_The War of the Natchez. Massacre of the_ French _in 1729. Extirpation
of the_ Natchez _in 1730._
In the beginning of the month of December 1729, we heard at New
Orleans, with the most affecting grief, of the massacre of the French
at the post of the Natchez, occasioned by the imprudent conduct of the
Commandant. I shall trace that whole affair from its rise.
The Sieur de Chopart had been Commandant of the post of the Natchez,
from which he was removed on account of some acts of injustice. M.
Perier, Commandant General, but lately arrived, suffered himself to be
prepossessed in his favour, on his telling him, that he had commanded
that post with applause: and thus he obtained the command from M.
Perier, who was unacquainted with his character.
This new Commandant, on taking possession of his post, projected the
forming one of the most eminent settlements of the whole colony. For
this purpose he examined all the grounds unoccupied by the French, but
could not find any thing that came up to the grandeur of his views.
Nothing but the village of the White Apple, a square league at least
in extent, could give him satisfaction; where he immediately resolved
to settle. This ground was distant from the fort about two leagues.
Conceited with the beauty of his project, the Commandant sent for the
Sun of that village to come to the fort.
The Commandant, upon his arrival at the fort, told him, without
further ceremony, that he must look out for another ground to build
his village on, as he himself resolved, as soon as possible, to build
on the village of the Apple; that he must directly clear the huts, and
retire somewhere else. The better to cover his design, he gave out,
that it was necessary for the {74} French to settle on the banks of
the rivulet, where stood the Great Village, and the abode of the Grand
Sun. The Commandant, doubtless, supposed that he was speaking to a
slave, whom we may command in a tone of absolute authority. But he
knew not that the natives of Louisiana are such enemies to a state of
slavery, that they prefer death itself thereto; above all, the Suns,
accustomed to govern despotically, have still a greater aversion to
it.
The Sun of the Apple thought, that if he was talked to in a reasonable
manner, he might listen to him: in this he had been right, had he to
deal with a reasonable person. He therefore made answer, that his
ancestors had lived in that village for as many years as there were
hairs in his double cue; and therefore it was good they should
continue there still.
Scarce had the interpreter explained this answer to the Commandant,
but he fell into a passion, and threatened the Sun, if he did not quit
his village in a few days, he might repent it. The Sun replied, when
the French came to ask us for lands to settle on, they told us there
was land enough still unoccupied, which they might take; the same sun
would enlighten them all, and all would walk in the same path. He
wanted to proceed, farther in justification of what he alleged; but
the Commandant, who was in a passion, told him, he was resolved to be
obeyed, without any further reply. The Sun, without discovering any
emotion or passion, withdrew; only saying, he was going to assemble
the old men of his village, to hold a council on this affair.
He actually assembled them: and in this council it was resolved to
represent to the Commandant, that the corn of all the people of their
village was already shot a little out of the earth, and that all the
hens were laying their eggs; that if they quitted their village at
present, the chickens and corn would be lost both to the French and to
themselves; as the French were not numerous enough to weed all the
corn they had sown in their fields.
This resolution taken, they sent to propose it to the Commandant, who
rejected it with a menace to chastise them if they did not obey in a
very short time, which he prefixed. {75} The Sun reported this answer
to his council, who debated the question, which was knotty. But the
policy of the old men was, that they should propose to the Commandant,
to be allowed to stay in their village till harvest, and till they had
time to dry their corn, and shake out the grain; on condition each hut
of the village should pay him in so many moons (months,) which they
agreed on, a basket of corn and a fowl; that this Commandant appeared
to be a man highly self-interested; and that this proposition would be
a means of gaining time, till they should take proper measures to
withdraw themselves from the tyrrany of the French.
The Sun returned to the Commandant, and proposed to pay him the
tribute I just mentioned, if he waited till the first colds, (winter;)
and then the corn would be gathered in, and dry enough to shake out
the grain; that thus they would not be exposed to lose their corn, and
die of hunger: that the Commandant himself would find his account in
it; and that as soon as any corn was shaken out, they should bring him
some.
The avidity of the Commandant made him accept the proposition with
joy, and blinded him with regard to the consequences of his tyrrany.
