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 ENDS OF LE DETROIT. 
 
 MARIK GAKOlJiNK WATSON mVI LIN. 
 
 11,1,1'STKATEI) BV 
 
 MISS ISABELLA STEWART, 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 DETROIT: 
 
 T H O R N DI K E N O U R S E . 
 
 1884.
 
 Copyright, 1883, 
 By THORNDIKE NOURSE.
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 To THE Loved Ones at "Tonnancour," on the Banks of 
 
 Lake Sainte Claire, where Under the Grateful 
 
 Shade of a Majestic Willow I Have 
 
 Listened to Many a Tale of 
 
 the Mystic Past, 
 
 These Legends Are Most Affectionately Dedicated. 
 
 M. C. W. HAMLIN. 
 Detroit, December, 1883.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The word " Legt-iid " explains itself. Historical and romantic 
 Bouveuirs hang like tattered drapery around the fair City of the 
 Straits. Interest and curiosity have only to shake its venerable 
 folds to scatter fragmentary history and legendary lore. 
 
 These weird tales, quaint customs and beautiful traditions have 
 been handed down from generation to generation as sacred trusts. 
 Originally brought from their cradle in Normandy, they are still 
 tenderly cherished in the homes of the old families of Norman 
 descent settled along " le Detroit." 
 
 It has been my good fortune to hear many of them from loving, 
 though aged lijis of ancestors whose memories extend back into 
 the last century. 
 
 It seems a belitling tribute to these noble and hardy pioneers 
 that a descendant of theirs should gather and preserve in an 
 imperishable form these mementoes they valued .so highly. 
 
 For my interest in the subject, and for the historical facts, in 
 the writing of which I have tried to be strictly accurate, I am 
 indebted to Charlevoi.x, J.a Ilcmtan, Lambert, IVIargry's Collec 
 tions, Parkman, Hameau. Lemoyne. Campbell, Sheldon, Lanman, 
 and others. The Tontiac iNIanuscripl, Morris' Diary, the Cass, 
 Trowbridge and Roberts' Meiuoirs have also furnished material. 
 
 For the data made use of in the articles on the "French Fami- 
 lies" I am under much obligation to the records of Old Ste. Anne's 
 Church, to the researches of my friend L' Abbe Tanguay, and to 
 the brilliant essayist, poet and historian, Benjamin Suite, of 
 Ottawa.
 
 I . !-:( ; i<: N I )s o f le Detroit. 
 
 CHUONOLOOICAI, SEQUENCE. 
 
 DATK PAGE 
 
 1.— The Cros.s aiul llic Maiiilou 1G(59 1 
 
 2.— Tlic Baptism of l>akc Ste. Claire 1679 8 
 
 3.— Th(i Nun of Ste. Claire 169(1 17 
 
 4.— The " Nain Roui^e " 1701 32 
 
 5._Tlio May Pole 1704 m 
 
 6.— Tlic i'liaiiloin PricM 1705 40 
 
 7.— Francois and IJarhc 1710 49 
 
 8.— The Devils (JrisI 171-,' r)7 
 
 9.— Jean Chiquot 1721 64 
 
 10.— The Widow's Curse 1735 71 
 
 11.— Le Lutin 174G 77 
 
 12.— The Warrior's Love 1747 85 
 
 13.— The Miami Seer's Prophecy 1758 91 
 
 14.— The Hones of the Propliet 1761 97 
 
 15.— The Bloody Hun 1763 103 
 
 16.— Le Loup (iarou 1770 113 
 
 17.— The Old Red Mill 1775 122 
 
 18.— La Chasse Galerie 1780 126 
 
 19. — Le Feu Follef 1785 134 
 
 20.— The Feast of St. Jean 1790 143 
 
 21. — llamtramck's Love 1793 151 
 
 22.— The Haunted Spinning Wheel 1795 161 
 
 23.— Th<' (Cursed Villaire 1800 169 
 
 24.— San SoueT and Okemos 1805 180 
 
 25.— The Sibyl's Pioiiliecy 1806 189 
 
 26.— Captain Jean 1807 197 
 
 27.— Kennette's Vision 1808 205 
 
 28.— The Fisherman of Grosse Pointe 1810 213 
 
 29.— The Ghost of >Ionirau.ii;on 1812 220 
 
 30.— The Eve of Kjiipliany 1813 228 
 
 ;U.— Kishk.iuUoii 1815 237
 
 INDEX TO EARLY FRENCH FAMILIES. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 1. Intuodoction to the Families 26:5 
 
 2. Ste. Anne's Chukcii 264 
 
 'A. Okkiceks of the Fout ;569 
 
 4. Adhemau de St. Maktin : o69 
 
 5. AsKiN — .vrt J^iivtlie 272 
 
 6. Bauy 271 
 
 7. Baknaud — xi'c Ih'Kiwi/ern 294 
 
 8. Bauthe 272 
 
 9. Beaukait 275 
 
 10. Biusir — >nr Hmthc 272 
 
 11. {'AMl'EAU 275 
 
 12. CiiAitEUT 281 
 
 13. ( 'II Al'OTON 281 
 
 14. C^iiESNE 283 
 
 15. CicoTTE 284 
 
 16. CUII.LEKIEK DE BeAOBIEN 289 
 
 17. Cole — see Desnoyerx 294 
 
 18. De ^Iersac 290 
 
 19. Dk Quindre 290 
 
 20. Desc omptes Labadie 291 
 
 21 . Desnoyeks 294 
 
 22. DouAiuE DE Bondy 296 
 
 23. Dubois 297 
 
 24. Gamelin 297 
 
 25. GoDE DE ^Iarantay 298 
 
 2<). GoDKHOY 299 
 
 27. GouiN ." 304 
 
 28. Gkants — /tec Bnrthe 272 
 
 29. IIai.i, — see Goilfroy. 299 
 
 30. Hammn — .ffe Godfroji 299 
 
 31. LoTiiMAN DE Barrois 305 
 
 32. MoKAND 305 
 
 g3. Navarre 307 
 
 34. T'ai.ms — see Campeau 275 
 
 35. I'KM.ETIER 311 
 
 46. PiciUETTE — see Cnmpeau 275 
 
 47. Rkavme 313 
 
 38. Rioi'Ei,i,E 314 
 
 39. RiVARD ' . . 314 
 
 30. St. ArniN 315 
 
 41. Van Dyke — see Desiioyers 094 
 
 42. Vii.LiER DiT St. Louis 316 
 
 43. VissiER DIT Laferte yi7 
 
 34. Watson — see Qodfroy 299
 
 PONTIAC TREE.
 
 THE CROSS AND THE MANITOU. 
 
 A^Legend of Belle Isle. 
 
 ()\V frequently, as we sail on the 
 Mp ^; a beautiful Detroit Elver, or tread 
 % — -^'*i/| the busy streets of the prosjDer- 
 ous city, does the mind go back 
 to the remote past, wondering 
 what kind of men were those 
 brave explorers who first yisited the wilds of 
 these regions and gazed upon them in all their 
 virgin loveliness. History has f)reserved to us 
 the names of two of these. 
 
 Francois DoUier de Casson had served as a cav- 
 alry officer of renown under Turenne, and laid 
 aside, in his ancestral halls in Brittany, his 
 sword, sheathed in laurels, to take up the cross 
 which was lo lead him through the trackless for- 
 ests of the new world- 
 1
 
 2 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Abbe Brehant de Galinee was a student whose 
 knowledge of surveying and geography made 
 him a valuable acquisition to the explorers of a 
 new country, and to his graphic pen we are 
 indebted for a detailed account of the visit of the 
 missionary explorers to Detroit. 
 
 They arrived in Montreal from France at the 
 time when La Salle's great project for the explo- 
 ration of the far West was the theme of every 
 tongue. So thoroughly were all imbued with the 
 spirit of adventure, the desire of gain and the 
 glory of extending the arms and name of France, 
 that even enlisted soldiers were allowed to apply 
 for a discharge if they wished to accompany him. 
 
 La Salle had just received the necessary per- 
 mission and orders from De Courcelles, then Gov- 
 ernor of Canada, to fit up his expedition for the 
 exploration of that great river called by the Iro- 
 quois, Ohio, by the French, Belle Riviere, really 
 an arm of the Mississippi, of which such marvel- 
 ous things were told by the Indians, who came 
 each season to trade at Quebec and Montreal. 
 
 Numerous tribes who had never been visited by 
 the "black gown " were said to people its shores. 
 So DoUier and Galinee determined to carry to 
 these nations the knowledge of the true God. 
 
 On the 6th of July, 1669, the little fleet of seven 
 birch bark canoes, each manned by three men, and
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 3 
 
 laden with tlie necessary merchandise to excliange 
 with tlie Indians ahjng their route for provisions, 
 beaver skins and other furs, bade adieu' to Mon- 
 treal amid the joyous notes of the Te Deum and 
 the sound of tlu' arquebus. They reached Lake 
 Frontenac (Ontario) August 2, and the 24th of 
 September an Indian village called Timaouataoua, 
 where they remained some time waiting for guides. 
 There they overtook Louis Joliet, wdio was on his 
 way to Lake Superior in search of a copper mine, 
 wonderful specimens from which had been sent to 
 Montreal by the Jesuit Allouez. The latter was 
 then at Sault Ste. Marie, whither he had gone 
 through the Ottawa River, Lake Simcoe, and with 
 numerous portages into Georgian Bay. It was 
 also Joliet' s object to discover a shorter route, and 
 one which could obviate the necessity of so many 
 tedious portages. Accident had revealed this route 
 to La Salle. Being out hunting one day he found 
 an Iroquois exhausted by sickness and travel 
 worn. He tenderly cared for him, and the Indian 
 repaid his kindness by sketching on a clean sheet 
 of bark, with a piece of charcoal, the position of 
 the lakes and the route to the Ohio and Missis- 
 sippi. This crude chart proved a precious legacy 
 to the energetic and intrepid La Salle. Unfortu- 
 nately he was taken ill, and his malady was of so 
 severe a nature that he was forced for the time
 
 4 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 to give up his cherished project. But Dollier and 
 De Galinee, urged by Joliet, determined to aban- 
 don the expedition to the Ohio and Mississippi, 
 and go in search of the tribes along the lakes. 
 They bade adieu to Joliet and La Salle and started 
 on their perilous journey, acompanied by seven 
 men. They wintered at Long Point on the north- 
 ern shore of Lake Erie. From the mildness of 
 the climate when compared with that of Lower 
 Canada, the quantity of its game, the purity of 
 its waters, the, abundance of its fruit, especially 
 the grape from which they made sufficient wine 
 to use for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, they 
 called it "The Terrestrial Paradise of Canada." 
 It was in the early spring of 1670 that their 
 canoes landed at Detroit. It was an enchanting 
 scene, which unfolded like a coy maiden, its rare 
 loveliness to the admiring eye of the European. 
 He saw the fresh virgin forests clad in the vest- 
 ments of spring, the broad sweeping river, with 
 its graceful curves in whose limpid waters thou- 
 sands of fish could be seen, along the banks teem- 
 ing herds of bison, and droves of deer gazing with 
 Avondering eyes on the stranger. The air was per- 
 fumed by woodland flowers which scattered their 
 sweet incense to the music of the birds, whose 
 gorgeous plumage almost rivalled the flowers in 
 hue. Above all was present* that grand solemn
 
 Legends of Le Detroii. 5 
 
 silence only found in the heart of the forest, resting 
 like a hushed benediction. After wandering about 
 some time in this fair region, and with hearts over- 
 flowing with emotions of love and gratitude to- 
 wards Him who had le.d their footsteps here, they 
 came upon an open clearing in the center of which 
 arose a grassy mound crowned by a rude stone 
 idol. It was a crude production of nature, created 
 by her in a fit of abstraction and which the In- 
 dians had attemi^ted to convert into the semblance 
 of a deity by touches of vermillion. Offerings of 
 tobacco, skins of animals, and articles of food 
 were scattered in reckless profusion at its feet. 
 This, then, was the great Manitou, of whom their 
 guides had spoken, who held in his hand the 
 winds, and whose mighty voice was heard in the 
 storm that swept over the lakes. He was held 
 in great veneration, and as the Indian launched 
 his frail bark on the treacherous waters of the 
 lakes he would come with his offering of i)roi:)itia- 
 tion to this wayside place of pilgrimage. The 
 missionaries, indignant at this exhibition of idol- 
 atry, broke the statue in a thousand pieces, and in 
 its place erected a cross, at whose foot they affixed 
 the coat of arms of France with this 
 
 INSCKIPTION: 
 
 In the year of grace 1670, Clement IX being seated in the chair 
 of St. Peter, Louis XIV reigning in France, Monsieur de Cour-
 
 6 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 celles being Governor of New France and Monsieur Talon being 
 the Intendant of the King, two missionaries of the Seminary of 
 Montreal, accompanied by seven Frenchmen, arrived at this place 
 and are the first of all the European people who wintered on the 
 land bordering on Lake Erie, which they took possession of in the 
 name of their King, as a country unoccupied, and have affixed 
 the arms of France at the foot of this cross. 
 
 (Signed) FRANCOIS DOLLIER, 
 
 Priest of the Diocese of Nantes, Brittany. 
 De Galinee, 
 
 Deacon of the Diocese of Rennes, Brittany. 
 
 Taking the largest fragment of tlie broken idol, 
 the missionaries lashed two canoes together and 
 towed it to the deepest part of the river so that 
 it should be heard of no more. But the tradition 
 says that after the fathers were far away, a band 
 of Indians coming to offer their homage to the 
 deity found only its mutilated remains. Each 
 took a fragment which he placed in his canoe as a 
 fetish, and it guided them to where the Spirit of 
 the Manitou had taken refuge under the deep, 
 sombre shadow of Belle Isle. He bade them 
 bring every fragment of his broken image and to 
 strew them on the banks of his abode. They 
 obeyed his order, and behold ! each stone was 
 converted into a rattlesnake, which should be as a 
 sentinel to guard the sacredness of his domain 
 from the profaning foot of the white man. To 
 the answering call of those who came to liis leafy 
 retreat he would mockingly re-echo tlieir words. 
 Many a laughter loving party as they lazily float
 
 Legends of Le Dttroit. 7 
 
 on the moonlit waters of the Detroit, amuse them- 
 selves in awakening the angry spirit of the Indian 
 god as they test tlie echoes of Belle Isle. 
 
 Belle Isle has changed name four times. 
 1. It was called Isle Sto. Claire (Charlevoix). 
 3. Rattlesnake Island from the number of these serpents which 
 infested it. 
 
 3. Ilog Island (Isle Au.x Cochons), by the French from the 
 number of these animals put there to destroy the snakes. 
 
 4. Belle Isle, in 1845, after Miss Belle Cass, daughter of General 
 Cass and aft(!rward the wife of Baron Von Limburg.
 
 II 
 
 THE BAPTISM OF LAKE SAINTE CLAIRE. 
 
 A Legend of the Grriffin's Voyage. 
 
 UEING the long winter 
 months of 1678-9 there 
 might have been witness- 
 ed on the banks of the 
 Niagara River, some five 
 
 _ miles above the Falls and 
 
 " ~-^' ^^jj=^-^^j^^ near the month of what 
 is now known as Caynga Creek, an undertaking- 
 new and unheard of in that locality, and well 
 calculated to excite the wonder and amazement 
 of the savage denizens of the surrounding forests. 
 It was the building of a ship by the daring 
 band of French explorers under the Sieur de La 
 Salle — the first sailing vessel that ever navigated 
 Lake Erie and the upper lakes, and the pioneer 
 of the vast commerce that now plows these waters. 
 Through the dreary winter the little band of
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 9 
 
 workmen toiled assiduously, though their food at 
 times was only inarched corn, and they had to 
 depend to a great extent on the uncertain sup- 
 plies of fish and game furnished by the Indians, 
 while spikes, chains, anchors and even cannon had 
 to l)e carried u]) the rocky steeps from the level of 
 Lake Ontario. Tlie undaunted energy and iron 
 courage of their commjinder. La Salle, aided by 
 the pious exhortations of the Recollet Chaplain, 
 Louis Hennepin, bidding them to labor for the 
 glory of God and the honor of France, made them 
 indifferent to the taunts and jeers of the jealous 
 Indians. Their imaginations were inflamed and 
 their enthusiasm aroused by glorious pictures of 
 the new discoveries to be made in the far West ; 
 of the great honors and fortunes all were to 
 acquire ; of the new trafiic that was to be opened 
 in the hides of the wild cattle that roamed in 
 countless numbers over the plains ; of the inex- 
 haustible supply of ores they could draw from 
 the rich mines of Mexico, and of the outlet for 
 all this wealth which was to be found at the 
 moutli of the great Mississix:)pi that La Salle was 
 to opfen to the ships of France. 
 
 The shadows of the summer of 1G79 had deep- 
 ened before the little brigantine of forty-five tons 
 ap2)roached completion. The commander had 
 decided to name her the "Griffin," in allusion lo
 
 10 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 the arms of the Comte de Frontenac, whose sup- 
 porters were " Griffins." An expert wood carver 
 from Rouen had carved for the ship' s bows a won- 
 derful image of the fabled monster, half lion and 
 half eagle, with ears erect, emblematic of strength, 
 swiftness and watchfulness. But among the more 
 pious of the band the name was deemed an evil 
 one, and their superstitious natures conjured up 
 disasters to come, " For," they said, "a vessel con- 
 structed for such an enterprise ought to be named 
 after the Blessed Lady, or at least after one of 
 the saints." La Salle laughed at such notions, and 
 tried to impress on the minds of the Frenchmen 
 and Indians that the Griffin was a powerful Man- 
 itou, who would protect them from all harm, and 
 guide them safely to their destination. 
 
 At last all was ready for the launch — the crew 
 were assembled and the notes of the ' ' Te Deuni ' ' 
 floated on the air. A bottle of brandy was broken 
 over the bows of the vessel, and liberal pota- 
 tions distributed among the Indians. A salute 
 was fired from the seven guns ranged along the 
 decks, and amidst the enthusiastic shouts of 
 "vive le Roi," the vessel glided from her ways, 
 and floated on the waters of the Niagara River. 
 The indignation of the Indians who were watch- 
 ing, and who had never dreamed it possible to 
 launch her, knew no bounds. At last she was
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 11 
 
 beyond their power to destroy by fire, which they 
 had several times attempted. La Salle, with a 
 number of his men, had returned to the shore and 
 noticing the chagrin of the savages, pointed to 
 the tiag with a Griffin emblazoned thereon, 
 proudly wa\ing from the masthead, and taunt- 
 ing! v exclaimed : 
 
 ' ' Now you can see the eagle flying above the 
 crows," alluding to the black-gowned Jesuits 
 whom he deemed his enemies and what was worse, 
 entirely too friendly with the Iroquois. 
 
 On this the noted Prophet Metiomek could no 
 longer contain himself, and exclaimed: "Great 
 Chief, you are too x>roud. You have shown con- 
 tempt for the Great Spirit who rules all things, 
 and you have set up an evil spirit on His throne. 
 You seek the tribes of the west to trade with 
 them and to destroy them with your cursed fire- 
 water. You sneer at the ' black gowns ' Onontio 
 sent us, who have taught us to worship the Great 
 Spirit and till the ground. But Metiomek, the 
 prophet of his race, bids you beware ; darkness, 
 like a cloud, is ready to enveloj) you — the Chris- 
 tian Indian's curse rests on you and on your great 
 canoe. She will sink beneath the deep waters 
 and your blood shall stain the hands of those in 
 whom you trusted ! ' ' 
 
 As Metiomek gave utterance to this prophecy
 
 12 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 in deep and impressive tones, amidst the most 
 solemn silence, Fathers Hennepin and Zenoble 
 looked serious, and the sailors ominously whis- 
 pered to each other their apprehensions, but La 
 Salle, with his usual exuberance of spirits, care- 
 lessly laughed away the rebellious mutterings 
 which fluttered like a light cloud over the assem- 
 bly. 
 
 On August 7, 1679, the great square sails of the 
 brigantine were set, and La Salle, mounting the 
 lofty stern, gave orders to take a course of west 
 by south, and sailed away on the unknown waters. 
 
 Despite the prophecy, the voyage was most 
 prosperous, and favorable winds carried them 
 twenty leagues the first night. On the 8th they 
 made forty-five leagues and passed a point which 
 they named St. Francis (now Long Point). On 
 the 9th they passed Point au Pelee ; and on the 
 10th, the feast of St. Lawrence, they saw the Trois 
 Sceurs (Three Sisters' Islands), standing like the 
 three Parcse, guarding the terrestrial paradise of 
 le Detroit. 
 
 As they sailed by Grosse Isle and the adjacent 
 island, their spirits were wonderfully exhilarated. 
 
 "We found," says Father Hennepin in his. 
 journal, " the country on both sides of this beau- 
 tiful strait, adorned with fine open plains. Any 
 number of stags, deer, bear (by no means fierce,
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 13 
 
 and very good to eat), poules d'indes* in abun- 
 dance, and all kinds of game. The vessel's guys 
 were loaded and decked with the wild animals 
 our French and Indian hunters shot and dressed. 
 The islands on both shores of the straits are cov- 
 ered with primeval forests, fruit trees, like wal- 
 nuts, chestnuts, plum and apple trees, wild vines 
 loaded with grapes, of which latter some were gath- 
 ered, and a quantity of wine was made. The vast 
 herds of deer surprised us all, and it appears to be 
 the place of all others where the deer love to con- 
 gregate." And so the pioneer ship sailed up "le 
 Detroit," or the strait now called the Detroit Riv- 
 er t and passed the site of the present great city. 
 They noticed on shore the spot where ten years be- 
 fore Dollier and Gallinee (who had visited these 
 regions in a birch bark canoe) had broken in • 
 pieces the painted stone idol, worshiped as a 
 Manitou by the Indians. They saw on the border 
 of the forests the Indian village of "Teusclia 
 Grondie," and, to impress the fleeing savages, 
 gave them a grand salute from the guns — but the 
 boat glided too rapidly for them to hear the im- 
 precations hui-led after them by the Indians, and 
 the winds kindly wafted them away from the 
 
 * Wild Turkey. 
 
 f Wa-we-a-tu-noug. Indian name for Detroit River.
 
 14 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 European ears, "May the Manitoii whom we 
 worship," they shouted, "and Wis Kin, who 
 guards the gates of the lakes, devour the evil 
 pale face who comes among us with his white 
 winged bird vomiting forth lire, smoke and thun- 
 der ; and may the Manitou whom the black gowns 
 cast in the lake many moons ago so trouble the 
 waters, that their canoe shall find no rest thereon 
 and be drawn down to the home of the evil spirit 
 at the bottom of the lake." Unconscious of the 
 malediction evoked by the savage foes, the Griffin 
 passed Belle Isle into a circular-shaped lake at 
 the head of the river. 
 
 The summer sun was setting and flooding the 
 waters with its golden hues — the soft sound of 
 the vesper bell died away in sweet cadences. The 
 little band of hardy ex]3lorers fell on their knees 
 giving thanks to Heaven for their prosperous voy- 
 age. On the lofty stern of the vessel was Rob- 
 ert Cavalier de la Salle, future explorer of the 
 Mississippi ; by his side Henri de Tonty his 
 captain of brigade ; near by, his partners in the 
 enterprise, the Sieur de Boirondet and the Sieur 
 D' An tray, and also the notary Jacques La Meterie 
 and Jean Michel the surgeon. Sixteen French 
 voyageurs and a small number of Indians com- 
 prised the crew. As they rose from their devo- 
 tions Father Louis Hennepin addressed them a
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 15 
 
 short discourse and concluded by saying : "This 
 is tlic feast of Ste. Claire, let us commemorate it 
 by bestowing her name on tliis beautiful sheet of 
 water. I hereby solemnly baptize it Lac Sainte 
 Claire, by which it will be henceforth known." 
 Tlien all pledged the newly christened lake in 
 many a bumper of wine made from the Detroit 
 River grapes. 
 
 The Griffin's journey to Lake Michigan where 
 La. Salle left her in order to pursue his discoveries, 
 his vain effort to iind the moutli of the great river 
 he had explored while on his second expedition 
 from.France, and the closing of his adventurous 
 career by the murderous hands of his men are 
 events which have illustrated many a glorious page 
 of our history. The attempt of the vessel to return 
 loaded with a precious cargo of furs is mentioned, 
 but uncertainty throws its melancholy shadow 
 over its subsequent fate and that of its daring 
 crew. But Indian tradition sees the angry Mani- 
 tous of the Avater surround the ill-fated ship and 
 drift her into unknown realms, and on bright 
 moonlight nights they hear a full chorus of manly 
 voices* chanting the evening hymn, and frequently 
 the image of a phantom ship is seen in the clouds. 
 
 * These voices are no myths. Science has examined into the 
 cause and says they are produced by the beating of the waves on 
 a peculiarly sonorous shingle. Along the northern coast of certain
 
 16 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 islands in Lake Superior is a low cliff of compact, fine-grained 
 limestone which clinks like steel under the hammer. When the 
 wind blows from the northeast, the waves beating at the foot of 
 the cliff dash the fragments of stone against each other, causing 
 them to give forth peculiar sounds. It is an ^olian harp of stone.
 
 Ill 
 
 THE NUN OF STE. CLAIRE. 
 
 1 
 
 A Legend of the "Coureur des Bois.' 
 
 LONG before Cadillac liad founded our beau- 
 tiful city of Detroit, certain bold rovers 
 called coureurs des bois had already pitched 
 their tents on the shores of Lake Ste. Claire. 
 Among them was Jean Parent, whose stern, silent 
 face like a tomb seemed to hide the dust of dead 
 and buried hopes. He had left beneath Canada's 
 skies the graves of wife, parents and kindred. One 
 tender rootlet remained to try to win liim back to 
 life — little Genevieve, his daughter, whom he had 
 l)r()iight with him to Grosse Pointe, whose happy, 
 sunny disposition caused joy to reign in the full- 
 ness of her grace. As the father gazed ui)oii his 
 growing child he would smile, as if some far- 
 gone memory came back to suiprise his heart.
 
 18 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 An expression of gentleness would flash on his 
 face, and his voice would soften like the winds 
 when the storm is o'er. Others soon found this 
 wild forest flower and ofi'ered her their simple 
 Jiomage. Shyly she turned away from them; the 
 tremulous wings of her heart were still furled, 
 .and she waited only to fly from the world to rest 
 on the bosom of her Saviour. She was anxious to 
 devote her life to the service of God, and had 
 written some time previous to the opening of our 
 story to her aunt, the superior of the Ursuline 
 convent at Three Rivers, to be admitted as a nun 
 in her community. 
 
 Jaques Morand one day met Genevieve, and 
 was charmed as if by a vision. He was one of 
 the fifty men who had come with Duluth in 1680 
 to found a fort near the present Fort Gratiot, to 
 which they gave the name of Fort St. Joseph. 
 Genevieve tried by every gentle art to make him un- 
 derstand that his efforts were in vain. Seeing him 
 still persistent, and knowing that vanity plucks 
 from her quiver her barbed arrows only when 
 rivalry enters the field, she told him the desire of 
 her heart was to become a nun. This resolution 
 on her part only intiamed his wish to i)ossess her 
 either by fair or foul means. He appealed in his 
 desperation for assistance to an old Indian witch 
 who practiced her incantations in the darkest part
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 19 
 
 of the forest, untenanted save by the ghosts of 
 gloom. On his promising to sell his soul to the 
 devil she gave him the power to change himself 
 into the form of a wolf or Loup Garou (wehr-wolf), 
 so he might more easily carry away his victim. 
 
 The postal system of those primitive days was 
 not as perfect or expeditions as at present, so 
 Genevieve had many long vigils to keep ere an 
 answer would arrive. She spent most of her time 
 in preparing herself for her new vocation by 
 prayer and fasting. Some pious hands had raised, 
 on the border of the forest, beneath an ancient 
 oak whose acorn had been cradled ages before, an 
 altar to Notre Dame de Bonsecour. Genevieve 
 wished to erect one on the beach. So, assisted by 
 her father, she formed one of the rocks cast there 
 by some great Manitou, whereon she placed a 
 statue of the Blessed Virgin. She frequently 
 visited the forest shrine, but long were the hours 
 spent at the one on the beach. The waves would 
 lazily sing as they crept upon the shore, and the 
 birds catching the refrain would chant it to the 
 rustling leaves. It was but a note in the grand 
 harmony of nature to whicli the girl's yearning 
 soul responded in the same mystic key. Early in 
 the springtime when the earth blossomed with 
 new liopes, Genevieve sent forth her petition to 
 Three Rivers. Late in the lull, when the waters
 
 20 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 chased by the east wind had nestled at the foot of 
 the rocky shrine, the answer came to Genevieve 
 that her wish was c^ranted. With a heart aglow 
 with happiness, which lent buoyancy to her trip- 
 ping feet as they crushed the autumn leaves, she 
 visited the sylvan shrine of Bonsecour. This 
 child of the wilderness poured forth her simple 
 thanksgiving, borrowing unconscious pathos from 
 the dead leaves, frost-bitten shrubs and bare trees, 
 mute types of mortals' doom. 
 
 As she prepared to go towards the beach her 
 lover Jacques, in the form of a Loup Garou, with 
 gleaming eyes, sj)rang out into her path. But the 
 cross which she held in her hand disconcerted 
 him. Like a fawn Genevieve leaped aside and 
 tiew swifter than tlie wind toward the lake. The 
 evil beast came bounding in hot pursuit. Gene- 
 vieve finding her strength failing sought refuge in 
 the little grotto of rocks on the beach. She threw 
 herself at the feet of the Virgin, imploring aid and 
 protection. She felt the fiery breath of the brute 
 and, with a despairing cry for mercy, fainted. 
 The appeal was heard ; as the Loup Garou leaj)ed 
 on the rocks he was instantly transformed to 
 stone. The passer-bj^ to-day may see at Tonnan- 
 cour* this old legend embodied in stone. 
 
 * Toanancour is the name of Mr. T. P. Hall's summer residence 
 al Grosse Pointe, so called from a title and seigueurie in the God-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 21 
 
 The fashionable worldlings who drive past mere- 
 ly see a pretty rustic retreat, but the descendants 
 of tlie old habitants say, "Voila le Garou ! " and 
 raise their hats piously to Notre Dame de Ste. 
 Claire. 
 
 froy family of Three Rivers, Canada, bestowed by Louis XIV. 
 
 September 15, 1GG8.
 
 IV 
 
 THE "NAIN ROUGE." 
 
 A Legend of the Founding- of Detroit. 
 
 OFT strains of music min- 
 gled witli sounds of revelry 
 and joyous laughter issued 
 from the banquet hall in 
 the grand old castle of St, 
 Louis, Quebec, on the even- 
 ing of the 10th of March, 
 1701. Subdued, shaded 
 lights bathed the room in mellow radiance, where, 
 around a table resplendent with costly silver and 
 sparkling glass, sat a gay party of French offi- 
 cers. 
 
 At the head was Hector Louis de Callieres, Gov- 
 ernor of New France, and on his left the Intend- 
 ant le Chevalier Bochart de Champigny. Amid 
 the brilliant group were those bearing names
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 2? 
 
 which stood high in la belle France — T)e Montigny, 
 Le Gardeiir, Le Moyne, Dagneaiix Douville, De 
 Tonty, Godfroy de Tonnancour, etc. The post of 
 honor was occupied by Monsieur La Mothe Cad- 
 illac, Sieur de Douaguet and Mont Desert. 
 
 lie had just returned from France, bringing 
 with liim from (V)unt Pontcbarti-ain, the Colonial 
 Minister, a commission of Commandant, and the 
 grant of a tract of land fifteen acres square, wher- 
 ever on "le Detroit'' he should see lit to locate a 
 colony and build a fort. 
 
 Whilst they are toasting Cadillac in many a 
 bumper, let us turn for a brief review of the event- 
 ful career of the founder of Detroit. 
 
 Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, son of Jean and. 
 Jeanne Malenfant, first saw light at Toulouse in 
 IGGl. At the age of 16 he entered the service,, 
 and l)ecame a Lieutenant at 21. He came to Que- 
 bec with his regiment, in which were many of the 
 scions of noble houses. Here he met and wedded 
 the beauliful Marie Therese Guyon, the daughter 
 of an influential and wealthy bourgeois. Shortly 
 afterwards the stern decree of war compelled him 
 to leave his bride. He was sent to Acadia, where 
 his braverjMvon him distinction and a commission 
 from the French Government to make a report of 
 the condition of the English colonies at that epoch. 
 Count Frontenac in 1694 complimented Cadillac as
 
 24 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 the most efficient and energetic officer at Ms dis- 
 posal, by giving him the command of Fort Buade, 
 Michillimackinac, a post lie retained for five years. 
 His treaties with the Indians disjDlayed such thor- 
 ough experience and ability that he was rewarded 
 by the government with a concession of the Island 
 of Mont Desert (now a watering place on the 
 New England coast), also a grant of a tract on the 
 main land near the River Pentagoet, called Doua- 
 guet, from whence he took his titles. He had 
 several times passed through "The Strait," 
 (Detroit River) and noted with his quick eye, the 
 wonderful advantages it possessed. As a mili- 
 tary post it would be a barrier to the wily Iroquois; 
 to the English a gate, shutting them off from 
 commerce with the Indians of the far West, and 
 to France, the center of the fur trade in this section 
 of the country. His earnest representations on 
 the desirability of establishing a post on "le De- 
 troit," added to his renown as an able soldier, 
 had gained the consent of the Colonial Minister to 
 his daring scheme. 
 
 Let us return to the festive dinner party, where 
 the swiftly passing hours were enlivened by the 
 sparkling repartees which Hashed from lip to lip 
 had the brilliant jeu d'es^Drit, which drew their 
 inspiration from the rare, generous wine of the 
 noted cellars of the castle.
 
 Legends of Le DHroit. 25 
 
 Whilst iiierriment was at its height, a servant 
 whispered something in the host's ear, and he, 
 turning to the guests, said: "Messieurs, an old 
 fortune-teller craves to enter ; shall I bid her do 
 so?" All were in that happy frame of mind 
 eager for any diversion, and a full chorus of " Oui, 
 Monsieur" was the response. One of the gen- 
 tlemen proi)osed to change places so as to puzzle 
 tlie old witch if she had heard anything from the 
 servants. The party had barely changed when 
 the door opened and the figure of an old woman 
 entered. 
 
 So strange, so bizarre, was her appearance that 
 a murmur of surprise greeted her. A woman of 
 unusual height, a dark, swarthy complexion, rest- 
 less, glittering eyes, — strangely fashioned gar- 
 ments yet in harmony with her face. Some one 
 said' "What is your name ?" In a deep, sonorous 
 voice, with a slight foreign accent, she answered, 
 "They call me Mere Minique, La Sorciere," On 
 her left shoulder was perched a black, meagre 
 cat. Half a dozen palms were stretched forth for 
 her inspection ; one after another she read. When 
 she hesitated the cat would lick her ear, and the 
 more superstitious thought it the devil giving 
 information. Many were tlie lively sallies as she 
 betrayed some marked peculiarity of the guest, 
 and whisperings of amazement, as at times her
 
 26 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 knowledge seemed almost supernatural. At last 
 she came to La Motlie Cadillac, who, naturally 
 skeptical, said, "Ma bonne Mere, see what you 
 can tell for me of the future, I care not for the 
 past." 
 
 Earnestly scanning his bold, energetic face, she 
 took a brazen basin, into which she poured from a 
 curiously carved silver vial, which she drew from 
 her breast, a clear, heavy liquid like quicksilver, 
 and holding La Mothe Cadillac's hand, gazed into 
 the basin. " Sieur," she said, "yours is a strange 
 destiny. A dangerous journey you will soon 
 undertake ; you will found a great city which one 
 day will have more inhabitants than New France 
 now possesses ; many children will nestle around 
 your fireside.'' Slie paused and Cadillac, thor- 
 oughly interested, bade her continue. "Mon 
 Chevalier, I wish you had not commanded me to 
 go on, for dark clouds are arising and I see dimly 
 your star. The policy you intend pursuing in 
 selling liquor to the savages, contrary to the ad- 
 vice of the Jesuits will cause you much trouble, 
 and be the cause of your ruin. In years to come 
 your colony will be the scene of strife and blood- 
 shed, the Indians will be treacherous, the hated 
 English will struggle for its possession, but under 
 a new flag it will reach a height of prosperity 
 which you never in your wildest dreams pictured..
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 2T 
 
 You will bask in a sunnier climate, but France- 
 will claim your last sigh." 
 
 ''Shall my children inherit my possessions?" 
 asked Cadillac, unconsciously giving utterance to- 
 the secret desire of his heart. 
 
 " Your future and theirs lie in your own 
 hands, beware of undue ambition ; it will mar all 
 your plans. Appease the Nain Rouge- (Red 
 Dwarf). Beware of offending him. Should you 
 be thus unfortunate not a vestige of your inherit- 
 ance will be given to your heirs. Your name will 
 be scarcely known in the city you founded." 
 
 All were deeply impressed by the prophecy of 
 the sibyl, save him to whom it was addressed. 
 Shortly afterwards the party separated and Cadil- 
 lac amused his wife by giving her a humorous 
 account of the old prophetess, but, to his amaze- 
 ment, she too, seemed to look upon the event as 
 of grave import. 
 
 On the following day La Mothe Cadillac bade 
 farewell to Quebec and left with his expedition 
 of fifty soldiers and fifty artisans and voyageurs. 
 Ali)h()nse de Tonty, a relative of the Guyons, was 
 his captain ; Dugue and Charconale his lieuten- 
 
 *The Nain Kouge was the demon of the Strait, and in the old- 
 traditions is described as most malignant, if ollended, but capable 
 of being appeased by tiattery.
 
 28 • Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 ants; Jacob de Marsac, Sieur de L'Ommesprou 
 his sergeant ; Francois and Jean Fafard his in- 
 terpreters ; Father Constantin del Halle, a Recol- 
 let, and Father Yaillant, a Jesuit, the chaplains. 
 La Mothe Cadillac was not fond of the Jesuits, 
 as they were powerful and strongly opposed to the 
 sale of brandy to the savages, this traffic being an 
 immense source of revenue to the early colonists. 
 The Jesuit was sent by the Governor at the solici- 
 tation of the Superior of the Jesuits, and was 
 nicknamed by La Mothe Cadillac as "Monsieur 
 deTrop." 
 
 Cadillac wished to go by way of Lake Erie, but 
 the Governor decreed otherwise. They left the 
 Lachine Rapids the 5th of June, the trees were 
 just budding and game and fish furnished an 
 abundance of food. In July they arrived at Georg- 
 ian Bay, via the Grand River of the Ottawas, and 
 coasting down the eastern shore of Lake Huron 
 they reached, on the 20th, the river Ste. Claire and 
 the old Fort St. Joseph, at the foot of Lake Huron 
 abandoned by Duluth thirteen years before. 
 • On the 24th of July, 1701, the head of the ex- 
 pedition rounded Belle Isle and soon landed at 
 a little cove at the foot of the present Griswold 
 street. The Ottawas and Hurons, whose villages 
 were near, rushed down to welcome them, as did 
 also a few French "coureurs des bois," who lived
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. SO" 
 
 here. Two of their names are still preserved ; 
 Pierre Roy and Francois Pelletier. 
 
 On the following day, with great ceremony, 
 pickets for a new fort on the site of an old stock- 
 ade were erected and a store honse bnilt on the 
 fonndation of an abandoned one, previously con- 
 structed by the coureurs des bois for their winter 
 supplies. 
 
 A salute was given from the guns brought for 
 the new fort, which Cadillac christened Fort 
 Pontchartrain.* On the 26th, Ste. Anne's day, 
 with clerical ceremony, the foundation of the first 
 church west of the Alleghanies was laid. Soon 
 the stockade, which enclosed about an acre,t was 
 finished, and the streets of Ste. i^nne and St. 
 Louis laid out and lined with the barracks for 
 the troops and with houses constructed of hewn 
 logs. IJetroit was founded, and its prosj^ects for 
 a successful colony bright. 
 
 The fortune-teller's prediction, or at least part of 
 it, was verified. 
 
 * Royal sanction for this name was received by Cadillac a year 
 later, July, 1703. 
 
 f An acre of ground at the foot of a hillock on the river bank.
 
 V • 
 
 THE MAY POLE. 
 
 A Legrend of "Faith, and Homagre." 
 
 SIX years had passed since the foundmg of De- 
 troit. The frontier settlement began to as- 
 sume a civilized aspect, and everywhere the 
 touch of woman's hand had left its impress of 
 comfort and refinement in the rude pioneer homes, 
 which already extended along the Cote du Nord 
 Est to La Riviere Parent (Bloody Run). 
 
 The undaunted energy of Cadillac was rewarded 
 Iby a yearly increase of settlers, and the records 
 of Ste. Anne's Church, the most accurate and 
 authentic census of those early days, show from 
 1704 to 1707 an annual birth rate of fourteen. 
 
 La Mothe Cadillac made his first grant of land 
 to his interpreter, Fafard, on the 10th of March, 
 1707. It was of a tract adjoining his domains, stip-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 31 
 
 iilating as usual for all his feudal rights, includ- 
 ing- the acknowledgment of faith, homage, and 
 the planting of a Maj^ pole each year. 
 
 There was great commotion in the little colony 
 on that bright May morning in 1707. The very 
 atmosphere seemed pregnant with excitement, for 
 so does a gala day drape itself around everything, 
 clothe all in its vague fancies, and unconsciously 
 communicate to us more or less of its color. We 
 wear its cockade and favor in oiir dress and 
 humor. 
 
 In front of the Seigneur de Cadillac's manor a 
 great crowd had assembled, and from the eager 
 expectancy written on every face, it was evident 
 that some unusual event of interest was to take 
 place. Slowly the form of Monsieur Fafard, the 
 interpreter, was seen approaching with a stately, 
 dignified step, each movement measured by the 
 importance of the act of which he was to play 
 the part of chief actor. The French understand 
 perfectly that delicate art of investing even a tri- 
 lling circumstance with an entourage of interest 
 and display which gratifies their national vanity 
 and love of glory. 
 
 ]\r()nsieur Fafai-d knocked at the Seigneui- Cad- 
 illac's door, wiiich was opened by the major domo. 
 He inquired for Monsieur la Mothe Cadillac, who 
 immediately stepped forth arrayed in his blue
 
 32 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 uniform and cavaliei' hat with white phimes. 
 Monsieur Fafard uncovered his head and falling 
 on his knees rendered fealty in the following 
 manner: "Monsieur du Detroit, Monsieur du 
 Detroit, Monsieur du Detroit, I bring you faith 
 and homage which I am bound to pay you on 
 account of my fief of De Lorme, which I hold as 
 a man of faith, of your Seigniory of Detroit, de- 
 claring that I offer to pay my seignorial and feudal 
 dues in their season, and demanding of you to ac- 
 cept me in faith and homage as aforesaid." As 
 he saluted la Mothe and turned away, Francois 
 Bosseron and others who had been granted fiefs 
 offered their homage .in turn, 
 
 Cadillac's house stood on the line of the pres- 
 ent Jefferson Avenue before it had been sloped 
 down to the Chemin du Rond.* A spacious "gal- 
 lerie" adorned the front of the manor overlooking 
 the smooth cut lawn and majestic river. A hole 
 had been dug in the centre of the lawn, and a tall, 
 stately pole lay ready for raising. The branches 
 had been trimmed off, except a little clump at the 
 top called ' ' the bouquet. ' ' And to this had been 
 nailed a parti-colored pole, from which the royal 
 flag with the fair Fleur de Lis of France floated. 
 Smooth and white was the pole and to its sides 
 
 *Near the old Campau homestead.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 33- 
 
 blocks were nailed to allow a persoa to ascend. 
 The tiring of a gun was tlie signal to begin tlie 
 ceremony. The Seigneur Cadillac had seated him- 
 self on the "gallerie," surrounded by his wife, 
 children and officers. A delegation from the hab- 
 itants approached and bowing low asked him per- 
 mission to X-)lant the May pole in front of his house. 
 The request was graciously acceded to and Father 
 Deniau knelt and offered up a prayer that the 
 festivities might pass without accident. The pole 
 impelled by strong, sinewy arms slowly rose, while 
 the voyageurs broke out in their wild and inspired 
 song, "Vive la Canadienne et ses jolis yeux 
 doux." * 
 
 Tlie Seigneur de la Mothe Cadillac then ad- 
 vanced hat in hand and smilingly accepted the 
 pole, and asked all to join him in watering it that 
 it might flourish. A cask of eau de vie was tapped ; 
 cups and Hasks of every design and shape were 
 passed around, and Cadillac raised his silver gob- 
 let and pledged the King and the health of all 
 present. An agile youth ascended the pole and 
 
 *The favorite boat songs of the voyageurs were "La Jolie 
 Canadienne," and " A la Claire Fontaine." Mr. Mariuier in his 
 work, " The Songs of the North " ("Chants du Nord "), publishes 
 nearly line for line these songs as belonging to his country, Franche 
 Comte. 
 
 3
 
 •34: Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 shouted, ' ' Vive le Roi, Yive le Seigneur Cadillac 
 du Detroit ! ' ' Then all caught the refrain : 
 
 "Grand Dieu sauve le Roi, 
 Grand Dieu venge le Roi, 
 
 Vive le Roi ! 
 Que toujours glorieux, 
 Louis Victorieux, 
 Voye ses ennemis, 
 
 Toujours soumis, 
 Vive le Roi! " * 
 
 The air was filled with cheers, the drums rolled, 
 the trumpets sounded, and the guns completed 
 the crescendo of acclamations. The pole was 
 then ready to be blackened. This was done by 
 Cadillac taking a gun loaded with powder only, 
 and firing at the pole. Then Madame and Antoine, 
 Jr., a cadet of fifteen, took their turn, followed 
 by the members of the family and officers, and 
 finally each of the habitants nntil the clean pole 
 was blackened its whole length. It was usually 
 left standing several months, to remove it being 
 considered unlucky. Tables were spread under 
 the shade of the trees, and refreshments in abun- 
 dance served to all. 
 
 Then followed " La dance ronde" on the green 
 sward. Cadillac gazed musingly on the pretty 
 scene before him. The picturesque dress of the 
 
 * Vive le Roi. Handel appropriated this song for the House of 
 Hanover. It was sung by the girls of Saint Cyr before Louis, 
 1653.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 35 
 
 habitants and voyaG:eurs, olad in tlieir blue tunics 
 and elk skin trousers, (whose seams were adorned 
 with yellow fi-inge,) their buckskin moccasins 
 ornamented with beads, their scarlet sashes, in 
 which were kept the hunting knife in its silver 
 case, blended with thesoUliers' dress of blue, with 
 its white facing. The officers wore gay uni- 
 forms and cavalier hats, with the showy ostrich 
 feather, their hair hanging in long powdered 
 queues tied with ribbon. The ladies, in their 
 coquettish costumes, dashed with l)right ribbons, 
 resembled birds of paradise as they swayed to 
 the graceful movements of the dance. Each lady's 
 head was surmounted with a gay " fontange " or 
 top-knot. It was a gay, light-hearted community, 
 with few taxes to pay, simple tastes to gratify, 
 friendly with the neighboring Indians. Peace, 
 contentment and quiet hapi)iness seemed to reign 
 over this little Arcadia, 
 
 So thought Cadillac as at twilight, after the 
 people had dispersed, he strolled with his wife in 
 the King's Garden.* Human nature grows more 
 communicative at this hour, thoughts which iind 
 no utterance in the broad light of day now glide 
 forth from the heart. He told her that his dreams 
 
 * The King's Garden wag between Jefferson avenue and Wood- 
 bridge street, near tlic site of the present Cliamber of Commerce.
 
 36 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 of ambition were about to be realized, notwith- 
 standing the obstacles of his enemies. His colony 
 was prosperous and his children would inherit a 
 princely portion ; that his name would become 
 historic and illustrious. Thus were they talking 
 when two weary revellers homeward bound passed 
 so near them that fragments of their conversation 
 fell on their ears. "Yes," said Jean Baptiste, 
 "our Seigneur and the Dos Blanc "■■■ carry them- 
 selves very high, with their silver plate and fine 
 clothing, whilst we poor habitants must pay 
 double for everything, even our jDetit coup 'd eau 
 de vie ; ' ' expressing a little of the communistic 
 sentiments of the present time. 
 
 "Things cannot run very long thus," answered 
 his companion. " My wife saw a few days ago 
 'le petit homme Rouge' and — " The rest was 
 lost as the speakers disappeared. Cadillac' s wife 
 grasped her husband's hand convulsively and 
 said: "Did you not hear? 'Le petit homme 
 Rouge ' is the dreaded ' Nain Rouge. ' ' ' 
 
 " What of that?" said Cadillac. 
 
 " 'Beware of the Nain Rouge' was what that 
 
 * Dos Blanc. Literally "White backs." The officers powdered 
 their wigs, and the powder falling on their coats whitened the 
 backs. Many of the habitants encased their queues in eelskin to^ 
 prevent the powder fi'om ruining their dress.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 37 
 
 prophetess told you ; Avlien he should come mis- 
 fortune was nigh/' 
 
 "Bah!" laughed Cadillac, "have you not for- 
 gotten that nonsense of a silly old fortune-teller? 
 Let us return home." 
 
 Annoyed himself at the remembrance, and 
 doubly so at his wife for unconsciously giving 
 utterance to his vague uneasiness, they proceeded 
 in silence. 
 
 Suddenly across their path, trotting along the 
 beach, advanced the uncouth figure of a dwarf, 
 very red in the face, with a bright, glistening eye ; 
 instead of burning it froze, instead of possessing 
 depth emitted a cold gleam like the reflection from 
 a polished surface, bewildering and dazzling all 
 who came within its focus. A grinning mouth 
 displaying sharp, pointed teeth, completed this 
 strange face. 
 
 "It is the Nain Rouge," whispered Cadillac's 
 wife. 
 
 Before she had time to say more, Cadillac's ill- 
 nature had vented itself in striking the object 
 with a cane he held in his hand, saying : 
 
 "Get out of my way, you red imp !" 
 
 A iiendish, mocking laugh pierced the still 
 night air as the monstf^r vanished. 
 
 "You have offended him,'' said Madame. "Your 
 impetuosity will bring you and youis to ruin.
 
 38 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 You were told to coax him — to beware of annoying- 
 this demon — and in your ungovernable temper you 
 do just otherwise. Misfortune will soon be our 
 portion." 
 
 Cadillac shortly afterward visited Montreal, 
 was arrested through the intrigues of his enemies, 
 and was compelled to sell his seigniory in Detroit 
 to pay for his trial. He was removed to Louisiana 
 as Grovernor, but died at Castle Sarasin, in France. 
 "His children never inherited an acre of his vast 
 estates. His colony for the next hundred years 
 was the scene of strife, war and massacre. Its 
 flag changed fivp times ; under that of the Repub- 
 lic it reached that glorious prosperity which the 
 fortune-teller had predicted. 
 
 The Nain Rouge in the mystic past was consid- 
 ered the banshee or "Demon of the City of the 
 Straits," and whenever he appeared it was a sure 
 sign of impending evil. The night before Dal- 
 zell's ill-fated attack at Bloody Run, he was seen 
 running along the shore. And in 1805, when the 
 city was destroyed by fire, many an old habitant 
 thought that they caught a glimpse of his mali- 
 cious face as he darted through the burning build- 
 ings. On a foggy morning before Hull's cowardly 
 surrender of Detroit, he was seen ; but since then 
 he has never reappeared, having, it is to be hoped, 
 accomplished his nussion. But the tradition still
 
 Legeitds of Le Detroit. 39 
 
 lingers among the old habitants that should mis- 
 fortune ever threaten the bonnie City of the Straits, 
 the Nain Rouge will again appear to give the sig- 
 nal of warning.
 
 VI 
 
 THE PHANTOM PRIEST. 
 
 A Legend of Sainte Anne's Church. 
 
 EIN'EATH the sunny skies of 
 Italy, on the banks of the Arno, 
 not far from "Florence the 
 Beautiful," the guide jDoints to 
 an old monastery as the last 
 relic of an order now almost extinct, the Recollets. 
 With the deep feeling of interest which the slight- 
 est relation with home awakens in a foreign 
 land, we turn with kindling eyes and tender 
 emotions surging through our hearts, to gaze rev- 
 erently upon the building as on the face of an 
 aged friend. For from beneath- that massive 
 archway came forth a brave, courageous band, 
 who first left the impress of their footsteps on the
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 41 
 
 virgin soil of our fair city. Within tliose gloomy 
 walls they were trained by an austere and ascetic 
 rule to meet those dangers and hardships insejja- 
 rablel'rom the explorations of anew country; and 
 their heroic and almost supernatural efforts to 
 convert the savage, liave challenged the admira- 
 tion of every age. Wherever the lily of France 
 unfurled itself to the new breezes of America, the 
 cross became its Hag-staff, and the rude birchen 
 chapel the mile-stone to record the missionaries' 
 progress. 
 
 In 1670 there resided in Florence an ancient 
 family of wealth and distinction named Del Halle. 
 Its heir and last representative belonged to the 
 " jeunessedoree" of the day. He blended in his 
 cliaracter that happy union of manly qualities 
 which satisfied his haughty father's ambition, 
 with those gentler accomplishments which made 
 him the idol of his mother s heart. Early be- 
 trothed to Adelina, the daughter of a i)rincely 
 house, to whom he was endeared by the sweetest 
 links of childhood, their future promised to be as 
 unclouded as the sunny sky of their native land. 
 But, like the simoon which blackens and lays low 
 all over which it i)asses, the fell destroyer, "the 
 black death" of the fourteenth century, again 
 visited Florence, converting its palaces into char- 
 nel houses, its laughter into wails, its music into
 
 42 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 funeral dirges, leaving mourning and desolation 
 hanging like a pall over the doomed city. 
 
 One morning young Del Halle awoke to find no 
 response to his faint call of father or mother, no 
 anxious, loving bride to catch the tirst dawn of 
 returning consciousness. All had been swept 
 away by the dreadful s.courge, and he sat alone in 
 his deserted halls, with memory and grief as his 
 companions. The recollections of other days 
 with their bright pictures and melodies would 
 come surging up with their mocking delusions. 
 But ever and anon the holy face of an aged Recol- 
 let monk, at whose knee he had listened in early 
 boyhood to the marvelous tales of the mission- 
 aries of his order in the wilds of Canada, came 
 like refreshing dew to cool his parched soul. 
 A few weeks afterward he knocked for admit- 
 tance at the monastery gate, willingly leaving 
 behind the pleasures, the refinements, and the 
 brilliant prospects so alluring to his years. He 
 exchanged the costly robes of the Florentine noble 
 for the serge ; the sword for the breviary, and 
 thus at the early age of twenty did the heir of the 
 Del Halle become the humble Frere Constantin. 
 Ten years later he was sent to France and from 
 thence sailed to Montreal. It was in Montreal he 
 met La Mothe Cadillac, a young French officer, 
 who was enthusiastic over a scheme of foundina:
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 43 
 
 a colony in the beautiful " Detroit du Lac Erie." 
 The frank, easy manners of the officer, his keen 
 intellect and his undaunted ener^^y won the affec- 
 tion of Frere Constantin, who entered with all 
 ardor into the project of his friend. 
 
 Owing to various political causes, the necessary 
 permission and grants were slow in coming, but 
 Cadillac's patience and perseverance were at last 
 rewarded, and on the 5th of June, 1701, with his 
 little band of fifty soldiers and fifty Canadians, 
 with M. de Tonty as captain, Messrs. Duguo and 
 de Chacornacle as lieutenants, he sailed from Mon- 
 treal. Frere Constantin Del Halle accompanied the 
 troops as chaplain, with Father Vaillant, a Jesuit, 
 who was going as missionary to the different tribes. 
 They arrived at Detroit July 24, 1701. Shortly 
 afterwards the tinkling sound of the bell sum- 
 moned the garrison to early mass and told that 
 the chaplain had already begun his work. By the 
 simplicity of his manners, the uniform sweetness 
 of his disposition and his austere life, he gained 
 the respect and affection of all. The dec^}) shade 
 of melancholy wliich tinged his features told tlie 
 unfortunate tliat liere w;is one. wlio had known 
 sorrow, and who would lend a sympathetic ear to 
 the tale of their misfortunes and give the balm of 
 comforting words to their bruised hearts. The 
 little children drawn by the sympathetic instincts
 
 44 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 of childhood would nestle their heads against him 
 and shyly put their tiny hands in that of " le bon 
 Frere." 
 
 Among the officers who were stationed at Fort 
 Pontchartrain (as Cadillac had called his post, in 
 honor of Jerome Phelyppeaux, Count Pontchar- 
 train), was Etienne Veronde Grandmesnil, keeper 
 of the King's storehouse, who had become enam- 
 ored with the dusky daughter of a Pottawatomie 
 chief. This tribe, though friendly to the French, 
 had resisted every effort to convert them to Chris- 
 tianity. A prophet of their nation had foretold 
 that as soon as they should desert their Manitou 
 for that of the white man, their lands would pass 
 aAvay, their wigwams be burnt, and their tribe 
 scattered. Young de Veron, unable to overcome 
 the obstinate prejudice of the old chief against 
 Christianity, in the ardor of youth and passion, 
 thought of allying himself to his Indian sweet- 
 heart by the Indian rights and betaking himself 
 to the lodges of the Pottawatomies. Frere Con- 
 stantin remonstrated with de Veron, who belonged 
 to a noble family of Quebec, spoke of his father's 
 hopes in him, his mother's love and of his duty 
 as a soldier of France, told him to be patient, 
 and the old chief would relent ; but threatened, 
 if he persisted, that he should incur the severest 
 penalty of the church — excommunication. The
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 45 
 
 Indijin maiden, worried })y her f;itlier\s command 
 to wed a warrior oi" lier nation, and stung by tlie 
 apparent indiit'erence of her lover, determined to 
 put an end to her sorrow. Stealing away from her 
 wigwam one stormy night under the kindly pro- 
 tection of the darkness, she plunged into the tur- 
 bulent waters. An agonizing cry brought succour 
 to the shores but she sank away before aid could, 
 reach her and a few days later her body was found 
 iioatiug in the Detroit. 
 
 Shortly after Frere Constantin ^was called tem- 
 porarily away to another mission, and as days 
 passed and he still lingered, although the coureurs 
 des bois had reported his leaving the mission 
 before them, Cadillac became uneasy; for time and 
 the constant dangers and perils of those daj^s 
 only served to cement the links of a friendship so 
 happily begun years before in Montreal. It was 
 noticed that a cloud rested on Cadillac's brow 
 which the tender solicitation of his wife, the fair 
 Therese Guyon, could not chase away nor the 
 infantile graces of his favorite child, the little 
 Therese, the pet of the colony — as she was the 
 first born and baptized in the fort — soothe by her 
 caresses. Strange stories were whispered by the 
 Indians to the soldiers, of a haunted spot on the 
 Savoyard.* 
 
 * A beautiful stream which mcaudered above the preseut Russell
 
 46 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Tliese reaching Cadillac's ear seemed to lend a 
 color to his own sad forebodings of the fate of 
 his friend. It was said that at dawn every morn- 
 ing faint sounds of a bell might be heard, and 
 different parts of the mass distinctly made out, 
 and that a voice, as mournfully sweet as if it had 
 Its source in unshed tears, would lioat on the mid- 
 night air chanting in Latin the Miserere. 
 
 It was noticed that for some time Churlioa, the 
 Pottawatomie chief, sat before his wigwam, occa- 
 sionally muttering to himself, then drawing his 
 blanket over his head would vanish for days in 
 the forest. The medicine men sadly shook their 
 heads, and pointed signihcantly to their fore- 
 heads, saying the great Churlioa was bewitched. 
 
 One evening an Indian presented himself at the 
 gate of the fort and asked to see Cadillac. Ad- 
 mitted to the Commandant's presence, he stated 
 that Churlioa had sent for the chief of the white 
 men ; that when the young men returned from 
 hunting that day they had found their great 
 chief lying as one dead in the forest. Cadillac 
 followed his guide and soon stood by the dying 
 warrior. He confessed having murdered Frere 
 Constantin to revenge himself for his daughter's 
 death. He feared to take his scalp as it might 
 
 street, crossed Congress and Larned streets and emptied into the 
 Detroit near the Michigan Central Depot.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 47 
 
 lieti-ay him, and bi-inu' upon liis ti'il)e tlie vengeance 
 of the Freiicli. He liad known no peace since, 
 for the spirit of the priest seemed to liaunt him in 
 the moaning reeds. He heard liis voice in the 
 rustling leaA'es, and a strange fascination led his 
 footstei)s to the spot where the murder occurred. 
 That the previous night he wandered there, the 
 bright moon illiiininated the forest and he could 
 see as in the daylight, that the tall form of his 
 victim stood in his path, and with outstretched 
 arms besought him to have his bones lie in conse- 
 crated ground—that until then the Indian would 
 be haunted — and Avitli the sound of rushing waters 
 in his ears the chief knew no more until he awoke 
 in his A\ igwam and sent for Cadillac. 
 
