History and Constitution of Louisiana—Baton-Rouge—Natchez—State of
Mississippi—Voyage to St. Louis—Reception of General Lafayette in
that city.
For a long time after the French had founded large and prosperous
establishments in Canada, they were ignorant of the existence of the
Mississippi; when some of their traders learnt from the Indians with
whom they trafficked, that to the westward of their country there was a
great river, that communicated with the Gulf of Mexico. This was in the
year 1660. Three years afterwards Mr. De Frontenac, governor of Canada,
wishing to verify this assertion, sent a Jesuit missionary, father
Marquette, at the head of a small detachment to discover this country.
The Jesuit ascended Fox river to its source, from thence traversing the
Wisconsin, he descended to the mouth of the Mississippi, and found that
the account of the Indians was true.
Twenty years afterwards, Count Robert de la Salle not only proved the
existence of this river, but ascertained that it offered an easy
communication with the ocean. He descended it from the river Illinois to
the Mexican gulf, whilst father Hennepin, a franciscan, ascended it as
far as the falls of St. Anthony, situated three hundred miles above that
river. Count Robert took possession, in the name of the king of France,
his master, of the whole course of the river with the adjacent country,
and erected some forts for the protection of the settlers, which, as the
soil appeared very rich, he expected to see arrive in great numbers.
Nevertheless, it was not until 1699, that the first settlement was made
at Biloxi, by a celebrated French naval officer, Lemoine d’Iberville,
who was the first to enter the Mississippi from the sea, and ascended
the river as far as Natchez, which he chose for the capital of
Louisiana, calling it Rosalie, in honour of the name of Chancellor
Pontchartrain’s lady. To people this new capital, some young girls and
well selected soldiers were sent from France. These last were married to
the girls and exempted from military duty. Each colonist was allowed
some acres of land, a cow and calf, cock and hens, a gun; half a pound
of powder and two pounds of lead, with a month’s provisions, were
distributed to them monthly. Next came missionaries, which, instead of
improving the land by the labour of their hands, or developing the
resources of the colonists by their wisdom and councils, began to preach
to the neighbouring Indians, in order to convert them to the catholic
faith. The fruits of these labours soon began to appear; that is to say,
the Indians pretended to listen to the new doctrines which were spread
before them, and became hypocrites for the sake of obtaining brandy.
This liquor, which was the first reward of their conversion, exasperated
all the passions to which they were unfortunately predisposed; and from
this time they became the most dangerous and cruel enemies of the
settlement, instead of the useful neighbours which they would doubtless
have been, if, without interfering with the manner in which they
worshipped God, their friendly alliance only had been sought.
Nevertheless, in the course of a few years, the cordiality and
gentleness of the French character counteracted the unhappy influence of
the missionaries, and almost all the savage tribes with the exception of
the Chickasaws, made peace with the colonists and rendered them
important services. Mr. de Bienville, the brother of Iberville, and at
that time governor of Louisiana, yielding to his ardour for research,
explored the greater part of the rivers tributary to the Mississippi,
and laid the foundations of some new settlements on its banks. But none
of these succeeded. The number of colonists had considerably diminished,
when, in 1712, Antony Crozat, who by the Indian trade, had amassed a
fortune of forty millions, purchased the grant to the whole of
Louisiana, with the exclusive right of its trade for six years. His
letters patent included all the rivers emptying into the Mississippi and
all the lands, coasts and islands situated upon the gulf of Mexico,
between Carolina on the east and Mexico on the west. But Crozat was not
long in discovering how much the expectations he had founded upon this
country were exaggerated, and hastened to renounce his contract for the
purpose of obtaining another for the period of twenty-five years, in
favour of the Mississippi Commercial Company, of which the celebrated
Law was the projector. But this company was not more fortunate than
Crozat. Instead of enticing into the colony such settlers as would have
added to its prosperity, he received only rich and avaricious
adventurers, who were attracted by the report of the mines of gold and
silver, with which the country was said to abound, and, disappointed in
their hopes, quickly returned to Europe. In spite of the efforts of the
government instituted by the commercial company, the proprietaries were
soon reduced to despair, and established military posts, where they
defended themselves until reinforcements were received. The first
expedition that arrived was composed of criminals and women of abandoned
character, sent out by the French government. The company were justly
indignant at this, and declared, that in future they would not suffer
the colony to be thus morally and physically polluted.
In 1718, New Orleans, consisting of a few cabins built by Illinois
traders, and thus named in honour of the regent Duke of Orleans, passed
under the jurisdiction of the governor-general, M. de Bienville, and
received a considerable number of new settlers. Two villages were built
in its vicinity by Germans, under the command of Arensburg, a Swedish
captain, who, in 1709, had fought by the side of Charles XII. at the
battle of Pultowa. The colony now began really to prosper, and in 1723
swarms of capuchins, missionaries, jesuits, and pious ursulines, began
to arrive from all directions. These last at least were good for
something. They were entrusted with the education of orphan girls, and
the superintendance of the military hospital, with a pension of fifty
thousand crowns per annum. Intolerance, the inseparable accompaniment of
all privileges, and especially those of religion, began to show itself
in the colony, as soon as the capuchins, jesuits, &c. made their
appearance. In 1724, a royal edict expelled the Jews, as declared
enemies to the Christian name, and they were ordered to disappear in the
course of three months, under penalty of imprisonment and confiscation
of property. It was thus that the throne and church watched then, as it
did before, and has done since, to dry up the most abundant sources of
public prosperity. In 1729, the intrigues of England raised the Indians
against the colony, and thus gave a sad blow to its prosperity. The war
then carried on by General Perrier de Salvert, had a fortunate
termination. Meanwhile it was only through the attachment of some Indian
women to a few French officers, that the garrison escaped being totally
massacred one night; which would have led to the entire destruction of
the colony. In consequence of these late hostilities, and the base
intrigues carried on in the metropolis, the colonists lost their time
together with the fruits of their labours. The company, disgusted and
deceived in their hopes of gain, abandoned the country, which, in 1731,
returned under the dominion of the king, without being any better
governed. In 1759, its financial affairs were in such disorder, that the
treasury owed more than seven millions of francs, although the French
government had expended for various services in Louisiana, nearly double
the amount it had derived from it. Louis XV., at the close of a war
badly conceived, and, in 1763, as badly terminated, having lost Canada,
was upon the point of having Louisiana taken from him. But his
ministers, assisted by Madame Pompadour, his mistress, obtained fifteen
millions from the court of Madrid, and this colony was ceded to Spain
with such secrecy and despatch, that the governor of Louisiana had not
yet received information of the affair when the Spanish ships of war
arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi, with the officers appointed to
take possession of this immense territory. The governor and inhabitants
of Louisiana refused to recognise the Spanish authority, so that the
commissioners were obliged to return to Europe. Three or four years
passed in negotiating with the colonists, who persisted in continuing
under the dominion of France. At length, in 1769, Spain becoming
provoked, sent out General Reilly with considerable forces. Arrived
before New Orleans, Reilly manifested the most conciliatory disposition.