He, however, pretended that he agreed to the offer out of favour, to
do a pleasure to a nation so beloved, and who had ever been good
friends of the French. The Sun appeared highly satisfied to have
obtained a delay sufficient for taking the precautions necessary to
the security of the nation; for he was by no means the dupe of the
feigned benevolence of the Commandant.
The Sun, upon his return, caused the council to be assembled; told the
old men, that the French Commandant had acquiesced in the offers which
he had made him, and granted the term of time they demanded. He then
laid before them, that it was necessary wisely to avail themselves of
this time, in order to withdraw themselves from the proposed payment
and tyrannic domination of the French, who grew dangerous in
proportion as they multiplied. That the Natchez ought to remember the
war made upon them, in violation of the peace concluded between them:
that this war having been made upon their village alone, they ought to
consider of the surest means {76} to take a just and bloody vengeance:
that this enterprise being of the utmost consequence, it called for
much secrecy, for solid measures, and for much policy: that thus it
was proper to cajole the French Chief more than ever: that this affair
required some days to reflect on, before they came to a resolution
therein, and before it should be proposed to the Grand Sun and his
council: that at present they had only to retire; and in a few days he
would assemble them again, that they might then determine the part
they were to act.
In five or six days he brought together the old men, who in that
interval were consulting with each other: which was the reason that
all the suffrages were unanimous in the same and only means of
obtaining the end they proposed to themselves, which was the entire
destruction of the French in this province.
The Sun, seeing them all assembled, said: "You have had time to
reflect on the proposition I made you; and so I imagine you will soon
set forth the best means how to get rid of your bad neighbours without
hazard." The Sun having done speaking, the oldest rose up, saluted his
Chief after his manner, and said to him:
"We have a long time been sensible that the neighbourhood of the
French is a greater prejudice than benefit to us: we, who are old men,
see this; the young see it not. The wares of the French yield pleasure
to the youth; but in effect, to what purpose is all this, but to
debauch the young women, and taint the blood of the nation, and make
them vain and idle? The young men are in the same case; and the
married must work themselves to death to maintain their families, and
please their children. Before the French came amongst us, we were men,
content with what we had, and that was sufficient: we walked with
boldness every road, because we were then our own masters: but now we
go groping, afraid of meeting thorns, we walk like slaves, which we
shall soon be, since the French already treat us as if we were such.
When they are sufficiently strong, they will no longer dissemble. For
the least fault of our young people, they will tie them to a post, and
whip them as they do their black slaves. Have they not {77} already
done so to one of our young men; and is not death preferable to
slavery?"
Here he paused a while, and after taking breath, proceeded thus:
"What wait we for? Shall we suffer the French to multiply, till we are
no longer in a condition to oppose their efforts? What will the other
nations say of us, who pass for the most ingenious of all the Red-men?
They will then say, we have less understanding than other people. Why
then wait we any longer? Let us set ourselves at liberty, and show we
are really men, who can be satisfied with what we have. From this very
day let us begin to set about it, order our women to get provisions
ready, without telling them the reason; go and carry the Pipe of Peace
to all the nations of this country; make them sensible, that the
French being stronger in our neighbourhood than elsewhere, make us,
more than others, feel that they want to enslave us; and when become
sufficiently strong, will in like manner treat all the nations of the
country; that it is their interest to prevent so great a misfortune;
and for this purpose they have only to join us, and cut off the French
to a man, in one day and one hour; and the time to be that on which
the term prefixed and obtained of the French Commandant, to carry him
the contribution agreed on, is expired; the hour to be the quarter of
the day (nine in the morning;) and then several warriors to go and
carry him the corn, as the beginning of their several payments, also
carry with them their arms, as if going out to hunt: and that to every
Frenchman in a French house, there shall be two or three Natchez; to
ask to borrow arms and ammunition for a general hunting-match, on
account of a great feast, and to promise to bring them meat; the
report of the firing at the Commandant's, to be the signal to fall at
once upon, and kill the French: that then we shall be able to prevent
those who may come from the old French village, (New Orleans) by the
great water (Missisippi) ever to settle here."