 The sad news was soon known in the colony, 
 and Cadillac Avent to the spot indicated by the 
 Indian. In the hollow of a tree, covered by leaves, 
 they found the body of Frere Constantin. They 
 placed it on a litter formed of the fragrant boughs 
 of the spruce. Father de la Marchecameto meet 
 the body, which was borne by the officers of the 
 fort followed by the weeping people. Tenderly 
 they laid it to rest in the c(msecrated earth as he 
 had so earnestly desired. The last of a princely 
 race rested in the forest of a new world. No 
 stately mausoleum received his remains ; no pom- 
 pous tablet told his lineage, or recorded his deeds.
 
 48 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 The pines chanted his requiem, the tears of his 
 flock were his epitaph, and the innocent hands of 
 children strewed his grave with the wild flowers 
 of the woods. 
 
 In 1724, when the new Ste. Anne's Church was 
 built, Alphonse de Tonty had the remains removed 
 from the humble grave and placed in a vault 
 wliicli he had himself jjrepared beneath the altar, 
 in the presence of all the people of the colony, to 
 whom Father Bonaventure related the edifying 
 life and death of the saintly priest, Frere Con- 
 stantin del Halle.
 
 FRANCOIS AND BARBE. 
 
 A Legend of the Habitants. 
 
 TT WAS in the early days of the colony that 
 Barbe Loisel sat alone with her little children 
 in the rude settler's cabin on the banks of the 
 Detroit. Without raged the fierce winter's blast. 
 In the huge fireplace the flames danced merrily 
 above the hickory logs, and the iron crane held 
 the steaming pot-au-feu. She was waiting for her 
 husband's return from a distant expedition, 
 whither he had been sent by de la Forest, Com- 
 mandant of Fort Pontchartrain. It was P''rancois 
 Fafard, dit Delorme, a noted interpreter. Theirs 
 had been among the first marriages recorded in 
 the register of the little church of Ste. Anne, and 
 their signatures, with their quaint characters, are
 
 50 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 still to be seen to-day. She had been the widow 
 of Francois Gautier, Sieur de la Vallee Ranee, a 
 French officer of high rank, who was killed in 
 1710. Her youth, beauty and unfortunate condi- 
 tion ajDpealed to the manly heart of Delorme, who 
 won her, and his strong arm shielded her from 
 many dangers inseparable from a frontier life. 
 To-night he had promised to return, and she 
 knew it could only be an insurmountable obstacle 
 that could cause him to break his word. 
 
 The blood-curdling howling of wolves were dole- 
 ful symphonies to ears strained to catch the first 
 sound of familiar footsteps. At each weird note 
 of the storm the little ones would nestle closer 
 to the mother, drawing in security even from the 
 touch of her garment such is the wonderful 
 witchery of maternal affection. To quiet them 
 and to lull the beating of her own anxious heart, 
 she told them many Indian legends of the past. 
 
 Of the great rivalry which once existed between 
 the east and west wind. How the east wind, being 
 victorious, prevailed for seven years, until the 
 waters of the rivers and lakes had risen to 
 such a height as to threaten inundation to the 
 lodges and corn-fields of the tribes living on the 
 banks, when the Great Spirit, seeing the misery 
 of his children, and listening to their petitions, 
 recalled the west wind from behind the moun-
 
 Legends of Le DHroit. 51 
 
 tains whither it had been driven, and caused it 
 to reign for seven years, thus forcing back the 
 waters into their original channel. Many to-day 
 notice the fact relative to the waters of the De- 
 troit, and we find a memorandum of it in the jour- 
 nal of Capt. Morris, of her Majesty's Eighteentli 
 Infantry, who visited Detroit in 1764: "That the 
 waters of these lakes rise for seven years and fall 
 for seven years ; in fact there is a seven years' 
 tide ; and Gen. Bradstreet whilst enramp(Hl on 
 the shores of Lake Erie, lost a great many boats 
 and a large quantity of provisions and baggage 
 by a sudden washing of the. waves against the 
 shore. What struck him as a strange phenome- 
 non was that during the heaviest part of these 
 swells no wind was perceptible, a fact he fully 
 illustrated by placing soldiers along the banks 
 with lighted candles, not one going out." * 
 
 Then the good Barbe told them how severely 
 the Great Manitou had punished disobedient 
 children in days gone by. He had condemned 
 them to flit about in a circumscribed space as 
 
 ♦Considerable doubt still exists as to the cause of the periodic 
 rise and fall. The floating ice from Lake Huron one spring so 
 blocked up the channel of the Ste. Claire River that Lake Ste. 
 Claire and the Detroit River were almost drained. The water 
 had receded from the shore of Grosse Pointe nearly four miles. 
 A similar freak of nature occurred in 1818. In winter the ice 
 seems to have some efTect.
 
 52 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 little winged insects and guarded by a stern old 
 Manitou. That one day a little brother of these 
 naughty children had resolved to go in search of 
 them. He started out bravely, walked all day^ 
 and towards night becoming exhausted, fell 
 asleep beneath the leaves of the aspen tree. The 
 spirit which is believed to inhabit it appeared to- 
 him and said : ' ' Follow me and I will lead you to- 
 your brothers and sisters." He awoke and found 
 himself going up higher and higher until he 
 reached cloud land. His guide then gave him a 
 bow with a quiver full of arrows, and said : 
 "Always shoot towards the north ; keep one 
 arrow to return with ; as soon as you reach water 
 throw some on your brothers and sisters and they 
 will return to their natural shape, and the evil 
 spirit will never be able to molest them again." 
 At each flight of a magic arrow a long, solitary* 
 streak of lightning appeared like a golden rent in. 
 the sky, through which the child could catch, 
 glimpses of the beauties hidden there. At last 
 he saw where his brothers and sisters were confined 
 and, aiming straight, soon opened the door to the 
 imprisoned ones, who came through the golden 
 crevice in the form of myriads of little insects- 
 which flitted around him joyfully. During his 
 delight he forgot the injunction of the fairy and 
 sent his arrow away from the north, when sud-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 53 
 
 denly a distant sound like thunder was heard and 
 a fearful voice full of majesty and passion, said : 
 " Presumptuous one, for havin<^- dared to invade 
 the kingdom of the Manitou, you shall be made 
 an example to deter others from such profane 
 ambition."' He was turned into the heat light- 
 ning which is always seen on the northern skies 
 on summer evenings. And the little insects, par- 
 alyzed by that dreadful voice, perished in one 
 night. How frequently on a summer's night we 
 see countless numbers of these insects, the famil- 
 iar "June flies" of the Detroit, hanging to the 
 lamp-posts, apparently dazed from some unknown 
 cause, and strewing the sidewalks to be crushed 
 under foot. The Indian mother never whips her 
 child, but always throws cold water in its face, 
 thus punishing it and preventing its being changed 
 into an insect or bug. 
 
 In this way the pioneer's wife was wont to hush 
 her little ones to sleep ; the Indian legends were 
 their lullabys. It was growing late, and still De- 
 lorme returned not. Barbe shaded her eyes and 
 gazed out into the night, — darkness everywhere ; 
 the voices of the storm were whispering their 
 doleful cadences, but it seemed as if above these 
 she heard the loved one calling hei'. Tlunking 
 her imagination Uad been overwrouglit by tlie sto- 
 ries she had related, she closed the door. But an
 
 54 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 impulse stronger than herself bade her open it 
 again and distinctly came the words, in a mourn- 
 fully sweet voice, ' ' Barbe, come to my assist- 
 ance ! ' ' (Barbe viens a mon secours. ) The dogs 
 broke out in a desponding wail, as if they felt the 
 passage of some unseen phantom. 
 
 She no longer hesitated, the woman's sublime 
 unselfishness conquered the natural timidity of 
 her sex. Taking the musket from the wall, throw- 
 ing the powder horn and bullet bag over her 
 shoulder, she boldly stepped out into the Thebaid 
 darkness. Bravely she went on, though fancy 
 sketched everywhere frightful spectres in the trees, 
 imagination draped phantoms in the swaying 
 branches, to which fear lent the finishing touches. 
 The howling of the wolves gave voice to the deso- 
 ation of the scene. There are times when nature, 
 weary of her muteness, seems to lend tongues to 
 stones, voices to the reeds and to the winds, lan- 
 guage to the articulate lamentations of the brute 
 creation. That voice which ever and anon arose 
 flute-like through the frightful orchestral recital 
 of nature's woes was her compass. The howling 
 sobs of the dogs, so allied to terror of the super- 
 natural, warned her that she had neared her des- 
 tination. She fired her musket upward, and by 
 the flash saw that a giant tree had been felled by 
 the strong arm of the tempest. Moans issued
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 55 
 
 from near, and she soon learned that her hnsband 
 lay beneath it. Powerless alone, she fievv to the 
 fort, returning- shortly with several brave sol- 
 diers who extricated Delorme from his perilous 
 position. He was tenderly carried to his home 
 and his injuries examined and fortunately pro- 
 nounced not fatal. His companion was dead, his 
 skull having been fractured. They asked how it 
 was that his voice had reached Barbe. He could 
 not explain save that he had implored the spirit 
 of his friend to send Barbe to him, as it would 
 pass near her home, only a short distance away. 
 And the strong bond of friendship which even 
 death could not sever, sent its message to Barbe 
 as it glided towards the spirit land.
 
 VIII 
 
 THE DEVIL'S GRIST. 
 
 A Legend of Wind Mill Point. 
 
 lORT Pontchartrain from its ad- 
 vantageous position as key to 
 the Upper Lakes, was coveted 
 by the English, who finding- 
 all their efllorts futile whilst so 
 Jealously guarded by France, 
 determined to wait until the 
 rigid watchfulness of the garri- 
 son should relax by apparent security. In the 
 early si)ring of 1712 the opportunity seemed to 
 present itself. De la Forest, the successor of La 
 Mothe Cadillac, was detained in Quebec ; the 
 Hurons, Ottawas and other Indian allies of the 
 French had not returned from their winter hunt-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 57 
 
 ing in the gloomy recesses of the forest, wliilst 
 the fort was manned by a small number of men 
 "witli Du Biiisson as its temporary commander. 
 
 A band of Macoutins and Outagamies^'' or Foxes, 
 were sent by the English, who lit their camp-lire 
 beneath the shadow of the fort, and pitched their 
 tents in seeming confidence almost within the range 
 of its guns. But Du Buisson was too well versed 
 in the craftiness of the Indians, and too experienced 
 in their peculiar mode of warfare to be deceived by 
 this semblance of friendship. Nor did he neglect 
 those measures of prudence and forethought neces- 
 sary to secure him against a siege. Under pretext of 
 fearing an attack from the Miamis, he ordered all 
 the grain to be brought into the fort from the store- 
 houses, which were built outside of the fortifica- 
 tions, and caused the buildings to be destroyed as a 
 precautionary measure against fire. He sent word 
 to the Hurons and Pottawatomies that he was in 
 danger, and to hasten to his assistance. Daily the 
 number of the Foxes seemed to increase, and see- 
 ing that their lawless acts met with no jninish- 
 ment, they became more and more insolent. The 
 little fort held bravely on, and though a powerful 
 and merciless foe lay crouching at its gates, watch- 
 
 *0utagamie8. The ancient spelling for Ottawa was Outaouas; 
 Pottawatomie, Pouteouatiimie ; Iroquois, Iroquese.
 
 58 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 ing its every movement, and ready to pounce on 
 its prey, the garrison seemed not to notice it, and 
 went along its daily routine. 
 
 But beneath that calm and indifferent exterior 
 many were the sad and weary hearts ; for all were 
 under the influence of a feeling which was calcu- 
 lated to paralyze the energies of the boldest, since, 
 unless succor should soon arrive, their loved lily 
 of France, crimsoned by their hearts' blood, would 
 be replaced by the cross of St. George, and their 
 reeking scalps, hung at the savage's belt, would 
 record the fearful history of Fort Pontchartrain. 
 The brave Du Buisson would try to rouse them 
 by his example, relating the deeds of French sol- 
 diers at other far and desolate forts, whilst the 
 gentle chaplain, Deniau, would tell them to place 
 their trust in God, to remember their distant 
 homes and their loved ones. A new light would 
 come to their eyes, heavy from long, weary vigils, 
 and new courage steal into their hearts and nerve 
 their arms to deeds of daring. 
 
 At last Saguina, Chief of the Ottawas, and 
 Makisabe, Chief of the Pottawatomies, with their 
 dusky warriors in all the full regalia of war and 
 the haughty waving crests of the eagle and 
 bright sashes of vermillion, lit up the landscape, 
 while their savage war whoops awoke the echoes 
 of the forests, and found a response in the anxious.
 
 Legends of Le Detrdit. 5& 
 
 hearts of tlie besieged garrison. ]5raii('lies of the 
 Sacs,^ Illinois, and even Osages and Missoiiris, 
 had hastened to the relief of the fort, borne along 
 by a spirit of hereditary warfare against the 
 restless Foxes and Macoutins, or "dwellers in the 
 prairies,'' who were the roaming brigands of the 
 wilds of America. Saguina presented himself at 
 the fort and said to Du Buisson : '' Father, behold 
 thy children compass thee round. AVe will, if 
 need be, gladly die for our father, only take care 
 of our wives and our children, and spread a little 
 grass over our bodies to protect them against the 
 flies." 
 
 The Foxes w^ere driven back and forced to throw 
 up entrenchments and were reduced to the last 
 extremity. Availing themselves of a stormy night 
 they crept away under the friendly shelter of the 
 darkness, and fortified themselves at Presque Isle, 
 near Windmill Point, eight miles distant from 
 Detroit, and at the entrance of Lake Ste. Claire. 
 When the Hurons and other French allies discover- 
 ed their flight they were soon in pursuit. For some 
 days the Foxes held their fort but at last fell be- 
 neath the tomahawk of the besieger. + In vain Du 
 Buisson endeavored to stop the fearful massacre, 
 but his voice fell on ears open only to catch the 
 
 * Pronounced Sauks. 
 
 f More than a tbousaud Indians were killed in lliis battle.
 
 60 Legends of Le DHroH. 
 
 agonizing wails of the victims, the sweetest music to 
 the Indian warrior. The ground was saturated with 
 blood, and the dead as numerous as the leaves of 
 the forest; the blood-curdling yells of the conquer- 
 ors, mingled with the groans of the dying, made 
 so fearful a picture that the French soldiers, ac- 
 customed to war and carnage, turned away with 
 sickened hearts. The allies carried away their 
 dead and wounded, but left the remains of the 
 conquered to the mercy of the elements and 
 to become the prey of the birds. Shortly after- 
 wards the last remnants of the Fox nation came 
 to Presque Isle to ' ' hold the feast of the dead ' ' 
 and to cover the bones of their warriors that 
 they would no longer be excluded from the 
 happy hunting ground of their ancestors. To- 
 day their bleached bones are exposed by the ruth- 
 less plow, and any one interested in Indian antiq- 
 uities can have that interest gratified by a visit to 
 Presque Isle. 
 
 Years after the dreadful massacre which con- 
 verted the beautiful spot called Presque Isle into 
 the grave of the Fox nation, a stone mill was 
 built there by a French settler, who came to 
 reside with his sister Josette, undaunted by the 
 current traditions which peopled it with the spir- 
 its of the departed warriors. Jean was a quiet, 
 morose man, different from the laughing, careless,
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 61 
 
 pleasure-loving Canadian, — for rare were his visits 
 to the fort, and it was noticed that he never lin- 
 gered over his cidre, nor spoke to the smiling,, 
 piquante daughters of the habitants. Men 
 shrugged their shoulders, and the fair damsels- 
 pouting their pretty lips would cluster around 
 the coureur des bois, who, going everywhere, was 
 the recognized gossip of the day, and ask Jhim 
 why Jean was so diiferent from others, while with 
 a wise look on his face, the coureur would reply 
 that Jean had met with a disappointment in his 
 early youth, and had since kept shy of the fair 
 sex, by a vow which was then customary, for when 
 a man' s addresses were once refused he seldom 
 tried a second time. 
 
 Josette was much older than her brother, and 
 by dint of thrift and economy had sa\^ed enough 
 to become a half owner in the mill. The favored 
 few who had tasted her '' croquecignoles"'^ and 
 "galette au beurre," spoke of it as an era in 
 their existence. Naught disturbed the monotony 
 of their lives ; each day was but a repetition. The 
 river flowed calmly on, the birds sang their songs — 
 for nature has no moods, they belong to man alone. 
 At last Josette fell sick. Jean attended her as 
 
 *Croquecignoles. A sort of doughnut. Galette au beurre. A 
 kind of bread,, to which is added milk and butter.
 
 62 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 cai-efully as he could, and like a prudent man, 
 would frequently ask her to whom she would leave 
 her interest in the mill. Irritable from suffering, 
 she became annoyed at his importunities, accused 
 him of taking care of her for the sake of obtain- 
 ing her money, and told him ' ' she would leave it 
 to the devil." Jean tried in his clumsy fashion, 
 to soothe her. He sent for some of his kindred 
 to reason with her, but they only infuriated her 
 the more, and she solemnly declared that not one 
 of them should have her share in the mill, but 
 " she would sooner leave it to the devil." 
 
 Josette recovered, however, and with that per- 
 versity born of stubbornness, would not relent. 
 A few months afterwards she was found dead in 
 her bed, having died suddenly. That same night, 
 whilst the candles threw their dim shadowy light 
 in the room of the dead, a furious storm arose, 
 lashing the waves against the shore, the winds 
 howling fiercely around the point, the black 
 €louds chasing each other across the lowering- 
 skies, as lurid gleams of lightning and deafening- 
 reverberations of thunder, made all the habitants 
 shudder while they crossed themselves and told 
 their beads. All at once there came so tremen- 
 duous a shock that it seemed to swallow the 
 Island. The old stone mill was rent in twain. A 
 pungent smell of sulphur filled the air, and a
 
 Legendff of Le Dttrolt. 63 
 
 iiendish laugh was heard loud above the raging 
 storm from the shattered rnins. Tlie arch litMid 
 had come to claim his share. 
 
 For years afterwards when a northeast storm 
 blew from the lake, making night hideous l)y its 
 echoing peals of thunder, it was said that a hairy 
 figure, with a horned head and forked tail tipped 
 with fire, his mouth and eyes darting forth riid(l\' 
 fiame, could be seen in the mill, trying to put 
 together the ruined machinery to grind the 
 devil's grist. And the lonely wayfarer to Grosse 
 Pointe would see the marshes around Presque 
 Isle all illuminated by fiames, called by the hab- 
 itants feu-follet,"' which would try to inveigle 
 the unhappy traveler and bring him to help grind 
 the devil's grist. 
 
 *Feu-follet. Will-o'-the-Wisp, Jack-o' -Lantern,
 
 IX 
 
 JEAN CHiaUOT. 
 
 A Legrend of Charlevoix's Visit. 
 
 A GRAND council of all the neigliboring tribes 
 of Le Detroit liad been convened early in the 
 spring of 1721. Thither came the witty, 
 brave, but deceitful Huron, the Athenian of the 
 American forest; the stern. Spartan-like Iroquois, 
 the gaudy Ottawa, and eloquent Pottawatomie 
 resi^lendent in swaying feathers and brilliant in 
 dashes of vermillion. 
 
 Alphonse de Tonty, Baron de Palude, Com- 
 mandant of Fort Pontchartrain, explained to the 
 red warriors the object of the assembly. By his 
 side stood a man of fine, imposing appearance 
 whose dress revealed his "priestly character, and 
 whose eager, observant eye glanced from object 
 to object with that lightning flash of mental
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 65 
 
 photography wliich traiisniUs to tlie pen witli 
 wonderful I'aitlil'iilness its impressions. He was 
 inti'oduct'd ns tlie bearer of messages and i)resents 
 from Onoutio to his forest cliildren. It was the 
 distinguished traveler and priest, Charlevoix, 
 whose writings are oiir chief authority as to tlie 
 ccmdition of the West in those early days. 
 
 One edict in an instant electrified the statue- 
 like audience, causing the mask of immobility 
 to drop before the sweeping blast of kindled 
 ]\assion which broke forth in a sullen roar like a 
 mighty cataract. It was the prohibition of selling 
 liquor to them, — a custom introduced by Cadillac 
 and continued by his successors, notwithstanding 
 the earnest protestations of the Jesuits, who saw 
 in the dim future the fatal calamities which 
 would befall the colony engendered by this disas- 
 trous traffic. 
 
 Amidst the deep grunts and murmurs of dis- 
 sent, Onanguice, the great Pottawatomie orator 
 rose, and in an impassioned voice with torrents 
 of burning eloquence, poured out his indignant 
 protest. " We know that firewater does us no 
 good, it steals our tongues and our hands. You 
 have made us taste it, and now we cannot do 
 without it. If you refuse to give it to us, we 
 shall get it from your enemies, the English,''' 
 Drawing his blanket around him he haughtily
 
 66 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 stepped out of the council, followed by all tlie 
 warriors, who filed along the narrow trail in 
 silence to the Pottawatomie village, two miles 
 below the fort. 
 
 De Tonty was annoyed and thought the meas- 
 ure unwise, and still more for personal reasons, 
 as, if tradition be true, he was not averse to 
 exchange a gill of brandy for a pound of beaver 
 skins, for then every wdiite man's hand weighed 
 a pound." De Tonty called one of the traders 
 and told him in confidence to take a cask of 
 brandy to the Pottawatomie village, to secure 
 thus the valuable furs which the Indians were 
 known to have taken during their winter hunt- 
 ing, and which owing to the edict would pass 
 into the hands of the English ; that lie (De 
 Tonty) would protect the trader (Jean Clii(iuot) 
 from all harm — the proceeds to be divided be- 
 tween them. Jean started off. Arriving at the 
 village he found the old sachems in council, and 
 the younger ones roaming about idle. To these 
 he proijosed the game of bowl,t the stakes being- 
 measures of brandy which he exchanged for 
 their furs. The offer was eagerly accepted, and 
 
 *It was a custom then among traders to put their hands on the 
 scale in weighing furs, thus pressing it down, uubelinown to the 
 Indian. Consequently tlie term "each white man's hand weighed 
 a pound." 
 
 f Bowl. An Indian gambling game-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. GT 
 
 each Indian rushed to his wigwam to bring his 
 pelletries, until there rose a pile which made 
 Jean's eyes ^i;-listeii and his imagination swim over 
 with the prcjbabilities which tlie sale of these sug- 
 gested. 
 
 The Indians are inveterate gamblers and will 
 stake anything they possess with the most sub- 
 lime recklessness. Human nature is in every 
 age the same where trafiic is concerned, though 
 culture and education apparently refine the meth- 
 od and soften the terms — but the underlying prin- 
 ciple remains. The shrewd trader of those days 
 understood as well as the present one, the art of 
 playing skillfully on the foibles of others and 
 making of them a source of revenue. 
 
 Sides were chosen and the air rang with the 
 wild, guttural sounds of the savages as the bowl 
 touched the ground and the little, painted pieces 
 of bone were tossed in the air. The seductive- 
 ness of the game penetrated into the grave coun- 
 cil of the sachems and drew them into its fasci- 
 nating vortex. 
 
 Jean's gains in furs steadily increased, and so 
 did the Indians' desire to obtain the coveted 
 liquor, which was drunk as fast as won. Towards 
 night the pandemonium of giddy excitement 
 subsided, and the i)]ayers lay strewn about in 
 helpless intoxication. Jean strapped his heavy
 
 68 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 pile of skins to his back and slowly wended his 
 way towards the fort. It was a glorious evening. 
 Drops of moonlight fell through the budding 
 foliage of the trees and glistened like scattered 
 gems in the grass. Jean was in that happy frame 
 of mind which a good bargain concluded by a 
 generous draught of eau de vie is apt to produce, 
 and thought how bright and attractive the world 
 looked to him in contrast withthe morning, when 
 he first heard the edict. Whether he looked dif- 
 ferent to the world was a question Jean did not 
 ask himself. 
 
 Suddenly his meditations were rudely broken 
 by a number of ' ' Dames Blanches,' ' * who w^ere 
 dancing around an oak tree, and who, as soon as 
 they saw Jean, caught hold of him and made 
 him dance until he was ready to drop with ex- 
 haustion. He who a few moments before felt as 
 if he trod on air and walked like a god on the 
 clouds, now thought his feet imprisoned in irons. 
 In vain he pleaded to be let alone ; wild laughter 
 was his only answer. His pack fell off, and with 
 swift hands the fairies had each secured one of. 
 his valuable furs. The physical fatigues of the 
 man were forgotten in the natural instincts of 
 
 * Literally " White Ladies," a term used to designate the little 
 fairies which were then implicitly ^believed in by many of tlio 
 superstitious habitants.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 69 
 
 the trader, and jiinipiiiii- uj) .lean pursued tlie 
 "Dames Blanches." Round and round they 
 Hew until .lean ,<2:rew dizzj^ and then just as he 
 would think he had secured his j^rize the fairy 
 would vanish in the earth, leaving a si)ring of 
 clear water in which he could hear the mocking 
 laughter of his tormentor. Almost distracted 
 and aching in every bone, he picked up the few 
 remaining furs which had escaped the clutches of 
 the fairy robbers and again started on his home- 
 ward journey. 
 
 He was obliged to pass near the Sand Hills, '• 
 which were used by the Indians as a burying- 
 ground. On several mounds he noticed a num- 
 ber of caged birds, f which fluttering against their 
 bars, made a weird sound that sent a doleful 
 message to Jean's heart and a cold chill down 
 his back, for he was not as brave as an hour 
 before. Just as he was urging his weary, bat- 
 tered feet to the utmost, he heard a wild, demoni- 
 acal shriek, and looking up cautiously saw on a 
 branch of a tree a Loup Garou who gave him a 
 
 ♦This property was afterwards deeded by the Pottawatomie 
 chiefs to Kobert Navarre, Jr. 
 
 f Wlu'ii an Indian maiden died tlu' Indians iniprisonetl a young 
 bird until it first began to sing, then loading it with kisses and 
 caresses they loosed its bonds over the grave, in the belief that it 
 would not fold its wings until it Hew to the spirit land and deliv- 
 ered its precious burden.
 
 70 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 malicious leer and jumped so suddenly on Jean's 
 back that both rolled down the sand hill. Jean's 
 blouse flew open and out came his beads which 
 he always carried '■'■en cas.'''''^ 
 
 When the trader got up and rubbed his eyes and 
 straightened his bruised limbs he looked about in 
 vain for his foe, then ran breathlessly to the fort 
 where he related his strange adventures, but was 
 met with smiles of incredulity. 
 
 Early next morning he started with several 
 skeptical companions for the scenes of the night 
 before. To their amazement the grass seemed 
 scorched around the oak tree and everywhere 
 little fountains were bubbling forth their strange 
 tale. Where the Loup Garou had disappeared a 
 sulphur spring had sprung up. The place was 
 ever afterwards called by the French "'La Belle 
 Fontaine," by the English, Springwells, and ac- 
 cording to the tradition of an old habitant, ' ' La 
 Belle Fontaine water gives complexion brilliante, 
 wile ze sulphur spring cure ze internal com- 
 plaint." 
 
 * In case of necessity. A French expression.
 
 X 
 
 THE WIDOW'S CURSE. 
 
 T. 
 
 A Legrend of the old Pear Trees. 
 
 T WAS Mardi (xras evening in 1785. 
 A furious storm raged outside, the 
 wind liowled tlirougli the leafless 
 trees, and the restless waters of Lake 
 8te. Claire were fast imprisoned in ice. 
 But there were sounds of mei-riment 
 in tlie house of Charles Chauvin. It was built of 
 hewn logs and fronted the lake, where tlie new 
 water works now stand. The liglits from the 
 windows were like bright beams of promise in that 
 waste of darkness. A party was gathered in la 
 salle a manger (dining-room) to celebrate Shrove 
 Tuesday. Tlie floor was partly covered witli a 
 rag carpet, whose bright tints lent a glow of 
 warmtli to the room. The furniture was covered
 
 72 ' Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 in cliintz and the legs carved in grotesque effigies 
 of birds, the classifying of which would have 
 driven Cuvier to despair. A cuplioard reaching 
 to the ceiling displayed rows of blue china, of a 
 thickness which would now alleviate ihe fear of 
 many house-keepers and defy the rough handling 
 of the modern servant. 
 
 Before an open fireplace with its crackling, hick- 
 ory log, stood three girls, each armed with a long- 
 handled frying pan and trying to toss pancakes 
 — " virez les crepes " — a custom still x^reserved in 
 many of the old French families. Near by were 
 several who poured in the batter as fast as the pans 
 were emptied, whilst la dame Chauvin placed 
 powdered maple sugar between the cakes and jiiled 
 them up in pyramid form. The art consisted in 
 tossing the light cake as high as possible while 
 turning it. It was accomj)lished by a dexterous 
 motion of the hand, and merry were the peals of 
 laughter which greeted the unfortunate one whose 
 cake fell on the glowing coals. 
 
 The table was set with savory meats, and all ate 
 with a relish inspired by the morrow which would 
 be Ash Wednesday, for Lent then was rigidly 
 kept. The forfeits were redeemed all save la dame 
 Chauvin' s, who only was released when she iDrom- 
 ised to tell them a conte (story). " What shall it 
 be ? " she said. "Oh tell us, grandmere, about the
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 73 
 
 old mill oil Connor's Creek and the twelve pear 
 trees in our orcliard," answered the briglit-eyed 
 Susanne, a little tliiu<^- of twelve. 
 
 Caressing gently the dariv liniiol.' the girl, the 
 old dame began : 
 
 Just such ;i niglit as tliis, many years ago, Felix 
 Robert brouglit his young wil'e to live in the mill 
 he had just bnilt near Pont Rouge (Red Bridge) 
 on Connor's Creek. His brother Louis accompa- 
 nied them. It was impossible to tind a greater 
 contrast. Felix was sliort, with laughing eyes 
 and a pleasant word for everyone. He loved a 
 ball or a race on the ice with that true zest of en- 
 joyment which the old habitants possessed in so 
 eminent a degree. Louis was tall and spare, with 
 a yellow, lean face, silent and reserved in manner. 
 Sehlom did he enter in the simple pleasures of 
 those days. His presence seemed like a pall, 
 and the old habitant would say : " C'est un oiseau 
 d'une mauvaise augure " (he is a ])ir(l of ill omen). 
 The mill prospered, — they npi)eare(l to live in har- 
 mony ; children gathered around the hearth, but 
 the morose Louis })aid little heed to them, for his 
 two cows seemed to be the only things for which 
 he entertained affection. 
 
 Felix was fatally iujiiivd by a failing tree and 
 expired soon aftei-, though not before he had 
 made Louis ])i()inise to watch o\er his wife and
 
 74 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 children, and to set aside for them a half of the 
 proceeds of the mil]. 
 
 After his brother s death Louis grew more and 
 more absorbed in himself ; the children kept out 
 of his way as if by instinct, hushing their infan- 
 tile prattle when his shadow fell across the thresh- 
 old ; and he develoj^ed the true traits of a miser. 
 Food was measured for the home consumption, 
 and he looked scrupulously after every detail of 
 the simple menage. In vain the widow pleaded 
 she was starving. The inflexible man would not 
 listen. He would not allow them out of his sight, 
 and no complaint could she make, for he gave her 
 no opportunity of conversing with any one, and 
 few came to the mill except on business, and none 
 cared to loiter. 
 
 One by one the children drooped and were laid 
 to rest. The mother implored in vain more food 
 and warmer clothing, and soon her frail form told 
 that her days were numbered. One day, escap- 
 ing the severe vigilance of her stern guardian, she 
 wandered off towal^ds the pear trees, the stately 
 survivors of the age of Louis XIV., which, proud 
 in their decay, leave no successors, as if unwilling 
 to allow their race to be perpetuated in new soil. 
 Her absence was discovered, and fearing she 
 might betray his miserly habits to his neighbors, 
 Louis came to lead her back quickly to the house
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. '75 
 
 sayiiiiilie could not afford to feed lazy people ; lie 
 had supp()ir«'(l her long enough. It was time to 
 work. 
 
 Raising her hands to Heaven she cried out : 
 " Woe, woe is my lot. I call these twelve trees, 
 which Jire named after the Apostles, to witness 
 my wrongs. May your property be swept away, 
 your cows refuse to give milk, and you yourself 
 be haunted by me and by my children. You have 
 defrauded the widow and the orphan ; you have 
 starved them to death and broken a solemn prom- 
 ise to the dead. The pear tree under which you 
 stand will be shunned by its comrades, and like 
 Judas, stand alone, for the curse of the widow 
 rested on an object beneath it." 
 
 Shortly afterwards she died. The habitants 
 were indignant, and avoided Louis more than 
 ever. Tt was soon rumored that strange things 
 were going on at the mill. Weird sounds were 
 heard on Sunday nights especially, and one with 
 more courage or curiosity than the others peeped 
 through the cracks of the mill and saw a great 
 number of bhick cats, "all dancing like Chris- 
 tians," he said, wliilst the tiin*^ was beaten by 
 phantom hands which s^m to float about in the 
 air. The people shook their heads mysteriously, 
 saying that it was " le-Sabbat des chats"* (the 
 
 *Cats were believed to be in league with the devil, who frequent-
 
 76 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 cat's Sabbat) and hinted at secret dealings with 
 the evil one. The cows sickened and died, the 
 habitants refused to bring their corn to the grist 
 for they heard such piteous wails and saw there 
 cadaverous, ghostly hands as if imploring for 
 food. The old pear tree was found one morning 
 mysteriously separated from its companions on 
 the north side and its withered leaves and droop- 
 ing boughs spoke of some blight which had rob- 
 bed it of its proud and stately beauty.* . 
 
 Louis saw all this and his land passed into the 
 hands of strangers. He left, no one ever hearing 
 again of liim, and with him died the Widow's 
 Curse. 
 
 ly borrowed the form of a black cat. Some believe that the male 
 cat has the power of assisting at the " Sabbat," to prevent which 
 they frequently cut a piece off the tail or ear (C. Vaugeors, His- 
 toire des Antiquities de la Ville de I'Aigle, p. 586). 
 
 *Eleven of the twelve apostles (pear trees) are still standing (1883) 
 near the Water "Works just below Connor's (formerly Tremble's) 
 Creek.
 
 XI 
 
 LE LUTIN. 
 
 A Legend of the Goblin Horseman. 
 
 N 1796, when the Stars 
 and Stripes iirst waved 
 ill proud exultation over 
 the haughty standard of 
 P'.iigland, there lived on 
 the l):mksol' tlie l)eanti- 
 I'ul Lake Sainte Claire, 
 at Grosse Pointe, an old 
 French habitant named Jean Marie Tetit, dit le 
 merveilleux. 
 
 It was a noticeable custom in those early days 
 to give each other soubriquets, and with that 
 wonderful perceptiveness of the French which 
 almost amounts to a sixth sense, the nickname 
 would be a happy hit at some marked character-
 
 78 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 istic. To-day some of the descendants of these 
 old families are known only by the soubriquet ; 
 other branches still bear the original name, but 
 in several cases the old name has entirely dis- 
 appeared. 
 
 Jean Marie was a famous raconteur, equaling 
 Vernon, of the Long Bow\ On autumn after- 
 noons the habitants would congregate at his 
 house, and only when the shadows had length- 
 ened into twilight and the church bell pealed 
 the evening hour, would the spell-bound listeners 
 slowly come back to the realities of life and give 
 a thought to the impatient housewife and waiting 
 meal. Perhaps it was the soft beauty of the 
 scene, lit up by the hazy, luminous atmosphere 
 peculiar to Indian summer which gave a more 
 brilliant hue to the glowing forest trees, a rosy 
 tint to the placid waters of the lake, a touch of 
 picturesqueness to the group of habitants, with 
 their eager, expectant faces, which lent its seduc- 
 tive charm to Jean Marie's imagination. Quietly 
 taking a few whiffs from his loved pipe filled 
 with killikanick (a weed used by the Indians in 
 the absence of tobacco, and from which a fancy 
 brand of Virginia tobacco takes its name), and 
 in the midst of that hushed silence which is 
 in itself an eloquent tribute to the raconteur's 
 powers, he would relate the wonderful stories of
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. TO 
 
 " L<' Liiliii," and •' Lc Loiip (Turoii '' (wclir- 
 woll'i; I he liist of which is as i'oUows : 
 
 .lacciues i/Ks})('ran('e, or.hico, as he was raiiiil- 
 iarly called " foi- short/' on the death of liis father 
 found hiniscir s(»h> ]tr()j)i'i<'t()r ol" a fiire "con- 
 cession'' at Grosse Pointe. The soil was i-ieh, 
 the arpents numerous, and all bespoke goodly 
 promise to the industrious farmer. Jaco was not 
 lazy, but somehow his elforts did not meet with 
 the success which crowned his neii'li})ors. His 
 tastes ran towards hoi-ses, and he became one of 
 the most celebrated horst^ breeders in that section 
 of the counti-y, and was referred to as an oracle 
 on the subject. lie was in fact the Tom Ochiltree 
 of his day. It was in the winter races on the ice 
 along the lake shore and Grand Marais that Jaco 
 gained his greatest triumph. Perched on the 
 high seat of his cariole, well ])rotected from the 
 rude blasts by his Indian-blanket coat with its 
 deep black stripe, the hood of which was drawn 
 tightly over his head, a wide red sash encircling 
 his waist, his hands coven^T with mole-skin gloves, 
 his ringing voice covdd be heard loud above the 
 others as he urged his little Canadian pony on : 
 "Avance done Caribou! avance Lambreurl" 
 With lightning speed he ti<^w, and ere the sound 
 of his voice had died away only a tiny speck on 
 the ice marked the steed and its driver. Arriv-
 
 80 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 ing at the Hotel of the Grand Marais, under the 
 genial influence of the "liqueur de peche " (peach 
 brandy) and the subtle incense of flattery, in his 
 enthusiasm he would claim for his pony a speed 
 which even in these days of St. Julien and Maud 
 S., with their unprecedented records, would be 
 considered marvelous, " clearing at abound," he 
 said, " cracks in the ice twenty feet wide." 
 
 We must acknowledge that the present Cana- 
 dian pony is a degenerate scion of a fine stock, 
 for they are mostly descended from a cross 
 between a noble stallion, caught wild on the 
 prairies of Mexico, the breed half Arabian and 
 Spanish, (having been introduced there by Her- 
 nando Cortes in his conquest of that country in 
 1520 and brought here by the Indians in 1750,) 
 and a splendid Norman mare, brought to this 
 country by Gen. Braddock and taken from him 
 at his defeat near Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh). 
 Ten years later Capt. Morris, of his Majesty's 
 Seventeenth Regiment of Infantry, who visited 
 the country of the Illinois under the guidance of 
 Jacques Godfroy in 1764, mentions in his journal 
 seeing this handsome milk-white horse still in 
 possession of the Indians. 
 
 Jaco could be seen every day driving his favor- 
 ite along the lake shore, and L' Eclair (light- 
 ning), as he called her, carried herself as if
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 81 
 
 conscious of the jidmiiation which slie created. 
 
 One night, witli tlie rest of tlie habitants, Jaco 
 went to Antoine GrilTard\s, whose magic violin, 
 could compel the most unwilling feet to chase 
 the riving hours. At dawn, going to the stable 
 to harness L' l^clair, for he had a long drive, he 
 found her all covered with foam, her mane all 
 tangled with burrs. Annoyed that anyone should 
 have played him such a trick, but not wishing to 
 express any suspicion for fear of making a 
 disturbance, Jaco like a prudent man held his 
 tongue, but determined that when he came to 
 another ball, a less valuable horse would be his 
 companion. But the next morning, and the next, 
 he found his favorite with dejected head, tired 
 and wearied as if she liad been driven hard all 
 night. He put a padlock on his barn door, strewed 
 ashes about to discover the footsteps, yet to his 
 great amazement he found L' Eclair in the same 
 lamentable plight, the padlock intact and no im- 
 press on the ashes. 
 
 At length Jaco, much perplexed, went to con- 
 sult one of Ms great cronies who listened atten- 
 tively to his story, and at its conclusion, gazing 
 around cautiously as if afraid of being overheard, 
 whispered hurriedly, "C'est Le Lutin qui la 
 soigne," (it is the goblin who takes care of her). 
 
 Le Lutin was a dreaded monster which had
 
 82 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 haunted the Pointe many years before, and was 
 supposed, when for some reason he took a dislike 
 to an habitant, to tantalize him by riding his fin- 
 est horses by night. Jaco was not credulous. He 
 shook his head smilingly and said it was the 
 work of some enemy jealous of L' Eclair. He 
 had heard of "La bete a Cornes," or horned 
 beast, as some called Le Lutin, but only thought 
 of it as one of the stories his mother would 
 relate to him in his infancy as she rocked him to 
 sleep. His friend told him he should brand his 
 horses with a cross, or put an amulet or charm 
 ^bout their necks. Jaco returned home sad and 
 dejected. He had not met with the counsel he 
 wished, and determined to find out for himself 
 who this enemy was. 
 
 One bright moonlight night he stationed him- 
 self at his window where he could command a 
 good view of his barn without being seen himself, 
 and armed with his trusty rifle, waited for his 
 foe. Not a sound disturbed the night air save 
 the low murmuring of the waters against the 
 beach, the lone cry of the whip-poor-will, or the 
 •occasional plash of some restless bullfrog. All 
 nature seemed to slumber. Suddenly a sound 
 like the troubled neighing of. a horse fell on his 
 strained ear, and keeping his eyes on the barn 
 doors, he saw them noiselessly open and his
 
 Legench of Le Detroit. 83 
 
 fuvoi'ite L' Kclair, tronibling like a leaf, fly out. 
 Oil her back was a feaiiul apparition. Jaeo was 
 no coward, but lie felt his courage oozing out at 
 his knees, cold chills chasing each other down 
 his back, and great beads of perspiration stand- 
 ing on his lorehead. The monster resembled a 
 baboon, witli a liornt'd head, a skin of bristling 
 black hair, brilliant, restless eyes, and a devilish 
 leer on its face. It clutched with one hand L'- 
 Kclair's mane, and with the other belabored her 
 with a stick of the thorn bush, for the fiend rode 
 without saddle or bridle. 
 
 Jaco recognized in an instant that his rifle was 
 powerless against such a foe, and like a bright 
 inspiration came to him the old mode used to 
 exorcise a demon ; he seized the holy water font, 
 one of which hung at the head of every good 
 habitant's bed, and threw it and its contents 
 down upon the monster as he passed beneath tlm 
 window. A demoniacal shriek rent the air, the 
 horse snorted, reared, and notwithstanding the 
 efforts of the fiend, plunged into the chilly waters 
 of th(^ lake. Jaco rushed in pursuit, but when 
 he arrived at the beach, only the circling eddies 
 marked the spot where the affrighted animal and 
 its fiendish rider had disappeared. Firing his 
 riffe to awaken his neighbors, who. unaccustomed 
 to such siiiiials, riislied to liiid out wliat was the
 
 84: Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 matter, Jaco related his adventure. His disor- 
 dered appearance, the absence of the liorse, the 
 broken fragments of the holy water font, and the 
 thorn-bush stick dropped by the goblin, confirmed 
 his tale. Like a judicious man he marked all hi& 
 horses thereafter with a cross fearing the return 
 of Le Lutin.* And to this day the Grosse Pointe 
 habitants retain this custom, and whenever in 
 the early morn on going to the barn they find^a 
 favorite horse reeking with sweat and foam, and 
 with mane all tangled as if by the claws of a 
 beast, they shake their heads mysteriously and 
 say that it is Le Lutin come again. 
 
 * Aubrey in his ' ' Miscellanies " mentions tlie practice for pre- 
 venting nightmare in horses, "to hang in a string a flint with a 
 hole in it, by the manger; but best of all they say hung about 
 their necks, and a flint will do it that hath not a hole in it. It is 
 to prevent the nightmare, viz: the hag from riding their horses 
 that will sometimes sweat all night. The flint thus hung does- 
 hinder it." Herrick says: 
 
 "Hang up hooks and shears to scare 
 
 Hence the hag that rides the mare 
 
 Till they be all over wet 
 
 With the mire and the sweat, 
 
 Tills observed, the manes shall be 
 
 Of your horses, ail knot free."
 
 XII 
 
 THE WARRIOR'S LOVE. 
 
 A Legend of Bois Blanc. 
 
 HE adniinible site of Bois Blanc on the 
 Canjidian side of tlie month of the De- 
 troit River, commanding- the main chan- 
 nel, attracted in the early days of the 
 ■^ colony, the eye of the experienced sol- 
 dier. It was for a long time a mooted qnestion 
 whether Fort Pontchartrain would remain at 
 Detroit or be removed to this island. It received 
 its name from a superb forest of white wood, but 
 it was shorn of its crown of glory by an act of 
 vandalism during that bjlef ]ianic of patriotism 
 in 18:^7, called by the self-styled "patriots'' Tiie 
 Patriot War. They felled these glorious giant 
 trees for purposes of military observation. Here 
 Tecumseh and his warriors in 18i:? awaited the
 
 86 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 issue of the Battle of Lake Erie, and as soon as- 
 tlie fatal import to the English was known, the 
 chief crossed over to Maiden, then garrisoned by 
 Proctor. To his amazement he found the British 
 commander making hurried preparations to evac- 
 uate without the faintest show of resistance. 
 Forced to passive obedience by circumstances he 
 could not crush and despising the cowardice of 
 the act, Tecumseh begged Proctor to leave him 
 arms and ammunition, that he and his braves 
 might defend the fort against the victorious 
 Americans. The British general's refusal to do 
 so called forth the stinging and contemp)tuous. 
 remark from the outraged savage, ' ' that he (Proc- 
 tor) was like a fat cur sneaking away with his 
 tail between his legs, after making a great show 
 of courage." 
 
 After Charlevoix's visit in 1722 to these re- 
 gions, a Huron mission was established on this 
 island under the direction of Fathers Potier and 
 de la Richardie. Several hundred of the tribe 
 came, and soon their tents blossomed like wild 
 flowers through the woods. The joyous laughter 
 of children sent its warm, exhilarating tones over 
 the waters. The sweet sound of the bell from 
 the rude, birchen chapel bade the echoes of the 
 forest awake and respond gladly to the message 
 of redemption. But the English with their
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 87 
 
 eager desire to extend tlicii- trade to tlie West, 
 sowed seeds of dissension amon,<^ tlie Indians and 
 poisoned tlieir hearts a;j;ainst the Prencli. In 
 1747 a general nprising o! all the tribes took 
 place, and Bois Blanc became the theatre of a 
 conspiracy to massacre the French at Fort Pont- 
 chartrain. It was betrayed to De Longueil, the 
 Commandant, who used wise and precantionary 
 measures wliich not only stemmed the tide of 
 savage mutiny, l)ut restored peace and order. 
 Still it was considered more prudent to remove 
 the Huron mission nearer the fort. Bois Blanc 
 was abandoned, and the settlement located at 
 Sandwich, tlie present church there being the 
 successor of the one built by Father Potier. 
 
 One incident of early days invests this island 
 with romantic interest, where the noble heart of 
 a Huron chief became the sacrifice of a glorious 
 self-devotion. Many years have passed since that 
 act, but it is still handed down from generation 
 to generation. White Fawn was the daughter 
 of a celebrated Huron brave wlio had accom- 
 panied DeBellestre to Montreal to see the Gov- 
 ernor, and whilst there had died. Her mother 
 who belonged to the pale-face, had faded away 
 many years before. Tiie maiden was the pride 
 of tlie tribe, and her admirers, as numerous as 
 the leaves of the forest, endeavored to woo her
 
 88 Legends of Le iJetroU. 
 
 by their peculiar mode of courtship. They 
 would whittle tiny sticks and throw them at her. 
 If the girl picked them up the Indian's suit 
 was favored, but if she heeded them not he 
 carefully collected and buried them with his 
 unrequited affection. White Fawn had shyly 
 hesitated over the love tokens of a distinguished 
 warrior, thereby conveying that she needed more 
 time. 
 
 One day he returned from the forest, bringing 
 a wounded hunter, whom he had accidentally 
 shot. The medicine men worked their charms 
 over the stranger, and the maiden nursed iiim 
 tenderly, for she knew that if the pale-face died 
 there would be a shadow on the heart of the 
 warrior. But soon a mist came over her ej^es, 
 and the voice of the brave which had been as 
 the summer wind, to which she bent like the 
 reed, no longer whispered its sweet song. The 
 traditions of her mother's race found their way 
 to her heart ; the words of the pale-face became 
 stars and the heart of the maiden the lake 
 whereon they rested, and as he looked down he 
 saw no other light reflected there. The warrior 
 soon noticing the change, upbraided the maiden, 
 who bowed her head in silence. The bright knife 
 of the Indian gleamed a second in his uplifted 
 hand, but the next instant it was whirled far out
 
 Legemis of Le DHroit. 89 
 
 into tlu* river and burying its keen ed^e in tlie 
 peaceful waters. "No," said the Indian, "tlie 
 arm of Kenen is stronger than his voice and his 
 anger like the mighty tempest that sweeps over 
 the forest, but he is not strong enough to strike 
 the heart of the White Fawn." 
 
 Sliortly afterward the tribe removed to their 
 winter hunting grounds, and tlie Iro(piois, the 
 hereditary foes of the Hurons, becoming annoyed 
 at some act, warred against them. Among the 
 prisoners that they captured was the ])ale face, 
 whom they brought to Bois Blanc. Here, where 
 everything spoke to him of his former happiness, 
 was he to take his last farewell of life, with no 
 friendly voices, or kind, comforting words to 
 soothe his agony. A hush fell on the assembled 
 Indians gathered around to see the pale-face die. 
 A haughty warrior advanced, and despite the 
 usual decorum of the council, the name of Kenen 
 ran in sounding tones around the circle. "Have 
 the Iroquois heard the name of Kenen?" he 
 asked. " There is no greater in his nation," was 
 the reply. The dark eye of the Huron flashed 
 proudly. "Let the pale-face be free," he said, 
 "a Huron chief will take his place." The cords 
 were severed which bound the white man, and 
 the Huron whispered to him: " There is sorrow 
 in the heart of the White Fawn, and the eyes of
 
 90 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Kenen cannot look ux)on it. When lie is gone 
 the White Fawn will be happy in the shelter she 
 loves." So qnickly was all done that the pale- 
 face had not time to remonstrate. He was borne 
 along to a canoe, and soon swift oars wafted him 
 from the fatal spot. When the bright moon rose^ 
 the spirit of the warrior rested on the bosom of 
 his fathers.
 
 XIII 
 
 THE MIAMI SEER'S PROPHECY. 
 
 D 
 
 A Leg'eud of Braddock's Defeat. 
 
 E CELEROIS', wiiilst commander of Fort 
 Pontcliartrain, had received orders to reas- 
 sert the French claim to all the country west 
 of the Alleghanies. He did so by ordering the 
 English traders away and placing at the junction 
 of the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers a sil- 
 ver plate, upon which was this inscription: "In 
 the year 1749 during the reign of Louis XV., 
 King of France, we, Celeron, commander of a 
 detachment sent by the Marquis de la Galisson- 
 niere, commander-in-chief of New France, for 
 , the restoration of tranquility in sonic villages of 
 Indians in this district, have buried this plate at 
 the coniluence of the Ohio and Tchadakoin this 
 29th day of July, near the River Ohio, otherwise
 
 '92 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Beautiful River, as a monument of the renewal 
 of possession which we have taken of the said 
 River Ohio and of all those that therein fall and 
 of all the said lands on both sides as far as the 
 sources of said rivers, as enjoyed, or ought to be 
 enjoyed, by the preceding King of France, and 
 as they therein maintained themselves by arms 
 and by treaties, especially by those of Ryswick, 
 of Utrecht, and of Aix-la-Chapelle." 
 
 Petty hostilities between France and England 
 had been growing warmer for years, until in 1755 
 they had reached a degree when open warfare 
 seemed inevitable. England determined to stop 
 the so-called encroachments of the French by 
 sending a vast army to join the recruits raised by 
 the Colonists along the Atlantic. The latter were 
 to light the torch of war b}^ attacking the French 
 posts between Fort Duquesne (Pittsburg) and 
 Niagara. 
 
 In the early spring of 1755 DeBellestre, the 
 commander of Fort Pontchartrain, received or- 
 ders from the Governor General of New France 
 to summon every able-bodied man to arms and to 
 rouse the Indian tribes even as far as the Missis- 
 sippi. For many days the little fort was the, 
 scene of unusual commotion. Scouts had been 
 sent to the Indian tribes of the North and West, 
 detachments of which w^ere constantly arriving
 
 Lcyends of Le Detroit. 93 
 
 in answer to the summons. DeBellestre was to 
 remain at the fort ; liis uncle, Alexis ties Ruis- 
 seaux, was to command the outgoing r«'gulars. 
 The militia were a\\ ait ing orders for an immediate 
 march to the Ohio, witli dHtachments of Tiidiniis 
 and coureurs des bois, commanded by Jou- 
 caire, Isidore Chesne, Godefroy, Campeau, Medor 
 Gamelin, La Butte and Jadot. Pontiac with the 
 Ottawas, Sauteurs, Poux, and all the tribes of 
 the North, Takay of the wicked bands of Ilurons, 
 Baby and Peatan of the Christian band, and Gros 
 Oreilles (Big Ears) and Kenouchamek of the 
 Lou])s and Shawnees, hastened to obey the sum- 
 mons. They encamped two miles above the 
 Huron mission (now Windsor, opposite Detroit). 
 As the time approached for the departure of the 
 expedition, DeBellestre, well versed, like all the 
 French ofiicers, in Indian customs, called a gen- 
 eral council of all the tribes, to be held on the 
 site of their encampment. Belts of wampum 
 were prepared, barrels of eau de vie opened, 
 cloths, blankets, ornaments of silver, guns, balls, 
 powder and knives were lavishly distributed 
 as presents from Onontio to his dusky children. 
 Rumors of the extraordinary strength of. the 
 English marching force had reached the savages. 
 Some of the wiser and cooltM- of the chieftains 
 wished to obtain further information as to the
 
 94 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 risk to be incurred. Bellestre was compelled to 
 harangue his savage allies. "My children," he 
 said, "are you ungrateful for all the kindness 
 Onontio has shown you? His enemies have come 
 upon him like a band of wolves at night, and he 
 depends ui)on his children to run to his aid. 
 New presents will be distributed to you on your 
 return, and to the families of those who fall a 
 double supply shall be given." 
 
 A noted chief of the Miamis, and a renowned 
 seer and dreamer, rose to reply. ' ' What my 
 father says is true, and my heart sorrows that 
 any warrior should refuse to obey Onontio' s call. 
 Last night in my sleep I saw a lofty mountain, 
 along whose sides marched countless numbers of 
 pale-face warriors. Their brilliant scarlet blan- 
 kets glowed like the leaves of the sumach in the 
 sun. Their polished knives glistened like the 
 sleeping waters of the lake under the light of the 
 full moon. On a snow-white horse sat their proud 
 leader, and his eagle eye seemed to pierce the 
 cowardly heart. Great guns on wheels, drawn 
 by stout horses, followed in the line wdiich trail- 
 ed like a serpent througli the valley. Last came 
 countless ' long-knife " warriors clad in coats the 
 color of the sky. On a black horse at their head 
 rode a young chieftain whose stern, majestic face 
 and pale blue eye made me shrink. At last, I
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 95 
 
 thought, the tribes are to be driven from their 
 hunting grounds. Desolation will encompass 
 every wigwam of the ^Vest. As I was about to 
 flee I heard a shout, and one of our French broth- 
 ers, clad in an Indian hunting dress with a silver 
 gorget on his breast, leaped from the woods and 
 sprang down the hill-side. As he waved his sword 
 above his head I saw the warriors of our tribes, 
 the Miamis, the Ottawas, the Loups, the Hurons, 
 the Shawnees and others dart from behind every 
 tree, and pour in a fire which fell like hail upon 
 the proud foe, and as the leaves before a hurri- 
 cane^ the red-coats went down. In vain their 
 brave chief tried to rally them ; they fled, and 
 their leader was slain. Had it not been for the 
 pale blue-eyed chief of the 'long-knives,' every 
 scalp would have hung at the belts of our war- 
 riors. Though bullet after bullet was sent after 
 him, and all around him fell, he was untouched, 
 for he bore a charmed life. The great Manitou had 
 taken him under his wing. Many of our braves 
 returned to their camps loaded down with plun- 
 der, and one brought the beautiful snow-white 
 steed of the red-coat leader. Years hence I see 
 her colts, swifter than the wind and nmnoi-ous as 
 the blades of grass scattered over the boundless 
 plains of the West. Brothers, I have done." 
 The warriors who liad clustered around listen-
 
 96 Legends of Le Detroit. » 
 
 ing eagerly to their inspired seer gave utterance- 
 to many uglis ! ughs ! expressive of their delight 
 and full faith in coming victory. 
 
 The expedition started out. How the brave 
 Beau jell and his Indian followers brought about 
 Braddock's defeat, and how the savages came tO' 
 regard Washington, the leader of the "long- 
 knives," with superstitious awe are matters of 
 history. It is not so well known that from Brad- 
 dock's white mare and a spirited stallion of the 
 West, left by Cortes, the hardy, swift Canadian 
 and Indian ponies so famous along the lakes, are- 
 descended.
 
 THE BONES OF THE PROPHET. 
 
 A Leerend of Isle au Peche. 
 
 '^ AILING along the Detroit and 
 Lake Ste. Claire, the eye is charm- 
 ed b}' the beantifnl islands wliicli 
 nestle on the bosom of the bright 
 waters. The Indian legend re- 
 garding their origin is a pretty and poetical con- 
 ception. One little one just above Belle Isle — 
 "Peach Island/'* as it is called — is a bit of 
 wandering fairyland, around Avhich romance has 
 
 *0n account of a misnomer Isle an Pfiche has been Anglicised 
 into " Peach Island," whereas it should have been translated 
 Fishiuij Island, on account of an old tishery established there as 
 early as 1722. — (Charlevoix.)
 
 98 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 woven its gossamer web and wliich history has 
 gilded with its magic pencil. 
 
 The spirit who inhabited the Sand Mountains, 
 called the "Sleeping Bear,'"'- had a daughter 
 who was endowed with such seductive beauty 
 and matchless perfection that the mother feared 
 she would be stolen. The spirit hid her in a 
 box, tying it by a long string to a stake on the 
 beach, and every day would draw the box in 
 to feed the fair maiden and comb her yellow 
 tresses. 
 
 The South Wind passed once at this hour, and 
 saw her. He murmured caressingly his soft and 
 balmy sighs through the golden meshes of her 
 flowing hair. This gentle wooing gave birth to 
 that beautiful, but too brief, Indian summer. 
 The North and West Winds heard of the mys- 
 terious beauty through their zephyr couriers. A 
 fierce rivalry ensued and the elements were at 
 war. A violent storm arose, snapped the frail 
 thread which held the box to its moorings, and 
 it drifted along borne by the waves to the lodge 
 ■of the Prophet, the Keeper of the Gates of the 
 jLakes, who resided at the outlet of Lake Huron. 
 Joyfully he received as his bride this beautiful 
 waif of the foamy billows. 
 
 * Sleeping Bear. A point of land on the eastern coast of Lake 
 Michigan, noted for the prevalence of storms in its vicinity.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 99 
 
 The dusky Paiuloia broiitilil rvil in licr train. 
 The storm revived in all its fury, sweeping away 
 the lodge and portions of tlie land of the old 
 Magician. These floated down and formed the 
 islands in the Detroit River. The old Prophet 
 was bur^d beneath Isle au Peche wliich became 
 the ^lecca of the Ottawa warriors. 
 
 The fragments of the box formed Belle Isle, 
 and the great Manitou, in order to prevent any 
 more contentions, girded the island with rattle- 
 snakes. No other sentinels were required to 
 guard the imprisoned 1 eauty than these rei)tiles 
 with their bewitching craft of eyes and forked 
 tongues, and Axiiich were held in snx)erstitioiis 
 veneration by tlie Indians. 
 
 It was in October of 1702 that the wonderful 
 *'pluie de suie" or "Black Rain"* occurred; 
 this day is known in liistory as the ''Black 
 Day of Canada." Clouds of inkj^ blackness 
 hung over Detroit. Water, land, everything was 
 enveloped in ihis sombre drapery of darkness. 
 The howling of wolves and the despairing moans 
 of animals, combining all that is savage in beast 
 and fearful in man, prophesying and dei3loring 
 the approaching misfortune, lent terror to this 
 weird carniva of Tenebrae. When the rain fell, 
 the drops emitted a strong sulphurous odor, and 
 
 * Literally, "rain of soot."
 
 lUO Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 were so deeply colored that they could l)e used 
 as ink. Philosophy and science gave their solu- 
 tion of this strange phenomenon, but the learned 
 explanation fell on deaf ears, for the Canadians 
 and Indians read for themselves the mystic lan- 
 guage foreboding disaster. 
 
