself at home until my return to-night ; unless, indeed, you should ' 4 ,' ! '»»M ill ''4fi Im 394 TAe Catholic Pioneers of A merica. prefer to accompany me.' " Father Lemcke was only too happy to bear him company. For forty-one years this humble man, this truly great and good priest, led upon the mountains of Pennsylvania, a most perfect Christian life. When warned to take more care of himself, he would answer, in his own energetic style : " As the days have gone by when by martyrdom it was possible for us to testify to God's glory upon earth, it becomes our duty, like the toil-worn ox, to remain hitched to 'the plough in the field of the Lord." On Easter Sunday, 1841, Father Gallitzin, being seventy-one years of age, had early in the morning taken his seat in the confessional. After dis charging these duties, he bravely braced up his re-' maining strength to ascend the altar for the cele- bration of Mass. When it was over he took to his bed — the bed from which he was destined never to rise. On the 6th of May, his pure and princely spirit passed to the bosom of God. The venerable Father Gallitzin's best eulogy is his work. He erected t\\Q first chapel in what now comprises the dioceses of Pittsburg, Alleghany City, and Erie. His cherished Loretto is the most Catho- lic village in the United States. Not till the traveller has pressed the soil of Cambria county does he feel that he is in a truly Christian land, as he catches the sight of ten Catholic churches and three monasteries — all of which cropped out of Di'tmtrius Augustine Gallitzin. 395 Loretto, .under I.e creative and fostering hands of Gallitizin.' What share he had in its material pros- perity may b- judged from the fact that he spent over $150,000 in its improvement. Though for many years Vicar-General of the Bishop of Phila- delphia, he firmly refused all offers of being raised to the episcopal dignity. Having renounced the dignities of the world, he did not aspire to those of the Church. Few, very few indeed, are the princes of Europe who have earned a place among the Catholic Pioneers of America ; but a halo of immortal glory snrrounds the beautiful memory of the apostolic Gallitzin. In memoria ceterna erit Justus, ^ Lemck*. > H ' 396 The Catholic Pioneers of America, W. It' !■■ r:rf WILLIAM JAMES MacNEVEN, M. D., THE SCHOLAR, PATRIOT, PHYSICIAN^ AND PHILANTHROPIST, Died A. D. 1841. ILLIAM JAMES MacNEVEN, whose name must ever hold an honored place in the history of his country, was born at Ballyna- hovvne, County of Galw.iy, Ireland, on the 21st of March, 1763. "My family,' he says, "possessed, in fee simple, a small landed estate about a mile south from Aughrim and Kilcommodan Hill. An eventful battle was fought there on the 12th of July, 1691, between the forces of King James II. and King William, and my early intimacy with every inch of the field gave my thoughts, ever after, an invariable direction to the unfortunate relations of Ireland with England. ^ ♦' My father was descended from one of that na- tional party that stood out for Ireland in the war of Cromwell, and who were ultimately driven by the conqueror into the wilds behind the Shannon- net knowing where else to banish them. There my family lived, like others of the old race, in ob- scurity and independence, true to their religion, i Wiliiam James Mac N even, M.D, 397 full ot love of Irish nationality, traditionary pride, and aversion to England," The boy lost his mother while a mere child, and his early training devolved mainly on a good aunt. He tells us that when he was about to leave home, she gave him much excellent advice, and blessed him with a relic of the True Cross, which had re- mained for generations a sacred heirloom in the family. The penal laws prevented Catholics from receiving an education in Ireland, and at the age of twelve, William James was sent to Germany to his uncle, Baron William O'Kelly MacNeven, one of the medical lights of that day, and physician to the Empress Maria Teresa. The Baron lived at Praijue. Young MacNeven spent eight fruitful years with his uncle. He received a thorough cl issical educa- tion, passed through the medical school of Prague, and finished his professional studies at the Univer- sity of Vienna, where he took the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1784. Dr. MacNeven now returned to his native land, and began the practice of his profession in Dub- lin. But his soul burned with just indignation, the more he contemplated the wrongs of unhappy Ireland. He saw at a glance that the penal code against Catholics was a diabolical instrument to en- slave the Irish. He was one of the first to raise his voice against that hnteful and illiberal Protestant ascendency which robbed his Catholic countrymen Iri '■'1' hi u . il M 398 77/^ Catholic Pioneers of A merica. of their rights and their property. He was a dele- gate at the famous Catholic convention which met at Dublin in 1792, and his speech on that occasion produced a great sensation. At one point he re- ferred to " Protestant ascendency," as it was then called. " It was this ascendency," exclaimed Dr. Mac- Neven, "that in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, like a ferocious tiger, devastated the land of our fathers, and after establishing its den on a depopu- lated waste, surrounded it, in a succeeding age, with the horrors of mental darkness; it was this ascen- dency that, breaking through the sympathies