He added, that after apprising the other nations of the necessity of
taking that violent step, a bundle of rods, in number equal to that
they should reserve for themselves, should be {78} left with each
nation, expressive of the number of days that were to precede that on
which they were to strike the blow at one and the same time. And to
avoid mistakes, and to be exact in pulling out a rod every day, and
breaking and throwing it away, it was necessary to give this in charge
to a person of prudence. Here he ceased and sat down: they all
approved his counsel, and were to a man of his mind.
The project was in like manner approved of by the Sun of the Apple:
the business was to bring over the Grand Sun, with the other petty
Suns, to their opinion; because all the Princes being agreed as to
that point, the nation would all to a man implicitly obey. They
however took the precaution to forbid apprising the women thereof, not
excepting the female Suns, (Princesses) or giving them the least
suspicion of their designs against the French.
The Sun of the Apple was a man of good abilities; by which means he
easily brought over the Grand Sun to favour his scheme, he being a
young man of no experience in the world, and having no great
correspondence with the French: he was the more easily gained over, as
all the Suns were agreed, that the Sun of the Apple was a man of
solidity and penetration; who having repaired to the Sovereign of
nation, apprised him of the necessity of taking that step, as in time
himself would be forced to quit his own village; also of the wisdom of
the measures concerted, such as even ascertained success; and of the
danger to which his youth was exposed with neighbours so enterprising;
above all, with the present French Commandant, of whom the
inhabitants, and even the soldiers complained: that as long as the
Grand Sun, his father, and his uncle, the Stung Serpent, lived, the
Commandant of the fort durst never undertake any thing to their
detriment; because the Grand Chief of the French, who resides at their
great village (New Orleans,) had a love for them: but that he, the
Grand Sun, being unknown to the French, and but a youth, would be
despised. In fine, that the only means to preserve his authority, was
to rid himself of the French, by the method, and with the precautions
projected by the old men.
{79} The result of this conversation was, that on the day following,
when the Suns should in the morning come to salute the Grand Sun, he
was to order them to repair to the Sun of the Apple, without taking
notice of it to any one. This was accordingly executed, and the
seducing abilities of the Sun of the Apple drew all the Suns into his
scheme. In consequences of which they formed a council of Suns and
aged Nobles, who all approved of the design: and then these aged
Nobles were nominated heads of embassies to be sent to the several
nations; had a guard of Warriors to accompany them, and on pain of
death, were discharged from mentioning it to any one whatever. This
resolution taken, they set out severally at the same time, unknown to
the French.
Notwithstanding the profound secrecy observed by the Natchez, the
council held by the Suns and aged Nobles gave the people uneasiness,
unable as they were to penetrate into the matter. The female Suns
(Princesses) had alone in this nation a right to demand why they were
kept in the dark in this affair. The young Grand female Sun was a
Princess scarce eighteen: and none but the Stung Arm, a woman of great
wit, and no less sensible of it, could be offended that nothing was
disclosed to her. In effect, she testified her displeasure at this
reserve with respect to herself, to her son; who replied, that the
several deputations were made, in order to renew their good intelligence
with the other nations, to whom they had not of a long time sent an
embassy, and who might imagine themselves slighted by such a neglect.
This feigned excuse seemed to appease the Princess, but not quite to rid
her of all her uneasiness; which, on the contrary, was heightened, when,
on the return of the embassies, she saw the Suns assemble in secret
council together with the deputies, to learn what reception they met
with; whereas ordinarily they assembled in public.
At this the female Sun was filled with rage, which would have openly
broke out, had not her prudence set bounds to it. Happy it was for the
French, she imagined herself neglected: for I am persuaded the colony
owes its preservation to the vexation of this woman rather than to any
remains of affection {80} she entertained for the French, as she was
now far advanced in years, and her gallant dead some time.
In order to get to the bottom of the secret, she prevailed on her son
to accompany her on a visit to a relation, that lay sick at the
village of the Meal; and leading him the longest way about, and most
retired, took occasion to reproach him with the secrecy he and the
other Suns observed with regard to her, insisting with him on her
right as a mother, and her privilege as a Princess: adding, that
though all the world, and herself too, had told him he was the son of
a Frenchman, yet her own blood was much dearer to her than that of
strangers; that he needed not apprehend she would ever betray him to
the French, against whom, she said, you are plotting.