 Pontiac, the wily diplomat of the forest, whose 
 eloquence, subtlety and consummate ambition, 
 commanded the admiration of his civilized foes 
 and gained for him the title of the Mithridates- 
 of the West, viewed these signs as prophetic 
 warnings. Following the ancient customs of the 
 Indians who prepared themselves for great under- 
 takings by fasting, "^'^ he dismissed his squaws^ 
 and retinue to the Ottawa village on the eastern 
 shore of Le Detroit, and went alone to Isle au 
 Peche to consult the Prophet whose bones lay 
 beneath. There, amid the calm and picturesque 
 scenes of nature, and in that harmonious silence 
 so eloquent in its muteness, he conceived the 
 plan of that wonderful coup d'etat which has- 
 blazoned his name on history's page, by which 
 he aimed to destroy all the English forts on the 
 
 * The Indians believed in fasting, and thought that by weaken- 
 ing the body, they entered into closer communion with the spirit. 
 The dreams or visions which came to them whilst in this con- 
 dition were carefully treasured, and frequently guided and in- 
 fluenced them in all their undertakings during their lifetimes.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 101 
 
 sniiic (lay, and to drive tlir insiders fioiii tlie 
 country. Brought ii]) in tli(3 solemn urandcur of 
 tlie primitive forests where no passing mood or 
 fancy ol" the mind but had its image or echo in 
 the wild world around, the autumn blast as it 
 shrieked its discordant symphonies through the 
 forest i)Oured its fierce energy into his lieart. 
 The sullen roar of the waves as they dashed 
 against the beach in foaming rage inflamed his 
 resentment; his fevered imagination saw the 
 phantoms of his i-ace urging him on to defend 
 their resting-i)lace from the despoiling hand of 
 the invader. In the moaning reeds the voice of 
 the Prophet bade him gather his tribe, to rise 
 up, to be strong as the whirlwind and to go forth 
 like the lightning and scatter the English like 
 leaves before the autumn wind. 
 
 The evening of the seventh day he returned to 
 his tribe, emaciated from his long vigils and 
 fasting. He sent his messengers with the war- 
 belt of wain 1)11 up- and the tomahawk stained icd 
 in token of wai', fiom ti-ibe to tribe, from \ ilhige 
 to village. 
 
 *The Iiidiiiiis ainoiiji' tlicinsclvcs bud no wrilteu coiilracts. the 
 belt of wjimpuin supplying; tlu' placo, as a leminder of a bond or 
 promise ^iven. It was painted different colors to suit the occa- 
 sion ; red, for instance, siirnifyintr war, etc. The belts were care- 
 fully preserved and handed down in llie Iribe from i^eneration to 
 ixcneration.
 
 102 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Pontiac, as chief of the Metai, a magical asso- 
 ciation among the warriors of the lakes, obtained 
 great influence over all the tribes which enabled 
 him to play on the superstition of his followers. 
 He called them to a great council, and in burning 
 words of eloquence spoke of the wrongs and 
 injuries they had received from the English, and 
 revealed to them the command he had received 
 from the Prophet of Isle au Peche. The plan 
 gave satisfaction to the grave and silent warriors, 
 who, drawing their blankets over their heads, 
 retired to their villages to await the signal which 
 was to return to them the hunting-grounds of 
 their forefathers.
 
 XV 
 
 THE BLOODY RUN. 
 
 A Liegrend of Pontiac's Sie^e. 
 
 ONE briglit Ma}" morning in 17(33, whilst Pon- 
 tiac and his savage hordes hiy before Detroit, 
 two men were engaged in earnest conversa- 
 tion in front of the council house within the be- 
 sieged place. The more conspicuous was a tall, 
 determined looking man, clad in the uniform of 
 an English officer, whose features were almost 
 picturesque in their i-uggedness. This was ^Taj. 
 Gladwyn, commander of the post. His abrupt 
 and impatient gestures were in striking contrast 
 with the easy, graceful manners of his compan- 
 ion, Maj. Jean Chapoton, thefirst surgeon of Fort 
 Pontchartrain, who, several years previous to the 
 English conquest, had resigned from the French 
 army and settled in Detroit.
 
 104 - Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 It was evident from the eager, anxious glances 
 they cast along the street every now and then, 
 that they expected some one. Presently they 
 were joined by a younger man of medium height, 
 but of powerful physique, and whose dress be- 
 spoke preparations for a long and tedious jour- 
 ney. Tlie new-comer was Jacques Godefroy de 
 Marboeuf, whose kindred, Godefroy de Linctot, 
 and Godefroy de Tonnancour, had come to Canada 
 in 1GB6. Left an orphan at a tender age, he had 
 been brought up by his eldest sister, the wife of 
 Trotier des Ruisseaux, the sister-in-law of De 
 Tonty and DeBellestre, two French Command- 
 ants of Fort Pontchartrain. It was the English 
 policy to conciliate the French element who were 
 placed in a strange and trying position, like 
 prisoners on capitulation, and who preserved 
 neutral ground in the quarrel between the Eng- 
 lish and Indians. Godefroy' s tliorough knowl- 
 edge of the Indian habits and customs, his love 
 of adventure and his family connection, had 
 made him an invaluable acquisition to Gladwyn. 
 He and Maj. Chapoton had been sent to try their 
 influence on Pontiac, but in vain, and it w^as at 
 the request of the chief (Pontiac) himself that 
 Godefroy was now going to the country of the 
 Illinois, where a French soldier, Monsieur de 
 Leon, still retained command, the object being
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 105 
 
 to bring tlie officer or another inffuential one to 
 convince the Indians tliat France liad no longer 
 claims on Detroit — a delusion they fondly cher- 
 ished and in which they were encouraged by 
 many of the French habitants. 
 
 Gladwjm seemed to approve of the project, 
 and had been waiting to give Godefroy a few 
 instructions before he started out witli Mesnil 
 Chesne. Godefroy commended to the officer's 
 care his infant son and his young relative, ]\fade- 
 leine de Tonnancour, and started on his hazard- 
 ous journey.* 
 
 Madeleine de Tonnancour was an orphan and 
 had been educated at the Ursuline Convent at 
 Quebec. EndoAved with great personal beauty, 
 and possessing more than the usual accomplish- 
 ments of the Canadian girl, she became the belle 
 of the gay capital of New France. At a ball 
 she met the dashing officer, Capt. Dalzell, then 
 attached to Sir Jeffrey Amherst's staff ; it was a 
 ■case of love at first sight. Madeleine's friends 
 who bitterly resented the invasion of the Eng- 
 lish, opposed the idea of her marriage with an 
 English officer, and being a minor and therefore 
 subject to the control of her relatives she was 
 obliged to succumb to her fate. She entered a 
 
 * Infant son was afterwards Col. Gabriel Godefroy, for forty 
 years in the American service as Indian Agent and interpreter.
 
 106 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 convent, but having no vocation conceived the- 
 romantic plan of bnrying herself with relatives 
 who resided in the far off frontier post, the 
 Detroit of Erie. Here she arrived just as the 
 Indian troubles were commencing. The society 
 of the little colony was far different from that of 
 the gay capital, and no doubt moments of regret 
 came for her hasty act of self -exile. 
 
 Gladwyn w^ould occasionally call at Madame 
 des Ruisseaux's, at whose house on Ste. Anne's 
 street Madeleine resided, and he would try and 
 soothe the ladies' apprehensions. For the times 
 were critical, and it required a brave and cour- 
 ageous heart to witness the fearful sights of 
 which they were powerless spectators. Ghostly 
 processions of massacred captives would float 
 down on the river past the fort during the day, 
 while night was robbed of its darkness by the 
 fire-rafts sent by the wily Indian to destroy the 
 two small vessels, the only hof)e of the beleaguer- 
 ed garrison. Gradually Gladwyn' s visits became 
 more frequent, and it was soon evident that the 
 English officer found his chief pleasure and 
 forgot his precarious position in the smiles of 
 the beautiful Madeleine. She was flattered by 
 his attentions, and his society beguiled many an 
 anxious hour. But when he laid his heart at her 
 disposal she turned a deaf ear to his entreaties,.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. lOT 
 
 becoming more distant in her intercourse with 
 liim. Possessing a nature not easily balked in 
 its purpose, he determined to lind the cause of 
 his rejection, and leave no means unturned to 
 secure her. 
 
 Matters stood thus when one sultry July day, 
 Godefroy returning, reported himseli" to Gladwyn. 
 He was well received by the officer, though he 
 brought news of the' ill success of his mission. 
 Gladwyn tlien spoke of his affection for Mile, de 
 Tonnancour, and tried to enlist the sympathy of 
 Godefroy and his influence with his beautiful 
 relative, holding forth promises of interest, etc. 
 Godefroy, much surprised, refused, but couched 
 his reply in terms as courteous as possible, Glad- 
 wyn' s determined character being well known. He 
 spoke also of the enmity which he would incur 
 from Madeleine's relatives, who might think he 
 had thus purchased advancement. Gladw;sni 
 turned haughtily away, saying something which 
 roused the blood of the Frenchman, who, forget- 
 ting the habitual prudence and policy used by the 
 habitants in their intercourse with the English, 
 made a bitter retoii: and left the officer's quarters. 
 That same evening Gladwyn penned an epistle ta 
 Sir William Johnson in which he made a most 
 sweeping assertion, imputing to the French, and
 
 108 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 j)articularly to Godefroy and liis friends, the 
 blame for the Indian ontbrealv. 
 
 On (xodefroy's return to his sister's, lie re- 
 marked that he would have to be cautious and 
 be ready to leave the fort at a moment's warning, 
 for, said he, "I noticed from the glitter of the 
 Major's steel gray eyes that mischief is in store 
 for me," and related the interview with Gladwyn. 
 
 Poor Madeleine was in despair feeling as if she 
 was born under an unlucky star to bring mis- 
 fortune upon all, and kept secluded for sev- 
 eral days. One evening at twilight tired of the 
 house she determined to stroll out. Passing the 
 water-gate she sauntered towards the Rigolet 
 des Hurons (Savoyard) that flowed back of the 
 pickets. On its sloping banks was a stately oak, 
 within whose hollow trunk a pious hand had 
 X)laced an image of the Virgin, for the spot was 
 pointed out by tradition as the place where the 
 saintly Father Constantin had been murdered 
 many years before. As she walked along she 
 noticed the new moon over her right shoulder — a 
 lucky omen, she thought — and remembered that 
 in the morning whilst sadly musing on her mis- 
 fortunes a little wren,* the bird "au Bon Dieu," 
 
 *This bird was fabled to have brought tire from Heaven to 
 ■earth. He brings good fortune, and he who tears down his nest 
 brings the fire of Heaven on his own liousehold.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 1<'0 
 
 li:i(l conie to build its nest under licr dormer 
 window. 
 
 We are piisniatic in our nature and reflect 
 every varjdng mood of our surroundings. Can 
 it be wondered at, that those brought \i\) in the 
 wild, half savage life of the frontier, caught that 
 tinge of the supernatui-al which hides in the 
 heart of primeval forests, blends itself in the 
 myths of the Indians, and appeals to that super- 
 stition which lurks in every heart, investing 
 each freak of nature, every unusual occurrence, 
 with an occult and mystic meaning^ Thus, to 
 one of Madeleine's temperament, nature could 
 never be mute. Should a little flake of snow 
 suddenly dart across her path, it was the soul of 
 an unbaptized infant, she thought, condemned 
 to wander. If a white pigeon flew near and 
 was exceptionally tame, it was the soul of some 
 departed friend for whose repose she had forgot- 
 ten to pray. The cheerful cricket on the hearth 
 must be welcomed, for he brought joy and peace ; 
 the little swallow could always liring you a stone 
 that would restore sight to the blind, and any 
 young girl whose heart was pure could, by 
 touching the flower marigold with her bare, dim- 
 pled foot, on a certain night, understand the 
 language of birds. Nor tlid the fair maiden 
 shriek out when the industrious spider, whose
 
 110 Legends of Le Deti'oit 
 
 web extended across the ancient rafters, dropped 
 on her phimp neck, for it was a sign of money 
 coming. And whosoever heard the first cuckoo 
 of spring singing was sure to keej) safe what 
 money he jDossessed the rest of the year. Made- 
 leine knelt before the humble shrine and besought 
 her Heavenly Mother to obtain from her Divine 
 Son guidance out of her troubles. 
 
 With a lighter heart she rose from her devo- 
 tions and turned her steps homeward. Suddenly 
 a hooting owl flew past her, muttering its dismal 
 sound, and the distant mournful notes of a toll- 
 ing bell fell on her ear. A prophetic feeling of 
 impending woe seized her. Ere she had time to 
 analyze the sensation the cannon of the fort 
 thundered forth and was instantly answered by 
 a salute from the water. 
 
 Hastening her steps she saw coming up the 
 river a long line of batteaux crowded witli men, 
 proclaiming that at last the expected relief had 
 come. The troops landed and were warmly wel- 
 comed by the garrison, and she heard the name 
 of Dalzell,* which fell like a bright ray on the 
 dark drapery of her forebodings. As soon as 
 Dalzell learnt that Madeleine was in the fort, 
 accompanied by Gladwyn he sought her presence. 
 The blushing cheek and gladsome light which 
 
 * Dalzell is pronounced Dalyell.
 
 Legends of Le Dttvo'd. Ill 
 
 lighted lip the durk eye revealed to the Com- 
 mandant why lie had pleaded in vain. He soon 
 took his leave, and Madeleine laid her troubles 
 before hei- lover. "We shall now put an end to 
 all this," he answered. "I have three hundred 
 veterans, and with the ^Major's pemnission will 
 soon demonstrate the folly of remaining here 
 pent up at the behest of the savages." "Alas I " 
 replied she, "you know not the craft nor the 
 p6wer of this Indian chieftain. Besides, I have 
 a strange ^presentiment that if j^ou imdertake so 
 hazardous a project we shall never meet again." 
 In vain he tried with all a soldier's ardor added 
 to a lover's tenderness, to lull her fears; but a 
 vague, inexplicable something seemed to warn 
 her that this was their last meeting on earth. 
 
 The graphic pen of history has chronicled the 
 result and verified the girl's apprehensions — how 
 the consent of Gladwyn was apparently reluc- 
 tantly given ; the early march at dawn of Dalzell 
 and his men to Pontiac's camp ; the ambuscade 
 that he fell into, and how the waters of l^loody 
 Run were crimsoned by the blood of his brave 
 soldiers ; and finally the heroic death of the gal- 
 lant Dalzell in trying to save a wounded comrade. 
 When the terrible news was brought to Made- 
 leine she nobly dried her tears while trying to 
 alleviate the sufferings of the wounded which
 
 112 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 each boat brought to the fort. Overhearing some 
 one say that Dalzell' s head was placed on a picket, 
 she lost consciousness, and ere many days had 
 passed had joined her lover in a better land. 
 Gladwyn seemed ever after like one on whose 
 mind some great burden of sorrow was resting. 
 His bitterness towards the French increased, and 
 on Bradstreet's arrival Godefroy was found under 
 arrest and condemned to death by a court martial 
 on the grounds of having incited the Indians to 
 revolt. He was released on condition of acting 
 as interpreter to an English officer, whose expe- 
 dition to the Illinois country probably saved the 
 British army from destruction. 
 
 The stately tree on Jefferson avenue known as 
 the Pontiac Oak, is all that is left to remind one 
 of that bloody romance ; the stream itself has 
 disappeared.
 
 XVI 
 
 LE LOUP GAROU. 
 
 A Leg-end of Grosse Pointe. 
 
 A N Y years before Com- 
 modore Grant, formerly in 
 command of a British ves- 
 sel on Lake Erie* built his 
 great castle at Grosse 
 Pointe, a trapper named 
 Simonet had settled near 
 there oil the margin of the lake. 
 
 His young wife had faded away in the early 
 years of their married life, but as if in compen- 
 sation, had left the little prattler Archange to 
 wean him from his grief and to cheer his lone- 
 liness. And the strong, hardy man, with his 
 
 *Erie in the Huron language signifies cat. 
 8
 
 114 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 sunburnt face and brawny arms hardened by 
 toil and exposure, in his yearning love for his 
 child, learned to soften his rough manners and 
 soothe her with the gentle ways of a woman. 
 Anxiously he watched the unfolding of his 
 "pretty flower," as he called her, and with a 
 solicitude touching in its simple pathos, he would 
 select the softest skin of the bear to keep her feet 
 warm, search for the brightest wings of the bird 
 to adorn her hat. When she grew up he t^iught 
 her to skin the beaver, muskrat and deer which 
 he brought home, and to stretch them out on the 
 drying frame near the house. He was wont to 
 boast that ho one could excel Archange preparing 
 the poisson blanc (whitefish), poisson dore (pick- 
 erel), or give that XDeculiar shade of brown which 
 is in itself an art, to the savory coclion au lait 
 (sucking pig). 
 
 She was as light-hearted as the cricket that 
 chirped on the hearth, and her cheery voice could 
 be heard caroling away to the music of her spin- 
 ning wheel. In the long winter evenings her deft 
 fingers would plait the straw into hats which 
 found a ready sale, and which, added to the sum 
 she gained by her knitted socks and dried corn, 
 enabled her to secure many little articles that her 
 vanity suggested to enhance her charms. For 
 the Canadian girl, in the rude surroundings of
 
 Legends of Le Detroh. 115 
 
 lier Torcsr home, was as anxious to please aii<l Ix' 
 witcli by her toilet as her more favored Parisian 
 sister ; the instincts of the sex still lived in the 
 wilderness. At the corn-hnskings and dances 
 on the greensward Archange was the reigning 
 belle, and held her little court of home-spun 
 ■dressed youths fascinated by the magic of her 
 dark eyes, her brunette complexion with its Avarm 
 g-low, her raven tresses and 2)i(piaute tongue. 
 Many admiring eyes followed her lithe form as 
 she tripped in marvelous rapidity "la jig a deux," 
 or as she changed into the more graceful, sway- 
 ing motion of "la dance ronde." 
 
 Pierre La Fontaine, a young farmer, wooed the 
 fair Archange, and the light of happiness which 
 crept into the dark, winsome eyes shyly raised to 
 his in answer, told him he had not pleaded in 
 vain. Simonet gave his consent and blessed them, 
 rejoicing in the happiness of his child. On bright 
 moonlight nights Pierre would come to take his 
 fair liancee out for a row. Impelled by his sin- 
 ewy arm, merrily wf)ul(l the fragile canoe dance 
 along on the rip])]ing waters lit up by ellish moon- 
 beams, and the lovers would talk about the wed- 
 ding, which was soon to take place, for Pierre's 
 new cabin that he was building for his "bonnie 
 bride" was nearly completed, almost a uiile dis- 
 tant from his father's, where the willows stooped
 
 116 Legends of Le DeUmt. 
 
 so low that their graceful tresses touched the 
 water. Archange would tell him of the red cow 
 her god-father had promised her, and the addi- 
 tions to their humble menage her god-mother had 
 made/^ 
 
 One evening as Pierre placed Archange on the 
 beach near her home and she lingered, following- 
 him with her loving eyes as he swiftly roAved 
 away until he had disappeared and only the faint 
 echo of his Canadian boat song floated towards^ 
 her, she w^as startled by a rustling sound near by. 
 Looking up a wild shriek escaped her, for a mon- 
 ster with a wolf's head and an enormous tail, 
 walking erect as a human being, crossed her path. 
 Quickly the cabin door was thrown open by Sim- 
 onet, who had been roused by his daughter's 
 scream. Archange flew into her father's arms, 
 and pointed to the spot where she had seen the 
 monster, but the animal surprised by the light, 
 had fled into the woods. Simonet's face grew 
 pale as iirchange described, as accurately as her 
 fears had allowed her to see, the apparition, and 
 he recognized the dreaded Loup Garou.-j- He 
 
 ■*It was customary for the god-mother to give the bride the 
 necessary articles for a bedroom, hence the term "la chambre 
 garni " (the furnished room), '"le lit garni" (the furnished bed). 
 
 f The term Loup Garou. Its Latin equivalent in the Middle 
 Age was gerulphus. The German wer-wolf and English were-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 117 
 
 quieted her, and soon with ilic happy faculty 
 youth has of forgetting disagreeable things she 
 was dreaming of Pierre and her wedding. Long 
 after the girl slept Simonet sat musing, lie lit 
 his pipe seeking companions! lip in his thoughts. 
 Tliat it was the Loup Garou or wehr-wolf Ar- 
 change had seen he did not doubt, and he recalled 
 all the traditions of his youth, how the dreaded 
 monster had stolen young chihlren ; sometimes a 
 young man would be inveigled away into the for- 
 est and never heard of afterwards, and his fate 
 conjectured by some, having seen the wolf dressed 
 in his clothes. It was for }'oung maidens he 
 
 wolf have the same meaning. Oservais de Tilburj' in his Oisior- 
 tes Imperialc's gives the followmg explanation: " We have fre- 
 quently seen in England," says he, "under the iutiucnee of cer- 
 tain conditions, men transformed into wolves, species of men 
 ■called by the French garous (gerulphus), and the English, were- 
 wolf." Were in English signifies man, and w'olf, loup — man-wolf. 
 In Longfellow's I{)vange!ine the following relative to the Loup 
 "Garou and other old Norman superstitions is found: 
 
 "He was beloved by all, and most of all by Ihe children, 
 For he told them tales of the Loup Garou in the forest. 
 And of the goblin thai came in the night to water the horses, 
 And of the White Letiche, tlie ghost of a child who unchris- 
 
 tened 
 Died, and was doomed to haunt unseen the chambers of chil- 
 dren. 
 And how on Cliristmas Eve the oxen talked in the stable. 
 And how the fever was cured by a spider shut up in a nut- 
 shell, 
 And of the marvelous powers of four-leaved clovers and 
 
 horse-shoes, 
 With whatever else was writ in the lore of the village."
 
 118 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 showed the greatest fondness, and ' ' it boded nO' 
 good to her whose path he crossed." Several at- 
 tempts had been made to kill the beast, yet all 
 failed and it was thought lie bore a charmed life. 
 But one adventurous hunter determined to try 
 his skill, so he molded a bullet' from silver coin 
 and i)atiently waited for his victim ' ' to cross his^ 
 path." The charmed missile sj^ed 'towards its 
 destination and instead of killing the monster 
 only severed his tail, which was secured, dried 
 and stuffed. It was the wonder of the whole- 
 country, and was worshiped for years by the 
 Indians as a powerful fetich. Simonet hoped all 
 would be well, still a strange feeling came over 
 him like a presentiment, which in vain he tried 
 to shake off. 
 
 The »wedding day at last dawned, the sun 
 shone brightly and all nature seemed to smile on 
 the fair bride of that day. Archange, arrayed 
 in her simj)le dress of white batiste, waS a 
 charming picture of innocence and beauty. Go- 
 ing into the woods to gather her bouquet of wild 
 flowers, "the Garou again crossed her path," but 
 this time she forgot her fears in her sense of the 
 ludicrous at the figure of the beast, which had 
 robbed some habitant of his coat and hat, and 
 had carefully tucked his tail away. In his hand 
 he held a cane, which he twisted in a nonchalant
 
 Legend's of Le Detroit. 119 
 
 manner ; he was a fair caricature of a Parisian 
 dandy. Seeing she did not fly in terror, he was 
 encouraged to give her a k)vesick leer disphiying 
 his wolflsh tongue and teeth. Scattering her 
 flowers, Archange fled and arrived breathlessly 
 home just in time to slam the door on the wolf, 
 which had pnrsued her there. 
 
 Soon after she joined Pierre and hand in hand, 
 followed by all the habitants in their holiday 
 attire, they entered the little church of logs hewn 
 square, the interstices chinked in with clay, the 
 roof of overlapping strips of barlv. In front of 
 the altar, decorated with flowers arranged by lov- 
 ing hands, they knelt. Father Freshet, who had 
 bai^tized Pierre and Archange and prej)ared them 
 for their flrst communion, now came to unite them 
 in the holy bonds of matrimony. After the cere- 
 mony they went to the sacristy and inscribed 
 their names in the registry, then hurried off to 
 Pierre's new house, where the festivities were to 
 take place. On the green lawn in front of her 
 new cabin the blushing Archange greeted all her 
 friends. The Seigneur of the neighborhood came 
 to claim the right of premier baiser (first kiss). 
 The refreshments were in abundance and all gave 
 themselves up to the enjoyment of the moment, 
 for the Canadians dearly loved a wedding and 
 kept up its festivities for days.
 
 120 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 AVliilst the merry making was at its height the 
 dreaded Garou with a rush like the wind sprang 
 into their midst, seized Archange and escaped 
 with her into the forest. All were paralyzed by 
 the sudden, daring deed. But Pierre recovering, 
 started in quick pursuit guided by the despairing 
 cry of Archange, followed by all the men, whilst 
 the women and children said their prayers and 
 gave vent to loud lamentations. Long after the 
 shadows had fallen they returned to report to the 
 anxious, trembling crowd, and their sad, dejected 
 faces spoke of the fruitlessness of their search. 
 The monster had baffled them. But Pierre re- 
 turned not. He was shortly after found by his 
 friends wandering around and around a swamp, 
 and clutching a piece of white batiste. When 
 questioned as to how he had obtained this clue to 
 Archange, he returned a maniacal stare and with 
 a blood-curdling shriek, would have jumped into 
 the swamp if he had not been held back by his 
 companions, who with sorrowful accents said ' ' La 
 folie du bois."* He would always return to the 
 same swamp, remaining there for hours gazing 
 vacantly in the weird reflections of its slimy, stag- 
 nant waters, until some friend led him home. 
 
 *La folie du bois (the folly of the -woods) alludes to the well- 
 known insane tendency which prompts those lost in the woods to 
 go round in a continuous circle, instead of following a direct 
 path which would lead to a clearing.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 121 
 
 At tlie marriage of his sister, wliicli occurred 
 iibout a year afterwards, Pierre, always dead to 
 the outside world, seemed to be roused by the 
 preparations. After the ceremony he rushed into 
 the woods as if in pursuit of something. He did 
 not return until nearly sunset when he w^as seen, 
 with wild eyes, flying hair, his clothes torn as if 
 by briers, chasing a Loup Garou to the very edge 
 of the lake. All stood petrified by the strange 
 apparition and feared a repetition of Archangels 
 fate. But the animal, seeing no escape, stood on 
 one of the boulders strewn along the shore and 
 stretched out his arms as if beckoning to some 
 mysterious one. A large cattish was seen to rise 
 on the surface of the water and opening its mouth 
 the Loup Garou vanished ; and to this day no 
 Canadian will eat catfish. The footpiint of the 
 wolf is still shown at Grosse Pointe indelibly im- 
 pressed on one of the boulders.
 
 
 ±Ife^lf^ 
 
 »'^:"*'»Alfc-".. 
 
 THE OLD RED MILL. 
 
 A Legend of the English. Rule. 
 
 IN THE former district of Springwells (at the- 
 foot of 24tli street), of the present city of De- 
 troit, in 1795, stood an old red mill. It was 
 circular in form, and had a stone foundation sup- 
 porting an upright wooden body, with a conical 
 roof. 
 
 It was a weird sight on a moonlight night with 
 its long arms stretched out as if beseeching 
 aid, and its tattered sails drooping mournfully 
 telling its melancholy story like a flag at half- 
 mast. The beholder involuntarily felt that creep- 
 ing shudder of awe which contact with the myste-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 12? 
 
 rioiis mils i't)illi. There are buildings like liunian 
 beiiiu's iijx)!! wliicli iinture places lier signot.— a 
 history. 
 
 The Indian, as he returned from his day's Innit- 
 ing, laden with the trophies of his skill, pushed 
 his canoe out into the stream far from its shadow. 
 The gay, joyous voices in 'the pleasure boats of 
 the officers of Fort Lenoult were hushed as they 
 silently glided by, and the coureur des bois who 
 had faced untold dangers, devoutly crossed him- 
 self as the old red mill rose in view on his r<>turn 
 from his distant and perilous expeditions. On 
 winter evenings, under the genial warmth of a 
 hickory log and the soothing influence of his ci- 
 dre au charbon, the old habitant would tell to his 
 children, who listened with bated breath, the 
 legend of the old red mill. 
 
 Many years before, when the English under Col. 
 Rogers, hiad taken possession of Detroit, tlier& 
 lived at the mill a Canadian family who had 
 adopted a daughter of the tril)e of Pontiac. She 
 was beloved by a British officer, but belonging to 
 the Ottawas whose haughty chief was disposed to 
 resist the new comers, and residing among the 
 French who looked sus])i('ioiisly at the invaders, 
 waiting to see if the promises made in the treaty 
 would be ratified (a suspicion which subsequent 
 events proved not without cause), it is not to be
 
 124 Legends of Le DHroii. 
 
 supposed that the course of true love could run 
 smoothly. Yet love, which laughs in the face of 
 all danger and is prolific in resources, soon found 
 a means by which the lovers could meet. It was 
 agreed upon by them that a signal should be giv- 
 en when there was no danger of a surprise, — a 
 lighted candle to be i)laced in her window ; quick- 
 ly then would the officer obey the summons of 
 his lady love. 
 
 Wasson,^' a warrior of the Saginaws, allies of 
 Pontiac, had long loved the fair maiden and had 
 laid at her feet the trophies of the chase, but the 
 Indian girl saw them not, nor heard his pleadings, 
 for her ears yearned for the sound of another 
 voice whose soft accents had nestled in her heart 
 like hushed music. Wounded by his rejection, 
 the brave sought the cause, found it, and courted 
 revenge as his companion. Watching his oppor- 
 tunity when the girl was alone, he upbraided her 
 for having forgotten her duties as an Indian 
 maiden and for deserting the traditions of her 
 race, and raising his tomahawk told her that she 
 should pay the penalty of her treason with her 
 life. As the savage's arm descended the girl sank 
 deluged in her blood. The Indian had not com- 
 pleted the sacrifice ; one more victim his revenge 
 demanded. He lighted the candle, the secret of 
 
 *A noted warrior, Wasson or Warsong.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. \'1\) 
 
 which lie li;i(l learned, and patiently waited. 
 Splashing oars and a low, cautions call soon told 
 him that the lover had obeyed the beacon of love. 
 The sava.ii'e glutted over his success and waited 
 breathlessly with w^eapon poised to hurl at his in- 
 tended victim as he opened the door, when sud- 
 denly other footstei)S were heard proclaiming the 
 return of the family. In the general confusion 
 which ensued on the discovery of the murder the 
 Indian slipped away unnoticed, balked for the 
 time of half of his revenge. The lifeless remains 
 of the lovely victim were tenderly laid to rest. 
 The officer sought in the busy strife of the period 
 to forget his grief, but the Indian's revenge only 
 slumbered, and shortly afterwards the officer was 
 basely murdered by him while he was detained 
 as a hostage at Pontiac's camp at Bloody Run.* 
 The mill was afterwards deserted, but the lone- 
 ly wayfarer who passed there at night whispered 
 strange stories of its ])eing haunted by an Indian 
 maiden who stood at a window with a lighted 
 candle. 
 
 *Col. Campbell, who had gone with Lt. George McDougall (o 
 Pontiac's camp ; ^tcDouLrall escaped.
 
 i 
 
 LA CHASSE GALERIE. 
 
 A Legend of the Canadian Shore. 
 
 THERE is a strange resemblance in the legends 
 of the different countries which leads one to 
 believe that they derive their source from the 
 same fountain. History ]3]aces its signet on 
 some, mythology throws its classic veil over oth- 
 ers, while the rest, like floating islands which 
 ever and anon appear as bits of stray fairy-land 
 in onr large bodies of watei', dazzle ns by their 
 beauty, charm us by their uniqueness, and glide 
 away as magically as they came, to seek a shel- 
 tered nook in some picturesque haven. So with 
 regard to many of these legends once current 
 along "La Cote du Nord"* history is silent. 
 
 * "La Cote du Nord." The name by which that section lying 
 east of what is now Woodward avenue was called.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 127 
 
 * 
 The charming ideas conveyed in tliem seem akin 
 
 to the classic, but it is only in tiie memory of 
 some old habitante who has outlived her age and 
 generation that they find a revered niche. Seated 
 by the side of one of these, whose hair the frosts 
 ■of ninety years have bleached, and who has never 
 left the banks of the ])eautiful lake where she 
 first drew the breath of life, one can pick up 
 many of these legends, carelessly thrown aside 
 by this progressive age. 
 
 Among the traditions related by this survivor 
 of a past generation, the best known and oldest 
 is that of "La Chasse Galerie," or " The Spectral 
 Aerial Hunt." Many honest, upright people still 
 living will testify to having seen this phenomenon 
 at some period of their lives. It does not always 
 appear under the same form. Sometimes a canoe 
 is visible, manned by twelve men, and in its prow 
 is a dog whose incessant barking attracts the at- 
 tention or the person who is to see the vision. 
 Always to the north flies the phantom boat. At 
 other times, dogs of a shaggy black, with droop- 
 ing ears, are constantly seen running on the 
 water, barking as if in tlie scent of game. Once 
 In seven years a solitary horseman, with gaunt, 
 bronzed face, rifle in hand, followed by his pack 
 of dogs, is seen in tli<^ sky nfter sunset. He who
 
 128 Legeiids of Le Detroit. 
 
 sees the ' ' cliasse galerie ' ' * knows that it betokens 
 death either to himself or to others dear to him. 
 
 There once dwelt at Askin Pointe, on the Cana- 
 dian shore, a Nimrod of the forest called Sebas- 
 tien Lacelle. So devoted to the chase was he 
 that his friends said that he was born with a gun 
 in his hand, and no persuasion of theirs could 
 induce him to join them in other sports. For 
 weeks at a time he would be gone, and then 
 return laden with game. After one of these ex- 
 cursions it was noticed that Sebastien was more 
 silent than usual, had little to say of his hair- 
 breadth escapes, nor did he boast, as was his 
 wont, of the fruits of his trusty rifle. 
 
 The mystery was soon solved. One day, tired 
 and weary, baffled by a deer he was i^ursuing, 
 Sebastien came to a cabin in the woods. A 
 young girl was caressing a deer and deftly dress- 
 ing a wound in its side. Sebastien recognized it 
 as the one at which he had shot. She was Zoe 
 de Mersac, who had accompanied her father to 
 help him extract the maple syrup from the trees. 
 In the magic witchcraft of her smile Sebastien 
 buried his heart. Zoe admired the strong arm 
 and the vigorous manhood which could shield 
 her from the rough blasts of the world. 
 
 * Galerie is a corruption of galere, a low, flat built vessel with 
 one deck, and propelled by sails or oars.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 129 
 
 If was on a glorious September day that Sebas- 
 tien and Zoe were strolling along the beach, 
 discnssing the morrow, whi(;h was to be their 
 wedding day. Zoe was possessed of a higlily 
 nervous organization which, like the ^olian harp, 
 is played upon by each passing zephyr, and is 
 peculiarly susceptible to superstition. She was 
 telling her lover how she feared her happiness 
 could not last and spoke of that serrement du coeur 
 which seemed prophetic of evil. Sebastien, in 
 the superb enjoyment of his healthy i:)hysique, 
 could not sympathize with her, and only laughed 
 at her fears. 
 
 What had presentiments to do with him, he 
 thought ; would he not be obliged to relinquish his 
 bachelor habits and become a serious, home-stay 
 ing man^ An unconscious sigh escaped him. 
 Raising his eyes, he abrujitly left Zoe. He re- 
 turned sliortly afterwards accom])anied by several 
 men, guns in hand, whom he had called from the 
 "seines" near by, and followed by Sebastien' s 
 dog. Chasseur. Whilst his friends were loosening 
 the boat from its moorings Sebastien joined his 
 hancee who asked him to explain the cause of 
 his sudden departure. He pointed to a flock of 
 ducks flying towards the flats (an unusual occur- 
 rence at that season ) and said he was going for 
 a farewell hunt. As soon as she heard this she
 
 130 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 hid her face in her hands, and the slender, girlish 
 figure was convulsed. In accents tremulous with 
 unshed tears, she besought him not to leave her, 
 for if he did, he would never return. Sebastien 
 tried to reason with her, but it was of no avail. 
 He petted her and tried those arts in which the 
 lover is so proficient. She told him that she had 
 heard the past night the screech-owl in the wil- 
 low tree near her window, at the same time tlie 
 Ibarking of dogs and ringing of bells in the air — 
 doleful foreshado wings of ap^iroaching disaster. 
 
 Sebastien gazed tenderly into the upturned 
 face, so pathetic in its tearful appeal, and felt his 
 resolve melting away. But the impatient call of 
 his friends and a shy feeling of being laughed 
 at prompted him to hastily say good-bye to his 
 promised bride. "When shall you return?" 
 asked Zoe. "To-morrow at dawn, dead or alive, 
 sure," he jestingly added, to quiet her fears. 
 Soon the hunters were off. Sebastien waved the 
 end of his red sash and Chasseur barked a Jubi- 
 lant farewell, for he seemed to share his master's 
 love of the chase. 
 
 At early dawn Zoe came to the shore to wel- 
 come the returning hunters. She seated herself 
 on one of the great boulders which are strewn 
 upon the shores of the lake, thrown there by the 
 Indian spirit Manabozbo, who cast them at his
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. \.?A 
 
 father in his memorable combat. Seldom had so 
 glorious a scene burst on her view and all was in 
 harmony with lier nature. The dark forests 
 melted witli azure softness, the magical veil of 
 misty golden haziness hung over everything, 
 transforming the scene into a sea of gold dissolved 
 in rainbow tints. Lake, sky, land, all seemed 
 flooded and transfigured. The indescril)able 
 shades flowed into each other with a beauty 
 which, while enchanting, was the despair of the 
 artist. The girl drank in the delicious draught of 
 loveliness, and thought if this was the dawn of a 
 perfect earthly day which must die in all its splen- 
 dor, what must be that of the eternal one in its 
 undying beauty. To-day was her wedding day ! 
 Why did Sebastien tarry '{ Had he not a loving- 
 impatience to meet his bride ? Hour after hour 
 she waited, sending forth her petitions to Ste. 
 Anne, the patroness of inariners, to guide her 
 Sebastien back. Others whose husbands and 
 brothers had gone with Sebastien joined her in 
 her weary watchings. Night came but brought 
 no returning hunters. Day after day Zou stir 
 came to the beach, questioning the vast wate] 
 and the horizon for Sebastien. Winter passe 
 spring again hung her bright blossoms on ^ 
 trees, bu^ Sebastien came not to gladden 
 the sorrow-haunted heart of the girl. Yet
 
 182 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 seemed cheerful, as if buoyed up by some inward 
 hope. She constantly said that her lover would 
 return to claim her,^ — he had promised and he 
 had never deceived any one. Once, shortly after 
 he left, she had heard Sebastien's voice, and look- 
 ing up saw him in a boat in the clouds. Chas- 
 seur was with him, and Sebastien said : "I will 
 come for you in a year and a day." Then to- 
 wards the north the mystic apparition glided and 
 the voice died away in the moaning wind. 
 
 It was a year and a day. The i3ale cheek with 
 its hectic flush, the fragile figure, the transparent 
 hand told that this was a blossom for the grave, 
 
 Zoe desired that she should be dressed as a 
 bride and carried to the beach to watch for her 
 bridegroom. Her chair was brought to the place 
 she designated. The scene was by a strange co- 
 incidence of nature, nearly the same as on the 
 bright day she waited Sebastien's return. IS^ature 
 seemed anxious that the dying girl should take 
 the sweetest and most beautiful memories of 
 earth with her. The wakening waves chanted 
 their low matins as they broke at her feet, the 
 irds greeted her with jubilant notes and the 
 
 ft, balmy air played hide and seek through the 
 shes of her hair. 
 
 tie maiden heeded not the beauty of the 
 ); her eyes were intently fixed on a spot in
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 133 
 
 the skies. Suddenly ail ecstatic expession crept 
 over her face, and raising herself up she ex- 
 claimed, "Seel see! there is Sebastien in the 
 boat ; he beckons to me, and Chasseur is barking 
 so joyously ! Did I not tell you he would come 
 for me? Sebastien, I come, I come." And the 
 pure spirit of the girl leaped from its mortal 
 tenement to rejoin that of her spirit bride- 
 groom. Her awe-stricken friends looked where 
 she pointed and saw a phantom boat drifting on 
 a billow of clouds, and distinctly heard the echo 
 of a barking dog as the vision melted into the 
 boundless blue.
 
 XIX 
 
 LE FEU FOLLET. 
 
 A Iiegrend''of Grosse Isle. 
 
 BOUT fifteen miles below De- 
 troit lies the beautiful island 
 called Grosse Isle, it being 
 the largest of the group be- 
 tween Lakes Erie and Sainte 
 Claire. 
 
 Its wonderful fertility, the luxuriant growth of 
 its forest trees and the beauty of its situation so 
 wove the spell of its seductive charm around the 
 heart of an English officer, that he resolved to re- 
 sign and sjoend the remainder of his days in this 
 enchanting retreat. His name was William Ma- 
 comb. He was of Scottish extraction, and he had 
 come to Detroit with the English troops in 1760. 
 Macomb obtained an Indian grant for his coveted
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 135 
 
 treasure, and soon improvements arose, testifying 
 his earnest desire to make himself comfortable in 
 his island home. In 1808 his heirs, John, Wil- 
 liam and David, through their attorney, Solo- 
 mon Sibley, and their agent, Angus Mcintosh, re- 
 ceived full acknowledgment from the American 
 Government. Energy, enterprise and adminis- 
 trative ability were inseparable from the name of 
 Macomb, one of its members, xVlexander, be- 
 coming general-in-chief of the army of the 
 United States. Grosse Isle, Belle Isle,* and 
 large tracts of land in Detroit, belonged to this 
 family, and if retained until the present time 
 would have made them immensely wealthy. 
 The lavish hospitality and unbounded extrava- 
 gance which characterized all the old families 
 during the military epoch, compelled a gradual 
 transfer of property. But some of the descendants, 
 though no longer bearing the family name, still 
 preserve homesteads on Grosse Isle. 
 
 *See page 273 and page 479 Land Titles in the Michigan Terri- 
 tory American State Papers xvi., vol. 1, Pul)lic Lands. 
 
 ^Eonday, December 2, 1805. 
 
 John, William and David Macomb claimed an island situated 
 in the Strait, three miles above Detroit, called Hog Island. It con- 
 tains 704 acres, was surveyed b}- Mr. Bo^'d in 1771, and purchased 
 from the Indians of tiie Ottawa and Chippewa nations in council, 
 under direction of his Majesty's commanderin-chicf, and con- 
 veyed to Lt. George McDougall, whose heirs sold it to Wm. >ra- 
 comb in 1793.
 
 136 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Cotemporary with the Macombs was the family 
 of the Navarres. Robert 1st of the name, was 
 fifth in descent from Antoine, Duke of Vendome, 
 half-brother of Henry 4th of Navarre. He came 
 to Detroit in 1730 as sub-intendant of Louis XI Y, 
 having entire control of all the affairs of the 
 French Government outside of the military au- 
 thority, in this j)art of la Nouvelle France. His 
 children and grandchildren became an honor to 
 him, and j)roverbial for their great beauty and 
 Bourbon faces. They so married and intermar- 
 ried with the Macombs, that it was difficult to 
 say where one family ended and the other began. 
 
 William Macomb, Jr., had become the humble 
 captive of the beautiful Monique Navarre, a 
 granddaughter of "Robert the Writer," as he 
 was called. He had invited her with her brother 
 Robert, to visit the island during the sultry Au- 
 gust weather, and one morning they embarked in 
 their little sailboat to drink in the refreshing 
 breezes from Lake Erie. On landing before the 
 Macomb mansion they were disappointed to learn 
 that the family had been called to Elba Island, 
 just below, by the death of a friend, but the 
 "pani'"^ slave left in attendance assured them 
 
 *At the time referred to slavery was universal, and orginally 
 all prisoners taken in Indian wars, who were not whites, were called 
 by the French " Pani " — spelled by the English to conform with the
 
 Legends of Le Detroit 137 
 
 they must come in and make themselves comfort- 
 able, as Master William had left word, thinking- 
 it possible that the visitors would come, that he 
 would reach home by sunset. The aspect of the 
 sky silenced all hesitancy, as one of those sudden 
 storms born only on a sultiy, tropical day, swept 
 over the island. 
 
 As the vivid flashes darted across the water, 
 Monique, who was of a nervous temperament, 
 begged the pani slav(^ to split off fj-agnientsof the 
 Christmas log (usually preserved half-burnt from 
 year to year) and to throw them on the fire, •' to 
 prevent the thunder from falling;" then, glanc- 
 ing at the door and seeing a branch of white 
 thorn suspended there she became tranquil. This 
 bush was considered a divine lightning rod, the 
 superstition probably arising from the fact that 
 its thorny branches crowned the Saviour s head. 
 An old legend says that wherever drops of His 
 precious blood fell, flowers sprang forth. A por- 
 tion of this crown is still seen in the relics of the 
 Holy Koman Empire in the government collection 
 at Vienna."^ 
 
 pronunciation, "Pawnee." The world gradually came to mean a 
 
 person of mixed Indian and negro blood, and is so vised in tliis 
 narrative. 
 
 * Another superstition was that a piece of bread whicli had been 
 "Wesscd at three Cliristmas masses would preserve a house from 
 harm.
 
 138 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Gradually the storm subsided, but the shadows- 
 of night crept swiftly on and still the family re- 
 turned not. Suddenly a sharp, shrill whistle fell 
 on the expectant ears, startling all to their feet. 
 Monique, who had been gazing vaguely into the 
 twilight, slammed the blinds together hurriedly 
 exclaiming, " Itis the feu follet dancing over the 
 fields, and if I had not shut it out, it would have 
 entered and strangled us. Le Bon Dieu preserve 
 William and the others." 
 
 "A truce to your fears, ma soeur," answered 
 Robert. ' ' They can take care of themselves, but 
 as it is clearing up we will soon go in search of 
 them." Thus did he soothe the nervous girl ; for 
 himself he had no fears, and being a student at ^ 
 the bar, naturally felt little respect for the higher 
 powers or the devil. 
 
 Like][other scoffers of the period he thought 
 the feu follet merely inflammable gases arising 
 from miasmatic exhalations of swampy lands. 
 Monique and many others thought this "an easy 
 way of explaining it. ' ' Had they lived in our days 
 they would have found a great number who attrib- 
 ute to [electricity things which they can not ex- 
 plain. 
 
 "Tell me all about the feu follet, chere 
 soeur," said Robert, anxious to divert her and 
 lull her apprehensions. A glad light of pleasure-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 139 
 
 stole into her eyes, and a tender blusli suffused 
 her face, battling with that tiiumx)hant expres- 
 sion which every woman wears when she thinks 
 she has won a convert to her opinions. 
 
 ' ' Mon f rere, the feu f ollet are not always con- 
 sidered dangerous. When twin lights are seen 
 stealing along in the soft twilight they are called 
 'Castor and Pollux,' and this is a happy omen. 
 But when a single intense light appears it is 
 named 'Helene,' and he who sees it must at once 
 throw himself on the ground covering his face, 
 for so seductive is its fascination that it allures 
 him to deserted bogs and steep ravines, and leaves 
 him to die. There is a Norman tradition which 
 exists among the habitants coming from Caen, in 
 Normandy, that the feu follet are divided into 
 two species, the male and female, and are sup- 
 posed to be the souls of those who have sinned 
 against purity. These people of the Norman race 
 also call maidens who have fallen from grace ' f ou- 
 rolle,' as fourolle Jeanne, fourolle Katishe, and 
 believe that the evil one gives them the power of 
 divesting themselves of their body, and transform- 
 ing into a bright light which runs 'en fourolle,' 
 leading many to destruction who mistake it for 
 some friendly signal when astray in swampy 
 places.'" 
 
 As Monique finished her explanaj^ion she rose
 
 140 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 and insisted that they should go in search of the 
 host and family. They started out followed by 
 the i)ani, who held his blazing pine knot which 
 threw its uncertain light on the pathw^ay and 
 made a weird tableau as its flickering rays alter- 
 nately bathed the little procession in light, then 
 in shadows They made the woods resound with 
 their shouts, but no answering call greeted their 
 anxious ears, and the pani expressed his anx- 
 iety, as "Master AVilliam had surely promised 
 to return, and he never knew him to fail in spite 
 of rain or sunshine." At last, as they proceeded 
 on their doleful journey, the ground grew miry 
 and swampy, while the dismal croaking of frogs 
 and the sickly miasmatic odors added to tlieir 
 dread forebodings. Just then, when the saddest 
 presentiments were invading the hearts of the 
 courageous searchers, Monique uttered one last 
 despairing cry in which all the energy of her na- 
 ture seemed centered, so anxious was she it should 
 reach the lost one. Instantaneously the sharp 
 report of a pistol startled from their nests the 
 little birds which fluttered around chirx^ing jDlain- 
 tively, as if seeking companionship from the 
 invaders of their solitary and mournful abode. 
 Following the sound of the pistol, the searchers 
 saw in the swamp an object in the w^ater, and 
 soon their willing hands had made a sort of
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 141 
 
 bridge wliicli enabled them to appioacli it. It 
 proved to ])e the lost wanderer, hopelessly strug- 
 gling in the miry embrace. He was extricated 
 from his perilous position and the little i)roces- 
 sion went back rejoicing. 
 
 On arriving at home, seated at the hospitable 
 table, William related his adventure. As soon 
 as the storm subsided he had started homeward ; 
 the remainder of the familj' were to stay at 
 Elba until the morning. In the darkness he had 
 lost his way, and seeing a bright light liad fol- 
 lowed it. As he drew nearer it appeared to 
 recede until he found himself plunged into the 
 swamp. He cried out for hel}) until exhausted, 
 and his only answer was the mocking laughter of 
 goblins. Realizing the hopelessness of his posi- 
 tion, he commended his spirit to his Maker and 
 calndy awjdted the result. Suddenly it seemed 
 to him as if the voice of his loved one was borne 
 to his ears to soften the anguish of his last mo- 
 ments. Then other voices came so distinctly that 
 he awoke from his lethargy, and thinking it pos- 
 sible that friends had heard his former cries for 
 help, fired his pistol. 
 
 " It was the feu follet, mon ami, which led you 
 astray. You cannot say you do not believe in it 
 now," said Monitpie, as she glanced archly at her 
 lover.
 
 142 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 "Anything yon believe in will suit me now 
 and for all time,". said the gallant William. 
 
 So on the next feast day they stood before the 
 altar of Ste. Anne's in Detroit, and were made one 
 forever.
 
 THE FEAST OF ST. JEAN. 
 
 A Legrend of Sandwich. 
 
 IT WAS the eve of Pentecost which fell amid 
 the roses of June in 1790. 
 There was a great commotion in the spacious 
 kitchen of Dominique Gaudet, who lived near the 
 church on the banks of the Detroit. Tlie hurry- 
 ing to and fro of busy feet, the gleeful voices of 
 merriment, mingled with the clatter of dishes, 
 fragments of song and the deeper bass tones of 
 the men, formed an admirable orchestra of babel 
 and confusion ; for on the morrow it was Domi- 
 nique who was to present the joa*?!- henit {blessed 
 bread) and its accessory cousins (a kind of cake") 
 to be distributed at high mass. Each family 
 along la cote in turn furnished them, save at the 
 Assumption (15th of August) when a portion of
 
 144 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 tlie Huron tribe came to camp in the grove near 
 tlie church and claimed the j^rivilege, as they had 
 donated the ground. Josephte and Lizette, the 
 pani slaves, were industriously kneading the huge 
 mass of dough in the wooden Tiuche (trough) whilst 
 Soulange Gaudet, with her sleeves rolled up dis- 
 playing the dimi)led arms, and her mignonne face 
 and hair all powdered with flour, was trying to 
 plait the refractory dough into the semblance of 
 a large wreath. This " couronne " was the orna- 
 ment on the top loaf, and was always detached 
 after mass and sent as a token to the person 
 whose turn it w^ould be to prepare the jpain henit 
 for the next feast. At a table was a gay bevy of 
 girls who were cutting the cousins into palm 
 shapes, and with a feather brushing the top of 
 them with egg and sugar. La dame Gaudet re- 
 ceived them and placed them in the big four 
 (oven). The light from the open chimney threw 
 its flickering gleams around, lighting up the joy- 
 ous faces and producing a Rembrandt effect of 
 light and shade. It was a charming study for an 
 artist's pencil. Soulange with two or three of her 
 companions having completed their task, brushed 
 the flour from their hair and dresses and strolled 
 along the banks to cool their heated cheeks. The 
 twilight shades were deepening and the rosy re- 
 flection in the sky left its promise of a beautiful
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 145 
 
 morrow, Tliey were i)resently joined by several 
 young men who had come to help them carry the 
 ^yiin henit and eovi^'niK to tlie church. Wliilst they 
 were gayly chatting Soulange, who seemed dis- 
 trait and anxiously waiting for somebody, sud- 
 denly called attention to an object in the Avater. 
 They could distinguish the iigure of a man who 
 was apparently seated on the water. No canoe 
 was visible, and yet he seemed to glide along by 
 the aid of a paddle. Whilst speculating on the 
 strange phenomenon, the increasing darkness hav- 
 ing i)revented close insi^ection, the sound of some- 
 thing grating on the sand near them and a merry 
 laugh, caused all to hurry down to the beach. 
 They were greeted by David Fisher, who resided 
 in Detroit. "Handsome David," as he was called, 
 was a gay, dashing Kentuckian who had fal- 
 len in love with "la belle Soulange" when she 
 had visited her friends in Detroit. He was a 
 great favorite, and spoke French like a native, and 
 his easy, debonnaire manner carried captive the 
 hearts of the old and young. The amazement of 
 the party was intense when they found that Da- 
 vid's canoe was a wheelbarrow. -^ He laughed at 
 their pei"plexed looks and briefly explained that 
 
 *Fact: A feat performed by Pierre Godfrey in fulfillment of 
 a bet. 
 
 10
 
 140 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 he had found no one to row him over and no boat 
 to be had, so he had devised this new method — • 
 a feat as difficult as Leonidas swimming the Hell- 
 espont, and no less romantic. A summons from the 
 house announced that all the things were in readi- 
 ness to be carried to the church. As they wended 
 their way, each laden with something, the gay peals 
 of laughter that rang on their retreating steps told 
 those who listened that David was in high humor, 
 and amusing as usual with his sparkling jests and 
 jeu d' esprit. In the sanctuary they arranged the 
 pain henit generally four in number and round 
 in shape. The largest was placed first on a table, 
 then layers of cousins and so on until the top 
 loaf and its "couronne" covered the structure. 
 Little silk flags were stuck here and there, form- 
 ing a charming and unique pyramid. 
 
 Pentecost morning dawned bright and beautiful 
 and the church was crowded. At the Credo the 
 Sacristan, with his slow, measured step, approach- 
 ed Soulange and presented her with a silver plate 
 he held in his hand. With nervous trepidation 
 she had awaited this moment, for she was the 
 "queteuse" of the day. She arose with a digni- 
 fied composure, of which only the fleeting color, 
 as it came and went in her cheek, betrayed the 
 effort. She walked to the altar railing and knelt, 
 then rising, presented her plate at each pew
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 147 
 
 for tlie collection, acknowledging the offering 
 by a sweeping courtewy, whose perfection was 
 attained by many an anxious hour of practice. 
 The bread was blessed. The Sacristan gradually 
 stripped the pyrandd, cut the bread and distrib- 
 uted it to each person, who making the sign of 
 the cross, ate it in silence as a symbol of the 
 unity that should reign among Christians, who 
 are all members of the same family. 
 
 After mass there were hand-shakings and greet- 
 ings. The scene was a most X)icturesque one. In 
 front the broad liver swept majestically ; beneath 
 the cool shade of the trees were spread snowy 
 white tablecloths, forming a contrast to the green 
 verdure, around which were seated those habi- 
 tants who lived too far to return for vespers, 
 awai ting their meal . A number had gathered about 
 the hedeau (Sacristan), who, arrayed in his long blue 
 redingote and carrick cape edged with red, was 
 crying out in a stentorian voice : " Avertisement ! 
 Avertisement ! " Newspapers being then un- 
 known in those regions, this was the only medium 
 of advertising an auction, a lost cow, or stray 
 child. Soulange was joined by her lover, David, 
 and they together visited the various grouj^s 
 seated on the grass, with whom they exclianged 
 the compliments of the day. Several children, 
 catching a glimpse of David, insisted on his
 
 148 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 taking them to one of the booths, which looked 
 like wigwams covered with fresh branches of 
 maple, and displayed a tempting array of maple 
 sugar and " crocxuecignoles." 
 
 That evening David and Soulange agreed they 
 would be married at midsummer, for then "the 
 fairies would dance at the wedding " David laugh- 
 ingly said. Happy was Soulange these days ; her 
 voice rippled with the melody of joy which surged 
 from a heart filled with love and tenderness. 
 
 And "Merry ! merry ! merry !" 
 
 Rang the bells of every hour, 
 And "happy, happy, happy!" 
 
 In her valley laughed the flower. 
 
 As the weeks passed which measured the time 
 before Soulange' s wedding a shadow was creeping 
 over her horizon which would rob the smiling 
 lips of laughter and smother forever her sunshine 
 of happiness. Vague reports floated on the idle 
 wings of rumor, of a disagreement between David 
 and an officer, which, though contradicted, left an 
 impression of uneasiness in those who knew the 
 gallant, warm-hearted, yet reckless Fisher. 
 
 It was an open glade below Sandwich that 
 the sun flooded brightly on an August morning. 
 The sparkling waters were sporting with the first 
 golden beams ; the branches of the trees in the 
 woods skirting the field swayed lazily to the woo-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 149 
 
 iwp; bretv.e. Tlu,' llowers were still bathed in dew 
 and in tlieir moist mass were flung instruments 
 of death. In the midst of an awe stricken group 
 lay a handsome, manly form, whose life was 
 slowly el)))ing away. The glory of the sunrise 
 and the birds gushing forth their melodies, 
 seemed a mockery to that sad scene, whilst an 
 immortal soul was winging its flight to the un- 
 known world. The surgeon who had knelt beside 
 the prostrate form arose ; the pulse was stilled 
 forever. 
 
 The news of the duel and its fatal consequences 
 was soon known, and the shore was lined with 
 people. Soulange attracted by the crowd, came 
 to inquire the cause. A hushed whispering and 
 sympathetic glances greeted her, whilst a pair of 
 loving hands imprisoned her and tried to lead her 
 home. With a great fear over her which lent 
 her strength, she wrenched herself awa}^ and flew 
 to the beach. Two canoes were being slowly 
 rowed up the stream towing a third, over which 
 a blanket was thrown, the ends trailing mourn- 
 fully in the water. The heads of the roAvers were 
 bowed and their attitude denoted grief and sor- 
 row. The sun had veiled itself behind the clouds 
 as if in pity. A solemn silence reigned, born 
 only in death's awful presence; men uncovered 
 their heads and furtively brushed away a stray
 
 150 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 tear ; women clasped convulsively their babes to 
 their breasts and murmured a prayer for that sol- 
 itary figure v^^hich stood on the beach. A clear 
 voice pierced the ominous silence. "Bring him 
 here," it said, and those who heard it would long 
 remember it, for a human heart lay broken in its 
 accents. Unconsciously the imperious order was 
 obeyed and the canoe allowed to drift to her feet. 
 Quick as lightning, deaf to the expressions of 
 sympathy which burst forth from the multitude, 
 she raised the blanket and saw the dead face of 
 her lover. 
 
 Years had passed since that sad occurrence,, 
 when one Sunday the good priest of the Church 
 of the Assumption recommended to the prayers of 
 the faithful the soul of Soeur Therese of the Grey 
 Order of Montreal, who had recently died after 
 a life of penance and mortification. In the world 
 she had been known as Soulange Gaudet.
 
 XXI 
 
 HAMTRAMCK^S LOVE. 
 
 A Legrend of Wayne's Occupation. 
 