His proclamations only spoke of oblivion for the past, and were
completely successful. The commotions ceased, and the Louisianians
surrendered themselves. As a sign of reconciliation, Reilly gave a grand
entertainment on board his fleet, to which he invited the chief officers
of the colony, and principal inhabitants. These accepted the invitation
with confidence, but at the moment when they were about to leave the
table, Reilly caused them to be seized by his soldiers and shot. One of
these, M. De Villeré, had his life spared, but was put on board a
frigate to be transported to the prisons of Navarre. His wife and
children, informed of the fate that threatened him, wished to go and
petition his highness, or at least to receive his farewell. They were
already near the frigate, from which he stretched out his arms to them,
when the unhappy man fell within their sight, pierced by the bayonets of
the villains whom the traitor Reilly had appointed to guard him.
After this horrible execution, the Spaniards, with four thousand troops
of the line, and a considerable train of artillery, entered New Orleans,
the inhabitants of which were struck dumb. The English protestants, and
a few Jews, who had escaped the force of the royal decree of 1724, were
soon banished by the new authorities. All commerce with the colony was
prohibited except with Spain and her possessions. A court martial was
established, and its iniquitous decisions struck at all the French
officers who remained. Of these, five were shot, and seven others
thrown, for ten years, into the prisons of Havana. The infamous Reilly,
having for a whole year gorged himself with blood and plunder, at length
set sail, carrying with him the scorn and hatred of the whole
population. His successors in the government had great difficulty in
doing away the effects of his crimes, and it is due them to say that
they succeeded. During thirty-three years of Spanish dominion, the
colony enjoyed peace and prosperity, and to this very day, the names of
Don Unsuga, Don Martin Navarro, and Don Galvar, are remembered there
with veneration.
During all the changes experienced by Louisiana, its boundaries had
never been determined with accuracy. In 1795, the government of the
United States made a treaty with Spain, in virtue of which the limits
were traced, and the free navigation of the Mississippi secured to the
two contracting parties. But notwithstanding this treaty the owners of
privateers, and crews of vessels of war, made spoliations upon the
commerce of the United States. Free navigation of the Mississippi, and
permission of landing at New Orleans, were refused the Americans.
President Adams, therefore, immediately took measures to obtain redress.
Twelve regiments were raised, and an expedition fitted out upon the Ohio
to descend to Louisiana. But some changes occurring in American politics
caused this project to be abandoned for the moment. The next year, Mr.
Jefferson, then president of the United States, re-demanded of Spain the
fulfilment of the treaty. This power, sensible of its weakness, and
fearing to be compelled to cede the colony, secretly sold it to the
French Republic on the 21st of March, 1801. Upon hearing of this cession
the American government were justly alarmed. It foresaw, that the
activity and intelligence of the French, applied to so rich and
productive a soil, would make them more formidable than the Spaniards;
that their new neighbours might be able to close the navigation of the
Mississippi against them, and possess themselves of the commerce of the
Gulf of Mexico and Antilles. It immediately formed the project of
forcibly opposing the occupation of Louisiana by France, and joined
England against her. But this plan was overthrown by the treaty of
Amiens. At peace with England, France feared no further obstacles to her
projects, and an expedition was fitted out by her to take possession of
Louisiana, and at the same time support her wavering authority in St.
Domingo. The American government immediately had recourse to
negotiations for the purpose of purchasing Louisiana. Affairs, at that
time, changed with such rapidity, that the situation of France had again
altered before these propositions reached her. Threatened with a new war
by England, wearied with the struggle to defend St. Domingo, loaded with
a considerable debt due the United States, the first consul thought that
the sale of Louisiana would prove a good operation, the opportunity of
effecting which might relieve him from one difficulty, at least. He
accordingly sold it. The United States agreed to pay him fifteen
millions of dollars, on condition that three millions seven hundred and
fifty thousand dollars of this sum, should be retained for the purpose
of paying the claims held by the American merchants against France, for
the spoliations they had suffered. This treaty, signed at Paris the 30th
of April, 1803, by Messrs. Livingston and Monroe on the part of the
United States, and Mr. Barbé Marbois for France, was ratified in the
month of October, and the transfer of the colony to the American
commissioners took place on the 20th of December in the same year.
All the parties interested in this bargain had reason to be satisfied
with its conclusion. France, freeing herself from the trouble of a
distant government, more burthensome than profitable, received sixty
millions of francs, which she needed to carry on the war, and, without
expending a cent, discharged a debt due the American merchants of nearly
twenty millions. The United States strengthened their independence,
acquired new frontiers more secure than the old ones, established her
commercial preponderance in the Gulf of Mexico and Antilles, and, by the
free navigation of the Mississippi, increased an hundred fold the value
of the products of the states west of the Allegany. In fine, Louisiana
herself, by entering into the great federal compact, secured an
honourable and independent existence as a body politic, and soon saw her
industry and prosperity freed from the cunning schemes of a capricious
master.