of nature, and the obligations of eternal justice, estab- lished the slow tortures, the recreant prohibitions, the unnatural, unmanly enormities of the penal code." From this time, MacNeven was admired by the Irish Catholics, and stood forth as one of their most earnest advocates. He joined the Directory of the United Irishmen in 1796, and in the following year he was sent as their r'^presentative to France. He was arrested, however, by the English authorities in 1/98, and kept a prisoner till 1 802. On his lioeration, he proceeded to France, and entered an Irish Legion in the Army of Napoleon. *' I accepted of a commision in that corps," he writes to a friend, '' for the purpose of learning tactics, and of going with it to Ireland ; but while at \i t/iiam James MacNeven, M.D. 399 Hrest, and in its neighborhood, it was evident to me ihat tliis same corps was only held up as a scare- crow to friglitcn England into a peace — and that we were in reality made mere instruments, by Bonaparte, to answer his own selfish views. This was not all ; but he sought through this association of Irishmen to agitate their country, and thereby bring England the sooner to iiis terms. 1 could not lend myself, after that, to so mischievous a purpose, and I accordingly resigned." Seeing his hopes for Ireland repeatedly doomed to disappointment, the patriotic physician sailed /or America, and landed at New York on the 4th of July, 1805. After spending some weeks with his dear friend Thomas Addis Emmet,' he opened an office, and began the practice of his profession. His skill, learning, and exalted personal character won immediate recognition. In 1808, he was called to fill the chair of obstetrics in the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons, which three years later he changed for chat of chemistry and materia medica. He established the first chemical laboratory ever seen in New York. In 1826, he resigned his professor- ship in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and together with Mott, Francis, Hos:ick, and others, founded a new medical school on Duane Street, in he * I am indebted to this preat man's crandson and namesake, Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, the distmp:uished New York physician, for a portrait of Dr. llacN^ven and some valuable points of information. wm 400 T/ie Catkolic Pioneers of A merica. % '"^ M which he lectured on materia medica and thera- peutics till 1830. But while filling the professor's chair and attend ing to a large practice, Dr. MacNeven took the most earnest and active interest in everythiiii;' that related to Ireland and the Irish people. He was President of " The Friends of Ireland," and a member of nearly every society in New York City having for its object the honor or interest of his countrymen. He published a pamphlet for im- migrants, entitled : Directions^ or Advice to Irishnien Arriving in America. He established a bureau to obtain positions and to afford protection to Irish servant girls. To poor Irishmen, indeed, he was a true and generous friend. He aided those who needed relief, and such as were sick he attended without charge. It was well said that " his knowl- edge and his virtues reflected honor upon his exiled countrymen in America." *' Towards his native land," writes Miss MacNeven, " my father's devoted attachment remained ev'er the same — neither time nor distance, the cares of life, nor the approach of death could diminish or weaken it. He was ever active in her service, and seized every occasion which offered to promote the great object of her happiness." This noble Irishman died after a long illness, borne with the patience of a Christian and the fortitude of a philosopher, ort the 12th of July, 1841. He was Williatn James MacNeven, M. D. 401 \ thera- attend 00k the irythiiii;- le. He and a rk City of his for ini- ris/iiHcn ireau to :o Irish 2 was a se who :tended knowl- exiled Neven, v'er the ife, nor ken it. 1 every object borne ude of ie was attended in his last hours by Bishop Hughes, and passed away soothed by all the consolations of the Catholic Religion. Aside from iiis many virtues, beautiful character, and great professional attainments, Dr. MacNeven was a man of wide learning and rare accomplish- ments. " My father," says his daughter. Miss MacNeven, " besides being a good classical scholar, was a proficient in several modern languages. He spoke German and French with the same facility as English, and was well versed in the literature of those countries. He was also a good Italian scholar. He understood Irish, his native tongue, perfectly well, and conversed in it fluently. I have heard him say it was the first he ever spoke." His writings were mainly on medical, scientific, and political sub- jects, and were commonly in the form of essays and lectures. Among his best-known works were. Rambles through Sivitzerland, Pieces of Irish History, ZXid Exposition of the Atomic Theory in Chemistry, 402 The Catholic Pioneers of America, m. '8 'I ' JOHN DUBOIS, D. D., FOUNDER Of MOUNT ST. MAKY\SCOLLEGEy AND BISHOP OF NEW J ORK. Died A. D. 1842. |OHN DUBOIS was born at Paris, France, in 1764. The careful training given him by his excellent mother made a lasting impres- sion on his character. As a student, he distinguished himself at the College of Louis le Grand, in which Charles Carroll of Carrollton had received a part of his education. One of his fellow-students