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*
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
FROM ITS DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT BY THE
FRENCH TO ITS FINAL SURRENDER TO
THE UNITED STATES
BY
Henry M. Utley
•
•
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+
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V
I
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•
LOUIS XIV. DELIVERING TO CADILLAC HIS COMMISSION TO FOUND A
COLONY AT DETROIT
Painting presented by the French Republic to the City of Detroit on the two hundredth
anniversary of its founding
•,
m ^
V
■
>
'
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As
Province, Territory
and State
the
Twenty-Sixth
Member of the Federal Union
BY
HENRY M. UTLEY BYRON M. CUTCHEON
Advisory Editor
CLARENCE M. BURTON
VOLUME ONE
Si quceris peninsalam amoenam circumspice
^
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v
The Publishing Society of Michigan
1906
Printed at Americana Press
for The Publishing Society of Michigan
S(o
n?
Copyright, 1906, by FRANK R. HOLMES
All Rights Reserved
PUBLICATION
OFFICE
36 EAST 23D STREET
NEW YORK, N. Y., U. S. A.
PREFACE
.
1
•
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•
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■
HE story of Michigan as a Province is, in its
early period, so involved in the story of
New France that the two are practically
inseparable. In the primitive stages of
exploration and development, New
France covered pretty nearly the whole known con-
tinent of North America, from the Arctic Circle to the
Gulf of Mexico, and from the Alleghanies indefinitely
westward. A little fringe of settlements along the Atlantic
from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Fear made up the
modest claim of England. France did not undertake
to do much with her vast possessions, except to convert
the pagan natives to a recognition of the rites of the
Holy Christian Church, and to gather in all possible
profits from the traffic in peltries. There was much
tramping back and forth between the east and the west
in the prosecution of these two errands. It happened
that Michigan was in the direct line of travel, and so
it comes about that the story of the smaller territorial
subdivision is inseparably linked with the larger. The
events which bore upon the ultimate destiny of the lat-
ter had an important bearing also upon the former.
This must be understood, lest we may be thought to
be going far afield, when, in a history of Michigan, we
are found describing events on the shores of Hudson's
Bay, at Ticonderoga, at Fort Duquesne, and on the
Plains of Abraham.
As a matter of fact, the doings within the territorial
limits of Michigan, during this period, were few and
insignificant. The settlements of Europeans were little
7
8
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
more than posts for traffic with the natives, with a squad
of soldiers to keep the peace, a few merchants, and per-
haps a few farmers to raise grain and vegetables. So,
in this review of the Province, it is thought to be more
interesting and informing to the reader to make the
larger survey and note the bearings of incidents and
events in the broad field, rather than to limit the story
within the little circle of those directly concerned. In
this view, details have been omitted. Neither has the
narrative been cumbered with official documents, nor
correspondence, which might have swelled the volume
many times its present bulk. In short, the
ffort
the writer has been to summarize in readable form, first,
the events worthy of note transpiring within the Prov-
ince itself, and
d, those upon the wider outside
stage which had an essential bearing upon its ultimate
destiny.
The story is not new. It has been told, in part, by
many persons and in many forms. Features of it have
been elaborated, and documents bearing upon it are
easily accessible. The writer does not pretend to dis-
close here any original material or to present any novel
theories. Nor has he made the volume a vehicle to
exploit his individual opinions upon any points, mooted
or otherwise.
He has tried to avoid running counter to any preju-
dices, religious or national. He has honestly endeav-
ored to be fair, sincere and truthful; to pay suitable
tribute to the men whose achievements entitle them to
honorable mention; to set down naught in malice or
\
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 0,
upon insufficient proof of correctness. The work may
have been better done, but it could not have been done
more conscientiously.
Henry M. Utley.
.
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SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS
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CHAPTER I
DISCOVERY 33-42
Voyages of Verazzano — The St. Lawrence River — Jacques
Cartier — Roberval's Expeditions — Champlain and the
Founding of Quebec— His Exploration of the Interior
Discovers Lake Ontario — Visits Lake Huron — Recol-
lect Friars — Their Operations as Missionaries — Jesuits
visit Lake Superior.
CHAPTER II
EARLY EXPLORATION 43-55
Adventures of Jean Nicollet — Looking for a Passage to
China — Menard and Allouez — Lake Superior Copper — St.
Lusson and his spectacular Ceremony in the Name of the
King of France — St. Ignace Mission — Marquette and his
Missionary Enterprises — Joliet and Marquette Discover
the Mississippi River — They Explore this River to Dis-
cover its Outlet — Death of Marquette.
CHAPTER III
LATER EXPLORATION 57-67
Lasalle — His Energy as a Traveler — Dollier and Galinee
visit the Site of Detroit — First Ship to Navigate the Lakes
Its short Career — Lost in a Storm with all on Board
Lasalle Traverses the Interior of Southern Michigan
Duluth — Lahontan.
CHAPTER IV
JESUIT MISSIONARIES 69-81
Missionary Zeal of the French — Sulpitians First in the
Field — Jesuits gain a Strong Foothold — Sufferings of the
Missionaries — Torture and Martyrdom by the Savage
Havoc of Intoxicating Liquors — Attitude of the Mis-
sionaries toward the Savages — Their effort was to Chris-
tianize and not to Civilize — Hopeless Condition of Dis-
agreement.
13
14
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
CHAPTER V
THE SAVAGES AND THEIR INTER-TRIBAL WARS.. 83-93
Great Indian Races of North America — Their Distribu-
tion over the Eastern Portion of the Continent — Desper-
ate Bravery — Cannibalism — Ferocity in Warlike Exploits
Tribes in Michigan — Indian Characteristics.
1
CHAPTER VI
THE FUR TRADE AND ITS IMPORTANCE 95-105
Fur Bearing Animals of North America — Their Habitat
about the Great Lakes — Quality of the Furs — Their Pop-
ularity in the centers of Fashion — Profits of the Trade
Its Management and Mismanagement — Coureurs de Bois
Their Conduct and Enterprise in the Business.
CHAPTER VII
FIRST FRENCH ATTEMPTS AT COLONIZATION. .107-115
Characteristics of French Schemes — Wherein they Dif-
fered from those of the English — Successful Attempt of
Champlain — Company of the Hundred Associates — The
Founding of Montreal — King takes an Interest in Affairs
Permanent Settlers Encouraged.
CHAPTER VIII
THE SETTLEMENTS AT SAULT STE MARIE AND MICH-
ILIMACKINAC 117-128
Earliest Arrivals at Sault Ste Marie — A Meeting Place of
the Indian Tribes — Resort of Traders — Chevalier de Re-
Settlement never Great-
Canal and Lock Build-
Michil-
pentigny Granted a Concessic
ly Flourished — First Attempt
—Fort Destroved bv Fire
mg-
imackinac
a Great Rendezvous — A Considerable Settle
ment — Massacre
Removal of the Fort to the Isl
and — Settlement Merely a Military and Trading Post
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 5
CHAPTER IX
CADILLAC AND HIS COLONY 129-146
Detroit the first real colony founded in Michigan — Circum-
stances under which Cadillac undertook the enterprise
He was none too early in the field — Fort Pontchartrain
established — Arrival of Cadillac's Family — New Colony
Flourishes — Influential Hostility to Cadillac's Plans — He
is superseded in the Command of the Post — He is sent far
away and never returns.
CHAPTER X
CADILLAC AS FEUDAL LORD 147-161
French Feudal system at the beginning of the Eighteenth
Century — Canadian Feudalism — The seeds of French Aris-
tocracy in New France — An undesirable Crop — Formality
of Homage to the Lord of the Manor — Cadillac's Tenure
of Lands — His Grants to his Vassals — Unjust confisca-
tion of his Property rights — No redress forthcoming.
CHAPTER XI
FRENCH SUCCESSORS OF CADILLAC 163-178
Tenure of office of Commandant limited to Three Years
Applicants for the Post — Cadillac's Son among them
Some account of those who held the Position — Dishonor-
able conduct of a few — Names distinguished in the Annals
of New France — Worthy Records.
CHAPTER XII
DANGERS WHICH SURROUNDED THE NEW SETTLE-
MENT 179-195
Scheming of those opposed to a Settlement at Detroit
Governors Envoy strongly condemns Cadillac and all his
Doings — He says the Country is no better than a Swamp
The Establishment is worse than Useless — Indians be-
siege Detroit in 1712 — All Assaults Repulsed — With the
aid of Friendly Indians the Attacking Force Routed
Prisoners Tortured and Murdered — Recollect Pastor Shot
by the Savages — Intrigues of the English.
i6
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
CHAPTER XIII
COMMERCIAL RIVALRY BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND
ENGLISH 197-208
Fur Business assumes Great Magnitude — French are First
to develop it — Radisson and Groseilliers — English become
Interested — Organization of the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany— France loses her Opportunity south of the St. Law-
rence and Great Lakes — Overt Acts of Hostility.
CHAPTER XIV
BORDER WARS OF THE COLONISTS 209-223
Rival Colonies Harass each other Mercilessly — French
claim Lake Champlain — Also assert their Rights to the
Ohio Country — English resent their assumptions — Eng-
lish Colonies establish a Colonial Union for Mutual De-
fense— Braddock's Campaign — Fight at Lake George
The Niagara Fiasco — Montcalm appears on the Scene.
CHAPTER XV
FINAL SUCCESS OF THE ENGLISH 225-242
Campaign of 1758-9 — Amherst and Wolfe — Fall of Fort
Duquesne — Capture of Fort Frontenac — The Fiasco of
Ticonderoga — Siege of Quebec — Niagara Captured by the
English — Fight on the Plains of Abraham — Final Defeat
of the French — Capitulation of the Western Posts.
CHAPTER XVI
EFFECT UPON THE INDIANS OF THE LAKE RE-
GION 243-259
Rogers sent out to take Possession of Detroit — He En-
counters Pontiac who Demands to Know his Intentions
Signs of Indian Discontent — French Retire from De-
troit and the British Flag is raised above it — Land Grab-
bing— English Demeanor toward the Savages — Unfriend-
ly attitude of the Native Tribes — Conspiracy to Rise in
Rebellion — Great Prophet of the Delawares Preaches a
Crusade,
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 7
CHAPTER XVII
PONTIAC PLANS TO WIPE OUT THE ENGLISH
INVADERS 261-273
Great Influence of Pontiac — His Campaign of Education
He Shrewdly Organizes his Forces — Great Secrecy of the
Movement — Wonderful Skill of Pontiac as an Organizer
Siege of Detroit — Gladwin Receives Timely Warning
Indian Treachery Baffled — Dwellings of the English out-
side the Fort in Peril.
CHAPTER XVIII
COMPLETE DEFEAT OF THE SAVAGES 275-291
Events of the Siege — All the English outside the Fort
Murdered — Attack upon the Fort — Flag of Truce Violated
Two English Officers Treacherously Captured — Indian
Reinforcements — Pinched with Hunger — An English Re-
lieving Party Captured — English reinforcements finally
arrive — Indians undertake Entrenchments — Captain Dal-
zell sets out to Suprise Pontiac's Camp — Disastrous Re-
sult of the Expedition — Many Lives Lost — British Gov-
ernment Decides to end the Strife by an Overwhelming
Force — Treaty of Peace Signed.
CHAPTER XIX
PROGRESS OF THE COLONY UNDER IMPROVED
CONDITIONS 293-307
Efforts to Open up the Country to Settlement — British
Government Handles the Question very Gingerly — The
Quebec Act — French Satisfaction and English Discontent
with it — Condition of Detroit in 1773 — Governor Hamil-
ton's Description in '76 — Attempt to Develop Copper Min-
ing— Major Rogers gets into Trouble at Michilimackinac.
CHAPTER XX
THE OLD FRENCH HABITANTS AND THEIR WAYS
309-322
Characteristics of the French Settlers — Fondness for So-
cial Festivities — Dancing Parties — Pony Racing on the
Ice — Orchards — Mercantile Establishments — Ladies given
to Fine Dresses — Universal Vehicle — Pioneer Hospitality
Conservative and Economical Habits.
J -2
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MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
CHAPTER XXI
MICHIGAN UNDER BRITISH RULE 3*3-335
Lieutenant-Governor Hami
in Command — He O
ganizes the Indians for bloody Attacks upon the Pennsyl-
vania and Virginia Frontiers — Col. G
Rogers Clark
Attacks the Illinois Posts and Proposes the Capture of
Detroit — Hami
Captured at Vincennes — Lernoult
Strengthens the Fortifications at Detroit — Patrick Sin-
clair
emoves Fort M
to the Island — Attack up-
on the Spanish at St. Louis — They Retaliate by Capturing
M
J
mman
CHAPTER XXII
INFLUX OF SETTLERS 337*350
Cession of Western Lands to the United States — Settle-
ments in Michigan — At Monroe, Mt. Clemens, Along the
St. Clair River — Advent of the Moravian Missionaries
Early Ownership of Belle Isle — Island long claimed as a
Common — Early Settlers Differed from those of New-
England.
CHAPTER XXIII
CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTION AND SURRENDER
OF MICHIGAN TO THE UNITED STATES. .. .351-361
British do not Recognize the Claim of the United States
to Michigan — They Refuse to Evacuate — Probable rea-
sons which Influenced to this Course — Michigan Becomes
Part of the Northwest Territory — Final Futile Attempts
to Rally the Indians in Support of British Interests — Jay's
Treaty Promulgated — It Fixes a Definite Time for Surren-
der— The United States Flag Finally Hoisted over the
Fort at Detroit,
ILLUSTRATIONS
Louis XIV delivering to Cadillac his Commission to Found
a Colony at Detroit Frontispiece
Jacques Cartier Facing p. 36
Carrier's Manor House Facing p. 36
Landing of Nicollet
Facing p. 46
Louis Joliet Facing p. 50
Marquette and Joliet discovering the Mississippi
River Facing p
Robert de la Salle Facing p
Hennepin's Map of the Upper Lakes, 1697 .Facing p
Jesuit Map of Lake Superior (1670-71) Facing p
James Marquette Facing p
Indian Clay Vessel Facing p
Indian War Implements Facing p
Map of the Waterways of Michigan Facing p
Samuel de Champlain Facing p
Cadillac's Statue Facing p
Louis XIV Facing p
Braddock's Defeat Facing p
Louis de Montcalm Facing p
James Wolfe Facing p
View of Quebec ( 1759) Facing p
Death of Wolfe Facing p
Pontiac Facing p
Robert Rogers Facing p
P
Arent Schuyler De Peyster Facing
John Jacob Astor Facing p
19
52
60
64
72
76
88
88
102
no
132
150
216
228
240
240
264
284
356
*
CHAPTER
Discovery
1-8
•
.
I
story of the Voyages of Columbus
quickly spread through Europe and stir-
I
red the maritime world as it had never
been stirred. Spain and Portugal vied
with each other in fitting out expeditions
for discovery. The bold navigators of Italy turned
their prows westward. John Cabot and his son, Sebas-
tian, the former a native of Venice, represented Eng-
land, and with the patronage of Henry VII, explored
the coasts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The
competitive zeal shown by Spain, Portugal and England
in searching for a short route to India soon quickened
the ambition of France to emulation of their example.
In 1508 two ships were fitted out, one commanded
by Thomas Aubert and the other by Jean Verassen
(Verazzano, a Florentine) which sailed from Dieppe
at the beginning of the year and in the same year dis-
covered the St. Lawrence river to which they gave the
name because they began to ascend it on that saint's
day, August 10. They explored the river for more
than eighty leagues (about 250 miles), finding the
inhabitants friendly, with whom they made very prof-
itable exchanges for peltries.* Even before this time
the fishing vessels of France had frequented the Gulf
of St. Lawrence. The seamen of other nations also had
visited this part of the world, but none had yet made
ploration of the coasts.
Fortunately for France, Verazzano was sent a sec-
Desmarquets. Memoirs Chronologiq
Dieppe et a celle de
Paris, 1785.
35
36
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ond time on a voyage of discovery toward the west
>
under the patronage and support of Francis
king
o
France. Notwithstanding the secret machinations of
the king of Portugal four vessels were finally fitted out
and sailed late in the year 1523. All the ships were dis-
abled by a storm and were obliged to put back for
rep airs
One of them was soon in condition and Veraz-
zano sailed on La Dauphine to go to Cathay. It
appears from his own account of the voyage that he dis-
covered lands never before seen by white men, and that
he spent the spring and early summer of 1524 exploring
practically the whole Atlantic coast of the United
States, from Florida to Maine. The quite full descrip-
tion which he wrote to Francis I upon his return to
Dieppe and the account which he gave of the new
lands and new peoples inhabiting them were eagerly
copied and the transcripts widely circulated. The com-
mercial advantages likely to accrue to France by the
important discovery of a country thickly populated, rich
in resources of natural products, furs and metals,
quickly presented themselves to the popular mind.
In 1526 he set forth from Havre de Grace on his
third voyage from which he never returned, having been
murdered by cannibals after landing with a few of his
men to confer with the savages. His biographer says :
Many who had known and conversed with
im have
told me that he had declared that it was his intention to
persuade the most Christian King to send a goodly num-
ber of people to settle in some places of the new
country.
JACQUES CARTIER
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 37
However, no efforts at colonization were made on the
part of France and the financial losses of those who
had promoted the previous voyages were such as to dis-
courage similar enterprises for several years. In 1534
Francis I, having regard for the advantages which
might accrue to France by finding a short way to
the South Seas, persuaded one James, or Jacques, Car-
tier to undertake a voyage. He set forth from St.
Malo on the 20th of April, 1534, with two ships. He
spent three or four months exploring the Strait of Belle
Isle, the coast of Labrador, the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
looking for the Northwest passage, and late in the year
returned to France. In the following year Cartier sailed
again and explored the St. Lawrence river to the present
site of the city of Montreal. The natives whom he met
told him of vast seas of fresh water to the westward
and great hills of copper and precious metals. But he
did not push forward to verify their stories. The coun-
try had then received the name of New France. Car-
tier spent nearly two years in the region and then
returned to France. In 1540 he sailed again to New
France and ascended the St. Lawrence river. Jean
Francois de la Roque, Sieur de Roberval, was placed
in command of this expedition and by letters patent was
commissioned Viceroy and Lieutenant-Governor of the
new lands belonging to France in the western hemis-
phere. He himself did not sail until a year later and
not until after Cartier had departed from the country
on his return to France.
Roberval after reaching his destination sent back two
38
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
of his vessels for supplies while he pushed on in search
of that country which the savages spoke of as abounding
in precious metals and stones without price. But a frag-
mentary portion of Roberval's relation is extant and
this gives no indication of the distance to which his
explorations led him nor of the finding of the mineral
wealth for which he was searching. It may, therefore,
be assumed that his westward explorations were uncer-
tain, to say the least.
Wars at home occupied the attention of the French
king for the next few years and drove out all thought
of colonization schemes. Francis I died in 1547, and
not until two years afterward, Henry II being king,
did Roberval organize his next expedition to Canada.
He perished on the passage with all his followers. This
catastrophe put an end to all colonizing projects in
France for several years. Religious controversies and
troubles with other nations shook France to its foun-
dations
gave no leisure to
d to the concerns
of the New World.
The next serious attempt to despatch an expedition
was when, in 1603, Samuel Champlain, under the favor
and patronage of Henry IV, set sail with three barks.
The chief object was to encourage the trade in peltries
which had been already found to be of considerable
importance. Champlain established himself on the site
of the present city of Quebec, the first permanent set-
tlement of Europeans in New France. He gave early
attention to exploration of the surrounding country. He
caused a site to be cleared in the vicinity of Montreal
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 39
for erecting a fort. He concluded a treaty of alliance
and trade with the Hurons, the most friendly of the
Indian tribes, a party of which nation, 200 in number,
had come on a visit. The chiefs of that tribe gave him
permission to commence a settlement in their country.
In 1 6 13 he ascended the Ottawa river nearly to its
source. In 161 5 he discovered Lake Ontario. In
friendly confederation with the Hurons he ascended
the Ottawa and passed over to Lake Nipissing, about
sixty leagues northeast of Lake Huron ; then descend-
ing southward he reached the point of rendezvous on
Lake Ontario. He was the first European to navigate
that "fresh water sea." He was wounded in an engage-
ment with the Iroquois and was obliged to spend the
winter among the natives. He made himself acquainted
with the Ontarian regions and visited the Neutral
nation, a race of natives which kept up friendly rela-
tions with all the battling tribes around.
The French king and the French people were early
impressed with the idea that their first duty toward the
inhabitants of the new-found world across the sea was to
bring to them a knowledge of the Christian religion.
France herself was torn with religious strife and the
Huguenots were driven from the country. The proposi-
tion was once entertained favorably to send them to col-
onize the French possessions beyond the sea, and for-
tunate would it have been for mother country if this
had been done. But the intense prejudice against
Protestants intervened and, not only were they not sent,
4Q
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
but they were absolutely excluded from entering the
country.
The missionary spirit took precedenc
the colon
izing spirit
The Recollet friars of Paris were favored
by the authorities ai
arrived at Quebec in
four members
that body
615
In
618 Pope Paul IV
■
accorded, at the instance of the French ambassador, the
charge of missions in Canada to the Recollets.