Louisiana was immediately erected into a territorial government, by the
congress of the United States, which appointed Mr. Clayborne its
governor. In 1811, it was admitted a member of the Union, and left to
form its own government and institutions. The representatives of the
people, freely elected and assembled at New Orleans, framed and signed a
constitution, which was laid before, and sanctioned by congress. This
constitution was in conformity with, and very similar to those of the
other states, except that the Louisianians believed it their duty to
adopt every possible precaution against corruption and abuse of power.
Thus, for example, it was decided that every person, convicted of having
given or offered presents to public functionaries, should be declared
incapable of serving as governor, senator, or representative.
If I thought it necessary to seek fresh proofs of the superiority of an
independent over a colonial government, whether this last proceed from a
monarchy or republic, it would suffice to point out Louisiana, at first
a colony for nearly a century, without advancing beyond the stage of
infancy, incessantly taken and retaken, sometimes by the Spaniards, at
others by the French, and always incapable of resisting either the one
or the other, after an expense to its metropolis of one hundred and
eighty-seven thousand dollars per annum; and, in fine, after the
numerous emigrations from Europe, exhibiting but a meagre population of
about forty thousand souls, spread over a vast and rich territory. I
would next show this same Louisiana, after twenty years of independent
republican government, having more than trebled its population,
defeating under the walls of its rich capital, an army composed of the
chosen troops of England; receiving into its ports annually more than
four hundred ships to exchange its valuable products for those of all
parts of the habitable globe; and, in its cities, offering all the
resources, all the enjoyments that can contribute to the happiness of
life, and which are ordinarily the products of a long period of
civilization.
The state of Louisiana, enclosed within its new limits, is situated
between 29° and 33° n. l. and 12° and 17° of longitude. It is bounded on
the north by Arkansas territory, east by the Mississippi, south by the
Mexican gulf, and west by the Mexican provinces of Texas. It contains
forty-eight thousand square miles, divided into twenty-six parishes or
counties. It has a population of 153,500 souls, among which,
unfortunately, nearly 70,000 slaves are enumerated. The capital of this
state is New Orleans, a city admirably situated in a commercial point of
view, regularly laid out, ornamented with fine buildings, and containing
twenty-eight thousand inhabitants. The greatest inconvenience which New
Orleans labours under, is its situation upon the alluvial shores of the
Mississippi, by whose floods it is often inundated. This is perhaps the
principal cause of the yellow fever which is experienced there almost
every autumn. The impossibility of finding a single stone in all this
alluvial ground, shows why the principal streets have been left unpaved,
so that during the rainy season it is difficult to go about on foot. The
walks made in front of the houses scarcely serve to keep foot passengers
from the mud, and do not prevent the carriages from sinking sometimes to
their axles. The authorities, however, have at length begun to procure
paving stone from up the Mississippi, which the vessels bring as
ballast. This plan, though tedious and expensive, is the only one
practicable.
The greater number of travellers who have visited New Orleans, pretend
that the manners of the city are strongly influenced by the presence of
the numerous emigrants from St. Domingo. These have the reputation of
loving pleasure to licentiousness, and of treating their slaves badly.
The love of gambling, and the duels so often occasioned by this passion,
give rise, it is said, to much disorder among them. To confirm or
disprove this opinion by my own observation, would be, in me, culpable
arrogance. My too short stay in this city did not permit me to study the
character of its society, and I could only be struck with the patriotic
spirit, the freedom and hospitality, displayed with enthusiasm in the
presence of General Lafayette.[8]
Twenty-four hours after leaving New Orleans, we arrived at Duncan’s
Point, where the citizens of Baton-Rouge, a town situated eight miles
above, had previously sent a deputation to General Lafayette, to request
him to stop a short time amongst them. The general accepted the
invitation with gratitude, and two hours afterwards we landed below the
amphitheatre upon which the town of Baton-Rouge stands. The beach was
crowded with citizens, at the head of whom marched the municipal
authorities, and the first regiment of the Union came to form itself in
line under the same star-spangled banner, which, in defiance of the
greatest dangers, had but lately been planted upon the ruins of Spanish
despotism, by the inhabitants of these parishes. Accompanied by the
people and magistrates, the general proceeded to the room prepared for
his reception, in which he found the busts of Washington and Jackson
crowned with flowers and laurel. There he received the expressions of
kindness from all the citizens, with whom he went to the fort, the
garrison of which received him with a salute of twenty-four guns, and
afterwards defiled before him. We then entered the main building to
examine the interior of the barracks, but what was our surprise, on
entering into the first apartment, to find in the place of beds, arms,
and warlike equipments, a numerous assemblage of elegantly dressed and
beautiful ladies, who surrounded the general and offered him
refreshments and flowers. The general was sensibly touched by this
agreeable surprise, and passed some delightful moments in the midst of
this seducing garrison. On our return to town, we found a great number
of citizens met to offer the general a public dinner, among whom the
frank cordiality of the American, and the amenity of the French
characters prevailed.
It was almost night when we returned on board the Natchez to continue
our voyage. On leaving Baton-Rouge, we had the mortification to part
again with some of those who had accompanied us from New Orleans, and
among others, with Mr. Duplantier, senior, whose active and tender
friendship, as well as that of his son, had been of great service to the
general.
Baton-Rouge stands upon the left bank of the river, one hundred and
thirty-seven miles above New Orleans. In this passage, the navigation of
the river is very interesting. For several miles after leaving New
Orleans, the eye reposes agreeably upon the shores, enriched with fine
cotton and sugar plantations, and embellished with clusters of orange
trees, from the midst of which rise the white and showy dwellings of the
planters. By degrees the gardens and houses become more rare; but all
the way to Baton-Rouge one continues to see fine and well cultivated
lands. These plantations spread along the river, sometimes extending
nearly a mile back to the thick forests, which serve as their limits.