at that • famous institution was Robespierre, afterwards the bloodthirsty ruffian of the Revolution. Even then, young Dubois instinctively read the heart ot the budding tyrant. " I shall never forget," he used to say to one of his pupils at Emmittsburg, " the looks and manners of him who afterwards proved such a monster of ferocity. He was unsocial, solitary, gloomy ; his head was restless, his eye wandering, and he was a great tyrant towards his younger and weaker companions." Dubois made his theological course at the Seminary of St. Mdgloire. He was ordained in 1787, but four years later was obliged to sail for America to John Dubois, D. D, 403 )POFNEW France, 1 hiin by r impres- iguished n which 1 part of at that rds the en then, ot the used to le looks such a solitary, ndering, ger and eminary 787, but erica to avoid the hatred of the revolutionists. Welcomed by Bishop Carroll, he at once began the exercise of the sacred ministry at Norfolk, Virginia. He car- ried letters of introduction from Lafayette to James Mon oe, Patrick Henry, and other distinguished citizens of the new Republic. He even resided for some time with the future President, and received lessons in English from the great orator. While in Virginia, he contrived to support himself by teach- ing P^rench, as the Catholics were too few and too poor to contribute to his support. His missionary field was very extensive. At one time he was the only priest between Baltimore and St. Louis. His vigorous constitution was taxed to the ut- most. He could never say his work was finished. There was still more., " On one occasion," .says Rev. Dr. McCaffrey, " he had just arrived at Emmittsburg, much fatigued, on a Saturday after, noon, and was going to the confessional, when a distant sick-call came. Before leaving Emmitts- burg, he directed the usual preparations to be made for the celebration of Mass on Sunday, saying that he would be back in tinic. He returned to Fred- erick, and thence proceeded to Montogomery County, administered the consolations of religion to the dying person, and, after a journey of nearly fifty miles, after twice swimming his horse across the Monocacy— the last time at the risk of his life, for wearied nature caught a nap of sleep while the ift K'^'^'t •1- I 404 T/ic Catholic Pioneers of A vicrica. noble animal was breasting the angry stream — he was again in the confessional at nine o'clock on Sunday, without having broken his fast, and sang Mass and preached as usual at a late hour in the forenoon, and with so little appearance of fatigue that the majority of the congregation never even suspected that he had stirred abroad in the interval." Father Dubois founded Mount St. Mary's College, Emmittsburg, Maryland, in 1809, ^"•^ among his first scholars were James McSherry, Frederick Chatard, Charles Harper, and Jerome Bonaparte. The early college was simply a log-house. Boys came fron: ■ all directions. In two years Father Dubois "had forty pupils; in three, sixty; and in five, eighty." The institution grew and flourished, and in time became the alma mater of Cardinal McCloskey, Archbishop Hughes, Archbishop Purcell^ and many other eminent men. After having borne the heat and burden of the day for thirty-five years, and when past the age of three-score. Father Dubois was appointed Bishop of New York. He entered upon his new duties towards the close of 1826. The trials and difificul- ties were countless. *' I am obliged," he writes to Rome, " to fulfil at the same time the duties of Bishop, parish priest, an i catechist." Nor was this all. Many a church trustee, at that time, considered himself the most important man in the diocese. It was the bull-frog trying to become 'li:; % John Dubois^ D. D. 405 an ox. Bishop Dubois, of course, soon found him- self in difficulties with the trustees of his cathedral. Their insolence went so far that they threatened to cut off his salary ; but they little knew the spirit of the aged prelate. " Gentlemen," he replied, "you may vote me a salary or not. I need little. I can live in a basement or a garret ; but whether I come up from my basement, or down from my garret, I shall still be your Bishop." On the first visitation of his diocese. Dr. Dubois found about seven hundred Catholics at Buffalo. Here he heard many confessions — about two hun- dred of them by means of an interpreter. His zeal, activity, and enterprise would have accomplished more, had he been properly supported in his measures by the trustees of the various churches. He had likewise to contend with the insane bigotry of the times. A Catholic college, which he was erecting in a beautiful spot near Nyack, on the Hudson, afforded an excellent theme for loud-mouthed fanatics and wexk-headed ministers. The pulpits rung with the dangers of " Popery." One morning the college was found a mass of ruins and ashes ! During his episcopate eight new churches were erected in New York City alone. In 1837, his health giving way, he received the assistance of a coadjutor in the person of Dr. Hughes, his former pupil, his illustrious successor, and first Archbishop of New York. Bishop Dubois A I 'i' : 1 '■■f''i~ ■ ; i hi i fiij 4d5 The Catholic Pioneers of America. died on the 20th of December, 1842, at the ripe ajre of seventy-eight. " Need I tell you," says his eloquent eulogist, " that such a life was closed by a tranquil and happy death? The last words that trembled on his lips were the