Her son, stung with these reproaches, told her, it was unusual to
reveal what the old men of the council had once resolved upon;
alledging, he himself, as being Grand Sun, ought to set a good example
in this respect: that the affair was concealed from the Princess his
consort as well as from her; and that though he was the son of a
Frenchman, this gave no mistrust of him to the other Suns. But seeing,
says he, you have guessed the whole affair, I need not inform you
farther; you know as much as I do myself, only hold your tongue.
She was in no pain, she replied, to know against whom he had taken his
precautions: but as it was against the French, this was the very thing
that made her apprehensive he had not taken his measures aright in
order to surprise them; as they were a people of great penetration,
though their Commandant had none: that they were brave, and could
bring over by their presents, all the Warriors of the other nations;
and had resources, which the Red-men were without.
Her son told her she had nothing to apprehend as to the measures
taken: that all the nations had heard and approved their project, and
promised to fall upon the French in their neighbourhood, on the same
day with the Natchez: that the Chactaws took upon them to destroy all
the French lower down and along the Missisippi, up as far as the
Tonicas; to which last people, he said, we did not send, as they and
the Oumas {81} are too much wedded to the French; and that it was
better to involve both these nations in the same general destruction
with the French. He at last told her, the bundle of rods lay in the
temple, on the flat timber.
The Stung Arm being informed of the whole design, pretended to approve
of it, and leaving her son at ease, henceforward was only solicitous
how she might defeat this barbarous design: the time was pressing, and
the term prefixed for the execution was almost expired.
This woman, unable to bear to see the French cut off to a man in one
day by the conspiracy of the natives, sought how to save the greatest
part of them: for this purpose she be thought herself of acquainting
some young women therewith, who loved the French, enjoining them never
to tell from whom they had their information.
She herself desired a soldier she met, to go and tell the Commandant,
that the Natchez had lost their senses, and to desire him to be upon
his guard: that he need only make the smallest repairs possible on the
fort, in presence of some of them, in order to shew his mistrust; when
all their resolutions and bad designs would vanish and fall to the
ground.
The soldier faithfully performed his commission: but the Commandant,
far from giving credit to the information, or availing himself
thereof; or diving into, and informing him self of the grounds of it,
treated the soldier as a coward and a visionary, caused him to be
clapt in irons, and said, he would never take any step towards
repairing the fort, or putting himself on his guard, as the Natchez
would then imagine he was a man of no resolution, and was struck with
a mere panick.
The Stung Arm fearing a discovery, notwithstanding her utmost
precaution, and the secrecy she enjoined, repaired to the temple, and
pulled some rods out of the fatal bundle: her design was to hasten or
forward the term prefixed, to the end that such Frenchmen as escaped
the massacre, might apprize their countrymen, many of whom had
informed the Commandant; who clapt seven of them in irons, treating
them as cowards on that account.
{82} The female Sun, seeing the term approaching, and many of those
punished, whom she had charged to acquaint the Governor, resolved to
speak to the Under-Lieutenant; but to no better purpose, the
Commandant paying no greater regard to him than to the common
soldiers.
Notwithstanding all these informations, the Commandant went out the
night before on a party of pleasure, with some other Frenchmen, to the
grand village of the Natchez, without returning to the fort till break
of day; where he was no sooner come, but he had pressing advice to be
upon his guard.
The Commandant, still flustered with his last night's debauch, added
imprudence to his neglect of these last advices; and ordered his
interpreter instantly to repair to the grand village, and demand of
the Grand Sun, whether he intended, at the head of his Warriors, to
come and kill the French, and to bring him word directly. The Grand
Sun, though but a young man, knew how to dissemble, and spoke in such
a manner to the interpreter, as to give full satisfaction to the
Commandant, who valued himself on his contempt of former advices; he
then repaired to his house, situate below the fort.