 QUARTER of a century 
 had ]>assed since Pontiac 
 and liis savage hordes bat- 
 tled in vain against the 
 cedar ramparts of old Fort 
 Pontchartrain. The Amer- 
 ican Colonies had thrown 
 off the yoke of the mother country and proclaimed 
 their independence. Remote from the scene of 
 conflict the French settlement along Le Detroit 
 had begun to recover from tlie devastations of 
 their Indian neighbors. Among the habitants 
 it was whispered that for the third time their flag 
 was to be changed. Without asking their con- 
 sent their allegiance was to be claimed by the
 
 152 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 " Bostonnais"* or Yankees, whose star at present 
 was in the ascendant. This rumor gave rise to 
 diverse sentiments. Some of the settlers felt the 
 spark of liberty kindling in their breasts, and 
 hailed the change as a merited overthrow of the 
 haughty English, their hereditary foes. Others, 
 now that the lieur de lis w^as withdrawn, saw their 
 only safety and strength under the cross of St. 
 George. The Elliots, Babys, Askins, and McKees 
 were among the prominent Canadians of the latter 
 class, while Robert Navarre, Jr., the Chevalier 
 Chabert de la Joncaire, Louis Descomptes La- 
 badie and their influential followers espoused the 
 cause of the rising young republic. In 1786 Rob- 
 ert Navarre, eldest son of the old sub-in tendant, 
 accompanied by his beautiful daughter Marianne, 
 visited Philadelphia. The French colonists sought 
 through him to ascertain precisely what was to be 
 their status under the new government. Among 
 the many illustrious men of the day to whom 
 Navarre was presented was Maj. Gen. Arthur 
 St. Clair, a distinguished officer of the late revo- 
 lutionary war. His spirited daughter, Louisa St. 
 Clair, at once became interested in Marianne Na- 
 varre, the brilliant, piquante beauty of the fron- 
 
 * Bostonaais. A name given to the Americans by the French of 
 Quebec, and from thence the term spread among all the Canadians. 
 "The Bostonnais" is a charmingly written book by L'Esperance, 
 a tale of the American invasion of Canada in 1775-76.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 153 
 
 tier. On the organization of a government for 
 the North West Territory (which comprised all 
 the American possessions west of the Alleghanies) 
 Oen. St. Clair was appointed Governor, and a 
 number of the most popular ofiicers of the revolu- 
 tion given important positions.* These pioneers, 
 w^lio had crossed the mountains of Pennsylvania 
 on horse back, settled on one of the picturesque 
 bends of the Belle Riviere (Ohio). Here they 
 founded Marietta, so called after the lovely and 
 ill-fated Marie Antoinette of France, the fast 
 friend of the patriots in their struggle for inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 Louisa St. Clair,- who had not forgotten the 
 little Norman friend whom she had met in Phila- 
 delphia, w^rote to her as soon as she was settled at 
 Marietta, challenging her to cross the intervening 
 "Black Swamp" and visit her in her new home. 
 Marianne came from too good a pioneer stock to 
 shrink from any hardships, especially where it 
 promised an adventure. So, accompanied by her 
 
 *A court was [eJ^tiiblislied ami the jiuli^cs authorized to iircpare 
 a code of laws. Maj. Gen. Samuel Iloidea Parsons, the rival of 
 St. Clair for the appointment of Governor, was appointed Ciiief 
 Justice, with Judge Cleves Sj'mmes and Gen. Jos. M. Varum as 
 Associate Judges. The former was great -grandfatlier of Theo. 
 Parsons Hall, of Detroit, and the descendants of Judge Syinmcs 
 reside in Louisville, Ky. In this first court of the North West, 
 Judge Solomon Sibley, Gen. Lewis Cass, Col. Ebenezer Sjiroat, 
 and others well known in Detroit, took their first lessons in law.
 
 154 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 relative, Antoine Gamelin, with a band of friendly 
 Indians and her faithful pani slave, slie performed 
 the perilous journey in safety. On her arrival she 
 found Marietta a scene of life and excitement. The 
 newly organized First Regiment of U. S. Infantry 
 was then on its way to garrison Vincennes. Its- 
 corps of gay officers, among whom was Col. John 
 Francis Hamtramck (then Major), made the days 
 speed merrily and happily for the young maidens. 
 Hamtramck had, much to the secret pleasure of the 
 Governor, been attentive for some time to Louisa, 
 yet she coyly and frequently said that her heart's 
 desire was to be the bride of some "noble warrior 
 of the forest." She cultivated all the Indian sports, 
 became an expert with the ritle, and one of the 
 most daring and fearless horsewomen in the coun- 
 tr3^ Undaunted by the fate of Miss McRea, 
 whose story every mother repeated to her child, 
 she would make long excursions into the forests, 
 returning with game, new specimens of flowers, 
 or rare medicinal plants. Marianne was too ac- 
 customed to the pastimes of a frontier life to find 
 novelty in them, and was happy in perusing the 
 books which her friend had brought with her 
 from PhiladeliDliia. Maj. Hamtramck was fre- 
 quently by her side. She touched hidden chords 
 in his heart, awaking the slumbering melodies of 
 bright dreams and fanciful ideals. Louisa seemed
 
 Legends of Le Di-troit. 155 
 
 strangely anxious to promote the friendship be- 
 tween Hamtramck and Marianne, but not so the 
 Governor, who frowned upon this new state of 
 affairs. 
 
 Marianne had been witli lier friend about a 
 month when it was announced tliat the dreaded 
 Chief Thayendanegea (Joseph l^randt) had camped 
 in the vicinity witli a band of his most noted war- 
 riors. The Governor, anxious to conciliate so pow- 
 erful a foe and to secure his friendship, contem- 
 plated sending an ambassador to him. The mis- 
 sion was a perilous and delicate one, and required 
 more tlian ordinary skill and diplomacy. An 
 envoy i)ossessing these talents was not easily 
 found, so the Governor was obliged to content 
 himself by a written missive requesting an inter- 
 view, Louisa, having heard the matter discussed, 
 learned who the messenger was to be. She dis- 
 guised herself as an Indian girl and slung on her 
 shoulder her trusty rifle. Extracting by some 
 womanly art the note from the soldier, by the 
 aid of her fleet horse she was soon in the presence 
 of the great chieftain. Brandt was startled by 
 the fair apparition, admired her daring and 
 courage, and was flattered by her remembrance. 
 These two had met before in Philadelphia, when 
 she was at school, and he a student at col- 
 lege. The young Indian had been much sought
 
 150 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 after ; liis birtli, his influence with his tribe, his 
 stately and graceful figure and rare talents, had 
 made him even then a conspicuous object. It is 
 not to be wondered that he became the hero of 
 many a girlish heart. "Noble warrior," she said, 
 "I have risked my life to obtain this interview; 
 you must send some one to accompany me back 
 to my father." The chieftain replied, "It is 
 fitting that I alone should guard so courageous a 
 maiden." With a few of his braves he accompa- 
 nied her home, and thus the Governor obtained the 
 interview he desired. Owinsr to some disas-ree- 
 ment a satisfactory treaty was not made. The 
 Governor censured Louisa for what he considered 
 a foolish escapade, but his anger knew no bounds 
 when shortly afterwards Brandt asked him for her 
 hand, which was haughtily refused. He sought 
 the presence of his daughter and told her that he 
 would never consent to her union with an Indian. 
 He had cherished other designs, and his ardent 
 wish was to see her the wife of Major Hamtramck 
 whom he esteemed highly. The sharp tones of the 
 angry voice penetrated to the room where Mari- 
 anne sat reading, and brought to her an explana- 
 tion of the Governor's peculiar manner of late 
 towards her, and made her in her indignation 
 question the motive of Hamtramck' s devotion to 
 her. The pride of la belle France was aroused.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 16T 
 
 She doubted the young officer's loyalty to her, and 
 finding a favorable pretext, returned to Detroit 
 whilst Hamtramck was away upon temporary offi- 
 cial business. Shortly afterwards the embers of 
 war were rekindled, and Gov. St. Clair, attacked by 
 the combined savage tribes of the West, met with 
 a most disastrous defeat." He was only rescued 
 from total annihilation by Hamtramck and his- 
 regnlars. In this battle Brandt took a prominent 
 part. So anxious was he to capture St, Clair 
 alive, that he gave orders to his savages to shoot 
 the horse from under him. but not to kill him. 
 He hoped that by sparing the General's life, and 
 making him sensible of this generosity, he could 
 gain his suit and win Louisa from "Le Crapeau a, 
 Cheval,"t as he called Hamtramck, whom he sup- 
 posed his rival. 
 
 Several years had elapsed. Col. Hamtramck, 
 who had so distinguished himself at the battle of 
 the Maumee, where he commanded the left wing 
 under Wayne, was ordered to Detroit. Here for 
 the first time (1796) the Stars and Stripes were 
 
 *0n hearing of St. Clair's defeat it is said that Washington, 
 for once in his life, swore such u volley of oaths as to make his 
 Secretary's hair stand on end. 
 
 f Le Crapeau a Cheval (The Frog on Horseback). Ilamtrarack 
 wjis small and ratlicr round sliouldered, making a poor figure oa 
 horseback, hence Brandt's jealous epithets.
 
 158 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 unfurled by Mad Anthony, and later the fort was 
 named in his honor. Here Hamtramck again met 
 his former sweetheart, and pleaded his cause a 
 second time. He told her that he had been wound- 
 ed and surprised by her sudden departure from 
 Marietta, and had heard later of her rumored mar- 
 riage to Col. Gratiot. He had endeavored to efface 
 her image from his heart, had married and was 
 now a widower ; hearing she was not Gratiot's 
 bride he had returned to his allegiance. Marianne 
 again refused him; the love which once might have 
 been his had been hopelessly blighted, and her 
 heart was a tomb wherein lay the ashes of buried 
 hopes and bright illusions. " Mademoiselle," said 
 Hamtramck, "since we cannot be united in life, 
 in death I shall be near you. I shall give orders 
 to be buried by your side. " " Oh, that is romantic, 
 Colonel, but you are a soldier and cannot say where 
 your last sleep shall overtake you," she laughingly 
 replied. "No matter, mark me, I shall slumber 
 within the shadow of your tomb. ' ' In 1803 Ham- 
 tramck died, and was buried near the Navarre 
 lot in tlie old Ste. Anne's church yard. The fol- 
 lowing is the inscription on his tombstone : 
 
 "Sacred to the memory of John Francis Ham- 
 tramck, Colonel of the First United States Infantry 
 and Commandant of Detroit and its dependencies. 
 He departed this life on the 11th day of April,
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 159 
 
 1803, aged 45 years, 7 montlis, 27 days. True 
 patriotism and zealous attachment to national 
 liberty, joined to a laudable ambition, led him 
 into military service at an early age. He was a 
 soldier before he was a man. He was an active 
 participator in all the danger, difficulties, and 
 honors of the Revolutionary War, and his heroism 
 and uniform good conduct procured him the 
 attention and personal thanks of the immortal 
 Washington. The United States in him have lost 
 a valuable officer and good citizen, and society a 
 useful and pleasant member. His friends will 
 •ever mourn the loss of Hamtramck. 
 
 This monument is placed over him by the offi- 
 cers who had the honor to serve in his command, 
 a small but gi'ateful tribute to his worth." 
 
 Hamtramck' s remains were placed in Mount 
 Elliott on the abandonment of the old Ste. Anne 
 cemetery. 
 
 Fifty years later Marianne died, and her botly 
 has been recently removed to the Godfrey lot, 
 wliicli is opposite the spot where Hamtramck is 
 buried. His prediction has been fulfilled and he 
 literally "slumbers within the shadow of her 
 tomb." Is there a fate in this? On the lower side 
 of Detroit on the river bank is Fort Wayne. At 
 the upper extremity of the city still stands the 
 •old French house where Hamtramck died. The
 
 160 
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 majestic elpi, like a sentinel by its side, is the 
 land mark by which passing vessels take their 
 course. The adjoining locality bears Hamtramck's 
 name. 
 
 Thus the two old heroes, even in death, hold 
 their favorite respective positions, guarding the 
 left and right flank,* whilst the name of Ham- 
 tramck's rival is still perpetuated in one of our 
 most prominent business avenues (Gratiot). 
 
 *At the battle of Maumee, August, ] 794, Wayne commanded 
 the right wing and Hamtrumck the left wing. This great victory 
 over the Indians gave the Americans their first actual control of 
 Detroit and the surrounding country.
 
 XXII 
 
 THE HAUNTED SPINNING WHEEL. 
 
 A Ijeg'end of St. Jean's Eve. 
 
 ( c KA AD," impetuous Anthony Wayne first 
 I " I flung in triumph the Stars and Stripes 
 I ■ over the fair City of the Straits. It was 
 a gladsome beacon to many Americans to come 
 and seek a home beneath its protecting folds. 
 The Marietta colony in Ohio sent Cass, Sibley, 
 Woodbridge and others to weave in history their 
 distinguished talents with the city of their adop- 
 tion. Many dashing Kentuckians, followers of 
 Wayne, having conquered the English oppressors 
 were themselves vanquished by the dark-eyed, 
 piquante Canadian demoiselles. 
 
 Many intermarriages took place between the 
 
 11
 
 162 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 French habitants'^ and the new comers. In the 
 families of these descendants are still preserved 
 the qnaint traditions of the French, also some of 
 the physical traits, particnlarly the shapely foot 
 and hand, and to-day the sale of shoes from the 
 so-called Creole last, follows the line of French 
 posts from Detroit, Monroe, Fort Wayne, Vin- 
 cennes, and St. Louis down to New Orleans. It 
 is from one of these old families that the incidents 
 embodied in the following story are gathered. 
 
 In 1795 Didier Duchene lived with his wife and 
 little daughter Fanchette on the banks of the 
 Kouge. His aged mother resided with him, a 
 venerable dame who lingered seemingly forgot- 
 ten, beyond her time. But not so, thought 
 Fanchette, who w-ould steal from her play to 
 sit beside grandmere, nestle her curly head 
 against her knee, and listen with flushed cheeks 
 and eyes glowing with wonderment to the 
 marvelous tales she told. There is something 
 beautiful in the witchery which a pious, serene 
 old age exercises over impressionable childhood. 
 There seems to be a perfect union between them, 
 
 *Habitants. A word whose meaning has been singularly per- 
 verted. It meant formerly the permanent settlers who came to 
 " habiter le pays " (inhabit the country), in contradistinction to the 
 military and civil functionaries who were transient. The richest 
 merchant might be an habitant, that is, a permanent settler.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 163 
 
 a mystic tie which as we advance in youth and 
 towards middle age appears gradually to weaken. 
 Perhaps the spontaneous reverence wliich lisping 
 childhood pays to the aged, arises from the shadow 
 of the mystery of its own existence which still 
 envelops it, and the subtle instincts of compan- 
 ionship which nature instills in those standing 
 on the coniines of unknown worlds. It is the un- 
 conscious tribute of the mystery of the cradle to 
 that of the grave. Childhood and old age have 
 no present ; one lives in the past, the other in the 
 future. 
 
 One day grandmere died, and Fanchette felt 
 that the sunshine had all crei)t out of her heart 
 and left a great void. It was Fanchette' s first 
 contact with death and she felt its awe-striking 
 influence, and wandered about listlessly ques- 
 tioning everything why all was so changed '. She 
 would sob herself to sleep, and in dreandand 
 would hear again the sweet, faltering accents of 
 grandmere. One evening she awoke her parents 
 by a ringing shriek ; they hastened to her, and 
 found her excitedly exclaiiuing: "Grandmere, 
 grandmere ; don" t you hear her \ '' To soothe her 
 they remained quiet a moment and distinctly 
 heard the hum of the old dame's s])inning wheel 
 in the adjoining room. Terror seized them, and 
 it was only at the earnest pleading of the child
 
 164 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 "to see grandiiiere" that they regained sufficient 
 courage to open the door. But instantly the noise 
 ceased ; the room was quiet and nothing disturbed. 
 
 Night after night the same occurrence took 
 i:)lace. To Fanchette the phantom hum of the 
 spinning wheel was a sweet lullaby, and an as- 
 surance that the dear grandmere was near. But 
 the parents who had always laughed at the old 
 lady's superstitions, felt it a warning for their in- 
 credulity. The "BonPere" was consulted, and 
 after hearing the story, asked if they had left 
 any promise unfulfilled to the dead. "Ah! Mou 
 Dieu," cried Didier, conscience-striken, "I prom- 
 ised fifty masses for the repose of her soul and to . 
 distribute some things among the poor." The 
 promise was soon after fulfilled, and the spinning 
 wheel no longer sent forth its weird music on the 
 midnight air. 
 
 Years rolled on until Fanchette counted 16, the 
 marriageable age among the maidens of that day. 
 Her mother favored the suit of a little Canadian, 
 but the girl' s heart inclined toward a brave Ken- 
 tuckian. It was a severe struggle for that docile 
 girl, between her obedience to her mother and her 
 affection for her lover. The great Canadian festi- 
 val of St. Jean Baptiste, or Midsummer Day, as 
 the JEnglish called it, was nigh. 
 
 Towards nightfall the great bonfire {feu dejoie),
 
 Legends of Le Dttroit. 105 
 
 ^vas kindled. It was un octagonal pyiaiiiid about 
 eight or ten feet high, erected opposite the church 
 on the beach, and was covered with branches of 
 fir stuck in tlie interstices of the k)gs of cedar of 
 wliicli it was built. The lighted taper was applied 
 to each little heap of straw placed at each of tho 
 eight corners of the veidant cone. The flanies 
 arose sparkling and scintillating amidst hurrahs, 
 cheers and deafening volleys of guns. The cus- 
 tom was of Norman origin, and commemorated 
 the time when the bonfire was the only medium of 
 communication for J"hose living on opposite shores, 
 iind especially in winter, when they were shut off 
 from each other. Thus lire became a language 
 find they who knew its alphabet could read in the 
 swaying Hames the message of death, sickness or 
 joyful tidings. On the eve of the festival great 
 bonfires were built along the beach of the Detroit 
 find all kei)t the vigil, as it was thought if any one 
 slei)t his soul would leave the body and wander 
 to find the place where death was to overtake 
 him. At sunrise if close watch was kept one 
 might see the sun dance three times. 
 
 Fanchette had come to the tort to visit friends 
 but her principal interest in the day was centered 
 on a trial wh||'h she had decided to make as to 
 whom she should choose foi" a husband. At the 
 hour of twelve everything was quiet in the house.
 
 166 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 She cautiously made her way to the garden sur- 
 rounded by its high cedar pickets, and taking a 
 handful of wild hemp seed, she scattered it on 
 the ground saying, 
 
 "Hemp I sow, lienip I hoe, 
 Who is my love come alter me now. " 
 
 To her intense joy, a vague resemblance of the 
 Kentuckian arose and stalked across the garden. 
 
 Then hastily plucking a few sprigs of vervain, 
 a i^lant so useful in warding off goblins and pos- 
 sessing wonderful powers, she carefully picked a 
 rose de France, which she felt would keep fresh 
 until marriage time at Christmas, and returned to 
 her room to watch with the others, and muse on 
 her happiness in store. 
 
 The same belief and traditions repeat them- 
 selves in other lands as is seen in the oft quoted 
 
 POEM OF ST. JOHN'S AVORT. 
 
 The young maid stole through the cottage door. 
 And blushed as she saw the plant of power; 
 " Thou silver moon glow, oh lend me thy light, 
 I must gather the mystic St. John's wort to-night, 
 The wonderful herb whose leaf will decide 
 If the coming year will make me a bride!" 
 
 And the glow-worm came 
 
 With its silvery flame. 
 
 And sparkled and shone 
 
 Through the night of St. John, 
 And soon has the maid her love-knot tied.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 1C7 
 
 With noiseless tread 
 
 To her chamber she sped, 
 Where the spectral moon her white beams shed; 
 Bloom here, bloom there, thou plant of power, 
 To deck the young bride in her bridal hour; 
 But it drooped its head, that plant of power. 
 And died the mute death of the voiceless flower. 
 
 And a withered wreath on the ground it lay, 
 More meet for a burial than a bridal day; 
 And when a year was passed away 
 All pale on her bier the young maid lay. 
 
 And the glow-worm came 
 
 With its silvery flame. 
 
 And sparkled and shone 
 
 Through the night of St. John, 
 As they'closed the cold grave on the maid's cold claj'. 
 
 Wlien Christmas came little Fancliette decked 
 as, a bride stood by the side of her gallant Ken- 
 tuckian, and said the words which made her his 
 "for weal or for woe." She told him afterwards 
 the story of St. Jean's eve, and transformed him 
 into a fervent believer in grandmcre' s supersti- 
 tions. A few years later a group of merry chil- 
 dren might have been seen in theDuchene orchard 
 burning bundles of straw under the trees, whilst 
 they chanted : 
 
 Taupes, chenilles, et mulots 
 
 Sortez sortcz de vos clos 
 Ou, je vous brule la barbe et les os 
 
 Arbres, arbrisseaux 
 Donnez moi des pommes a minot.
 
 168 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Translated into English the rhyme means 
 
 Caterpillars, mice and moles 
 On tliis instant leave your holes, 
 Crawl forth from under bark and stones 
 Or I will burn your beard and bones. 
 And may the trees both great and small 
 Be loaded down with apples all.
 
 XXI II 
 
 THE CURSED VILLAGE. 
 
 A Legrend of L'Anse Creuse. 
 
 IT WAS on a glorious Septenibci- moiiiiiig- that 
 our carriage rolled along tlie picturesque shore 
 of Grosse Pointe. The soft, misty waves of fog 
 which trailed over the smooth cut lawn and over 
 the broad lake were gradually curling themselves 
 into graceful, spiral wreaths, to dissolve in the 
 sunlight. If there is a touch of sadness in Au- 
 tumn, an indescribable yearning after something 
 in(h'fina])le, there is a strength to resist the de- 
 pression in the frt'sh. bracing aluiosplicrr which 
 lends roses to the cheek and buoyancy to the step. 
 Nature, as if conscious of this tinge of melancholy, 
 dons her bright(»st colois. lliiows ai'ouud her that 
 mystic, mellow lighl which I'oiiiids the sharpest
 
 170 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 outlines and softens the roughest landscapes, and 
 whilst we are enchanted by her gorgeous devices- 
 we forget the sad reflections of this season of 
 decay. 
 
 We passed the fashionable drive, bordered by 
 its handsome villas with their evidences of culture 
 and refinement, crossed the tottering bridge over 
 Milk River, into a strange country and a past 
 age. Occasionally signs of a well-to-do farmer 
 greeted us, but these were rare. Silence, monot- 
 ony and dilapidation were written everywhere. 
 The lake here swept majestically into the shore 
 forming a graceful curve. This was the Bay of 
 L'Anse Creuse from which the village on its 
 banks derived its name, we were told. Dim, 
 shadowy memories of a legend connected with 
 this place drifted confusedly through my brain, 
 and asking the driver about it, he told us that 
 there lived not far an old habitant who was well 
 versed in all such lore, and who would be but too 
 happy to have a listener. Ten minutes later we 
 entered a humble cottage, stated our errand, and 
 were received with that genuine courtesy, the pe- 
 culiar heritage of the French, which caused Syd- 
 ney Smith to envy the manners of his cobbler in 
 Paris. The old raconteur introduced us to his 
 children and grandchildren, who eyed us politely^ 
 but with curious, speculative eyes, unused to a
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 171 
 
 sudden inroad of strangers. Tlie liabitant evi- 
 dently relislied tpllinu- a sloiy, and siniicking his 
 lips after the inannei' of an t'liiciire. lold ns tlie 
 legend ol' L'Anse Creuse. 
 
 It was the feast of Corpus Chiisti in .Inne. and 
 the whole neighborhood of L'Anse Creuse was in 
 a whirl of excitement. For to-day the Bisho]> 
 was coining from the fort (Detroit) acconii»anied 
 by tlie new pastor, to consecrate the little eliai»el. 
 The young men on horseback with their guns to- 
 fire a salute, had gone to meet them, whilst the 
 children, dressed in white, bearing flowers and 
 looking like so many butterflies, were flitting to 
 and fro, and the habitants in their Sunday attire 
 were gaily chatting. All of a sudden a discharge 
 of guns announced the near approach of the cleri- 
 cal party, and in a few moments all were formed 
 in a procession. Banners were unfurl e.<l, voices 
 were raised chanting the Te Deum, clouds of in- 
 cense rose to perfume the air and the pathway 
 was strewn with Mowers. 
 
 Thus were they escorted to the church, and 
 amidst that grand silence so apiiealing in its so- 
 lemnity, the imposing ceremonies took j^lace. 
 They were followed by a short but eloquent ad- 
 dress from their new ])asfor. Father Gabriel. He 
 thanked them for tlieir welcome and hoi)ed that 
 God would bless his efforts; he woidd endeavor
 
 172 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 to prove a true shepherd, but his flock must aid 
 hiui to keep in the narrow path. He alluded 
 lightly to that greatest of all temptations, exces- 
 sive drinking, which brought so many evils in 
 its train, and which was so difficult to Overcome. 
 
 Perhaps the eagle eye of the priest had noted 
 the recess on the banks, where old Francois Fon- 
 tenoy, the celebrated Indian trader (who had 
 buried a brass kettle of gold at Presque Isle, and 
 which has caused as many explanations and con- 
 jectures as Kidd's treasure), had tapped a barrel 
 of genuine eau de vie to appease the thirsty. 
 
 After the blessing, all dispersed to give them- 
 selves up to the enjoyment of the day. The 
 young men amused themselves by shooting in the 
 air, which caused a stranger, who seemed by his 
 manner and dress to take no part in the day's re- 
 joicing, to say, ''They are shooting the devil out 
 of the neighborhood." One near him jestingly 
 replied, "Perhaps he was never here until you 
 came ; you must have brought him." An angry 
 flush crept over the swarthy face of the stranger, 
 who with a muttered something, turned on his 
 heels and joined old Fontenoy and his flowing 
 glass. 
 
 This man, Lizon by name,, had recently settled 
 at L' Anse Creuse. Being reserved in his manner, 
 he merely stated tliat he came from Montreal.
 
 Legend f< of Le Detroit. 173 
 
 He foinicd :i conrrast to the liul it -hearted villaii;- 
 ers, who lived as one faiiiily, shared eacli others 
 joys and sorrows, and who were closely bound l^y 
 the ties of early association and relationship. 
 Lizon rejected in a morose inaiiiK'i- fhcii- rricndly 
 overtures, and was soon left to the solitude he 
 seamed to co\»et. He possessed means, for he had 
 purchased land, and built an auberge where liquor 
 was the chief iiidiicHiiu'iit. 
 
 One day it was announced that Lizon had asked 
 Julienne, the. daughter of a respected habitant, to 
 marry him. The amazement of the gqpd people 
 was intense, as Julienne was ;i, sweet, pious girl, 
 and had rejected half of the youths of L'Anse 
 Creuse, whilst this Lizon was ugly, cross-eyed 
 and had a halt in his walk, besides had never 
 been known to enter the church. 
 
 How he won the damsel was a sort of mystery 
 to all, a constant theme of conjecture. Some 
 boldly said it was sorcery. The parents of the 
 girl were opposed to the mari-iage, but seeing how 
 headstrong she was, left her to her own devices. 
 
 Lizon refused to be married in church, as he 
 would then be obliged to attend to his religious 
 duties. Julienne besought him, but to no avail. 
 AVhat argument he used, wliat witchcraft he em- 
 ployed, is not known, but Julienne deserted her 
 home and came to live with Lizon. Father Gabriel
 
 174 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 who liad been absent, returned a few days after 
 and found his community excited over the scandal. 
 He immediately sent for both culjDrits. Neither 
 obeyed his confmand. The following Sunday 
 he hurled against them the fearful ban of excom- 
 munication, and stated that Lizon had a wife and 
 children whom he had deserted, living in Montreal. 
 From that day no one crossed the threshold of 
 Lizon' s door, — the grass grew rank, and seldom was 
 Julienne seen. Lizon' s rage knew no bounds; he 
 repaired a dilapidated barn and there kept liquor 
 for all who desired to procure it. Those who had 
 feared to go to the auberge flocked to this new 
 place and soon the evil influence of this drinking 
 was felt. The peace which reigned in this Arca- 
 dia of Lake Ste. Claire was broken ; dissensions, 
 quarrels and scandals arose. The voice of the 
 priest seemed powerless and his efforts paralyzed 
 by the demon of liquor. 
 
 Julienne, who was seldom seen, startled the 
 congregation one Sunday morning by standing in 
 front of the altar and asking public pardon, 
 through the priest, for the great scandal she had 
 caused. All in the church were melted into tears, 
 and the voice of the pastor was tremulous with 
 emotion as he welcomed back the erring sheep 
 into the fold. 
 
 When Lizon discovered the flight of Julienne,
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 175 
 
 that she liad ictiiriKMl to her God and to her i);ii'- 
 •ents, his anger was fearful. He swore that he 
 wonld have lier back, that he would spurn [iny- 
 thing that stood in his way. The bay would 
 sooner break its bonds than he forego his design. 
 It was New Year's eve, and every houseliold 
 was making preparations, for each expected a 
 visit fiom the d'Ignolee. This is an old custom, 
 traced to France, and by fragmentary history and 
 tradition away back to tlie Druids* and is still 
 kept up at Grosse Pointe and in Lower Canada, 
 A number of young men gather, masked and 
 armed with stout sticks, and visit each house suc- 
 cessively, in the village. They halt at the door 
 and sing their song. They are bidden in, and 
 after greeting the host and hostess, continue their 
 song in which they state that they come in ac- 
 <jordance with their promise to visit them annu- 
 ally. "We ask but little," they say, "a little 
 
 *Frcj-a, the wife of Odiu. the Saxon god, made all tliiiiirs swear 
 not to harml3al(]er, tlic Sun, except tlie mistletoe, a plant so di- 
 minutive that she did not think it worth noticing. Lake, god of 
 evil, found out his weak point however, and tearing up the mis- 
 tletoe gave it to Odin, the blind god, who with it fatallj^ i)iereed 
 Balder. That was the fable, and it was to prevent Lake from 
 slaying Balder that the Druids solemnlj' sought the oak trees and 
 ■gathered the mistletoe from their boughs with the joyous cry, 
 " Au gui I'an neuf," of which La d'Ignolee is a corruption, mean- 
 ing the mistletoe — the new year.
 
 176 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 piece of chignee, nothing more. Will you give 
 it ? If not, say so, and we will take your eldest 
 daughter." The chujnee to which allusion is here 
 made is a piece cut from a newly slaughtered 
 hog, with the tail depending therefrom. It is in- 
 variably put aside, with clothing and provisions, 
 for the singers, who place the offerings of all in 
 their cart, and afterward distribute them among 
 the poor. 
 
 The d'Ignolee knocked for admittance at the 
 door of Julienne' s father ; they were welcomed and 
 received their offerings. Whilst the party was 
 singing a sudden cry of distress caused all to rush 
 to the door. Nothing was seen and the d' Ignolee 
 immediately departed. The father called Juli- 
 enne for the evening rosary and receiving no 
 answer, went to her room ; she was not there. 
 Immediately they suspected that Lizon was among" 
 the d' Ignolee. The cry they had heard was hers 
 and a warning to the rest of the d' Ignolee to leave. 
 Messengers liew to stop the d' Ignolee and others 
 ran to Lizon' s, but they did not find Julienne. 
 Father Gabriel was sent for and he went to de- 
 mand Julienne of Lizon who laughed at him, say- 
 ing he did not recognize his authority and did not 
 understand why he. Father Gabriel, should inter- 
 fere with what did not concern him. The priest 
 answered that Julienne was one of his flock, she-
 
 Legends of Le JJttvoit ITT 
 
 had willingly left Lizon and he had stolen her. A 
 scream for help from the house was heard and 
 Julienne's father and others rushing in, found 
 her and brought her back. The night of horrors 
 was too much for her; she became a maniac. 
 Lizon, maddened by liquor and at the defeat of 
 his i)lans, in his rage struck the priest in the face 
 and blasphemed everything sacred. A few sprang 
 forward to seize Lizon, but the majority looked on. 
 
 Father Gabriel raised his hands and said that 
 Lizon has brought a curse on the place, and caused 
 others, by his bad example, to follow in his foot- 
 stejjs ; and he again pronounced the awful edipt 
 of excommunication against him. That unless he 
 repented, even in the grave he should have no rest ; 
 and all who aided or abetted him in his evil deeds 
 would suffer. Their church would he swept away hy 
 the rising waters. 
 
 Father Gabriel left for Fort Pontchartrain, and 
 Lizon took every occasion to distribute his vile 
 liquor and to malign the good character of the 
 priest. But somehow nothing seemed to prosper. 
 The season set in wet and storm j^, the fruit failed 
 to ripen and was blasted on the trees. The crops 
 were all destroyed and clouds of locusts devoured 
 the young grass. The people murmured among 
 themselves and looked for the return of the good 
 priest, whose interest in their behalf thev had re- 
 
 12
 
 178 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 warded with ingratitude, and on whose departure 
 disaster had come. One. day the old auberge was 
 closed, and it was said that Lizon had died unex- 
 pectedly. He was hurriedly placed in a coffin and 
 a grave dug in unconsecrated ground. As the 
 bearers were about to place the coffin in its final 
 resting place, they suddenly felt it grow lighter, 
 whilst out of the grave issued loathsome serpents 
 without number. For many days these occur- 
 rences were common gossip. Phantasmagorial 
 forms in white could be seen moving about, and 
 those who looked towards Lizon' s grave saw it 
 roll and heave, whilst the feu f ollet skipped about 
 in all directions. 
 
 A fearful storm set in, lashing the waves into 
 foamy billows mountain high and dashing them 
 against the shore with such force as to sweep over 
 the road. Higher and higher the waters crept, 
 climbing up towards the orchards of fine Colville 
 apples and the stately pears, survivors of the days 
 of "le grand monarch." Closer and closer the 
 angry surf came to the little church; the water 
 had undermined the quicksand beneath it, and 
 with a groan and deafening crash it sank into the 
 mighty element. The people frightened by the 
 fearful disaster fled in terror to the woods, where 
 they remained through the night. Day dawned 
 peaceably; the habitants returned to their deserted
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 17;> 
 
 homes, rebuilt their church, and by tlicir players 
 and the faithful observance of their duties, re- 
 moved the curse which rested on L'Anse Creuse.
 
 XXIV 
 
 SANS SOUCI AND OKEMOS. 
 
 The Legend of a Centenarian. 
 
 ONE of the best known houses in Detroit dur- 
 ing the early part of this century stood on 
 the north-east corner of the present Wood- 
 ward avenue and Woodbridge street, fronting on 
 the latter, then "par excellence" the fashion- 
 able street. A hospitable old French domicile 
 was this, with its big fire place occupying nearly 
 the entire side of a room in the centre of which 
 was a stout oaken table with carved legs and 
 rush-bottomed chairs around it. About the floor 
 were deer and buffalo skins on which unexpected 
 guests (frequently chiefs of the neighboring Indian 
 tribes) might stretch their weary limbs and with 
 their feet on the hearth beguile the night away.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 181 
 
 This was the home of Gabriel Godefroy, agent 
 of the Pottawatomies and Chippewas. Style 
 then was not a ruling element as at the present 
 time. General Cass relates that when he ar- 
 rived he found benches instead of chairs in ordi- 
 nary use, and tliat an old bottle was frequently 
 the nearest approach to a candlestick ; and ser- 
 vants being scarce he who served himself was 
 best served. So his friends often saw him re- 
 turning from market with a great yellow pump- 
 kin under his arm, and on occasions of necessity 
 he did not disdain to place across his broad 
 shoulders the neck-yoke, a certain machine with 
 two buckets pendent from its extremities, which 
 constituted the primitive water works, the river 
 then as now furnishing a never-failing supply of 
 the beverage. Long intercourse with the Indian 
 tribes had simplified the tastes of the habitants 
 and brought with it freedom from care and the 
 calls of the tax-collector. 
 
 The proprietor of this house previously men- 
 tioned, was one of the few born within the walls 
 •of old Fort Pontchartrain under French rule, 
 who survived all the eventful changes and who 
 lived to serve the American government forty 
 years. His boon companions were Chabert de 
 Joncaire, Descomptes Labadie, Francois de 
 Laselle, Jacques Canipeau, Antoine Beaubien,
 
 182 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Pierre Navarre, Antoine De Quindre, Jacques 
 Duperon Baby, Whittmore Knaggs and other 
 hardy pioneers of this outpost of civilization. 
 Some of them were sure to happen in at Gode- 
 f roy' s during the long winter evenings and would 
 meet there such chiefs as Tecumseh, Black Hoof, 
 Walk in the Water, Okemos (a nephew of Pon- 
 tiac) and others whose names are familiar. The 
 law required an Indian agent to keep open house 
 for all representative savages who chanced to 
 visit the post. How often have I sat by the 
 crackling fire of blazing logs, listening to the 
 wild tales of Indian fights, wonderful hunts, hair- 
 breadth escapes, etc., etc.! How they laughed as 
 they told the story of old Sans Souci, a super- 
 annuated mare the date of whose birth was 
 beyond the ken of the oldest habitant ! This 
 remarkable animal was the property of Gode- 
 froy's clerk, Jean Beaugrand, a mysterious old 
 bachelor who was himself looked askance at by 
 all the children of the fort on account of a 
 strange habit lie had of mumbling to himself. 
 How old Sans Souci survived for so many 
 yfears was inexplicable, for she was sure to visit 
 each neighbor's cornfield or watermelon patch 
 once a week, and before escaping therefrom had 
 to run a wild gauntlet of stones and sticks. The 
 more stolen provender she disposed of the leaner
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 183 
 
 she grew, until at last she became a veritable 
 scarecrow. No fence was high enough to keep 
 her out, and there was a tradition tliat she had once 
 jumped the pickets of the fort, twelve feet in 
 height. In case some over-exasperated habitant 
 shot at her she would merely Ivick up her heels 
 and switch her tail \)\ way of return salute. A 
 whip or club liad no effect on her except to cause 
 a sort of scowl and a malicious laying back of 
 the ears. On bright, sunny days she would saun- 
 ter forth on the narrow streets or stand with 
 downcast head on the corner for hours, evidently 
 communing Avith herself on by-gone scenes, only 
 aroused by a dog tight or a knot of idlers dis- 
 cussing politics in which she seemed to take a 
 lively interest. Occasionally she would open 
 wide her mouth in apparent laughter at the rec- 
 ollection of some old joke. At other times she 
 would shake her head wisely and blink with 
 the dignity of a sage judge delivering a pro- 
 found opinion. What Sans Souci w;is thinking 
 about no one could tell ; tliat an^is the mystery. 
 She would only brighten uji when her master, 
 Beaugrand, who seemed to have some private 
 understanding with her, appeared around the 
 corner and beckoned her to the barn just behind 
 the house. For an instant a reminiscence of 
 departed youth would animate her, causing her
 
 184 Legends of Le DetToit. 
 
 to prick up lier ears and forget her usual snail- 
 like pace, in expectation of fodder to come. Jean^ 
 used to avow tliat years before his old mare had 
 broken a leg in a race on the ice but that she 
 kept right on and won the race in spite of it. '' 
 Tradition has it that a line of steeds which 
 sprang from this same mare have a peculiar habit 
 of cutting up the same capers, even to this day. 
 It was in 1805, the year of the famous fire, that 
 a number of French and Indians were seated 
 around Godefroy's festal board. Numerous pota- 
 tions had exhausted the jug of cider, and Oke- 
 mos, who was present, became clamorous for 
 something stronger. "You will have to find 
 Jean, then," said Godefroy, "he has the key to 
 the cellar. ' ' The Indian immediately disappeared 
 but soon after returned in evident terror. He 
 announced that seeing a light in Beaugrand's 
 window over the barn, he had looked through 
 the chinks and saw Jean seated with the old 
 mare, Sans Souci, before a table and that both 
 were laughing and chatting together. It was 
 not strange that an Indian should believe this, 
 for they all looked on bears, wolves and beavers 
 as reasoning beings, and only prevented from 
 speaking by an evil spirit. Godefroy, to the 
 great horror of Okemos, exclaimed, ' ' We will 
 see about this," and followed by several of his
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 185 
 
 French guests ascended tlie ladder leading to 
 Jean's room, determined to put an end to this 
 spiritual seance. A Frenchman who cautiously 
 peeked through a crack avowed tliat he could 
 see Jean playing "seven-up" with the old mare, 
 and that they were pouring into a pewter cup 
 and drinking what looked by lamplight like 
 melted brass. Godefroy, indignant at such non- 
 sense, dashed his foot against the door which 
 yielded. Both the Frenchmen with him declared 
 they saw the old mare leap out of the window 
 when the door liew open, but Jean on being ac- 
 <5used of diabolical work insisted that he was 
 only concocting a little *'cidre au charbon" by 
 the light of his lantern, and that the mare would 
 be found in the stable below. Okemos, however, 
 who had followed, would not believe this story 
 but considered Godefroy a "big medicine" to 
 •dare to disturb the evil spirit at his meals. Ever 
 after this Godefroy' s influence with the Indians 
 was all-powerful. As to the old mare, her days 
 were numbered. A few weeks later the cry of 
 fire resounded though the post, and in a few 
 hours not a single habitation was left to indicate 
 where old Detroit had stood. The old barn, of 
 course, was burned, and the superstitious ones 
 who thought that Sans Souci was carried olf 
 by the devil in a cloud of smoke, were shown lier
 
 186 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 charred remains the next day. There were many, 
 however, who asserted that they saw the dreaded 
 Nain Rouge (or little red man), the traditional 
 fiend of the fort, on the roof of the barn just 
 l^ef ore it fell in, and that he grinned and chuckled 
 as he did on the day the old French flag was 
 hauled down. When war broke out with Eng- 
 land, the United States Government by a mistaken 
 policy at first allowed the Britisli to secure con- 
 trol of the Indian tribes. But after Winches- 
 ters defeat and the cold-blooded massacre of 
 Kentucky troops, ■ Okemos and his Chippewas 
 with many others, were secured to the American 
 cause by Godefroy's influence.'^ It was one of his 
 
 *Narrative of Elizabeth Ann Godefroy, daugliter of Judge 
 James May : ' ' About two weeks after the battle of the River 
 Raisin, during the absence of my husband from home, I pur- 
 chased a prisoner from a Pottawatomie Indian named Ta-tas- 
 sa. This was in the month of February, 1813. The Indians 
 were about to burn him at the stake in the yard before our house. 
 I called on my husband's clerk and interpreter, Raumaine La 
 Chambre, and said to him that he must devise some way to save- 
 the American. Being ill and near the period of confinement, the 
 interpreter said that if I were to ask of the Indians, the prisoner 
 as an adopted son they might give him up. So I followed his 
 advice, and on hearing the request they shrugged their shoulders, 
 saying, 'Oh! oh! it is bad medicine to refuse a woman in your 
 condition anything, but this is a Yankee dog and we must burn 
 him.' I then asked them what they would take for his ransom. 
 They replied, one hundred dollars. Having but ten dollars at 
 hand I offered tliem a fine black horse well saddled and bridled,.
 
 Le'gends of Le Detroit. 187 
 
 friendly Indians tliat ])i()Mg]it Godefroy tin* lii'Ht 
 news of Perry's victory, and the enthusiastic 
 Frenchman liastcned to promulgate it from liouse 
 to house, liiiliteiiiuii; the In'artsof a people almost 
 
 belonging to ray hu.sl)an(i, with two bundles of dry goods and a 
 lot of silver work (for Indian use) together with the ten dollars in 
 money, in all worth some two hundred dollars. But the Indians 
 replied, 'This is not money to us and we will not sell liiin.' I 
 then told them through the interpreter that we had in the cellar 
 a five-gallon keg of whiskey. At this they held a council among 
 themselves, and finally sold nw. the prisoner and went their way. 
 His name was John Henry, from Louisville, Kentucky. He said 
 his wife's name Avas Nancy Burnet, and that he had a child six 
 months old named Valentine. Immediately after the purchase I 
 gave him something to eat, and had the interpreter shave off his 
 beard and dress him in the garb of an old French voyageur, go as 
 to disguise him as much as possible, fearing that when the whis- 
 key was all gone the Indians would return and demand the pris- 
 oner, or more whiskey, which was not to he had at any price. 
 After a short rest I sent the prisoner under charge of a French- 
 man to my father, Judge May, of Detroit, wliom I desired to at- 
 tend to his exchange, which he did by .seiiding my brother, James 
 May, Jr., with him to Major Muir, British Connuandant. As I 
 had anticipated the Indians returned by daylight and brought- 
 back all that I had given them except the whiskey and demanded 
 the prisoner, or more whiskey. I told them through the inter- 
 preter I had given them all I had and they then began a search 
 about the house for the prisoner. La Chambre said to them : 
 'Now you see the poor woman after ])aying you well for the juis- 
 oner has lost all she gave and her adopted son also, for your Brit- 
 ish father sent his soldiers here last night and took him away from 
 her.' So half believing the story the}' left for the border of the 
 woods thinking lie might possibly be concealed there. The pris- 
 ■ oner on leaving promi.sed to write to me but if he did, his letters 
 never reached us."
 
 188 
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 driven to despair by Proctor's tyrannies and the 
 insatiable exactions of his savage allies. 
 
 While the site of the old house is still in pos- 
 session of Godef roy' s descendants, the ground on 
 which the old barn stood is occupied by a police 
 •station, and from the shrieks and groans that 
 often emanate from some of its frenzied occupants 
 while under the influence of potations of strych- 
 nine (modern whiskey), we may well infer that 
 the ghosts of both Sans Souci and the Nain 
 Kouge still haunt the si)ot.
 
 XXV 
 
 THE SIBYL'S PROPHECY. 
 
 A Legrend of the Huron .Villagre. 
 
 T WAS in August, 1806. 
 Tlie Hurons, following 
 their usual yearly custom 
 liad come to camp near the 
 church in Sandwich, to 
 celebrate what was then 
 called "Le Festin des 
 Sauvages," (The Indian 
 Feast). After assisting devoutly at mass, they 
 filed out one by one according to grade, for these 
 monarchs of the forest were as tenacious of their 
 rank as the Ancienne Noblesse of France, Avha 
 even respected tJie rights of precedence in mount- 
 ing the steps of the guillotine.
 
 190 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 A grand feast w^as prepared in the grove to 
 wliicli were invited the clergy and those of the 
 habitants whom the Hurons knew well and desired 
 to honor. The menu was not in strict conformity 
 to the rules of the superb epicure, Brillat Sava- 
 rin. But those who partook of the repast were 
 reared in that healthy atmosi:)here which demands 
 no sauce piquante to suggest appetite to blase 
 palates. It consisted of a soup made of game to 
 which were added corn and summer squash ; fresh 
 fish from the clear waters ; abundance of game, 
 well dressed; praline made of parched corn pound- 
 ed between two stones and mixed with maple 
 sugar (supplying the place of the modern baker' s 
 loaf to the wayfarers of early times) ; sagamite, a 
 porridge made of corn, and fruit completed the 
 bill of fare. 
 
 Among those present was Angelique Couture 
 who had been the " queteuse " for the collection 
 in the church that day, a task she performed in. 
 that easy, graceful manner peculiar to the French 
 girl. Another guest was Francois Navarre, whose 
 father was prominently connected with the Indian 
 trafiic, and whose fluent tongue had won for him 
 the sobriquet of Robiche (the sjDeaker). Francois 
 inherited his sire's facile and happy speech which, 
 added to charming and persuasive manners, gained 
 him many strong allies among the fair sex both
 
 ' Legends of Le Dotroit. 191 
 
 of Sandwich and Detroit. lie was distantly re- 
 lated to Angelique and ni;ul(^ that slender tie a 
 favorable 2:)retext to seek frequently the society of 
 the bright-eyed coquette who even carried the 
 witchery of her charms so far as to captivate the 
 hearts of the savage braves. 
 
 As soon as the meal was over the young men 
 ^ave themselves up to their favorite game of ball, 
 the chiefs smoked in dignified repose their be- 
 loved (ralumet. The children clustered around 
 "lebonpcre" to hear some holy legend, whilst 
 others more -volatile pursued the many hued 
 butterflies. The young squaws swept away the 
 debris of the feast, pausing now and then to 
 caress the little dusky pax)00se who, suspended 
 in the birchen cradle on the bough of a tree, was 
 swayed lazily by the breeze. 
 
 Angelique finding no amusement to divert her, 
 proposed to two of her companions that they 
 should seek the prophetess of the tribe, of whom 
 they had heard most marvelous tales. The 
 proposition rather frightened the timid girls, 
 but Angelique excited their curiosity to such a 
 degree that they eagerly followed her, and as they 
 leisurely strolled along she kept up their coui-age 
 by her inimitable mimicry until the forest rang 
 with their joyous laughtei-. 
 
 Suddenly a turn in llicir ]>a11i brouulit llifiu
 
 102 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 face to face with the object of their search. Lean- 
 ing over and stirring a l^ettle on the smouldering 
 fire, was the figure of a woman wlio was chanting 
 in a low monotone a song of incantation to which 
 she kept time by the swaying motion of her body. 
 This was the dreaded Sibyl whose solitary hab- 
 its, strange wanderings and wonderful gift of 
 prophecy had thrown a veil of mystery over her 
 which few had ever attempted to raise. No one 
 knew her history save that she had been made 
 a captive years before. She always followed 
 the tribe to its various encampments, yet lived 
 apart, never crossing a threshold save in cases of 
 severe sickness. Her knowledge of the different 
 healing herbs was considered equal to, if not 
 greater than that of the renowned medicine men. 
 The old habitants involuntarily crossed themselves 
 when the strange, stern woman passed them. 
 
 The girls on the impulse of the moment thought 
 of flight, but were arrested by an unaccountable 
 fascination. The woman evidently had heard 
 their approach, for she turned slowly and raising 
 herself up to her full height displayed a tall, com- 
 manding figure, a face bronzed by exposure, and 
 eyes accustomed to lonely vigils. She asked in a 
 deep, sonorous voice, "What do you seek % " Sum- 
 moning up courage Angelique tremblingly replied,, 
 "Knowledge of the future." "Heedless ones,"
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 10/} 
 
 she I'liplied, "read il for yourselves ; it is written 
 everywhere, on the brocad face of the sky, on the 
 leaves of the trees. Ere many moons this very 
 soil will l)e('Oine the scene of carnage; the air will 
 be iilled with lamentations. These woods which 
 have re-echoed to your careless merriment will re- 
 sound to the savage warwhoop and the tomahawk 
 will gleam in X\\q upraised hands. Lovers will be 
 separated, wives will be made widows and chil- 
 dren orphans. Go, you have heard enough." 
 
 Passively obeying her imperious gesture the 
 girls silently retraced their steps, with the gay 
 smiles frozen on their lips and the sunlight faded 
 from their eyes. But their other companions 
 joining them, enticed them into the mysteries of 
 the moccasin game, and with the careless insou- 
 ciance of youth they forgot for the moment the 
 Sibyl and her gloomy predictions. 
 
 The great comet of 1812 shortly afterwards ap- 
 peared as a premonition of war, and to the super- 
 stitious there were other signs of ill omen and dis- 
 aster. War was soon declared andspread its devast- 
 ing influence over the land, converting this fair 
 region into a scene of bloodshed and rendering its 
 peaceful homes desolate. Angeliqne's brothers 
 fought under the banner of St. George, her lover, 
 Francois, under the Stars and Stripes. These 
 were davs of anguish and suspense to the sad 
 
 13
 
 194 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 watchers at home, and Angelique's heart was 
 divided in its allegiance. She heard of the battles, 
 of the terrible massacres, of the sad fate of the 
 prisoners, but received no tidings of her lover. 
 
 One day Proctor passed through Sandwich on 
 his way to. his encampment near the church, and 
 elated by his recent success at the battle of the 
 river Raisin, was displaying in proud triumph 
 his captives, whose dejected mien, travel-worn and 
 weary forms covered with dust, appealed to the 
 tender sympathies of the spectators. 
 
 Among them Angelique recognized the stately 
 figure of her lover. Stunned by the blow she did 
 not realize its full meaning, until the sorrowful 
 procession had j)assed. Shortly afterwards to her 
 great surprise, Francois knocked for admission; 
 being so well known he had been paroled until 
 sunset, and one hour he had to spend with his be- 
 loved. Sad was the interview, bitter the parting; 
 for them there was no morrow. The well-known 
 character of Proctor whose cruelty equalled that of 
 his savage allies, left no hope for intercession. The 
 girl clung to her lover and frantically besoiight him 
 to fly, to avail himself of his liberty, to escape 
 the frightful death at the stake which awaited 
 him on the morrow. Her tender pleadings might 
 well unnerve a strong man, but honor triumphed 
 and pointing mutely to the setting sun, Fran-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 195 
 
 cois wrenclied himself from lier detaining arms 
 and witli her despairiiii'- cries ringing in liis 
 ears, readied the camp as tlie sun was sinking be- 
 low the horizon. 
 
 This act of extreme honor commanded even 
 Indian appreciation, and they left him uii])ound. 
 Sad and melancliol y were liis thouglits. J low much 
 that parting with Angeliqne* cost liim, and his 
 struggle with love and honor his altered face be- 
 trayed. JSIemories of the past greettnl liim every- 
 where, with no ray of ho2:)e to gild the gloom of 
 sorrow. 
 
 Savage cries of exultation awoke the doomed 
 man from his meditations. He saw the Indians had 
 all rushed to the beach to welcome new prisoners 
 who were landing, and in the hurry of the moment 
 had left him ungaurded. His practiced eye took in 
 the situation and commending his soul to his 
 Maker, he had vanished into the forest before the 
 barbarous warwhoops told him that his depart- 
 ure had been discovered, and that the red fiends 
 were in pursuit, 
 
 A squad of Dickson's noted savages hideous 
 in war paint and feathers, surrounded Ange- 
 li([U(^'s home. The interpreter explained that 
 Francois xsavarre had rej^orted himself as prom- 
 ised, but taking advantage of an unguarded mo- 
 ment had escaped. The Indians were impatient to
 
 196 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 enter, and the interpreter no longer able to restrain 
 tlieni, said tliat the house must be searched. Ange- 
 lique thanked God that her lover had escaped 
 but trembled at the idea of his capture, for it 
 seemed impossible for him to elude his pursuers. 
 The house swarmed with the savages who left no 
 spot unvisited. Even the chimneys were exam- 
 ined and the beds pierced by bayonets, until satis- 
 fied that the fugitive was not there, the Indians 
 leaving a guard in case he should seek refuge 
 there, withdrew. 
 
 An Indian chief came to Angelique a few days 
 later and triumphantly pointed to a fresh scalp 
 which hung at his belt, which the wretched girl 
 thought her lover's. The suspense, followed by 
 what she imagined was his tragic fate, was too 
 much for her to bear, and she gradually began to 
 fade. Soon afterwards a well-known token from 
 her lover found its way to her which brought life to 
 her heart and health to her cheeks. She learned 
 later that he had kept to the forest until he 
 reached where now is Walkerville, where he found 
 a canoe and crossed to the American side. After 
 the war there was great rejoicing, for the happy 
 lovers were united.
 
 XXVI 
 
 CAPTAIN JEAN. 
 
 A Legend of the First Militia. 
 
 ALEXIS Tiotier des Ruisseaiix belonged to a 
 (listingiiislied family of Quebec ; he came to 
 Detroit to join liis brother-in-law, the brave 
 and chivalrous Picote DeBellestre, the last French 
 Commandant of Fort Pontchartrain. Des lluis- 
 seaux here met and wedded the beautiful and as- 
 cetic Catherine Godef ro y de Marboeuf , whose pious 
 deeds have come down in liagmentary tradi- 
 tions to her brother's descendants, who to-day 
 reside in Detroit, and who revere and honor the 
 memory of their saintly ancestress. Alexis was 
 the first trustee of Ste. Anne's Church, and the first 
 captain of mill tin. 
 
 In 1700, when the lily of France, which had
 
 198 Legends of Le Detr^oit. 
 
 bloomed for sixty years on the fair soil of its 
 adoption, drooped before the fiery standard of 
 England, many of the old customs and traditions 
 of the French regime lay cradled in its folded 
 petals. 
 
 It was not until 1805 that the militia system 
 was resuscitated from the dust and cobwebs of 
 the past, though an attempt was made in 1796 by 
 Acting Gov. Sargeant. -But Gen. Hull after or- 
 ganizing the Territorial Government, formed the 
 first regiment of militia. It consisted of eight 
 companies, drawn from every part of the territory, 
 except the District of Erie. Jean Cecire was- 
 among the first of the French habitants who 
 joined the new militia. To the diplomatic pol- 
 icy of the Americans, anxious to conciliate the 
 ' French element, was he indebted for his rank of 
 Captain in the First Regiment of Michigan. He 
 never fully recovered from the shock of the honor, 
 and became so thoroughly imbued with the im- 
 portance of his position, that every detail of his- 
 dress and every action, bore the impress of this- 
 great event in his career. 
 
 His- conceit, j)retentious manners, and exag- 
 gerated self-importance, were endless sources of 
 merriment to the old habitants, who possessed 
 exquisite finesse in quickly detecting the foibles-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 199 
 
 of others, and were happy iu their piquante re- 
 marks, to which the indescribable and expressive 
 shrug of tlie shoulder, lent its humorous cliarm. 
 
 Jean would frequently go to see the regular 
 troops drill. Their severe discipline and military 
 exactness sorely puzzled him, aaid he thought it 
 must be owing to the words of command being 
 given in English, in which there was a hidden 
 magic. His knowledge of the language was al- 
 most as limited as his use of the pen, though his 
 ingenuity conquered the latter difficulty. The 
 names of the men of his company were printed 
 in order, so he used a pin to punch a hole after 
 the name of the absentee. But that tongue of 
 his, so facile, so easy to control in French, was 
 positively frozen in English. By wonderful strug- 
 gles he succeeded in thawing it into the semblance 
 of broken English. 
 
 The American officers stationed at the fort, to 
 the great delight of Capt. Jean, would frequently 
 request to be present at the drills, and the recital 
 afterwards by a graceful and graphic tongue of 
 these rare and quaint manoeuvres, awoke the 
 echoes of the mess room. It is to be regretted 
 that one officer at least, who had talent for 
 sketching, left no record of these strange scenes. 
 He would have won a debt of gratitude from 
 even this unleisurely age.
 
 200 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 The time of the general training had arrived, 
 and Capt. Jean was ordered to drill his company 
 on the commons. IS'o haughty Scottish chieftain 
 ever surveyed his tartan clan with prouder mien, 
 or more happy feelings surging in his heart, than 
 Jean his motley recruits. Some were in uni- 
 form, others in the gay dress of the habitants, 
 and their pieces and accoutrements represented 
 every variety known to the history of arms. 
 
 Gen. Hull was too exacting in his requirements 
 in time of peace, and demanded the same nicety 
 of order, dress, etc., as in the regulars, which 
 caused anger and insurbordination. He forgot 
 that these stepsons of France, though they in- 
 herited the bravery and love of glory inseparable 
 from the French character, had been placed in a 
 strange position by the various changes of gov- 
 ernment. They had been forced to adopt a pas- 
 sive policy, which had buried their enthusiastic 
 natures beneath a crust of indifference and indo- 
 lence. Their easy going life had little pre^oared 
 them to assume at once the rigid discipline of the 
 camp which Hull tried to enforce, though gradu- 
 ally they would have recognized its utility and 
 quietly submitted. 
 
 Capt. Jean ordered the Sergeant to call the roll. 
 He immediately proceeded to obey, the Captain 
 standing by in the full glory of regimentals.
 
 Legends of Le DHroit. 201 
 
 Sergeant — "Attention, Companie Francais Ca- 
 nadians ! Answer your name when I call it, if 
 you please. Took Tock Livernois '. " 
 
 No answer; at last a voice says, "Not here, 
 gone catch his lambreuer (fast j)acer) in the bush," 
 
 Captain — "Sergeant, put peen hole in dat man ! 
 •Go head!" 
 
 Sergeant — " Laurant Bondy V 
 
 "Here, sah." 
 
 ' ' Claude Campau % ' ' 
 
 "Here, Monsieur." 
 
 "Antoine SaliotteT' 
 
 Some one answers — "Little baby came last 
 night at his house, must stay home." 
 
 Captain — " Sergeant, put one preek on dat 
 .man's name." 
 
 Sergeant — " L 'enfant Riopelle ? " 
 
 "Here, sah." 
 
 Sergeant — "Pitou Laforest ?" 
 
 "Here, sah." 
 
 Sergeant — " Simon Meloche?" 
 
 "Not here. Gone to spear mushrat for argent 
 blanc." 
 
 Captain — " Sergeant, take your jun and scratch 
 •dat man." 
 
 After the roll was called and the absentees 
 pricked the Captain proceeded to drill his com- 
 pany.
 
 202 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Captain — " March ee ! Mes camarades, deux par 
 deux (two and two) like oxen,. and when you 
 come to dat stump stop," 
 
 They all made for the place and got there in a 
 heap, looking, with their various colored dresses, 
 like a rainbow on a spree. Disgusted at their 
 awkwardness, the Captain gave them a few min- 
 utes relaxation. Instead of resting ' 'au militaire, ' ' 
 they rushed off, one to smoke his beloved pipe, 
 another to polish his carbine, whilst others amused 
 themselves sitting on the grass and telling about 
 the races. 
 
 The Captain called them to try again. This 
 time he said : ' ' Marchee as far as dat Soulier de 
 boeuf (old shoe) in de road, den turn ! Right, 
 gauche, left about ! Shoulder xm\s,-lceete ! Avance 
 done, back ! Drill fineesh ! ' ' 
 
 An English Sergeant drilled the company dur- 
 ing the war of 1812, and was a source of great ad- 
 miration to Capt. Jean. 
 
 At the battle of Mongaugon Capt. Jean led his 
 company. They fought well and bravely, but he 
 lost his Sergeant and his men began to waiver. 
 Jean was brave but powerless to rally them, or 
 make them fall in ranks. He forgot the few 
 words of command he was master of, and great 
 beads of perspiration stood on his brow. At last 
 he broke forth :
 
 Legend Si of Le Deiro'd. 203 
 
 "Fix yourself, as pauvre Jim did, den, by Gar, 
 follow me." 
 
 ^fany years aftei-wards a son of Capt. Jean, 
 who bad inherited liis lather's military taste and 
 some of his peculiarities, once met old Oshkosh, 
 Black Hawk's celebrated lieutenant. 
 