holy names which in infancy a pious mother had taught him to lisp — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph ! As the ripe and mellow fruit falls in due seaso . ^o the ground — as the flower hangs its head, anc. ,s, and dies — as the sun at evening's close sinks calmly into the ocean's bed, leaving tracks el ^luP' be'i'nd — so did he quit this earthly scene, without a straggle and without a sigh — with a prayer on his lips, and a sweet hope of heavenly rest in his heart, and a sweet thought of the mercy of Jesus, whom he had loved and served all his life^ hovering like an angel over his departing spiriu"* > Rev. Dr. McCaffrey. Th^ Catholic Fwneers ej America, JOHN ENGLAND, D. D., F1RS7 BISHOP OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. Died A. D. 1842. T was some years before the steam-engine en- abled people to move quicker than "the wings of the wind." There were no railroads. A stage-coach was pushingalong the highway in one of the Southern States. It stopped. Ayoungminister entered, took a seat, and glanced around at the passengers. A number of gentleman were engaged in earnest conversation ; and he immediately fixed his gaze on one of them — a dignified, remarkable- looking man in the prime of life, whose eye glowed with mental brightness and searching power. The newcomer seemed to be moved by some extraor- dinary impulse. He was not polite. He every now and then threw out hints about " the Pope," "Anti.Christ," "the Scarlet Woman," and other very inysterious things, endeavoring at each sen- tence to attract the notice of the remarkable-look- ing gentleman. "Paul" was continually quoted. I^was "Paul" here, and "Paul" there, and how ||: \m INh m ! 1- 1 f '1 . 1 ipfiHI i ! !S;; : 1 408 T/w Catholic Pioneers of A merica. £Ould people that he called " Romanists" answer •' Paul"? At first, th<* gentleman addressed appeared to pay no attention to such odd questions; but as tlie preacher stuck to his points, the annoyance soon became intol ::rabe. At length, he paused, turned towards the uncourteous bawler of texts, and directing the blaze of his great eyes, which sparkled with fun and fire, upon him, he gave utterance to this strange rebuke: " Young man ! if you have not faith and piety sufficient to induce you to call the Apostle ' Saint Paul,' at least have the good manners to call him 'Mister Paul ;' and do not be perpetually calling him ' Paul,' * Paul,' as if you con- sidered him nc better than a negro." The words, as- sisted by the comical gravity with which they were uttered and enforced by the roar of laughter with which they were received by the delighted passengers, ex- tinguished the poor preacher, who rapidfy hid him- self in the town at which the sta^e arrived. Nor did the affair end here. The story got abroad, and the next Sunday, while he was enlightening an audience, some irreverent wag interrupted him by re- peatmg Mister Paul— Mister Paul!' The ab- surdity of the affair obliged the indiscreet but ambi- tious minister to leave for parts unknown. He had met Dr. England, and thought he would break a lance with the famous Catholic Bishop. John England was born at Cork, Ireland, on the John Engiand, D. D. 409 23d of September, 1786. Mis boyhood was in the days of his country's trial and persecution. Tlie wrongs he saw and suffered made a lasting impres- sion on his mind and character. Indeed, the en- thusiastic love of his Faith and his native Isle were ever the cherished affections which dwelt down deepest in his great heart. His first instruction was received in a Protestant school, as there was no other to which he could go. Here the soul of the brave boy was daily pained by insult. Often, to expose him to the contempt of the class, the bigoted teacher would sneeringly call him *'/// with his bare feet to the ground; the upper leanier of his shoes only remaining decent, while the soles were worn away. As soon as possible, he became an American citizen, and was devotedly attached to his adopted country and its institutions. While the Catholics of his diocese, and indeed of the whole United States, revered the Bishop, people of all denomina- tions admired his happy eloquence, magic pen, and j2[reat learning. He was a valued member of the Philosophical Literary Association of Charleston ; he founded the Anti-Duelling Association ; and he preached in the hall of the House of Representa- tives in Washington — the first Catholic clergjnnan ever invited to perform such a wo jfokn En^laiidy D. D. 413 The great struggle of Bishop En<;land'slife in this Republic was to present the Catholic Church, her doctrines and practices, in their true light before the American people. In his eiTorts to do this, his labors, pcriiaps, have never been equalled by any other man. It was with this object in view that he established the United States CatJiolic Miscellany, in 1822. On his arrival in America he found the Catholic Church comparatively defenceless but he noon rendered it a very responsible task to attack or vilify her. Many who ventured on this mode of warfare were glad to retreat from the field before the crushing weapon of logic, erudition, and eloquence with which he battled for his faith and his people. Bifhop England was a fearless man. He quailed neither before deadly pestilence, the hand of the assassin, or the passions of the rabble. When the yellow fever, with frightful swiftness, desolated . Charleston, he could be daily