The soil is entirely formed of the fertile sediments deposited by the
ancient inundations of the Mississippi, now confined to its channel by
artificial banks. A special law enjoins it upon each river proprietor to
keep up with care that portion of dike opposite his property, so that
one every where sees the slaves continually engaged in driving down
stakes, interlacing the branches of trees, and heaping earth here and
there where there is danger that the river will force a passage. But
notwithstanding all precautions, the water often rushes furiously over
these obstacles, and spreads devastation and death. Not a year passes
without some proprietor having the misfortune to see snatched from him
in a few minutes the fruits of long and laborious exertions. All the
lands which border the Mississippi, from its outlet to six hundred miles
above, are subject to inundations. Nevertheless, on leaving Baton-Rouge,
the left shore appears sufficiently elevated above the surface of the
water to be free from these accidents.
The distance between Baton-Rouge and Natchez, is two hundred and sixty
miles. This we ran in thirty-two hours, having had a pleasant passage,
in the course of which we met a great many boats of all forms and sizes,
laden with all sorts of productions from the most distant points of the
Union. Those which more particularly attracted our attention were large
and of a square form, without either masts, sails, or oars. They floated
down the river at the mercy of the current, and bore more resemblance to
enormous boxes than to boats. They are called _arks_, and are commonly
manned by Kentuckians, who go in this way to New Orleans, to dispose of
their grain, poultry, and cattle. There, after receiving pay for their
produce, they sell also the planks of their arks, which cannot ascend
the river, and return to their homes on foot, across the forests of the
states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. More than fifteen hundred
persons, it is said, travel thus, every summer, seventeen hundred miles
by water, and afterwards, in returning, eleven hundred on foot.[9]
On Monday, the 18th of April, some distant discharges of cannon, which
we heard at dawn, announced our approach to a city. Some minutes
afterwards, the first rays of the sun gilding the shores of the
Mississippi, which, in this place, rose a hundred and fifty feet above
the surface of the water, showed us the tops of the houses in Natchez.
Our steam-boat stopped a little while previous to arriving opposite the
town, and we went on shore at Bacon’s landing, where the citizens, with
a calash and four horses, and an escort of cavalry and volunteer
infantry, were waiting for the general. We might have landed a little
higher up and entered the city by a more direct road, but the members of
the committee of arrangement had the address to conduct us by a devious
road, along which our eyes were presented with all the beauties of the
country. In proportion as we advanced, the escort increased. It
consisted of citizens on horseback, militia on foot, ladies in
carriages, and nearly the whole population, who came in a crowd to see
their beloved and long expected guest. Two addresses were made to the
general; one by the president of the committee of arrangement, on
entering the city; the other by the mayor, on one of the most elevated
spots on the banks of the Mississippi, within view of the town and the
river, its source of prosperity. At the moment the general finished his
reply, a man suddenly emerged from the crowd, approached the calash,
waving his hat in the air, and cried out, “Honour to the commander of
the Parisian national guard! I was under your orders in ’91, my general,
in one of the battalions of the Filles-Saint-Thomas. I still love
liberty as I loved it then: Live, Lafayette!” The general was agreeably
surprised to meet, on the shores of a distant country, one of his old
citizen soldiers, who recalled to him in so touching a manner the happy
times when he could rationally think of the happiness and liberty of his
country. He affectionately offered him his hand, and expressed to him
the pleasure he felt in thus meeting him in a land of liberty and
hospitality.
At the moment we were preparing to enter our hotel, we observed a long
procession of children of both sexes approaching us. They were led by
Colonel Marshall, who requested of the general for them, and in their
name, permission to shake hands with him. The general willingly complied
with this wish of the children of Natchez, who marched in order before
him, placing successively one of their little hands in that which had
fought for the liberty of their fathers. The parents, spectators of this
scene, contemplated it with silence and emotion. On its termination, I
heard them congratulate each other on the happy influence which this day
would have upon the future characters of their children. “When they have
grown up,” said they, “and come to read their country’s history, they
will find the name of Lafayette intimately connected with all the events
which led to the freedom of their fathers, they will recall the
gentleness of his manners, the mildness of his voice, when he received
them in their infancy, and will feel an increased love for a liberty won
by such a man.”
The inhabitants of Natchez neglected nothing which could contribute to
the pleasure of their guest during the twenty-four hours he remained
with them. The public dinner concluded with toasts, _To the Nation’s
Guest_—_The triumph of Yorktown_—_France fighting for the liberty of the
world_—_The victory of New Orleans_—in fact to all glorious and
patriotic American recollections. It was not until after the ball which
closed about daybreak, that the general could think of embarking. The
ladies employed all the charms of mind and person to retain him as long
as possible, but our minutes were counted; and six o’clock in the
morning found us again on board our vessel.
At the moment when the general was about to leave the shore, an old
revolutionary soldier presented himself, and uncovering his breast
marked with scars, “these wounds,” said he, “are my pride. I received
them fighting by your side for the independence of my country. Your
blood, my general, flowed the same day at the battle of Brandywine,
where we were so unfortunate.” “It was indeed a rough day,” said the
general to him, “but have we not since been amply indemnified?”—“Oh!
that is very true,” replied the veteran, “at present we are happy beyond
our furthest wishes. You receive the blessings of ten millions of
freemen, and I press the hand of my brave general! virtue always has its
reward!” Every one applauded the enthusiasm and frankness of the old
soldier, whom the general cordially greeted.
On leaving Natchez, we parted from the worthy Mr. Johnson, governor of
Louisiana, who would not consent to leave the general whilst within his
own state. He now placed us under the care of the state of Mississippi,
and left with us, for the purpose of doing the honours of Louisiana as
far as St. Louis, Messrs. Prieur, recorder of the councils of New
Orleans, Caire, his private secretary, and Morse and Ducros, his
aides-de-camp. In taking leave of the governor, General Lafayette
evinced the most sincere affection, and desired him to express in his
name all the gratitude with which he was penetrated by his cordial
reception in Louisiana.