The Natchez had too well taken their measures to be disappointed in
the success thereof. The fatal moment was at last come. The Natchez
set out on the Eve of St. Andrew, 1729, taking care to bring with them
one of the lower sort, armed with a wooden hatchet, in order to knock
down the Commandant: they had so high a contempt for him, that no
Warrior would deign to kill him. [Footnote: Others say he was shot:
but neither account can be ascertained, as no Frenchman present
escaped.] The houses of the French filled with enemies, the fort in
like manner with the natives, who entered in at the gate and breaches,
deprived the soldiers, without officers, or even a serjeant at their
head, of the means of self defence. In the mean time the Grand Sun
arrived, with some Warriors loaded with corn, in appearance as the
first payment of the contribution; when several shot were fired. As
this firing was the signal, several shot were heard at the same
instant. Then at length the Commandant saw, but too late, his folly:
he ran into his garden, whither he was pursued {83} and killed. This
Massacre was executed every where at the same time. Of about seven
hundred persons, but few escaped to carry the dreadful news to the
capital; on receiving which the Governor and Council were sensibly
affected, and orders were dispatched every where to put people on
their guard.
The other Indians were displeased at the conduct of the Natchez,
imagining they had forwarded the term agreed on, in order to make them
ridiculous, and proposed to take vengeance the first opportunity, not
knowing the true cause of the precipitation of the Natchez.
After they had cleared the fort, warehouse, and other houses, the
Natchez set them all on fire, not leaving a single building standing.
The Yazous, who happened to be at that very time on an embassy to the
Natchez, were prevailed on to destroy the post of the Yazous; which
they failed not to effect some days after, making themselves masters
of the fort, under colour of paying a visit, as usual, and knocking
all the garrison on the head.
M. Perier, Governor of Louisiana, was then taking the proper steps to
be avenged: he sent M. le Sueur to the Chactaws, to engage them on our
side against the Natchez; in which he succeeded without any
difficulty. The reason of their readiness to enter into this design
was not then understood, it being unknown that they were concerned in
the plot of the Natchez to destroy all the French, and that it was
only to be avenged of the Natchez, who had taken the start of them,
and not given them a sufficient share of the booty.
M. de Loubois, king's lieutenant, was nominated to be at the head of
this expedition: he went up the river with a small army, and arrived
at the Tonicas. The Chactaws at length in the month of February near
the Natchez, to the number of fifteen or sixteen hundred men, with M.
le Sueur at their head; whither M. de Loubois came the March
following.
The army encamped near the ruins of the old French settlement; and
after resting five days there, they marched to the enemy's fort, which
was a league from thence.
{84} After opening the trenches and firing for several days upon the
fort without any great effect, the French at last made their approach
so near as to frighten the enemy, who sent to offer to release all the
French women and children, on the condition of obtaining a lasting
peace, and of being suffered to live peaceably on their ground,
without being driven from thence, or molested for the future.
M. de Loubois assured them of peace on their own terms, if they also
gave up the French, who were in the fort, and all the negroes they had
taken belonging to the French; and if they agreed to destroy the fort
by fire. The Grand Sun accepted these conditions, provided the French
general should promise, he would neither enter the fort with the
French, nor suffer their auxiliaries to enter; which was accepted by
the general; who sent the allies to receive all the slaves.
The Natchez, highly pleased to have gained time, availed themselves of
the following night, and went out of the fort, with their wives and
children, loaded with their baggage and the French plunder, leaving
nothing but the cannon and ball behind.
M. de Loubois was struck with amazement at this escape, and only
thought of retreating to the landing-place, in order to build a fort
there: but first it was necessary to recover the French out of the
hands of the Chactaws, who insisted on a very high ransom. The matter
was compromised by means of the grand chief of the Tonicas, who
prevailed on them to accept what M. de Loubois was constrained to
offer them, to satisfy their avarice; which they accordingly accepted,
and gave up the French slaves, on promise of being paid as soon as
possible: but they kept as security a young Frenchman and some negro
slaves, whom they would never part with, till payment was made.
M. de Loubois gave orders to build a terrace-fort, far preferable to a
stoccado; there he left M. du Crenet, with an hundred and twenty men
in garrison, with cannon and ammunition; after which he went down the
Missisippi to New Orleans. The Chactaws, Tonicas, and other allies,
returned home.
{85} After the Natchez had abandoned the fort, it was demolished, and
its piles, or stakes, burnt. As the Natchez dreaded both the vengeance
of the French, and the insolence of the Chactaws, that made them take
the resolution of escaping in the night.
A short time after, a considerable party of the Natchez carried the
Pipe of Peace to the Grand Chief of the Tonicas, under pretence of
concluding a peace with him and all the French. The Chief sent to M.