seen calmly moving,' through the wards of death, cheering those who were on the point of departing for another world. When the anti-Catholic spirit seized on the mob of Charleston, and they threatened to burn the convent, a gallant band of Irishmen rallied to its defence ; and Dr. England, coolly and carefully, examined the flints of their rifles, to satisfy himself that there should be no missing fire — no failure of swift and summr ry justice ! But the preparation was i ,1 v'i 1 I \ \ ':'' : - i 1 \v\ 1-K 414 T/it' Catliolir Pioneers of A tnerica. enough. It was a lesson the ruffians never forgot. Dr. England has been truly styled " the author of the Provincial Councils. ' His far reaching mind saw the imperfect organization of the struggling American Church — its bishops fat apart, battling with poverty and difficulties. He wrote to his brother prelates, urging the necessity of assembling and taking counsel for united action. He lived to see this cherished desire of his heart accomplished, and his solid and brilliant mind shed its rays of light and wisdom on the first Councils of Baltimore. His labors in the cause of Catholic education were un- tiring. It was to meet the wants of his diocese that he introduced the Ursulines and the Sisters of Mercy, In the same interest he visited Europe four times. At Rome, he was consulted on all matters relating to the Catholic Church in the United States. Such was his reptutaion for energy, and the rapidity of his movements, that he was known among the Cardinals as the " Steam Bishop" of America. Worn out with labor and fatigue, his powerful frame gave way — health vanished. When warned that he was killing himself, he only replied : ** I must do my duty, and if I fall at the altar, I only ask that you will bring me home." When his last hour came, he embraced the crucifix, and kissing it, said. " Sweet Jesus !" His address to the clergy, who surrounded his couch of death, was the last sublime h William Gaston, LL.D. 415 act of his grandly beautiful life. Giving his bene- diction, he sank on his pillow, and calmly expired, April nth, 1842, at the age of fifty-six years. As a Bishop of apostolic zeal and splendid in- tellect, as a finished scholar, powerful writer, and impressive preacher, the Catholic Church of this Republic has not seen the superior of Dr. England. When he could gain a candid hearing, his influence was really irresistible. Many who heard the marvel- lous force of his words — the magic thrill of his eloquence — came at once to profess the Catholic Religion. WILLIAM GASTON, LL.D., JUDGE CF THE SUPREME roURT OF NORTH CAROLINA. Died A. D. 1844. WILLIAM GASTON was born at Newbern, North Carolina, while the American Revolu- tion was still an uncertain struggle, and the crash of arms sounded from Maine to Georgia. It was on the 19th of September, 1778. His father. Dr. Alexander Gaston, was a native of Ireland; and his mother, Margaret Sh.irpe, an English lady — a pious Catliolic, who had received an excellent education at a con- vent in France. 416 T/ie CatJiolic Pioneers of America. m ■ !■ Dr. Gaston was a sterling patriot. But while hurriedly removing his family from Newbern, a detachment of British troops suddenly appeared, and shot down the gallant Irish physician in the very presence of his imploring wife and children. Mrs. Gaston devoted her chief attention to the education of her son William, who, as he budded into boyhood, revealed a disposition full of promise and consolation. Her means were quite limited, but a rigid economy enabled her to accomplish this fond object of her heart. An anecdote is told of the boy which will afford an insight to the relations of the mother and son. When young Gaston was about eight years old, even then remarkable for his cleverness, a schoolmate as much noted for his dulness said to him: "William, what's the reason you're always head of the class and I'm always foot ?" *' There is a reason," replied the boy, "but if I tell you, you must promise to keep it a secret, and do as I do." The promise was given. "WHienever," he continued, "I take up my book to study, I first say a little prayer my mother taught me, that I may be able to learn m}' lessons." He tried to teach the little petition to the dull boy, who, however, could not remember it. The same night Mrs. Gaston observed William writing behind the door ; as she was very strict in permitting nothing her children did to be concealed from her, he was obliged to confess having been writing out the prayer m ca. W'lliam Gaston^ LL.D. 417 But while fewbern, a appeared, :ian in the :hildren. ion to the he budded of promise iniited,but li this fond will afford :r and son. s old, even oolmate as "William, the class n," replied )romise to omise was ike up my ny mother lessons." dull boy, The same ng behind ig nothing er, he was ;he prayer for little Tommy, that he might be able to get his lessons. In the fall of 1791, William Gaston was placed at Georgetown College, being the first student that entered that oldest of our Catholic seats of learning. But he was not simply first in point of time. He- was first in piety and industry. "Your son," wrote Father Plunkett, S. J., to Mrs. Gaston, "is the best scholar and the most exemplary youth we have in Georgetown." After some time, his mother, desirous of giving him the highest education the country at that period afforded, sent him to Princeton College, N. J., where he entered the junior class. His brilliant talents are among the cherished traditions of that institution. Here, though he lived in the midst of Protestants, who were his constant and only com panions, he was never known to fail in his duty as a strict and practical Catholic, He graduated in 1796, carrying away with him the first honors of Princeton. But he could not think of such an important step as graduation without the blessing of Heaven. Hence, on the eve of that event he went to Philadelphia. and received Holy Communion, in order that he might begin the journey of life with the grace of God in his heart. He was accustomed to say that the proudest moment of his life was when he communicated the news of his graduation to his dear, devoted mother. ^E^'pI . 