Natchez was formerly the capital of the state of Mississippi, but has
ceased to be so in consequence of not being in a central situation. Its
population is nearly three thousand, and its port is the place of rest
and provisioning for vessels passing between New Orleans and the western
states, which gives it a great deal of activity. This city was founded
in 1717, by some French soldiers and workmen who had been in the
garrison of Fort Rosalie, and who, finding the situation good,
established themselves upon it after obtaining their discharge. The most
of them bought their lands from the Indians, who lived at some distance
from the river, where they had five villages situated very near each
other. That which they called the _Great Village_, where the principal
chief of the nation resided, stood on a small stream called White River.
It was to the west of this village that the Frenchmen, led by Hubert and
Lepage, had erected Fort Rosalie.
When one has viewed the environs of Natchez, it is easy to conceive how
readily the first settlers renounced their own country to fix themselves
in these then savage wilds. It is difficult to find a more fertile soil,
a more vigorous vegetation, or more agreeable and varied situations. The
valleys afford fertile pastures, the hills are crowned with sassafras,
catalpas, tulip-trees, and the superb magnolia grandiflora, the tops of
which rise more than one hundred feet high, while their large white
flowers deliciously perfume the air. Nevertheless, one cannot exclude
the thought, that these verdant meadows, cool groves, and cheerful and
vigorous nature, are sometimes visited and rendered melancholy by the
yellow fever.
Natchez is the only town in Mississippi which we visited, so that I have
little to say relative to this state. I shall only mention, that for a
long time, with Alexandria, it formed a part of the state of Georgia,
from which it was separated in 1800; that in 1817 it took its place in
the Union as an independent body politic, and framed for itself a
constitution. The fertility of its soil, and facilities of sending its
productions to market, have contributed, in a singular degree, to the
increase of its population. In 1800, it had only six thousand eight
hundred and fifty inhabitants, while it now contains seventy-six
thousand. If in this number, about thirty-thousand slaves are included,
its prosperity must still be regarded as very great. Many large fortunes
are found in this state, where it is not uncommon to meet with planters
having incomes of seven or eight thousand dollars. The staple products
are cotton and Indian corn.
The state of Mississippi is situated between the 30th and 35th degrees
of north latitude, and the 11th and 14th degrees of west longitude from
Washington. Its surface contains forty-five thousand three hundred and
fifty square miles. It is bounded on the north by the state of
Tennessee, east by Alabama, south by Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico,
and west by Louisiana and Arkansas. Although the population is very much
scattered, the land bears a considerable price, being on the banks of
the river from fifty to sixty dollars per acre. The price lessens in
proportion to the distance which the products have to be transported.
In leaving Natchez, we parted as it were from the civilized world. From
this town to St. Louis, we did not meet with a single assemblage of
houses that deserved the name of town or even village. The banks of the
Mississippi again became flat, and presented nothing but grounds
overflown and covered with thick forests, impenetrable to the rays of
the sun. The swarms of musquitoes which rose out of it and settled in
thick clouds upon travellers, rendered the voyage almost insupportable,
especially during the night, if we had not taken the precaution to
provide musquito curtains. The only habitations we met with were large
cabins, situated upon places a little elevated above the level of the
river. These were inhabited temporarily by hardy speculators from the
north, who, always abandoning the _good_ in hopes of finding _better_,
retreat incessantly before the advance of civilization, and seek their
fortunes in the wilderness. The dangers of the navigation increase with
the monotony of the shores. Every moment presents some evidence of
recent disaster. Here, one beholds the ravages of a hurricane which has
crossed the river, and, in its devastation, has on both shores uprooted
and carried off, as if they had been weak reeds, thousands of trees,
which by their prodigious size were the pride of the forest. There, our
captain showed us a snag or sawyer, the inclined point of which had
pierced the bottom of a boat, immediately afterwards swallowed up by the
flood. Further on, the wood-choppers, in giving us the necessary
supplies of wood, told us of the explosion of a boiler which occasioned
the death of near forty passengers; and it was not long before we
ourselves saw the bank covered with travellers, who were impatiently
waiting until their boat which had been pierced by a snag, should be
repaired so as to be in a condition again to brave the danger from which
they had so narrowly escaped.
These snags and sawyers, so formidable to the navigator, are very
numerous all along the river. Snags are thrown into the stream by high
floods, and, having floated some time, become fixed to the bottom of the
river, with their tops either above or below the surface according to
their length, but always inclining in the direction of the current. The
sawyers differ from snags only in being firmly stuck in the bed of the
river, and in this situation the current keeps them in constant
vibration, alternately raising and depressing their summits. As their
position often changes, it is difficult to avoid them; and, if vessels
in ascending the river are so unfortunate as to strike against them,
their destruction is almost inevitable, for they are pierced in such a
manner, that the water pours through the opening, and sinks them,
sometimes in a few minutes.
But persons are little disposed to be uneasy on account of these
dangers, when, as in our case, they are on board a vessel skilfully
managed, with all the delicacies of life, and inexhaustible resources
afforded by the society of good and agreeable travelling companions. The
committee of New Orleans were joined by two gentlemen from Natchez, as
representatives of the state of Mississippi, near the person of General
Lafayette. To the attentions and gaiety of the members of both these
deputations, we were indebted for not having known a moment of
tediousness or inquietude, during our long voyage. After having sailed
for five days, with the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, on
our left, and the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky, on our
right, we arrived at the mouth of Ohio, without any delays but those
necessary to take in wood. This fuel was sometimes supplied us by the
woodmen on the borders of the river, who live by the unlimited forests
which surround them. When we could find no woodmen we often supplied
ourselves. In this case, our captain, after having made his men take in
the necessary quantity, left in exchange a note nailed to a tree, upon
which was inscribed the number of cords he had taken, the name of his
boat, his place of residence, date of his passage, and signature. This
kind of commerce with the Mississippi woodmen is very common, and I have
heard it said that there never has been known an example of bad faith on
the part of the purchasers, who always show themselves most scrupulous
in paying their accounts, which are often presented months afterwards at
Natchez and New Orleans.