They
visited the Hurons with Champlain and established
missions among that tribe on the eastern shore of Lake
Huron. As this nation dwelt in the region spreading
around the shores and visited the islands of the north-
ern extremity of the Lake, it seems quite probable that
the missionaries were the first white men to view the
shores of Michigan. The statement has been made by
his biographer, on what is now regarded as doubtful
authority, that Champlain himself sailed down the east
shore of Lake Huron and coursed through the con-
necting waterways and the Strait of Detroit on his
return to Ontario. It seems certain that he knew the
connection between Lake Huron and the lower lakes,
though his maps do not show it with geographical accu-
racy
*
The missions extended to the islands above Georgian
bay, and following the Indians in their migrations the
missionaries must also have crossed over to the west
shore of Lake Huron and established the services of the
Church in the villages and more or less permanent set-
♦Campbell. Political History of Michigan. Detroit, 1876.
m
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 4 1
tlements of the savages. Several of these religious men
lived and died among the natives. The friars were
the only missionaries in the colony until 1624, when by
special invitation a few Jesuits came to New France. A
year later, Henry de Levy, Duke of Ventadour, was
made governor. He had become disgusted with the
world and had entered a monkish order, intending to
pass the rest of his days in religious exercises. He was
more interested in the conversion of the heathen than in
the advancement of the material interests of the peo-
ple over whom he held sway. He brought hither at his
own cost five Jesuits, among whom were Fathers Lal-
lemant, Breboeuf and Masse.* These energetic and
tireless priests and those who came after them speedily
set themselves about the work at their hand. They went
among the Indian tribes and in the most courageous and
self-sacrificing spirit sought to convert them to Chris-
tianity and to baptise them into the Holy Church.
In 1632 Father Sagard, a Jesuit missionary, reached
Lake Huron by way of the upper Ottawa. In 1641
Charles Raymbault and Isaac Jogues, two other Jesuit
missionaries, who had previously established a mission
at the head of Pentanguishine bay, embarked in a birch
bark canoe in which they navigated Georgian bay and
St. Mary's river. In September of that year they
arrived at the Sault Ste Marie. They were hospitably
received by the Chippewas, the chiefs of which tribe
gave them a cordial reception and afforded them ref resh1-
*Garneau. Histoire du Canada. V. I. Quebec, 1845
4
9
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ment and rest. From the savages the visitors learned
something of the magnitude of Lake Superior, upon
which their eyes then rested, and of the country about
it. Beyond this great body of water, they were told,
was the home. of the Sioux, a warlike band who never
permitted the Chippewas to visit their hunting grounds.
The missionaries did not push their investigations
further, but late in the autumn of the same year
returned to their mission at Pentanguishine, carrying
with them glowing accounts of the beautiful country
they had seen.
CHAPTER II
Early Exploration
•
■•■■',
>
HE missionaries as a rule took little inter-
est in the country through which they
travelled. They had not that spirit of
adventure which leads men into perils
and privations, the chances of flood and
shipwreck, of torture at the hands of merciless savages
for the sake of discovering that which lies beyond the
borders of the known. They did not lack courage nor
draw back at the prospect of danger, as was shown
throughout their whole history of efforts to evangelize
America. Their chief concern was not the bringing of
-
new lands to light, but the salvation of immortal souls.
•
They were, however, intent on pushing into unknown
regions in search of new fields for their missionary
labors.
The Huron tribes occupied the region lying between
the upper Ottawa and the Georgian bay arm of Lake
Huron. On the shores and islands of the latter they
had numerous villages and fishing stations. It was on
the eastern shore of Georgian bay that the Recollet fri-
ars established a mission among them. Hither Cham-
plain had come in 1618, and from this northernmost
point of his travels he turned southward, coursing
through these waters on his return to Lake Ontario.
One of the first Europeans to pass beyond the borders
of the lands occupied by the Hurons, among which
tribes numerous missions had been already established,
was Jean Nicollet. He was a native of Cherbourg,
France, where he was born in 1598. He was a man full
of spirit, daring, and at the same time deeply religious.
45
I
46
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
"
He was not a member of the Jesuit order, but had come
to Quebec in 16 18. Champlain sent him to live among
the Indians to learn their language, their customs and
to acquire a knowledge of the country, to enable him to
serve as an interpreter. He spent nine years among
the Nipissings, a tribe which dwelt northward of the
Hurons. In 1634 Champlain sent him on an explor-
ing expedition to the westward, partly to find out i
there was a waterway which led into the Sea of China,
and partly to make the acquaintance of the tribes living
in the region beyond Lake Huron, with1 a view to estab-
lishing trade in peltries. In the summer of that year
he voyaged in a bark canoe, with an escort of seven
Hurons to St. Mary's river which he ascended to the
outlet of Lake Superior. Thence he returned down the
river and coasted the south shore of the Upper Penin-
sula of Michigan to Michilimackinac and thence by
Lake Michigan to Green bay in Wisconsin. He was the
first white man, so far as recorded, to visit this region,
or to set foot on the soil of Michigan.
After landing on the shore of Green bay he pushed
on to the westward. He had been told by the Indians
that there were strange peoples living far beyond and
known as the "Tribe of the Sea." These men had no
beards, shaved their heads, wore peculiar costumes and
came over a vast extent of water in canoes made of
wood, instead of bark. From these descriptions Nicol-
let was convinced that these people were Chinese and
that the previous theories of reaching China by this
route were about to be verified. These "Men of the
H
o
u
4,
O
G
.
'
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 47
Sea" afterward proved to be the Winnebagoes, but it
is remarked that so sure was Nicollet that he was to be
brought into the presence of Chinese when he first met
them that he had clothed himself in a large garment
of China damask strewn with flowers and birds o
various colors. The expected Asiatics proved to be no
other than ordinary red skins. But they treated him
well, banqueted and feasted him and made with him a
treaty of peace. He journeyed southward to the coun-
try of the Illinois and afterward returned to Canada by
*
the same route, arriving at Quebec late in the autumn of
1635.* Soon after his return Champlain died and this
put an end for the time to his contemplated efforts at
further exploration. He married the god-daughter of
Champlain and settled down upon an estate. In 1642
he was accidentally drowned while on a trip from Que-
bec to Three Rivers.
In the summer of 1660 Father Rene Menard, a
Jesuit missionary, started from the mission on Georgian
bay on a voyage of exploration westward. At the
Sault Ste Marie he procured a birch canoe and accom-
panied by a single Indian he coasted along the south
shore of Lake Superior until he reached the head of
Keweenaw bay. To this bay he gave the name of St.
Theresa, because he discovered it on the anniversary
of his patron saint, October 15. Here in the wilder-
ness with only his Indian companion he spent the long
dreary winter, suffering great hardship in the inhospita-
♦Henri Jouan. Translation in Wis. Historical Coll. V. xi. Mad
. 1888.
•
48
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ble climate, living in a hut of fir boughs, with insuf-
ficient food and finding little companionship among the
savages. During his sojourn here he labored with
great zeal to convert his wild neighbors, and felt
encouraged to believe that he had accomplished some
good.
In the spring he resumed his journey, going inland to
visit the Hu
that
region. He passed to the
westward entirely across the upper peninsula and across
the boundary line into Wisconsin. In midsummer he
reached a portage on the Wisconsin river and the
Indian guide set out to carry the canoe while Father
Menard wandered into the woods and never was heard
of again. This is the story told by the savage on his
return, though it has been strongly suspected that the
real fact is that the native treacherously deserted his
master and left him to perish in the wilderness far
beyond the reach of human help.
In 1666 Father Claude Allouez, a Jesuit missionary,
set out in the footsteps of his friend and former com-
panion, Menard. At the Sault Ste Marie he also pro-
cured a canoe in which he coasted along the south shore
of Lake Superior. He took the liberty of re-christening
the lake. He says, "On the 2d of September then, after
leaving this sault, which is not a waterfall but merely a
swift current impeded by numerous rocks, we entered
Lake Superior, which will henceforth bear the Monsieur
de Tracy's name in recognition of indebtedness to him
on the part of the people of this region."*
*Jesuit Relations. V. L. Cleveland, 1899.
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 49
He made frequent excursions into the interior from
his landing places and afterward in collaboration with
Marquette published a map which fairly represents the
southern shore of Superior, as well as the northernmost
reaches of Lakes Huron and Michigan. On this map
Superior appears as Lac Tracy ou Superior. He notes
the existence of copper of which there was evidence of
former mining. He says it frequently happens that
pieces of copper are found weighing from ten to twenty
pounds. "I have seen several such pieces in the hands
of the savages who regard the metal as very precious
and guard it with jealous care. For some time there was
seen near the shore a large rock of copper, with its top
rising above the water, which gave opportunities to
those passing by to cut pieces from it ; but when I passed
that vicinity it had disappeared.,,
He describes at considerable length the evidences of
native copper, specimens of which he gathered and sent
back to Talon, the intendant, at Quebec. The bulk of
his narrative is made up of what was related to him by
the Indians and carries evidences of the superstitious
notions of the untutored red men. It is clear that the
missionary felt very little interest in mineralogy and
pursued no scientific investigations, but contented him-
self with repeating the stories told to him, wild and
absurd as they were in some particulars.
In 1863 an article by the late Charles Whittlesey was
published in the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl-
edge, v. 13, which, after quoting from the relations of
the Jesuit fathers, gives other accounts of the first
1-4
50
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
knowledge of the existence of copper in this region.
He
says that Bouche in the Historie Veritable, etc., 1640,
tells of the finding of large masses of pure copper, in
■
one instance of more than 800 pounds weight. All this
information came from the French traders who in turn
got it from the Indians. There is no doubt that the
very first information concerning the Lake Superior
country told of copper. The evidences of the systematic
procuring of the metal by pre-historic races who dwelt
in or traversed the region were later on established
beyond question.
Allouez continued his course along the south shore
to Chequamagon bay, where he arrived on the 1st day
of October, 1665. This is a point in Wisconsin a short
distance beyond the western boundary line of Michigan.
Here he found a very considerable Indian village, with
cultivated fields and a more or less stable population. He
determined to establish a mission and set about erecting
a chapel. This structure was a very primitive affair of
bark. In time it was succeeded by the permanent chapel
of La Pointe de Saint Esprit.
James Marquette is the most widely known at this
day of all the Jesuit missionary explorers.
He
was
born in France in 1637 and arrived in Canada in 1666.
In April, 1668, he set out from Quebec and journeyed
to the Sault de Ste Marie, where Fathers Raymbault
and Jogues had twenty-five years before established a
mission, which, however, had been abandoned after the
departure of Jogues and the death of Raymbault. With
the arrival of Menard and Allouez the mission had
LOUIS TOLIET
♦
■
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 5 I
been re-established and Marquette took measures to
make the establishment a permanent one.
It may be noted in passing that here in the spring of
1 67 1 was performed the ceremony of taking possession
in the name of the king of France of all the lands
between the east and the west from Montreal to the
Sea of the South (Pacific ocean) . Monsieur Talon, the
intendant, had been instructed by the king to make
known the name and power of France among the most
unknown and distant tribes. Sieur de Saint Lusson had
been commissioned for the task and proceeded to the
-
sault where he convoked the tribes of the surrounding
country of more than a hundred leagues, who in the
person of their ambassadors met there to the number
of fourteen tribes.* All the preparations having been
made the people were assembled for a grand public
council on the 14th of June. There Saint Lusson caused
a cross to be erected and there and then had the arms
of France hoisted upon a cedar pole above the cross.
All this was attended with much ceremony, prayers were
recited, the cross was blessed, guns were fired, and all
the Frenchmen shouted, "Vive le Roi." Then Father
Allouez delivered an oration in which he told the
natives what a great and powerful country was France,
and what a noble and mighty king ruled over it, and
what a blessed thing it was for them to become the sub-
jects of such a king and country. Then Monsieur de
Lusson spoke and further impressed his hearers that
♦Verwyst. Missionary labors of Marquette, Menard, Allouez
Chicago, 1886.
.
52
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
they were now under the protection of a most puissant
monarch. The affair was concluded with a great bon-
fire at night, when the Te Deum was sung. There were
present on this memorable occasion, beside Allouez,
James Marquette, Louis Joliet, and other Frenchmen
whose names are linked with western history.
Trouble having developed among the Indians at the
La Pointe mission where Marquette was employed, one
of the Huron tribes removed from there to Michilimack-
inac and thither Marquette followed them. Here he
established the mission of St. Ignace. This locality had
long been a favorite resort of the Indians on account of
the abundance of fish and game. The neighboring island
being in some sort a natural fortification and situated
directly in the strait between the two great lakes con-
stituted a key to the door of migrations in any direction.
While Marquette was devoted to his missionary duties
and profoundly interested in them, he had an active
mind and an energetic disposition which did not permit
him to be contented with his simple priestly obligations.
He was well educated and his vision extended beyond
the horizon line of his frontier mission.
% <
Talon had been advised from Paris that the king
was firmly impressed with the idea that nothing was
more important for New France than the discovery
of a passage to the South sea, and urged that immediate
steps be taken to explore the country to the westward
of Lake Michigan, then commonly known as the lake
of the Illinois. Talon being obliged by failing health
to return to France communicated his plans to Count
0*
c<
Oh
Oh
CO
CO
co
CO
H
>
o
-1
O
•
•
1
*
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 53
Frontenac, the newly arrived governor. Accordingly
Joliet was dispatched upon the westward expedition and
at Michilimackinac he found Marquette who had been
instructed to accompany him. As the season was then
far advanced further movements were delayed until the
following spring.
On the 17th day of May, 1673, the ice being out of
the strait, the two explorers set forth from St. Ignace in
two bark canoes with five French oarsmen and a supply
of provisions. The party coasted along the lower
shores of Lake Michigan to Green bay. Thence they
pushed on by the way of the Fox river to Lake Winne-
bago and thence by Wolf river to its upper waters, from
a point upon which they crossed over the divide which
separates the waters which flow into the Gulf of St.
Lawrence from those which flow into the Mexican gulf.
They were soon embarked upon the Wisconsin river.
Down this stream they floated until they found them-
selves upon the broad expanse of the Mississippi.
They navigated the "Father of Waters" past the out-
let of the Missouri and the Ohio and as far south as the
mouth of the Arkansas. Up to this time there had been
uncertainty whether the Mississippi flowed into the
Gulf of California or into the Gulf of Mexico. From
this exploration Marquette rightly concluded that the
latter was the true solution. After friendly conference
with the natives and resting for a few days the two
explorers set out upon their return, two months having
already elapsed since they left Michilimackinac. Upon
reaching the mouth of the Illinois river on their return
54
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
they were informed
the Indians that that stream
offered a more feasible and shorter route to Lake Mich-
igan than by the way of the Wisconsin and Fox, and
so they decided to try it. Marquette had long heard
very favorable accounts of the Illinois Indians and had
contemplated visiting them in the interest of the Church
whose servant he was. He therefore embraced with
pleasure the opportunity thus offered him of gratifying
his cherished wish. The travelers proceeded up the Illi-
nois to a point near the site of the present city of Ottawa
where they found a considerable village.*
Here they disembarked and after spending a few
days were guided by friendly natives to Lake Michigan
which they reached by way of the Chicago river. Thence
they coasted along the west shore of the lake until they
reached the mission near the mouth of the Fox river to
which in the meantime Marquette had been transferred.
The journal of this expedition kept by Marquette was
unfortunately lost by the capsizing of Joliet's canoe in
the Lachine rapids just as he was nearing Montreal
upon his return.
In the autumn of 1674 Marquette set out to visit the
Illinois, of whom he had gained a most favorable
opinion, and to spend the winter in missionary labor
His health had been greatly impaired
among
them.
by the hardships and privations of his pioneer life
and especially by the exploration trip of the previous
year. Though suffering from weakness and pain he
♦Thwaites. Father Marquette. N. Y., 1902
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 5$
preached at the village and assemblages of the natives
until it became evident that he must seek rest and relief.
In April, 1675, ne started for St. Ignace, this time coast-
ing around the upper shore of Lake Michigan and
following the eastern shore where the currents were
more favorable for the oarsmen. They traveled by day
and camped at night, passing the mouths of the St.
Joseph, Kalamazoo, Grand and Muskegon. Marquette
was so feeble that he must be carried by his attendants
from boat to camp and back to boat again. When they
reached the mouth of the Pere Marquette where now
stands the city of Ludington he told his companions that
he could go no further. Accordingly they built a rude
cabin of bark in which the beloved priest was made
as comfortable as circumstances would permit. He lin-
gered but a little while, however, and on the evening of
the 1 8th of May, 1675, he expired. His body was
buried where he died and a large cross was erected to
mark the grave. The following year friendly Indians
visited the spot, disinterred the body and carried it to
St. Ignace where it was honored with funeral cere-
monies and again interred in a vault beneath the chapel.
Fire destroyed the little chapel in 1700. But in 1877
Father Jacker, then in charge of the parish, was able
to identify the exact site of the grave and a marble
monument was erected thereon.
■
• •
*
-
*
CHAPTER III
Later Exploration
•
■
•
■
-
■
■
O name is more conspicuous in the galaxy
of French explorers of North America
than that of Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur
de la Salle. He was born at Rouen in
1643 and came to New France in 1666.
He had been educated by the Jesuits and had intended
to enter the priesthood of that order. He taught with
them for a time, but finding that his tastes and inclina-
tions did not run in that direction he early abandoned
those plans and chose instead a business career. He
came to Canada with that purpose and first settled at La-
chine, a few miles above Montreal, having accepted
there the grant of a large tract of land from the Sul-
pitian priests who had established a seminary there
which they desired to be the center of a colony. He did
not long remain in the quiet inactivity of his frontier
establishment but stirred by the stories told him by the
Indians he was excited to an uncontrolable ambition to
find out whether the great river beyond the lakes and
flowing southward really emptied into the Gulf of Cali-
fornia and so led the way to China. He sold out his
interests at Lachine and organized an expedition in
the summer of 1669. There were in the party two Sul-
pitian priests, Dollier de Casson and Rene Galinee,
beside a number of men hired as oarsmen, etc. They
set out in seven canoes with some Seneca Indians in two
other canoes, to act as guides. They coasted along the
south shore of Lake Ontario and after various adven-
tures debarked late in September in what is now known
as Burlington bay near the site of the present Canadian
59
6o
•
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
city of Hamilton. As they passed the mouth of the
Niagara they distinctly heard the roar of the cataract,
the first of Europeans to approach it so nearly.
*
The Indians among whom they landed received them
in a friendly way. Here the travelers were informed of
the arrival of two other Frenchmen in a neighboring
village.
turned out that one of them was Joliet
returning to Quebec from a visit to the Lake Superior
country. He had come down through Lake Huron,
the strait of Detroit and Lake Erie to Grand river,
whence he had been induced by his guide to cross over
to the head of Lake Ontario to avoid possible trouble
with the Iroquois. He gave to the Sulpitians a copy of
a map he had made of the upper lakes and told them
of the Pottawattomies who were a most wicked people
and sadly in need of Christian instruction. This appeal
impressed the missionaries and determined their course
then and there. The party broke up, La Salle plunging
into the wilderness in search of the Ohio river, which,
it is believed, he explored as far as the present city of
Louisville.
The two Sulpitian priests, Dollier and Galinee, made
a portage to the Grand river down which they floated
to Lake Erie. But when they reached the lake it was
so stirred by storms and the season was so far advanced
that they established a winter camp and did not resume
their journey until spring. Then they coasted along
the south shore of the lake and after many tribulations,
including the loss of a great part of their baggage, their
vestments and altar-service, they came at last into the
■
•i
I
'
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 6 1
peaceful waters of the Detroit river. Arriving at the
site of the present city of Detroit they found an Indian
village, and in the village a large stone somewhat in the
shape of the human figure. This the Indians had
daubed with paint and worshipped as an idol. "After
the loss of our altar-service, " writes Galinee in
journal, uand the hunger we had suffered there was not
a man who was not filled with hatred against this false
deity. I devoted one of my axes to breaking him to
pieces; and then having fastened our canoes side
side, we carried the largest piece to the middle of the
river and threw it with all the rest into the water, that
he might never be heard of again. God rewarded us
immediately for this good action, for we killed a deer
and a bear the same day."
So far as known this is the first record of a visit to
this locality. In all probability others had passed
through the strait — the Recollet and Jesuit mis-
sionaries, Joliet, and possibly Champlain himself —
but none had mentioned it specifically. The Sulpitians
passed on their course up the lakes and on the 25th of
May arrived at the Sault de Ste Marie. Here they
found Marquette and other Jesuits who had established
a mission there, erected a chapel, and cleared a tract of
land for agricultural purposes. After a short visit there
they returned to Montreal by the Nipissing and Ottawa
route.
The year 1678 found La Salle in Paris busied with
preparations for still further explorations in New
France. He secured sufficient backing in men and
62
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
means. Among his adherents was Henri de Tonty, an
Italian officer of repute, who had lost a hand in war and
had substituted for it an iron hand which he kept gloved.
On arrival at Quebec the party was joined by Louis
Hennepin, a Recollet missionary. The latter in com-
pany with La Motte de Lussiere in charge, embarked
on a vessel of ten tons burden from Fort Frontenac with
sixteen men, in November, 1678, and sailed along the
north shore of Ontario and so on to the mouth of the
Niagara river which they entered. They proceeded
up the river as far as possible and then debarked and
climbed the heights at Queenstown, from which they
traveled to the great cataract, the first Europeans to
behold the spectacle. Hennepin describes the fall,
though with some exaggeration as to its height.
They
passed on up the Niagara and near the entrance to Lake
Erie, La Motte began the erection of Fort Niagara and
Hennepin started the building of a chapel. La Salle
and Tonty had followed with another vessel, supplies
and men to join La Motte. They landed at the mouth
of the Genessee and proceeded thence overland. Their
little vessel left in charge of the pilot was soon after-
ward wrecked. This was a serious mishap, for La Salle
had planned to build a vessel to navigate Lake Erie and
the ropes, chains
hors, etc., which he had brought
for the purpose were thereby lost to him. The whole
party spent the winter at Lewiston and from that camp
La Motte returned, on account of trouble with his eyes.
The vessel in which Hennepin and his party had come
to Niagara was hauled ashore and her lading taken out
.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 63
and packed overland to a point not far from the mouth
of Black river. Here a place was cleared and the mas-
ter-carpenter set about the building of a ship. The
entire winter was consumed on this work and early in
the spring a ship of 45 tons burden was launched and
christened the "Griffon," in honor of the armorial bear-
ings of Count Frontenac. In the meantime La Salle had
gone on foot to Fort Frontenac, leaving Tonty in com-
mand. He returned in August and on the 7th of that
month embarked with his party and set forth with high
hopes on their voyage across Lake Erie. On the fourth
day out they entered the Strait of Detroit and Henne-
pin describes the prospect as most enchanting. "Those,"
he says, "who will one day have the happiness to pos-
sess this fertile and pleasant strait will be very much
obliged to those who have shown them the way." The
men hunted on shore and brought in abundance of game
to replenish the larders of the little craft.