 The dusky warrior was quietly seated in one of 
 the inns of the day, enjoyini;- his calumet, envel- 
 oped in a soft mist of smoke which wove his 
 thoughts with the past. Suddenly a loud voice 
 resounded, and a gay figure entered with a swag- 
 gering bearing, rudely snapping the thread of 
 Oshkosh' s reverie. Many were present who knew 
 the old brave's aversion to the militia, and thought 
 of amusing themselves at his expense ; so they 
 introduced Lt. Cecire. From under his bushy 
 eyebrows the Indian gazed at him and grunted 
 forth : 
 
 "Infantry?" 
 
 "No," was the reply. 
 
 "Dragoon V 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Artillery?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 Pausing a moment to think if there were another 
 branch of the service in wliich to locate the Lieu- 
 tenant, suddenly a light dawned on the Indian's
 
 204 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 mind. Hastily jumping up, lie with a most dis- 
 gusted expression Mssed : 
 
 "Melish?" 
 
 "Yes," was the triumphant reply. 
 
 "Oh, h — 1," said Oshkosh, and rushed from the 
 house.
 
 XXVII 
 
 KENNETTE'S VISION. 
 
 A Xiegrend of Springrwells. 
 
 A FEW years ago the figure of an old woman: 
 was frequently seen on our principal streets, 
 whose qnaint dress, erect bearing and keen 
 piercing eyes, challenged the attention of every 
 passer-by. She seemed to be a relic of a past age, 
 who had strayed by accident into the present and 
 was at variance with her surroundings. To-day, 
 after slumbering for fifteen years, her restless 
 spirit seems to revive and cause agitation in civil 
 as well as political circles. 
 
 Marie Louise Thebault, generally called " Ken- 
 nette," well known to the older portion of our 
 French community and by tradition to its younger 
 members, dwelt in a little old wooden house on
 
 206 Legends of Le Detroit 
 
 the River road, opposite the Lafferty homestead. 
 A stately elm threw its majestic shadow over the 
 humble dwelling, seeming to shield it from rude 
 winter blasts and to protect it from the summer's 
 intense sun. Alone she lived here like a hermit. 
 Her sister had married against her wishes, for 
 Kennette was no advocate of matrimony. She be- 
 lieved in woman's rights ; was a sort of pioneer 
 in that doctrine among the people of those times, 
 and to-day would have been a powerful ally to 
 the leading spirits of the question. 
 
 A distinguished writer says : ' ' Show me a 
 man's room and I will tell you his character." 
 Kennette' s dress forcibly illustrated the applica- 
 tion of the remark. It was stamped by her strong 
 individuality. At all seasons she wore a calico 
 dress, rather scant, short enough not only to 
 clear the ground, but to bring out in bass-relief an 
 ankle whose outline freed it from all suggestive- 
 ness of symmetry. Hooks and eyes, and even 
 buttons, were superfluous luxuries when pins 
 could be substituted, and failing these a thorn 
 would answer. A red handkerchief around her 
 neck was crossed on her breast ; a coarse cotton 
 cap with a deep frill, innocent of starch and 
 fluting, emphasized each movement of that decided 
 head ; a check sunbonnet for outside wear, a blue 
 umbrella and a pair of stout shoes of her own
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 'J<>7 
 
 manufacture, completed a costume as character- 
 istic as it was uiiiciiie. 
 
 She seemed to scorn the usual gentler accom- 
 plishments of her sex, yet with a strange incon- 
 sistency frequently found in positive natures, she 
 hated man, but adopted his pursuits. Never did 
 her voice keep time to the music of the spiiiiiiiig 
 wheel, nor did the steel needles Hash througli 
 those fingers knitting stockings in which so 
 many weave the history of their past, or build 
 €astles for the future. Seated on a wooden bench, 
 with all the cobbler s implements, she would vol- 
 unteer to make shoes for the children and warrant 
 their durability, and even the most pronounced 
 hoyden found Miss Kennette's sabots j-^/tW de re- 
 sistance^ which defied everything save beauty. 
 
 No cat ever basked in the warmth of her hearth, 
 no cow stood in her stall, no dog barked a joyous 
 welcome as she crossed the threshold of her 
 dreary and lonesome home. These were luxuries 
 only for the wealthy, she said. Her means were 
 more than sufficient to gratify her simple tastes 
 and to allow her some indulgences, but she was 
 penurious to a miserly extent. The neighbors 
 along the River road all knew her well, and al- 
 ways gave her vegetables and fruits. Her evenings 
 were invariably spent out to save light and fuel, 
 and it was a rare treat and a token of particular
 
 208 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 good will if Miss Kennette brought her violin. She 
 had a good ear for music, and with cultivation 
 might have been an excellent performer, but her 
 untutored efforts were rather crude. The children 
 would cluster around her at a respectful dis- 
 tance, for Miss Kennette was a warm advocate of 
 the doctrine that ' ' children should be seen, not 
 heard." Woe to the little urchin whose percept- 
 ive powers were too keen and who dared to ask why 
 Miss Kennette used so much rosin, and was al- 
 ways shifting corners, complaining one was too 
 warm, another too cool for her violin, and why 
 she did not make it speak like George Maison- 
 ville's (a noted fiddler in those days). A tingling 
 sensation and a peculiar redness of the ear warned 
 the luckless boy not to repeat his questions. 
 
 She read much, and mostly works that tended 
 to render her skeptical in religious matters. She 
 had no patience with those who told her wonder- 
 ful stories of apparitions. She was always ready 
 for an argument, and would emphasize her dec- 
 larations with expressions which, though original 
 were more forcible than elegant. Toward the close 
 of her life an incident happened which invested 
 her with more than usual interest, caused a de- 
 cided change in her religious belief and left its 
 impress upon her character. There are many still 
 living who have heard her relate it and who, know-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 209^ 
 
 iiii; the strong, self-reliant nature of the woman, 
 could not helj) being deeply imi)ressed. 
 
 It was a bright moonlight night, and Kennette 
 was spending the evening with a neighbor who 
 lived near, and amusing all, as usual, by her quaint 
 and piquante conversation. She was relating how 
 she had allowed an elderly friend of hers to rent 
 a room in her house, so that by the arrangement 
 she would not only get a little rent, but could use 
 the fire and light of her boarder ; that this person 
 was always preaching to her and destroyed all 
 her pleasure, and that if her instincts of econ- 
 omy were not so well developed, she would not 
 go near her. ''It is not pleasant," she said, ''to 
 be told that the books I read are wicked, that they 
 instill poison into my heart, and that when I am 
 old I will be stranded on the shore of remorse and 
 despair. Well, to hush her uj) I made an agree- 
 ment. 'I don't believe in hell or purgatory,' I 
 said, ' so if you die first come back ; if I should, I 
 will return. Just apjDear and I will know that 
 there is such a place.' " 
 
 The bargain was made, and Kennette for a Avliile 
 sunned heiself in the borrowed warmth of another's 
 fire and had cont<>ntment. But the restless Ken- 
 nette soon quarreled with the boarder, a good, 
 pious soul, and told her she would never forgive 
 her for some imaginary wrong she fancied the old
 
 210 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 woman had done her. Shortly afterwards the 
 boarder died, and Kennette stood inflexibly and 
 sternly beside the dying l)edside and said she 
 would not forgive, but their compact would hold. 
 
 Whilst she was talking to her neighbors one 
 evening and sipping cider, of which she was very 
 fond, one of the boys of the house returning 
 from town, asked Miss Kennette why she left a 
 light burning in her house, fot knowing the old 
 woman's miserly liabits, he had thought it strange. 
 Jumping up and seizing a poker, she said she 
 would go over and find out who dared enter her 
 habitation. Ctthers accompanied her. Nothing 
 but darkness reigned there, although the boy 
 ,said positively he had seen a light ; they thought 
 probably it was the light of a fisherman's boat 
 passing on the river, and dismissed the subject. 
 But night after night the same occurrence took 
 place and people spoke about it and avoided 
 passing near the old house. It always happened 
 on an evening when Miss Kennette was away. 
 
 Worried by the reports, and having witnessed 
 this shifting light and searched everywhere for it. 
 Miss Kennette determined to discover the cause, 
 for she was not at all superstitious nor afraid of 
 anything. 
 
 One evening she returned earlier than usual, 
 softly let herself in by the back door and imme-
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 211 
 
 diately retired. Hardly had slie composed her- 
 self to slee]\when she saw the reflection of a dim 
 light on the wall at the head of the stairs. Tlie 
 upper room was not divided and the staircase was 
 in the center. The light grew larger and larger, 
 as if a person were carrying it \\\\ the stairs. 
 Seated bolt upright in her bed, which was in a 
 corner of the room ne;ii" the west window, Ken- 
 nette watched for flie solution of a mystery which 
 had so long baffled her. A stranger to fear, she 
 was cool and collected, and patiently waited the 
 developments. At last the light seemed to have 
 arrived on the top step. It was no candle, no 
 lantern, but a |)<iculiar vivid white light. It 
 glided along the wall and as it came nearer to her 
 bed, it suddenly assumed the outlines of a figure 
 draped in clouds. Then a tremor ran through 
 her. Her blood became chilled; new sensations 
 crept over her. Rousing herself she rubbed her 
 eyes, saw she was not dreaming and realized that 
 it was no idle fancy but a fearful reality. Slowly 
 was the apparition gliding along towards her. See- 
 ing she nuist do something to arrest its progress, 
 she said : " Come no nearer ; I know you. I believe 
 and T forgive," and as the mysterious light came, 
 so it disa|)i)eared. 
 
 From that day forward all noticed a change. 
 The dark hair was bleaclied, wrinldes were writ-
 
 212 
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 ten oh that stern face and a softer expression 
 played over it. She returned to the faithful per- 
 formance of her spiritual duties, and the Nemesis 
 which had haunted her steps appeared satisfied, 
 for the weird light was seen no more in her des- 
 olate home.
 
 XXVIII 
 
 THE FISHERMAN OF GROSSE POINTE. 
 
 A Legrend of the Grand Marais. 
 
 GROSSE POINTE was peculiarly congenial to 
 the early settlers by its position, its beauty 
 and other advantages. Perhaps a shadow 
 of sentiment rested upon it in its suggestion of 
 picturesque Normandy, souvenirs of which were 
 tenderly cherished by the pioneers. Wherever 
 we' go we carry the image of our early surround- 
 ings, and unconsciously a new place or scene 
 appeals to us, by the resemblance it bears to this 
 revered picture. The imagination, like a skillful 
 diplomat, catches its clue from the heart, and 
 weaves its alluring net -work of enchantment. 
 Even inanimate objects contribute to this decep- 
 tion, for we remain attached to the down on which
 
 214 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 our prosperity has slumbered, and still more to 
 the straw on whiclj we counted the days of our 
 adversity. 
 
 The waters of Lake Ste. Claire grow shallow as 
 they near the shores of Grosse Pointe, as if un- 
 willing to break the harmonious silence by harsher 
 sounds than the low breathing of its waves on the 
 j)ebbles, thus affording a safe haven from severe 
 storms, and allowing the timorous to stray a great 
 distance out without fear of a worse fate than a 
 ducking. Here, as along ' ' La Cote du Nord Est, ' ' 
 fishing was extensively carried on, and with the 
 same avidity as at present. An old tradition say's 
 that here two bachelor brothers resided, whose 
 skill in the manufacture of nets and w^hose suc- 
 cessful hauls of fish were widely known, Hy polite 
 and Pierrish Tremblay by name. The elder was. 
 surnamed Le Gascon, from the wonderful things 
 he reported having seen, and from his supersti- 
 tious nature. They exchanged their daily catch of 
 fish with their neighbors for corn, I'huile d'ours 
 (bear's oii), a dainty edible then, and other nec- 
 essaries. 
 
 Their pursuits, like the commercial ventures of 
 modern times, were subject to fluctuations. One 
 autumn their nets were frozen into the ice by a 
 sudden sharp cold. When the early spring thaw 
 came, it broke up the nets and carried them away.
 
 Legends of Le Ditroit. 215 
 
 More provident 1h;ni tlif jivcrage fuii-loviiig- Ca- 
 nadian, they liad sufficient "livres tours" (the- 
 currency of the day) to begin anew. " Soineliow 
 luck deserted them and appeared to have drift- 
 ed away in the broken meshes of the okl nets, 
 for morning and evening wlicii they drew in the 
 seine it was empty, save for a few meagre lierring 
 and hungrj' catfish, instead of the succulent white 
 fish and muskallonge.* Tlie prosj^ect seemed dark 
 for tli<» fisliermen, and a plenary court of Lent 
 would soon reign if matters coiitiiiu<'(l thus much 
 longer. 
 
 "'Let us consult le bon pere," said Pierrish, 
 the younger, after the brothers had been discuss- 
 ing tile ])rp('arious situation. " Bah ! " answered 
 Hypolite witli a feeble expression. He was much 
 given to profanity, had received several rebukes 
 on that score from the priest, and hence was not 
 friendly toward liim. "He can do nothing ; some 
 enemy has ' donnce le sort' (bewitched) our lisliery, 
 it is no use trying to do anything ; I am going 
 elsewhere, you may remain if you wish." ISo the 
 brothers separated, one to search for new fishing 
 grounds, the other to consult th<^ i)riest. Pienisli 
 laid the situation before the cure, who listened 
 attentively, then said, "Mon fils, choose St. Pat- 
 
 *Muskanoge, corniptL-d iuto Muskallonge, is the tinest lisli of 
 the lakes.
 
 216 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 rick as your partner and divide each day's catcli 
 with him, selling the Saint's portion for the poor."* 
 
 On his homeward way, Pierrish revolved in his 
 mind the advice of the priest, and made a solemn 
 vow to follow it strictly. Full of hope, he cast 
 his nets that evening, promising- it to be the 
 Saint' s portion ; the morning haul he would mod- 
 estly reserve for himself. So when the net came 
 in it was filled with fish, and while his catch in 
 the morning was empty, the Saint' s was always 
 full. He pondered over the matter and was 
 strongly tempted to keep the Saint's portion. 
 Hypolite taunted him with his ill-luck, yet Pier- 
 rish remembered his vow and conscientiously 
 brought the fish for sale, giving the proceeds to 
 the poor. Finding that this mode was ruining 
 him, he again visited the priest and told him of 
 his misfortune. The priest, after hearing his 
 story, said : 
 
 ' ' Your simple faith and honesty will meet with 
 its reward. Divide the proceeds of each net with 
 your partner. You have stood a test of, honesty 
 which few in your position could have done." 
 From that time Pierrish became so successful that 
 
 * It was a beautiful custom then to bring to the church door the 
 first fruits, fish or game, of the season, selling them to the highest 
 bidder, the proceeds going to the poor, and for masses to relieve 
 the suffering souls of purgatory.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 217 
 
 he was known as "the Incky lisli<Mnian of Grosse 
 Pointe." 
 
 Hypolite met witli indifferent success, was al- 
 ways warning liis brother, and looked with dis- 
 trust upon this saintly partnership. His super- 
 stitious nature always conjured up some evil 
 omen. "You will be inveigled into the lake and 
 turned into a lish. Do you not remember the 
 Indian legend relative to the origin of the poisson 
 blanc (white fish), formed of the brains of a woman 
 ■whom the Manitou had loved for a while, then 
 •cracked her skull on the rocks of Sault 8te. 
 Marie? Your partner, St. Patrick, wDl play 
 you a trick. Did he not eat pork chops on Fii- 
 •day by di])])ing them in water and changing them 
 into orthodox trout '. Beware ! " 
 
 Pierrish would only smile at his vagaries. One 
 ■day he was startled by Hypolite rushing into the 
 house in a state of nervous excitement, wTinging 
 his hands and saying : 
 
 " Some terrible disaster is to befall one of us." 
 . "Explain yourself," said Pierrish. 
 
 "Well," said Hypolite, "as 1 was leaving Bap- 
 tiste Cochois, live miles from here, the cock <'rew 
 and Baptiste said, ' You will meet company on 
 the road, that cock tells you,' I was trotting 
 along in my charrette (cart) when I spied a lady's 
 mulf by the wayside. Thinking it was stiange
 
 218 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 to see such an article at this mild season, I got 
 out to secure it. As soon as I approached it the 
 muff began rolling. Becoming angry, and thinking 
 the motion was caused by the wind, I still pursued 
 it, but in vain ; it eluded my grasp. Thoroughly 
 frightened, I jumped into the charrette and trotted 
 away as fast as I could, but the terrible thing 
 followed me and actually jumped into and out of 
 the cart. It must be the Manchon Roulant."* 
 
 Pierrish said, "If you had had holy water 
 instead of brandy in that bottle, you could 
 have exorcised that spirit. Go back where you 
 saw the Manchon Roulant ; if it is still there, 
 cross yourself and boldly walk up to it, and be- 
 fore attempting to pick it up ask, ' What day of 
 the month is Christmas day?' '"'\ Hypolite, in 
 fear and trembling, returned to the place, and 
 
 * Manchon Roulant ( Rolling Muff ). A superstition devoutly- 
 believed in many years ago, and still traditional among the habit- 
 ants of Grosse Pointe. 
 
 f There were said to be two means to exempt oneself from any 
 evil consequences arising from the tricks of the most malicious of 
 goblins. The first was, on meeting the goblin to ask it, "What 
 day of the month is Christmas day? " The goblin, which is never 
 very well up in the calendar, will reply by asking the same ques- 
 tion. Woe betide the traveller if he hesitates in answering. The 
 second means was by placing two sticks in the form of a cross 
 on meeting a goblin.. 
 
 Parents were very particular in teaching their children to re- 
 member the day Christmas came on, to protect them from the feu 
 follet, the Loup Garou and other goblins.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. "IVJ 
 
 Bure enough the dreaded object was there. Fer- 
 vently crossing himself, he cautiously approached 
 the mysterious thing, which, strange to say re- 
 mained immoveable. Closer he approached the 
 mysterious ball of fur, and with eager, out- 
 stretched hands Avas ready to seize it, when sud- 
 denly bethinking himself of the question to put 
 to it, in his excitement he blurted forth his usual 
 oaths. Instantly there streamed forth a counter 
 blast as from a fiery furnace, and a terrible odor 
 filled the air, which struck him full in the face. 
 Hypolite, nearly suffocated, in two bounds reached 
 the lake, and as soon as he had recovered con- 
 sciousness exclaimed, "La bete puante."* His 
 brother impressed it upon him that it was a pun- 
 ishment for his profanity, and whenever after- 
 wards the Manchon Roulant was mentioned as a 
 marvelous thing, it was observed, that Hypolite 
 suddenly disappeared. 
 
 * Viiiiously known as stinking beast, enfant du diable (chikl of 
 the devil ), skunk, or pok'-cat.
 
 - XXIX 
 
 THE GHOST OF MONGAUGON. 
 
 A Legrend of Hull's Surrender. 
 
 THE dark, blackened ruins of a city, its poor 
 stricken habitants gazing with tear-stained 
 eyes on the gray ashes of their homes and 
 hopes. Such was the scene which greeted the 
 newly appointed Territorial Governor Hull, Stan- 
 ley Griswold, the Secretary, and Augustus Wood- 
 ward, the Chief Justice, on their arrival at Detroit 
 the morning of the 6th of June, 1805. The night 
 before a destructive fire had swept away every 
 vestige of the old French town. Its quaint houses 
 constructed of square logs, the steep roofs pierced 
 with dormer windows and crossed with ladders in 
 case of fire, its narrow streets of sixteen feet and 
 sidewalks a foot wide formed of hewn logs, its
 
 Legends of Le JJctroit. 221 
 
 Norman and Indian relics, tlie quaint old furni- 
 ture valuable only for its association with the 
 past, decrees, deeds, letters and documents price- 
 less legacies to the historian, perished in that 
 ni^ht. Fate seemed to say, "This is a liok)caust 
 to departed memories. The cross of St. (xeorge, 
 the lily of France have been dismantled, but the 
 bright stars gleam like gems of promise through 
 the tattered shreds. Cheer up, the past claims 
 only your tears, the future will bring to you pros- 
 perity and happiness which you have sought in 
 vain for an hundred years." Judge Woodward 
 recognized the moment as a propitious one to Avin 
 the hearts of the French settlers, and thus elo- 
 quently championed their rights, when it became 
 necessary to divide the land and partition it among 
 the dispossessed habitants: "He will not argue 
 with you on your laws, or your forms, or your 
 systems of policy and government. He looks 
 only for that pittance of soil on which, perhaps, 
 he drew his breath. He cannot be intimidated 
 by threats, nor be induced to part witli Ins lands, 
 the hopes of himself and family, by any allure- 
 ments of money. Tell him that you will dispos- 
 sess him ; he folds his hands with a pious resigna- 
 tion and commits the event to God. Amidst tlie 
 collisions of nations, the incessant din of arms, 
 the tide of revolution, h<> has lost a country to love
 
 ^22 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 and by which to be loved in return. Cast among 
 strangers to his language, his jurisprudence and 
 religion, he asks only a small, obscure spot upon 
 the earth on which to spend in peace the Heeting 
 transit of his existence." 
 
 A new town had sprung from the ruins of the 
 old one, and the poor country-tossed settlers had 
 thought that at last they were anchored in peace. 
 The tocsin of war was sounded again in 1812. 
 Gov. Hull, enfeebled by age, and perhaps too 
 friendly toward the enemy, was defending the 
 beleaguered garrison against a powerful force of 
 British with their countless savage allies. The 
 brave troops, under Cass, Mc Arthur and other 
 gallant leaders, were ready to shed their blood for 
 the defence of the settlement. The militia, long 
 verse'd in Indian warfare, felt confident of repel- 
 ling the foe. A series of preliminary skirmishes 
 were constantly going on. It was a trying crisis 
 for the habitants ; many families were divided, 
 members of each being arrayed on opposite sides. 
 Angus Mcintosh, a Scotch gentleman, dwelt with 
 his charming family on the Canadian shore. His 
 daughter Marie was beloved by a young Canadian 
 officer named Muir, but who was too timid to de- 
 clare his love. 
 
 On the 9th of August an attack was to be made 
 at Mongaugon on a body of Americans by a force
 
 Legends of Le JJitroit. 223 
 
 of British troops and Wyandot Indians nnder 
 their celebrated chieftain, Walk in the Water. 
 The command to which lA. Muir belonged was 
 assigned the post of honor and peril, the forlorn 
 hope in the projected expedition. He felt that 
 now was the time to tell his love, that he could 
 fight better knowing that he bore ]Marie"s color 
 and was cheered by her smile. Obtaining a short 
 leave, he presented himself at the Mcintosh man- 
 sion and found his lady-love alone. He ^pleaded 
 his cause with all a soldier s ardor. Some un- 
 accountable freak of coquetry made her tui n an 
 indifferent ear to his passionate appeal. SIk^ had 
 been annoyed at his timid wooing, and reasoning 
 with a girlish logic, was determined to retaliate. 
 The young officer did not understand these tactics, 
 and overcome by the disapi)ointment to his cher- 
 ished hopes, he hastily left the house. Marie 
 thought he was only piqued. " He certainly 
 must know that I love him,"" she argued, "men 
 are so stupid and mattoi'-of-fact ; they take 
 months to make up their minds to woo a girl, and 
 if she do not immediately say 'yes' feel them- 
 selves aggrieved and wounded.'' Seeing that he 
 did not ivturn she becamt^ anxious, and going to 
 the door, called hiuj, but only the mocking echo of 
 his steed's retreating hoofs returned to her ear. 
 That evening: when she retired to her loom, the
 
 224: Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 shadow of a great impending woe seemed to hover 
 abont her. The long, weary hours of the night 
 were measured by her tears and self-reproaches. 
 Towards morning exhausted nature asserted her 
 claim, and the anguisil-rent heart lay in her em- 
 brace. But brief was the slumber. Marie was 
 awakened by the sound of muffled footsteps near 
 her bedside. Hastily drawing aside the curtain she 
 saw her lover standing near her couch, the bright 
 moonlight revealing every detail of his figure. 
 His face was that of a corpse, whilst blood oozed 
 from a ghastly wound in his forehead. A faint- 
 ness seized her as she heard a far-away voice say,^ 
 " Fear not, Marie, I fell to-night in honorable battle. 
 I was shot through the head. My body lies in a 
 thicket. I beg you, rescue it from the despoiling 
 hand of the savage and from the wild beasts of 
 the forest. The Americans will not long exult. 
 Traitors sit around their camp fires and listen ta 
 their councils. Our blood has not been shed in 
 vain. The standard of old England Avill float 
 again over Detroit. Farewell, may you be happy.' ' 
 As he spoke he touched lightly her right hand. 
 At that terrible sensation of coldness born only of 
 the grave, she sank into unconsciousness. 
 
 The sun was flooding her room when she re- 
 turned to her senses, and to a dim remembrance 
 of a most frightful dream. Trying to recall eacli
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 225 
 
 detail she suddenly glanced at her hand, ;ind to 
 lier horror saw that it had been branded by the 
 phantom touch; there was its impress left by deep, 
 dark marks. It was not then a dream but a 
 reality, and a sacred mission had been intrusted 
 to her. Hurriedly throwing on her garments she 
 called for her horse, bade a servant follow her, 
 and rode at full speed to Brock's camp at Maiden. 
 Here all was in a state of commotion. She found 
 Walk in the Water, whom she knew well, as- 
 tonished him by telling him about the battle, 
 and induced him to paddle her in a canoe over 
 the river to the battle field. Here, in tlie thicket, 
 with a bullet hole in his head, she found her dead 
 lover, and ordered the savages to take his remains 
 to Sandwich for burial. On that sad anniversary 
 for many years afterwards, the ghostly form of a 
 British officer could be seen gliding through the 
 shady groves of Mongaugon towards the river. 
 Marie won later the love of a noble man who had 
 heard of her early romantic story. Ever after- 
 wards she wore a blacdv glove on her right hand, 
 and every 9th of August, dressed as a mendicant, 
 sandal footed, she went from house to house from 
 Sandwich to AVindsor asking alms for the poor. 
 * It was a penance self-imposed in atonement for 
 her pride and coquetry. 
 
 The soldier's prediction proved tiiie. On the 
 
 ' 15
 
 226 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 16th of August, whilst Judges Moran and With- 
 erell (then mere boys, but who in their patriotism 
 had enrolled themselves in Jacques Campeau's 
 company) were on guard, they noticed a white 
 flag suddenly hoisted. The excitement was in- 
 tense when it was learned that it was the signal 
 of surrender. So unexpected, so uncalled for 
 an event cansed the soldiers to doubt it. Gen. 
 Cass, in his indignation, broke his sword in pref- 
 erence to giving it up to the enemy, an example 
 followed by many others. As the British troops 
 marched in triumx)h into the fort, the long line of 
 French militia stood with bowed heads and tears of 
 shame coursing down their bronzed faces, as for 
 the fourth time they saw the flag they felt so able 
 to defend changed for that of their hereditary 
 foes. 
 
 Wayne Co., from Gen. Anthony Wayne, who first raised the 
 Stars and Stripes over Detroit. 
 
 Woodward Ave., from Augustus Brevoort Woodward, the first 
 >Chief Justice of Michigan. 
 
 Gkiswoi.d St., after Gov. Hull's Secretary. 
 
 Bates St., from Judge Bates. 
 
 Shelby St., from the gallant Kentucky Governor. 
 
 CroghanSt., from a young officer who distinguished himself 
 in the war of 1813. 
 
 Cass Ave., also Cass St., after Gen. Lewis Cass. 
 
 Macomb St. , after Gen. Alex. Macomb. 
 
 Through the ignorance of street car conductors, and the lack of 
 interest or veneration for the past evinced by some members of
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 227 
 
 the Common Council, the old system of nomenclature was changed 
 and the numerical one adopted. The intelligence of those who 
 advocated this system seems to have been limited to a knowledge 
 of the letters of the alphabet and the numerals. 
 
 AiiPKNTS. — The French arpent is a square, the side of which 
 is 193 feet 8 inches. 
 
 The American acre is a square, the side of which is 208 feet 8^ 
 inches.
 
 XXX 
 
 THE EVE OF EPIPHANY. 
 
 A liegrend of Perry's Victory. 
 
 I HE visitor to Detroit's "Hotel de Yille" 
 (City Hall) will notice on either side of 
 the main entrance, two "long nines" 
 mounted on stone carriages. These grim sen- 
 tinels are the trophies of the great "Battle of 
 Lake Erie." The proud Mistress of the Seas for 
 the first time in her history was forced to sur- 
 render an entire fleet, and to children whose gi'and- 
 sires she had cradled. Young America points to 
 these cannons with pride and a glow of patriot- 
 ism steals into his heart as he reads the thrilling 
 account of the battle. The grey haired Octogen- 
 arian tenderly pats the guns and recalls memories
 
 Legends of Le DHroit. 229 
 
 of days that have gone, social pleasures, friends of 
 his youth and beauty mouldering in the grave. 
 
 In 1801, some years before the outbreak of 
 hostilities with England, the habitants of these 
 "Cotes " had, with returning jprosperity resumed 
 much of their old time gaiety. In Winter the ex- 
 citing races on the ice between the swift French 
 ponies ; in the Spring the annual crop of wed- 
 dings with the long procession of "charrettes" 
 (French carts) laden with a joyous, light-hearted 
 freight of gay girls ; and in Autumn the corn 
 huskings, were again in vogue. Each feast 
 day of the church had its peculiar and appro- 
 priate customs handed down from their Norman 
 ancestry. 
 
 It Avas on the eve of one of these, the Epipli- 
 nny, tliat in a hospitable old mansion on the 
 present site of Windsoi*, was ;isseuil)led a ]>n*lliant 
 party of stately dames, fair demoiselles and courtly 
 cavaliers, mingled with the elite of the young 
 Scotch element. There seemed to be some latent 
 chord of syui])athy between these l)rave Iligli- 
 landers and the French, for intermarriages wei'e 
 of frequent occurrence. 
 
 The table was laid for supi)er which was to be 
 followed by gaines, fortune telling, etc. Seated 
 near the head of the tjible, between two dashing 
 gallants who had vied with each othei* for her
 
 230 ' Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 bright glances, was a Kentucky widow on a visit 
 to the settlement. Her husband had been killed 
 a few years previous in one of the Indian raids, 
 leaving her with a merry little boy to soothe her 
 grief. 
 
 The large Epiphany cake was cut by the hosty 
 each lady present taking a piece. It was then 
 customary to j^ut in it a ring and a small w^hite 
 bean. The lady to whose lot the ring fell was- 
 crowned queen. The holder of the bean gave the 
 entertainment the following year, and acted on the 
 present occasion, as maid of honor. Madame 
 Pairbairne found the ring and Julie Maisonville 
 the bean. It was then necessary for the fortunate 
 queen to select the king of Ei^iphany. Mad- 
 ame Fairbairne blushed as her eyes wandered from 
 one to the other of her two gallants, and she said, 
 "If we choose Monsieur Grant, we shall offend 
 Monsieur Brevoort, if we choose Monsieur Bre- 
 voort we shall offend Monsieur Grant. We shall 
 select the one who is to become the most distin- 
 guished, and to ascertain this we decree that our 
 noble Dame D'Honneur, Mile. Maisonville, shall 
 take the grounds from the pot of tea and tell the 
 fortune of all three of us. You know that she is- 
 a witch herself and in league with all the witches, 
 so it is our royal pleasure that she shall explain
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 231 
 
 to us what say the fates, and to tlieir decree we 
 must bow," ' 
 
 A niurmiir of assent greeted the queen's jjrop- 
 osition, and a. hirge platter being brought Mile. 
 Julie, Avith many incantations in a wild jumble of 
 words learned from the Indian magicians, turned 
 the contents of the teapot out into the platter, 
 where the leaves assumed strange and wild forms 
 that only the initiated could read. In those days 
 claii-voyance and mind reading were but little 
 known, and there was more of a disposition to 
 impute effects to supernatural than to natural 
 causes. Witchcraft was the name then given to 
 modern spiritualism. Fortune telling was fre- 
 quently and devoutly believed in, especially when 
 the person was the seventh daughter of a seventh 
 daughter. In those times of a plethora of chil- 
 dren, this was no uncommon thing. Julie was the 
 mystic seventh daughter, and she was noted 
 throughout the colony for her wonderful powers 
 of divination. Whilst her beauty was of a seduc- 
 tive, fascinating order, there seemed at times to be 
 something beyond human ken in her lustrous eye. 
 Though universally beloved there were many 
 who looked with awe on her mysterious powers. 
 After eagerly scanning the tea grounds she 
 closed her eyes a moment as if communing 
 with herself, and heaving a deep sigh said in
 
 232 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 a clianting tone to her profoundly interested 
 audience: "My friends, I see here wonderful 
 things. On this holy night of Epiphany when 
 three wise men (the three kings) came from the 
 East and learned the secrets of the future, it is 
 fitting that I, the humble maid of our gracious 
 queen, should reveal to you at her bidding what fate 
 has ordained. This line, ' ' pointing toward the \)\^t- 
 ter, ' ' represents Monsieur Brevoort, and this Mon- 
 sieur Gfrant, whilst this one describes the fate of 
 our noble queen. These two young men are destin- 
 ed to wonderful careers. To-day they are intimate 
 friends, later you will see them contending with 
 one another but not alone. A great war is indi- 
 cated accomi^anied by terrible bloodshed. The 
 contest between these two seems to be on the 
 water, the victory for a time is evenly balanced 
 but later it seems to belong to you, Monsieur Bre- 
 voort. Your line of life is not ended. Monsieur 
 Grant ; you will both settle down by the lakes 
 around happy firesides." Suddenly the proph- 
 etess turned deadly pale, as she scanned more 
 critically the tea grounds. " I see here by your 
 line, honored queen, the figure of a tomahawk ; 
 great trouble will come to you through the Indians. 
 A little off-shoot of your line seems to cross that 
 of Monsieur Grant, and ends with many branches. 
 This, gracious queen, is all I see in the shadowy
 
 Legench of Le Detroit. 233 
 
 future." Tlie queen then addressed her loyal 
 subjects as follows : '' My children, the words oi" 
 the sibyl indeed perplex me, and in the absence 
 of the wise kings of the East to whom I could 
 appeal, I am comi)elled to decide for myself. 
 Although Monsieur Brevoort seems to carry off 
 the palm of victory, yet my line seems to cross 
 that of Monsieur Grant. My ambition prompts me 
 to select Monsieur Brevoort as my king, but fate 
 seems to point in another direction. On two such 
 charming cavaliers I would not bring the trouble 
 that is in store for me. It is evident I need a 
 strong arm to protect me, a king with an anuy at 
 his back. I therefore choose as king of Epiphany 
 (here her eyes glanced around until they fell upon 
 Col. Brush standing near the door) the gallant Col- 
 onel of the L<^gi()nary Cori)s. His veterans will nev- 
 er suffer harm to come to their queen.'' At this Col. 
 Brush came forward and was crowned king. The 
 company, charmed with the graceful manner of 
 the young widow, applauded her choice. The fes- 
 tivities were kept up to alate hour, but the union 
 of the king and queen extended no further than 
 Epiphany' s eve. She soon returned with her little 
 son to her home on the Kentucky border. 
 
 As the inspired Franklin had said years before, 
 ^'Tlie war of the Revolution has been fouglit, the 
 war of Independence has still to be fought," the
 
 234 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 long smouldering element at last burst its bonds. 
 Detroit disgracefully surrendered at the lirst onset. 
 An English fleet built on the river, controlled the 
 lakes, but the dying words of the heroic Lawrence 
 were impressed on the American minds : ' ' Don' t 
 give up the ship." Under the direction of the dar- 
 ing young Rhode Islander, Oliver Hazard Perry, a 
 fleet was hastily constructed at Presque Isle (now 
 Erie) on the south shore of Lake Erie. On the 
 10th of September, 1813, from his look-out on Grib- 
 raltar Island,'- Put-in-Bay, Perry discovered the 
 British fleet sailing out of the Detroit River to 
 attack him. It was composed of six vessels 
 carrying seventy guns. The Americans had nine 
 vessels carrying tifty-four guns. In weight of 
 metal and efficiency, the British fleet seemed su- 
 perior and its commander, Barclay, was one of 
 Nelson's veterans. Young Perry flung out his 
 ensign with the legend, " Don't give up the ship," 
 and was determined that day to conquer or die. 
 When twilight had set in that night, American 
 valor had enabled him to write this immortal 
 despatch from his ship moored off one of the 
 Three Sisters Islands '* "We have met the enemy, 
 
 *Now the summer residence of Jay Cooke. 
 
 *Three Sisters Island, said to have received the name from three- 
 Indian squaws whose tongues were so sharp tliat their father for 
 peace sake had to exile them to three islands near the mouth of
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 235 
 
 and they are ours, — two sliips, two brigs, one 
 schooner, one sloop." This was the decisive blow of 
 the war. Harrison soon afterwards drove the cow- 
 ardly Proctor from Detroit and unfurled again the 
 starry flag, where long may it wave. 
 
 In command of the maiines on the American 
 fleet was Lt. Henry Brevoort, of the 8rd regiment 
 of U. S. Infantry detailed for duty on the fleet. 
 Later he was known as " Commodore" Brevoort.* 
 Congress voted him a medal for his gallantry and 
 his grateful country will ever cherish his memory. 
 Commodore Alexander Grant commanded one of 
 the British vessels in the action. He married 
 Miss Barthe at Detroit, and after the war built his 
 residence, called "Grant's Castle," at Grosse 
 Pointe, where it was the scene of much hospi- 
 tality. 
 
 Shortly after one of the Indian raids into Ohio 
 and Kentucky, Mrs. Grant heard that a band of 
 savages had encamped at Belle Isle. They were 
 going to hold a "powwow" to celebrate their 
 exploits, and to torture and burn a young white 
 captive whose rnother they had killed. 
 
 The Commodore was away, but his wife's moth- 
 
 the Detroit. They are called East Sister, Middle Sister and West 
 Sister. 
 
 *Conijno(lore Brevoort inarricfl Miss ('atliorinc Navarre, named 
 from her aunt, the mother of General Alexander Macomb.
 
 ^36 Legends of Le DHroit. 
 
 erly instincts were roused, and knowing the love 
 and esteem of the Indians for her family, she de- 
 termined to make an effort to save the poor boy 
 from so terrible a fate. She was rowed to Belle 
 Isle, made her way to the camp and asked the 
 amount of the ransom for the child." The Indians, 
 who were making preparations for their horrible 
 feast, would not at first listen to her. The courag- 
 eous woman was not to be baffled, and at last partly 
 by lavish presents and j)artly by threats that the 
 black gown (priest) would bring some calamity 
 on them, she succeeded in her mission. The 
 little boy was brought home and adopted by his 
 humane deliverer, who already had a large family 
 (ten daughters) of her own. On the Commodore's 
 return his good wife described to him her visit to 
 tlie Indian encampment and its gratifying results. 
 "What did the Indians call him?" suddenly ex- 
 claimed the Commodore. "I think they called 
 him fair bairn or ' pretty boy ' " she replied. The 
 old veteran bowed his head, whilst memory was 
 busy weaving the broken links of the prophecy 
 on Epiphany eve, many years before. 
 
 *See chap, oa Grants. The grandchild of the little boy still 
 lives and remembers his mother's account of Mrs. Grant's trip to 
 ■Grosse Isle.
 
 XXXI 
 
 KISHKAUKOU. 
 
 A Legend of the Chippewas. 
 
 IT WAS an evening in the early spring of 1815 ; 
 the moon had just risen and was flooding with 
 soft radiance tlie restless waters of Saginaw- 
 Bay. On the banks was an open clearing fringed 
 by the dark, primeval forest. Here and there were 
 scattered tents covered witli variegated mats, or 
 formed of the fragrant boughs of tlie spruce. 
 
 In the center of the encampment was a bright 
 fire, the flickering light from which mingling witli 
 that of the moon caused weird expressions to play 
 over the dusky faces of the Indian warriors, who 
 sat round in a semicircle. They were smoking in 
 calm and deliberative silence and listening witli
 
 238 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 solemn attention to a speaker who was explaining 
 the object of the council. 
 
 In such assemblies decorum was never broken ; 
 the etiquette which forbade one speaker to inter- 
 rupt the other was strictly enforced ; calls to order 
 were unknown. 
 
 At a little distance, closely guarded and with 
 pinioned arms, stood an Indian prisoner, whose 
 murder of a young brave of the tribe had caused 
 this council. The squaw and children of the vic- 
 tim were the accusers, and demanded the fulhll- 
 ment of the code, which was blood for blood, for 
 according to Indian tradition, the soul of the 
 deceased would be excluded from the happy 
 hunting grounds of his ancestors, until the act of 
 atonement had been made. There was something 
 impressive in the passive grandeur of the Indian' s 
 stolid stoicism, in his supreme indifference to the 
 deliberations of the council, as if it were another's 
 fate it was deciding. 
 
 There seemed to be a division of opinion ; dis- 
 senting grunts were heard, when suddenly a war- 
 rior of powerful form arose, who gliding towards 
 the prisoner, ended all hesitancy by burying his 
 tomahawk in his brain. Then, brandishing his 
 reeking weapon towards the jDetrified group, 
 robbed of the force of the fearful reality by the 
 swiftness of the blow, he left the council. It was
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 239 
 
 Kislikaiikou, tlie celebrated Chippewa chief, 
 whose savage barbarity had made his name a 
 terror all alone: the lakes, and the bare mention 
 of which ])lan('lied the cheeks of the ])ravest. 
 Not a nuninur of disapproval was heard ; his will 
 ruled supreme, "Le roi le veut," was sufficient, 
 and the warrioi's drew their blankets over their 
 heads and filed one after another from the council. 
 
 Kishkaukou was reproved afterwards by an 
 Intrepid white for having broken the law by his 
 peculiar mode of legislation, and replied with 
 a ready wit which equalled that of Moliere's fag- 
 ot boy : "I have altei'ed the law." 
 
 The brave, notwithstanding his savage cruelties, 
 was not impervious to Cupid's darts. AMiilst in 
 the vicinity of the River Huron (now the Clinton) 
 he met a charming half-breed, Monique, who had 
 the misfortune to make him the captive of hei- 
 pretty eyes. Kishkaukou' s manner of wooing, 
 added to the terrible stories told of him, was not 
 calculated to find favor in a timid maiden's heart, 
 and it was not strange that she preferred another 
 and more gentle lover, Louizon, the clerk of .Judge 
 Rielly. 
 
 Kishkaukou soon discovered his rival, and with 
 his startling idea of facilitating legislation, dis- 
 posed of Louizon as he had of the Indian cap- 
 tive and carried the maiden away. But he soon
 
 240 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 discovered that the law wa,s not to be altered by 
 the capricious will of a lawless despot, and the 
 Chippewa chief was obliged to hide. For some 
 time he eluded the vigilance of that power which 
 he had so outraged. Trusting to his cunning and 
 strategy, and to the terror of his name, he was 
 rash enough to come near Detroit and encamp in 
 Col. Louis Beauf ait' s orchard, now known as the 
 "Bagg Farm." He was followed by his suite, 
 consisting of several of his squaws and Indians, 
 for he always travelled en grand seigneur, and, 
 like Sapor of Persia, mounted his horse 
 from the kneeling backs of his slaves. Among 
 them was Monique, who, though compelled to 
 follow the murderer of her lover, still cherished 
 revenge, and only waited a favorable opportunity 
 to punish him for his crime. Her very repugnance 
 only served to inflame Kishkaukou' s love, and he 
 zealously guarded her. She eluded his vigilance 
 one day, came to the fort, and revealed the where, 
 abouts of the celebrated outlaw. Kishkaukou was 
 captured and lodged in jail. The event created a 
 great sensation. The captive became the lion of the 
 day and was constantly visited by the curious, 
 who had heard the marvelous tales told of this 
 notorious chief. There are several who still live, 
 who remember the haughty warrior with his 
 stately tread and his ferocious expression, his
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 241 
 
 hand always resting- on liis tomahawk. All were 
 struck by the bold daring* and almost insolent 
 recklessness which pervaded his every movement. 
 He was sentenced to be hung, the most degrading 
 punishment possible to an Indian. 
 
 It was the eve of his execution, November 21, 
 1822. Kishkaukou sat alone in his prison with the 
 thought of the morrow as his comj^anion. Death 
 in itself had no terror for him, but the manner 
 revolted against the traditions of his race ; how 
 was his si)irit to be freed from its mortal tenement 
 if he were choked ? Thus brooding over his fallen 
 fortunes, the images of faded despotism passed 
 before him, humiliation enveloped him like a 
 pall, and his proud spirit was broken. He would 
 become a by-word in his tribe, a scorn to his 
 people. The door opened, disturbing his reflec- 
 tions ; two of his squaws came in, followed by the 
 jailer. Kishkaukou, as if by magic, suddenly 
 dropped his mournful and dejected manner and 
 conversed rapidlj' with them. As they left the 
 jailer noticed one handing him a small tin cup, 
 but thinking nothing of the occurrence let it pass. 
 The next morning the squaws again returned to 
 accompany their chief to his execution. The 
 gallows was erected opposite the jail, where the 
 First Presbyterian Church now stands. The jailer 
 knocked at the door of the chief, but received no 
 
 16
 
 242 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 answer : he entered and found the warrior dead. 
 Immediately the building resounded with the 
 mournful wailing of the squaws who chanted the 
 death song. How he killed himself was never 
 definitely known, but it was strongly surmised 
 that the cup given him by the squaw contained 
 poison."^ Thus the Chippewa chief's honor was 
 saved and he left no legacy of disgrace to his 
 tribe. 
 
 * The poison given Kishliaukou by the squaw was probably the 
 distilled juice fronn the roots of the wild citron plant. Its effects 
 are peculiar. Almost immediately after swallowing it the victim 
 has two or three convulsive shivers and then dies. The fruit of 
 this plant is not poisonous ; it is used for preserving.
 
 A LEGEND OF L'ANSE CREUSE.* 
 
 A woodpecker sat on an oaken stump, 
 
 Pecking away with a ceaseirss thump, 
 
 And now and then, as he cocked his eye, 
 
 Darted a ghmcc so keen and sly. 
 
 You'd have thought, had you seen him that summer day, 
 
 Old Greenback hassometliing queer to say. 
 
 Wlien that stump was a stately tree. 
 
 Sturdy in trunk and sound in knee, 
 
 Forward a lit lie from Hk; wood, 
 
 Close by the edge of the l)ank it stood, 
 
 And acorns dropped where the ripples break 
 
 Over the brim of the smiling lake. 
 
 "When that tree was at its best, 
 
 An emerald bird, with crimson crest, 
 
 All through the summer, from dawn till dark, 
 
 IIoi)pcd and tapped on its ridgy bark ; 
 
 TIk; limbs have dropped, the trunk is dead, 
 
 But the plumes are siiining on back and head. 
 
 And the restless eye is clear and keen 
 
 As when the old oak's leaves were green ; 
 
 But under his throat, perhaps you'd sa}', 
 
 Kubytop shows a spot of gray. 
 
 Orchard and field for many a rood 
 
 Cover the dust ol tlie buried wood, 
 
 *I am indebted to the couitcsy of Hon. James V". Campbell for 
 the use of this charming poem, also for much historical informa- 
 tion and flattering interest and encouragement.
 
 244 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 And low-roofed houses, old and quaint, 
 
 Browned by the weather and bare of paint. 
 
 Shelter a people— so they say, 
 
 Brown and (^uaini and old as they. 
 
 The urchin tumbling in the grass, 
 
 The merry youth and the blooming lass, 
 
 The farmer who tills the teeming soil 
 
 When hunting and fisliing leave time for toil. 
 
 And the jolly old man who sits and drones 
 
 Of the winter signs in the wild-goose bones, 
 
 Seem living over as in a trance. 
 
 The old, old life of sunny France. 
 
 This restless age,-^this age so fast — 
 
 There fights at odds with the hoary past; 
 
 Vainly it matches its eager will 
 
 With those who win by sitting still. 
 
 And hears an adage old and worn, — 
 
 Who goes for wool may come back shorn. 
 
 There kindly nature spreads her stores 
 
 In rich profusion out of doors; 
 
 Bright gleam the apples, pears, and cherries. 
 
 The brambles bend with luscious berries; 
 
 The bullfrog, with his croaking harsh. 
 
 And the fat muskrat, haunt the marsh; 
 
 The wild duck floats among the reeds, 
 
 Tne red deer in the woodland feeds. 
 
 The grouse, the partridge, and the quail 
 
 Their bounteous larders never fail ; 
 
 And, yielding more ethereal fare, 
 
 The daintiest creatures swarm in air. 
 
 But, if your feet are ever found, 
 
 O muses, on such level ground. 
 
 Come hither from Parnassus' hill, 
 
 Of melting whitefish eat your till; 
 
 And ixQwx your lubricated throats 
 
 Will glide such smooth and pleasing notes 
 
 As never yet the pipes did follow
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 245 
 
 Of your precentor — bright Apollo. 
 
 In the fall weather, cool and haz}'. 
 
 When the slow sun is t^ettinj; lazy, 
 
 And from his cold bath in the river 
 
 Conies out all red with many a shiver, 
 
 With feet too chilly as they pass 
 
 To melt the hoar frost on the /^rass. 
 
 Northward his yearly journey takes 
 
 The shining "white deer of the lakes." 
 
 Swift through the lymph, in countless herds, 
 
 Thicker than thickest tlighl of birds, 
 
 The living shapes of silver (la.sh. 
 
 Till all the rustling waters tlash. 
 
 As when beneath the breeze of June 
 
 Their myriad waves reflect the moon. 
 
 Then all the dwellers in the laud 
 
 Come trooping gaily to the sand ; 
 
 Through day and night the populous shore 
 
 Echoes the claidiing of the oar. 
 
 The meshes of the spreading .seine 
 
 Are tried by many a grievous strain. 
 
 And the gay crowd, with jovial dm, 
 
 Hail the rich liarvest gathered in. 
 
 Then comes the kindly winter's reign ; 
 
 Then mirth and pleasure scour the plain. 
 
 The rapid pacers come and go 
 
 Like phantoms o'Cr the beaten snow. 
 
 And where the summer shallojis ride. 
 
 Swiftly the painted carioles glide. 
 
 Not Hector o'er the Trojan field 
 
 By his illustrious coursers wheeled. 
 
 In his mad circuit whirling round. 
 
 Thus .saw his steeds devour the ground ; 
 
 Nor Pindar, yielding loud acclaims 
 
 To the great victor of the games. 
 
 E'er saw upon the Olympic plain 
 
 Such ponies of heroic strain.
 
 246 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 And should they meet at break of day, 
 Fresh baited with ambrosial hay, 
 The sun's team prancing up the cope, 
 They'd beat him half way down the slope. 
 But oh, my colts, too swift ye pace, 
 You've borne me past my stopping place; 
 Bacliward return in slower mood, 
 And while you whinny o'er your food, 
 Again upon the bank I'll stray, 
 And if he has not flown away, 
 Hear what the old bird has to say. 
 
 High on the stump the old woodpecker sat. 
 
 Twisting his neck this way and that. 
 
 And soon as he found an ear to listen. 
 
 He bristled his crest, and his keen eyes glisten,. 
 
 On his breast feathers he wiped his beak, 
 
 Opened his mouth and began to speak. 
 
 Hearken, stranger, while I tell 
 
 Wondrous things that once befell 
 
 The people of this drowsy land. 
 
 Hereon this pulpit where I stand 
 
 Preaching my sermon to only one. 
 
 Long ago I sat in tiie sun. 
 
 And saw a sight that shook with fear 
 
 The hunter fierce, and the trembling deer. 
 
 The bright warm rays of an August noon 
 
 Hushed each sound but the locust's tune; 
 
 But a gentle wind blew from the west. 
 
 Dimpling with ripples the water's breast. 
 
 And c itching the swans' wings where they float, 
 
 Drove each one on like a well-trimmed boat, — 
 
 A stately boat, with canvas white" 
 
 As a sheet of snow in a starry night. 
 
 Now here, now there, the great fish rise 
 
 To snap at ilie gaudy dragon-flies; 
 
 The loon like a porpoise rolls and dives.
 
 Legends: of Le Di'troit. 247 
 
 Screaming as if for a hiiiidrcd lives, 
 
 And solemn bitterns stand and tliiuk, 
 
 Each on a le;?, by the rushy brink. 
 
 Just as tlie sun in his patli on hii^li 
 
 Stayed liis course in the mi<hlle sky, 
 
 Speedini; along with a foaming wake 
 
 A great ship sailed uj^on the lake; 
 
 And the loon dove down, and the white swans flew. 
 
 Scared at the sight of the wonder new; 
 
 For never had vessel along this shore 
 
 Cleft these quiet waves before. 
 
 No better craft was ever seen 
 
 Than brave La Salle's .stout brigantine: 
 
 Out from the prow a Grifliu springs. 
 
 With .'scales of bronze and fiery wings, 
 
 And the ship that earned so wide a fame 
 
 Bore on its scroll the Griflin's name. ^ 
 
 When the cunning Robes of Black 
 
 Troidjled the zealous Frontenac, 
 
 And strove his venturous hands to keep 
 
 From reaching out to the western deep, 
 
 The wrath of the sturdy Norman rose 
 
 At the jealous arts of his patron's foes, 
 
 And the ship he built for his dangerous quest. 
 
 He named from the valiant noble's crest. 
 
 And vowed he would make the GrilHn tly 
 
 Over the crows in the western sky. 
 
 A gilded eagle cai-ved in wood 
 
 On the crown of the (juarter-deck castle stood. 
 
 And from the staff astern unrolled, 
 
 Floating aloft with its lilies of gold, 
 
 The great white Hag of France is spread. 
 
 And the pennon dec'king the mainmast head 
 
 Bears the chieftain's arms on a field of red. 
 
 Three black-nebbed falcons gaping wide 
 
 Scowl through the ports on either side. 
 
 And the old sergeant says they speak
 
 248 ■ Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Each for a common day in the week, 
 While the great bow gun with its heavy linell 
 Rings as loud as a Sunday bell. 
 But another standard is seen to-day 
 As the gallant cruiser wins the bay. 
 For the cross is waved, and the censer swings, 
 And the seamen kneel as the mass bell rings. 
 For to-day is the feast of the Abbess Claire: 
 And the corded priests, with chants and prayer. 
 Sprinkling the lake with holy water 
 Name it after the Church's daughter. 
 Then in a trice the gunners catch 
 Each in his place the blazing match. 
 And the flame leaps out, and the trembling shore 
 Quakes at the terrible cannon's roar. 
 And stout La Fleur with chuckling grin 
 Said as lie patted his culverin — 
 In my church there's never a friar 
 Sings like the Abbot who leads the choir ! 
 ******* 
 
 Out in the lake the Griffin lay 
 Wind-bound at anchor many a day, 
 While the ship's company explore 
 The novel wonders of the shore; 
 And as they reach upon the way 
 The bend at Pointe a Guignolet, 
 ;^efore them spreads a lovely bay; 
 Its limpid waters softly glide 
 Like the slow creeping of the tide, 
 "Upward and backward on the beach. 
 But ne'er beyond one margin reach. 
 And in its lonely beauty there. 
 So still, so smiling, and so fair. 
 To their charmed eyes it seemed to be 
 A sunny strip of Normandy, 
 Where mermaids in the moonlight play. 
 And happy children all the day.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 249 
 
 Here, — said La Salle, — when history's page 
 
 Inscribes us of an ancient age, — 
 
 When populous cities rich and great 
 
 Sec sliips in llcets ascend the strait, — 
 
 When this new world siiall li'ud liie van, 
 
 In the great onward march of man, — 
 
 Though men of otiier blood may press 
 
 More boldly through the wilderness, 
 
 And though the flag of France may be 
 
 Unknown upon this mimic sea, 
 
 Yet, something whispers in \\\y breast. 
 
 Here shall be quietness and rest. 
 
 Though commerce through the forest break, 
 
 Or churn the waters of the lake. 
 
 The inland road shall not be nigh, 
 
 The busy craft shall pass it by. 
 
 And if our phantoms should be found 
 
 Exploring then this pleasant ground, 
 
 It still shall seem familiar earth, 
 
 As the old region of our birth. 
 
 Beside the shore a cross they plant, 
 
 The reverend priests an anthem chant, 
 
 And the stern soldier, as he went, 
 
 To' seek the shelter of his tent. 
 
 Cast backward many a yearning look. 
 
 Made homesick by that fairy nook. 
 
 The ship sailed on, but the friendly shore 
 
 Saw it returning nevermore. 
 
 And many a da}' had come and fled 
 
 And many a fall the leaves had shed, 
 
 Before tlie early morning dews 
 
 On the white clover b}' fj'Ansc Creu.se 
 
 Were dashed b}' footstep from their cup, 
 
 Ere the dry sun had drunk tliem up. 
 
 But when I grew to my chagrin 
 
 A little baggy about the chin, 
 
 And could not find suflicient causo
 
 250 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 For a wrinkle or two around my claws, 
 The pleasing scene I daily viewed 
 No longer was a solitude. 
 Neat farms and gardens lined the strait 
 From Erie up to Huron's gate, 
 While on the narrow strips of land 
 The cottage homes so closely stand. 
 Their numbers stretching up and down, 
 Appear like one continuous town. 
 In front of each upon the bank, 
 A narrow wiiarf of single plank 
 Stretched nut to where a steady hand 
 Might fill a bucket to the brim. 
 Sinking it down below the rim, 
 Yet never touch the bottom sand; 
 While to this simple jetty tied 
 Canoes float safely by its side. 
 
 Whenever Monday's morning ray 
 
 Brings to the world its washing day. 
 
 The busy housewives and iheir daughters 
 
 There with their labors vex the waters. 
 
 The garments in their fingers gathered, 
 
 With vigorous rubbing drenched and lathered. 
 
 And paddled with a cunning knack. 
 
 Resound with many a rousing whack ; 
 
 While the fair laundresses at work 
 
 In no Carthusian silence lurk, 
 
 But skilled alike to wash and speak. 
 
 Gossip enough for all the week. 
 
 In the small hamlet of L'Anse Creuse, 
 
 One Monday, buzzed the slirring news 
 
 That the old Seigneur of Beauvais 
 
 Was busy all the previous day, 
 
 Devising how his daughter fair — 
 
 The arch and graceful Lady Claire— 
 
 Might find ere long an honest mate,
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 251 
 
 Of gontlc blood and good estate, 
 
 AVho by some valiant feat at arms 
 
 Might prove him worthy of lier charms. 
 
 lie was a man whose antique blood, 
 
 Traced backward to tlic very Hood, 
 
 Had with such notions filled his brain 
 
 As once disturbed the knigh of Spain. 
 
 He passed the vigor of his years 
 
 Roving among his gallant peers, 
 
 Exploring widely to ailvance 
 
 The glory of his native France, 
 
 And oft a pleasant hour had spent 
 
 With gallant Tonty in his tent. 
 
 Long years ago they made their way, 
 
 And camped beside this smiling bay, 
 
 To wait the gathering of the force 
 
 Destined to guard the northern course. 
 
 Then met the boldest hearts arrayed 
 
 That ever pierced the forest shade. 
 
 There met the venturous Beauvais, 
 
 La Salle's stout warden La Foret, 
 
 And the sagacious Durantaye. 
 
 Whose flag had waved o'er many a post 
 
 On the remotest northern coast; 
 
 Willi his old comrade true and tried, 
 
 Renowned I)u Luth, who far and wide. 
 
 Honest in heart, and strong in hand 
 
 Swayed the fierce tribes through all the land. 
 
 There, as they feasted at their ease 
 
 Beneath the stately forest trees. 
 
 With many a tale of savage fray 
 
 They passed the pleasant hours away. 
 
 And when the hallowed spot he knew. 
 
 Once honored by the Griffin's crew. 
 
 Said bold Beauvais, this cross so fall 
 
 Shall stand one day beside my hall. 
 
 When age from labor shall release,
 
 252 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 . To let me dwell at liome in peace. 
 So, when he sellled to retire, 
 And light anew his household fire, 
 He was the first who found his way 
 To dwell beside the cross and bay. 
 He mingled reading and the care 
 Of watching o'er his darling Claire, 
 And soothed his fatherly alarms 
 With chronicles of deeds of arms. 
 As up she grew to womanhood, 
 Merry and bright, as well as good, 
 He dreamed of noble cavaliers 
 Bearing her colors on their spears, 
 And jousting on tjie meadows green 
 To win the smile of Beauty's queen ; 
 And a great tournament he planned, 
 The prize to be his daughter's hand. 
 The damsel having mother wit. 
 And some small will for using it. 
 Had been enabled to discover 
 She need not languish for a lover. 
 And though she knew that young Beauclerc 
 Was prompt enough to do or dare, 
 She ■Mtas not an.xious for her sake. 
 That he another's head should break. 
 Nor would it suit her views at all 
 Should others profit by his fall. 
 So, with a smile upon her face. 
 And manj' a blushing maiden grace, 
 She met her honest father's question 
 With a more practical suggestion. 
 The Greek'*, in that heroic time 
 Which all the poets call sublime. 
 Instead of carving up a friend, 
 In public games did oft contend. 
 And deemed a vegetable crown 
 And name by Pindar handed down, 1
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 25Ji 
 
 More likely to adorn the State 
 
 Than if ihey earned a broken pate. 
 