Perier to know his pleasure: but the Natchez in the mean time
assassinated the Tonicas, beginning with their Grand Chief; and few of
them escaped this treachery.
M. Perier, Commandant General, zealous for the service, neglected no
means, whereby to discover in what part the Natchez had taken refuge.
And after many enquiries he was told, they had entirely quitted the
east side of the Missisippi, doubtless to avoid the troublesome and
dangerous visits of the Chactaws; and in order to be more concealed
from the French, had retired to the West of the Missisippi, near the
Silver Creek, about sixty leagues from the mouth of the Red River.
These advices were certain: but the Commandant General not thinking
himself in a condition fit to attack them without succours, had
applied for that purpose to the Court; and succours were accordingly
sent him.
In the mean time the Company, who had been apprized of the misfortune
at the Post of the Natchez, and the losses they had sustained by the
war, gave up that Colony to the King, with the privileges annexed
thereto. The Company at the same time ceded to the King all that
belonged to them in that Colony, as fortresses, artillery, ammunition,
warehouses, and plantations, with the negroes belonging thereto. In
consequence of which, his Majesty sent one of his ships, commanded by
M. de Forant, who brought with him M. de Salmont, Commissary-General
of the Marine, and Inspector of Louisiana, in order to take possession
of that Colony in the King's name.
I was continued in the inspection of this plantation, now become the
King's in 1730, as before.
{86} M. Perier, who till then had been Commandant General of Louisiana
for the West India Company, was now made Governor for the King; and
had the satisfaction to see his brother arrive, in one of the King's
ships, commanded by M. Perier de Salvert, with the succours he
demanded, which were an hundred and fifty soldiers of the marine. This
Officer had the title of Lieutenant General of the Colony conferred
upon him.
The Messrs. Perier set out with their army in very favourable weather;
and arrived at last, without obstruction, near to the retreat of the
Natchez. To get to that place, they went up the Red river, then the
Black River, and from thence up the Silver Creek, which communicates
with a small Lake at no great distance from the fort, which the
Natchez had built, in order to maintain their ground against the
French.
The Natchez, struck with terror at the sight of a vigilant enemy, shut
themselves up in their fort. Despair assumed the place of prudence,
and they were at their wits end, on seeing the trenches gain ground on
the fort: they equip themselves like warriors, and stain their bodies
with different colours, in order to make their last efforts by a
sally, which resembled a transport of rage more than the calmness of
valour, to the terror, at first, of the soldiers.
The reception they met from our men, taught them, however, to keep
themselves shut up in their fort; and though the trench was almost
finished, our Generals were impatient to have the mortars put in a
condition to play on the place. At last they are set in battery; when
the third bomb happened to fall in the middle of the fort, the usual
place of residence of the women and children, they set up a horrible
screaming; and the men, seized with grief at the cries of their wives
and children, made the signal to capitulate.
The Natchez, after demanding to capitulate, started difficulties,
which occasioned messages to and fro till night, which they waited to
avail themselves of, demanding till next day to settle the articles of
capitulation. The night was granted them, but being narrowly watched
on the side next the gate, they could not execute the same project of
escape, as in the war {87} with M. de Loubois. However, they attempted
it, by taking advantage of the obscurity of the night, and of the
apparent stillness of the French: but they were discovered in time,
the greatest part being constrained to retire into the fort. Some of
them only happened to escape, who joined those that were out a
hunting, and all together retired to the Chicasaws. The rest
surrendered at discretion, among whom was the Grand Sun, and the
female Suns, with several warriors, many women, young people, and
children.
The French army re-embarked, and carried the Natchez as slaves to New
Orleans, where they were put in prison; but afterwards, to avoid an
infection, the women and children were disposed of in the King's
plantation, and elsewhere; among these women was the female Sun,
called the Stung Arm, who then told me all she had done, in order to
save the French.
Some time after, these slaves were embarked for St. Domingo, in order
to root out that nation in the Colony; which was the only method of
effecting it, as the few that escaped had not a tenth of the women
necessary to recruit the nation. And thus that nation, the most
conspicuous in the Colony, and most useful to the French, was
destroyed.