They encountered a storm on Lake Huron which
gave them a bad scare but did no serious damage.
The Griffon preceded northward and in a few days
came to anchor behind Point St. Ignace where the voy-
agers found the palisades with the house and chapel
of the Jesuits and the near-by villages of the Hurons
and Ottawas. After a delay of a few days La Salle
sailed on across the foot of Lake Michigan to Green
bay where he found some of his party who had pre-
ceded him. These had secured a valuable lot of furs
and La Salle decided to ship them at once to the east
to satisfy the claims of those to whom he had become
64
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
indebted. The pilot was intrusted with the navigation
of the vessel to Niagara and return. In a storm which
followed shortly after, the vessel with all on board was
lost. At least, such is the inference, since she was never
heard of again. .
La Salle himself with Hennepin and a party of
Frenchmen proceeded in canoes up the west shore of
■
Lake Michigan and circled around the upper end of the
lake until they came to the mouth of the St. Joseph
river, which he called the Miamis. Here he disem-
barked and erected a fort. Here Tonty was to have
joined him with a number o
men, coming on
from
Mackinac by the eastern shore of the lake. When at
length Tonty arrived with a portion of his men, the
others, owing to scarcity of provisions, having taken to
the land to subsist by hunting, December was here and
the winter was on. The party embarked in canoes and
ascended the river to the site of the present city of South
Bend. Here they debarked and shouldering their
canoes started on the portage to the Illinois river. They
passed on to Fort Crevecoeur on that river where they
established themselves for the winter.
Early
in
the
spring La Salle, leaving Tonty behind, set out to return
to Fort Frontenac. He followed the route by which he
had come and after encountering many difficulties
reached Fort Miamis, which he had built the autumn
before at the mouth of the St. Joseph river. Here he
found two men whom he had sent to Mackinac for
news of the Griffon. They knew nothing of her fate.
Ordering them to rejoin Tonty, La Salle set out on foot
•
a,
r
t
o
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C/3
£
.
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
on his journey eastward. He traversed the unknown
wilds of southern Michigan and reaching the Huron
river he and his companions built a canoe in which the
party floated down the stream until their progress was
barred by sunken logs and prostrate trunks of trees.
Striking out thence across the country he reached the
banks of the Detroit which he crossed on a raft, pur-
suing his way to Point Pelee. Here he built a canoe
which enabled him to arrive safely at his point of first
departure on the Niagara.
So it is seen that La Salle was not only one of the
first to navigate and explore the coasts of the lower
peninsula of Michigan, but he was the first of all white
men, so far as known, to penetrate its interior,
would be interesting, did it fall in line with the scope
of this work, to follow his subsequent career. In the
spring of 1682 he with Tonty and others, navigated the
Illinois to its union with the Mississippi, and thence
down the latter stream and into the Gulf of Mexico,
thus establishing definitely the outlet of the great river,
which had been before in controversy. The end of the
intrepid explorer was a sad one. He was shot from
ambush by one of his treacherous followers in 1687.
Tonty who shared with him the hardships and priva-
tions of his frontier life, also shares with him the hon-
ors which are his due. He was a brave and devoted
lieutenant and deserved the confidence which he enjoyed.
Daniel Greysolon du Lhut, or Duluth, as he is now
commonly known, was a native of Lyons and a cousin of
Tonty. He had come to New France in 1676, influ-
1-6
66 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
enced by business considerations. He traveled exten-
sively among the Indians of the lake country and nego-
tiated profitable purchases of peltries for his employers.
He explored the country of the Sioux and took posses-
sion of it in the name of France. In 1679 he built a
trading fort on the north shore of Lake Superior, the
present site of Fort William. In 1686, by order of
the governor, Denonville, he built a fort at the outlet
of Lake Huron, the site of the later Fort Gratiot at
Port Huron. This he named Fort St. Joseph. He led
a very active life which brought him intimately among
the Indians of the lake region. His associations with
them were most amicable for many years.
Louis Armand de Lorme d'Arce, Baron Lahontan,
was born in 1666 in the parish of Lahontan. He came
over to Canada in his youth from love of adventure.
In 1684 he joined an expedition sent out from Mon-
treal against the Iroquois. In 1687 he was made com-
mandant of Fort St. Joseph at the outlet of Lake
Huron. He was then but 19 years of age. The post
was regarded by the governor as a very important link
in the chain of the outposts of New France. The fol-
lowing years shortage of provisions led to his making
a trip to Mackinac to replenish his stores. He describes
in the book which he wrote some time after, the partic-
ulars of his journey, including an account of Saginaw
bay, Thunder bay, and the character of the Huron shore.
He continued his journeys to Sault Ste Marie and
seemed to be in no haste to get back to his post, where,
in all probability he found life rather dull.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 67
On his return to Fort St. Joseph he learned that Fort
Niagara had been abandoned owing to the prevalence
of scurvy. Fearing an irruption of the Iroquois, of
whom he had an unaccountable dread, he abandoned
and destroyed Fort St. Joseph and fled with all his fol-
lowers to Mackinac. Here he spent the winter and
here he met La Sailed men returning from the lower
Mississippi. Impressed with their story he thought to
become an explorer himself. Engaging a party he set
out in the steps of Marquette and followed the route
of that pioneer to the Mississippi.
One might speculate on the situation to-day if Lahon-
tan had stuck to his post and made it a permanent set-
tlement. If he had been of the same sturdy make-up
as Cadillac, it seems altogether likely that the latter,
instead of locating his colony at Detroit, would have
turned his attention elsewhere. But he was a young
unmarried man whose mind was unstable and filled
with longings for adventure.
By the end of the seventeenth century the country
east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio had been
pretty thoroughly traversed. Descriptions had been
written and maps published to such extent that this part
of New France was no longer unknown to Europeans.
-
•
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CHAPTER IV
Jesuit Missionaries
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•
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.
HERE was never a band of more devoted
men than the French missionaries who,
in the seventeenth century, came over to
the wilderness of America, inspired with
an ardent desire to convert the natives to
Christianity. They shrank from no hardship or priva-
tion ; they resolutely faced peril and even death itself in
the prosecution of their chosen work. Many of them
proved to be martyrs to the cause, and while their bod-
ies were burning at the stake their spirits ascended in
joyful anticipation of the crown which awaited them
in the world beyond. In almost equal, though less
dramatic, martyrdom were those who ruined health
and sank into early graves through exposure in an
inhospitable climate, in malarial swamps, in shipwreck
and famine, and lack of medical care and nursing.
The Recollet friars were first in the field. In 1618
Paul IV accorded them charge of the missions of New
France and for the following six years they were in
exclusive possession. They established their home at
Quebec, where chapel, seminary and hospital were
erected. They penetrated the wilderness and soon put
themselves in friendly relations with the natives. They
were fortunate at the outset in falling in with the
Hurons, a peaceful and teachable tribe, who received
them kindly and accepted their ministrations in a
friendly spirit. These people were more domestic and
less nomadic than many of the tribes. They dwelt in
villages of some permanence and lived by tilling the
soil not less than by hunting. Though their agricul-
7i
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MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ture was of the crudest and their homes barren of all
comforts, they were, nevertheless, far better in these
respects than most of their neighbors. The earliest of
all the French missions were those established among
this tribe by the Recollet friars. These sought the
interior by way of the Ottawa river and from its tribu-
taries crossed over to Lake Nipissing an
th
to
the shores of Georgian bay, where flourishing missions
were soon entering upon a promising career. Though
the Recollets were pioneers in the fields they did not
persist in the face of opposition from rival orders. As
they were the first to enter Canada, they were also the
first to disappear from the country.
The attention of the people of Europe was sharply
drawn to the spiritual needs of the savages of America.
The authorities of the Church felt the responsibilities
for prompt action. The authorities of the State also,
being devotees of Mother Church, were disposed to
favor in all possible ways the plans for evangelizing
the new world. There were some sordid minds which con-
templated the profits of dealing in peltries, but it must
be said that, for the time being, at least, the religious
took precedence over the commercial in the views of
those who came over to New France.
The Sulpitians, Franciscans and other religious orders
were represented by active and energetic missionaries,
but the best known of them all were the Jesuits. These
latter came to America, inspired by holy zeal.
They
were thoroughly organized and subject to the severest
discipline. For a period of upwards of fifty years
■
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 73
each missionary made regularly a detailed report to his
superior and these reports were sent to the provincial of
the order at Paris. They were annually printed and
together constitute the body of writings known as "The
Jesuit Relations." Many of the narratives are trivial
and inconsequential, but on the other hand, many deal
with matters other than the mere personal incidents of
individual conversions and give valuable information
concerning the country, its characteristics, the people,
their life, customs and superstitions. Together these
relations constitute a body of unimpeachable testimony
and are of profound interest to the ethnologist not less
than to the historian. From these circumstances, more
perhaps than from their numbers or activity, the Jesuit
missionaries are better known to-day than those of any
other order.
The Society of Jesus was founded by Ignatius de
Loyola in 1534. He was a native of Spain and was a
brave and dashing soldier with military tastes and
ambition. At the defense of Pampeluna in 152 1 a can-
non ball disabled both his legs and cut short his mili-
tary career in his youth. While slowly recovering from
his wounds he devoted his time to reading and study.
His attention was drawn to religious matters, with the
result that he became deeply absorbed in them. He
resolved to devote himself to the spiritual welfare of
mankind. Disciples came to his support and in August,
1534 they assembled in the abbey church of Mont-
martre and each took a solemn vow to go to the holy
land and preach the gospel to the infidels. He instructed
74
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
They took vows of perpetual chastity and pov-
his disciples that if any one should ask them what
religion they professed, to answer that they belonged
to the Society of Jesus, since they were Christ's sol-
diers.
erty and also of unquestioning obedience to their supe-
rior, and set forth as a militant order for evangeliza-
tion. So it came about that this organization was
especially adapted to the work of carrying forward
missionary enterprises among heathen nations.
The attention of the superior of the order was soon
attracted to the opportunities which were open to the
members in New France. Henry de Levy, the gov-
ernor of the colony, highly approved the order, and
in 1625 brought over five missionaries at his own
expense. Breboeuf, Lallement and Masse were among
the best known of them. Following soon after came
Fathers Le Jeune, de Noue, Daniel, Davost, Gamier,
Jogues, Raymbault and others. Their first great task
was to learn the language of the savages, and this
could only be accomplished by living among them.
Accordingly they plunged into the forest, and sharing
the life of the wandering natives performed their holy
offices as circumstances permitted. Unfortunately the
harsh rivalries among the different tribes ground the
inoffensive missionaries as between the upper and the
nether millstones.
The case of Father Jogues is an illustration. Men-
tion has been already made of the fact that Jogues and
Raymbault established a mission among the Hurons at
Sault Ste Marie in 1641. In the following spring
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 75
Jogues left the mission to go to Quebec to procure
clothing and other necessaries. About mid-summer he
set out upon his return. In the party were a number of
Indian traders who were returning with the proceeds
of their bargains with the Quebec merchants. Beside
the missionaries were two young laymen attached to the
mission. There were twelve canoes, the Frenchmen
occupying the leading one while the Hurons straggled
along behind. While they were proceeding up the
river in a spot thickly studded with islands, they were
suddenly attacked on all sides by a band of Iroquois who
were lying in wait for them and who swarmed out
upon the river with war-whoops and shooting. The
Hurons leaped ashore and fled in a panic, leaving their
baggage and weapons. The Frenchmen stood their
ground and were speedily overpowered. Jogues was
knocked down and beaten with war clubs until uncon-
scious. The savages stripped off his clothing, and
reviving him gnawed his fingers to the bone. A number
of the Hurons were captured and the whole party
started southward, going through Lakes Champlain
and George to the Mohawk villages. The captives were
tortured to make sport for the savages. Jogues was
clubbed, his hands and body mangled. He was stretched
upon the ground, his legs and arms extended, and his
ankles and wrists tied to stakes. Coals of fire were
dropped upon his naked body. As his wounds began
to heal they were nightly torn open afresh by the
women and children, who took great delight in the
torture. Several of the Huron captives were roasted
76
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
with slow fire at the stake and Jogues expected that his
turn would soon come. The savages seemed constantly
to devise new ways of physical torture, and when the
good priest fainted from pain and exhaustion, they care-
fully resuscitated him for further indignities. He bore
it all without flinching or murmuring, and never failed
when the opportuity offered to baptize infants and
administer his holy office to the dying. His two French
companions were brained with tomahawks and Jogues
momentarily expected to share their fate.
The
sum-
mer wore on and the cold of winter made his suffer-
ings even more intense. Famishing from hunger and
scantily clad he was made a slave to do the menial
work of the camp.
He
was
held
in captivity in
this
fashion for more than a year when he finally escaped, go
ing on board a Dutch vessel on the Hudson. The In-
dians were furious when they discovered his escape, and
to pacify them the Dutch paid a large ransom. He after-
ward returned to France and presented himself to his
superior, greatly to the astonishment of the latter who
supposed him dead. The pope by special dispensation
gave him the right to say mass in spite of the defor-
mities of body inflicted by the teeth and knives of the
savages.
*
Jogues* companion, Raymbault, remained at Sault Ste
Marie where the mission was continued with more or
less success until his death in 1642. Afterward it was
abandoned for a time until it was again revived
♦Parkman. Jesuits in North America. Boston, 1868.
JAMES MARQUETTE
1
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 77
Allouez in 1666. Hither came also Dablon and Mar-
quette. The latter established the mission at St. Ignace,
which was some years afterward transferred to the
south side of the strait near the locality now known as
Mackinaw City. Marest and de Carheil were stationed
here, but the mission was finally abandoned by the
Jesuits in 1707.
The government placed military commandants at
Sault Ste Marie and Michilimackinac. The fur trade
carried on at these posts brought to them a great num-
ber of traders, as well as supernumeraries and Indians.
The presence of an armed force was necessary to pre-
serve order and to hold the natives in subjection. In
1694 de la Motte Cadillac was appointed to the com-
mand at Michilimackinac, and he had supervision over
all the surrounding country. Writing from here to the
governor-general under date of August 3, 1695,
he says: This village is one of the largest in all Can-
ada. There is a fine fort of pickets, and sixty houses that
form a street in a straight line. There is a garrison of
well-disciplined, chosen soldiers, consisting of about
two hundred men, besides many others who are resi-
dents here during two or three months in the year. The
houses are arranged along the shore of this great Lake
Huron, and fish and smoked meats constitute the prin-
cipal food of the inhabitants, so that a drink of brandy
after the repast seems necessary to cook the billious
meats and the crudities which they leave in the stom-
ach. The air is penetrating and corrosive and without
the brandy that they use in the morning, sickness would
78
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
»
be much more frequent. The villages of the savages
in which there are six or seven thousand souls, are about
a pistol shot distant from ours. All the lands are
cleared for about three leagues around their village
and perfectly well cultivated. They produce a sufficient
quantity of Indian corn for the use of both the French
and the savage inhabitants. The question is, then,
what reason can there be for this prohibition of intoxi-
cating drinks in regard to the French who are here now.
Are they not subjects of the king, even as others? In
what country, then, or in what land, until now, have
they taken from the French the right to use brandy,
provided they did not become disorderly."*
appears that the traders had brought into the
country great quantities of brandy which they sold indis-
criminately to the natives who were rendered disorderly
and miserable by its use. The Jesuit missionaries had
made energetic remonstrances against thus debauching
their converts, and demoralizing the red men generally.
They had brought the subject so effectively to the atten-
tion of the home government that the traffic in brandy
had been absolutely prohibited. As it appears, Cadil-
lac did not approve this measure. The real ground
of his objection seems to have been that it was driving
■
away trade.
In the same letter he says the chiefs and a large num-
ber of the inhabitants assembled and addressed him as
follows : "
Chief, what evil have thy children done
to thee that thou shouldst treat them so badily ? Those
♦Sheldon. Early History of Michigan. N. Y., 1856
/
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 79
that came before thee were not so severe upon us.
is not to quarrel with thee that we come here ; it is only
to know for what reason thou wishest to prevent us
from drinking brandy. Thou shouldst look upon us
as thy friends and the brothers of the French, or else
as thy enemies. If we are thy friends, leave us the
liberty of drinking; our beaver is worth thy brandy
the Master of Life gave us both, to make us
happy. If thou wish to treat us as thy enemies, do not
be angry if we carry our beaver to Orange (Albany)
or to Cortland, where they will give us brandy as much
as we want." Cadillac says he told his chiefs that the
cause of the shortage of brandy was the failure of the
fruit crop, as their own grain crop had failed the pre-
vious year, and that this state of things would not likely
happen again.
The liquor question proved to be a most distressing
cause of friction between the missionaries and the com-
mandants. De Carheil knocked in the heads of sundry
barrels of brandy and spilled the precious fluid on the
ground, which conduct resulted in a violent quarrel
between him and Cadillac — an exceedingly irritating
state of affairs. There were also other sources of dis-
agreement. The missionaries were solely intent upon
fostering the growth of Christianity and looked with no
satisfaction upon anything tending to retard it. In their
view, the savages should be left undisturbed in the rela-
tions to which he had been accustomed from time
immemorial. They did not consider it part of their duty
to change his mode of life, to teach him agriculture or
8o
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the useful arts, or to separate him from anything except
idolatry. They believed that christnaity could have
better sway in the mind and heart of the native if he
were left free to perpetuate his race in its natural
environment than under the artificial restraint of civili-
zation which would require a complete transformation
of his nature.
The secular interests did not accept this view.
The
ultimate extinction of the savage races was not then
contemplated, or even dreamed of. But it was the
opinion of the most astute of those who were face
to face with the problem that it was absolutely necessary
to break up the tribal coalitions and to compel the sav-
ages to dwell peacefully near the European settlements,
and to settle down to a domestic and agricultural life.
So we cannot wonder that the great colonizers did not
look with favor upon the Jesuits and that the latter
had distinct aversion to all colonizing schemes.
There was another element of discord. The Iroquois
were the most belligerent of all the savages
They
were in a chronic state of warfare, particularly with
the Hurons, whom they had pursued and slaughtered
with relentless fury. It was the belief of the French
that these forays and this vindictive feeling were
encouraged and fostered by the English, who were in
quite close relations with the Iroquois. Therefore it
seemed good policy on the part of the French to unite
all the opposing tribes and to establish them as far
southward as possible, to act as a buffer for the protec-
tion of the French interests in northern Michigan. The
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 8 I
Jesuits had been active in missionary work among the
Iroquois and were in friendly relations with them. In
consequence they opposed the schemes of government
as related to these southern posts as tending to bring
forward the very state of things which it was hoped to
avoid. Here again the missionaries found themselves
out of sympathy with the officials of the province.
When Cadillac came west to found his colony at
Detroit he was accompanied by only one Jesuit, Father
Vaillant, and he remained less than a day. Constantine
del Halle, a Franciscan, came to Detroit as almoner
to the king's troops, and he continued in charge at the
post until he was murdered by the Indians in 1706. His
successors were La Marche and Deniau, Recollets.
These were followed by priests of the same order until
1782.
So it transpired that the Jesuits who struggled for
more than fifty years in the wilderness with the great
problem of christianizing the savages had ultimately
very small results, so far as permanently shaping the
course of human events, to show for all their efforts.
Their triumphs were destined to disappear with the sav-
age tribes themselves. But saying this we do not by
any means wish to detract from the honor which is due
to their sincerity, their earnestness and to their unflinch-
ing devotion to the cause in which they were enlisted.
1-6
■•
•
CHAPTER
The Savages and Their Inter-tribal Wars
'
>
'
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'
.
T the beginning of the historical epoch
the Indian race occupying the widest
extent of territory in North America
was the Algonquin. It spread over
the entire country east of the Mississippi
river, from the line of the Kentucky river and Chesa-
peake bay as far north as Hudson's bay and westward
beyond Lake Winnepeg. In the midst of this great
race was the family known as the Iroquois, or later as
the Five Nations. It is understood that the Iroquois
were ethnologically of Algonquin stock. This family
was composed of three main divisions — the Wyandots
or Hurons, the Iroquois and the Monocans. The first
named ranged through the northernmost territory above
described. The Iroquois occupied the country extend-
ing through western Pennsylvania from the Alleghanies
to near the western limit of Ohio, western New York,
the whole of the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario region,
the St. Lawrence region from the neighborhood of
Montreal westward to the northern reaches of Geor-
gian bay.
The Iroquois were the most intelligent of all the sav-
ages. They had the astuteness to organize a confed-
eracy and to preserve its autonomy. They possessed
great mental and physical vigor. They fomented discord
among their weaker neighbors; they prosecuted great
wars against rival combinations and they terrorized the
tribes of half the continent.
Westward of the great Algonquin race were the Da-
kotas or Sioux, a race of warlike and savage nature,
85
86
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
spreading over a vast extent of country from the Missis-
sippi to the Rocky mountains. They touched the shores
of Lake Michigan in northern Wisconsin, and the point
of contact with the alien Algonquin was a storm center
of conflict and bloodshed. Their direct influence upon
the latter tribes was small, except in the way of watchful-
ness and hurried migrations to avoid unpleasantness.