 When the hard winter's frost shall make 
 
 A slipp ry ice-field of the lake, 
 
 Xo ancient circus could compete 
 
 AVith such a course for Mying feet; 
 
 And if no youth my hand may claim 
 
 Hut him who pleads a victor's name, 
 
 Then let his honors be my price 
 
 Who wins a race up(m the ice. 
 
 The sire approved, and gave command 
 
 To publish it through all the land. 
 
 That on the coming Christmas day 
 
 A horse race o"er the frozen bay 
 
 Should by its fair results decide 
 
 What lucky hand should claim the bride 
 
 Then to the shore in state he went, 
 
 Where the good dames, on work intent, 
 
 Their weekly store of clothes did scrub 
 
 In the great common washing tub; 
 
 And sought their willing aid to bear 
 
 His festive message through the air. 
 
 Swiftly it traveled toward the south. 
 
 Leaping from ready mouth to moulh; 
 
 And while its echoes .still did plaj' 
 
 In broken murmurs round the bay. 
 
 Past Windmill Point, on pinions quick, 
 
 It reached the mouth of Tremble's creek^ 
 
 And like a bullet from a gun 
 
 Crossed the ravine at Bloody Run; 
 
 Thence like the west wind on the main, 
 
 Shook the great flag at Pontchartrain; 
 
 Then like a brightly falling star 
 
 Gleamed on the household of Navarre, 
 
 And shot along its flashing way 
 
 Around the bend of Godfroy's bay. 
 
 Startling the ghost that lingered still ,
 
 254 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Sighing in Gobeye's haunted mill. 
 The violet banks of Bellefontaine 
 And the cool shades of Lover's Lane 
 Heard a low murmur, as of bees 
 Humming among the linden trees. 
 ■ As up the Rouge the story sped, 
 
 Old Va-de-boii-Coour, as he shook his head, 
 
 Marveled that any other place 
 
 Was chosen for a Christmas race ; 
 
 But cracking all his knuckles bony, 
 
 Forthwith began to train his pony. 
 
 Beyond this region of the horse 
 
 The message reached the broad Ecorce, 
 
 Rousing the herdsmen as they roam 
 
 O'er the wide acres of St. Cosme. 
 
 Across the channel to Grosse Isle, 
 
 Shouted with sympathetic zeal, 
 
 And thence beyond, the tidings go 
 
 To the rich island dark with shade 
 
 By the gigantic lindens made. 
 
 Within whose vpoods the Wyandot 
 
 Had built his town in a charming spot, 
 
 Guarding Lake Erie's open door; 
 
 In the rough sailor pilot's lore 
 
 'Tis known as the island of Bobalo. 
 
 In the short passage of an hour, 
 
 Sped by this tireless motive power. 
 
 The news had entered at the gate 
 
 Of every household on the strait. 
 
 And the gay bachelors all prepare 
 
 To struggle boldly for the fair; 
 
 While pouting maidens — half offended — 
 
 Wish that the day had come and ended. 
 
 That they who fail to win the prize 
 
 Might find a better use of eyes; 
 
 Yet none the less they toil and fluster 
 
 To look their prettiest at the muster.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 255 
 
 And, fiooth to say, the gallant wrong 
 Woukl find his journey very long. 
 Who travi-led Mil he found the graces 
 More prodigal of charniing faces. 
 The sununcr into autumn glides, 
 The mellow autunui long abides, 
 Till dark December claimed a part in 
 The unruilled season of St. Martin; 
 And many a lovely bosom lluttered, 
 And many a savage youngster muttered, 
 As the sun neared his last decline, 
 "While winter yet had made no sign. 
 But when the dreary solstice came. 
 The morning sky was all atiame, 
 And from the i)olar deserts vast 
 The wind came howling fierce and fa^t 
 All day the clouds their snowtlakes shed, 
 The sighing waves were dark as lead, 
 Sounding upon the gloomy shore 
 Like the dull plash of melted ore. 
 But in the night no vapor mars 
 The lustre of the burning stars, 
 High in the firmament the moon 
 Shines dazzling as the sun at noon. 
 And the cold beams the waves congeal 
 Like a great lloor of glimmering steel. 
 All tlirough the night from shore to shore 
 The imprisoned waters moan Jind roar. 
 But vain arc all their throes lo break 
 The dungeon wall-^ tiiat liold the lake. 
 On Christmas eve the drowsy heads 
 Went early to their downy beds, 
 That all from sweet rejiose might borrow 
 IVIore blooming roses for the morrow; 
 While even the watchful chanticleer 
 Forgot to blow his clarion clear. 
 And sitting siuigly on his perch.
 
 256 Legends of Le Detroit , 
 
 "Was silent as the village church. 
 
 But when the rays of morning creep 
 
 Down the gray spire of St. Philippe, 
 
 And cast its shadows o'er tlie way 
 
 Just at the foot of Grand Marais, 
 
 The wooden cock that at its peak 
 
 Stood opening wide its gilded beak, 
 
 Thought surely there was something wrong; 
 
 To make his brotliers mute so long. 
 
 Uprising on his sinewy toes, 
 
 Far out his gorgt-ous breast he throws, 
 
 While of the bracing air he quaffed 
 
 A deep exhilarating draught; 
 
 Then from the bot'ora of his throat 
 
 He crowed so fierce a trumpet note 
 
 That all the country stared aghast, 
 
 Astounded by that sudden blast: 
 
 And every rooster, roused to feel 
 
 A rival worthy of his steel, 
 
 Met the fierce chapel guardian's crow 
 
 With a defiant coquerico ! 
 
 Up from their beds the slumbering people 
 
 Sprang at that summons from the steeple. 
 
 And every bachelor and maid 
 
 In rustic garments neat arrayed. 
 
 With sparkling eyes and glowing face. 
 
 Prepared to figure at the race. 
 
 Too far from Fashion's halls to get 
 
 The work of Ma'm'selle Tond-Minette,. 
 
 The blooming damsels managed still 
 
 To show the power of taste and skill. 
 
 And when they all had met together,. 
 
 Rose tinted by the bracing weather. 
 
 They made philosopher and dunce 
 
 Fall swift in love with all at once. 
 
 The mass was over, and the sleighs 
 Came sliding o'er the crystal ways.
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 25T 
 
 As shining birds from flower to flower 
 Dart swifily in the summer hour. 
 The swan-neclied carioies mai\e the scene 
 Lively with scarlet, gold, and green. 
 The briglit-eyed pacers, roan and bay, 
 Caper like liltle boys at play, 
 And toss their heads, as if they knew 
 As nuich as human horses do. 
 The lady Claire, with courteous mien 
 Beams like a radiant fairy queen; 
 But while she swiftly moved lier eyes 
 O'er the contestants for the prize. 
 She turned a moment pale as snow, 
 Then blushed with such a ruddy glow 
 That all the maidens then and tliere 
 Owned there was none so good and fair, 
 And wislied success to lovely Claire. 
 For well, with ready wit, they guessed 
 She had a purpose in her breast 
 That none from her devoted swain 
 The triumph of the course should gain; 
 And each with .sympathizing face 
 Hoped that her own true lover's place 
 Would be the second in the race. 
 Then forth advancing in his sleigh 
 The stately form of old Beauvais 
 Apjieared among the shouting throng, 
 And with a voice like Stentor's strong. 
 Taught by his daughter's shrewd device, 
 Who knew the mysteries of the ice, 
 Announced the scrupulous rules to guide 
 The contest for the peerless bride. 
 In a straight run the course shall reach 
 From where the trending of ihe beach 
 Rounds into Pointe a Guignolet, 
 To Huron Point across the bay; 
 Thence turning at the blasted elm, 
 17
 
 258 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 The limit of Maconce's realm, 
 Back to the starting point again 
 Across the white ancl,slipper3^ plain. 
 And he whose steed's returning feet 
 Shall first upon the margin beat, 
 Shall take rhy mansion and my land, 
 And, if she will, my daughtei-'s hand. 
 
 The graybeards shrugged their shoulders wide 
 
 At such a long and freezing ride; 
 
 Eight miles across the raven's flight 
 
 Must reach before his feet can light; 
 
 And when upon the glassy floor 
 
 That space must twice be travelled o'er. 
 
 The horse that wins without a founder 
 
 Must be as hard as an eighteen pounder. 
 
 But the swift pacers cocked their ears, 
 
 In scorn at such unworthy fears; 
 
 And, ranged in order on the shore, 
 
 The friendly rivals reached a score, 
 
 Waiting the signal to begin 
 
 The race that only one could win. 
 
 Each in such sliding carriage placed 
 
 As suits his money or his taste. 
 
 Jumper and cutter, train and pung 
 
 Behind the nimble pony swung, 
 
 While the trim cariole's graceful wedge, 
 
 With its shafts hung low at the runner's edge, 
 
 Was decked in the spoils of the shaggy bear. 
 
 Beady to cleave the frozen air. 
 
 But what has troubled the Sieur Beauvais, 
 
 And what the cause of the long delay ? 
 
 The course is long and the day is brief, 
 
 The night comes on like a stealthy thief, 
 
 And woe to the wight who rides astray. 
 
 Far from the land on the wintry bay. 
 
 Alas, the old man's eyes are dim; 
 
 For under his features hard and griui
 
 Legends of Le Detroit. 259 
 
 His soul is soft and liis spirit mild, 
 
 And his heart is aching for liis child; 
 
 He knew her love for young Beauclerc, 
 
 And marveled why he was not there. 
 
 He was a youth of manly heart, 
 
 Lithe as a panther, straight as a dart. 
 
 And loved to share the hunter's toil 
 
 More than he cared for his costly spoil. 
 
 Changing their names with one another, 
 
 The Swan creek chieftain called him brother, 
 
 And a sturdy man he saw who met 
 
 The tawny or white Eshtonaquet. 
 
 The chief just come from a prairie trail, 
 
 Brought home a horse like a spotted quail, 
 
 With long slim neck and Arab head, 
 
 But a back that sloped like the roof of a shed, 
 
 And legs that raised his ample chest 
 
 Up to the height of an Indian's breast. 
 
 And he gave a hint to young Beauclerc 
 
 That none with this strange beast might cope. 
 
 Though he should train an antelope. 
 
 To run the race for his lad}^ fair. 
 
 He framed a jumper of ironwood tough. 
 
 Limber and stout, but rude and rough. 
 
 His harness strong and his reins to guide 
 
 He made from thongs of bison hide. 
 
 And there he sat with the jeering racers, 
 
 Proud of themselves and their well groomed pacers. 
 
 Wrapped in the shaggy robes of skin 
 
 That his red brother clad him in; 
 
 And many a f-colf and scornful laugh 
 
 Greeted the sleigh with the brown giraffe. 
 
 A whisper from the Lady Claire, 
 
 And the old man with dubious air 
 
 Shouted the signal. Off they tly, 
 
 Skimming like swallows across the sk)', 
 
 But far behind, with drooping tail,
 
 260 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 And swingin<T his legs like a clumsy flail, 
 
 The prairie beast goes steadily on 
 
 As if there were never a race to be won, 
 
 While the neat ponies their sinews strain 
 
 To reach the verge of the frozen plain. 
 
 But when they turn at the blasted tree, 
 
 Panting and foaming, lo, they see, 
 
 Jogging along as fresh and stout 
 
 As when from the f-hore they first set out, 
 
 The clumsy brute whose movements seem 
 
 Liiie the measured sweep of a walking-beam. 
 
 And as the home-bound rivals ride 
 
 Just in the midst of the basin wide. 
 
 The shambling nag with his terrible stride 
 
 Passes them all, and in'his eyes 
 
 Gleams of a conscious triumph rise. 
 
 "Wider and wider he spreads apart 
 
 His hoofs, and shoots like a fiery dart, 
 
 Till his nimble limbs so swiftly fleet. 
 
 He seems like a body without any feet 
 
 Shot like a ball through the midst of the air, 
 
 And he reaches the goal when there's nobody there;. 
 
 For they thought it was safe to sit long by the fire, 
 
 Not dreaming this monster, with sinews of wire, 
 
 And never within a decent stall, 
 
 Would thus so horribly beat them all. 
 
 But the boys when they saw the meek young men. 
 
 Moodily driving back again. 
 
 Shouted a mocking mange I'avoine! 
 
 And the merry maids with smiling lip 
 
 Welcomed them back from their leisure trip. 
 
 But they lo.iked more blithe when the jolly priest 
 
 A.sked them in to the wedding feast; 
 
 And never since that Cliristmas day 
 
 Have tlie good dwellers by the bay 
 
 Danced at the bridal of lady fair. 
 
 Sweeter and brighter than lovely Claire.
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE FRENCH FAMILIES. 
 
 It is not the intention of tiie writer to give a detailed iiistory of 
 the French families, wiio first came to settle at Detroit, but to 
 furnish such chronological data, as will be of value and interest 
 to the descendants of this hardy Norman stock. 
 
 In order to simplify the work, as a rule, the names have been 
 selected of those, who are still perpetuated in the farms, streets 
 or counties. In many cases their ancestral estates have passed 
 into strangers' hands, whilst others have sought new homes and 
 ties on the Canadian soil. Of the latter class are the families 
 of Baby, Piliet, Goyeau, Parent, Montreuil, Marentette, Janis, 
 Drouillard, ]\Iaisonville, La Butte, Jeanette and Berthelet, a name 
 well and favorably known in Detroit, and still most prominent in 
 Canada. 
 
 At the time of the English Conquest in 1760, many English 
 and Scotch came to cast their destinies with the fortunes of the 
 struggling French colon}^ They were followed later by a number 
 of Americans, who lent their talents, industry and enterprise 
 towards rendering Detroit, the most beautiful and prosperous city 
 of the West. A history of the French families would be incom- 
 plete without even a brief mention of these noble pioneers: Cass, 
 Sibley, "NVordbridge. Forsythe, Lamed, Brush, Visgar, Abi)Ott, 
 Audrain, Connor, E'lerts, Knagg'^, Leib, Hunt, Macomb. Wil- 
 liams, McDougall, Sterling, McNiff, Meldrura, Parke, Schwartz, 
 Jones, Witherell, Palmer, Whiting, Roberts, etc.. etc.
 
 264 Legends of Le Detroit 
 
 STE. ANNE'S CHURCH. 
 
 A history of Ste. Anne's Clmrcli would be a history of the early 
 Colon}'. To more graphic pens than mine I leave this task. Like 
 a tender mother she gathered her children around her, she smiled 
 in their joys and mourned in their sorrows, she placed the signet 
 of heaven on the brow of the new born, she blessed the nuptial 
 pair, and laid to sleep within her consecrated bosom the weary 
 pilgrim. She kept a faitliful record of the names and places of 
 birth of all her children. Through fire, wars and Indian devas- 
 tations she was true to her sacred charge, and to day many a claim 
 to disputed property has been justly settled by her undeniable 
 evidence. To the student of genealogy these old records with 
 their musty yellow paper, blurred writing and odor of antiquity 
 are most eloquent epitomes of the brevity of human life. Each 
 generation like a wave of the sea rises, swells, then Imrsts on the 
 shores of Eternity. One realizes the deep, profoimd truth hidden 
 in the homely child rhyme of Solomon Grundy. The lullaby of 
 the nursery only hides the De Profundis of the church. 
 
 The first Ste. Anne's Church was built within the portals of old 
 Fort Pontchartrain, and was called Ste. Anne's, from the fact 
 that the first mass celebrated therein was on the feast of that 
 sainte (who was the mother of the Blessed Virgin), .July 2(), 1701. 
 This church built by Cadillac was destroyed by the Indians, but 
 rebuilt shortly afterwards in 1728. It occuuied the ground on 
 the north side of Ste. Anne's street (now .Jeflferson avenue), and 
 stood opposite Joseph Campeau's homestead between Griswold 
 and Shelby streets. It was then customary to bury within its 
 walls the trustees. Robert Navarre, Sr., Royal Notary and Sub- 
 Intendant, Pierre Chesne, Pierre Godfroy deRoquetaliade, Chev- 
 alier Trotier des Ruisseau.K and Dr. Chapoton were buried there- 
 in. The trustees also occupied a special pew, generally the first 
 one on the right side of the aisle, near the altar. In 1805 the fire 
 swept away the church. On the 4th of October, ISOti, the Gov- 
 ernor and Judges granted the petition presented by Father Richard 
 for a deed to the ground to erect a new church. The following 
 was the resolution passed: 
 
 "Resolved, That the Roman Cathohc Church be built in the 
 centre of the little military square on section No. 1 on the ground 
 adjacent to the burying ground, the said lot fronting on East and 
 West avenue (Michigan avenue) 200 feet wide and running back 
 200 feet deep, and bounded on the three sides by three other 
 streets." For a few years sub.sequent to the fire, the people at- 
 tended service in the Meldrum .storehouse near the river, between 
 Randolph and Rates streets, from thence Father Richard removed 
 to Springwells, where mass was said in a house on the Laselle 
 farm. The records of Ste. Anne's have been faithfully kept from 
 1701, when the first baptism administered in the colony was to
 
 Kdi'lii I'rrnch Fainilics. 
 
 265 
 
 Tlu'riVe, danghtor of La Moihe Cadillac. To sliow the care 
 manifested in i)reparing these early records, below an instance is 
 given (translation). 
 
 " The iiiidersiirned RecollOt Priest exercisin.ii vicarial funclions 
 at Fort Pontchartrain of Detroit, declares tliat the i)resent book 
 contains \',\ sheets of ])a]M'r, being tiie veritable lirsl book or regis- 
 try of b:ii)liMns and inleiincnts at Fori Poiilcliartrain, and that it 
 has been prepared and arranged by the venerable IVre I)oiniiii(Hie 
 •de la ^larehe. formerly Piofessor of Theology and Peeollet Priest, 
 my ])redeeessor at this same nussion of Fort Pontchartrain, and 
 for the purpose of giving to this registry all necessary force and 
 value, 1 have requested Monsieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, 
 mnunandant for the king at said fort, to honor it witli his signa- 
 ture. 
 
 Done at said place the IHth of January, 1709. 
 
 FuKijK CiiKurmN Deniau. 
 
 Pecollet Miss. Priest." 
 
 'We, Antoine de la ]Mothe Cadillac, Lord of the places of 
 Donas^uet and Mont Desert, Commander for the king at p-ort 
 Ponlekartrain, certify that the ])resent book contains i;5 sheets, 
 being t'le faithful registry of baptisms and interments. In faith 
 •of whi(3i we have signed. 
 
 Done :l said fort, Januarv 16th. 1709. 
 
 (Signed) " ^La MoTiiE Cadill.vc." 
 
 The sigmtures attached to the dilTerent entries show that the 
 officers and many of the colonists were familiar with the pen. 
 The spirit o' caste is apparent in the designation of titles and 
 various cmpUvments. A glance at the signatures at the end of a 
 marriage entry at once gives a clue to the social position of the 
 .contracting paraos. The otlicers, both civil and military, belonged 
 to the old reginuand many of them bore names which stood high 
 among the noble<se of France. Louis XIV, anxious to promote 
 the interests of hi.'.colonies, olfered every inducement in lheshai)e 
 of grants of land \\\k\ bounties, to emigrants from France. Hy 
 younger sons of Ih? nobili'iy, by tho.se whose fortunes had been 
 ruined, and b^- the idventuious, tliese opportunities were readily 
 seized. AVhilst thc'cudal system was (lying out in France, the 
 king revived it in tlh colony of Canada, by granting to his offi- 
 cers, distinguished sfjdicrs and prominent colonists, socallcd 
 seigneuries (a domain of half a league front and two or three 
 leagues deep), mostly ^tuated on tin; St. Lawrence and its irib- 
 ularies. Outside the giiinis to Cadillac, there were no seigneuries 
 granted on the Detroit or along the lakes, save the one to the 
 Clievalier Le Gardeur dUiepentigny, at Saulle Ste. Marie, but in
 
 266 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 place, wore tho grants of land, at. present called farms, and which 
 were originally only given to prominent colonists. Tiie younger 
 scions of Frencli noblesse could enter into trade in these colonies 
 without derogating from their rank, and at once opened an im- 
 mense trade in beaver, minlc and other furs with tlie Indians. A 
 merchant then, was a man requiring considerable wealth, for 
 every article of use was brought from Quebec or Montreal by 
 canoe, which was dangerous and perilous with tedious portages. 
 The officers who came here were generally accompanied by their 
 wives and some of their connections. Sometimes the love of 
 admiration was greater than that of conjugal affection, as in the 
 case of the beautiful Angelique des Meloises, the wife of Hugues 
 Pean, who found Quebec and the society of Intendant Bigot, too- 
 interesting to accoinpaii}^ her husband to the uncivilized wilds of 
 his new post. The Campeaus, Cuillerier de Beaubien, Trotier 
 des Ruisseaux. Chesne St. Onge, Godefroy de Koquetaliade, and 
 Godefroy de Marboeuf, Barthe, Cicotte and Gode de Mareutetle 
 accompanied some of the officers to whom they were related. 
 De Mei'sac, Chapoton, Reaume, Cliabert de Joncaire and Houet 
 de Moras came as officers. The 3Iorand Grimard, Des Ccmptes 
 Labadie. De Quindre came between 1745 and the Englif^h con- 
 quest. The Macombs, Anthons, McDougalls, Riopelles and many 
 others came in with the English conquest of Canada, in '760. 
 
 The titles were dropped from the record entries, alsr the gen- 
 eral designation of employment, place of residence aid profes- 
 sion, in 1760. It was with the early French customary to confer 
 soubriquets or nicknames. These were either derivtd from the 
 province, city or village from wlience the individua' came, viz. : 
 Casse dit St. Aubin Cauchois (de Caux), Provensal (le Provence); 
 from some agricultural .source, such as: L'oignni (onion). La 
 Tulippe (tulip). La Prune (plum); from some raarPed peculiaritj'-: , 
 Grosse Jambe (big leg), Momirelle (mummy); )thers from the 
 estates, viz. : De Beaubien, de Bendy; De Quind-e, de Marentette. 
 A child born on a festival was pretty sure of perpetuating the 
 event in his name, viz.: Noyl. Pasques, Tous*aint, Assumption. 
 This custom prevails to some extent to the vresent day, among 
 their descendants. 
 
 P. S. — Cakignan Regiment. In 1664 Louis XIV sent to- 
 Canada, the famous Regiment de Garignai commanded by Col. 
 de Sallieres. It was a famous baly of foops, and had distin- 
 guished itself fighting against the Turk;. It was consolidated 
 with that of Saliier nnmed in honor of tie Colonel ot the Carig- 
 nan. They were officered by fifty or ixty French gentlemen 
 belonging to the noblesse. Many of th;m obtained concessions 
 of land, settled upon them and becamethe ancestors of many of 
 the French families of to-day.
 
 KarJy French Families. 267 
 
 Some of those families have thus, in th(#tonrse of two liundrcd 
 years lost their original names and are either known hy their title 
 or soul)ri(iuet or their names have been changed into the English 
 equivalents. 
 
 The older ollieers who came with La Mothe or were stationed 
 at the yio< at dilTerent times, are usually designated in the records 
 as having belonged to the Carignan Sallieres regiment or to a " De- 
 tachment of Marines." They weie not marines in the pri'sent 
 acceptance of the term, but troops sent out from France under 
 the aus]iices of the naval department, and responsible to tiiat 
 authority alone. 
 
 .Many think that the French Canadian spoke onl}' a ;)<^<^y/.>* for- 
 getting that at the period when these pioneers came, Frenc-h litera- 
 ture was in its zenith. Being a conservative people, they preserved 
 not oidy tiie manners and customs of the mother country, but the 
 purity of its language, a fact illustrated by a retpiest made recently 
 by certain Freiuth writers for the situple old Noiiiian songs, which 
 the French Canadian alone retained in all their original purity. 
 Many words which are considered /)at<m, may be found in the 
 works of Kacinc, (Jorneille, or I?oileau. The language of France 
 like the human body is con.stanlly undergoing a change. A 
 Parisian four years absent from Paris is liable to be detecitetl when 
 he writes. One is reminded of the fish woman of Athens who 
 knew by a new customer's accent that he belonged to the suburbs 
 of the city. 
 
 Almost all the old families possessed slaves as servants; they 
 were called " Panis," (pronovmced Pawnees). Very few were of 
 African origin, mostly Indians, belonging to remote tribes who 
 had been made prisoners bj' the Ottawas or Iroquois. They were 
 sold to the whites, in .some instances given as presents by a chief 
 >vho wished to secure the good offices of tiie pale-face. They 
 made exceptionally good servants, and were much attached to 
 their ma.sters. The records of Ste. Anne's have faithfully chron- 
 icled their births, marriages and deaths. 
 
 PniESTS STATIONED AT FOUT PONTCIIAUTKAIN KUO.M 1701 TO 
 
 1832. 
 
 Father Valliant, S. J.; Frere Constantin Del Halle, a RecoUet, 
 —both accompanied T.a Motiie Cadillac in 1701; Del llalle was 
 killed by the Indians in 17i)(); 2. Dominitpie ile la ^larclie. 1700- 
 1707, — he was sent to another mission; '^. Cherui)in Deniau, 1707 
 -1714; 4. Hyacinthe Pelfresne, 1714-1718; 5. Calvarin. V. G. of 
 the mission of Tamaruas, 1718-1719; 6. Jean Mercier, 1719-1720. 
 of the foreign missions of Paris; 7. D. Thaumur. 1720-1722; 8. 
 P. Delino, 1719; 9. Bonaventurc. 1722-1735,— Chijrlevoix men- 
 tions meeting him when visiting Fort E'ontchartrain in 1722; 10.
 
 268 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 P. Daniel, 1785-1738; 11. Bonaventure, again, from 1738-1754; 
 12. De la Ricliardie, S. J., residinc; at the Island of Bois Blanc, 
 1738-1754; 13. Simple Boquet, 17^54-1784; 14. P. Hubert, priest 
 of the Assumption, Sandwich, afterwards Bishop of Quebec; 15. 
 P. Payet, 1782-1786; 16. Pierre Freshet, 1786-1796; 17. Michel 
 Levadoux, 1796-1802; 18. Gabriel Richard, V. G. of the Sulpici- 
 ans. — allied on the maternal side to Bossuet, the great pulpit 
 orator of France, — from 1789-1832. 
 
 This remarkable man was born at Siiintes, France, October 15, 
 1764. He was educated at the College of Angers, and studied for 
 the ministry at the Theological Seminary of Paris. During the 
 lievolution, he left France, came to America and was appointed 
 Professor of Mathematics in St. Mary's College, Md. He was a 
 missionary to the Indians for six years. In 1798 he came to De- 
 troit and built the present Ste. Anne's Church. He was a man 
 of wonderful erudition; he spoke and wrote in seven different 
 languages. So anxious was he to establish schools for the educa- 
 tion of his flock that he sent to France for teachers. The first 
 printing-press in the Northwest was brought to Detroit by him. 
 All the laws of the Territory and the printed matter then required 
 was done under his immediate supervision. He published the 
 Michigan Ensay, a French newspaper, which was later discon- 
 tinued. Many an old French family to-day possess prayer-books 
 and other religious works published by this pioneer press. He 
 took an active interest in everj^thing appertaining to the growth 
 and advancement of the Territory. 
 
 In 1823 he was elected delegate to Congress, where his success- 
 ful efforts for the good of the Territory earned him the grateful 
 appreciation of every enterprising citizen. His acquaintance was 
 eagerly sought by Catholic and Protestant. There were no f3re 
 engines, nor well-regulated fire departments in those days. At 
 the first alarm all able-bodied citizens ranged themselves in two 
 lines from the river to the burning pile, the leather buckets (which 
 always hung in the front h;dl) were passed up one line, the empty 
 ones down the opposite one. Father Richard always took his 
 place with the rest. During the cholera he was indefatigable in 
 attendance on the sick and dying. Two long months of inces- 
 sant labor among the most harrowing scenes, told heavily on a 
 constitution already impaired by great austerities and over-work. 
 Yet the weary, worn, faithful guardsman of Calvary only left 
 his post when disease placed its fatal impress upon him. Even 
 then, mindful of his flock, he consoled them by promising that 
 his death " would close the door on the cholera." The prediction 
 was verified; his w^as the last case. Two thousand mourners 
 followed his remains to their last resting place, the sublime char- 
 acter of the man conquering nature's selfish fear of contagion. 
 For forty-three years he was intimately identified with the City 
 of the Straits. In the history of DetVoit Gabriel Richard will
 
 Early Frencli Families. 209- 
 
 always lio Hie cenlrnl fiiriiie as an acToniplisliod srliolar, a spirited 
 citi/cn, an able statesman ami a saintly and heroic; priest. 
 
 Vincent Steiihcn JJadin, \S'M, — the first Catholic juicst or- 
 dained in the United States. In 1821 Rev. Father Fenwick 
 became IJisiiop of Cincinnati and Administrator of ^licliii^an. 
 Bisliop Hc/.e was the tirst i5isli()|) ai)p(iinic(i tor the See of Michi- 
 gan. Ste. Anne's then iiccame the Catiiedral and remained .so 
 until Sts. 1^'ter and Pawl (the pri'sent Jesuit Clnirch) was com- 
 pleted by liishoji Ijelcbrc Tlie corner stone of the third Ste. 
 Anne's was laid in lSO(j i)y Hishop Flaget, of Kentucky, though 
 not linished until many years later. 
 
 To the kindness and courtesy of the present pastor of Ste. 
 Anne's, Rev. Theophile Aneiau.x, I am under many oblii^ations 
 for access to the old and valuable records of thi.s venerable 
 church. 
 
 FRENCH COMMANDERS AT FORT PONTCHARTRAIN. 
 
 Cadillac, 1701-1714; De Bouri^mont durinij Cadillac's absence, 
 1706; DeLaForet, 1711-1717; I)u Buisson, temporary commander, 
 1712; Ali)honse de Tonly, Baron de Faludy, 1717-1724; Des- 
 champs de BoieiielH^rt, 172.~)-17oO: llu!4ii(;s Pcan, I.ord de I.ivau- 
 diere, Knight of St. Louis, hereditary Town Major of (^nebec, 
 1734; Rajot; Auirustin Le (rardeur de Courtemanche; De Noyelle 
 de Fleurimont, 1739; Deschaillons de St. Ours; Dai^neau.x i)ou- 
 ville; Pierre Payen de Noyan; Jac(iues Chiis. de Sabrevois; .lean 
 Bapte de Celeron; Paul .Jos. Le Moynede Lonijueil, 1743; Nicohis 
 D'Ameau de Muy; Marie Francois Pieote de Bellestre. 
 
 Suri;eons: 1. Antoine Forestier; 2. Jean Baptc; Chapoton, 1718 
 -noo; Gabriel Chri-tophe Le Gr.uid, 17r).5-17()0; Dr. Charles 
 Christian Anthon, 1700-1764. He came to Detroit, November 29, 
 1700, willi Major Koijers. He married, in 1770, Marianne Na- 
 varre, widow of Jacques St. Martin. He was the father of the 
 celebrated classical scholar, Charles Anthon. 
 
 ADHEMAR DE ST. MARTIN. 
 
 To this family beloni^ a brancii of Navarre, Godc de Maren- 
 tette, the Authons of New York, the Scotch branch of .Mcintosh. 
 
 Antoine Adhemar de St. Martin was appointed a Royal Notary 
 at Quebec as early as 1000. He wa.s the son of ."Sliehel and Cecile 
 Gache, de St. Salvy, Haut LangiKuloc. He married twice. His 
 descendants b\' his first wife are still in Canada. By his second, 
 Alichelle Cusson. whom he married in 10S7, he had one son. .Jean 
 Bapte, born in 10^9, who in 1709, came to Detroit, and married 
 there Marie Louise l)o.i,^)n, by whom he hail five children: 1. Jo- 
 seph, married 17")7 .Madeleine Peuillet; he died in 1778; 2. .Jac- 
 ques, surnamed La Butte, married 1700, .Mariaime Navarre^
 
 270 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 diiua:liter of Robert, the Sub-Intendant; 3. Francois; 4. Mar- 
 guerite, married 1758, Col. Louis Jadot. Slie is the ancestress 
 of the Anthons of New York; 5. Marie Louise, married 1760, 
 Jacques Gode de Marcntette. 
 
 Jacques de St. Martin, frequently called La Butte, was a noted 
 interpreter. He was a brother-in law of Lieut. Geo. McDougall, 
 whom he accompanied with Major Campbell to Pontiac's camp 
 at that chief's suggestion that he wished to treat with them. (The 
 office of interpreter was a very important one, and the English 
 suffered much owing to the rascality of some of these men. The 
 French missionaries and French officers were mostly all familiar 
 with the Indian languages and were seldom imposed upon. Brad- 
 street and yir William Johnson complained of their interpreters, 
 but always made honorable exceptions of Chaliert de Joncaire, 
 Chesne La Butte, later of Henry Connor and Whittmore Knaggs.) 
 He married Marianne Navarre, who after his death in 1768, mar- 
 ried Dr. George Christian Anthon. She died at the age of thirty- 
 ,six, leaving no heirs by Anthon, but three by St. Martin. They 
 resided in the old Cass House which belonged to St. Martin. 1. 
 St. Martin St. Marlin, died in early manhood, unmarried; 2. 
 Finon. married Philip Fry; 3. Archange, born 1766, married 
 Angus Mcintosh, who inherited the estates which belonged to the 
 Earldom of Moy, tlie Earldom itself having been forfeited in the 
 rebellion against the House of Hanover. He was noted for his lav- 
 ish hospitality. The sons of this marriage returned to Scotland, 
 Two of the daughters were well known in Detroit, Mrs. Henry 
 J. Hunt, and Miss Kittie Mcintosh who died a few years ago. 
 
 ANTHON BR.\NCH. 
 
 Marguerite de St. Martin married, 1758, Col. Louis Jadot, an 
 officer in de Muy's regiment. He was the eldest son of Jacques 
 Jadot. former Mayor and Alderman of Rocrois (Fi'ance), and 
 Marie Bolaiid. Col. Jadot was killed in 1765 by the Indians, his 
 wife had died in 1764 leaving an infant daughter. Genevieve, to 
 the care of her brother Jacques and his wife Marianne Navarre. 
 Little Genevieve was kindly taken care of by her aunt Marianne, 
 who becoming a widow married Dr. Anthon. In 1773 Mrs. An- 
 thon died, and Genevieve was left with her cousins, the St. Martin 
 children, as the wards of Dr. Anthon and their uncle, Alexander 
 Macomb. When Genevieve reached her fifteenth year Dr. An- 
 thon married her; he was at the time forty-five. 
 
 A brief sketch of the doctor whose life was an adventurous 
 one and who gave to America its most celebrated classical scholar, 
 Charles Anthon, may be interesting to many. Dr. Geo. Christian 
 Anthon, born at Salzugen in 1734, died in New York in 1815. He 
 studied medicine in his nativ ■ place, afterwards at Gerstungen. 
 In 1750 he passed his examination before the medical authorities
 
 Early French Families. 271 
 
 of Eisenbach. From tlicncc in 17r)4 he went to Ainstenlam, 
 passed two examinations there before the ('olleire of Surgeons, jiiul 
 was :i])iiointed siuireon in tlie Duteh West India trade. He made 
 several voyaujes but tlic vessel lie was on was eaplured in 1757 by 
 a British i)rivateer from iSCw York, and was carried into that 
 port. At the aa:e of twenty-three, he found liimself in a new and 
 stransje country without friends and wiih no otlier resources than 
 his profes.sion. Confident of his ability he applied for a position 
 in the military hospital at Albany. Jlis talents were reco^jnized 
 and he was appointed First Assistant Surgeon in the First Batlal- 
 lion, Si.xtieth IJeginient, Royal Ameiicans. In 17G0, he was de- 
 tached with the i)arly which under Major Koirers took possession 
 of Detroit. He married twice: Isl, ^larianne Navarre, the widow 
 of Jacques de St. ^lartin, by whom he had no heirs; in 177S Gen- 
 evieve Jadot, her orphan niece on the St. Martin side. In 178G Dr. 
 Anthon removed with his family to New York, journeying thither 
 by way of Montreal. Three of the doctor's children' were born 
 in Delroit. Georire. born 1781. died N. Y., IHfJ.l; John,* l)orn 
 1784, died N. Y., 1803; Dorothea Loui.sa. born 178G. died N. Y., 
 1786; Catherine, born 1787, died N. Y., 1789; Jane, born 1791, 
 died N. Y'., 18r)9; Louisa, born 1793; Henry, born 1795, died 1801, 
 became the Kev. Henry Anthon of "St. ^lark's" in the Bowery; 
 Charles, born 1797, died 1807, the most accomplished Greek and 
 Latin scholar of America; William, born 1799, died 1831; ^laric, 
 t)oru 1801, died 1803; Edward, born 1S05, died 1830. 
 
 BABY. 
 
 This family, .strictly speaking, after the English Conquest be- 
 came and remained English subjects. One of its illustrious 
 branches was born in Detroit, and a few of its descendants still 
 reside in the Slate. The founder was J;icques Baby de Hainviile, 
 son of Jean, Seigneur de Hainviile, and Isabeau Rol)in, of Guienne, 
 France. Jacques was an otliccr in the famous Carii^nan Regi- 
 ment, and thus came to America. He married, in 1670, Jehaune 
 Dandonneau du Sablee. Their children were: 
 
 Marie Jeaime, born 1671, married 1689, Paul de Lusignau, and 
 in 1700, Claude Pauperet. 
 
 Jacques, born 1673, married 1709, Madeline Veron de Grand- 
 mesnil. 
 
 Marie Madeleine, born 1683, married 1708. Jean Bapte. Crevior 
 de Duvernay, a noted family, allied to the Gamclins, Hertels de 
 Rouville, Boucher and Gatineau Du Ple.ssis. 
 
 Raymond, born 1683, married 1731, Thert'se Dupre. daughter 
 
 *John was one of tlie most eminent lawyers of New Y''ork. 
 Author of several valuable legal works.
 
 272 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 of Louis Lecompte Diipre and Ciitherine St. Georges. They were 
 blessed with many children;, of their daughters, one became the 
 Mother Therese de Jesus, Ursuline nun at Three Rivers, one mar- 
 ried Dr. Claude Benoist, of Montreal, another married Louis- 
 Perrault, the fourth married Jean Bapte, de Niverville, Seigneur 
 dcChamblay; of the sons, Antoine died unmarried, Louis mar- 
 ried 1758, Louise de Couague. daughter of Jean Bapte, Captain 
 of Infantry, and Marguerite Le Neuf de Falaise. 
 
 Jacques Duperon I3aby settled at Detroit. His name is inti- 
 mately woven in the liistory of the seige of Pontiac, in 1760. He 
 was a man of great worth and integrity, gaining alike the respect 
 and confidence of the French, English and Indians. He married 
 in 1760, Susanne Reaume, daughter of Pierre and Susanne Hu- 
 bert de la Croix. Jacques died in 1796, leaving eleven children 
 to bless his name and to emulate his good example. Of the girls, 
 one married Mr. Caldwell, one Mr. Allison, another Ross Lerin, 
 and tlie fourth Mr. Bellingham, afterwards Lord Bellingham. 
 Three of the sons became officers in the British army, and by 
 tlieir bravery won renown and high positions. They were Daniel, 
 Antoine and Louis. Pierre studied medicine at Edinburg, Scot- 
 land. He returned to Canada and married a lady of Scotch 
 extraction. 
 
 Jacques, the eldest of Jacques Duperon and Susanne Reaume, 
 after completing his studies at the Seminary of Quebec, went to 
 Europe to perfect liimself in certain branches. He married Eliza 
 Abbot, by whom he liad live boys and one girl: 
 
 Jacques became a lawyer, and died in Toronto; lie had married 
 the daughter of an English officer. 
 
 Raymond was sheriff for Kent Co. 
 
 Charles settled in Sandwich and left several children. 
 
 William also settled in Sandwich. 
 
 Eliza married Hon. Charles Casgrain, son of Pierre Casgrain, 
 Seigneur de la Bouteillerie, whose sons and grandsons have re- 
 flected glory on their ancestry. Dr. Casgrain in surgery. Abbe 
 Raymond by his gifted pen, Thomas Chase Casgrain, of Quebec, 
 at the bar, whilst the daughters have devoted their lives to the 
 service of God. 
 
 Francois Dufresne Baby, youngest son of Raymond and The- 
 rese Diipre, married at Quebec, in 1786. Marianne Tarieu de 
 Lanaudiere, granddaughter of Baron de Longueil. She died in 
 1844, leaving four boys and four girls. Francois, a son, married 
 a sister of_Bishop Pinsonnault. 
 
 BARTHE. 
 
 Theophile Barthe, armorer to the king, married in Montreal, in 
 1718, Charlotte Alavoine, daughter of a prominent merchant of 
 that city. Two of their sons, Charles and Pierre, left home to
 
 I'Mi'iij French Pamilles. 273 
 
 seek th(;ir forluiio in Lii Mollie ("iidillac's colony, ("liarles hcfaine 
 vciy proiniiu'iit, .setlleil lor u while at Mackinaw, lie met his 
 fate in 'JMu'rese Canipcau, daughter of liouis and Marie Louise 
 Robert, and married her in 1747. (At their marriage at Fort 
 Pontchartrain were iiresent.Iosepli Lemoyne de Lougueil, Kni"ht 
 of St. liOuis, Commandant of the post, Jos. Douaire do Bondy, 
 C'has. '^('hesnc, Du iMns.seaux, Dr. Chapoton, Pierre Chesne, 
 Father IJonaventiire, jiricsl.) Charles and TherC'se were ble.ssed 
 with a numerous oJVspnng, whose descendants all occupy promi- 
 nent positions in Canada and in the United States. 
 
 I. Marie Archainic, born 1749. Dr. Chapoton, of the F'rench 
 army, was her godfather. She mariied John Askiu, Governor 
 of Michinimackinac. The Askins are of Scotch origin and trace 
 back to the Karl of Mar. A branch of this famil}^ settled in Ire- 
 land, and from there emigrated to America. The proper name 
 is HrskiiK but was converted into Askin by the Irish brancli. 
 The children of John and Marie Archange were: 
 
 I. Cn.vui-KS John, b. 1 7Stl;mairied .Moniquc Jacobs. He dwelt 
 in the old Askin homestead at Walkerviile, Canada, called Streb- 
 iinc, after the ancestral estate in Ireland. 
 
 II. Adelaide, b. :May ;^Oth, 178:3; married 1802, Elijah Brush. 
 Attorney General of the ISorth-West Territory and Colonel of the 
 Legionary Corps during the war of 1813. Four children were 
 the fruit of this union: 
 
 1. Ei-)mi;ni), married Elizabeth Cass Hunt 
 
 2. Dr. Alfred, died unmarried. 
 
 3. Charles, married Jane Forsyth. 
 
 4. Cymelhia, married Mr. .Meredith. 
 
 III. Therese, married Col. Alexander McKee, the British Indian 
 Agent. The oidy.son of this marriage, Alexander, married Felice 
 Jacobs, of Sandwich, Canada, where his descendants reside. 
 
 IV. Ellen, b. 1788, married Mr. Pattinson, whose son Hichard 
 was a British olHcer, afterwards appointed Governor of Heligo- 
 land. 
 
 V. Archange, married Mr. Meredith. 
 
 VI. Alexander, died unmarried. 
 VII. James, afterw;irds Col. Askin, of the British Militia. He 
 married Francoise Navarre Gode iMarentette. He was Jiegistcrof 
 Deeds of Essex County, an ollice which has been held by his son 
 and grand.sou. The children of this marriage are: 
 
 Joii.N, married. 1st, Moni(juc Navarre, daughterof Col. Francois 
 Navarre, of ^Monroe; 2d. ^leliuda McCroskey, daughterof James 
 and Susiume Godfroy. 
 
 Aiuii.vNoi;, married Henry Ronalds, of England, whose only 
 child, Lucy, married George Harris, of London, Canada. 
 
 James, .settled in Australia. 
 
 Therese. 
 
 Al-ICK. 
 
 IH
 
 274 Leyends of Le Detroit. 
 
 CnAHLEs, was killed by a sentinel during the Patriot War. 
 Ellen. 
 
 Jane, married, 1st, Daniel Murray, of Toronto; 2nd. Edward 
 Skae. 
 
 2. Catherine Barthe, b. 1750, died young. 
 
 3. Jean Baptiste, b. 1753, married Genevieve Cuillerier de 
 Beaubien, a niece of Piquote de Bellestre. He left several chil- 
 dren. One of his daughters, Therese, married Hubert Villier, dit 
 St. Louis. 
 
 4. Bonaventure, b. 1756. 
 
 5. Charles Andre, died young. 
 
 6. Louis Theophile, b. 1760, married, 2nd time, 1802, Made- 
 leine Des Ruisseaux de Belcour, daughter of Francois and Made- 
 leine Adhemar de Lusignan. 
 
 7. Therese, b. 1758, married Commodore Alexander Grant. 
 Pierre Barthe, a younger brother of Charles, followed him 
 
 later to Fort Pontchartraiu, and was associated with him in his 
 extensive trade at Mackinaw and with the Miamis. In 1760 
 Pierre married Charlotte Chapoton, daughter of Dr. Jean Chap- 
 oton, surgeon in the French army. Their daughter, Char- 
 lotte, b. 1763, was the only survivor of four children. She 
 married, in 1780, Lt. Louis Reaume, of the British army, who 
 left her a young widows within the year. In 1784 she became the 
 second wife of Antoine Louis Descomptes Labadie, surnamed 
 "Badichon," and became the grandmother of Mrs. R. S. Willis, 
 Mrs. Giesse, Mrs. Alexander Chapoton, Sr., the Lagraves, of St. 
 Louis, Mo. 
 
 Commodore Alexander Grant married, in 1774, Therese, daugh- 
 ter of Charles Barthe, and Marie Therese Campeau, was of the 
 clan of Grants of Glenmoriston, Scotland. He entered the navy 
 at an early age, but resigned in 1757 to join a Highland regiment 
 raised for the army of General Amherst in America. In 1759 he 
 reached Lake Champlain. Gen. Amherst desiring able officers 
 for his fleet on the lake, commissioned Lieut. Grant to the com- 
 mand of a sloop of sixteen guns. After the conquest of Canada, 
 Grant was ordered to Lakes Erie and Ontario. Detroit was then 
 an English garrison, and it was here he met his fate in Therese 
 Barthe. He built his castle as it was called at Grosse Pointe. (Its 
 site is at present occupied by Mr. T. P. Hall's summer residence, 
 "Tonnancour.") It was a noted place for the courtesy of its 
 host and his open, generous hospitality. Tecumseh and his 
 warriors were frequent guests at the Grant castle. The Commo- 
 dore belonged to the executive council in 1805 of Upper Canada. 
 In a letter to his brother Alpine, dated from York (Toronto), July 
 5, 1811, he saj's: "My duty where my naval command requires 
 me is such a distance from here that I cannot travel in the winter 
 when the Legislature meets, but I come down at my ease in the
 
 Early French Families. » 275 
 
 8umm(M' and lake some sittings in the council. A gentleman who 
 has served his country upwards of rtfty-live years reiiuires some 
 indulgence, and my superiors allow it to me." He Avas a man of 
 commanding presence, a great favorite and a good oflicer. He 
 had ten daughters, who are to-day represented by the English- 
 Canadian families of Wrights, K()l)insons, Dicksons, Woods, 
 DulTs, Gilkersons, Millers, Jacobs and Hichardsons. Mr. Jasper 
 Oiikerson, of Brant ford, whom the author had the pleasure of 
 meeting, has been in chargf! of th<; Indians in Canada for many 
 years. So faithful has he been to his charge, that any promise 
 made to the Indians by him has always been kept by the govern- 
 ment. A worthy representative of his grandfather. Commodore 
 Grant, who when administrator, with the power of giving free 
 grants of land, never granted any to his family or their connec 
 Uons. Commodore Grant died at Grosse Pointe in 1813. 
 
 BEAUFAIT. 
 
 In 179G, Sergeant Winthrop, Acting Governor of the North West 
 Territory, formed the new County of Wayne. Its boundaries ex- 
 tended from the Cayuga river on the west, to the dividing line now 
 existing between Indiana and Illinois, on the north to the national 
 boundary line, including all of the subsequent territory of Michi- 
 gan, and a portion of Ohio and Indiana. The Courts of Com- 
 mon Pleas for Wayne comity were organized, and the Judges 
 chosen to preside over them were business men, upright, honest, 
 and intelligent. Louis Beaufait was the first Senior Justice. He 
 came directly from France, was the son of Luc and Gabrielle 
 Sourceau, parish of St. ^lartin, diocese de la Rochelle. In 17(56 he 
 married Theresede ^lersac, d. of Francois, and Therese Campeau. 
 Their children were : Tiio.\r.\s, b. 17G8; Makie Iuene, b. 1770, 
 married Jean Bapte Rivard, sou of J. Bapte and Catherine Iliax; 
 Louis, b. 1773, afterwards Col. Beaufait. He lived on the old 
 IJeaufait farm, (to-day known as the Bagg). There the cele- 
 brated Chippewa warrior Kishkaukou came to eneani]! after the 
 murder of Judge Ilielly's clerk. He was made a prisoner and 
 woidd have paid the penally of his crime on the gallows, had he 
 not poisoned himself on the eve of the execution. He married, 
 1804, Loui.se Saussier. A son of Col. Beaufait, Lours, married, 
 1835, Catherine Peltier, daughter of Charles and Martha Cecile 
 Chapoton; Elizabetu, b. 1778. 
 
 CAMPEAU. 
 
 This family still retains in the "Citj- of the Straits" the same 
 prestige it held in the early days of the colony. So numerous
 
 276 ' Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 were its branches that there is scarcely now a familj^ of French 
 descent in Detroit, whicli does not claim a Canipeaii among its 
 ancestors. The first of the name who came to Canada was: 
 
 Etienne, who married in 1663, at Montreal, Catherine Paulo. 
 Their children were : 
 
 1. Etienne, b. 1664, mar. 1690 Jeanne Fouche; 2. Michel, b. 
 1G67, mar. 1696 Jeanne Masse; 3. Francois, b. 1671, mar. 1698 
 ^Madeleine Brossard; 4. Jacques, b. 1677, mar. 1699 Cecile Catin, 
 d. 1751; 5. Jean Baptiste, b. 1681; 6. Agathe, b. 1685, mar. 1701 
 Paul Chevalier; 7. Catherine, b. 1669, mar, 1685, Francois Blot. 
 
 Michel and Jacques came and settled in Detroit about 1710, and 
 are the ancestors of all the numerous branches of the name in De- 
 troit, Monroe, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Chicago, 111. 
 
 ELDEST BRANCH. 
 
 Michel and Jean De Merles, were the pioneer merchants of De- 
 troit. The former mar. 1696, Jeanne Masse. Their children were: 
 
 1. Marianne, mar. 1734, Pierre Belleperche, son of Pierre and 
 Gertrude Du Buisson Guyon, a near relative of Cadillac's wife. 
 
 3. Antoine, mar. 1736, M. Angelique Peltier. He died in 1759 
 leaving the following children: 1. Alexis, b. 1737, mar. 1763, Mad- 
 eleine Du Muy. His children were: Antoine, Marie Madeleine, 
 Therese, b. 1770, Alexis, b. 1778; 2. Josette, b. 1738, mar. 1753. 
 Guillaume St. Bernard; 3. Catherine, b. 1742: 4. Charles, b. 
 1746, mar. 1772, M. Louise Borde St. Saurin. His son Charles, b. 
 1773; 5. "Antoine, b. 1754; 6. Therese, b. 1749, mar. 1766, Am- 
 broise Riopelle. 
 
 3. Marguerite. 
 ■ 4. Paul Alexis, mar. 1742, M. Charlotte Pineau, whose children 
 were: 1. Charlotte, b. 1744, mar. 1762, Jos. Drouin; 2. Paul, b. 
 1746; 3. Francois, b. 1749; 4. Catherine, b. 1751. 
 
 5. Michel, mar. 1740, Marie Josette Buteau, whose children 
 were: 1. Marie Josette, b. 1745; 2. Charles, b. 1749; 3. Michel. 
 
 6. Charles, mar. 1751, Cath. Casse St. Aubin. He mar. 1754, 
 Charlotte Montrais; his children were: 1. Charlotte, b. 1757, 
 mar. 1772, Touissant Greiion; 2. Charles, b. 1760; 3. Rosalie, b. 
 1761 ; 4. Bridgitte, mar. 1772, Rene Tivierge. 
 
 CADET BRANCH. 
 
 Jacques, brother of Michel, (held the position of armorer)'mar. 
 1699, Cecile Catin. They had the following children: 
 
 1. J. Louis, b. 1702, mar. 1725, Marie Louise Robert. 
 
 2. Henri, b. 1704. 
 
 3. Marianne, mar. 1732, Joseph Douaire de Bondy, son of 
 Jacques and Madeleine Gatineau Duplessis. 
 
 4. Nicolas (Niagara), b. 1707, mar. 1733, Agathe Casse St. 
 Aubin. He died in 1756, leaving the following children : Agathe
 
 J'Mrlij F rem oh Fainilies. 277 
 
 mar. 17r)8, Alexis sr^ruiri Liideroutc; Marianne, mar. 1763, Alexis 
 Bienvenu Delisie; Angeli(jue, mar. 1759, Antoine Louis Des- 
 comptcs Labadie (Badichou); Cecile, mar. 1784, Pierre C'liesne 
 St. Onge. 
 
 5. Jean Bai)te, h. 1710, mar. 1737, f'atli. Perlhuis, d. of 
 Pierre and Catli. Mallet, of Montreal, whose children were: Jean 
 Bapte (Piniciie), mar. 17(54, Cath. Boyer; liypolite, mar. 17(58, 
 
 Ange]i(iue Cardonet ; Juiien, b. 17o5; Jo.seph, b. ; Louis; 
 
 Francois, mar. IHOf), Susanne Morand. 
 
 G. Claude, mar. 1742, Catherine Ca.sse St. Aubin. 
 
 1. J. Louis, the elde.st son of Jacques and Cecile Catin, mar., in 
 172"), Marie Ijouise Itobert. The followini!; children blessed the 
 union: 1. Marie Theri^so, b. 1727, mar. 1747, Chas. Andre Barthe, 
 and is the ancestress of the families of Askin, Grant, etc. : 2. 
 Francois; 3. Jacques, b. 173"), mar. 17(50, Cath. 3Ienard, in 1784, 
 Francoise Navarre, widow of Lt. (tco. .McI)oui,^all, of the British 
 Army; 4. Simon, b. 17:>9, mar. 17(54, Cath. Boyer. His children 
 were: Henri, b. 1773; Simon Chas., b. 1709, mar. Jo.sctte Gamelin; 
 Archange, b. 17(5(5; 5. Jean Bapte, b. 1743, mar. 17G7, GeneviC'VC 
 Gode de Marentette, whose children were: 1. Theresc, b. 1709; 2. 
 Ale.xis.b. 1771, mar. 179"), AiratheCliesne. A daughter Therese (of 
 Ale.xi.s) mar. 1820, Philippe Chabert de Joncaire, son of the 
 Chevalier Francois Chabert and Josette Chesne; 3. Genevieve, 
 b. 1707, mar. 1793. GabriOl Chesne. 
 
 Jacquks. 3(1 child of J. Louis and Marie Louise Robert, mar. 
 17(50, (Jatherine Menard. He was one of the 1st Cai)tainsof Militia, 
 and his services are fretpiently mentioned, with high praise in 
 tlie early annals of Detroit. There is a tradition that Jaccpies' 
 grandfather was Jja Mothe Cadillac's Secretary for a wliile. If 
 handwriting were any recommendation, Cadillac's choice was a 
 fortunate one, for, as a family, their chirograpliy is peculiarly 
 noticeable for its beauty ami distinctness. Jaccpies possessed nmch 
 property, which is still in the family, and with the ra])id irrowlh 
 of the city, has become inunensely vahiable. In 1784 lie mar. 
 Francoise Navarre, d. Of the Sub-Inlendant, and the widow of 
 the gallant ollicer, (Jeorge McDougall. l}y his .second wife he 
 had no lirirs, but by his first, se\'cral: among others the following 
 ones : 
 
 1. J.vcijUKs, 1). 17(52, mar. \lx\), Susanne Cuillerier de Heaubien. 
 d. of Jean Bajite. and .Marianne l-olluuan de Barrois. They had 
 two cliildren: Sophie, mar. James Dubois; Jacques (Binettc), 
 mar. 1819, Josette Chesne; 2. Angeli({ue. b. 1704. 
 
 3. Ckcii-k, b. 170"), mar. 17S1, Judge Thomas Williams, whose 
 children were: Hli/.abeth. who so nobly consecrated her life to 
 the education of vouth as early as 1S08; Catherine, b. 17S4, mar. 
 1809, Jean Bai)te" Pelletier; John P. ((Jenl.) b. 1706, mar. Miss 
 Mott, imd his descendants are all well known in Detroit.
 
 278 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 4. Joseph, b. 1769, mar. 1808, Adelaide De Quindre; 5. Bar- 
 nabe. b. 1770, mar. 1st, Therese Cicotte, 2nd, Arcliange McDou- 
 .Call; 6. Loui.s (Louizon), b. 1767, mar. 1789, Therese Morand. 
 His children settled in Grand Rapids, Mich. They were ]\Irs. Cot- 
 rell, Mrs. Villier dit St. Louis; George, mar. Mile. Rivard; An- 
 toine, mar. Mile. Cotrell; Toussaint, mar. jMlle. Mersac; Louison- 
 ette, mar. Sophie de Mersac. 
 
 Joseph, b. Feb. 25, 1769, died in 1860, was for many years one of 
 the central tigures in the history of Detroit. He inherited some of 
 his property, but by untiring industr}^ careful management, aided 
 by the rapid increase and prosperity of the city encircling him on 
 all sides, he was able to leave to his heirs one of the most valuable 
 estates in the North West. He mar., in 1808, Adelaide, d. of 
 Antoine Daigneaux Douville De Quindre and Catherine des 
 Rivieres de la Morandi^re. He had a large family, viz. : 1. Joseph, 
 died unmarried. 
 
 2. Daniel, mar. Marie Palms, d. of Ange Palms, of Antwerp, 
 and Jeanette Catherine PeKters. Ange had been Quarter- 
 master of one of the divisions of Napoleon's Army, at Water- 
 loo. By his successful efforts to save the ammunition at that 
 disastrous battle, he was made by Napoleon, on the tield, a 
 Chevalier de la Legion d'Honor. During the stormy period of 
 the dethronement of Charles X., and the elevation of Louis 
 Phillippe, the Citizen King, Mr. Palms was obliged to leave 
 Belgium. He remained two years at Mayence, in Germany. He 
 was an ardent admirer of Chateaulriand, and his description of 
 America, with its grand primeval forests, its wonderful Niagara, 
 roused his desire to travel through the country which had won 
 such enthusiastic praise from France's most gifted sou, Mr. 
 Palms brought letters of introduction from his intimate and per- 
 sonal friend, the Prince de Liege, Archbishop of Malines, to 
 Bishop Dubois, of New Orleans, La., also a letter to President 
 Van Buren, who introduced the Belgian exile to New York's 
 most cultured society, to the Van Ransselars, Minturns, Roose- 
 velts, etc. , where he was a welcome guest. On his travels he had 
 proceeded as far as Detroit, where, Aug. 26, 1833, his wife died 
 of cholera. Thus a new land became her tomb, and the cradle 
 of the race on American soil. He abandoned all thought of 
 returning to Belgium, for he had given to America his most 
 sacred deposit. Ange Palms' parents were: Francois and Marie 
 Rosenboeck, Jeanette Peeters his wife's parents were: Pierre and 
 Jeanne Catherine Tumen, of Malines, Belgium. Ange had several 
 brothers and sisters: 1. Francois, a distinguished priest, noted 
 for his scholarly attainments; 2. Frangoise; 3. Jerome, a wealthy 
 banker of Antwerp; 4. Baptiste; 5. Marie Anne, mar. William Van 
 Dick; 6. Elise, mar. ]\Ir. Calhouy. Ange's children settled in Detroit
 
 Early French Families. 279 
 
 cind in New Orloixns, ].a. ; thoy were: 1. Jean Pierre; 2. Francois, 
 ni;ir. at Detroit, Catlicriiie Do.s Kiviries. d. of Josepli Campau and 
 Adelaide do (^uiiidrc, \\\\n died in 18.S0. k-aviiiii; one dau.!,diter, 
 Clotilde. IJy a former marriage Francois liail one son. FitANcois, 
 ■vvlio resides at present at Detroit, and wiio liad married, in Xe\v 
 Orleans, Mile. Pellerin, a descendant of the Acadian family of 
 that name; :!. Therese, married Wm. Wilder, of Rochester. .N'. Y.; 
 4. Marie Fraucoise, married Danl. J. Campeau, sou of Joseph, 
 "wliose children are well known in Detroit. Danl. J. is a lawyer; 
 Louis Palms; and Adele, wife of Wm. G. Tliompson. Ange and 
 Louis Palms married in New Orleans, La., and both reside there. 
 
 3. fjKiL.v ('ami'eau married Mr. Johnston, of Grand Rapids, 
 Michigan. 
 