When arrived at the mouth of the Ohio, we had come from the city of
Natchez four hundred and fifty miles. Our pilot assured us then, that
the upper part of the Mississippi was too little known to him, to permit
him to conduct us through the midst of dangers which were met with at
every moment. In consequence of this declaration, our good Captain Davis
made us enter the Ohio for the purpose of obtaining a new pilot, at the
distance of four miles from its mouth, whom we were so happy as to
procure immediately. On going thither, we met a steam-boat, whose
narrowness and unsteady motion induced us to think, that, destined for
the navigation of small streams, it only appeared upon the agitated
waters of a large one upon extraordinary occasions. This steam-boat was
the Artizan, bearing the Tennessee deputation, sent to desire the
general to ascend the Cumberland river to Nashville, where he had been a
long time expected, and where his intention of visiting St. Louis was
not then known. After a short conference with the deputies of the state
of Tennessee, who insisted strongly that the general should proceed
immediately to their shores, it was determined that we should continue
our voyage in the Natchez to St. Louis; that a part of the Tennessee
deputation should come with us, and the rest remain on board the Artizan
at the mouth of the Ohio until our return. These arrangements, concluded
to the satisfaction of every one, we left the _beautiful_, to enter
again the _great_ river. We remarked, with surprise, that at the
confluence of these two bodies of water, the current appeared suspended
for several miles, which seems to indicate the equality in volume and
force of the two rivers at this place.
After leaving the mouth of the Ohio, the appearance of the shores of the
Mississippi changes entirely. The lands, more elevated, present a
greater number of houses. From place to place traces of the old French
establishments are visible, and beautiful islands like gardens, often
present themselves to the eye of the navigator, interrupting the
monotony of the river. At first he sees the isle of Birds, charming for
its freshness; next those called the Two Sisters and the Dog’s Tooth;
and then English Island, which recalls the first settlement made by the
English in the midst of these wilds in the year 1765. This was soon
destroyed by the savages, who saw with pain their old French friends
dispossessed by traders whom they had never before seen. At about forty
miles from the confluence, and almost opposite each other, rise capes
Girardeau and Lacroix, both thus named by Mr. De Frontenac, governor of
Canada, sent to ascertain the truth of the assertion made by the
Indians, that _from the north there came a great river which ran neither
in the direction whence the Great Spirit rose, nor towards that in which
he set_. There is at present at Cape Girardeau a small village, recently
founded, which begins to prosper. A little above, on the eastern side,
are seen the ruins of ancient fortifications exhibiting a scene
altogether picturesque. These are the remains of fort Chartres,
constructed at great expense by the French, in 1753, for the defence of
Upper Mississippi, now deserted by the Americans as altogether useless.
Some hours after having passed fort Chartres, whilst we walked the deck,
our captain pointed out in the river a flock of young Louisiana geese,
led by the two old ones. The elegant shape, and beautiful plumage of
these fowls, made me anxious to get possession of the whole family. I
immediately launched into the river a skiff manned with two sailors,
and, going in the direction of the old goose, endeavoured to get the
boat between her and shore. The old geese, taking fright, made their
escape with loud cries, but the young ones, unable yet to fly, or escape
by climbing the steep banks, soon fell into our hands. We carried off
five, which our captain had the goodness to take charge of, promising to
raise them with care, and forward them to New Orleans, whence Mr. Caire
engaged to send them to La Grange, for the benefit of the general’s
farm.[10] As I was returning from this little expedition, I perceived,
in the middle of the river, another very tempting game. This was a
superb deer, which swam with as much calmness and ease as though it were
in its native element. When it heard our cries, mingled with the noise
of our steam-boat, it threw its long branching antlers upon its
shoulders, and sunk in the water to escape our notice, swimming rapidly
for the swiftest part of the current. As soon as it thought itself free
from the danger of pursuit, it re-appeared above water, shook its
antlers proudly, and tranquilly resumed its course. It is by no means
rare, as we were informed, to see many of these animals thus passing
from one shore of the river to the other, and visiting the fertile
islands which adorn its course.
At the distance of one hundred miles from the Ohio, the shores of the
Mississippi suddenly assume a more imposing appearance, rising steeply
eighty or a hundred feet above the level of the water. They are composed
of very hard granite. In their whole height they are impressed with deep
horizontal furrows, which appear to have been caused by the friction of
the water, whilst the river was at the different levels which they
indicate. Some of these furrows are nearly a foot deep. They occur at
unequal intervals, and mark the successive decrease of the water. At the
actual level of the river the furrow is scarcely perceptible. What a
length of time has, therefore, been occupied in the formation of each
furrow by the sole action of the water upon a rock of such hardness? The
solution of this single question would, perhaps, throw a good deal of
difficulty into the calculations of the system-makers, who pretend to
fix the epoch of the creation of our globe.
Some distance above, these steep rocks leave between them and the river
a considerable space, in which is situated Herculaneum. The site of this
village is altogether romantic, the towers, formed upon the rock, which
crowns it irregularly, impart a fantastic character, and attract the
curiosity of travellers. From the height of these towers, which spring
from the steep rock, they throw down melted lead, which cools by rolling
in the air, becomes round, and falls in the form of small shot into
large receivers of water, placed beneath. The large or small size of the
holes in the iron sieve, through which it is thrown while boiling hot,
give the various sizes wanted for hunting. The lead mines found in
abundance upon the shores of the Merrimac river, which empties into the
Mississippi ten miles from this place, have given origin to these
establishments, the prosperity of which increases every day.
On the evening of the 28th, we arrived at a poor little village which
the French formerly founded under the sad name of Empty Pocket, better
known at the present day by the name of Carondelet. Although we were not
above six or seven miles from St. Louis, as we could not get there by
day light, the members of the different committees in attendance upon
the general, resolved to pass the night at anchor in the river, and wait
till next morning to enter the town. No sooner were the inhabitants of
Carondelet informed of the presence of General Lafayette in their
vicinity, than they came in crowds on board the boat to see him. They
were nearly all Frenchmen. For a long time, their settlement has
consisted of only about sixty houses, and does not promise to increase.