These great races were divided into many groups of
tribes and these again were subdivided into almost in-
numerable families. The names which they gave them-
selves and the names given to them by the French some-
times lead to confusion of idenity. Thus the tribes which
called themselves Wyandots were called by the French
Hurons and the latter name is commonly used. One of
the subdivisions of this group was that known as Ojib-
was or Chippewas. Their hereditary seat was at Sault
Ste Marie and from this circumstance the French named
them Saulteurs. This tribe, with the Ottawas, ceded
Michilimackinac and certain dependencies, which cession
forms the basis of titles in that section of the state,
should be borne in mind that these tribes were usually
moving about from one place to another. While they
might, and actually did, dwell for a greater or less per-
iod in some particular locality or region, there was noth-
ing very permanent in their residence. Their claim ap-
plied to the place where they dwelt when the European
came into contact with them
the
f that
claim was good for their release of it only. Fortuntely
for the white man, it was not likely to be disputed.
From our first knowledge of affairs here there was
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 87
war on between the Hurons and the Iroquois. The lat-
ter finally drove their foes out of the St. Lawrence re-
gion. They even pursued them to the northern lake
regions and slaughtered them with relentless fury. Liv-
ing upon the Manitoulin Islands, a range of islands of
considerable extent stretching between Georgian bay and
Lake Huron proper, were the Ottawas who later had
their home at Michilimackinac and at Point St. Ignace.
These two tribes were the common foes of the Iroquois.
They were fairly well matched in respect to intelligence,
physical vigor, courage and resources. There was no
great disparity in numbers. But there was a certain
bearing of personal pride and self-reliance in the Iro-
quois, and a spirit which never quailed in the face of dis-
aster. His instincts were those of the genuine savage.
In small or large parties they invaded the country of the
Hurons, scalping squaws in the cornfields, surprising
the villages at midnight, tomahawking the sleeping
inhabitants and burning the wigwams. They were untir-
ing in the purpose to annihilate their opponents. They
*
did not hesitate to accomplish by treachery any end not
to be attained otherwise.
The Jesuit, Lallemant, relates an incident which
shows the characteristics of these savages. In 1638 a
war party of a hundred Iroquois met three times their
number of Hurons and Ottawas in the forest. They
might have retreated, but instead gave battle. They
were overpowered and those not slaughtered were taken
prisoners. These were distributed among the Huron
villages to be tortured for the edification of their captors.
88
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
The ceremonies were performed at night and the victim
was usually placed on a scaffold to be burned alive,
was thought to be unlucky if no cry of pain escaped from
the sufferer. An Iroquois warrior being thus tortured
showed such fortitude as to amaze the spectators. When
they
thought him nearly exhausted his tormenters
scalped him. Thereupon he leaped up and snatching the
blazing brands he drove the crowd from the scaffold,
when by accident he fell to the ground below.
They
seized him and threw him into the fire. Again he leaped
out and rushed upon his adversaries with a blazing
brand in each hand. He was tripped and as he fell the
crowd jumped upon him, cut off his hands and feet and
again threw him into the fire. He rolled himself out and
crawled forward on his elbows and knees as if to assault
them again, whereupon they cut off his head. Incidents
of torture of this character were not rare. Women and
children were among the spectators on such occasions.
Women were sometimes the victims. The warriors at
times showed themselves cannibals, roasting and eating
their captives, in the belief that in consuming the flesh of
those who had shown great bravery in battle they were
thereby sharing the brave spirit which once inhabited it.
There was another tribe of considerable importance
called the Assegun or Bone Indians, living on the south
shore of the Upper Peninsula from St. Ignace north-
ward. There are said to be still visible a short distance
from St. Ignace mounds and earthworks of these abor-
igines. This tribe trespassed on the territory of the Ot-
tawas on the Manitoulins and a war was the result.
In
)
INDIAN CLAY VESSEL
INDIAN WAR IMPLEMENTS
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 89
this contest the Chippewas were allied with the Ottawas
and a great battle was fought near Detour, where the
Asseguns were completely vanquished. They were pur-
sued by the victorious tribes and were driven westward,
finally crossing the strait and sitting down near old Fort
Mackinaw on the south shore, where they established
their village. But peace with their neighbors, the Ot-
tawas who occupied the other side of the strait, did not
last long. Some encroachments gave excuse for renewed
hostilities. The Ottawas and Chippewas gathered their
forces and crossing over the strait, surprised and at-
tacked the Asseguns in their new village and a terrible
massacre followed. The latter were again routed and
fled southward, following the eastern shore of Lake
Michigan as far southward as the south bank of the
Washtenaw, called by the French the Grand river.
Here pursuit stopped and the Ottawas retired to St.
Ignace. The Chippewas, who had been their confed-
erates in this war, remained in the Lower Peninsula,
however, and settled about Grand Traverse bay, where
a remnant of them still exists.*
appears that in these wars of the Ottawas and
Chippewas against the Asseguns the latter had as con-
federates a tribe from the Wisconsin shore called Mas-
coutins. This tribe is alluded to occasionally by the
missionaries in their relations. It does not appear to
have been a very numerous or powerful tribe and is
believed to have been only a family of the Kickapoos,
♦Schoolcraft. Information respecting history of the Indian
races of the United States. Philadelphia, i860.
go
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
with whom it was in all probability absorbed later on.
The Asseguns seem to have disappeared from this penin-
sula at an early day. Writers on the subject profess to
find in the name of Osages, given by the French to a
western tribe, sufficient similarity to show that they may
have been the same.
The Miamis inhabited the Michigan lake shore
region in the vicinity of the St. Joseph river and thence
through southern Michigan and northern Ohio to Lake
Erie. The bands who dwelt on the shore of Lake Mich-
igan were called Michigamies. Charlevoix expresses
the belief that the Miamis and the Illinois were at one
time the same, which opinion he derives from the
similarity of their language, their customs and their
mode of life. These people were for the most part
harmless and inoffensive. They cultivated lands and
dwelt in villages, never migrating far unless disturbed
by
invasion
>
and seldom inclined to go on the war
path, except to repel hostilities. They took kindly to
the missionaries who came among them. Many embraced
the Christian faith and adhered to it with sincerity.
The Pottawatomies were a tribe of somewhat similar
characteristics and mode of life who dwelt in south-
eastern Michigan, as the Miamis dwelt in the south-
western part of the state. The former had their vil-
lages along the Detroit river and as far north as the
outlet of Lake Huron or beyond. In the same direc-
tion and beyond them were the Sauks or Saginas. The
Pottawatomies were allies of the French against the
Iroquois and were ultimately driven westward by the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 9 1
latter. They dwelt for a time in Wisconsin. Later on
they removed still further westward and were provided
by the government with homes in the Indian Territory.
They were a comparatively peaceful tribe, honest, indus-
trious and frugal. They turned their attention easily to
agricultural pursuits, acquired property and became
good civilized citizens. A number of them are still
living in Central Michigan and bear these character-
istics.
The tribe occupying the north shore of Lake Erie and
the Canadian peninsula between Lakes Erie and Huron
was known as the Tobacco or Neutral Nation. The
former name was given them because they were accus-
tomed to raise tobacco which they produced in consider-
able quantities and which they supplied to their sur-
rounding neighbors. The latter name they acquired
because in the long and bloody conflicts between the
Iroquois and the Hurons they declined to take sides and
held themselves strictly neutral. They were of Huron
stock and allied in blood and interests with the tribes
of that nation. But they were more inclined to indus-
trial pursuits and less to war. So they gave asylum to
all sorts and conditions of red men and white and held
aloof from savage strife. It is somewhat remarkable
that their neutrality was observed by the contending
forces on either side of them, and that they were
permitted to live in peace. The tribe itself took good
care to enforce its neutrality among its own people and
to impress it upon its neighbors. This shows in some
degree the strength of Indian character.
92
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
The following from the pen of Gen. Lewis Cass in
:
1825 gives
the
views
of
a
careful and intelligent
observer who had enjoyed ample opportunity for study
and personal observation: "From Hudson's bay to
Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Rocky mountains,
the country was possessed by numerous petty tribes,
resembling each other in their general features, and
separated into independent communities, always in a
state of alarm and suspicion and generally on terms of
open hostility. These people were in the rudest state
of society, wandering from place to place, without sci-
ence, without arts, metalic instruments, or domestic ani-
mals ; raising a little corn by the labor of their women,
with the clam-shell or the scapula of a buffalo, devour-
ing it with savage improvidence and subsisting during
the remainder of the year on the precarious supply fur-
nished by the chase or by fishing.
They
were
thinly
scattered over an immense extent of country, fixing
their summer residence upon some little spot of fertile
land and roaming with their families and their mat or
skin houses through the forest in pursuit of the animals
necessary for food and clothing.
"Of the external habits of the Indians, if we may so
speak, we have the most ample details. Their wars,
their amusements, their hunting, and the more prom-
inent facts connected with their occupations and condi-
tion, have been described with great prolixity and doubt-
less with much fidelity by a host of persons whose oppor-
tunities for observation and whose qualifications for
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 93
description have been as different as the places and the
eras in which they have written.
"The constitution of Indian society and the ties by
which they are kept together furnish a paradox which
has never received the explanation it requires. We say
they have no government, and they have none whose
operation is felt, either in reward or punishment; and
yet their lives and property are preserved and their
political relations among themselves and with other
tribes are duly preserved. Have they then no passions
to excite them to deeds of violence, or have they discov-
ered and reduced to practice some unknown principle of
action in human nature equally efficacious as the two
great principles of hope and fear, upon which all other
governments have heretofore rested? Why does an
Indian who has been guilty of murder tranquilly fold his
blanket about his head, and seating himself upon the
ground await the retributive stroke from the relation
of the deceased. A white man under similar circum
stances would flee or resist; and we can conceive o
motive which would induce him to such sacrifice.
"But of the moral character and feelings of the
Indians, of their mental discipline, of their peculiar
opinions, mythological and religious, and of all that is
most valuable to man in the history of man we are
about as ignorant as when Jacques Cartier first ascended
the St. Lawrence."
9
• .
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.
CHAPTER VI
The Fur Trade and its Importance
I
•
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1
.
•
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■
T did not take the men who came over to New
France long to discover the commercial possi-
bilities of the fur business. The Spaniard and
the Portugese were infatuated by the prospect
of unearthing gold and precious gems. The
Frenchman and the Englishman found vastly greater
wealth in the humble wild animals which roamed the
primitive forests. These had for the most part been
left free to multiply in a state of nature. The modest
wants of the red man in the way of food and clothing
were easily met. Beyond these he did not care to go
and never killed for the sake of killing, except when
it came to his own species.
The animals of North America produced the finest
furs in the world. The climate of the northernmost
sections was adapted to the growth and development of
these animals under the most perfect conditions. The
beaver, silver fox, red fox, wolverine, fisher, mink,
otter, lynx, black bear, wolf and others were found in
vast numbers. Their skins had ready sale in all the
centers of wealth and fashion, the world over. They
were used for muffs, boas, capes, robes, trimmings, etc.,
and many a noble princess was proud to adorn her per-
son with the furs brought over seas from the far inte-
rior of America. We can little appreciate in these days
when so many interests of large importance enter into
the commercial affairs of the world, how great was the
single traffic in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
occupied the attention and the capital of men of
means and influence. Companies were formed to exploit
1-7
97
98
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the trade, and ultimately these accumulated enormous
wealth, exercised imperial authority over extended ter-
ritory, and controlled the means of subsistence and the
destinies of great numbers of people.
In its infancy the traffic in furs was confined to the
few adventurers who came over with Carrier, Roberval,
Champlain, and the early explorers. These saw the
beauty and the value of the furs and knowing well that
they were readily marketable in the old world stimulated
the Indians to bring them in from the forests. The
natives had no conception whatever of their intrinsic
value and parted with them for a handfull of glass
beads of assorted colors. Trinkets of no worth what-
ever and which cost their owners little beyond freight to
this country answered every purpose for exchange.
Powder and shot, brandy and rum, were quoted high in
the barter. The profits of this business soon came to the
ears of the people in France and great numbers of
young men set out to make their fortunes in the new
world. These were adventurous spirits who had little
anything to tie them to their old homes. Arriving
in America, they did not wait for the Indians to bring
in the peltries, but plunged boldly into the forests to
dicker with the native at close range. Thousands of
such in the course of years swarmed through the woods
or paddled their canoes through the lakes and streams.
They learned the Indian's language, they adopted his
mode of life. They married squaws and reared innu-
merable progeny. They shared the life of the native in
all respects, except that they did not join in the war raids
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 99
but gave their undivided attention to hunting and mar-
keting their peltries. These were the coureurs de bois,
or wood rangers. They became to all intents and pur-
poses more Indian than white man. They were of a
happy-go-lucky disposition, entirely beyond the restraints
of civilization, with morals somewhat below par and an
unquenchable thirst for strong drink.
La Hontan writing from Montreal in 1684 says:
"The merchants are the only persons that make money
here; for the savages that frequent the great lakes
come down hither almost every year with a prodigious
quantity of beaver skins to be given in exchange for
arms, kettles, axes, knives, and a thousand such things,
upon which the merchant clears two hundred per cent.
The peddlers, called the coureurs de bois, export from
hence every year several canoes full of merchandise
which they dispose of among all the savage nations by
way of exchange for beaver skins. Seven or eight days
ago I saw twenty-five or thirty of these canoes return
with heavy cargoes. Each canoe was managed by two
or three men and carried twenty hundred weight, or
forty packs, of beaver skins, worth a hundred crowns
apiece. These canoes had been a year or eighteen
months out. You would be amazed if you saw how
lewd these peddlers are when they return; how they
feast and game and how prodigal they are, not only
in clothes but upon women. They lavish, eat, drink, and
play all away as long as the goods hold out, and when
these are gone they even sell their embroidery, their
lace and their clothes. This done, they are forced to
IOO MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
go upon a new voyage for subsistence. " The same
writer describes the arrival of the savages with cargoes
of furs which they exchange with the merchants for
such articles as enumerated above. It is a sort of fair
■
in which the savages are ceremoniously received by the
governor-general, after which they display the products
of the chase and traffic with the merchants. He relates
the restrictions placed upon the sale of liquor to the
savages, which restrictions are by no means observed.
When drunk the Indians were quarrelsome and danger-
ous, not only among themselves, but were also a terror
to the town.
When it was first discovered that there was abundance
of peltries which had a marketable value, the savages
thus brought them to the town to be disposed of. Later
the coureurs de hois scoured the wilderness and bartered
with the savages at their various points of rendezvous.
The savages had no appreciation of the value of the
skins which they bartered. They gladly exchanged them
for the glittering trinkets which they thought of enor-
mous worth. Thus the Indian was cheated outrage-
ously, though he believed himself getting the best of the
bargain. Each party to the transaction had supreme
contempt for the other, because he considered that which
he was parting with of only trifling worth, while that
which he was getting in exchange of exceedingly great
value. When it became known that there were such
enormous profits in the business, the authorities sought
to control and restrict it by imposing regulations
which diverted a part of the profits to the officials at
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE IOI
the head of affairs. This took the form of a license
without which no one was permitted to engage in the
trade. These licenses in printed form were granted to
gentlemen of political influence, retired officers or their
widows. In the case of the last mentioned who could
not personally make use of them, they were permitted
to sell the license. The merchants were the purchasers
and they in turn employed the coureurs de bois in the
quality of agents. So there came to be traffic in licenses,
as well as in furs. The officials issuing the licenses and
the holders of the same all the way down the line shared
in the profits of the transaction, and so the matter soon
became little short of scandalous.
The number of licenses granted in any one year was
supposed to be limited to twenty-five, but as a matter of
fact there was no limit, and private licenses were issued
equal to the full demand. All persons were forbidden
to engage in the traffic without a license under penalty
of death. The price of a license was six hundred crowns
and it permitted the lading of two canoes only with
supplies for barter. The operations were practically in
the hands of the coureurs de bois and these gentry
showed no conscience in their dealings with the savages,
but cheated them outrageously. Their two canoe loads
of trinkets bought four or five canoe loads of beaver
skins, and the profits were distributed in such way as
to satisfy all, the merchant who had supplied the cap-
tal taking, of course, the lion's share. There was also
much clandestine dealing in furs. Unauthorized per-
were constantly going up and down the land and
'
102 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
when they saw a good opportunity for a bargain they
did not let it slip through their fingers for lack of a
royal commission. There were ways of covering up
these illicit transactions, and it is more than hinted that
persons high in authority had been known to wink at
■
dealings that were somewhat shady.
The prices of beaver skins were fixed at the office of
the Farmers General, the Company of the Hundred
Associates organized to handle the affairs of the colony.
If the furs were sold at that office the payment was in
exchange upon Paris or Rochelle; if sold to a private
dealer, payment was in the currency of the country,
which was greatly depreciated.
Here
again was a
source of profit for the middleman who was ready to
take advantage of the possessor of peltries who could
not show a clear title to them.
There was a vast amount of intriguing, political and
otherwise, which at bottom was chargeable to the fur
traffic. The small jealousies and rivalries of officials of
greater or less degree often had their source in the deal-
ings with those concerned in the trade or the profits
which came out of it into their private purses. Even
the royal court at Versailles was not wholly free from
the influence, and governors or commandants were sent
out or recalled through the manipulations of the fur
interests. As the importance of the matter came to be
developed and to be better understood the atmosphere
was cleared somewhat and a more satisfactory state of
■
things resulted.
Military posts were established at Sault Ste Marie,
<
u
o
CO
<
<
W
Ln
O
PL.
<
\
I
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE IO3
Michilimackinac and at other points which were cen-
ters of the hunting industry and convenient of access
from every direction. At these remote points the sav-
ages gathered at certain seasons, as they had previously
flocked to Quebec and Montreal, to sell the furs an
buy their supplies of trinkets and tools, guns and pow-
der, and last but not least, to imbibe freely of brandy.
The presence of a military force naturally exercised a
restraining influence. The conreurs de bois were held in
check, the good behavior of the savages was looked
after, and illicit trading in furs was suppressed, so far
as practicable. This trade had fallen into better hands.
Able and respectable men retired from the army, prose-
cuted the trade, either personally or through their
licensees, and gave it character. It was also more syste-
matically followed and extended and came to be recog-
nized for the time as a most astonishing example of
commercial enterprise.
will be noted that the region of the great lakes
was the source of supply from a very early day. The
woods of Michigan were literally alive with animals
whose furs were of the highest value in the market
Beavers were very abundant and the beaver's fur was
the choicest of all. Some of the most highly prized
of the fur bearing animals, such as the beaver, otter,
fisher, mink, lived upon fish and the lakes and streams
of both peninsulas swarmed with their food supply.
The fox, wolverine, lynx and black bear in vast numbers
roamed the forests. These facts account for the early
establishment at Sault Ste Marie and Michilimackinac
104 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
inac:
of depots for the traffic in peltries. Those points were
convenient of access from all directions, by canoe as
well as overland. The latter was also the rallying point
or headquarters for various expeditions fitted out for
further westward exploration. It was called "The Key
of the Northwest" and to it from every side adven-
turous travelers gathered; it was a great rendezvous.
Long who visited the country as recently as 1768 and
wrote an account of his travels, says of Michilimack-
"It is perhaps the most material of all the bar-
riers, and of the greatest importance to the commer-
cial interest of this country, as it intercepts all the trade
of the Indians of the upper country from Hudson's bay
to Lake Superior, and affords protection to various
tribes of savages, who constantly resort to it to receive
presents from the commanding officer, and from whence
the traders who go to the northwest take their departure
for the grand portage, or grand carrying place, before
they enter on the waters communicating with the north-
west."*
The route of travel between Quebec, Montreal and
this westernmost post was by way of the Ottawa river,
thence crossing over to Lake Nipissing and thence down
French river to Lake Huron. A glance at the map will
show that this is the shortest possible distance, being
almost a direct line. Aside from this fact it possessed
several advantages, although it compelled a portage of
*The grand portage was at the northwest of Lake Superior, from
a point afterward known as Fort William toward Lake of the
Woods.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 105
some length. It was the ancient Indian route of travel
from time immemorial. It avoided the numerous rapids
and cascades of the St. Lawrence above Montreal,
which Cartier had found so troublesome. It was wholly
within the country of friendly tribes and gave a wide
berth to the blood-thirsty Iroquois" who infested the
shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie and the Niagara
frontier. The Ottawa route involved many portages,
that river being broken by numerous rapids, but they
were for the most part short and easy. The light canoes
were carried by hand and the packages of furs and mer-
chandise were transported on the backs of the natives.
The long portage, so called, was from Lake Nipissing
to the head tributaries of the Ottawa and was some five
or six miles in length and extremely rough and rocky.
Algonquin villages were found at the terminals and here
labor could be employed for the carrying of burdens. In
the primitive times this was the best that could be done.
In spite of the inconvenience of it a vast amount of bus-
iness was done. All the traffic between Montreal and
the upper lake region passed this way, as well as that
originating in or destined for the uttermost regions of
the sources of the Mississippi and the trading posts of
Hudson's bay.
1
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•
1
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CHAPTER VII
First French Attempts at Colonization
.
•
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/
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•
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.
*
.
HE motives and methods of colonization
of New France were greatly different
from those of New England. The cli-
mate and the face of the country had
something to do with the matter, but
most of all the national characteristics of the two peo-
ples. The Puritans came over to escape from intoler-
able conditions and to establish themselves in permanent
homes. They cut themselves loose from mother coun-
try; they organized their new commonwealth under
charters granted by the crown, and with the wide
stretch of the Atlantic between them and royal preroga-
tives they proceeded to do pretty much as they pleased.
In religion they were Non-Conformists, but they did not
tolerate Quakers nor Schismatics. The French seemed
to be imbued with a holy zeal to proselyte the savages
of the whole continent. They did not permit Protestants
to enter the country under their control. Missionaries,
explorers, adventurers came in their order, but none
of these were expected to stay very long. The ship
which brought them over was quite likely to take them
back later in the season or in the following year, at the
latest. The climate proved to be quite inhospitable.
The soil was not productive, and they were not farmers,
anyway. The Indians were none too friendly, especially
the Iroquois who cherished a deadly feud against all out-
side barbarians. Shabby-genteel aristocrats who found
poor pickings at home were inclined to try their luck in
the new world, but they had not the stamina, either
moral or physical, of their neighbors of New England.