 4. Oatiikkine Des Rivii^res married Francois Palms. She died 
 in 1880, leaving one daughter. 
 
 5. Denis died unmarried in 1878. 
 
 6. Jacques married Alice Edwards, daughter of Major. Ed- 
 wards, U. S. A., and Miss Hunt, and left three sons. 
 
 7. Emii.ie married Geo. Lewis. 
 
 8. Matilde married Eustache Chapoton, son of Eustache and 
 Adelaide Jvilie Serat dit (^ocjuillard; one heir survives. 
 
 9. Theodore married and left no heirs. 
 
 10. Timothy Alexander married, and resides at Detroit. 
 
 Barnahk married 1808, Therese Cicotte, daughter of JeanBapte 
 and Angelique Poupart Laboise. He was called L'Abbie from 
 the termination of his name. Two girls were the result of this 
 union. 
 
 EmiltI':, died unmarried at Washington, in 1880. 
 
 Angei.ique married 183G, Jean IJ. I'icjuette, son of Jean Bapte 
 and Kleonore Descomptes Labadie. The Pi(iuetle family was orig- 
 inali}' from Picardie, and the name is frecjuently seen in the 
 "Amorial General of France." The first in this country was Eus- 
 tache, who married in KiSO, Jeanne Boucher. His son Joseph 
 married 170G, Marie Therese Merienne, daughter of Jean Meri- 
 enne de Lasolavye, who was godfather in l(58o for Marienne, 
 daughter of M. de Brissay, Manjuis de Denonville, Governor 
 of Canada. Francois Eusiachi;. born 17;54, married Charlotte 
 Gaudry. Joseimi, born 17."):!, married 1770, Marguerite Reiiaud. 
 Jean Bapte married 1808, Eleonore Descomptes Labadie. To 
 this family belongs the celebrated Sulpician Francois Picquet, 
 ■who, in order to attach the L'oquois confederacy to the French, 
 founded a mission at the mouth of the Oswegatchie in 1748. He 
 erected a substantial stone buililing and placed this inscription on 
 the corner stone. "Francois Piequet laid the foundation of this 
 building in the name of the Almighty God, in 1749." This 
 inscribed corner stone occupies a conspicuous jiosition in the State 
 Armory, erected at Ogdensburg in 1808.
 
 280 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Tlu! children of Jean and Au2:elique Cumpeau were: John, 
 died unmarried: Elise, married first in 1870, Ormsby Mitchell, 
 U. S. A., son of the distinguished astronomer and soldier, Gen. 
 Mitchell; second, 1880, James Hoban of Washington; Charles 
 married 1876, Fanny Ellston Perlcy, by whom he had two chil- 
 dren. He died in Paris, France, in 1876; Emilie married 1876, 
 Francis Preston Blair Sands, a prominent lawyer of Washington, 
 D. ('., son of Rear Admiral Sands, U. S. N. 
 
 In 1831, Barnabe married a second time, Archange McDougall, 
 daughter of Jean and Archange Campeau. The McDougalls 
 were a prominent famil}' of Scottish origin. The first who came 
 to Detroit was Lieutenant George McDougall, a British otflcer 
 who accompanied Major Campbell to Pontiac's camp at Bloody 
 Run, in 1763 to attempt to negotiate with the wily chief. He 
 treacherously kept them as hostages. Fortunately Lieutenant 
 McDougall escaped. He married 1765, Francoise Navarre, 
 daughter of Robert, the Sub-Intendant and Royal Notary, and 
 Marie Louise Lothman de Barrois. After his death she married, 
 in 1784 Jacques Campeau, father of Joseph and Barnabe, by 
 whom she had no children, but left the following by Lieutenant 
 George McDougall: Jean R.. born 1766: George; John Robert, 
 the eldest, married 1786, Archange Camjieau, daughter of Simon 
 and Veromique Bloudeau, whose children were: George, born 
 1706; Robert, born 1789; Catuerine, born 1797. 
 
 Archange, who married, 1820, Barnabe Campeau. The Mc- 
 Dougalls acquired considerable property, and among their land 
 grants was Belle Isle to Lieutenant Geoi-ge McDougall, at the 
 same time that Grosse Isle was granted to his brother-in-law, 
 Alexander Macomb. 
 
 Barnabe had two sons by his second wife: Barnbe, Jr. ; Alex- 
 ander Macomb. Barnabe, Jr., married Alexandrine Sheldon, 
 daughter of Thomas Sheldon and Eleonore Descomptes Labadie. 
 Two sons were the fruit of this union: Thomas Sheldon; Dr. 
 Albert Campeau. ; 
 
 Alexander Macomb married, 1843, Eliza Throop of New 
 York, a member of that family so well and favorably known in 
 the political world. He had a large famil,y who fully justified 
 the traditional beauty of the Navarres; George Bliss married 
 Minnie, daughter of Commodore Woolsey, U. S. N. He died 
 in the flower of his youth, leaving four children; Alexander is 
 immarried. 
 
 Barnabe married Alice, daughter of Admiral Stephens, U. S. 
 N. ; Emilie married Lieutenant Fitch, U. S. N. ; Montgomery 
 died unmarried; Frances married Frederic Sibley, a rising law- 
 yer and worthy scion of the distinguished name he bears; Mc- 
 Dougall married Miss Batcheler of Pittsburg and is actively
 
 Kuril/ French Fainilies. 281 
 
 interested in some of tlie new manufacturini; interests which 
 has placed Detroit in the foremost ranks amonj^ manufacturlnij 
 cities. 
 
 CHABERT DE JONCAIRE. 
 
 This name fii^urcs conspicuously in tiie annals of Detroil, espe- 
 cially from the time of the Emrlish coiupiest. In France it isstill 
 found anions the nobility, in ihe navy, and on the tablets of the 
 French Academy. Thomas was a nol)kMnan, came to Canada as 
 an olliccr, havinu' an n])titudc for iani^uagcs, lie soon mastered the 
 Indian dialects and became royal interpreter for the five nations. 
 He married at 3Iontrcal, .Mari^ueritc LetJuay of Kouen. Their 
 son D.VNiEi-, born 1714, was a Lieutenant in tlie French army, and 
 later succeeded to his father's position of interpreter. He married 
 in 17.51, I'rsule Mariruerite Eliz.ibeth de la 3Ioraudiere, of the 
 disliixuished liocbert family of Canada. He died at Detroit, in 
 1770, three years later he was followed to the irrave by his wife, 
 leavinir several children, amonir whom W(M"e : 1. Louis ; 'I. 
 Pnii.ii'PK, married 17*5. .luditJi Gouiii. dauirhter of Claude 
 Thom.-is and Josette Cuillcrier de Heaubien; :{. Axgelique 
 jVIaiiruerite. named from her irodmother Anj^elique Cicotte, wife 
 of Medor Gamelin. Philippe at the baptism of his dauij:hter 
 Judith, signs himself Chevalier. Francois Chabert de .Toncaire, 
 was a nephew of Daniel, son of GabriOl, ("aptain of Infantry, and 
 Marguerite Fleury de la Gorgendiere, one of the most aristocratic 
 and powerful families of Canada. The Chevalier was a man of 
 great ability ;uid took an active interest in promoting the growth 
 of the city of Detroit. He, with Solomon Sibley and Jacob Vis- 
 gar, represented Wayne county in the Legislative Assembly of the 
 North West Territory, held at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1799, at which 
 Gen(;ral William Harrison was chosen delegate to Congress. In 
 1780, the Chevalier married Josette Ciiesne, by whom he had 
 several children, to-day represented by a branch of the Loranger 
 family of Detroit and Monroe; M. C.vthkkink. born 17s;}, mar- 
 ried 1808, Francois La Fontaine: Francois, born 1784; Hosai.ie. 
 born 1782. married 1808, Joseph liOranger, son of Claude and 
 Marguerite ^lonon.Min, parish of St. Antoine, t^"^'^'^'^ ; Hf.mu- 
 ETTp;, married IBSo, John Norton Hubble, son of Isaac and 
 "Eunice Hilton of New York; Philiitk, married 182G, There.se 
 Campeau, daughter of Alexis and Agathe Chesne. 
 
 CHAPOTON. 
 
 The numerous branches of this family so well and favorably 
 known in Detroit all descended from Jean, son of Tendrez and
 
 282 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Dearne Cassaigne, Cazolle, Diocese of Duges, Lauguedoc. He 
 was a surgeon iu the French army with tiie rank of major, and 
 was ordered to Fort Pontcliartrain to relieve Forestier, the first 
 pliysician who came to tlie post. During fort}^ years Dr. Cliapo- 
 ton's elegant and stereotype-like signature is aflixed to every death 
 notice in the colony. He retired from the ai'niy several years 
 previous to the English conquest, and settled on the land which 
 he had received as a grant. He died in 1762. In 1721, he had 
 married Marguerite Estene or Stebre, by whom he had twenty 
 children, only seven of whom arrived at maturity: 
 
 1. Jeanne, born 1734, married 17-19, Paul de Meuchcl. 
 
 2. Marie Clemencb, born 1736, married 1747, Pierre Chesue 
 de St. Onge, son of Charles and Catherine Sauvage. 
 
 3. Madeleine, born 1739. married 1758, Gabriel Christophe Le 
 Grand, surgeon in the French arm3^ eldest son of Gabriel Louis 
 Le Grand, Sieur de Sintre, knight of the royal and military or- 
 der of St. Louis, and of Anne Henriette de Ci'enay, parish of 
 Roch, France. 
 
 4. Louise Clotilde, born 1741, married 1758, Jacques Gode- 
 froy de Marboeuf. She died in 1762, leaving one child, Gabriel. 
 
 5. Charlotte, —Lieut. Duburon was godfather and Madame 
 De Noyelle de Fleurimont godmother, — born 1742, married 1760, 
 Pierre Barthe, a brother of Charles, the ancestor of the family of 
 Askins, Brushs, etc. Her daughter Charlotte, born 1763, married 
 twice: 1st, in 1780, Lieut. Louis Reaume, an Engli.sh officer; 2d, 
 in 1784, Antoiue Louis Dcscomptes Labadie (Badichon), whose 
 descendants are Mrs. Willis, Mrs. Giesse, Mrs Alexander Chapo- 
 ton, Sr., the Lagraves of St. Louis, etc. 
 
 6. JosETTE, born 1746, married 1764. August Chaboye, of 
 Mackinaw. 
 
 7. Jean Baptiste, born 1721. He was the one who held a par- 
 ley with Pontiac in 1763. In 1755 he married Felice Cecyre by 
 whom he had a large family: 1. Jean Baptiste, Jr., born 1758, mar- 
 ried in 1780 Therese Pelletier. He died in 1836; 2. Benoit. bora 
 1761, married 1788, Therese Meloche; 3. Louis Alexis, born 1764, 
 married 1783, Catherme Meloche, whose daughter Catherine mar- 
 ried in 1809 Major Antoine De Qiiindre; 4. Catherine Angelique, 
 bora 1769; 5. Josette, born 1771 ; 6. Isabelle, born 1773; 7. Nicolas, 
 born 1776. Eustache, born 1792, sou of Jean Baptiste and Therese 
 Pelletier, married 1819 by Bishop Flagetof Bardstown. Ky. , Ade- 
 laide Julie Serat dit Coquillart, daughter of Alexis and Cecile Trem- 
 blay. Eustache died in 1872. Many remember him; he was an ex- 
 ceptionally handsome man, of a fine, stately presence and courtly 
 manners. Through some unfortun:ite accident his father lost the 
 large property which had been granted to Dr. Chapoton. Eus- 
 tache by energy, industry and untiring perseverance acquired 
 considerable wealth which he left to his cliiidren, but what they
 
 KiU'hj Fi'tuch iHimHie-s. 283 
 
 prized more, .a iiamt' syiioiiyinoiis willi honor and integrity. Flis 
 children are all worthy n'|ne.senlatives of their sire. 
 
 1. ALiiX.\NDKU, married Feliee Sedilot de Montreuil, dan.!!;liter 
 of St. Luc de Montreuil and Isabelle Deseomptes Labadie. 
 Several chihh-en blessed this union, viz.: 1. Ai.kx.xndkii, .Ik., 
 married ]\Iarianne Pellet ier, dauuhter of Charles and Eliza ("leotte; 
 2. Elizai!i;th, married Ale.\. Vi;:('r; :'.. Emimh, married Edward 
 Bush; 4 JosKiMiiNK. married Jiaymond Baby, of that well 
 known Canadian family, and resides at Sarnia, Canada; 5. Ed- 
 mund, one of the risinii' surgeons of Detroit, married 1883, Mar- 
 tha Sherland, of South Bend, Ind. ; G. Felice is unmarried. 
 
 2. Benoist, married Miss Bour. He died in 1880 and left no 
 heirs. 
 
 3. EusT.\ciiK, married Matilda Campau, daughter of Joseph 
 and Adelaide De Quindre. 
 
 4. TiiKHESE, married Louis St. Aubin. 
 
 5. WiLLi.VM, married Sarah Connor. 
 
 6. Julie, married .lolin Cicotte. 
 
 7. Fkhce. married Capt. Paxton. 
 
 8. Theodore is unmarried. 
 
 CHESNE. 
 
 As early as 1717 the name of Chesnc appears on the records of 
 Ste. Anne's, and one is attracted by the beautiful and picturesijue 
 signature. So clear, prc^cise, full of character and imlividuality. 
 Pieuue, the founder of the race on the soil of the New World, 
 married, in 1670, at Montreal, Jeanne Bailly. of a family of con- 
 siderable iniportance. Two of his sons, Charles and Pierre, came 
 to Detroit as early as 1717, and are the ancestors of that name in 
 Michigan. They were active and enterprising and at once took 
 leading positions in the colony. Cii.viu.ks married, in 1722. 
 Catherine Sauvage; Piekuk married, 1728, .Madeleine lioy, in 
 \7M. Louise Lothman de Barrois, a sister of Marie Lothman, 
 wife of Robert Navarre, tlu; Sub Intendant. Pierre was called 
 La Butte, though St. Onge was the (proper title. Many of his 
 descendants are only known under the mime of La Butte, lie 
 Wiis interpreter for a number of years, and fulfilled his oflice 
 most .satisfactorily, lie had many children. All dii'd unmarried 
 save PiKUKE ToussMNT, who continued tiiis branch. Pierre, 
 Sr., died in 1774. Agathe married Wm. Sterling. Ciiaki.es 
 ami Catherine Sauvage had ten children: 1. Catherine, b. 1722, 
 married Pierre Teslard de Fortville, cousin of the Chevalier 
 Testard de Montigny; 2. PrKiiUE, b. 1724, married 1747, Clem- 
 eoce Chapoton, daughter of the surgeon; i5. Agathe, b. 1727; 4. 
 Bonaventure, b. 17:51; 5. Charles, b. 1732, was also an abb; in- 
 terpreter. He married, 1754, Josette Deseomptes Labadie, daugh-
 
 284 Letjoids of Le Detroit. 
 
 ter of Piorre and Anireliquc de Lacelle; 6. Leopold, b. 1734; 7. 
 Isidore, b. 1737, married 1758, Therese Bequet; 8. Antoinc, b. 
 1743. Isidore was iioteil for his great bravery, and tigures con- 
 spicuous!}' in tlie military annals. To him was deeded a tract of 
 land by the Pottawatomie at the same time as the one to Kobishe 
 Navarre. The grant to Isidore was confirmed by Lieut. Gov. 
 Hamilton in 1777. He married Therese Bequet. In 1780 his 
 daughter Josette married the Chevalier Francois Chabert de 
 Jpncaire. Charles, son of Charles and Catherine Sauvage, mar- 
 ried Josette Descomptes Labadie and was blessed with several 
 children, viz.: 1. Pierre, married 1784, Cecile Campeau, daugh- 
 ter of Nicolas (Niagara); 2. Cuarles, b. 1758; 3. Catherine, 
 b. 1763, married Fontenay de Quindre; 4. Agatha, married 1795, 
 Alexis Campeau: 5. Gabriel, b. 1772, married 1793, Genevieve 
 Campeau. Gabric'l (dit Caousa), son of Charles and Josette Laba- 
 die, married Genevieve Campeau, daughter of Jean Baptiste and 
 Genevieve Gode. Their chddren were: Gabriel, b. 1796, mar- 
 ried Oct. 23, 1821, 1st Cecile Seguin Laderoute. daughter of 
 Joseph and Archange Campeau, whose children by this marriage 
 were: Emilie, married Gagnion; Charles, married 1st Eliza 
 Parent, 2d, Catherine Baby; Mathew, married Agnes Parent; 
 Joseph, died in infancy; Alexander, died in infancy; Elizabeth, 
 married Edmund Baby; Isidore, married Mary Martin; Pierre, 
 married Sarah LeMay; William, married Miss Bird, of New 
 York; Gabriel, married a second time. Mile. Campau, widow of 
 A.ntoine Parent. His children by this marriage were: Marie, 
 died young; Gabriel, married Antoinette Barien; Alexander, 
 married Mi.ss Barien; Felice; Rosalie, married Mr. Charest; 
 Josette, sister of Gabriel, married 1819. Jacque.-? C'ampeau, 
 son of Jacques and Susanne Beaubien; Genevieve, b. 1800. 
 
 CICOTTE. 
 
 Cicot or Chiquot as it was sometimes written, is found in the 
 early pages of the registry of Fort Pouchartrain. The founder of 
 this family in America was Jean, born 1631, son of Guillaume 
 and Jeanne Farfart, de Bolu, Diocese of Rocheile. He married at 
 Montreal 1662, Marguerite Maclin; the children were: Catiieuine, 
 born 1663; Jean born 1666. Catherine married 16 79, Joseph Huct of 
 Boucherville, who.se mother a Jacquelien, belonged to the family of 
 the celebrated de la Rochejacquelien the Vendean chief. The 
 Amblers, Jacqueliens and other Virginia families claim descent 
 from the Huguenot branch which passed into England, thence to 
 Virginia. 
 
 Jean married 1679, Catherine Lamourieux; Zaciiarie their son 
 born in 17U8, married in 1736 Angelique Godefroy de Marboeuf.
 
 I'.itflij J''r< i,r/( J-'iiiiilii s. 285 
 
 He liMil foiiu; to Fiirl I'oiitcliMrlraiii in 17;{() as a nicrcliaiil. The 
 quantity of in^ndsoinc plate possessed by this laniily lias Ire- 
 quently been mentioned; with the exception of Miss St. Martin, 
 (iifterwards the wife of Annus ^Mcintosh) there was no such conj- 
 plete collection of silver in the colony. The fate of war, |)illa,tje 
 by the Indians, extravaiianl livinir and reckless trust in the Iionor 
 of otlu'rs, sofiu scattered this superb !>ro|)erty. Some few icm- 
 nants are still in the jjossession of the descendants. Zach;irie's 
 cliildreii were: 1. Aiii;eli(iuc, born 1711; 2. Catherine, born 1744; 
 8. Zacharie. boin 174(i; 4. Jean Bapliste, born 174i». married 1770, 
 Ani,^elique Pou|)arl Lavoisc, wliosc inarria.ffe contract is i,dvt'n 
 below; it is dated 1770. By the Treaty of Paris the French in- 
 habitants ])rtserved some of their privileges, riirhts .uid ancient 
 customs. It is .selou les " C'ontumes de Paris." 
 
 Jii.VN B.VTTK had fifteen children, thirteen of whom lived to 
 maturity. They resich-d upon the Cicotte farm, the present Peter 
 Godefroy farm, which was confirmed to Augelique (Mcotte (Jean 
 Bapte's widow) by the U. S. Commissioners in iyi9. The chil- 
 dren were: 
 
 Anffelitpie, born 1771, married 1787. ]Medor Gamelin. son of 
 Ijrnace and Louise Dufros de la Jemerais. nephew of Madame 
 D'Youville, foundress of Les Soeurs Gri.ses (Grey Nuns), of ]\Ion- 
 treal, whose life has been so chariuiuirly written b_y L'Abbe Faillon. 
 
 A(}.\Tiri'.. born 1773, married 1790, Jacob Vis!j,ar. one of the 
 representatives with Solomon Sililcy, and the Chevalier Chabert 
 de Joncaire in the Leuisliitive assembly at Cincinnati in 17!>!(. to 
 elect Gen. (afterwards president) Harrison, u delei^ate to Con;,ness. 
 The children were: Joseph, married Mile. Godefroy, daughter of 
 Col. Gabril'l Godefroy; Catherine, married 1819, WiitTTMOuK 
 Kn.\ggs, son of AVilliam and Josctte Descomptes Labadie, a 
 name well known in the history of Michigan; C.\tiiic){ink mar- 
 ried 1797. Antoine O'Neale, of St. Louis, Mo.; Sus.\nnk. married 
 Jaccpies Peltier; Fr.vncois X., born 1787, luarried 1819. Felice 
 Peltier, widow of Capt. P. Tallman, U. S. A.; Lot is married 
 1815, Veronique Cuillcrier de IJeaubien; Geougi!;, born 179(5; Ji; \n 
 IJ.vi'Ti:. Jean Bapte de Celeron was his godfather; he died 
 unmarried; Tiikri:se, born 1790, married 1808, Barnabe Cam- 
 l)eau; M.xui.WNE. born 1791. married 1809, Charles Descomptes 
 Labadie, son of Alexis and .Marie Fraucoise Robert; Zaciiahie, 
 •born 1775; JosKfir. married 1825, Susanne Drouillard. 
 
 Francois X., born 1787, married 1819, Felice Pelctier, the 
 widow of Capt. Peter Tallman, an artillery officer in the IT. S. A. 
 Fraiurois was commissioned as a cajitain by (ien. Hull in 1S12. 
 His small company, mostly compo.sed of men inured to the toils, 
 dangers and privations of frontier life, were noted for their disci- 
 pline and undaunted bravery. After the defeat of Winchester at 
 Monroe, an Indian chief brou;i:ht a Dr. Brown, a KentucUiaii, to
 
 280 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Mr. Fniucois Cicottc to sell us his prize. The Indian wanted $100 
 for the ransoni of his captive, which was paid to hiui. Dr. 
 Brown afterwards visited his deliverer when he came a<iain to 
 Detroit with Gen. Harrison's army. Francois died in 1860. He 
 was a line specimen of the early Frenchman, possessing that rare 
 charm of manner which seemed a peculiar legacy to these descend- 
 ants of the first pioneers. His children are well known in Detroit. 
 
 1. Edward, for many years occupying many positions of pub- 
 lic trust, married 1st, Miss Bell of New York, by whom he had. 
 one son, George; married second time Lucretia Abbott, daughter 
 of Kobert and Elizabeth Audrian. 
 
 2. Francois X., married 1st, Victoire Beaubien, daughter of 
 Lambert and Genevieve Campau, by whom he had two daugh- 
 ters: Victoire married Mr. Bagg; Philis married Mr. Rankin; 
 both reside in Detroit. He married a second time Elizabeth, 
 daughter of the Patriot, Theller, by whom he had three girls and 
 a son. The son, Francois, resides in California, with one of his 
 sisters, Mi-s. Wm. B. Hunt; Emma and Annie married two broth- 
 ers and reside at Detroit. 
 
 3. SusANNE married 1831, Charles Beaubien, son of Lambert 
 and Genevieve Campau. Four girls and one son were the fruit 
 of this imion. 4. Eliza Van Meter married Chas. Peltier, son of 
 
 Chas. ; 5. Catherine married Dr. Allen of New York; 6. 
 
 John married Julie Chapoton, daughter of Eustache. He left one 
 son and one daughter: Madeleine; Askin married Mr. Lawson. 
 
 Marriage contract between J. B. Cicotte and Angelique Poupart: 
 
 July 27, 1770. 
 
 Before Philip De Jean, Royal Notary, by act of law residing at 
 Detroit, were present Monsieur Jean Baptiste Cicotte, merchant, 
 eldest son of Zacharie Cicotte, also merchant, and Madame Ange- 
 lique Godefroy de Marboeuf, his father and mother, natives of 
 Detroit of the one part; the Sieur Joseph Poupart La Fleur, also 
 merchant, and the Dame Agathe Reaume residing at the same 
 place, stipulating for the Demoiselle Angelique Poupart, their 
 daughter accepting and of her own consent for herself and in her 
 name of the other part. The said parties in his presence and by 
 the advice and councils of the Sieurs and ladies, their parents 
 having assembled their friends as follows: on the part of the Sieur 
 Jean Baptiste Cicotte, the Sieur Zacharie Cicotte and the Dame 
 Angelique Godefroy, his father and mother, Pierre Chesne de la 
 Butte, Jean B. Chapoton, Jacques Godefroy de Marboeuf, his 
 uncles; Medor Gamelin, his brother-in-law, Ignace Boyer and 
 Jaccjues GabriOl, his cousins; the dame widow Trotier des Ruis- 
 seaux, his aunt; Chas. Rivard, Antoine Gamelin, Alexis Maison- 
 ville and Joseph Lamoureaux; also on the part of the Demoiselle 
 Angelique Poupart La Fleur, the Sieur Joseph Poupart and the
 
 Kuril/ Fi'tnch Fdin'ilieis. 287 
 
 Dame Apil lie Keaumc, her fatlicr and mollicr, Lieut. Gov. John. 
 Hay. her uncle, Jean PoiTpait, her Lnand father Nicolas de La- 
 celle, Ilyacinthe Heaunic. lier-great uncle.'<; (has. Heauine, Pierre 
 Barron." Pierre DcNConiples, Labadie Haptisle. Josejjh lieaunie, 
 her uncles; Dupcron Uahy, her cousin. ]MadanuN Hay and 
 Barron, lier aunts, and Ihc Sieur Dr. George Anthon. .Madame 
 Baby, their relatives and friends, have made convention and 
 agreement of marriage as follows: "That the Sieur Jos. Poupart 
 and Madame Keaumc have promised, and do promise to give the 
 said Angelique Poupart, their daugliter. to the said Jean Baptiste 
 Cicotte, who promises to take her as his future and legitimate 
 spouse by law of marriage and to have the same solemnized in the 
 face of our holy Mother Church, and this as soon as can be done 
 or wlicnever one of the two parties .shall demand of the other. 
 They shall be the future espoused couple, one and common in their 
 goocls, movable and inunovable, and their acquisitions according 
 to the usages and customs of Paris (Coutume de Pari.>^), in express 
 derogation of all other laws and customs, contravening appropri- 
 ating to themselves the .said Sieur and Demoiselle, future husband 
 and wife jointly and severally the goods and dues to them apper- 
 taining, whatever they may consist of without there being any 
 necessity of making a designation. The future husband has given 
 and doe's give to the said Demoiselle his future spouse the sum of 
 three thousand " Livres Tours" to be paid in one stated jiayment. 
 to have and to take so soon as the dower shall become a lien upon 
 all the goods of the future husband, which are hereby hypothe- 
 cated to furnish and make available the said dower which the 
 said future spouse shall enjoy and become .seized of without being 
 held to make a demand in 'her own right in a court of justice. 
 The aforesaid dower shall belong to the children who shall be born 
 of the said marriage, and in default of children, in her own right 
 to the future wife. Arriving at the dissolution of the said marriage 
 by the decease of the aforesaid future husband, the .said Demoi- 
 selle future wife shall have and shall take for the marriage 2000 
 " Livres Tours." To her it shall be lawful and to her children if 
 there are any, and in default of children to the ne.xt heir to ac- 
 cept or refuse a comm\uiity of goods and in the latter case the said 
 Demoiselle, future wife will lake all that she brought to said 
 marriage; licr wardrobe and jewels, her furnished apartments as 
 well as any goods that have fallen to her by inheritance. And in 
 consideration of the sincere alfect ion which the future husband 
 and wife bear each other, they have made and do make by these 
 presents to the survivor two free gifts equal, mutual and lecipro- 
 cal of all their goods, furniture, accjuits, gains movable and im- 
 movable which shall be found to belong and appertain to the one 
 first deceased to enjoy at such decease all such sums and quantities 
 as said goods may amount to, or consist of and wheresoever they
 
 288 ' Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 may be situated. And for making a registry of these presents at 
 tlie clerk's office of the aforesaid City of Detroit, and wherever 
 else there may be any need, tlie said parties have appointed their 
 Attorney General and special, the bearer of these seals giving him 
 full power, thereby relinquishing, promising and agreeing the 
 things done at Detroit in the house of Sieur Jos. Poupart, situated 
 in the Fort on the 7th day of June after mid-day, the said future 
 husband and wife after reading the same have signed with us as 
 follows, their relatives and friends: 
 
 (Signed) Jean Bapte Cicote. 
 
 Angelique Poupard. 
 
 Haycinthe Reaume. 
 
 Pierre Des Comptes Labadie. 
 
 Pr. Barron. 
 
 DuPERON Baby 
 
 Antoine Gamelin. 
 
 Charles Reaume. 
 
 John Hay. 
 
 Bapte Chapoton. 
 
 Geo. Anthon. 
 
 Medor Gamelin. 
 
 Joseph Lamoureux. 
 
 Jacques Godefroy. 
 
 {Signed) DE JEAN, 
 
 Notary. 
 
 With regard to the division of property in general according to 
 the civil law of Canada, it consisted of movable and immovable 
 property. 
 
 Movable was anything that could be moved w^ithout fraction. 
 
 Immovable was anything that could not be moved, and was 
 divided into two kinds, propres (personal), and acquitis (acquired). 
 Propres (personal), is an estate inherited b}' succession in the direct 
 or collateral line, and Acquit is an estate or property that is ac- 
 quired by any other means. 
 
 Community of Property, was the partnership of husband and 
 wife contract on marrying; but they could stipulate in their mar- 
 riage contract that there should be no community of property be- 
 tween them. 
 
 The dot or dowry was all the propertj^ which the wife put into 
 the community whether movable or immovable. But immovable 
 propertj' falling to her in a direct or collateral line is a proper or 
 personal estate to her; and does not fall into the community. The 
 dower was a certain right given bj" law or by particular agreement 
 to the wife; it was of two kinds, the customary Dower, and the 
 stipulated Dower. The former consisted of half the property which 
 the husband was possessed of at tlie time of their marriage and
 
 I'mHij Frewh Famllien. 289" 
 
 half of all the i)r()i)crty which mii^ht come to him in a direct lino. 
 The stipiilatcil dower was a certain sum of money or portion of 
 l)ro])erly, instead of the customary dower during her lifetime; at 
 lier death it fell to her children who did not accept the succession 
 of their father, but lier heirs succee(l to the stipulated dower. 
 Hence by the eonniuinity which existed in niarriaire. no man coiUd 
 dispose of any or i)art of his property witiiout the con.senl of his 
 wife. 
 
 CUILLERIER DE BEAUBIEN. 
 
 This family still stands among the most distinguished in Canada. 
 It is known under the names of Troticr de Beaubien, des Hivieres 
 Trotier des Kuisseau.x, Ila}' de Montigny. Tlie branch which 
 settled in Detroit was formerly called C'uillcrier. In large fami- 
 lies it was then often a custom to add the mother's family name to 
 distinguish the difTerent l)ranches, viz. : Des Kivieres de la Morand- 
 iere — Cuillerier de Beaubien. 
 
 Keiie (uillerier, son of Julien and Julienne Fairfeu de Clermont, 
 near La Fleche, came to ^lontreal, married there ]\Iarie Lecault 
 in 1()G5. Their eldest son, Kene, born in KiOS. was sent to France 
 to be educated but was lost at sea returning to Canada. Jean, l)ora 
 in 1(570, married in 169(5, Catherine Trotier de Beaubien, from 
 Avhom the Beaubiens of Michigan descend. Jean died in 1708, 
 and Catherine married in 1712, Picole de Bellestre, and accompa- 
 nied him to his post at Fort Pontehartrain. He was ensign in the 
 French army, brother-in-law of de Tonty and de Celeron, former 
 commandants of Fort Pontehartrain. He died there in 1729, 
 leaving one son, Francois ]\Iarie Piquote de Bellestre, the last 
 French commander of that fort. By the tinst husband, Jean Cuil- 
 lerier, Catherine had two .sons: 1. Jean Baptiste dit Ik-aubien, 
 born 1709, married in 1742 at Detroit, Marianne Lothman de Bar- 
 rois. 
 
 2. Antoine, born 1697, married in 1722 Anu;elique Gerard. 
 Jean Baptiste married in 1742 Marianne Lothman de Barrois, bv 
 whom he had the following children: 1. Catherine, born 174;J: 
 2. Jean ]\[arie, born 174.'), married Claire (Joiiin, his son Anto- 
 ine married in 1829 3Ioni(pie DesComptcs Labadie, daughter 
 of Pierre and Therese Gaillard. Antoine ha<l no children and 
 left a i)ortion of his estate (known as the Atitoine IJeaubien farm) 
 to charitable purposes. The present site of the Sacred Heart Con- 
 vent in Detroit was their residence. Pierre, Jean Marie's .son, 
 married in 1824 Catherine Edesse Dequindre. daughter of Antoine 
 and Catherine Des Rivieres de la Morandiere. who.se daughter 
 Lydia married Jo.seph Lewis. 
 
 Antoine married Angelique de Lacelle in 1722, who.se children 
 19
 
 290 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 were as follows: 1. Mariaane married in 1750 Pierre Chesne La 
 Butte; 3. Alexis, born 1733. He was implicated in 1769 in the 
 murder of Fisher's child, ))ut was honorably acquitted. He was 
 called Cuillerier dit Bcaubien (the descendants have dropped the 
 former name and retain the latter); 3. Angelique, born 1735, mar- 
 ried in 1760 James Sterling; 4. Antoine married in 1784 Catherine 
 Barrois, widow of Pierre St. Cosme. Their son, Jean Baptiste, 
 born 1789, settled in Chicago and was known as Col. Beaubien, 
 married Josette Laframboise. Medard and Marc, two of Antoine's 
 sons, went to Kansas, where their descendants reside; 5. Lambert 
 married in 1788 Genevieve Canipeau, whose son Lambert mar- 
 ried in 1831 Felice Morand, daughter of Louis and Catherine 
 Campeau. Charles married in 1831 Susanne Cicotte. 
 
 DEMERSAC. 
 
 Jacob L'Oramesprou de Mersac was one of the officers who ac- 
 companied Cadillac to Detroit in 1701. He died there in 1747 
 leaving several children by his wife TherSse David. The family 
 had several titles, Marcas de L'Obtrou, de Lommesprou, and Des- 
 rochers. Jacques, born 1704, died young; Jacques, born 1707; 
 Francois, married 1734, Therese Campeau by whom he had, 1. 
 Francois, born 1736, married 1767, Charlotte Bourassa; 3. Therfise, 
 married Louis Beaufait; 3. Jean Bapte, born 1740, married 1773, 
 Genevieve Seguin Laderoute; 4. Marie Louise, born 1744, mar- 
 ried 1763, Robert ]!^avarre, Jr. 
 
 Francois de Mersac, married 1767, Chai'lotte Bourassa, who was 
 allied to the families Le Ber, Testard de Montigny, De Lan- 
 glade, Gregnon, &c. Their children were: 1. Cecile, married 
 1776, Vatal Sarazin de Pelleteau; 3. Francois, born 1769; 3. Jac- 
 ques, born 1773; 4. Robert, born 1774; 5. Antoine, born 1776; 6. 
 Rene, born 1777, married 1806, Eulalie Gouin; his daughter 
 Sophie, married Louis Campeau of Grand Rapids, Mich. 
 
 Jean Bapte (Benjamin), married 1773, Genevieve Seguin Lade- 
 route; the children were: Archange, born 1774; Rose, born 1776; 
 Genevieve, born 1777, married 1797, Henri Campau; Charlotte, 
 born 1779. 
 
 It is a tradition in the DeMersac family, that its founder at De- 
 troit, Jacob, after he had resigned his position of officer in the 
 French army, cultivated the laud granted him; it was no un- 
 usual sight to see him ploughing with his sword at his side. 
 
 DE aUINDEE. 
 
 This family is known under the titles of De Pecanier, Pont- 
 chartram, Fontenoy, de La Saussaye. "Daigneaux Douville," a
 
 Eurhj French Families. 21) 1 
 
 gallant officer, stationed at Fort Pontchartraiii as early as 17;50, 
 received for liis distiniiuislied services a s^raiit of land on Lake; 
 Champlain. Dai^ncaux Douvillc is tlie family name of tlic 1)(; 
 Quindre, and is borne today by liie Alan|iiis I);iiLrniaii\ Douvillc 
 in France. Louis C'ezar l)aii,nieau\- Douvillc De Quindre, CU)1. 
 of Militia under French rule, settled about 174."i, at Detroit. He 
 had married Louise Catherine Piquotc de Hcllestre. a sister of the 
 Commandant of that name. He generally sii^ns his name FoN- 
 
 TENOY. 
 
 Francois, his eldest son, was Sieur de Pecanier. an ollicer in 
 the l^ritish army, married 1779, Therese Eoye, daugiiter of 
 Ignacc and Anirclique de (-'ardonet. The children -were: Fuan- 
 COIS, born 17S0. married 1,S2',', .Marie Kenee Petit; Antoine, 
 born 1782; Louis, born 17S(;; Therese, born 1787; Pierre. 
 
 Antoine was called De Pontcbartrain, on account, it is said, of 
 being the first child of European parents born within the walls 
 of the French fort, lie married Catherine Des Rivieres de la 
 jVrorandiere, of a celebrated and illu.strious family. The children 
 were: 1. Catherine. b. 178'3;3. Antoine, b. 1784; ;i Catherine Fdcsse, 
 born 1797, married 1824, Pierre Beaubien. A daughter by thi.s 
 marriage married Joseph Lewis ; 4. Adelaide, born 1788, Philip 
 Chabert de Joncaire and Claire Gouin were her godparents. She 
 married 1808, Joseiih Campau; 5. Loris, born 1790. married 
 3Iarie Desno^'crs. The children Avere: Henry, who died without 
 leaving heirs, and Annie, who married Edward Lansing; (i. Ti.m- 
 OTiiY married Jeanette Gode->Larentette, daughter of Dominique 
 and Archange Louise Navarre. The children were : Sara, mar- 
 ried Columbus Godfroy, of Monroe, Mich., son of Jacques and 
 Victoire Xavarre ; Elizabeth, married Oliver Edwards, son of 
 Major Edwards, U. S. A.; Emilie, married Chas. Hayes, of Kal- 
 amazoo. ]\Iich. ; 7. Julie, born 1799, married Judge Chas. Moran. 
 
 Antoine, born 1784, generally called Col., .served with great 
 distinction at the battle of Monguagon, in 1812, and received the 
 tlianks of the Legislature for his gallantry. He was ollered the 
 rank of Major in the U. S. army, but declined. He Avas a prom- 
 inent merchant, and noted for the grace and courtliness of his 
 manner. He married, in 1809, Cath. Chai)Oton, daughter of 
 Louis Alexis, by whom he had several children. 
 
 DESCOMPTES LABADIE. 
 
 This name is among the most consjiicuous in the early days of the 
 colony ; and the numerous descendants to-day are scattered 
 throughout Canada and every part of the United States, many of 
 them proudly preserving Iheir rank and jirominence. 
 
 Francois, son of Francois and Marie Renoult de St. Leger,
 
 292 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Diocese of Xaintes, France, born 1644, married in C'anada im 
 1671, Jeanne Hebert, a name well known in Canada. There was 
 a title of LeComplc in the Ileljcrt branch from whence perhaps- 
 comes the Descomptes in the Labadie. Their cliildren were: 
 Jeanne, born 1674, married Nicolas Sylvester ; Ciiaklotte, 
 married Jean Borneau ; Fkancoise, married 1723, Marguerite 
 Cotty ; Lewis Jos., married Gabrielle LaKoche ; Piekre, 
 married, 1725, Louise Gervais ; Jacques was Major in the 
 French army and died at Three Kivers in 1707. 
 
 In 1732 the name was borne in France by Alexandre Etienne 
 Ravielt, Claude Labadie, Colonel of an Infantry regiment, 
 Chevalier, Seigneur de la Chausseliere. He was the son of 
 Francois. A son of Alexandre was Francois Patrice Alexandre 
 Vincent Ravielt de Labadie, Captain in the navy. He was born 
 at Rochelle, 1732. Piekke, born 1702, son of Jean Bapte of the 
 Diocese of LaRochelle, came to Quebec and married there in 
 1727, Angelique de Lacelle, daughter of Jacques de Lacelle.Savigny 
 Sur-Oise, Diocese of Paris and Angelitiue Gibaut of Poitiers 
 about 1747. He came to Detroit and immediately took a fore- 
 most rank in the affairs of the colony. His children were : 
 1. Antoine Louis, born 1744, married, 1759, Angelique Campeau. 
 In 1784, he married a second time, Charlotte Barthe, widow of 
 Lieutenant Louis Reaume, of the British army ; 2. Alexis, born 
 1746, married 1769, Francoise Robert ; 3. Josette, married 1755, 
 Charles Chesne, the Interpreter; 4. Marguerite, married, 1760, 
 Claude Solo ; 5. Pierre, born 1742, married Therese Gaillard 
 Livernois. 
 
 Elizabeth, born 1749, married 1766, Jose]:)li Lupien Barron. 
 On the twenty-sixth of February, 1759, Antoine Louis, (called 
 Badichon by the Indians) married Angelique, daughter of 
 Nicolas Campeau ( Niagara ), in the presence of Piei're Des 
 Comptes Labadie, Hyacinthe Reaume, Claude Campeau, Chai'les 
 Chesne, Jean Gaultier, Pierre Testard de Fortville, Robert 
 Navarre, f)ub-Intendant, Pierre de St. Cosme. Simple Boquet, 
 Missionary Recollet. By this marriage he had three children ;. 
 Antoine, (Didine) married Chesne La Butte; Angelique, 
 married Seguin Laderoute. 
 
 Catisiie, married J. Peltier. In 1784, Louis, (Badichon) 
 married Charlotte Barthe, daughter of Pierre and Charlotte 
 Chapoton, widow of Lieutenant Louis Reaume, of the British 
 array. Their children were : 1. Cecile, married, 1803, Angustin 
 Lagrave, son of Antoine and Therese Duberger, dit Sans 
 Chargrin. Her descendants reside at St. Louis, Mo., and 
 intermarried into all the old French families of that city. 2. 
 Felice, married John Hale, one of her daughters, Antoinette, 
 married Jos. Langly, of New York ; the other, Lizzie, married 
 William Driggs. Her son, William Driggs, is an officer in the-
 
 harhj Frenelt Fumilies. 293 
 
 IT. S. A. : :i IsAi5Ki-i,K, married St. Luc Sedillot de Montrcuil. 
 "One of licr diiuirlitcrs. Fi-lice, resides in Detroit, is tlie wife of 
 A1(!X. Ciiiipoton, Sr. A snii, Luc, ni.nried Marie Hoberj;;(>, wlio i.s 
 known as tli(! " Sister of .Merey " of \\'ali<erviile, on aceoiint of 
 her unselfish devotion and e!iarilal)le deeds ; 4. EriMiuosiNK, 
 married Petrilnone ; 5. M.\K(iiiKurn;, jiiarried 1H2!), Elias John 
 ■Swan, of Albany, N. V., son of Eiias and Elizabeth Palmer. 
 
 G. Eleonor<', inarried, first .1. ]{eid, seeond in 1S(I(». .lean Bapte 
 Pitjuette, son of Jean I?a])te and Francoise Arehevetiue de 
 Rouen, by wlioni she had two sons, Jean iJapte and ("liarles ; 
 tliird, in IS^o, Tliomas Sheldon ; by this niarriaLce she had three 
 ■cliildren : Thomas, married Winnie Clark, niece of Governor 
 Fenton, of >!iehi<i;an; liosi;, married Henry Geisse, of a distin- 
 sruishecl Pliiladeli)hia family. Her danirhter Nkli,y, married 
 brville Allen and resides at i)etroi(. One of tiie sons, Thomas, 
 pos.sesses a superb voice. ]SIusic .seems to have Iteen a jieeuliar 
 legacy which the I)es('omi)tes Labadies iiave left to their 
 •desce'n(hints ; Ai.kxandkkink Macomk. married first. Harnabe 
 Campeau. son of liarnabe ( l/.Vbbe ) and .Vrehanii-i' ]\Icl)ou.ij:all. l)y 
 whom she had three children : Ciiaulotti;, died in infancy ; 
 Thomas Siii';i, DON ; Alhekt, who i.s a i)hysician at Delmji. She 
 married the second time, Richard Storrs Willis. 
 
 SIXOND IJUANCir. 
 
 Alexis, (]>adi) married ]\Iaric Francoise Robert, dauLihler of 
 Antoineand Marie Louise Beconon, of Amiens. France, in jiresence 
 ■of Le Chevalier Chal)ert de Joncaire, ])e Laeelle, Jacques 
 Duperon Baby, C. I^e Blont. Nicolas de LaCelle, Charles Chesne, 
 Louis Nicolas" I)esComples Labadie, Si.mi'lk BoqiicT, Missionary 
 R(,'collet. The children of this imion were : Makik Fkancoisk, 
 ■born 1774, married 1705. Isidore Navarre; ]\L\UGi:i:inTi':. born 1773, 
 married Etienne Dubois ; Chahlks, married ISO!), Marianne 
 C'icolte ; .MoNUirK married 1S1:{, Francois Cadot ; Eli/.aukth, 
 married IHOH, Charles Gouin ; Louisk Adki.aidk, married Hya- 
 ■<Mnthe Saliolte; Akchanok born 1787: Pikkkk marrii-d iy(»l>, 
 IVLarie Barron; Alkxis married, IMll, Anne liourireois ; .second, 
 1828, Isabelle Rousseau ; Ckcii,k married, 1802, Pierre LeDuc, 
 
 THIHI) imANCir. 
 
 Pii.uiuc, brother of Alexi.s, (Badi ) and Louis, (Badichon) 
 married Then'^se Gaillard. of a most dislinsiuished family of 
 Quebec. Their children were : 1. Pi kkim:, married 1S12. Eli/.a- 
 hctli Bh'nvenu Delisle ; 2. Em/ahkth, married 1820. Jean Bai)le 
 Beseau ; 3. MoNKit'K, married 1S29. Antoine ]?eaubien, son of 
 Antoine and Catherine Lothman de Barrt'is ; 4. Jo.sctte, luar- 
 ried William Kna,<,'t;s ; 5. .^L\uoul•.I{^n•;, married Judtre James 
 Mav, one of the earliest Justices of the Territory of Michigan. He
 
 204 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 had previously married Adele de St. Cosme. The only child 
 by tliis marriage, Elizabeth Anne married Gabrit'l Godfrey^ 
 Jr., son of Col. Gabriel and Angelique de Couture. 
 
 By Marguerite Judge May liad many children: 1. Makie 
 married Louis Moi-an of Grand Rapids, Mich. Some of her de- 
 scendants still reside there. 
 
 Marguerite Anne married Col. Edward Brooks, U. S. A. Her 
 children were mostly girls and proverbial for their beauty, 
 brightness of intellect and superb musical talent. 1. Mar- 
 C4ATIET ; Anne Brooks, married Charles AV. Whipple, son of 
 Captain Whipple, U. S, A., and Archange Pellctier. He was a 
 very able lawyer and held the office of Chief Justice of Michigan. 
 She died at the early age of thirty, leaving two daughters. 
 Eunice, wife of Judge William Jennison, of Detroit, Adeline, 
 widow of Mr. Johnson ; 3. Adeline, died unmarried. 
 
 4. Rebecca married Dr. J. B. Scovile, a most able and prominent 
 phj'sician of Detroit. Two children were the fruits of this union : 1. 
 Edward Brooks, whose wonderful voice has won him a national 
 reputation, married iNIarcia Roosevelt, daughter of Judge Roose- 
 velt of New York ; 2. May, married Richard Cornell of Buffalo,. 
 N. Y., and is known as May Fielding to the liistronic and musi- 
 cal world. 
 
 4. OcTAViA, married J. C. W. Seymour. Three children of 
 this marriage are still living : William ; Elizabeth, wife of 
 Lieutenant Waterbury, U. S. A. ; Marguerite, wife of Rush 
 Drake, formerly of Detroit, but now of Denver, Col. ; Mart 
 mam-ied Mr. Whitney, of Philadelphia, and is noted in New York 
 society as one of its most beautiful and brilliant women; 6. Wil- 
 liam died unmarried; 7. Edward; 8. Emma died unmarried; 9. 
 Emily married Francis Markman and resided in New York ; 
 Elizabeth married Henry Scovil ; Carrie married Philip Guliger 
 and resided in New York, where her wonderful voice was highly 
 appreciated. 
 
 4. Nancy, fourth daughter of Judge May, married James 
 Whipple, son of Mayor John Whipple and Archange- 
 Peltier. In 1823, she married Francois Audrain ; 5. Caroline 
 married 1829, Alexander Frazer, the leader for many years of the- 
 Detroit bar. The only child of this marriage was Alexander,. 
 who married Milly Miles, of New York : Alexander, Jr. died, 
 leaving one daughter, Carrie, who died unmarried. 
 
 DESNOYERS. 
 
 There are many families of this name who settled at an early 
 period in this country. The Detroit branch traces direct to France 
 through Pierre Jean Desnoyers, who established himself at Detroit 
 shortly after the American possession in 1796. He was the son of
 
 Early French Families. 295 
 
 Jean Charles and ]SIiiric Charlotte ^Vliillct, St. Bartholnmi Parish, 
 Paris. Pierre iinmediatcly took an active interest in the allairsof 
 the little town which he had chosen for the cradle of his race. He 
 was universally respected as a tlioroviiih Ciiristian, an ujjright, en- 
 tcrprisini; citizen, a courteous and charniinii- companion. 
 
 July^iOth, 17!IS, he married Marie Louise (Joheil, whose saintly 
 life is mirrored in tliat of her dauuliters. Many children ("ime to 
 bless the union of this happy couple: 1. Pierre, married in 1821, 
 Caroline Leib, dauiihler of Joim and Mariiuerite (J'Connor of 
 Philadelphia. She left two children, Dr. Hdnuind Desnoyers and 
 Emilie who married the talented artist Kmile St. Alary. Pierre 
 married .a second time, Anne Hunt ^Vhipple, daughter of Capt. 
 John Whipple, U. S. A., and Archange Peltier, by whom he had 
 many children, but only two at present living: Kate, married J. 
 Newlon Powers; Fanny, married 1875, Wm. B. Moran. Pierre 
 held many offices of jiublic tru^t, and died in ]SSO. at an advanced 
 age; 'i. ^(arie Hose, married 1S17, Louis de (^uindre. who.se daugh- 
 ter Ainiie married Edward Lansing of New York; 3. Emilie, mar- 
 ried Louis Leib. She died young, and left no heirs; 4. Vict<iire, 
 married 1825. Henry S. Cole, of Canandaigua. N. Y., a most able 
 lawyer, who had settled at Detroit. Their family consisted of 
 three sons and four daughters : Augustus Porter Cole; Charles 
 Seymour, died unmarried: James Henry, died unmarried; Marie 
 Louise, married E. ^L Wilco.x; Isabelle, died a nun of the Sacred 
 Heart; ^larie Antoinette; Harriet S., whose beautiful and pious life 
 is a repetition of that of her mother anil grandmother; 5. Eii/.a- 
 bctli, married 1835, James J. Van Dyke, one of the most brdliant 
 lawyers of his time, who died before he fulfilled the brightest 
 e.xpectations which his talents promised, leaving a large family as 
 follows: Geo. W., married Fanny Perlej', widow of Chas. Pi(piettc; 
 Marie Desnoyers, married Wm. Casgrain, a member of that dis- 
 tinguished family of Canada. She resides at Milwaidcee, Wis. ; 
 Pliilil) James D., married 1st Marion King, 2nd Sarah Heeson. He 
 was one of the most promising lawyers Detroit has ever produced, 
 inheriting in an eminent degree the brilliant talents of his distin- 
 guished father. IhMlicd in thetlowerof his age, leaving four boys 
 by his .second marriage ; ?]rnest D. is tlu; worth}' and respected 
 pastor of the Pro. Catliedral, (St. Aloysius) Detroit; Josephine Des- 
 noyers, m.arried Henry F. Brown.son, an ollicer in the LI. S. A. He 
 resigned in 1871, became a lawyer and partner of Philij) J. D. Van 
 Dyke. He is a .son of the celeljraled writer, Dr. Orestes Hrownson. 
 Major Brownson is one of tlu; most scholarly men of which 
 Detroit is justly proud. He has a large and interesting family, 
 the meml)ers of which though young already give promise of the 
 talents doubly iidierited; Victoire. is a nun of the Sacred 
 Heart Order; tlise, married 1872, William B. Moran? She died 
 in 1874, leaving one child Catherine; 6. Charles Desnoyers, married
 
 ■206 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Elizabeth Kna<r,<^s,by whom he had three sons; 7. Francois, married 
 Louise Haird, of Erie, Pa., settled at Green Bay, Wis. His chil- 
 dren still reside there; S. Josephine, married Henry Barnard, son 
 of Chauncy Barnard and Elizabeth Andrus, Hartford, Conn. Mr. 
 Barnard is a thorough scholar, and has held many impor- 
 tant positions. He was President of St. John's College, Md., 
 Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, U . S. Commissioner of 
 Education. One son and two daughters are the children of this 
 marriage. The son, Henry D., resides in Detroit, is an accom- 
 plished, studious gentleman, ambitious and likely to obtain emi- 
 nence in the political world, in which he has already attained 
 position and reputation of which many an older man might well 
 be proud. He married in 1878, Kittic, daughter of Judge Chas. 
 Moran, and Justine McCormack. 
 
 DOUAIRE DE BONDY. 
 
 This famil3' is still to be found among the haute noldesse of 
 France. It was once very influential in Canada, allied to the 
 Fleury de la Gorgondiere, de Vaudreuil, Joliet, Godefroy, d'A- 
 mours, and others. Thomas Douaire de Bondy came to Canada 
 in 1650, and married Marguerite de Chavigny, daughter of Fran- 
 9ois, Seigneur de Champenuois in France, and the great heiress, 
 Eleonore de Grandmaisou. This Eleonore though married three 
 times always signed her maiden name to deeds and documents. 
 Thomas was drowned whilst bathing near his residence, the Isle 
 d'Orleans, leaving a rich j'oung widow and four children. She 
 married in 1671, Ale.xis de Fleury d'E.schambault and became the 
 ancestress of the powerful Fleury de la Gorgondiere family 
 whose deeds and exploits till the annals of Canada. By her tirst 
 marriage with Douaire de Bondy she had the following children: 
 1. DoROTHEE, married, in France, Coiuit Fabian d'Albergati. Her 
 .son, Marie Luc, Marcjuis d'Albergati, married, in 1757, Char- 
 lotte d'Aubert, of the Juchereau family; 2. Louise Marguerite, 
 married, 1st, Pierre Allemand, in 1693 Nicolas Pineau; 3. Au- 
 GUSTiN, married 1693, Catherine Tcstard de la Forest. A grand- 
 son of his married, in 1780, in France, Charlotte Testard de Mon- 
 tign}', daughter of Chevalier Jean Baptiste and Charlotte Trotier 
 des Rivieres; 4. Jacques, married 1()60, Madeliene Gatineau du 
 Plessis, daughter of Nicolas, Sieur du Plessis and ^Nfarie Crevier. 
 1. Jacques, married 1728, Mari- Damours whose family goes back 
 to 1496, Franyois Seigneur du Serin who belonged to the royal 
 household of Louis XII. Marie's grandfather, Seigneur de la 
 Morandiere, came to Canada in 1652. His brother was a Mare- 
 chal de France. 
 
 2. Joseph, son of Jaccjues and Madeleine Gatineau du Plessis,
 
 I'.iirlij J'reiicJi F<iiiiHu'i<. 297 
 
 •came to Detroit in 17:}(), married, in 17:52, Marie Anne Campeau, 
 • dauirlitcr of Jaeqiies and Cecile C'atin. Their {liildrcn were: 1. 
 Antoine; 3. DoMiMciri;. married 171)!>, Cliariolte Saliotte, wiiose 
 •descendants are still in Miciiiiran and Indiana; :{. IvAIUKNT, was 
 a very hi'ave soldier and was killed in ISTJ; 4. Ukn.iamiN; o. 
 Catiikium;. married Antoine Haron; t». .Ioskttk, married Jo- 
 seph iJeanhien; 7. TiiKUKSE, married Col. Gabriel Godlroy; 8. 
 JosKi'ir, married 1758, Josettc Gamelin; !). Vekonique, married 
 Bernanl Campeau. 
 
 DUBOIS. 
 
 Several branches of this family settled at Detroit: Didiois dit 
 Filliau; Dul)f)is dit Dnrebois, or Briseliois. It was the family 
 name of the sixth French Governor of Canada, Pierre Dubois, 
 Baron D'Avaui^our. In \lTy\ .lean I'aptiste Dubois (Dnrebois), son 
 of .lean Francois and Marianne Prudliomnic of (Quebec, married, 
 at Detroit, Charlotte Des Ilestres, dauL,diter of Antoine and Char- 
 lotte Chartier. Their children were: 1. Pierre Amable. born 17r)5; 
 2. Jean Louis, born 1 75«, diedyountr: 3. Susanne.born 17~)9;4. ]Mari- 
 anne, born 17(50. In 17(i') Francois Dubois, a brother of Jean 
 Baptiste, married Susanne Durivatre. Th" one wiio left his name 
 to the present Dubois Farm was Etienne, son of Eticnnc and .Marie 
 Charlotte de Lacelle of Montreal. lie came to Detroit several 
 years previous to the American possession; in 17!(2 he married 
 3Iarguerile, dauuliter of Ale.xis (Hadi) I)esc()mi)tes j.abadie and 
 Francoi.se Ko])ert — to whom he was distantly related through his 
 mother. James, a son of this union, married, in 1829, Sophie 
 Campau, daughter of Jacques and Josette Chesne. lie died a 
 few years ago.leaving to his children his large estate, and the rejiu- 
 tation of an lionorable man and upright citizen. Ilis children 
 are: Louis, married Julie St. Aul)in, daughter of Louis and 
 Theresc Chapnton; Emilie, married ]M. de Girardin; p]li/abeth, 
 .married Julian Williams. 
 
 GAMELIN. 
 
 This name ranks among the most celebrated in Canada, and is 
 still found in France. .Michel came to Canada as a surgeon, and 
 married tiien;, in l(it>2. Marguerite Crevier, a member of that his- 
 toric and aristocratic family. Their children were: Ignace, born 
 Kitio, married lfi7;{, .Margmrite Le .Moyne; .M.arguerite, born l(!t!4, 
 marrieil lGr>7, [iCger lleberl; Jean, born l(i7(); Pierre, born 1(17."), 
 married 1(!9!), Jeanne Maugras: Genevieve, married Hapliste 
 Le (iras. Ignace married Marguerite Le Moyne, daughter of Jean 
 .and Madeleine; deChavigny. His .son Ignace married l(i!)8, Louise 
 DuFros de la Jammerais, whose sister Marguerite, after the death
 
 298 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 of her Imsband, Francois You, Si^eur de la Decouverte, became- 
 the celebrated foundress of the Grey Nuns at Montreal. Louise- 
 was the daughter of Christopher DuFros, and Renes Gaultier. 
 The sons of Ignace and Louise came to Detroit in 1760. 
 They were Medor and Antoine — the former married, iu 
 1767, Angelique Cicotte; he was very prominent in getting 
 up the first militia under French rule and was appointed 
 Major; he died m 1778. Antoine, his brother, married his 
 cousin Catherine Gamelin, daughter of Laurent, who had come 
 to Fort Pontchartraiu before his cousins; he was the son 
 of Pierre and Jeanne Maugras, alUed to the Boucher de 
 Boncherville. He had married Josette Dudevoir Lachine, by 
 whom he had the following children: Marie Jeanne, born 1743, 
 married Jean LeGras; Catherine, born 1744, married 1765, 
 Antoine Gamelin, son of Ignace and Louise DuFros de la Jam- 
 merais; Josette, married 1758, Josepli Douaire de Bondy, who 
 was related to her through the De Chavignys ; Francois, married, 
 1772, Thert'se Cabassier; second mar., 1786, Marie Joachine 
 Fouche, of Montreal; Laurent, born 1755; Francoise, born 1756; 
 Paul, born 1757. Francois and Therese Cabassier's children were: 
 Catishe, married Simon Campau; Josette, married, 1796, Jean 
 Baptiste Campeau. Francois' second wife, M. Joachine, daughter 
 of Antoine, a lawyer of Montreal, and Joachine Chesnay de la 
 Garenne; her brother was an eminent judge, Solicitor and Inspector 
 General, and Member of Parliament of Three Rivers, Canada. 
 The children of this marriage were: Francois, died unmarried; 
 Susanne, born 1796. married Audrain Abbott, son of Robert and 
 Elizabeth Audrain. She still lives, (1883) having outlived every 
 member of her family (save a grandson) and ihe friends of her youth. 
 Few, in conversing with her, would imagine that her years num- 
 bered eighty-seven. The kindling eye, dark hair, and charming 
 grace and courtesy of manner make her an attractive companion 
 to the young and old. She is a thorough type of the Old Regime, 
 which in her will lose one of its last re]:)resentatives. 
 
 gode' de marantay. 
 