Unsuited to commerce, it was only occupied with agriculture, which is
still its chief means of obtaining the necessaries of life. The most of
them came from Canada, and fixed themselves upon a portion of land along
the Mississippi without inquiring who owned it. They laboured, some for
ten, others for twenty years; and none of them thought of securing the
titles to the little farms produced by the sweat of their brows. At
present, whilst the government of the United States are selling much of
the land it possesses in these regions, these unfortunate people run a
constant risk of seeing themselves dispossessed by purchasers who come
to claim their property. They mentioned their inquietudes to the
general, who promised to represent their situation to the federal
government, and interest himself in their behalf. These good people, in
the simplicity of their gratitude, offered him whom they already
regarded as their protector, every thing which they thought would be
agreeable; one of them brought him tame Mississippi geese; another, a
young fawn which he had raised; a third, petrifactions and shells which
he looked upon as precious. The general saw that if he refused these
presents their feelings would be wounded; and therefore hastened to
accept them and return his acknowledgements.
On the morning of the 29th of April, Governor Clark, of Missouri,
Governor Coles of Illinois, and Colonel Benton, came on board; who all
three came to accompany the general to St. Louis. Some minutes after,
the steam-boat Plough Boy, having on board a great number of citizens,
ranged along side the Natchez, and the nation’s guest was saluted by
three cheers, which made the forests of the Missouri resound with
_Welcome, Lafayette_. We then weighed anchor, and at nine o’clock saw a
large number of buildings whose architecture was very fantastical,
rising from the midst of beautiful green shrubbery and smiling gardens,
commanding distant views of the river. This was the city of St. Louis.
Its name, and the language of a great portion of its inhabitants, soon
informed us of its origin. But if we were struck with the diversity of
languages in which General Lafayette was saluted, we were not less so by
the unity of sentiment which they manifested. The shore was covered by
the whole population, who mingled their cries of joy with the roar of
the cannon of our two vessels. The moment the general stepped on shore,
the mayor, Dr. Lane, presented himself at the head of the municipal
authorities, and greeted him with an address.
As the general concluded his reply to the mayor, an elegant calash drawn
by four horses approached the shore, to conduct him to the city, through
all the streets of which he was drawn in the midst of the acclamations
of the people. He was attended by Mr. Augustus Choteau, a venerable old
gentleman by whom St. Louis was founded, Mr. Hempstead, an old soldier
of the revolution, and the mayor. These gentlemen conducted him to the
house of the son of Mr. Choteau, prepared for his reception, which was
thrown open to all citizens without distinction, who desired to visit
the national guest. Among the visiters, the general met with pleasure
Mr. Hamilton, son of General Alexander Hamilton, the former aide-de-camp
to Washington, whom he so much loved, and an old French sergeant of
Rochambeau’s army named Bellissime. This last could not restrain the joy
he felt on seeing a countryman thus honoured by the American nation.
The inhabitants of St. Louis knew that General Lafayette could only
remain a few hours with them, and they took advantage of the short time
he had to dispose of to show him every thing which their city and its
environs contained worthy of notice. While dinner was preparing at Mr.
Peter Choteau’s, we rode out in a carriage to visit on the banks of the
river those remains of ancient Indian monuments which some travellers
call tombs, whilst others regard them as fortifications or places for
the performance of religious ceremonies. All these opinions are
unfortunately equally susceptible of discussion, for these monuments
have not preserved any sufficiently well marked characters to afford
foundation for satisfactory deductions. Those near St. Louis are nothing
but mounds covered with green turf, the ordinary shape of which is an
oblong square. Their common height is little more than eight feet, but
must have been much greater before the earth they are built of was
thrown down during the lapse of ages. Their sides are inclined, and the
mean length of their base is from eighty to a hundred feet, their width
varying from thirty to sixty feet. What leads me to believe that these
fabrics of earth have never been used as strong holds in war, is, that
not one of them is surrounded by ditches, and they are placed too near
together. These mounds are not only met with in the environs of St.
Louis, but all over the states of Missouri, Indiana, and upon the
borders of Ohio, where, we are informed, they meet with much more
interesting traces of the greatest antiquity, indicating that this world
which we call _new_, was the seat of civilization, perhaps long anterior
to the continent of Europe.[11]
From the mounds of Saint Louis to the junction of Mississippi and
Missouri, we should only have had two or three hours ride, but the time
of the general was so calculated that we were obliged to forego the
pleasure we should have derived from visiting the union of these two
rivers, which have their sources in countries where nature yet reigns
undisturbed. Returned to town, we went to see the collection of Indian
curiosities made by Governor Clark, which is the most complete that is
to be found. We visited it with the greater pleasure from its being
shown us by Mr. Clark, who had himself collected all the objects which
compose it, while exploring the distant western regions with Captain
Lewis. Specimens of all the clothing, arms, and utensils for fishing,
hunting, and war, in use among the various tribes living on the sources
of the Missouri and Mississippi, are here to be found. Among the
articles commonly worn by the Indian hunters, collars made of claws of
prodigious size, particularly struck our attention. These claws, Gen.
Clark informed us, are from that most terrible of all the animals of the
American continent, the Grizzly Bear, of the Missouri, the ferocious
instinct of which adds still more to the terror inspired by its enormous
size and strength. The bears of this species meet together to the number
of ten or twelve, and some times more, to chase and make a common
division of their prey. Man is their favourite prey, and when they fall
upon his track, they chase him with _outcries_ like those made by our
hounds in coursing a hare, and it is difficult to escape the steadiness
of their pursuit.[12] This animal is altogether unknown in Europe, even
in the largest menageries. The London Cabinet of Natural History
possesses only a single claw, which is regarded as a great rarity.[13]
Gen. Clark has visited, near the sources of the Missouri and
Mississippi, Indian tribes which, previous to his visit, had never seen
a white man; but among whom he nevertheless discovered traces of an
ancient people more civilized than themselves. Thus, for example, he
brought away with him a whip which the riders of these tribes do not
understand the mode of using on their horses at the present time. The
knots of this are very complex, and actually arranged like the _knout_
of the Cossacks. He presented General Lafayette with a garment bearing a
striking resemblance to a Russian riding coat. It is made of buffaloe
skin, prepared so as to retain all its pliancy, as if dressed by the
most skilful tanner. From these and some other facts, Mr. Clark, and
Captain Lewis, his companion, concluded that there formerly existed,
near the pole, a communication between Asia and America. These two
intrepid travellers published in 1814, an interesting account of the
journeys made by them in 1804, 5, and 6, by order of the American
government, the object being to explore the sources of the Missouri, and
the course of the Columbia river, till it reaches the Pacific ocean.