109
IIO MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
They came as adventurers and they dickered with the
savages far peltries, but they had no thought of a per-
manent residence here or of organizing such conditions
in this new land as would make it an attractive or a
desirable home. In short, they had little interest in the
country.
The first permanent settlement was made in 1603 by
Champlain whose inclination did not lead him to take
much interest in commerce and whose sentiments were
liberal and looked toward the public welfare. The
French king having desired him to found a settlement,
he chose the promontory of Quebec and here he erected
some huts for his followers and proceeded to clear the
land of timber. They planted rye and wheat which
seemed to thrive, but the vines which they imported
showed signs of great discouragement, on account of
the long duration and severity of the cold. Champlain
spent the year in exploration of the neighboring coun-
try and then returned to France, leaving his infant col-
ony in charge of Pierre Chauvin. He gave to his
sovereign a particular description of what had been
done, which was well received, and he was encouraged
to recruit additional colonists to accompany him on his
return to this country. He found the settlement at
Quebec in a prosperous state. In the meantime he had
succeeded in interesting a number of wealthy and influ-
ential persons in the colony and a company was formed
to take charge of the French possessions in Canada. The
views of the company were purely commercial and, of
course, all affairs were managed with reference to those
•
■
' **
>',.
m
m
**{*■)
i
i '
< ■
■
■
<
;-*r
■■* # ufc*
■ ■
■■■
...
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
V
■
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE III
views. In spite of all efforts the colony did not grow.
is said that in 1622 the total population amounted
to no more than fifty persons, including women and
children. The management of the affairs of the com-
pany proved to be so bad that, upon the advice of Cham-
plain, the king superseded it.
Cardinal Richelieu conceived the plan of placing the
commerce of New France in the hands of a new com-
pany to be formed of some of the best people of France,
and which was ultimately known as the Company of a
Hundred Associates. This company agreed to send
over within a year three hundred workmen of trades
of every description, and within twenty years to increase
the number of inhabitants to six thousand, to lodge and
feed and supply them with every necessary of life for
the space of three years, and to concede them after-
ward as much cleared land as was requisite for their
subsistence, and likewise to supply them with seed grain.
In return for these agreements the king conferred on the
company and their successors forever the fort and set-
tlement of Quebec, all the territory of New France,
including Florida, all the course of the great river (Mis-
sissippi) and of other rivers which discharge themselves
thereinto, or which throughout this vast extent of coun-
try disembogue themselves into the sea on the eastern or
western extremity of the continent ; also, islands, harbors,
mines and right of fishing. The king reserved to himself
the supremacy of the faith and homage, the appointment
of officers of justice, the nomination of all captains and
commandants of forts. The privilege of traffic in skins
•
/
112 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
and furs was conferred for fifteen years, provided that
the European inhabitants who were neither maintained
nor paid at the company's expense might freely carry
on the fur trade with the savages on the condition that
■
they should sell the beaver skins to the agents of the
company only, who should pay therefor a certain speci-
fied minimum price. This charter was granted by Louis
XIII
in
1627.
should be said that although the company under-
took in apparent good faith to send over settlers and
supplies it met with obstacles and misfortunes from the
very outset. Some of their ships were driven out of
their course by gales and wrecked upon an inhospita-
ble coast. Others were attacked and captured by the
English who took possession of Quebec itself. After
some hesitancy on the part of the French court on the
question of expediency of trying to go on with the
colony or abandon it altogether, and an expression of
willingness on the part of the English to retire from
the country, the French king, guided by the advice of
Champlain, decided that it was worth while to maintain
his foothold in the new world.
*
By so narrow a margin was the fate of this vast
region of country preserved to France. The rights of
the company of New France were restored, Champlain
was
ppointed g
a
fresh
ffort
was
made
to bring over colonists. The interest in missionary affairs
and the establishment of the Jesuits in the country also
had a tendency to attract some immigrants. But the
company apparently had very little concern for the
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 1 3
colony as such, being almost wholly absorbed in the
profits to be gained from the fur trade. Montmagny
succeeded to the governorship after the death of Cham-
plain, and although he shared the views and qualities
of his predecessor, he lacked both men and means, and
had but ill support from the company or the court.
Small settlements had been previously established at
Three Rivers and at Montreal, but they numbered only
a few huts and were in a languishing condition. The
Sulpitians having decided to give attention to mission-
ary efforts in this country, the French king assigned to
them the whole island of Montreal and there they set
up their principal establishment. This fact drew other
settlers to the locality and Sieur Maisonneuve was
invested with its government. A fort was constructed
at the mouth of the Sorel to protect the infant settle-
ment from the Iroquois who proved to be most pesti-
ferous neighbors. The Hurons who were peaceably dis-
posed and easily tractable to religious instruction gath-
ered about the new settlement and the village of St.
Joseph became the center of quite a colony of them. But
the Iroquois could not long refrain from hostile demon-
strations. In 1649 a band of those warriors suddenly
descended upon the village, burnt and destroyed every-
thing and put the missionaries to death.
The Hurons being thus dispersed, a plan was formed
for re-uniting them in some more favorable location.
The island of Manitoulin at the north end of Lake
Huron was chosen for the purpose and hither the scat-
tered tribes were glad to make their way. The mission-
1-8
I 14 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
aries also moved into this region and ministered to the
religious wants of their proteges, many of whom had
been converted to Christianity during their residence near
Quebec and Montreal.
■
Meanwhile the colonies languished.
The
company
gave little or no attention beyond the fur traffic in which
lay apparently its sole interest. Harrassed by Indian
raids, often on the verge of starvation, exposed to the
rigors of a harsh climate, the settlers found themselves
in truly desperate straits. Finally in 1662 the governor
and all the people wrote to the king beseeching him in
the strongest terms to take the colony under his pro-
tection. The king was much surprised to learn that the
country had so suffered from neglect. He sent a special
commissioner to Canada to observe and report and also
four hundred of his troops to reinforce the garrisons
and exposed posts. These things raised high hopes,
which were still further encouraged by the arrival of
supplies.
The Company of the Hundred Associates having
tired of its responsibilities and being reduced in num-
bers to forty, surrendered its rights in 1664 and the
king included New France in the concession which he
had previously made of the French colonies in favor of
the Company of the West Indies, the king still to name
other officers. The Marquis de
the
governor
and
a
Tracy was sent over to formally instal the new company
in its Canadian possession, which included all the rights
which the Hundred Associates had enjoyed. Fresh
troops were despatched and new colonists were encour-
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
115
aged to become permanent settlers. Then for the first
time attention was given to the matter of increasing the
commerce of the country by consideration of its natural
resources.
Many who had come over as soldiers, when
their terms of enlistment expired, remained and settled
in the country. Many officers obtained lands with the
rights of seignors, married and reared families whose
descendants are still found here.
The land was seen to be very fertile when cleared. By
1680 the total population had incresed to 8,515, not
including Acadia. Nine years later a census showed
11,249, a substantial growth for so short a period.
.
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CHAPTER VIII
The Settlements at Sault Ste Marie and Mich-
ilimackinac
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LLUSION has been already made to the
fact that in 1671 St. Lusson set up the
arms of France with imposing cere-
monies at Sault Ste Marie. He was evi-
dently inspired to this by the fact that
adventurers in the interest of the English had been
exploring the country and there seemed to be danger
that foreign claims to the country might intervene.
Therefore he thought it wise to impress on the minds
of the savages the great power and dignity of the king
of France as the sovereign of all this vast domain. More
than thirty years before a mission had been established
there by Fathers Jogues and Raymbault, but it was
short-lived. Later came Dablon, Allouez and Mar-
quette. Though a chapel and a stockade were built and
land was cleared and crops were raised by the servants
of the mission, the little settlement was too much dis-
turbed by the raids of hostile savages to flourish. In
1668 a small settlement of Europeans was found here.
Yet aside from the coureurs de bois and the traders
who came hither for commerce with the ntaives there
could scarcely be said to be a permanent settlement,
fort was erected and a few soldiers were brought in to
preserve the peace, but many years elapsed before there
was a serious attempt to colonize. The activity of the
English in respect to the fur trade inspired the French
to more decisive action to retain control of the west.
Jonquiere was governor under Louis XIV and he was
entrusted with the interests of the French crown in the
matter. Upon his request the home government made
119
120 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
a grant of land six leagues square, or thirty-six square
leagues, on the south side of St. Mary's river at the falls
to Chevalier de Repentigny and Captain Bonne, on the
condition that a fort be erected and maintained at their
expense and the ground thereabout placed under cultiva-
tion. Bonne was a nephew of the governor but he never
took any active personal interest in the concession and
was not at any time seen in its vicinity. Repentigny
came of one of the oldest and most distinguished fam-
ilies of New France. He was a brave soldier and an
educated Christian gentleman who had had much expe-
rience in the colonial service. He proceeded to the
Sault where he established his headquarters in 1750 in
fulfillment of the terms of the concession.
His
name
appears solely in all subsequent transactions; Bonne's
name is conspicuously absent. He built the palisaded
fort upon the site which was afterward occupied by Fort
Brady, and inaugurated farming operations.* A band
of followers was installed upon the land, which was
laid out on the plan of the seignories established from
the beginning of colonization upon the St. Lawrence.
The lord of the manor had his own establishment near
the fort in the center of the tract, and his concessioners
were given narrow tracts each with a frontage on the
*
river and extending back a considerable distance into the
interior. The advantage of this arrangement was that
it brought the dwellings near together for social and
ghborly
d was an
in self defense
against marauding savages. The disadvantage was that
*Capp, E. H. Story of Baw-a-ting. Sault Ste Marie, 1904.
•
1
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 121
behind these rows of long farms which fronted the
river was the untenanted wilderness, and there was no
incentive to occupy it or to render it habitable.
After a sojourn of a few years here Repentigny was
called east by the troubles between the French and Eng-
lish. He left his fort and little colony in charge of his
lieutenant, Cadotte, and with an enlisted body of natives
*
went to the aid of the governor. He fought at the
head of a regiment of Canadians at Lake George an
later he joined in the defense of the citadel at Quebec.
There in 1759 the tide turned in favor of the English
and French rule disappeared forever from Canada.
Repentigny never returned to Sault Ste Marie, but in
his place came Lieut. Jemette with a detachment of
British soldiers. The lilies of France which waved
above the fort were lowered after an ascendancy from
the coming of St. Lusson of ninety-one years, and the
red cross of England was flung to the breeze. Although
Bonne never put in an appearance to inspect his conces-
sion, long years after his death his heirs laid claim to
the lands. They sold his interests in 1806 to one James
Caldwell of Albany and the matter became afterward
one of extended litigation and international concern. In
i860 congress passed an act to quiet the title, to the
effect that if the courts decided against the claimants,
their rights should be forever barred. As a matter of
fact, the courts did so decide and the later settlers found
their titles good.
On the arrival of Lieut. Jemette late in 1762, the
fort was turned over to the British and occupied
122 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
them.
Cadotte who had been a faithful adherent of
Repentigny changed
Ilea
service to his new masters. The Ind
kindly to the change o
rendered good
ns did not take
gnty. They liked the
French with whom they had affiliated for many years.
They disliked the English who had given substantial
aid and encouragement to their hereditary enemies, the
Iroquois. They were troublesome in many ways and in
the summer of 1763 attacked all the British posts
about the lakes, including those at Detroit, Michilimack-
inac, Sault Ste Marie, Miamis and elsewhere to the
number of nine through the west. Cadotte, who was
well known and liked by the Indians of the adjacent
country, was able to influence them to peaceful measures,
and so this fort did not suffer. On December 22 the
fort took fire and all the buildings with their contents
were destroyed. Being destitute of food and shelter it
became necessary to send the soldiers to Michilimack-
inac, while Jemette proposed to remain and winter
among the inhabitants. The soldiers arrived there
without mishap and were in the doomed fort at the
time of the massacre. A month after their departure
Jemette decided to go on to Michilimackinac also and
with Cadotte and Alexander Henry for companions he
set out on snow-shoes. This proved a slow and toil-
some method of travel for the Englishman who came
near losing his life on the road, from exposure and
starvation. After all his sufferings he met the fate
of his comrades a few months later in the massacre at
the fort. This ended the British occupation of Sault
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 23
Ste Marie as a military post, though it struggled on as
a little settlement or colony, dependent upon fish and
some agriculture, but more upon the traffic of the trad-
ers and Indians.
In 1783 the Northwest Company was organized as
<
the rival of the Hudson's Bay Company, established
more than a hundred years before. The new com-
pany erected a post at Sault Ste Marie and here came
all goods from Montreal destined for the west, and a
peltries en route to Montreal. To facilitate the traffic
a canal twenty-five hundred feet long was cut on the
Canadian side between the islands and the main land
■
for the passage of batteaux. A lock was constructed
of timbers but it was not strong enough to stand against
the pressure of the waters and was never operated,
was the first work of the kind in the west. Evidences of
it are still visible.
From time immemorial there have been Indian set-
tlements of considerable importance about the Straits
of Mackinac. On the south shore the land was fer-
tile and produced Indian corn in plenty. Fish were
very abundant. The place was easy of access by water
and so became at a very early day the resort of Euro-
pean fur traders. Marquette had established his mis-
sion of St. Ignace on the other side of the strait, where
were also Indian villages. Later the mission was moved
over and a chapel and fort were erected at the point
which afterward became known as u01d Mackinaw."
Here was established a strong-hold and trading post
of the greatest importance, the rendezvous of traders,
124 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
trappers, coureurs de bois, soldiers, missionaries and
savages. The place was strongly fortified and garri-
soned. La Hontan writing from here in 1688 says:
"Michilimackinac is certainly a place of great import-
ance. Here the Hurons and Ottawas have each a vil-
lage, being separated from each other by a single pali-
sade. In this place the Jesuits have a little house or
college, adjoining to a sort of church and enclosed
the
with poles that separate it from the village o
Hurons. The coureurs de bois have but a very small
settlement here; though at' the same time it is not incon-
siderable, as being the staple of all the goods that they
truck with the south and west savages ; for they cannot
avoid passing this way when they go to the seats of
the Illinois and the Oumamis, or to the Bay des Puants
(Green bay) and to the river of the Mississippi. The
skins which they import from these different places must
lie here some time before they are transported to the
colony.
Michilimackinac is situated very advantage-
ously, for the Iroquois dare not venture with their
sorry canoes to cross the lakes ; and as they cannot come
to it by water so they cannot approach it by land, by
reason of the marshes, fens and little rivers which it
would be very difficult to cross."
In 1695 M. de la Motte Cadillac was in command
at the post which then had a garrison of two hundred
men*
There was a French village of some sixty
houses, beside two Indian villages of Hurons and Otta-
was.
It was the opinion of Cadillac that the interests
of France required a strong fort and settlement four
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 25
hundred miles southward, on the strait of the Detroit,
to resist the invasions of the hostile Iroquois and to
stem the tide of oncoming commercial encroachments
of the English. He visited France and presented his
views so convincingly to Count Pontchartrain, the
colonial minister, that he received a concession of land
at Detroit and authority to establish a fort and colony
there at once. The result of this movement was the
abandonment of Michilimackinac. In spite of the
remonstrances of the missionaries the savages removed
to Detroit and the trade in peltries was likewise
diverted. Charlevoix writing in 172 1 speaks of the
demoralization of the place caused by the establishment
of the new post at Detroit. A few soldiers had been
sent on in 17 14 and the garrison was revived, but the
post had ceased to be a flourishing one.
One of the most memorable events in the history of
the post was the massacre which took place on the 4th
of June, 1763. After the fall of Quebec, four years
before, all the French possessions passed into the hands
of the English. This transfer was very distasteful to
the Indians of this region who were greatly attached to
the French by reason of their long intercourse and the
uniformly kind treatment they had received. They
were bitterly hostile to the English and took no pains
to conceal their sentiments. This hostility was organ-
ized by Pontiac who inspired active operations. At
the date mentioned the post at Michilimackinac on the
south side of the strait was in possession of the English
under the command of Maj. Etherington with a gar-
126 . MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
rison of about one hundred soldiers. There were four
or five English merchants and a considerable number
of French and half-breed residents. There were Indian
villages just outside the stockade, numbering some four
or five hundred savages of the Chippewa and Sac
tribes. The day referred to was a public holiday, being
the king's birthday. The Indians advertised a game
of lacrosse as a diversion and the garrison and dwellers
within the fort were invited to witness the game. All were
off their guard and entirely unaware of the conspiracy
organized by the savages. At a given signal the ball
was thrown over the pickets and the savages rushed pell
mell into the fort as if to rescue it. Once inside, they
threw off the mask of deceit and proceeded to murder
and scalp the English. The scene is described at length
by Alexander Henry, an English trader who happened
to be present and who narrowly escaped the fate of the
others. He tells of the horrible and sickening spectacle
of barbarous slaughter. Of all the English in the fort
but twenty were left alive. The others, including
Henry, were taken prisoners. Of these, seven were
afterward killed and served up at a cannibal feast.
e had
The
Henry was purchased by an Indian to whom
once done a favor, and so escaped with his life.
was soon
fort was not destroyed by the savages an
■
again re-garrisoned. The Indians were not punished
for their treacherous onslaught, but they gained noth-
ing of permanent advantage to themselves.
When, Patrick Sinclair was sent to command the post
he took up the question of removal of the fort to the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 27
island for greater security against the savages, and as
being a situation more desirable in many ways. Such
representations in regard to it were made by him to
Gen. Haldimand, the governor, that he approved the
removal which was accomplished in 1780. A treaty was
made with the Chippewas by which they ceded for the
sum of five thousand pounds sterling the whole of the
island to the British crown. A fort was speedily erected
and the old post was forever abandoned. Many of the
French remained behind and carried on traffic with
the Indians for a time, but this settlement in the course
of events fell into decay and eventually disappeared
altogether. The English traders made their head-
quarters on the island and hither came the Northwest-
ern Fur Company and later the American Fur Com-
pany.
There is more or less confusion in speaking of Mich-
limackinac to know definitely the point referred to.
Schoolcraft says that the name was applied indiscrimi-
nately to the ancient fort on the apex of the Michigan
peninsula and to the mission and Indian settlement on
the north side of the strait, as well as to the island itself.
There seems to be little doubt that the most important
and longest continued settlement was on the south side,
and that the mission here bore the name of St. Ignace,
as the same mission did also when located on the north
side.
may be remarked in passing that although Sault
Ste Marie and Michilimackinac were the earliest per
manent settlements within the territorial limits of Mich
128 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
igan
they developed, at least during the provincial
period, into nothing beyond military posts and trading
stations. There was no attempt at either place to
colonize for the sake of building up a self-sustaining
community.
CHAPTER IX
Cadillac and His Colony
*
1-8
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•
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.
ILITARY and trading posts had been
established at Frontenac, at the out-
let of Lake Ontario, at Sault Ste
Marie and at Michilimackinac, but
they were in no sense permanent col-
onies, though they were almost continuously occupied
from the beginning. The first settlement west of Mon-
treal of a real colony, a gathering of settlers who came
to stay, who brought with them farmers, artisans, mer-
chants with a view to making homes was at Detroit.
Cadillac was responsible for this movement. Here too
came the first women, the sure home makers, signifi
cant of contentment and a willingness to dwell in the
land. There had been no women at the posts not even
the wives of officers, because of the hardships and dan-
gers. But from the coming of Mesdames Cadillac and
Tonty to Detroit, the presence and influence of the
gentler sex have not been lacking.
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac was a native of Gas-
cony, France, but the precise place or date of his birth
are uncertain. The record of his marriage which took
place at Quebec June 25, 1687, gives his age as about
twenty-six years, the son of M. Jean de la Mothe,
sieur of the place called Cadillac of Launay and Ser-
montel, Counsellor of the parliament of Toulouse, and
of Madam Jeanne de Malenfant. This statement
would place the date of his birth about 166 1. The family
was evidently one of some standing. The education
and opportunities of the youth must have been good.
We first hear of him in this country at Quebec in 1683
131
132 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
where he was employed in the department of Marine.
The French interests at that time were largely on the
lower St. Lawrence and the adjacent coasts. One of
•
their oldest settlements was at Port Royal and here they
were in constant conflict with the English. Cadillac
must have had some connection with the unpleasant
state of affairs between the French and English, for
shortly after his marriage to Marie Therese Guyon, a
young native of Quebec, in 1687, we find him residing
on Mount Desert Island and later at Port Royal. He
had been granted an estate in the former locality which
included the island and a considerable tract on the
■
adjacent mainland, and here his oldest children, Made-
«
leine and Antoine were born. Subsequently his removal
to Port Royal was doubtless for the greater security
of his family, on account of the troublesome incursions
of the English. He established his dwelling at Port
Royal and was himself employed with Francis Guyon,
the uncle of his wife, in privateering along the Atlantic
coast. In 1690 Sir William Phipps, governor of Mas-
sachusetts, organized an expedition in support of the
English and attacked and destroyed Port Royal. Cad-
illac's home was among those burned. His family were
taken prisoners but afterward released and permitted to
return to Quebec. Here the husband and father later
joined them.
Cadillac had evidently commended himself to the
powers that be as an able and resourceful man of affairs,
and in 1694 Frontenac designated him as commandant
and sent him to Michilimackinac to deal with some
I
V
CADILLAC'S STATUE
I
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»
.
--
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 33
matters of importance. The English were a constant
thorn in the flesh to the French; not only in the mari-
time provinces, but in the far distant posts of the
west their influence was felt among the fur traders and
the Indian tribes. The three years which Cadillac spent
at Michilimackinac convinced him that the interests of
the French would be best served by establishing a strong
colony near the head of Lake Erie and thus stop the
English encroachments much nearer their source. He
contemplated not merely a military post with a numer-
ous garrison, but in addition a large colony of per-
manent settlers. His mind also took in the policy of
undertaking to civilize the Indians by attaching them
to such a settlement, teaching them agriculture and
other useful arts, instructing them in the French
language, overcoming their wandering and improvident
habits and making of them good and useful citizens.