1 !■ ■■■ ■'4 : ■FA 1 ir ^ f ^ 5; ■ ' "i . -.1 t 1 ^1 j, . i. ^ i : "l»:ll i i • ,4 '■ ! ti Lj 1 Bh ■HI 1 rfU. 418 77(t^ CatJiolic Pioneers of Atnerica, She embraced her boy, and laying her hands on his head, as he was kneeling at her feet, she exclaimed: "My God, I thank Thee!" Entering the office of an eminent lawyer, young Gaston began his legal studies. He was called to the bar in 1798, when he was twenty years of age; and soon gained distinction in the practice of his profession. In August, 1800, he was elected a member of the Senate of his native State.* Eight years later he was chosen an Elector for President and Vice-President of the United States. In 181 1, he mourned the loss of his excellent mother. She deserves a high position among the heroines of the Revolution. All who speak of Mrs. Gaston inva- riably name her as the most dignified as well as the most devout woman they had ever seen. Gaston was elected to Congress in 1813, and two years later he was reelected for a second term. His Congressional career v»as one of great activity and unsurpassed brilliancy. Though quite a young man, he did not shrink from encounter with such men as Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Randolph, and other notable statesmen of that day. His indepen- dence of spirit, great learning, ready eloquence, and pure, lofty character gave him vast influence with his own party, while it commanded the re- spect of his political opponents. » And this though the Constitution of North Carolina at that time contained a clause excluding Catholics from office. ds on his xlaimed : ir, young called to s of age ; ce of his lected a • Eight ;*resident In 1811, er. She is of the on inva- ill as the and two id term. activitv a young ith such ph, and indepen-. »quence, nfluence the re- le contained William Gaston^ LL.D. 419 On retiring from Congress in 1817, he resumed the practice of the law. Gaston's clear, condensed, and vigorous eloquence was remarkable. Who tliat has seen, can ever forget that nohlc form, as he arose to address the jury in sonic case of life and death? The head slightly inclined — the calm gray eye — the expansive, jutting brow, overloaded with thought. At first, the words come slowly, like rain- drops before the storm. Then, the manner be- comes more animated. The words sally forth like disciplined troops, and fall into line — each so apt and expressive. Now and then, one concentrates such a world of meaning that it seems to fly and bury itself in your heart. Those manly, expressive eyes kindle, look on you, and you behold in their bright, mysterious depths something unutterable. The thought that convulses the orator takes pos- session of your soul, and you yield yourself to the power of a master mind.' Gaston was almost from necessity a public man ; and his splendid gifts were always at the service of his country and oppressed humanity. His heart went out in warm sympathy to the Catholics of Ire- land, who were then struggling for emancipation. In a letter dated Newbern, September 30th, 1828, and ad- dressed to Dr. William James MacNeven, he says: "I had the honor to receive, by the last mail, your interesting letter of the 20th inot., on the subject of ilredeU. 'i^ i Pi y \sr4 i ■ ■ :\ id . — 1 420 T/ie Catholic Pioneers of A merica. the Association recently formed by The Friends of Ireland^ in New York. The cause of civil and re- ligious liberty, wherever it may be advocated, cannot fail to engage my warmest wishes for its success. But when it is in contestation in the land of my fathers, among a people only less dear to me than those of my own country, it excites an interest, the strength and ardor of which I find it difficult to express. May God speed it to a glorious and happy issue. As an earnest of my zeal in its behalf, I send the enclosed mite' to be applied to the objects of the Association." It was especially, however, in the Legislature of North Carolina that his personal influence was felt. The expunging of the clause which discriminated against Catholics in the Constitution of that State was due to his able efforts. "The most brilliant era of his legislative career," says a Protestant writer, "was the Convention of 1835. The hour of the repeal of the constitutional disfranchisement of Catholics was probably the proudest of his life. His speech on that occasion was one of the rarest and most admirable specimens of eloquence which ancient or modern times have produced. His whole soul was poured into the task. He felt that it must be achieved by him, or not at all. His effort was successful. And to him is due the gratitude of the wise and tolerant of every land.' »> » Twenty-five