 This family counts among its descendants a branch of Le Moyne 
 de St. Helene, Le Gardeur de Repentigny, St. Ours, Guy on, Gode- 
 froy, Reaume, and others equally well known. Nicolas, born 
 1583, a native of Perche, was a man of considerable ability ; he 
 was killed with his son-in-law, Jean de St. Per, by the Iroquois, in 
 1657; he left several children by his wife Francoise Gadois: 
 Francois, married 1649, Francois Bugon, de Clermont, Auvergne; 
 Nicolas, married 1658, Marguerite Picard, de Paris; ]Mathurine, 
 married 1651. Jean de St. Per, Royal Notary of Montreal: he was
 
 yKdi'lij I'l-iHch J'aiiiUics. 299^ 
 
 killed by the Tndiiin.s in K].")?. Tlioir dauditcr Affathe, born Ifir)?, 
 inarrit'd HW.l, Pu-rrc I.cCSardcur dc Kcpcntigny; one of Ajrallio's 
 danjrlilcrs, married in no.l, Jean Bai)t(' de St. Ours, Chevalier 
 de St. IjOIUs. whose family can be traced back to the loth century; 
 lie was a distinguished ollieer, and eoinmaiulcd at For! I'ontchar- 
 train; when he came to his post he was accompained by his 
 cousins, .lacques and Francois Uode; Mathurine, marrieil a year 
 after her husbands tragic death, Jac(iues Lc Moync de St. llelenc, 
 brother of the Jiaron de Longueil, Governor of Canada, an uncle 
 of Iberville, and De Bienville, the founder of New Orleans, La — 
 Seigneur dc la Varennes, and de la Trinite. Jacques, son of 
 Nicolas, Jr., married ^Marguerite Du Guay, daugliter of Dr. 
 Jacques Du (luay and Jeanne de Haudry-Lainarche. of the 
 renowned Boucher de J5ouchervi!ie family. Two of their cliil- 
 dren estal)lished themselves at Detroit. Jae(pies, Jr., married 
 1747, Louise Adhemar de St. Martin; his children were: ('has. 
 Joseph, born 1749 ; Marie Angeli(iue, born 1750, married 1775, 
 Francois Gouin; 31. Louise, born 1756; Genevieve, born 1751, 
 married 1767, Jean IJaptiste ('ampeau. 
 
 Francois, who received the title of de ^larantay (corrupted into 
 Marentette) which his descendants adopted later as their proper 
 name. He married Jeanne Parent, daughter of Laurent and 
 Jeanne Cardinal; their children were: 1. Francois, born 1756; 
 2. Angeli(iue. born 1757; 8. Jacipies Francheville, married 1795, 
 Genevieve Reaume, daughter of Claude. A daughter Jeanette, 
 by this marriage, married Win. Macomb: 4. Dominique, married 
 1796, ]\Iarie Louise Archange Navarre, daughter of Kobert, Jr., 
 and ^Farie Louise de Mersac; 5. Laurent, married Marie Louise 
 Chesne La Butte, daughter of Pierre and Marianne Cuillerier de 
 Beaubien, whose miinerous descendants still reside at Windsor 
 and Sandwich, Canada, whose .son Pierre married Mile. Groue. 
 His sons are all noted for their great musical gift, and reside at 
 Sandwich, Canada. 
 
 GODEFROY. 
 
 This name, at present written Godfroy, is among the oldest in 
 Normandy. In .some of its l)ranches there is a tradition of a des- 
 cent from Godefroi de Bouillon, the crir^ader. Lithe chambers 
 of the courts of Normandy at Houen, we tind many of the names 
 enrolled amongthe "haute noblesse." Several were eminent as 
 priests and historians. Denis, Councillor in the Parliament of 
 Paris, 1580, was the author of .several valuable legal works, liis 
 son Jacques Was Secretary of State and Syndic of tiie Kcpul)lic, 
 his grandson was made liistoriogra])her of France, in 1640, and 
 wrote tlie historj- of the (^)nstal)les and Chancellors of France. A 
 branch of this family resided in Normandy in 1580, whose head
 
 300 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 was Pierre. His son Jean Bapte came to Canada abont 1635. 
 His marriage contract, a copy of which is before the writer, is 
 dated Dec. 15, 163(), and is supposed to be the oldest one record- 
 ed in Canada. His wife was Marie Le Neuf de Herisou. His 
 sons and liindred were ennobled in 1667, and received tlie Seigneuru 
 de Linctot and the fiefs de Normandville, de Vieux Pont, de 
 Roguetiliade, de Tonnancour, de Marboeuf, &c., &c. A .sister 
 of Jean Bapte, Anne, married Jacques Teslard dc ]Montigny, 
 whose descendant Jean Bapte Montigny de Louvigny, commanded 
 at Detroit, married there a d. of Lt.-Gov. Hay and Julie Reaume, 
 another Pierre Testard de Fortville married Catherine Chesne, of 
 Detroit. Rene de Tonnancour, of Three Rivers, w^as Procureur 
 du Roi, Lt.-Gcn., &c. His branch was at one time very promi- 
 nent, and several of its members were decorated with the Cross of 
 St. Louis, Maurice being among the last to receive it in 1784. The 
 old church at Three Rtvers, richly endowed by the Godefroys, 
 istill has the arms of this family superblj^ curved on the Banc 
 d'Oeuvres. 
 
 In 1715 Pierre Godefroy de Roquetaliade, grandson of Jean 
 Bapte de Linctot, came to Detroit. He was followed shortly 
 afterwards by Jacques Godefroy de Marboeuf. In 1750, Jean 
 Bapte Godefroy, called the Chevalier, came to Detroit with his 
 wife, Jeanne Yeron de Grandmesnil, and died there in 1756. 
 Pierre and Jacques both married into the same family. Jacques 
 married 1716, Marie Chesne St. Onge. Pierre married 1734, 
 Catherine Sanduge, and his step-daughter married Charles Chesne 
 St. Onge. Like others of the name they were interested in the 
 fur trade, which was originally a monopoly carried on by a com- 
 pany called the Hundred Associates, and later by the Companie 
 des Indes. As early as 1687, it was said that 25,000 beaver skins 
 alone were exported from Quebec in a single ship. The immense 
 destruction of fur bearing animals led to the extension of the 
 trading posts to the far west. Pierre's line died out. 
 
 Thechildren of Jacques were: Catherine, b. 1717, at Three Rivers, 
 ■named from her godmother, ('atherine Godefroy de Roquetaliade 
 married Nov. 21st, 1788, the Chevalier Alex. Trotter des Ruisseaux, 
 of an illustrious family. He was the first trustee of Ste. Anne's 
 and first Capt. of Militia. The witnesses of this marriage were : De 
 Noyelle, Commander of the Post; Le Gardeur de Courtemanche, 
 Lt. of Marines; Sieurs Clias. and Pierre Chesne; Louis Campeau; 
 Barroi-s, Beaubien, Alexis Bienvenu Delisle. In 1777 she died, and 
 she is recorded as the daughter of the deceased nobleman Godefroy 
 de Marboeuf; this is the last time that the title is mentioned; 
 Angeliqua, born 1719, married Jan. 8th, 1736, Zacharie Cicotte, a 
 wealthy merchant ; the marriage contract is given under the 
 Cicotte family; the witnesses of the marriage were : Hughes 
 Pean, Chevalier of St. Louis, Pierre Chesne La Butte, Francois
 
 /uirli/ Freuch Fniiiiliei<. 801 
 
 Prejpnt, Dagncaux Douville, Jean l}aj)le Chapoton: Jactjuos, 
 bom 1722, was very youuir at the lime; of liis ])ar('iits' (icatli, and 
 Avas brouu^lit iij) by liis eldest sister, C'allierine des Kiiisseaux. 
 Like liis father lie was interested in tlie fur trade. lie was 
 tliorouLrhly familiar witji the Indian toniiiies: and exerting irreat 
 intliienee with the chiefs, by reason of his braver}- and famiiv con- 
 nections, he soon liecanie widely known as interpreter ajid 
 negotiator between the .savages and whites. He was ensign in his 
 brother-indaw's, Alexis desHuissoaux, eompany. After the fall of 
 Quebec, Detroit Avas ceded to the English. I'ontiac was at 
 first dispo.sed to resist the newcomers, and had he been aided by 
 the French settlers it is doubtful whether the eoinpiest of tlie 
 country would have been elTected. I!ut they, relying ujion the 
 promises made in the treaty that all their rights would I)e re- 
 spected, no resistance was made, and the garrison imder .Mons. de 
 Bellestre surrendered, and were escorted to I'luladelphia, leaving 
 tlie French settlers at the mercy of the English troop.s. French 
 accounts saj* that in the face of the treaty they were robbed of 
 their property, deprived of their fire-arms, leaving them without 
 defence against the Indians. It is not to be wondered that bitter 
 feelings were engendered, and the English commanders, ignonmt 
 for the most part of the French and Indian languages, were stis- 
 picious of constant jilottings against them, it is a matter of sur- 
 prise that the settlement, aided by their old Indi.-ui allies did not 
 exterminate the English garrison, and their conduct under the cir- 
 cumstances is a convincing proof that the characteristic honor 
 and loyalty claimed for them existed in the highest degree. In 
 176:5, the haughty Ottawa warrior, who coulil no longer brook 
 the arrogance of the British, attacked the fort at Detroit ;uid the 
 other English jxjsts. .Tac(jues and Dr. ("ha])Oton were sent bv the 
 English commander to ])arley with Ponliac and endeavor to 
 dissuade him from his i)uri)()se, but the .savage chieftain would not 
 be influenced. Jacques and other pronunent French inhabitants 
 were suspected of encouraging Ponliac, and on the advent of 
 General Bradstreet, they were arrested and charged with trea.son. 
 In 1758, Jacfiues married Louise Clf)tilde Chapoton, dauirhli-r of 
 Jean ("hapoton, Sui-gcon in the French army. She died in 17(;4, 
 leaving one .son, Jacfpies (Jabrit'l. Ja((iues devoted the remainder 
 of his life to the care of his son, and the rebuilding of his fortune, 
 which had .sull'ered since the P^nglish con(]uest. lie fii^ures 
 prominently in many of tlie Indian transfers of land. lii the 
 American State papers is a curious deed in French from Jac(pies 
 Godefroy to his .son conveying to him farming lands, implements, 
 cattle, .silver and slaves. The land conveyed comprised the tract 
 between 20th and 22nd streets from the river to some three miles 
 back, some of which is still owned by his descendants. He died 
 in 1795. He evidently was very popular and generous, for he
 
 302 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 seems to have been for several years godfather to almost every 
 child tliat was born, for pages of baptisms on the records have his 
 name affixed, in his strong, bold handwriting. 
 
 Jaccpies Gabri('l, born 1758, within Fort Pontchartrain. He was 
 named GabriOl from his godfather and uncle, Gabric'l Le Grand, 
 Chevalier de Sintre. About the time he came of age the American 
 revolution was in progress. Though the.col9ny was far removed 
 from the scene of war,Gabnyrs sympathies were with the colonists. 
 His early years were spent in extending the fur trade and establish- 
 ing trading posts on a large scale from Monroe to Fort Vincennes; 
 the firm of Godfrey & Beaugrand was one of the largest and best 
 known in the West. After the American possession he received 
 an appointment as sub-agent and deputy-superintendent of Indian 
 affairs from Gen. Harrison (afterwards president of the U. S.). 
 The records which have been preserved of his success in negotia- 
 tions with the Indians are abundant, and he retained the position 
 until his death in 1832. The ordinary duties were to repair to 
 any post where difficulties might arise, and to reclaim from mau- 
 rading Indians stolen property, to pay the Indian annuities and 
 to receive at his house ail Indians who might arrive. Gabriel was 
 Major of the 1st Regiment of the Territory; on the resignation of 
 Augustus B. Woodward was made Colonel. He married Angelique 
 de Couture, bj' whom he had five children: Gabriel, Jr., married 
 Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. Jas. May; his descendants reside at 
 Grand Rapids; Jean Baptiste settled at Fort Wayne, Ind. In 
 1796 Gabriel married Therese Douaire de Bondy, by whom he had 
 several children. He died in 1881. He was one of the few who 
 lived under French, English and American rule in the same place, 
 and saw a change of tlags five times. He married a third time 
 Monique Campau, by whom he had no issue. 
 
 Those by his second wife were: 1. Susanne, born 1794. married 
 Jas. McCloskey. Her children were: Henry, married Therdse 
 Soulard, of St. Louis; Elizabeth, married Hon. Isaac P. Chris- 
 ■tiancy; Caroline, married Mr. Calwell; Susanne, married Mr. 
 Morton, brother of the late Julius Morton, of Detroit; Melinde, 
 married John Askin, of Sandwich, Canada. 
 
 2. Pierre, " Le Prince" as he was generally called, was born 
 1796. He removed the last remnant of the Indians about 
 Detroit to their reservation in the far West. He was active 
 And enterprising, and the firm of P. & J.Godfroy was well known. 
 He married Marianne Navarre Marentette, daughter of Dominique 
 Gode de Marentette and Archange Louise Navarre; she and her 
 sister, Mrs. De Quiudre (afterwards Mrs. Wm. B. Hunt), were 
 ■considered the most beautiful women in the Territory. It is a 
 family tradition that Prince Godfroy once won a wager by pad- 
 dling himself in a wheelbarrow across the Detroit river to visit his 
 fiancee, who lived on the Canadian shore, a feat quite as difficult
 
 Early J'rtnch Families. 803 
 
 us Loander swiininiiii;^ tlu' II('llcsp(»nl, and no less rnniantic. The 
 children of tiiis union wvyv. 1. .lacqucs William; 2. Elizabeth, niar- 
 rieil John Watson; :{. Fiani<lin Ai)p<)lonaire, died younir; 4. Melon- 
 nieTlu'nse, diedyounir; 5. Caroline Anne; G. Alexandrine Louise, 
 married Theo. Parsons Hall; 7. Charles Cass; 8. Nancy, married 
 .TosephVis.iiar,a name well iinown in the early days of the Territory; 
 4. .losette, married \H'i\, John Smythe, son of Col. Kicliard Smythe 
 and Prudenee Hnidy, of Lexington, Ky. After his death she 
 became a nun, and died whilst Superior of the Order of the 
 Immaculate Heart of Mary; 5. Jac(pies li. was educated at Bards- 
 town, Ky. ; lie studied law but abandoned the profession of it on 
 account of ill health. He was a partner for many years in the 
 firm of P. cV J. (iodfroy. He married, 1S'20 Yictoire. dauj^hter 
 of Col. Francois Navarre, of Monroe. He died in 1847, l(?aving a 
 large family: Jacques Louis Columbus, married Sarah De Quindre; 
 Celestine, married ^Ir. Waldruff; Frederick; Alexandrine; Hiiaire; 
 Philippe; Victoire; Augu.stus; ^larie; Zoc, married Benjamin 
 Abbott, son of Robert, Auditor-General and Treasurer of the Terri- 
 tory of Michigan; Sophie, married James "Whipple, son of Major 
 John Whiiipie, l'. S. A.; (i. Kichard, married Anne Villier dit 
 St. Louis, by whom he had a large family. 
 
 Note. — Fief. Fief is an estate held and possessed on condition 
 •of fealty homage and certain rights payable generally by the new 
 possessor to the Loril or Seigneur by whom the fief is held; these 
 rights are Quint and lidit'f. The Quint is the fifth part of the 
 purchase money, and must be paid by the purchaser. i^7/V/is the 
 revenue of one year due to the Seigneur for certain mutations. H" 
 a fief came to a vas.'jal by succession in the direct line, there was 
 nothing due the Seigneur but fealty and homage: but if in the 
 collateral line, then a fine was ]iaid to the Seigneur upon taking 
 the estate which had lapsed or fallen by the death of the last ten 
 ant. J'iefs were divided by the " Contumc de Paris" into two 
 kinds: 1st, those held nobly; 3d, tho.se held by villainage. The 
 estates held nobly are the fiefs, and Franc Alen noble. The 
 estates held by villainage, were held subject to ccns or cinsice, and 
 Franc Alen villain. Franc Alen was a freehold estate held sub- 
 ject to no seigneurical rights or duties, acknowledging no lord, 
 but the king. Censive wa.s.an est;ite held in the feudal manner, 
 •charged with a certain annual rent which was paid bj^ the po.s- 
 sessor of it; it consi.sted of money, grain, fowls, etc. It was thus 
 that most of the habitants in Canada held their farms. The " lods 
 etventes,"or fines of alienation, were one half part of the pur- 
 clia.se money, and were paid by the purcha.scr on all mutations of 
 property "en roture" to the Seigneur in the .same manner as the 
 quint was paid upon mutations of fiefs. The succession to fiefs 
 -\vas different from that of property held "en roture" or by vil-
 
 304 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 laiiiiige. The eldest .son took, by right, the principal manor house- 
 or cliateau, and the yard adjoinino; it; also an acre of the garden 
 joining it. If there were any mills, ovens or presses within the 
 seigneuree, they belonged to the eldest son ; but the profits arising 
 froni tlie mills, ovens and presses, if common, were equally 
 divided among the heirs. When there were only two heirs, the 
 eldest took, besides the manor house, etc., two-thirds of the fief, 
 and the youngest son the other third. But when there were more 
 than two heirs, the eldest son took one-half, and the other heirs 
 the I'emaining half. When only daughters were the heirs, the fief 
 Avas equally divided among them. If the eldest son died, the 
 next did not succeed to his birth rights; the estate was then 
 equally divided among the heirs. 
 
 GOUIN. 
 
 This family was allied to the most distinguished of Canada. 
 Mathurin, born 1638, son of Vincent and Charlotte Gaultier, dio- 
 cese de Poitiers, married 1663, at Three Rivers, Canada, Marie 
 Madeleine Vien, daughter of Etienne and Marie Denot de la Mar- 
 tiniere; their children were: Thomas, born 1667; Pierre, born 
 1679; Louis, married 1720, Jeanne Marchand ; Josepli, married 
 1701, Marquerite Roy, daughter of Michel Roy Chatellereau and 
 Fraucoise Hobbe, Diocese of Poitiers (France); Marianne, mar- 
 ried 1703, Francois Trotier, son of Antoine Trotier Sieur des 
 Ruisseaux and Catharine Lefebvre. Claude Thomas, son of 
 Joseph and Marguerite Gouin, established himself at Detroit, and 
 married there in 1742, Josette Cuillerier de Beaubien, by whom 
 he had the following children: Joseph Nicolas, born 1746, mar 
 ried 1771, Elizabeth Rivard ; Francois, born 1748, married 1775, 
 Angelique Gode, daughter of Jacques and Louise de St. Martin; 
 Claude Pierre, born 1751; Judith, born 1763, married 1783, 
 Philippe Chabert de Joncaire, son of the Chevalier Daniel Chabert 
 and Marguerite Ursule Elizabeth Rocbert de la Morandiere; 
 Claire, married Jean Marie Beaubien, son of Jean Bapte Cuillerier 
 de Beaubien and Marianne Lothman de Barrois. Joseph Nicolas, 
 married 1771, Eliza Rivard, whose children were: Charles, born 
 1778, married 1808, Elizabeth Descomptes Labadie, daughter of 
 Alexis (Badi) and Franyoise Robert; he was very prominent, was 
 chief surveyor under the British rule ; Pierre, born 1780' married 
 Irene Rivard, daughter of Jean Bapte and Irene Beaufait. Joseph 
 Nicolas, married again in 1790, Archange Boyer — the daughter 
 by this marriage was Colette (Clotilde), who married in 1809, 
 Antoine St. Bernard, and in 1818, Dominicpie Riopellc, thus unit- 
 ing the large landed interests of the Gouin and Riopelle families. 
 A son of Dominique Riopelle married again into the Gouin 
 family, (the branch which settled at Sandwich, Canada).
 
 harhj French Fain 'dies. '^Oo 
 
 LOTHMAN DE BARROIS. 
 
 Many Frciicli I'mnilics of to-(l;iy claim ninoiiu: their ancestors a 
 Lotliinaii (Ic iJarrois. Aiitoiiic Lotliinaii ^Xv iJanois was sent to 
 Ainericii in lG(!.j, as Secretary, C'cniiu-illor and Airent General of 
 the East India Company. He was also inter|)reter of the Portu- 
 guese language. He was tlie son of Jean and Marie Fournel, 
 Chantel le Chateau, Diocese dc Burges, Herry. He married, 1672, 
 Marie Lc Ber, whose family was a very distinguished one. She 
 was a niece of Jeanne Le Ber de Senmenville, whose life has been 
 written by the; Historian Ahlie Faillon. A branch of the Le Ber 
 returned to France, ami the descendants all acquired fame and 
 wcaltii. One was a p;ifre to Madame la l>au])liine, another a gal- 
 lant oflicer, killed on tiie Held of ^Magenta. The Chevalier IJen- 
 voist, through his mother, belonged to the Le Ber family. Francois 
 Lothman and ]\Iarie Le Ber had several children, among them 
 were: ^larianne. born 1080, married 1697, Francois Houdoin; 
 Philijipe, born 1672; Francois, born 1076, married at Detroit 1717, 
 Marianne Sauvage; Charles, born 1678; Antoine, born 1683. 
 Francois, born 1676, married ^Marianne Sauvage, and establi.shed 
 him.self at Detroit — their children were: ]Marie, born 1719, mar- 
 ried 1734, Robert Navarre, the Sub-Intendant and ]{oyaI Notary, 
 and is the ancestress of the Navarres; Louise, born 1722, married 
 1736, Pierre Che.sne La Butte, the interpreter; Catherine, born 
 1727, married 1747, Pierre de St. Cosme, who was one of the 
 earliest Justices of Peace. One of the daiighters, Theoti.ste 
 St. Cosme, married in 1776, Philippe De Jean, .son of Philippe, 
 Councillor and Senechal of Toulouse, and Jeanne De Ho(|ue. De 
 Jean was a Judge under English rule. A great grand daugliter of 
 Pierre St. Cosme became the first wife of Judge Jas. ^lay. Cath- 
 erine married again, Antoine Cuillerier de Beaubien, i)v whom 
 she had many children. Antoine, born 1733; Agathe, born 1735, 
 married Jean Bapte Reaume, .son of Ilyacinthe and Agathe de 
 Lacelle; Laurent, married 17.57, Catherine Cecyre. 
 
 MORAND. 
 
 The descendants of this familj' are very ably represented to-daj' 
 in Detroit. Pierre, its founder in America, wa.s born at Batiscaa 
 in 1651, married ^ladeleine Grimard 1678. His branch is fre- 
 (juently known as Morand dit Grimard, it being then customary 
 to add the mother's family name, especially if she brought a large 
 dower to her husband. Of tiiis marriage many children were 
 born who.se descendants in Canada were notiKl as clergymen, 
 lawyers, and landed proprietors. Jean Bapte, a son of Pierre's, 
 married 1707, Elizabeth Dubois, at Quebec, whose .son, Charles 
 ^lorand Grimard came to establish himself at Detroit .some time 
 ao
 
 300 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 before the English Conquest in 1760. Tliere was nt tliat time 
 anotlier l)ranch of the same family, who settled at Detroit; another 
 Charles, who married in 1751, Catherine Belleperche, who be- 
 longed to the celebrated Couillard and Guyon De Buisson family, 
 thus closely allied to La Mothe Cadillac's wife; their children 
 were: Louis, born 1756; Charles, born 1755; Joseph, born 1763, 
 married 1790, Catharine Boyce; Louise and Therese, born 1769; 
 Maurice, born 1775, married 1800, Felise Meloche; Martlie, mar- 
 ried 1800, Louis Campeau; Susanne, married 1805, Francois 
 Campeau, son of Jean Bapte. Chas. Morand-Grimard, married 
 in 1767, Marquerite Simard Tremblay, whose family possessed 
 the Seisiueurie du Tremblay as early as 1681. She died in 1771, 
 leaving two children : Louis, born 1769; Charles, born 1770. 
 Louis, married 1794, C^atherine Campeau, daughter of Jean Bapte 
 and Catherine Boyce. One of his sons (George), married 1836, 
 Therese Tremblaj^ whose descendants reside at Grosse Pointe. 
 Charges, married 1794, Catherine Vessier dit Laferte, whose only 
 child was the late Judge Chas. Morand. Charles, Jr., married 
 1833, Julie De Quindre, daughter of Antoine Daigncaux Douville 
 De Quindre and Catherine des Rivieres de la Morandiere. The 
 children were: 1. Matilda, married James "Watson; 3. Charles; 
 3. Julie, married Isaac Toll; 4. Virgiuie, married Francis St. 
 Aubin ; 5. Mary Josephine, married KobertJ Mix, of Cleveland, 
 O., Aug. 3rd, 1836; Judge Chas. Moran married Justine McCor- 
 mack, of N.Y., by whom he had the following children: 1. James, 
 died unmarried; 3. William B., married 1873, Elise, daughter of 
 James J. Vandylie, in 1875, Frances, daughter of Pierre 
 Desnoyers. His administrative faculty, his successful land oper- 
 ations have placed him in the foremost rank of Detroit capitalists. 
 3. John Vallie, married 1880, EramaEtheridge, daughter of the dis- 
 tinguished orator and politician, Emerson Etheridge, of Tennessee. 
 He is one of the most successful business men of Detroit, and his 
 sterling personal worth has made him deservedly popular; 4. Cath- 
 erine, married 1877,Henry D. Barnard, of Hartford, Conn. ; 5. Alfred 
 is a lawyer, and in partnership with his brother, Wm. B. Moran. 
 He married, 1878, Satilda Butterfield. Judge Chas. Moran died in 
 1876, leaving the most valuable estate, with the exception of the 
 Brush and Campau, in Detroit. Charles inherited this magnifi- 
 cent property from his grandfather, Charles Moran Grimard. 
 The family dropped the " d " at the end of the name, and also the 
 title Grimard about 1796. To the peculiar conservatism of the 
 French settler to-day, so frequently and unjustly misunderstood, 
 are their descendants indebted for the preservation of their ances- 
 tral estates. A brief glance at the early history of Detroit will 
 convince the candid and unbiased reader, that the position of the 
 habitants during the various political changes which Detroit 
 underwent was one requiring delicate tact and diplomatic ability.
 
 Earhj French Families. 307 
 
 Five successive Hags waved over llie fair "('it}' of the Straits." 
 One form of (Jnveniinent had scarcely enforced its laws and ex- 
 ])iained its policy before it vanisiied and i^ave place to another 
 jiower. A disastrous lire destroyed their records. It is not 
 stranu;e that these couulry-lossed settlers looked with suspicion 
 and inditTereiice upon new ideas and improvements, their expi-ri- 
 ence not havini; tauuht them to place much confidence in the 
 existini;- orders of Ihinijfs. 'I'he old traditional conservatism has 
 fullilled its mission, and handed to the i)resent generation valu- 
 able estates, whi(!h, under the progressive management and en- 
 larged ideas, founded upon a permanent form of Government, 
 will bring not only princely revenues to its owners, but be later 
 a source of pride to the city. 
 
 NAVARRE. 
 
 This family so illustrious in the early da}'s of the colony traces 
 back in an unbroken line to Antoine de IJourbon, Duke de Ven- 
 dome, father of Henry 4th, whose natural son. (1) Jean Navarre, 
 married \h~'l I'erette Barat; (2) his son Martin Navarre de Villeroy 
 married 1.")!);! .Jeanne Lefebri', whose sou (:^) Jean Navarre, mar- 
 ried 102:5, Susanna Le ('lef ; their son (4) Antoine Navarre, du 
 Plessis en Bois. married UWm, Marie Tjallemant, whose son (.">) 
 Antoine ^Iari(! Francois Navarre, married l()!)."i, .Tcanne Pluyette, 
 whose son (0) Robert .Navarre, was sent to Fort Ponlchartrain as 
 Sub-Intendant and Koyal Notary, where he married, 17:54. .Marie 
 Lothman de Barrois, his son Robert (Robishe) married, 1702, 
 Marie Louise Archange de Mersac, whose daughter Archange 
 Louise, married 1796, Dominique Gode de ]Marantette, whose 
 daughter, ]\Iarianne Navarre, married 1822, Pierre Godfroy. 
 Antoine Navarre du Plessis' other .sons remained in France, and 
 one of them married Catherine de la Rue; their only daughter 
 married Jean Navarre de I.ivry (her tirst cousin) whose daugiiter 
 in turn, ^Nlarie Jeanne Navarre, born 170!), married .lean Ji(Miis 
 Navarre de .Maisonneuxc (her cousin) brother of Mons. de Navarre, 
 Manpiis de Longuejoue, whose wife, born at St. Luce, was lady 
 of honor (Dame d'llonnein-) to Madame Elizabeth, sister of Louis 
 10th of France and the Duchess of Boinbon. Catherine Antoin- 
 ette, Jeanne Martine Petronille, remained the only d.iughter by 
 the death of her two sisters. She marrie<l Louis Francois Margue- 
 lel de la None, from whom Genevieve ('elerie .Marguelet de la 
 None, eldest sister of Madame de Penleville, espoused Count 
 licoud Pcrthuis, whose daughter Marie Celine Leontine de 
 Pcrthuis, espoused Alex. Jaccjues Marie Clement (h; Rlavelte, 
 whose son Edward married Marie Clement le Boulanger de .Mont- 
 igny, who.se son Count Leon Clement de lilavelte married Lsabell 
 (ie iirossard, de Versuille, France.
 
 308 Legends of Le Detroit 
 
 Robert Navarre, son of Antpine Francois. Marie and Jeanne 
 Pluj^ette came to Detroit to till the most important position in the 
 colony. He was responsible to no one save the Intendant at Que- 
 bec, lie ad(ted to this office that of Royal Notary. Following an 
 old manuscript copied from the Cahinet, a scarce periodical issued 
 at New York, 1827-1831 : Robert de Navarre came to America and 
 landed at Quebec. He was of a noble French family, a man of ex- 
 tensive erudition, was appointed under the French government sub- 
 delegue and Royal Notary at Detroit. He married there in 1734, Ma- 
 rie Lothman dcBarrois. At the marriage were present HuguesPean, 
 Seigneur de Livaudiere, Hereditary Mayor of Quebec, Chevalier 
 of St. Louis, Commandant of Fort Pontchartrain, Pierre Gode- 
 froy de Roquet aliade, Duburron Ensign, Daigneaux Douville and 
 Chas. Chesne, Bonaventure, Ptre. Robert Navarre's children were: 
 (i) INIarie Francoise, born 1735, married Geo. McDougall, Lt. in 
 the British Army, by whom she had two sons, Jean Robert and 
 George. In 1774 she married Jacques Campeau, father of Joseph 
 and I^irnabe, by whom she had no heirs, but Barnabe in 1820 
 married her granddaughter. Archange McDougall, whose sons 
 were Alexander and the late Barnabe. 
 
 (2) Marianne, born 1737, married 1760, Jacques Adhemar St. 
 Martin, frequently called La Butte, a most celebrated interpreter. 
 They lived in the old Cass House, which was the St. Martin home- 
 stead, the ground being deeded to him in 1750. St. Martin died in 
 1766, leaving a young widow with three children : (1) St. Martin, 
 who died unmarried •'(2) Finon who married Philip Fry; (3) Arch- 
 ange, born 1765, married August Mcintosh, who later on inherited 
 the estates which belonged to the Earldom of Moy, the Earldom 
 itself having been forfeited in the rebellion against the House of 
 Hanover. The Mcintosh homestead Avas on the Canadian shore op- 
 posite Belle Isle, and w^as celebrated along Le Detroit for the prince- 
 ly and lavish hospitality of its genial owner. Ten children were 
 born to Angus Mcintosh, the boys returned to Scotland to take 
 possession "of their estates. Two of the daughters were much 
 loved and esteemed in Detroit, JVIrs. Henry J. Hunt and Miss 
 Catherine Mcintosh. In 1770, Marianne Navarre widow of St. 
 Martin, bestowed her hand upon Dr. Geo. Christian Anthon who 
 had come to Detroit, in 1760, with Mayor Rogers. She died Oct. 
 11th, 1776, leaving no heirs by Anthon. 
 
 Robert, eldest son of Robert. Sr. , surnamed Robishe the Speaker, 
 was born in 1739. He married, 1762, Louise Archange de Mersac, 
 daughter of Francois and Charlotte Bourassa. Another Charlotte 
 Bourassa, a cousin, married in 1760, Chas. de Langlade, the pioneer 
 settler of Wisconsin, whose family belonged to that of the Count of 
 Paris. To Robishe was deeded by the Pottawatomies. their village, 
 which was on a beautiful eminence commanding a tine view and 
 which even then was pronounced by them an " Ancient Village."
 
 I'MrJij French luiiaUu's. 309 
 
 "We the chiefs of tlie tribe of the Pottawatomie nation at Detroit 
 have delilR'rafcd and j^ivon of our own free will a piece of land of 
 four ariicMlH in widtii by the wlioic dcptii, siluat<'(l at our ancient 
 villa;j;c to liohishe, son of the Scrivener. \\v give liiin this land 
 forever, that he might cultivate the same, light a tire thereon, and 
 take care of our dead, and for surety of o>ir words we have made^ 
 ourmarks." Tiiis grant was ratitied by ilcnry Hassett, command- 
 ing at Detroit, July 15, 1772, in presence of (ieo. .McDoiigall. (Jn 
 one of Navarre's quit rent receijjts it is stated that this trad Wiis 
 contirmed by Gen. Gage. l{oi)ishe resided on his land and in the 
 house known to-day as the lirevoort homestead. It was later 
 enlarged by CommodiMX' IJrevoort (Robishe's son-in-law). J{obishe 
 was the great great grandfather of the writer, and there still lives 
 an old lady who remembers him. She speaks of him as a pre- 
 eminentl}'^ hand.some man, with courtly manners, most engaging 
 and charming in conversation. He was blessed like all the French 
 of that period, with an exceptionally large family: (1) Robert, born 
 17G4; (2) Jacques, born 17(>(j, he settled on the Kiver Raisin; 
 (3) Francois, born 17f!7, early removed with his brother Jacfjues 
 and Jean Marie to Monro<', where twenty-si.v arpenls had l)een 
 deeded to liie Xavarres by the Ottawas. Francois was Colonel 
 during the war of 1812-1:3, and figures most conspicuously. His 
 house was the headquarters of Generals AVa3'ne, \V'inchesier, St. 
 Clair and others. Thirty-six Navarres served in his regiment. 
 He was thoroughly conversant with the pecvdiar habits ami war- 
 fare of the savages, and spoke with facility several of their lan- 
 guages. He was captured at I'rownsiown, whither he had gone 
 ahead of Col. Johnston to negotiate with the Indians; he was 
 taken as prisoner to Sandwich, but fortunately escaped. His son 
 Robert served under Capt. Richard Smythe, and told the writer 
 many amusing anecdotes of the war. The only French pear trees 
 along the Raisin, are those that were brought there by Col. 
 Navarre from his father's place in Detroit. Francois was tiie per- 
 sonal friend of Wayne, Winchester. St. Clair, Cass, Macomb and 
 Woodward, and his correspondence with several of them lias been 
 preserved. 
 
 He married, 1790, .Marie Suzord, daughter of Louis and Marie 
 Jo.sette Lebeau; his children were: Robert, born 17!*2; Francois, 
 born 17U;5; Victoire, married 182:5, Jaciiues Godfrey, son of t;ol. 
 Gabrii'l .and Ther^se Douaire de Hondy. Agathe was e.Kcpiisitely 
 beautiful: Julie died at an advanced age unmarried; Monique 
 married John Askin eldest son of Col. James Askin, of S.and- 
 wich. 
 
 4. Isidore, burn 1768, married 1795, Francoise Dcscomptes La- 
 badie, daughter of Alexis and Francoi.se Robert. Their eldest 
 son Isidore, born 1795, though a mere stripling servill in the war 
 of 1812.
 
 310 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 5. Arcliange Louise, born 1770, married 1796, Dominique 
 Gode de Marentette, whose daugliters were : Fruncoise 
 Marie, married Col. James Askin, son of Jolm Governor of 
 Michilimacliinac, and Archange Bartbe; Marianne Navarre, mar- 
 ried Pierre Godfroy, son of Col. Gabri(3l and Therese Douaire de 
 Bondy; Jeanne, married 1st, Timothy De Quindre, son of An- 
 toine and Catherine des Rivieres de la Morandiere; 2nd, William 
 B. Hunt. 
 
 6. Charlotte Soulange, born 1774, married Cajetau Trem- 
 blay; Antoine Freshet, born 1772, married 1806, Madeleine 
 Cavallier. He served with distinction during the war of 1812. 
 Jean Marie, born 1778, named from his uncle ; 7. Marianne, born 
 1780, was a great belle. She was very gifted, possessing tine 
 musical ability and decided talent for painting. Cols. Hamtramck 
 and Gratiot, were rival suitors for her favor, both pleaded in vain; 
 she was faithful to the memoiy of a former lover who had died 
 suddenly. Several of her letters have been preserved — the style 
 is admirable, the handwriting characteristic and beautiful. 
 
 8. C^atherine, named after her aunt Catherine Macomb, born 1782, 
 married Commodore Plenry Brevoort, of Lake Erie fame, and a 
 member of the Brevoort family of New York. The children of 
 this marriage were: John, married Marie Navarre; Robert, died 
 young; Anne, married Charles Bristol; Elias, settled in New 
 Mexico ; Henry, married Jane, daughter of Wm. Macomb and 
 Jeannette Francheville de Marentette, who left three sons: Wm. 
 Macomb, who fought bravely and fell in battle in the war of 1860; 
 Henry Navarre, Ex-prosecuting Attorney of Detroit; Elias 
 Thornton, connected with the t^'anada Railroad. 9. Monique, born 
 1789, was the first wife of William Macomb. She inherited the 
 traditional loveliness of her race, and added among other accom- 
 plishments, that of a daring and superb equestrienne. She died 
 young, leaving one son, Navarre ]Macomb. 10. Pierre, born 1787, 
 settled at the mouth of the Maumee in 1807. He was a trusty 
 scout to General Harrison during the war of 1812. His thorough 
 knowledge of the Indians and of the country enabled him to 
 render many important services. His portrait is still possessed by 
 his descendants, taken at the age of seventy. 
 
 4. Francois Marie, born 1759, married Marie Louise, daughter of 
 ReneGodere, the children were: Robert, born 1782; Jacques, born 
 1788; Francois, born 1790; Archange, born 1792; Antoine, born 
 1796; 5. Jean Marie Alexis, born 1762,. married 1789, Archange 
 Gode; Marie, born 1793; Alexis; 4. Pluyette, born 1742; 5. 'Antoine, 
 born 1745; 6. Joseph, born 1748, died young; 7. Marie Catherine, 
 born 1749, died young; 8. -Bonaventure Marie, born 1750, died 
 1764; 9. Catherine, born 1757, married Alexander Macomb, the 
 great land speculator.
 
 I'Mi'lij Frem-li Families. 311 
 
 PELLETIER. 
 
 History states that wlicii La .Mollic Cadillac landi'd at Detroit lie 
 was ijreeted by two Coureuis dcs Hois. I'icrre Koy and Fraiicnis 
 Pelk'ticr. This latter name stands very iiiu:li in Canada and is 
 found in every department of science and polities. Xicolas the 
 lirst of the name came from IJeance (France) and married in IGT-I 
 Jeanne Hous.sy. They settled at Sorrel, and left eii;ht chihlren to 
 propa irate their race. The eldest son Francois married Mar!?iie- 
 rile Madeleine Morrisseau l)y whom he had ten; one of them 
 Marie An.;,'elique. married 17i)9, Antoine de Gerlais, she was the 
 godciiild of the Baron D'Avauirour. ({ov. of Canada. Her brother 
 Francois marrieil IG*^!) ^ladeleine Tluimes Dufresne. daMi,diter of a 
 siirij;eon, whose son Fiancois Jean, born IGSl at Sorrel, married 
 1718, Marie Robert at Detroit, who afterwards married Louis 
 Cami)eau. A brother (Jean) of Francois, who married Marirue- 
 rite Madeleine Morrisseau, married in l()(i"2 at Quebec, Marie Gen- 
 evieve Manevely de Kainville. daui^hter of Charles and Francoise 
 de Blanet, de IV-rche, their son Jean Francois married 1(»S.") (Gen- 
 evieve Le Teudre, who was i^odmother for Cadillac's chikl. the 
 first child baptised in Detroit. She aftersvards marri<'d Elieiinc 
 Volant de St. Claude. Her son by Pdlctier, Jean Francois, mar- 
 ried at (Quebec Catherine Arnaud with whom Cadillac later had 
 so much trouble, and who was very influential at the Castle St. 
 Louis. (Quebec, owinij to his powerful family connections. 
 
 There was another branch of Pelletier, to which belom^ed 
 Michel, Sieur de la Prade and Seigneur de Gentilly, who married 
 16G') at Champlain, Jacciuelinc Chamboy. 
 
 Francois, .son of Francois Antyat married 1089 !>Lideleine 
 Thumes, their son Jean Bapte, born Aunust 1."), lG91,at Sorrel, 
 married at Detroit 1718, Marie Louise Itobert whose son Jean 
 Bapte m.irried ^larie Cornet; the children were: J. Bapte, mar- 
 ried 17G9. Catli. Valle dit Versailles; Therese. married 17S(). Jean 
 Bajite Chai)oton: ^larie Josephelte; Jaccjues Amable, born 174G; 
 Francois, born 1749; Andre, married 17G;5. Catli. Meloche; his sou 
 J. Baple married 1809. Cath. Williams dauu:hter of Thomas Wil- 
 liams ;ind Cecile Campeau: Jacipies, married 177'^. .Madeleine Le 
 Vaiuieur at (Quebec. Tli'ir children were: 1. Archani,a'. born 17S2 
 named after her irodmoljier Anhanire Bartlie. wife of Jean Askin 
 Governor of Mackinaw. She married in IMM) ^layor John Wliij)- 
 pleU. S. A. son of Joseph and Kli/.a Fairlield of Manchesler, .Mass. 
 The children of thisiniion blended the happier traitsof the Puritan 
 with till! graceful charms of the dark-eyed Xorman race: I.Eu- 
 nice Fairchild died in infancy; 2. James Burbick, married isr2, 
 Sophie Gtxlfroy. daughter of Col. (iabiiel and Therese Douaire 
 (le Bond}-; 3. John Porter; 4 Charles Whiley, the well known 
 lawyer and chief justice of Michigan, married Marguerite Ann
 
 312 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 Brooks, daughter of Col. Edward Brooks, U. S. A., and Margiic 
 rite Anno May; 5. George Askin died j'oung; 6. Caroline Hull died 
 iinniai-ried in 1878, leaving the memory of a most saintly life; 
 7. Anne Hunt married Pierre Desnoyers; 8. Henry Larned married 
 Caroline Buckley, of Monroe, Michigan. His beautiful widow 
 married Mr. Harvey Mixer and resides at Detroit ; 9. Sylvia Larned 
 died young. 
 
 10. Mary Wolcott, who inlierited the stately, elegant presence Of 
 her race which, added to tine conversational powers, 'make her a 
 ver}' interesting companion; 11. AVilliam Lecuyer married Louise 
 Fairchild. He inherited his father's military talents and served 
 with distinction in the late civil war, lie died of wounds received 
 in war. His only child, Marie Louise, married, 1882, Edgar, son 
 of Alexander Lewis. She died in the flower of lier youth and 
 beauty', universally regretted; 12. Eliza Susan married Charles 
 Conaglian, a prominent citizen of Cincinnati, OUio. She died in 
 1882 and left three sons; 13. Margaretta Torrey married 
 Charles Hyde and resided at Cincinnati, Ohio; 14. Catherine So- 
 phia married Edwin Skinner. Their children were: Henry 
 Whipple married in 1877, 3Iannie Avery, of Detroit; Edwin; 
 Archange married 1881, Norton Strong, surgeon in the U. S. 
 A., son of Norton and Ellen Chapin, of Detroit; Bernard; 2. 
 Catherine, born 1785, died unmarried; 3. Charles married 1806, 
 Cecile Marthe Chapoton, daughter of Louis, whose sister Cath- 
 erine married Major Antoine De Quindre; a daughter by this 
 marriage, became the wife of Louis Beaufait; a son, Charles, mar- 
 ried Eliza Vameter Cicotte, daughter of Francois and Philis Pet- 
 tier, whose children are: Marianne married Alex. Chapoton, Jr.; 
 Charles, a prominent insurance agent of Detroit; Helena; Made- 
 leine married Joseph Belanger, of Canada, a branch of whose 
 family came to Detroit as early as 1715. He is well known in 
 Detroit and deservedly popular; Agnes; Marthe married Ferdi- 
 nand Zehner; 4. Antoine married 1780, Monique Bienvenu Delisle, 
 one of the oldest families in Detroit; 5. Felice married 1811. Peter 
 Tallman, Capt. of Artillery, U. S. A., a daughter by this mar- 
 riage. Marguerite, became the wife of Capt. Moj^er, of the British 
 army. In 1819 she married Francois Cicotte; 6. Marianne married 
 Capt. John Cleves Semmes, a nephew of the famous jurist, John 
 Cleves Semmes, whose daughter Anna married President Harris. 
 Capt. Semmes served with gallantry at Fort Erie. He created 
 quite a sensation in 1813 by propounding the theory that the earth 
 was open at the poles and that the interior was accessible and 
 habitable. He died at Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, 1828. 
 His descendants reside at Cincinnati; 7. Madeleine married John 
 Askin and resided at jVFalden, Canada; 8. Marguerite married Dr. 
 Davis, surgeon in the U. S. A. .
 
 Early French Families. 313 
 
 REAUME. 
 
 This fnniily counts animiir its (icscciulnnis .some of llic most 
 prominent families of Canada and the United States. Its founder 
 was Kene, born 104:5. .'^on of Jean and Marie Ciievalier, Diocese of 
 La Hoclielle, who married at Quchee, IGCi."), Marii- Clievrcau. 
 They liad a larj;e family. One of their sons, Kolwrt, born 1CG8, 
 married in 1G9G, Elizabetli Brunet, two of whose diildren came to 
 Detroit in 17;JU. llyacinthe. born 1704, married in 17:^?, A.ujatlie 
 de Lacelle. Pierre, born 1709, married in 1738, Bu.sanue Hubert 
 de la Croix. 
 
 ELDKll IJIt.XNCU. ■ " \ 
 
 Hyacinthe married in 17;i3, Agathe de Lacelle. died in 1778. 
 Their children were: 1. Jacciues, born 1737; 2. Joseph, born 1739. 
 married in 1787, ]\Iarianne Robert; 3. Jean Bai)tiste, born 1741. 
 married Lii 1703, Agathe Lothman de Harrois; 4. Agathe married 
 in 1769, Joseph Poupart ; .">. Catherine, born 174"); 0. Julie, born 
 1748, married Lieutenant Governor John Hay, she died 1794, 
 leaving three sons and one daughter. Two of her sons were olli- 
 cer.s in the British army. Her (laughter Agathe married in 1790, 
 Pierre Moutigny de Louvigny, Knight of St. Louis ; his descend- 
 <nnts occupied prominent positions in Fr.uice, one serving in the 
 body guard of the iinfortunate Louis lOtli, they are called Hay de 
 jMontiguy; 7. Charles; 8. ]\Iarianne married in 17t)."j, Pierre 
 Barron; 8. Claude married in 1705. Genevieve Jaunisse; his chil- 
 dren were : Jean Baptiste, born 1700; Agathe, born 1767; Char- 
 lotte, born 1768, married in 1795, Jacques Francheville Gode do 
 Marantette. 
 
 YOUNGER BRANCH. 
 
 Pierre, Ilyacinthe's brother married a second time in 1738, Sus- 
 anne Hubert de La Croix. The children were: 1. Charlotte, born 
 1738, married in 1700, Lt. Charles Deniau de Muy, a French 
 officer, whose father was commandant of the Post Pontchartrain; 
 2. Susanne married in 1700, Dujieron Balj^y, eldest son of Raymond 
 and Therese Dupre, of Montreal; 3. Bonaventure nuirried in 
 1766, Jeanne DesHe.stres; .second, 1793, Josette Gatignon Ferton, 
 whose descendants are numerous; 4. Yeronique married Gabrii'l 
 Le Grand, surgeon in tlie French army, widower of Madeleine 
 Chapoton. 
 
 Louis Rcaume, an officer in the British army, stationed at De- 
 troit in 1780, Atas related to this family; he married in 1780, 
 Marie Charlotte Bart he, daught-er of Pierre and Charlotte Chapo- 
 ton. He was killed two weeks after his marriage, leaving a 
 young bride of seventeen, who afterwards ])ecame the wife of 
 Louis Descomptes Labadie (Badichon).
 
 314 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 RIOPEIiLE, 
 
 A branch of this family moved to Detroit shortlj^ after the 
 English conquest in 1760. The descendants acquired much 
 pi'operty which many of them still possess. Pierre, son of 
 Pierre and Marguerite Dubois of St. Denis, Oleron. was the head 
 of the Riopelles in America. He married, 1687, Marie Julien, 
 daughter of Jean and Madeleine Guerin. Their children 
 were: 1. Marie Madeleine, born 1688, was killed by a cannon 
 ball; 2. Barbe, born 1690, married 1737, Jean Dirigoyen; 3. Pier- 
 re, born 1691, married 1718, Marie Anne Mahew-Merchant; 4. 
 Louis, born 1693. married 1718, Ursule Vesiuat; 5. Nicolas, born 
 1696, married 1721, Marguerite Garnaud; 6. Marianne, born 
 1699, married 1st, 1716, Augustin Letartre, 2nd, in 1731, Jacques 
 Sarcelier. Ambroise, son of Pierre and Marie Anne Mahew-Mer- 
 chant, came to Detroit and married there in 1766 Therese Cam- 
 peau, daughter of Antoine and Angelique Pelletier. The chil- 
 dren of this union were: 1. Pierre, born 1767, died in infancy; 2. 
 Toussaint, born 1768; 3. Pierre, married 1808, Monique Bienvenu 
 Delisle; 4. Antoine, born 1776; 5. Therese, born 1776, died unmar- 
 ried; 6. Elizabeth, born 1778, married Methe; 7. Hyacinthe, 
 
 born 1780, married 1807 Franr;oise Meloche, in 1812 he' married 
 again, Angelique Douairede Bondy:8. Arcliange, born 1784, mar- 
 ried John Dix; 
 
 9. Dominique, born 1787, married 1818, Colette (Clotilde) Gouin, 
 daughter of Nicolas and Archange Boyer. Colette was the 
 widow of Antoine St. Bernard. She was universally beloved, 
 and became a model to many who endeavored to imitate her 
 beautiful and virtuous life. One boy and four girls were the 
 result of this union: 1. Domique, married Elizabeth Gouin. His 
 children are worthy representatives of the name they bear. 
 One of them is a member of the Detroit bar. As a family they 
 possess unusual musical talents. One of the daughters is a most 
 brilliant pianist; 2. Edesse, married Michel G. Payment; 3. 
 Nancy became a nun; 4. Angelique, married Fabien Pelletier ;^ 
 5. DoMiTELLE, married Gouin. 
 
 RIVAKD. 
 
 Among the earliest marriages which were celebrated at Fort 
 Pontchartrain is that of Francois Fafard dit Delorme, the inter- 
 preter, and Barbe Loisel, the widow of a distinguished officer, 
 Francois Le Gautier, Sieur de la Vallee Ranee; it occurred Octo- 
 ber 30, 1713; the witnesses were, Francois de la For6t, Command- 
 ant, Du Buisson, Lt. of Marines, J. B. Fachot, Louis Gatheau 
 Mallet, Francois Rivard, Sieiir de Montendroe, Etienne Campau, 
 Trutard and Joseph Parent.
 
 Jutdy French FainU'ies. 315 
 
 Tliis family is known undtT various titles, TJivard de Lavigiie, 
 De la Glandc'iic, Loraiiiicr dc St. Mars, de ^Slontendre, do La- 
 coursiere, &c. Its foundir in this country was Nicolas Rivard, 
 Sicurdc I.avigne, born 10:24, married at Hatiscan, 105'i. 
 
 The lliax or Yax were of Dutch orii,nn and settled at an early 
 daj- at Fort Pontchartrain< The chihhcn of Jean liapte were: 1. 
 Jean Bapte. born ITGIJ, married 17S(), Irene Heaufait, daujj^hter of 
 Judge Louis Beaufait and Therese de ^Vlersac, whose children 
 were: Andre, born 1787; Monique, born 1789, married 1814, Jo- 
 seph Chauvin; Antoine, born 1790, married Julie de Mersac; 
 Jean Bapte, born 1791: Elizabeth, born 1792, married Pierre 
 Gouin; 2. Pierre, born nfi"), married 179;'>. Arcliange Sei:;uin de 
 Laderoute, whose sou Pierre, born 1795; :{. Nicolas, born 1709; 4. 
 Joseph, born 1772. married 1792 Alines Chauvin; 5. Francois, born 
 1773, married 1799 Isabelle Chapoton, daughter of Jean Jiapfc; and 
 Felice Cecyre; he was an ensign in the lirst Regiment of Militia 
 organized in the territory; bis daughte;- Archange, born 1774, mar- 
 ried 179-") Paul Plessis Bellair, .son of Paul and Marianne Ilery. 
 In 1735 Rose Rivard married Oliver ]*les.sis Bellair. 
 
 ST. AUBIN. 
 
 This famil}' was formerly called C.vssE, and is one of the very 
 oldest in Detroit. Jk.\n Cassk, dit St. Aubin, came to Fort Pont- 
 chartrain as early as 1710. lie brought with him his wife ]\Iarie 
 Louise Gaultier whom he had married at Quebec in 1707. Their 
 children were: 1. Joseph; 2. Gabric-l, born 171'2: 3. Jean Bajtte, 
 1708; 4. Agathe. born 1710, married 1734 Nicolas Campau: 5. 
 Chas;6. NoJ5l: 7. Therese; 8. Catherine, married 1751 ('has. Cam- 
 peau. Jean Bapte, Jr., married 1731 .Madeleine Primeau. daugh- 
 ter of Jean and Su.sanne Bellanger of Quebec; he died in 1733. 
 Charles marrie(V1741 Therese Estene daughter of Pierre and ^Mad- 
 eleine Frappier; .she died in 1748. lie married in 1750 Marie 
 Methe. !Many of his descendants reside at and around Detroit. 
 NoM married 1731 Susanne Estene, daughter of I'ierre and Mad- 
 eleine Fr;ip])ier: his children were: 1. Je;ui Bapte, who married 
 1770 Therese Hoye, daugiiterof Ignace and AngeliquedeCardouet 
 whose daughters were: Arcb.inge. born 1774; Jeanne, born 1775; 
 2. Susanne, married 1771 Admirable ].,at()ur. 
 
 PiERUK Casse St. Ai lUN, married Marguerite Brin d'Amoiu'; 
 his son Louis married 1775 Angelique Chevalier, daughter of Jean 
 BaY)te and Francoise Lavoine of 3Iackinaw, wdiose son Fhancois. 
 born 1775, was intimately identified with the history of Detroit, 
 and who is still remembered by many of our older citizens. He 
 resided on his property (now known as the St. Aubin fariu). To 
 him we are indebted for many detailed accounts of incidents in 
 the early days of the English conquest, information he had re-
 
 310 Legends of Le Detroit. 
 
 ceivcd from liis father, and preserved through Judge Witherell's 
 grapliic pen. Francois married Baseline Campeau, born 1784, 
 daughter of Jean Bapte. She survived her husband nearly forty 
 years, dying at the advanced age of eighty-four. Francois had 
 nine children: Louis St. Aubin, married 1st, Therese Chapoton, 
 2nd, Madeleine Cotterell ; Francois, married Virginie ]\Ioran^ Mrs. 
 Louis Grosebeck; Mrs. Pierre Provencal; Mrs. Eugene W. Wat- 
 son; Mrs. Richard Corn(.r; Mrs. John F. Godfrey (of Grand Rap- 
 ids) ; Mrs. Henry Beaubien ; Mrs. Antoine Morass. 
 
 VILLIER DIT ST. LOUIS. 
 
 Several prominent families of Detroit trace back to Louis Vil- 
 LiER, born 1706, son of Jean and Marguerite Gatineau, of Toul, 
 Lorraine. He had been educated for the priesthood, not find- 
 ing it his vocation, determined to seek his fortune in the wilds of 
 Canada, which offered so tempting a field to the adventurous. 
 From Quebec he came to Detroit, where Cadillac had laid the 
 foundation of a future city. He married there, April 26, 1746, 
 Marguerite IMorin, daughter of Piei-re and Josette Drouet. 
 Through her mother Marguerite was related to Drouet, Sieur de 
 Richaroille, a French officer: to the Creviers and Le Neuf du 
 Herrison, one of the oldest and most remarkable families of Can- 
 ada. Louis was called St. Louis on account of his great piety. 
 He died in 1765, leaving the following children: 
 
 1. Louis, born 1747, married 1770, Charlotte Requindeau, dit 
 Joachia ; family tradition relative to her is that she ran away from 
 the Ursuline Convent at Quebec to marry Louis. She was related 
 to Gaultier de Varenne*, Governor of Three Rivers, Petit, Le- 
 febres and many other prominent families. 
 
 2. Christopher, married 1785, Josette Suzor. 
 
 3. Makianne, married 1766, Fran9ois Drouillard. 
 
 4. Makie Louise, married 1767, Jos. Thos. Dajot. 
 
 5. Jeanne, born 1754. Louis and Charlotte Requindeau had 
 several children: 1. Louis Vitus, born 1776, who served in the 
 war of 1812, and was promoted several times for his bravery. He 
 settled at Sandwich, and died at an advanced age; 2. Josette 
 married Reaume; 3. Hubert, married Therese Barthe, daughter 
 of Jean Baptiste and Genevieve Cuillerier de Beaubien ; 4. Fran- 
 cois, X. 
 
 Jeanne, married April 3, 1804, Thomas Lewi's, son of Thomas 
 and Josette Delorme, of Three Rivers, Canada, whose children 
 are: 
 
 Joseph, married Fanny Sterling, two of whose children reside 
 at Boston, Mass., one at Detroit. 
 
 Sophie, married Narcissus Tourneur dit Jeannette. 
 
 Thomas, called the good-natured. Governor of Grosse Isle,
 
 I'Mi'lij J^)rn</i I'aiitlltes. ;^,17 
 
 married Jeannettc Fraiiclu'ville <le ^liircntcttc, widow of William 
 Macomb, wiiosc^ only dauiiiitcr married Dallas Norvcll, son of 
 Senator John Norvell. He married a second time Alary Jirown, 
 by whom lie has a large and interestinu; famil}'; Annk, married 
 liiclianl Ciodfroy. 
 
 CuAiii.oTTK, inarried Dr. Fav, a partner of Dr. Clark. She 
 married a second time, Henry 1^. Bridge, formerly of lioston, ex- 
 Controller of Detroit, and one of its mcst prominent and respect- 
 ed citizens. 
 
 S.XMi'i'.i-, married Jenny Fenton, sister of Gov. Fenton, of 
 Michigan. He died in 1878, universally regretted. He was a 
 successful business man, a genial companion and a Christian 
 gentleman. 
 
 Ai,Ex.\NnKU. married 1850, Elizabeth, daughter of Justus 
 IngersoU and .Vnn Hucklej'. He has a large and exceptionally 
 charming family. He has held many oflices of pui)ii(' trust: 
 mayor, fire conimi,ssioner, etc. He possesses in an eminent de- 
 gree that courteous manner which was the peculiar inheritance 
 of the old French. 
 
 VISSIER DIT LAFERTE. 
 
 Antoink Terault dit Lafertc .served in the regiment of M. 
 de Suberca.sse, and was stationed at Fort Pontchartrain as early as 
 1710. He had married, at Montreal, Alichelle Fortiu, whose 
 mother, Louise Sommillard, was the daugiiter of the Sergeant at 
 Arms, and sister of Soeur Bourgeois, foundress of the order of 
 Notre Dame, at Afontreal. 
 
 The children of this marriage were: Pierre, born 1707, whose 
 
 Sod-parents were Pierre Boucher de Bouchcrvillc and Madeleine 
 .amothe Cadillac; ^Slarianne, born 1712; Joseph, born 1724. 
 Louis Vissikh dit L.\fkutk married Louise Lafoie, by whom 
 he had three children. In 1771 he married Catherine L'Esprit 
 dit Champagne, hy whom he had a large familv: Jjouis. born 
 1772, married 1800, Cath. Campeau; Alexis, born 177:]. his 
 descendants ri'side at Detroit ; Catherine, born 1775, married 
 179-1, Chas. Morand Grimard; Angelique, born 1776; Therc^.se, 
 born 1778; Marianne, born 1779. 
 
 JosEPir, married Mile. Goyeau, whose son Clemence is well 
 known in Detroit; and the Laferte Farm takes its name from 
 Joseph; Pierre, born 1788. marri<'(l Marie Loui.se Lafoie, who.se 
 son Pierre inherits that (!()urtesy of manner so peruli.arly the gift 
 of the French. He married Mile. D.iupliin. of (';ui.id:i.
 
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