This may have been somewhat visionary, but it speaks
well for his philanthropy.
In this project for a colony Cadillac was none too
early in the field. The English had already cast covet-
ous eyes in this direction. Robert Livingston, Secre-
tary for Indian affairs, reported in 1699 to the Earl
Bellemont a recommendation that two hundred
English and Dutch inhabitants of the country should
oin with three or four hundred Iroquois in proceed-
ing to the Detroit, there to build a fort. He expressed
the opinion that at that point a profitable trade with
the northern Indians could be established. In the fol-
lowing year he renewed his suggestion and urged
134 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
prompt action, as he said the French already had some
sort of a pretended claim to the country
the ground
that they had once set up their king's arms th
He
says that, from all
Detroit
f the most
pleasant and plentiful inland places in America, where
there are available lands for thousands of people, and
where there are abundant opportunities for traffic in
furs.* The establishment of a fort there would pre-
serve for the English all the lands and Indian tribes
south of the great lakes and the St. Lawrence. There
is no evidence that Cadillac had positive knowledge of
this contemplated movement on the part of the Eng-
lish. But he clearly foresaw its possibility and even its
probability. So he hastened to carry into effect his
own projects.
He visited Versailles in person and laid his plans
before Count Pontchartrain, the minister for the col-
onies. He was able to convince both the minister and
the king, Louis XIV, of the soundness of his views.
This was evidently no easy task, for there were influ-
ences at work hostile to Cadillac and his purposes. He
had quarreled violently with the Jesuit missionaries who
were a political factor of no small force, and the Com-
pany of the Colony of Canada which controlled the fur
trade of the country was also to be reckoned with. But
he was able to overcome all obstacles and gained the
desired
in promises
men and means to carry
out his project. The king granted him a tract of land
fifteen arpents (acres) square "wherever on the Detroit
*N. Y. Hist. Doc. 3.
»
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 135
the new fort should be located," and Count Pont-
chartrain commissioned him as commandant of the post.
He returned immediately to New France, arriving at
Quebec March 8, 1701, whence he proceeded imme-
diately to Montreal. Here he busied himself with prep-
arations for his expedition until the fifth of June when
he set out from Lachine with fifty soldiers and an
equal number of artisans and traders. His officers were
aptain Alphonse Tonty, a brother of Henry Tonty
who was La Salle's "man with the iron hand" and
faithful companion in his explorations, and Messrs.
Dugue and Chacornacle, lieutenants. A Recollet priest,
Father Constantine de l'Halle, accompanied the troops
as chaplain, and a Jesuit, Father Vaillant, went as mis-
*
sionary to the Indians. The route traversed was the
usual one of that time by way of the Ottawa river,
thence by portage to Lake Nipissing and thence to the
Georgian bay and down Lake Huron. The expedi-
tion arrived at the present site of Detroit on the 24th
of July, 1 70 1.
The first business in hand was the construction of a
fort for defense against the savages. This consisted
of a stockade of wooden pickets enclosing about one
acre of land and nearly square. It stood on the east
side of Shelby street, south of Jefferson avenue and
occupied about half a present city block. The pickets
were trunks of small trees six to eight inches in diame-
ter, driven deeply into the ground as close together as
possible, the interstices chinked with clay, standing ten
or twelve feet high and sharpened to a point at the
I36 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
This
top to make climbing over them uncomfortable,
fort was named Pontchartrain. Inside the enclosure
wooden huts were built for the men. One of these
structures was designated as a chapel, and as such was
dedicated July 26, the feast of St. Ann, and named in
honor of that saint. The name has been perpetuated
in successors of the little chapel to this day. Father
Constantine, the Recollet, was the priest in charge.
Father Vaillant, the Jesuit, who accompanied the expe-
dition, after having tried to stir up strife and discon-
tent among the soldiers an
settlers, found the situa-
tion so uncomfortable for himself that after a sojourn
of only a day he departed unceremoniously for Michili-
mackinac.
■
The natives were friendly enough. They flocked in
from all directions, attracted by curiosity and the pros-
pects of profitable trade. A large village of Potta-
watomies had previously been established in this local-
ity just below the site of the fort. There were also
two villages of considerable size a short distance above.
So long as all were on good terms this presence of
savages was an advantage. Cadillac had brought a sup-
ply of provision for only three months and was com-
pelled to rely on purchasing game from his savage
neighbors for subsistance. It was too late in the sea^
son to cultivate vegetables or grain, but later the col-
onists were favored with an abundance of excellent
native fruits. Cadillac had brought a quantity of French
wheat for seed and the men were set at work clearing
some land just outside the fort. In the fall twenty
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
137
owner-
acres were thus sown and in the following summer a
fairly good harvest was reaped. This necessitated the
building of a mill in which to grind the grain. A half
acre of land was assigned to each soldier and about
three acres in width to some thirty to forty in depth
was given to each settler. The soldiers were expected
to raise their own garden vegetables and the villagers
were to cultivate their lands as a condition o
ship. Without suitable tools and with no oxen or
horses for teams it may well be imagined that the sub-
duing and cultivation of the land was laborious. But
the soil was fertile and produced abundantly.
Cadillac had entered into a contract with the Com-
pany of the Colony of Canada with reference to the fur
trading rights of his new post, but there appears to have
been more or less friction in carrying out its terms. The
Company agreed to make certain improvements and
furnish certain supplies. There were indications that
the fur market in France had been glutted and that
prices had fallen so low as to make hunting unprofitable.
At the same time the English at Albany were ready to
take all the peltries offered and to pay good prices and
also to sell to the natives such merchandise as they cov-
eted for less than the French were charging. There were
other sources of trouble. We have already seen that
when Cadillac was stationed at Michilimackinac the
liquor question was a disturbing one. The Versailles
authorities at the instigation of the Jesuit missionaries,
had prohibited the sale of brandy. Against this iron-
clad order Cadillac protested and he made an argument
I
138 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
showing that in such a climate as this a little liquor is
essential to good health. But there was no denying that
the savage had a great appetite for fire water, and
that when he was filled up with it he was a most uncom-
fortable, not to say dangerous, neighbor. But it was
the moderate, not the excessive, use of the stimulant
which Cadillac favored. Therefore, when he had the
matter in his own hands he undertook to restrict the
amount of drinking by locking up all the liquor in the
storehouse and providing that it should be drunk only
there, and in quantity not exceeding one 24th of a
quart at one time. The price was almost high enough
to be prohibitive, and moreover each applicant for a
drink must be served only in the order of his applica-
tion. We still have restrictions of the liquor traffic,
but they have been modified somewhat.
When Cadillac came to Detroit he brought with him
as a cadet his oldest son, Antoine, a lad of ten years.
His wife and other members of his family were left at
Quebec in the charge of Father Germain. In August,
1 70 1, Father Germain wrote to Cadillac that his wife
desired to join him at once. Madame Tonty, the wife
of Cadillac's captain, proposed to accompany her.
Father Germain writes: "Every one here admires the
magnanimity of these two ladies who certainly have
ft
courage to undertake so laborious a journey to go and
join their husbands without fearing the great difficul-
ties or the fatigue or other inconveniences which must
be endured by roads so long and so rough for persons
of their sex. Well, sir, is it possible to show more sin-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 139
cere conjugal affection or a firmer attachment? Some
one said pleasantly to them the other day that they
would pass for heroines. But on some other ladies
more fastidious saying to Madame de la Mothe, in
order to dissuade her from this journey, that they
would be willing if they were going to a pleasant an
fertile country where they could always get good com-
pany, as in France, but they could not understand how
people could make up their minds to go to an unculti-
vated and uninhabited place where they could have but
a very dull time of it in such great solitude, she very dis-
creetly replied that a woman who loves her husban
as she ought to do, has no attraction more powerful
than his society, in whatever place it may be; all the
rest should be indifferent to her."* Madame Cadillac
was an energetic, capable woman, as she had already
demonstrated. Having made up her mind to go to
Detroit she set out on the journey a month later accom-
panied by Madame Tonty. She took also her second
son. The two daughters were placed in a convent at
Quebec. The travellers got no further than Three
Rivers where they were obliged to spend the winter.
Chevallier de Calliere, then governor of New France,
had shortly before concluded a treaty of peace with the
Iroquois which made the route by way of Niagara
a safe one for the ladies, and it was by this route in the
following spring that the little party came on to Detroit.
They met with nothing but the most respectful treat-
ment on the part of the Indians who seemed to con-
*Michigan Pioneer Collections, V. 33. Cadillac papers.
14-0 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
I
sider it a mark of extraordinary confidence, not to be
abused, to have ladies of title and distinction pass boldly
through their country. Upon their arrival at Detroit
the ladies were received with a great demonstration o
joy. A musketry salute was fired as they approached
the city. They were speedily provided with as good
quarters as the place could afford, and here they con-
tinued to reside so long as their husbands remained at
the fort.
In the autumn after his arrival Cadillac wrote to the
governor, Calliere and Champigny, Minister of Justice,
a most glowing description of the country in which he
was settled. He painted a picture of a paradise of
natural scenery, the streams gentle and sweet and the
noble forests abounding in native fruits and birds of
rare song and plumage. He certainly showed a just
appreciation of the good things which nature had
bestowed hereabout. The following year he visited
Quebec and while there made a detailed report of what
had been done at Detroit. He describes the fort which
he had built and the houses of good white oak timber
which had been erected within the enclosure. He speaks
of clearing the land and sowing wheat which produced
a satisfactory harvest, and also of the abundant crops of
corn raised, showing the quality of the soil. He had
built a boat of ten tons burden which was very use-
ful on the river. He adds : "All that I have had the
honor to state to you has been done in one year, without
it ever having cost the king a sou, and without costing
the Company a double; and in twelve months we have
.
<
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 141
put ourselves in position to do without provisions from
Canada forever; and all this undertaking was carried
out with three months' provisions, which I took when I
set out from Montreal, which were consumed in the
course of the journey. This proves whether Detroit
is a desirable or an undesirable country. Besides this
nearly six thousand mouths of different tribes wintered
there, as every one knows. All these proofs, convinc-
ing as they are, cannot silence the enemies of my scheme.
If the king had the kindness to look into this matter
well and follow it up, numberless advantages would be
obtained from it, to the profit of the state, the colony,
and religion." He argues the necessity for sending to
Detroit, Frenchmen with their families who shall be
permanent settlers. He says: "There are at Detroit
a good fort, good dwellings and the means of living and
subsisting. * * * It is for you to push this mat-
ter about the inhabitants and to consider whether you
will permit the inhabitants of Canada to settle there;
to form a seminary to begin to instruct the savage chil-
dren in piety, in the French language; to allow the
Recollets to settle in order to discharge their functions
there. It is the Lord's vine; we must let it be cul-
tivated by all sorts of good laborers. For nearly a
hundred years it has been labored at without success;
have trial made, whether the methods which I have
had the honor to propose are not more sound."*
*An allusion to the Jesuit policy of considering a savage con-
verted to Christianity when he had been baptized and leaving him
still living in the woods in a state of barbarism.
.
I42 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
The result of Cadillac's appeal was that the garrison
was increased and six Frenchmen with their families
were sent to Detroit, together with some cattle. These
latter were undoubtedly appreciated, for it appears that
Madame Tonty's infant daughter Therese, the first
white child born in Detroit, had died for lack of milk.
Cadillac asked that some soldiers be sent over from
France to strengthen the garrison for the effect it would
have on the natives. Some of the soldiers whose terms
of enlistment expired preferred to remain and become
permanent residents. Cadillac advised them to marry
Indian maidens, for he thinks they will make good
wives and good mothers, and such a course would help
to christianize the race. His suggestion was followed
in some cases, but not many. In 1703 an incendiary
fire destroyed a portion of the fort, the church an
several of the houses. The fire was started by an
Indian who paid with his life the penalty of his crime.
There had been some underhand work in disposing of
the supplies sent on by the Company, and when this
came to the knowledge of Cadillac he sternly reproved
Captain Tonty for his conduct in the matter. This
provoked some feeling between the two men. The fric-
tion with the Company led Cadillac in 1704 to appeal
to Pontchartrain to be relieved from its surveilance.
He asked to be given feudal tenure in respect to the
town and all its surroundings, with the right to issue
grants to those who should settle there for purposes of
agriculture, etc. His request was granted and the king
issued orders to the Company to surrender its rights
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 43
on the condition of being reimbursed for the goods in
store. The governor, Vaudreuil, was also instructed to
aid Cadillac in furnishing to him soldiers and settlers
and protecting the interests of the new settlement in all
possible ways.
Cadillac made grants or leases of small lots to
upwards of one hundred and fifty persons at a fixed
annual rental. These were outside the palisades, on
the east side of Randolph street, from the river north-
ward, and on both sides of the street called St. Ann,
which was nearly on the line of the present Jefferson
avenue, extending from Griswold street to Wayne.
Houses built upon these lots consisted of stakes driven
into the ground and chinked with clay, the roofs being
constructed of "shakes," or free grained logs of oak
split into thin strips of considerable width, and held
in place by poles laid crosswise and fastened at the
ends with "withes" of twisted green saplings. Cadil-
lac's house is believed to have stood on the north side of
the present Jefferson avenue, about midway between
Griswold and Shelby streets. Artisans skilled in all
kinds of useful trades were brought here and were
licensed to carry on their business. The first business
to which they were required to give attention was that
of Cadillac himself, as the lord of the estate. After
that was taken care of there was a chance for others.
Not that he was grasping or overly selfish, but simply
that he asserted the right to claim his own.
Five of Cadillac's thirteen children were born in
Detroit. The record of the baptism of the first
■
144 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
these was undoubtedly destroyed in the fire which
burned the church in 1703. But that of Marie Therese,
under date of February 2, 1704, appears in the register
of old St. Ann's Church, still extant. Several of these
children died and were buried in St. Ann's churchyard.
There was a considerable influx of population in the
summer of 1706. Two Recollet priests came on, Domi-
nique de la Marche and Cherubin Deniau. The former
kept the parish records for many years.
The
increase
in the population compelled the enlargement of the
palisaded enclosure. The little settlement seemed on
the high road to a wonderful success. Its prosperity,
however, stirred formidable hostility in influential quar-
ters. Quebec and Montreal were jealous of its rapid
growth which had a tendency to detract from theirs.
The Company of the Colony objected to the building
up of
g
community
d the settlem
the country to the detriment of the fur business.
The
Jesuit missionaries, always hostile, complained because
their mission at Michilimackinac was broken up and
the Indians were coaxed away from them to the new post
at Detroit. The result of all this hostility was a concerted
attempt to discredit Cadillac and smother his enterprise.
Vaudrieul was directed to remove the garrison, and in
the summer of 1 7 1 1 Dubaisson was sent on to carry this
order, into effect, to supersede Cadillac as governor,
and to deliver to him a commission as governor of
Loui
The latter immediately set out fo
b
wh
ence
he
led for France, leaving
wi
fe at
Detroit to look after his property interests there.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE I45
,
The change of administration at Detroit came near
being fatal to the colony. The new men in authority
were not in sympathy with Cadillac's plans and pur-
poses. There was great despondency over this state
of affairs among those who had settled here. Many
left the place and returned to Montreal, and at one
time it looked as though there would be complete aban-
donment. But the colony managed to stem the tide
of these adverse circumstances and to live through the
crisis. It rallied again and in due time showed new
vigor in its revival.
In 17 13 Cadillac and his family were conveyed in
a French frigate to Louisiana where he assumed his
duties as governor. He showed his natural activity
in his new field of labor, but the situation of affairs
was not wholly to his liking. After four years of expe-
rience here he resigned and returned to France. He
was made governor of Castell Sarrazin, where he died
October 18, 1730. No portrait of the man has ever
been discovered ; neither have we any authentic descrip-
tion of his personal appearance. He unquestionably
possessed great mental and physical force. He had
the foresight to perceive the importance of the true
policy of France in establishing a permanent and self
sustaining colony in the great lake region, and he was
shrewd enough to wisely choose the location of such a
colony. It met the needs of his time and the great and
flourishing city of Detroit, the commercial and indus-
trial metropolis of the populous State of Michigan, has
continued to demonstrate the wisdom of his choice. He
■
1-10
146 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
shared the defects o
positive, aggressive natures in
provoking antagonisms and so suffered much annoyance
and trouble from adversaries. He was not self-seek-
ing. In spite of temptations to which others yielded,
no scandal attached to his handling of the fur trade and
other financial interests in his charge. He had domestic
virtues. He loved his wife and children, and he had
a wife who was possessed of rare and noble traits of
character. She was of the greatest assistance to
in many ways. She exemplified the crowning virtues
of wife and mother to all her successors of the City of
the Straits. Cadillac probably deserved a better reward
than he received during his lifetime. But it often hap-
pens that founders of states must wait on posterity for
just appreciation.
>
CHAPTER X
Cadillac as Feudal Lord
•
■
.
.
•
ADILLAC seems to have regarded him-
self in relation to his colony at Detroit
as lord of the manor, in accordance with
the system then prevailing in France.
He had good reasons for so regarding
himself. Richelieu had set out to transplant in Cana-
dian soil the seeds of French aristocracy. The king
granted titles of nobility with no very wise discrimina-
tion and conferred seigniories upon almost any who
would consent to go out to New France and under-
take to occupy and improve the land.
The French feudal system of this period was greatly
modified from that which had formerly prevailed. In
the days of its greatest power every man was a lord or
a vassal. The lands were partitioned among the
former, who was the fief dominant, and to him the vas-
sals owed not only taxation and dues, but also military
service, homage and fidelity. Land ownership bestowed
political, legislative and judicial power. The feudal
lord was at once both proprietor and absolute sovereign
over his vassals. He might himself be a vassal of a
superior suzerain, since there were dukes, counts, vis-
counts, barons, marquises, etc., down a long line of
nobles of varying degrees of rank and authority,
was an essential principle of a fief that there was mutual
obligation of support and fidelity. Whatever this obli-
gation of service laid upon the vassal a similar duty of
protection was laid upon the lord. It was a mutual obli-
gation and a trangression upon either side worked a
forfeiture of land or seigniory. Nor were motives of
149
150 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
interest left alone to operate in securing the feudal con-
nection. The associations founded upon the ancient
custom and friendly attachment, the impulses of grati-
tude and honor, the dread of infamy, the sanctions
of religion were all employed to strengthen those ties
and to render them equally powerful with the rela-
tions of nature and far more so than those of political
society.*
But abuses crept into the system which in time grew
to be intolerable. The peasants became the merest
slaves, attached to the soil, and subject to the caprice,
the ambition and the avarice of their overlords.
The
feudal aristocracy threatened the prerogatives of the
king himself, and so, as a matter of political neces-
sity, he was forced to assert his authority for the pro-
tection of the royal domain. At the other end of the
*
line the peasants were in a threatened state of unrest
which culminated in the abolition of villenage. The
increase of commerce and consequent opulence of mer-
chants and artisans, and especially the institutions of
free cities and boroughs, led to a gradual change in
the constitution of society. So, while some of the
forms
feudalism were
extant in France at the
end of the seventeenth century, the substance had long
since vanished. The power of the feudal nobles had
been effectually curbed. They no longer overawed the
king but had become the obsequious servants of Louis
XIV. Very many of the abuses had been corrected, and
the king took good care
that
none
them were sent
♦Hallam. View of Europe in the Middle Ages. P. 168.
• v r.
*\~.
-*.£?
;!• j^y1.-:.""::-
J#r ^,A ---CNN
..If
'"A ' 5
LOUIS XIV
+
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 151
over to work mischief in the American colonies. Cana-
dian feudalism was made to serve a double end, to pro-
duce a faint and harmless reflection of French aris-
tocracy and simply and practically to supply agencies
for distributing land among the settlers.*
Louis saw to it that even the smallest remnant o
power which the nobles of France still exercised was
withheld from those of rank over seas. The seigniories
were granted in every instance directly by the crown.
The seignior was denied any voice whatever in the
direction of the government. Neither had he any
authority to exact military service from his vassal.
The governor called out and controlled the militia, and
the lord of the manor was as much subject to this ser-
vice as the peasant. The seigniories were transferable
and carried with them the faith and homage due from
all their subordinates. An example is cited in Fer-
land, "Notes sur les Registers de Notre Dame de
Quebec," of the ceremony of rendering faith and horn-
■
age. It is that of Jean Guion, vassal of Gifford, seig-
nior of Beauport. Guion presented himself in the pres-
ence of a notary at the principal door of the manor-
house of Beauport. One Boulle, farmer of Gifford,
opened the door in response to the knock and in reply
to the question if the seignior was at home, replied that
he was not, but that he, Boulle, was empowered to
receive acknowledgments of faith and homage from
the vassals in his name. Thereupon Guion placed him-
self on his knees on the ground with head bare and
■
*Parkman. Old Regime in Canada. P. 305.
I52 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
without sword or spurs said three times these words:
"Monsieur de Beauport, Monsieur de Beauport, Mon-
sieur de Beauport ! I bring you the faith and homage
which I am bound to bring you on account of my fief,
Du B
which
hold
as a man
faith
in your
seigniory of Beauport, declaring that I offer to pay
my seignioral and feudal dues in their season, and
demanding of you to acept me in faith and homage
as aforesaid."
One feature of the royal grants of the seigniories, as
well as of the grants
vassals was the requirement that the land thus granted
should be cleared and cultivated within a specified time,
on pain of forfeiture. This requirement cuts some-
made by the seigniors to their
thing
a
fig
in a controversy which arose w
Cadillac, long after his retirement from the command
at Detroit, sought to enforce his claim to his estate
there. It was argued in opposition to his claim that he
had failed to clear the land which had thereby become
forfeited to the crown. To this contention he replied
that he was not a woodchopper and that it was absurd
to insist that he should have cleared this land in per-
son; this had been done by his grantees, which was a
substantial compliance with the requirement.