dollars. Wtlliam Gaston, LL.D. 421 '^riends of il and re- ;d, cannot ; success. »d of my me than erest, the ifficult to nd happy alf, I send bjects of slature of : was felt, riminated hat State illiant era nt writer, ir of the ment of ife. His irest and h ancient lole soul must be ort was e of the In 1833, William Gaston was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, a post which he continued to adorn for the remainder of his life. To the discharge of the duties of his high office. Judge Gaston brought all the rich treasures of his well-stored mind, and the sterling qualities of his upright heart. Never was the ermine worn with more unsullied purity ; never was justice more ably or impartially administered. But it would be impossible in brief space to convey to the mind of the reader a just idea of his grand judicial career. To him, home was one of the sweetest words in the language — truly "home, sweet home." In the domestic circle his warm, genial nature shed a cheer- fulness all around. He was several times married, but the early death of his last wife left his children motherless; yet he was everything to them by his tenderness and thoughtful solicitude. Their educa- tion was the object of his greatest care, and he regarded their religious instruction as the most im- portant part of their education. Writing to his eldest daughter, then married in Connecticut, and who had charge of the schooling of her young sisters, the wise Judge said : " Save them from the greatest of all moral evils — the unsettling of (Jiev^ Faithr Judge Gaston was a man of earnest faith and deep religious feeling. Before the church was I i i1 m i: \ t li 1 422 The Catholic Pioneers of America, erected at Newbern, he used to read the prayers of Mass for all the Catholics that could be collected together. The humility and devotion with which he would do this, in the absence of the priest, was the edification of all present. He kept up a friendly correspondence with Dr. England ; and the letters of the great prelate to him breathe the warmest sentiments of esteem and affection. This pious and distinguished man died at Raleigh, N. C , in 1844, at the age of sixty-six. The last words he uttered were: "We must believe and feel that there is a God, all-wise and almighty." After Judge Gaston's death, his confessor declared that he regarded him fts a Catholic of such pure life, that he had never committed a mortal sin 1 W\ W- ,1; l!« yt' TJw Catholic Pioneers of America, 423 prayers of collected ith which )riest, was a friendly he letters ; warmest pious and , in 1844, e uttered there is a ! Gaston's irded him lad never TERESA LALOR, FOUNDRESS OF THE ^ISITA TION NUNS IN AMERICA, Died A. D. 1846. T was long after Mother Mary of the Incarna- tion and Sister Margaret Bourgeois had passed to their reward, leaving enduring monuments of their well-directed zeal on the banks of the St. Lawrence, that another noble woman became the Catholic pioneer of female education in this Re- public. Teresa Lalor — she was baptized Alice, but took the name of Teresa on entering the religious state — was born in Queen's County, Ireland, about the year 1766. She was brought up, however, at Kil- kenny, and became a girl of rare promise. When only sixteen years of age, she consulted Bishop Lanigan about making a vow of chastity. The prelate, after some delay, permitted the young lady to follow her design. Miss Lalor continued to live piously in her family till Dr. Lanigan, desirous of forming a religious community at Kilkenny, invited her to join it. S. it- was more than willing. Her parents, however, r«i 424 IVte Catholic Pioneers of A merica. opposed the step. They intended to emigrate to America, and would not part with their darling daughter. Accordingly, in 1797, she sailed with her father and mother for the United States, having promised the Bishop to return to Ireland in two years to embrace the religious state. She settled with her family, at Philadelphia, and confided her projects to Father Leonard Neale, whom she took as her spiritual director. This good priest had long wished to found a religious com- munity at Philadelphia; but he was yet undecided as to what Order would best suit the wants of the country. He showed Miss Lalor that America needed her services far more than Ireland. And as her confessor, invested with the necessary powers, he released her from her promise to return. Obedient to his counsels, she joined two other young women animated by a similar desire for the religious state. She left her family, to begin, under Father Neale's direction, a house for the education of girls. Scarcely, however, had the new institution , opened, when the yellow fever commenced to ravage Philadelphia. Many people fled from the scourge; arhong others, the parents of Miss Lalor. They conjured her to accompany them, but she remained unshaken at her post, and beheld her two com- panions carried oflf by the pestilence, without being discouraged in her resolution of devoting her life to Heaven. Teresa Lalor 425 ligrate to r darling iled with es, having id in two Iphia, and •d Neale, This good ous com- .mdecided its of the America nd. And ■y powers, ) return, wo other re for the Tin, under education nstitution to ravage scourge ; r. They remained wo corn- out being ler life to Father Neale, in the meantime, was appointed President of Georgetown College, D. C. He invited Miss Lalor and a devoted l.idy friend