We could have remained a considerable longer time in Governor Clark’s
museum, listening to the interesting accounts which he was pleased to
give us relative to his great journeys, but were informed that the hour
for dinner had arrived, and we went to the house of Mr. Peter Choteau.
On our way we visited a portion of the town which we had not before
seen, and were surprised at the whimsical manner in which some of the
houses, apparently the most ancient, were constructed. They generally
consisted of a single story, surrounded by a gallery covered with a wide
projecting roof. Some one pointed out to us, that formerly the basement
was not inhabited, and that the stair-way leading to the upper story was
moveable at pleasure. This precaution was used by the first inhabitants
of St. Louis for the purpose of guarding against the insidious nocturnal
attacks of the Indians, who saw with jealousy the whites making
permanent settlements among them. When St. Louis, then a feeble village,
passed under the Spanish authority, the neighbouring Indians were still
so numerous and enterprising, that the inhabitants could scarcely resist
them, or even venture abroad. It is related, that, in 1794, an Indian
chief entered St. Louis, with a portion of his tribe, and having
demanded an interview, spoke as follows: “We come to offer you peace. We
have made war against you for a great many moons, and what has been the
result? Nothing. Our warriors have used every means to fight with yours,
but you will not, and dare not meet us! You are a pack of old women!
What can be done with such people, since they will not fight, but make
peace? I come therefore to you to bury the hatchet, brighten the chain,
and open a new communication with you.”
Since that time the tribes have greatly diminished, and most of them
departed. Those still remaining in the vicinity show the most peaceable
disposition towards the white inhabitants, with whom they carry on a
considerable trade in furs. The inhabitants of St. Louis are, besides,
sufficiently numerous no longer to fear such neighbours. The population
amounts to nearly six thousand souls, which number will probably be
doubled in a few years, for this city has the prospect of a brilliant
destiny in these vast regions, in the midst of which civilization, under
the guidance of American liberty and industry, must run a giant’s
course. St. Louis is already the grand store-house of all the commerce
of the countries west of the Mississippi. Its situation near the
junction of four or five great rivers, all of whose branches, which
spread to the most distant extremities of the Union, furnish an easy and
rapid communication with all those places which can contribute to the
wants or luxuries of its happy inhabitants. Into what astonishment is
the mind thrown on reflecting that such a height of prosperity is the
result of but a few years, and that the founder of so flourishing a city
still lives, and, for a long time, has been in the enjoyment of the
results which he neither could have hoped for, nor anticipated, had it
been predicted to his young and ardent imagination on first approaching
the solitary shores of the Mississippi. This enterprising man, who, with
his axe, felled the first tree of the ancient forest on the place where
the city of St. Louis stands, who raised the first house, about which,
in so short a time, were grouped the edifices of a rich city; who, by
his courage and conciliating spirit, at first repressed the rage of the
Indians, and afterwards secured their friendship; this happy man is Mr.
Augustus Choteau. I have already named him among those appointed by the
inhabitants of St. Louis to do the honours of their city to the guest of
the American nation. It was at the house of his son, Mr. Peter Choteau,
that we partook of the feast of republican gratitude. It was highly
interesting to behold seated at the table the founder of a great city,
one of the principal defenders of the independence of a great nation,
and the representatives of four young republics, already rich from their
industry, powerful from their liberty, and happy from the wisdom of
their institutions. As might be readily supposed, the conversation was
highly interesting. Mr. Augustus Choteau was asked a great many
questions respecting his youthful adventures and enterprises. The
companion in arms of Washington was requested to relate some details of
the decisive and glorious campaign of Virginia, and the members of the
different deputations of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and
Missouri, drew a pleasing picture of the prosperous advancement of their
respective states. In this company, that which touched General Lafayette
most was the prevailing unanimity among the guests, who, though they did
not all speak one language, agreed perfectly in respect to the
excellence of those republican institutions under which it was their
happiness to live. Before leaving the banquet in order to attend the
ball which the ladies were so kind as to prepare for us, some toasts
were exchanged, all of which bore the impression of the harmony existing
between the old French and the new American population. Mr. Delassus,
formerly lieutenant-governor of Louisiana, drank, “_The United States
and France!_ May these two countries produce another Washington and
another Lafayette, to emancipate the rest of the world!” Governor Coles
drank, “_France!_ dear to our hearts from so many recollections, and
above all for having given birth to our Lafayette.” General Lafayette
finished by drinking the health of the venerable patriarch, who, in
1763, founded the town of St. Louis, and immediately afterwards we left
the table for the ball, where we found the most numerous and brilliant
company assembled, as we were informed, that had ever been seen upon the
western shore of the Mississippi. The splendid decorations of the room,
and the beauty of the ladies who graced it, made us completely forget
that we were on the confines of a wilderness which the savages
themselves consider as insufficient for the supply of their simple
wants, since they only frequent it occasionally. We partook of the
pleasures of the evening until near midnight, the hour at which we were
to return on board the Natchez, for the purpose of taking some rest
before daylight, when we were to depart. At the moment we were about to
embark, many citizens of St. Louis had the goodness to offer us several
objects of curiosity, such as bows, arrows, calumets, and dresses of the
Missouri Indians. We accepted with gratitude these testimonies of
benevolence, which we have preserved as agreeable remembrancers of happy
occurrences so far from our country.