The grant at Detroit was made to Cadillac by the
king on the conditions then prevailing. These pro-
vided that the lands could not be permanently alienated
before being cleared, but that they might be granted
to the hab
upon the
al payment of money
produce or both. The rate of payment seems ludic-
■
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 53
sly small, but it must be borne in mind that money
values were much above what they are now, and that
the farmer really could not afford to pay very much.
His profits were of the meanest. Live chickens, eggs,
wheat and other grain constituted important features
of the annual contribution of the vassal to his fief.
Cadillac greatly desired a noble title and asked the
-
king to make him Marquis of Detroit, but his royal
patron never gratified this ambition. Patents of nobil-
ity had been issued to a few of the more prominent
colonists, but the king was disposed to go a little slowly
in matters of this sort. The country was already over-
run with gentilshommes. For lack of opportunity or
occupation at home many of the young noblesse had
chosen to try their luck in the new world. But they
were ill fitted by taste and habits for life in the clear-
ings. They could not labor; they could not trade, at
least in retail, without forfeiting their nobility. They
might serve as officers in the army, or they might hold
down chairs in some political office, and thus save their
dignity, or they might live as pensioners on the bounty
of the king or some lord either in France or Canada,
but so far as any employment for the purpose of earn-
ing daily bread, that was out of the question.
The governor, Denonville, says of them: "Several
have come out this year with their wives, who are very
much cast down; but they play the fine lady, never-
theless. I had much rather see good peasants; it would
be a pleasure to me to give aid to such, knowing, as
should, that within two years their families would have
154 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
th
means
living at ease; for it is certain th
a
peasant who can and will work is well off in this country
wh
obles with nothing
do
can
b
any
thing but beggars. Still, they ought not to be driven off
nor abandoned. The question is how to maintain
them."*
The intendant, Duchesnau, writes: "Many of our
gentilshommes, officers and other owners of seigniories
lead what in France is called the life of a country gentle-
man, and spend their time in hunting and fishing. As
their requirements in food and clothing are greater
than those of the simple habitants, and as they do not
devote themselves to improving their land, they mix
themselves up in trade, run into debt on all hands, incite
their young habitants to range the woods and send
their own children there to trade for furs in the Indian
villages and in the depths of the forest, in spite of the
prohibition of his majesty. Yet with all this they are
in miserable poverty.
»>
Says the intendant Cham-
pigny, "It is pitiful to see their children, of whom they
have great numbers, passing all summer with nothing
on them but a shirt, and their wives and daughters
working in the fields." While their rank and station
did not permit them to do manual labor, the same
restrictions did not apply to the female members of
the
lr
fam
Champig
ppeals to the king for
aid to Repentigny with his thirteen children and Tilly
with his fifteen. "We must give them some corn at
*Lettre de Denonville au Ministre, Nov. 10, 1686.
"fLettre du Duchesnau au Ministre, Nov. 10, 1679.
\
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 55
once," he says, "or they will starve." He adds, "I pray
you grant no more letters of nobility, unless you want
to multiply beggars." So the granting of letters o
*
nobility was incontinently cut off, very greatly to the
disappointment of Cadillac. Doubtless he would not
have been unduly puffed up by the distinction. He
might have been a little more conspicuous figure in the
colony as Marquis of Detroit, but it would have added
nothing to his place in history. He was obliged to
make the best of the situation as a simple sieur, with
his seigniory and all its responsibilities and appurten-
ances to look after.
His enemies have charged him with being grasping
and avaricious and with exacting the last sou from his
vassals. But the facts fail to bear out this accusation.
He was under large expense. One of the conditions of
his grant by the. king was that he should not call upon
the royal treasury for assistance. At the outset the
Company were to have the exclusive rights of trade at
Detroit, and this hampered him until the arrangement
was made whereby the Company after three or four
years surrendered to him these privileges. In 1704
Cadillac was given permission to make conveyances o
lands included in his grant to actual settlers. Doubt-
less some of these lands had been already occupied by
peasants with the authority of their fief and improve-
ments had been begun. These conveyances were under
the established feudal system which required an annual
payment usually specified in the document, both as to
amount and nature of payment. The farm lands
156 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
granted were mostly above the fort, extending up the
river beyond the present city line.
They
were
of th
e
usual ribbon kind universal in New France, generally
three or four arpents* in front by forty in depth. This
arrangement gave each farmer a front on the river
where he might fish and obtain his water supply, while
behind were his orchards, his meadows and fields of
grain, and still further back, before the mile-and-a-half
limit was reached, were forests for timber and firewood.
The dwellings were always placed near the river front,
and since the tracts were narrow, it follows that the
houses were comparatively close together, which was
an advantage for protection from the Indians and for
social neighborliness. So long as the habitant brought
in on St. Martin's day his annual dues and contributions
of chickens and produce or peltries, and showed that he
was improving his lands, his title was perfect and his
seignior could not oust
1m.
But when he neglected
this he forfeited all rights. There is evidence that
Cadillac assigned the same lands to different persons
at different times, and presumably for the reason that
these had been forfeited in the manner stated. Cadil-
lac owned the mill and the warehouse. He contributed
the principal cost of maintaining the church and the
priest, though all the members of the congregation
were expected to help according to their means. The
church itself with its bell and altar and all its para-
phernalia and the vestments belonged to Cadillac. He
*An arpent was used as a measure of land, indicating the width
of 192.75 feet.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 57
assumed supervision over artisans who were obliged
to obtain license from him to practice their trades. The
blacksmith and the carpenter must not only have license
but they must pay annual tribute, usually in labor in the
line of their calling. All the grain for the colony must
be ground at his mill and pay toll. In 1706 he brought
ten head of cattle and three horses to the place. These
animals were very useful, but there were none owned
by the farmers.
When Cadillac was suddenly relieved of his com-
mand in 1 7 1 1 and ordered away to his post as gover-
nor of Louisiana an inventory of his, effects left behind
was made by his trusted friend Peter Roy.* In 17 18
after his return to France he complained to the Coun-
cil of the Navy that he had been unjustly treated and
had suffered financial loss bv reason of his removal
from Detroit. He had reimbursed the Company for
their goods, with a large profit added; at his individual
expense he had provided transportation for two hun-
dred soldiers, had paid substantial wages to sixty Cana-
dians, had taken out forty families, to some of whom
he had advanced moneys which were not repaid to him ;
he had taken out horned cattle, oxen and cows and
nearly all sorts of domestic animals; he had brought
out a quantity of fruit trees, had built a windmill,
enlarged the fort by four other bastions, built houses,
barns, ice houses and breweries, and did his best, and
more than could have been expected, to establish a col-
*A complete list of all this prop*
tions, v. 33 (Cadillac Papers) p. 518.
158 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ony quickly. But just as he had all these things
accomplished and the colony was in a fair way to sue-
cess and to be of some profit to him, he was suddenly
ordered away to Louisiana. As a loyal subject he had
obeyed the orders
He had sought to
a
sacrificed all his prospects and
of the king without remonstrance,
reimburse his expenditures by selling out his property
at Detroit to La Foret, his successor in command. But
La Foret was then in such ill health that he was in no
condition to assume active command. So an arrange-
ment was proposed by the advice and with the con-
sent of de Raudot, then intendant, that the transfer
of the property should be made to the Chevalier de
Marigny, a capt
Th
opposed by Vaudreuil
the governor, for what reason is left to surmise, and
consequently could not be carried into effect.
When Cadillac returned to France he found that
in his absence from the country the king had annulled
in 17 16 his rights and had reannexed to his domain all
the lands and dependencies at Detroit, with the exclu-
sive right of trading, and had granted the same to de
Tonty, who had then been put into command there.
He asked to be reimbursed his advances and expenses,
with payment for his services. The Council of State
thereupon in 1722 made a decree that Cadillac should
be paid for the property taken from him for the king's
service, and that upon his defining the boundaries of
the
ds
wnic
he
imed th
same
hould
con-
firmed to
im.
But as it depended wholly upon the
testimony of de Tonty, Du Buisson and others who had
,
-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE I 59
seized upon his goods and merchandise as to what had
been actually used in the king's service, manifestly they
were under every incentive to belittle his claims. Cadil-
lac complained bitterly that his successors in command
at Detroit had treated his family, whom he left behind,
in a most shameful manner; that they cut the fort in
two and put his house and family outside its shelter;
that they seized all his effects and drove Roy, who had
them in charge, out of the country; that they annulled
the grants of lands which he had made to the inhabi-
tants, or taxed them beyond endurance, making new
grants of the same lands to other parties. Cadillac was
obliged to send for his family to return to France to
protect them from the insults and the outrages to which
they were subjected at Detroit after his departure. This
narrative of the indignities which he suffered in respect
to his family and his property betrays a petty meanness
and lack of all sense of justice and honor on the part of
those in local authority, backed by the governor, Vau-
dreuil, which seems almost incredible. It is a shameful
chapter of greed on the one hand and personal animos-
ity on the other on the part of persons of high rank
and authority, which detracts from any other creditable
reputation which they may have enjoyed.
Even the king did not come to his rescue with any-
thing like the alacrity which might have been expected.
The moneys and expenses which he advanced were never
made good to him, nor was he recompensed for his cat-
tie, goods and merchandise. He was left the unprom-
ising alternative of personally suing Sabrevois, Du Buis-
l6o MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
de Tonty and others who had seized upon his prop
erty
B
th
was a very doubtful exped
for
a
judgment against them would have been of no value.
An order was issued, as stated, that the grants made
him should b
d upon their bound
being
described by him. Practically this was not, in all proba-
bility, feasible. He was many thousand miles away,
without any maps or charts upon which to lay out such
boundaries. At any rate, the conditions were not com-
plied with, and in a few years after the decree Cadillac
died.
In 1733 his widow and his two sons asked permis-
sion to return to Detroit in order to settle it, with the
same rights of trading originally granted to Cadillac.
The petition of the older son represents that his father
having received an order to establish a post at Detroit
accomplished it with so much success that he settled one
hundred and fifty inhabitants there, took cattle, horses,
had houses, a fort, a mill, a brewery, etc., erected, all
at an expense exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand
livres which he incurred on the promise to grant him the
post as a seigniory, a brevet of which was sent him
■
carrying the privilege of all seignioral rights. Scarcely
had he completed all these labors when he was sent as
governor to Louisiana. Having returned from there in
1 7 1 6 he asked permission to go and continue the work
of the settlement of Detroit. But this was refused.
However, in 1722 he was confirmed in the ownership of
the property, but it has not been possible to put that de-
cree into execution. The lands which he had cleared
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE l6l
and upon which he had buildings erected were conceded
to him on the condition that he should have their bound-
■
aries marked out, but this decree could not be put into
effect within the two years time to which it was limited.
This petition does not appear to have had any effect.
At any rate, it is certain that the widow and sons o
Cadillac never came to Detroit thereafter, and that the
lands to which they laid claim never came into their
possession or control. Probably no further efforts were
made by them to recover this property, and so they suf-
fered the sacrifice of it all with as good grace as could
be expected under the circumstances. In reviewing the
conditions under which the founder of Detroit assumed
the bold task of establishing a colony there and his suc-
cess in carrying forward the plan to a point where its
permanence was assured, it will strike the unpreju-
diced reader that he was most unjustly treated in respect
to the substantial rewards which men generally take
into the account in the affairs of this life. He was not
actuated by sordid motives in his scheme. The glory
of France and the advancement of her interest in Amer-
ica were at the bottom. So thoroughly was he in
earnest that he was able speedily to convince the king
and court that his plan was worth a trial. If they
had stood by him as loyally as he stood by his country,
instead of listening to those who were intriguing against
him, the last days of his life would have been more
serene, and the little outpost in the western wilderness
under his judicious sway might have enjoyed in its
infancy a less troublous career,
i -11
\
•
•
CHAPTER XI
The French Successors of Cadillac
V »
»
'
■
•
•
*
ADILAC'S successors in command at
Detroit were military officers, usually o
the rank of captain, and men of tried
capacity who had a fairly good record.
The post was regarded as an important
and desirable one. For that reason there were no lack
■
of applicants. Cadillac's oldest son, Antoine, who had
served under his father at Detroit as an ensign, was,
when 27 years of age, an applicant. But his rank and
experience in the service were considered insufficient
and his claims were passed by. An older man was
thought preferable. Usually an officer who had served
in similar capacity at Michilimackinac, St. Joseph or
elsewhere was chosen, and at the end of his service at
Detroit he was transferred to Montreal or Quebec,
where he was assigned to a comfortable, easy berth, for
his declining years. The term of office was limited to
three years, but this does not appear to have been very
strictly enforced. If his administration was fairly sat-
isfactory, if he showed capacity for handling the Indi-
ans, who were most troublesome neighbors at all times,
and if he was popular with the inhabitants, the incum-
bent was continued in office by re-appointment or by
suffrance. So the actual service of the commandants
varied from one to a dozen years and sometimes they
were returned to the post for a second term after an
interval of absence.
When Cadillac was relieved of his command Fran-
cois de la Foret was named as his successor. He was a
native of Paris where he was born in 1648. The date
165
I 66 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
-
of his arrival in New France is not known, but it was
evidently when he was a young man, for we find him in
1680 accompanying La Salle on an expedition to Illi-
nois. He had evidently commended himself to La Salle,
for shortly after his return from this expedition the lat-
ter placed him in command at Fort Frontenac.
In
1682 he aided Frontenac in negotiating a treaty with
the Iroquois. While absent on this mission to Que-
bec, La Barre was sent out from France as governor
to succeed Frontenac and he, disregarding the rights of
La Salle, seized Fort Frontenac and would not permit
La Foret to return to it. Thereupon the latter went
to France to secure the restitution of his property to
La Salle, in which effort he was successful.
He
was
then restored to the command of Fort Frontenac which
he retained for several years. He was a close adher-
ent of La Salle and devoted much time and energy to
the support of the cause of his early friend and patron.
After the death of La Salle, La Foret was given the
command of Fort St. Louis, to which post he was
accompanied by La Salle's old companion, Henry de
Tonty. The two remained at Fort St. Louis several
years engaged in the fur trade. In 1705 we find him
second in command at Detroit and in full authority dur-
ing the absences of Cadillac. He seems to have enjoyed
the full confidence and esteem of his superior. It was
only natural that he should be appointed to succeed
in the command. But his health was then very poor
■
* •
and he could not at once proceed to take actual pos-
session of his post. In the meantime Du Buisson was
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 67
put in temporary charge and so continued until La Foret
recovered sufficiently to assume his duties. He remained
in command until his death, which occurred at Quebec
in 1 7 14. Just before his death he made a report upon
the condition and prospects at Detroit in which he
advocated the building up of that post as a military
necessity to withstand the encroachments of the Eng-
lish and for the protection of French interests in the
west. His recommendations did not receive the atten-
tion they deserved.
There were several temporary commanders at inter-
vals during Cadillac's incumbency when he was absent
from the post. The first of these was Alphonse de
Tonty, who went out with Cadillac on his original expe-
dition to Detroit as second in command, a position
which he continued to hold for several years. He mis-
behaved himself in some respects, betraying the confi-
dence of his superior officer during the absence of the
latter. In 1705 he left the place without permit, putting
Sieur de Bourgmont, his lieutenant, in charge. The
latter appears to have had woful lack of tact and dis-
cretion and soon had the place in a state of turmoil. He
was abusive to the Indians and soldiers and stirred up
a social scandal which put an end to his usefulness. He
fled before Cadillac's return, and though efforts were
made to apprehend him they were not successful. He
was afterward heard of in Missouri and rendered some
service in negotiating peace with the Indians of New
Mexico.
After Cadillac's departure and before the arrival of
1 68 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
La Foret the command of the post fell upon Sieur Du
Buisson. This period proved to be a very eventful one,
as it was signalized by the siege of the fort and fero-
cious attacks upon it in 17 12 made by the Fox and
■
Mascoutin Indians in the absence of the Hurons and
Pottawatomies who had loyally supported the French.
These events will be dealt with more fully elsewhere
from information based upon a narrative of them which
Du Buisson himself prepared and which was afterward
translated into English and published. He remained
as second in command after the arrival of La Foret and
succeeded temporarily after the death of the latter
until the arrival of his successor. From 1723 to 1727
he was in command at Fort Miamis near the present
city of Toledo. In 1729 he was in command at Mich-
ilimackinac.
The successor of La Foret at Detroit was Jacques
Charles Sabrevois, Sieur de Bleury.
He
was
born
in
A
1667 and came to New France as sub-lieutenant,
romantic incident is related of a violent quarrel between
him and Cadillac when both were young lieutenants
stationed at Quebec.
happened in 1686 in the lit-
tie pension of the widow Pellerin. Cadillac entered the
-
room where Sabrevois and others of the boarders were
sitting after supper and was asked to join them in a
glass of wine. After a little, Sabrevois arose to excuse
himself to keep an engagement with a lady. There-
upon Cadillac made some uncomplimentary remark and
one word led to another until both men became angry
and drew their swords. Friends rushed in to sepa-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 69
rate them when Cadillac picked up a heavy brass
candlestick and hurled it at Sabrevois, striking him in
the face and wounding him severely. The candle was
extinguished, leaving the room in total darkness.
Friends parted the belligerents and got them safely to
their respective quarters. Nothing serious came of it;
there was no duel; although the governor ordered an
investigation and the testimony was reduced to writ-
ing, the whole matter appears to have been dropped.
The records show that Sabrevois was appointed to
the command at Detroit in 17 12. But his appointment
was vigorously opposed by the Chevalier de Ramezay,
who was a powerful influence in the colony, and he
succeeded in holding it up until 17 15. In the mean-
time La Foret continued in authority until his death
in 17 14, and in the interval after his death until the
arrival of Sabrevois, Du Buisson was acting comman-
dant. Sabrevois commanded only two years. Upon
his arrival he called the inhabitants together and pointed
out the dilapidated and unsafe condition of the fort.
He proposed that all join in improving it for mutual
safety. This was agreed to on the part of some.
Thereupon Sabrevois proceeded with the work. Those
who had agreed with him to share the expense backed
out and he was left to foot the bills alone. He asked
the government to come to his relief but this was never
done. He was, possibly as a recognition of his services,
made a chevalier of the military order of St. Louis.
From 1721 to 1724 he was commandant at Fort
Chambly. Here he was visited by Charlevoix, then
170 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
traveling through the country and writing letters, after-
ward published. In one of them he speaks in very
complimentary terms of Sabrevois. The latter was
afterwards major of Montreal, where he died in 1727.
He was succeeded at Detroit in 17 17 by Alphonse
de Tonty, who now appears again upon the stage of
local history on which he had previously cut something
of
a
figure.
He had formerly left under a cloud of
unpopularity, as it were, and it does not appear exactly
clear what influences led to his re-appointment.
He
was known to be grasping and selfish and certainly
unscrupulous. The manner in which he and others, per-
haps under his influence, treated the family and prop-
erty rights of Cadillac was, to say the least, anything
but honorable. Under his new regime he showed his
former selfish characteristics in exaggerated form. He
joined with himself a few of the citizens to monopolize
the trade. He had promised great reforms, but they
did not materialize. He was evidently a man of energy
and persistency. He entirely reconstructed the fort
and made it one of the best of the kind in the country.
In this work he had spent a great deal of money and
had incurred considerable debts. Possibly he felt jus-
tified in imposing on the inhabitants to any extent which
their good nature would bear. But he made himself
so obnoxious that charges were preferred against him
d he was obliged in the winter of 17
to go to
Quebec to defend himself. Nothing resulted from the
charges. In 1724 he was again called to Quebec to
answer summons to a suit brought by one La Marque,
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 7 I
who had purchased some of the property of Cadillac.
Nothing came of it. On his return he was met by
infuriated citizens who denounced him and demanded
his recall. This time the Huron Indians joined their
voices with the exasperated whites and added a threat
to remove altogether from the place. This was too
serious for the government to ignore. Beauharnois,
the new governor, at once ordered de Tonty's removal,
t.
but for the purpose of letting him down easy, gave it
out that he would retire at the expiration of his term in
the following spring. He was greatly chagrined over
this decision of the government, and this is believed
to have some bearing upon his death which occurred at
Detroit Nov. 10, 1727.
Louis de la Porte, Sieur de Louvigny, is mentioned as
commanding at Detroit, but this must have been during
some temporary absence of de Tonty. He commanded
at Michilimackinac from 1690 to 1694, at which post
he was succeeded by Cadillac. He came to Detroit in
1703 as an officer of the garrison. At one time he was
lieutenant-governor of New France. He was a broth-
er-in-law of Duluth. He was drowned in a shipwreck
in 1725. Francois de Belestre is also mentioned as
commanding at Detroit, but as in the preceeding case,
it must have been a mere temporary matter during one
of the numerous absences of de Tonty. He died at
Detroit in 1729.
Jean Baptiste de St. Ours, Sieur Deschaillons, was
appointed in 1728 to succeed de Tonty. He was born
in 1670 and lived in Montreal where all his children
172 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
were born. He was an officer of marine
and
rose to
the rank of captain. He had taken part in wars with
the Indians and in raids across the New England bord-
ers. In 1 7 1 6 he was sent west with an expedition which
was to assemble friendly Indians at Michilimackinac to
proceed to Wisconsin and bring the Fox Indians to
terms. The expedition was successful and on acount
of his services therein Deschaillons was appointed in
17 19 commandant at Fort St. Joseph. Here he
remained only a year and then returned to Montreal.
Although he came to Detroit as commandant in 1728,
there is no mention of him in the records of St. Ann's
at any subsequent time, from which it is inferred that
his stay did not exceed a year.
Louis Henry Deschamps, Sieur de Boishebert, came
to Detroit as comandant early in 1730.