to open a school at Georgetown in 1799; and this was the beginning of what is to-day the oldest Catholic female academy within the limits of the original Thirteen States. The rising institute soon received a very desirable accession in another lady, who brought with her a small fortune — something not to be despised, as they were extremely poor. This money was employed partly in the purchase of a wooden house, the site of which is still embraced in the convent grounds. Father Neale, on becoming coadjutor to Bishop Carroll, in 1800, continued to reside at Georgetown, where he bestowed on his spiritual daughters the most active solicitude. The prelate often offered his prayers to God to know to what Rule it was most suitable to bind the new society. He had a great liking for the Visitation, founded by St. Francis de Sales ; and a circumstance strengthened the conviction of both himself and Miss Lalor, that in this, perhaps, he followed the designs of God. Among some old books belonging to the Poor Clares — then at Georgetown — was found the com- plete text of the Rules and Constitutions of the Visitation, although the nuns were wholly unaware that they ever possessed the volume. Bishop Neale, however, failed in his endeavors to i \ 'I ill ' if! p 'i!l! iiliii ,i|aiM,ii!; PI ■1 426 J'/it^ Catholic Pioneers of America. obtain the aid of some Visitation Nuns from Europe in order to form his American novices to their Rule Many Catholics also blamed the pro- ject of establishing a new religious community in the United States, fearing to excite sectarian fanaticism — then, and for many years after, a great bugbear. But the clouds of difficulty and opposition vanished by degrees. On the departure of the Poor Clares for Europe in 1805, Bishop Neale purchased their convent. He immediately mstalled in it the " Pious Ladies" — the name by which the future Visitation Nuns were then known — and by a deed of June 9th, 1808, transferred the property to Alice Lalor, Maria McDermott, and Mary Neale. When the little community was erected by the Holy See into a convent of the Visitation, Miss Lalor became the first Superioress, under the name of Mother Teresa Lalor. In 1817, Dr. Neale died. Archbishop of Baltimore, and was buried in the convent chapel which his zeal and his affection had reared ad major em Dei gloriam. Mother Teresa Lalor more than once beheld her spiritual daughters in such distress thnt 1 "^^an prudence commanded them to disr But she was a brave lady, and her confident urod was n. shaken. She continued to receive ^ stulants, rely, ing on that Providence which feeds the bi ds of the air, to maintain her institute. Among those who Stephen Theodore Badin. 42/ entered in those dark days, was Mrs V. H. Barber, the wife of the famous convert minister. In later times. Miss Virginia Scott, daughter of the dis- tinguished American General, became a nun at Georgetown. The venerable foundress lived to see five houses of her Order established, and went to receive the reward of the blessed in the fall of 1846, at the ad- vanced age of eighty years. Her briglit name shall pass down to future generations as one of the great educators and saintly women of the nineteenth century. STEPHEN THE:0D0RE BADIN, THE FIRST PRIEST ORDAINED IN THE UNITED STA TES. Hied A. D. 1853. AMONG the good and gifted men that the French Revolution cast upon our shores was Stephen Theodore Badin. He was born at Orleans, France, on the 17th of July, 1768. He received a finished classical education at the College Montagu, Paris; and pursued his theological studies in the seminary of his native city. The Bishop of Orleans, however, had taken the odious constitutional oath. Voungf Badin decided not to receive ordination at Ml P9i' 428 T/ie Catholic Pioneers 0/ America. the hands of such a man, and as the rumble of the terrible Revolution became everyday more distinct, he sailed for the United States, arriving at Phila- delphia in March, 1792. Bishop Cairoll received him with great kindness. Father Badin was raised to the sacred dignity of the priesthood on the 25th of May, 1793 — bviing the first priest ordained in tliis Republic. Prince Gal- litzin, as we have already learned, was the second The Catholics of Kentucky had no priest. Bishop Carroll hinted to Father Badin his intention of sending him to that distant mission. It is not sur- prising to learn, however, that the inexperienced yfuing priest, with a sliglic knowledge of English, exhibited some reluctance about plunging into the wilderness. The Bishop listened to his reasons It was proposed to commend the matter to God by making a Novena. After nine days they met again. "Well," said Bishop Carroll, "I have prayed, and I am still of the same mind." " I have also prayed," replied Father Badin, smiling, *' and I am likev/ise of the same mind. Of what use, then, has been our prayer for nine days?'* Bishop C: rroU smiled, too, and after a pause, said, with great sweetness and dignity : " I lay no command ; but I think it is the will of God that you should go." Father Badin, without a nioment's hesitation, answered with great earnestness — " 1 will go, then." Stephen Theodore Badin, 429 le of the : distinct, at Phila- eived him dignity of b^ing the rince Gal- le second t. Bishop ention of is not sur- med to n. The the dark ind, and ibors in :onstitu- ough an ig Mass tivated. ike him ccellent aise of rie was printed ic work died at he ad- rested