He
native of Quebec where he was born in 1679.
was a
He
entered the army in his youth and served under Vau-
dreyil in his campaigns against the Iroquois, which
resulted in a treaty by which the French were permitted
to go to their western posts by way of the lower lakes
and Niagara, instead of the Ottawa and Lake Nipissing
route. Cadillac came to Detroit in 1701 by this latter
route, but a year later, in consequence of this treaty with
the Iroquois, Madame Cadillac and party were permit-
ted to come by the way of Niagara. Boishebert was
employed as an engineer upon the fortifications o
Quebec in
made
a
map
and 1
the coast
and in the following year
Labrador. From the
completion of this work he was adjutant of Quebec foi
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 73
eighteen years. He married a daughter of Chevalier
de Ramezay of Montreal, who was at one time gover-
nor of that city. Boishebert served his three years as
commandant at Detroit and then returned to- Montreal,
where he died in 1736.
Ives Jacques Hughes Pean, Sieur de Livaudiere, was
commandant at Detroit from 1733 to 1736. He had
held a similar position at Fort Frontenac in 1724 and at
Fort Chambly in 1727. He was a native of Paris,
where he was born in 1682, and married at Montreal
in 1722 Marie Pecody. He proved an acceptable com-
mandant and made valuable reports to the government
of the condition and prospects of affairs at Detroit. He
returned to Quebec after the close of his term. He was
a chevalier of the military order of St. Louis and had
the rank of major of Quebec, where he continued to
reside until his death in 1747.
Nicolas Joseph Des Noyelles was appointed by the
governor, Beauharnois, to succeed Livaudiere, but this
appointment was not confirmed. Ignorant of that fact
he proceeded to Detroit in 1736 and assumed the duties
of commandant, which he continued to discharge for
three years. He was highly esteemed both by the inhabi-
tants and by the Indians and so was not disturbed, al-
though he held the post without warrant from the king.
He had previous to> his appointment rendered good ser-
vice in wars against the western Indians and had passed
through Detroit on these expeditions. His term ended
in 1739 and after that he joined with Verandrye in wes-
tern explorations, and in 1744 was named as command-
174 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ant of the post of the Western Sea. In 1750 he was in
Montreal, but nothing is known of him at a later date.
Pierre Jacques de Payan, Sieur de Charvis, was
appointed to succeed as commandant in 1739. He
was a grandson on the side of his mother of the cele-
brated Le Moyne family, one of the most distinguished
in the history of New France, and remarkable for the
numbers of its members who rose to distinction in the
province. He was born at Montreal in 1695 and
entered the army at an early age. His military training
was under his uncle, Sieur de Bienville, while the lat-
ter was governor of Louisiana. He was afflicted with
a cancer of the breast and when appointed to Detroit
had already submitted to three operations. These
appear to have been successful, for he was able to
assume the duties of his post and served through his
term, retiring in 1742 to Montreal, where he is men-
tioned as governor in 1749.
Pierre Celoron, Sieur de Blainville, chevalier of the
military order of St. Louis, was born at Montreal in
1693.
At an early age he entered the military depart-
ment, following the example of his father, who had
been a captain. Promotion in the army was slow, and
it was not until 1734 that we find mention of him as a
lieutenant setting out to
serve as commandant at
Michilimackinac. In this position his services proved
so acceptable that he was continued through a second
term. During a portion of this time his brother, Jean
Baptiste Celoron, was at Michilimackinac as second
in command. Before the close of his term there his
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 175
services were called for by the governor of Louisiana,
and he was dispatched to New Orleans with French
troops and friendly Indians to defend the whites against
the Chickasaws. The expedition was entirely success-
ful and soon after his return Celoron was sent to com-
mand at Detroit. This is believed to have been in
1742. A year later he was sent to command at Fort
Niagara. He remained there two years and was then
sent to Crown Point. The contest between the French
and English for supremacy in America was beginning
to grow warm and the services of an active, resolute and
resourceful leader were in demand. He was dispatched
with succor for Detroit ; he undertook to save the Ohio
country to the French. In this matter Detroit was con-
sidered the base of operations and the real point of
importance. Celoron was again placed in command there
and through his able support supplies and reinforce-
ments of both whites and Indians had much to do with
the holding of Fort Duquesne against the English
attacks. In 1753 he was relieved of his command
at Detroit and was appointed major of Montreal. In
1755 he was m command of Canadian militia which
served with Baron Dieskau in his attack upon the Eng-
lish at Lake George. He died at Montreal in 1759.
One of the islands in Detroit river bears his name. It
was during the term of his incumbency at Detroit that a
concerted effort was made to increase the population
of the place by inducing immigration. Quite a number
of families were thus brought to the town, but there was
a woful scarcity of women.
176 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
When Celoron
red
743 he was succeeded
Paul Joseph Le Moyne, Chevalier de Longueui
He
was one
born in
the
lebrated Le Moyne family and was
7
He
came to Detroit
in
743
remained in command until 1748, when he became see-
in command, probably to Celoron, who was re-
turned on account of the importance of the post in those
troublous times and the confidence which the govern-
ment had in his ability.
seems likely that upon his
retirement the post fell to Jacques Pierre Daneau, Sieur
de Muy, who was transferred thither from St. Joseph
where he had been in command for some time. He was
something of a student and naturalist and published in
Paris the results of his observations upon the plants
found in this part of the country. The exact period of
his command at Detroit is uncertain, but the records of
St. Ann's church mention his death and interment here
i758.
His immediate successor was Jean Baptiste
Henry Beranger, who had been second in command and
who temporarily succeeded his chief.
Francois Marie Picote, Sieur de Belestre, was ap-
pointed to succeed Daneau and immediately repaired to
post which he held
1
was surrendered to the
English in 1760. He was a chevalier of the military
order of St. Louis and a son of a former commandant
bearing the same name. From early life he took an ac-
tive part in the military affairs of New France. He ac-
companied Celoron on his expedition to Ohio. Boishe-
bert writing in 1747, says of him: "He is known and
■
beloved by the Indians of St. Joseph. He is an ensign
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 77
of excellent conduct, a brave fellow who pleases every
one that is with him."
Before this he had been sent on a confidential mili-
tary mission to Acadia and had acquitted himself in a
manner to commend him to his superiors. He gave a
good account of himself in every position in which he
was placed. In 1746 he was in command at Fort St.
Joseph. He commanded a detachment of Indians at
Fort Duquesne at the time of Braddock's attack and
was captured by the English there in 1757. The man-
ner of his escape is not known, but in the autumn of the
same year he was in command of a body of three hun-
dred French and Indians in the thick of the fray in
northern New York. He went from Detroit in 1759,
soon after his appointment to its command, with one
hundred French and one hundred and fifty Indians to
the relief of Fort Niagara, then besieged by the Eng-
lish. He arrived too late to be of help and not being
included in the capitulation, made good his escape back
to Detroit. He set on foot plans for the vigorous de-
fense of Detroit against the expected attack of the Eng-
lish, and it was only upon the most indubitable evidence
of the fall of Quebec and that the capitulation included
all the western posts, that he finally yielded to the in-
evitable and permitted the lowering of the French col-
ors upon the ramparts of Detroit and the occupancy of
the fort by the English under Major Robert Rogers,
November 29, 1760. He was sent as a prisoner of war
to Philadelphia, whence he was in due time released and
1-12
178 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
permitted to make his way back to Quebec, where he
died in 1793.
Note. For many of the facts set forth in the foregoing
sketches of the several commandants the writer is indebted to Mr.
Clarence M. Burton's Rulers of Detroit, in Pioneer Collections. Vol.
34-
CHAPTER XII
Dangers Which Surrounded the New
Settlements
•
•
•
.
■
URING the regime of Cadillac the dan-
gers which chiefly threatened his colony
were due to the machinations of his ene-
mies. Even while the colonizing party
was en route to the Detroit persistent
efforts were made by the Jesuit, Vaillant, it was charged,
to breed dicontent and insubordination among the sol-
diers and settlers. They were urged to desert and re-
turn to Montreal, and that some did not do so may be
explained by their loyalty to their commander. So,
from the outset there was a deliberate effort to discredit
the enterprise. The reason for this course on the part
of the Jesuit missionaries has been already hinted at.
They objected to having their old mission at Michili-
mackinac injured by the withdrawal of the Indians. In-
ducing the natives to come to the new post at Detroit
was part of Cadillac's program. It succeeded so well
that the old post at the Straits was practically aband-
oned from that time, or at least ceased to flourish. The
missionaries also had an establishment which had been
maintained for many years among the Miamis at Fort
St. Joseph, at the mouth of the St. Joseph river.
Though there was no considerable military force at this
post, it had managed to keep on peaceable terms with
the natives and to flourish as a settlement of a few
Frenchmen, almost altogether missionaries. Some of
the Miamis came to Detroit and this constituted another
grievance and aroused the jealousy of this post at the
west side of the state. There were constant efforts to
stir up hostility against Cadillac and he was obliged to
181
I 82 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ve
combat them as best he could. He writes to Count
Pontchartrain in 1708, complaining of the Jesuit inter-
ference with his affairs. He thinks it necessary for the
firm establishment of Detroit that there should be
or six hundred inhabitants and troops in proportion,
that a good fort of earth be made on the site of the
present insecure fortification. He says a canal can be
built connecting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, which
would greatly facilitate transportation by water. He
complains that his plans are frustrated by the efforts to
re-establish Michilimackinac. This scheme, he says
»
has great allurements for the governor-general, because
it makes him master of commerce. If Michilimackinac
were abandoned the savages would no longer resort to
Montreal, and consequently the governor would not re-
ceive presents from them. All Canada regards Detroit
as an obstacle to the re-establishment of the permits;
hence their opposition.
In response to the many complaints, the governor
Vaudreuil, sent M. d'Aigrement to inspect the frontier
posts. He spent nineteen days at Detroit and made a
report which shows evident prejudice against Cadillac.
He reiterates all the harsh things which his enemies
were saying, and finds no kind word to offer for any-
>
thing.
He says that Cadillac is generally disliked
the French and the savages on account of his tyranny;
that he is grasping and covetous and oppressive.
He
charges that Cadillac compels the settlers to pay exor-
bitant rental and taxes for their lands; that he exacts
undue toll at his mill ; in short, that he makes the most
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 83
of his opportunities to squeeze the last sou from his
helpless victims. The inspector asserts that there can
be no doubt that maintaining the establishment at De-
troit is highly prejudicial to Canada, for it has a tend-
ency to divert the Indian trade to the English, and has
also introduced the latter to the Miamis, who before
that time were always faithful allies of the French. He
disputes the account of the fertility of the soil. He says
it consists of a sandy surface a few inches in depth with
a stiff clay underneath, which the water cannot pene-
trate; practically it is nothing better than a swamp. The
timber consists of small stunted oaks and hardy walnuts.
The grasshoppers eat all the garden vegetables, so that
it is necessary to plant and sow the same thing over,
even to the fourth time.* Even if the land were ever so
productive, there is no market and the trade of the post
could never be useful to France. The establishment
would always prove a burden and useless to the king-
dom. He finds no good thing in it in any respect. From
Detroit d'Aigrement proceeded to Michilimackinac,
were he spent four days. This, he declares to be the ad-
vance post of all Canada ; the most important, as well
for its advantageous position, as for the commerce that
might be made here. It is the rendezvous and highway
of all the nations of Lake Superior and the entire upper
country. The fish are good and very abundant. The
land is not of the best, but the natives raise enough In-
dian corn for their own use and that of the traders.
It is easy to see from this report the motives and feel-
*Mich. Pioneer Collections, v. 33. Cadillac Papers.
I 84 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ings which inspired d'Aigrement. He was hostile to the
colony at Detroit, and ready to lend his influence to its
suppression
The effect of his accusations was offset to
a great degree by Cadillac's statement in reply, as well
as by the petition signed by all the residents of Detroit,
the letters of Father
sustaining their commandant,
Constantine, and by M. de Ramezay, governor of Mon-
treal, who commended Cadillac in unequivocal terms.*
The war between France and England had a most
disastrous effect upon the colonies in America. Both na-
tions tampered with the Indians and sought to win their
support. This had a tendency to make the natives wav-
ering and uncertain in their allegiance. They were nat-
urally treacherous, suspicious of the motives and pur-
poses of their white neighbors, and the latter suffered
the unhappy results of this condition of affairs. Cadil-
lac appears to have had the confidence and good will of
the savages, but no sooner had he departed than trou-
bles thickened for the dwellers at Fort Pontchartrain.
Through the intrigues of the English the Iroquois
planned to surprise and capture Detroit. This scheme
was to be carried into effect through the Ottagamies and
Mascoutins who dwelt in the Green Bay region. These
were hereditary enemies of the Hurons, who supported
the French interests and who formed considerable vil-
*
lages about the post at Detroit. The invaders came on
in large numbers early in May, 17 12, and encamped
just outside the fort. Their arrival was entirely unex-
*Mich
Cadillac
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 85
pected. The Hurons and Ottawas had not yet returned
from their annual hunting expeditions and so their vil-
lages were practically deserted. The fort was in no
condition to withstand a siege. There were but thirty
men in the garrison. Many of the supplies were stored
outside the fort; especially was this true of the grain and
it was rescued and carried within the fort with great
difficulty and labor. The church and storehouse out-
side the palisades but so near as to endanger the same if
set on fire were destroyed by order of Dubuisson, the
commandant. Frequent rallies were made by the be-
siegers with threats to burn the whole establishment.
A courier was sent post haste to notify the absent
Hurons and Ottawas and persuade them to hurry their
return. The garrison was kept in a constant state of
anxiety and alarm by the assaults of the savages. The
cabin of an Ottawa near the gate of the fort was fired
and great exertions were necessary to save the spreading
of the flames to the fort itself. Dubuisson in making
report of the affair says that on the 13th of May, while
impatiently awaiting the return of the friendly Hurons
Mr. DeVincennes arrived from the Miami country with
seven or eight Frenchmen. Not long thereafter he had
advices that the Hurons and Ottawas had arrived and
were in a state of great indignation against the invading
savages. The commandant through Mr. De Vincennes
>
undertook to arrange a settlement of the affair without
bloodshed. But this did not prove to be feasible. Con-
. tinuing his report the commandant says : "I then closed
the gates of the fort and divided my few Frenchmen
I 86 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
into four brigades, each having its brigadier,
spected their arms and ammunition, and assigned them
their stations on the bastions. I put four of them into
the redoubt I had just constructed.
placed
some
of
them at the two curtains which were most exposed and
»
armed them with spears. My two cannon were all
ready with slugs of iron prepared to load them, which
had been made by the blacksmith. Our reverend fath-
er held himself ready to give general absolution in case
of necessity and to assist the wounded, if there should
be anv.
"Every arrangement being made, and while we were
waiting with impatience, I was informed there were
many people in sight. I immediately ascended a bastion
and casting my eyes toward the woods I saw the army
of the nations of the South issuing from it. They were
the Illinois, the Missouris, the Osages and other nations
yet more remote.
There were also with them the Otta-
wa Chief Saguina, and also the Pottawatomies, the
Sacs and some Menomenies. Detroit never saw such a
collection of people.
is surprising how much a
these nations are irritated against the Mascoutins and
the Ottagamies. The army marched in good order,
with as many flags as there were different nations, and
*
it proceeded directly to the fort of the Hurons. These
Indians said to the head chief of the army, You must
not encamp; affairs are too pressing. We must enter
immediately
our Father
Fort
fight for him
As he has always had pity on us and as he loves us we
ought to die for him. And don't you see that smoke
i
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE I 87
also; they are the women of your village, Saguina, who
are burning there, and your wife is among them. There
arose a great cry and at the same time they all began to
run, having the Hurons and the Ottawas at their head.
The Ottagamies and the Mascoutins raised also their
war cry and about forty of them issued from their fort,
all naked and well armed, running to meet our Indians.
They were obliged however, to retreat immediately and
to return to their village. Our Indians requested per-
mission to enter my fort, which I granted, seeing they
were much excited."
After entering all assembled on the parade ground
where speech-making was next in order. It was char-
acteristic of the native American that upon occasions of
importance there must be harangues. He was a natural
born orator and he expected reciprocity in the talk, es-
pecially something nattering to his feelings. This part
of the affair being ended powder and balls were distrib-
uted. All then joined in the war cry; the guns were dis-
charged and the bullets flew like hail. The report con-
tinues: "I held the Ottagamies and Mascoutins in a
state of siege during nineteen days, wearing them out
by a continued fire night and day. In order to avoid our
fires they were obliged to dig holes four or five feet deep
in the ground and to shelter themselves there. I had
erected two large scaffolds twenty feet high the better
to fire into their villages. They could not go out for
water and they were exhausted by hunger and thirst,
had from four hundred to five hundred men who block-
aded their village night and day, so that no one could
I 88 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
issue to seek assistance. All our Indians went and hid
themselves at the edge of the woods, whence they con-
tinually returned with prisoners. Their sport was to
shoot them, or to fire arrows at them and then burn
them."
The enemy displayed red blankets as standards, from
which it was inferred that he fought for the English.
In fact the great chief of the Pottawatomies, by per-
mission, mounted one of the scaffolds and addressed the
Mascoutin warriors, charging them with being in the
direct service o
th
English
warning them that
attaching them-
they were making a great mistake
selves to that unworthy race. This parley had to be
stopped because it soon appeared that the enemy were
taking advantage of the cessation of hostilities to go
for water. Accordingly the firing was resumed. That
day some thirty of the enemy were killed and twelve
lives were lost in the fort. A few days later the red
flags were withdrawn and a white flag was shown. This
was a signal for a conference, which was granted on the
condition that they bring to the fort the fourwomen pris-
oners, including thewife of the Indian chief Saguina. But
the parley came to nothing. The Frenchmen were so
badly frightened that they were in favor of giving up
the contest, abandoning the fort and retiring to Michili-
mackinac. But Dubuisson would not listen to such a
suggestion and his followers ultimately decided to stand
by him. If he had been a coward or weak-kneed the
ultimate fate of Detroit might have been decided then
and there.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE I 89
Hostilities were resumed with fresh vigor and the en-
emy was so hard pressed for lack of food and water
that on the night of the nineteenth day of the siege
which was dark and rainy he decamped altogether. The
departure of the savages was not known until daylight
and then immediate measures for pursuit were put
into effect. A party of Frenchmen joined with the
friendly Indians and the fugitives were overtaken where
they had entrenched themselves some four or five miles
up the river near what is now known as Windmill Point.
The pursuing army stumbled unexpectedly into the en-
trenchments and some twenty were killed or wounded.
Here the siege was renewed. Guns, ammunition and
food were supplied from the fort, being taken up the
river in canoes. Dubuisson's report continues: "The
enemy held their position four or five days, fighting
with much courage ; and finally not being able to do any-
thing more, surrendered to our people, who gave them
no quarter. All were killed except the women and chil-
dren, whose lives were spared, and one hundred men
who had been tied, but escaped. All our allies, returned
to my fort with their slaves. Their amusement was to
shoot four or five of them every day. The Hurons did
not spare a single one of theirs. In this manner came
to an end these two wicked nations who so badly afflicted
and troubled all the country. Our reverend father
chanted a grand mass to render thanks to God for hav-
ing preserved us from the enemy. The Ottagamies and
Mascoutins had constructed a very good fort. Our peo-
pie did not dare to undertake to storm it, notwithstand-
19b MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
rows.
ing all I could say. The works were defended by three
hundred men and our loss would have been great. Our
Indians lost sixty men killed and wounded, thirty of
* *
whom were killed in the fort, and a Frenchman named
Germain and five or six others were wounded with ar-
The enemy lost a thousand souls, men, women
and children/'*
So ended this episode, but it was only one of several
of somewhat similar character, though it was more for-
midable and dangerous than others. The inhabitants
of this region had the same experiences as those of New
England through the proximity of treacherous and
heartless savages. Dubuisson had the good luck to
have the alliance of several friendly tribes who, accord-
ing to his own report, bore the brunt of the fighting and
among whom alone fatalities occurred.
The
savages
who had their villages in the vicinity or who passed this
way on their hunting trips were in an almost constant
state of turmoil, owing to quarrels and jealousies among
themselves. The most unremitting care and watchful-
ness on the part of the French were necessary to protect
their lives. No one could say at what moment a feud
might break out, or what influences were at work shap-
ing trouble for the little settlement. This was especially
a hardship to those who lived outside the palisades and
who were undertaking to maintain themselves by agri-
culture. Their domestic animals might be driven off or
slaughtered without a moment's warning. While
*Report of Dubuisson to the Marquis de Vaudreuil, Governor
General of New France, June 15, 1712.
v
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 191
working in the fields they were compelled to be watch-
ful and, upon alarm, to betake themselves with their
wives and children to the protection of the fort.
No sooner was the affair above referred to over than
rumors came of a fresh attack from the Kickapoos, who
lived at the mouth of the Maumee. The allies who de-
fended the fort against the Mascoutins having scattered
there appeared an opening for another onslaught. This
tribe had got itself into trouble with the whites through
abuse of some missionaries and other Frenchmen who
had visited their country. The adventurous white man
traveling through the woods or the solitary Indian with
his family venturing into the demesne of a hostile or
uncertain tribe were (liable to be murdered. These
crimes called for retaliation and revenge on the part of
the friends of the victim. So there was constant excite-
ment and uncertainty. The wandering tribes might
make their appearance any day and nobody could know
upon what mischief they were bent. In 1706, a band of
young Ottawas came along eager for a fray and de-
termined to attack the fort and drive off the French.
Father Constantine de l'Halle, the Recollet pastor of St.
Ann's was working in his garden outside the enclosure,
unconscious of their presence or purpose. They seized,
bound and stabbed him. Their chief ordered his release
and told him to go into the fort. As he was doing so
he was shot and killed. A Frenchman named La Riv-
iere was also killed. Their bodies lay where they fell
for some time before the French dared venture forth to
recover them for burial.
192 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
In spite of this state of semi-terror the colony strug-
The
ome
gled along and managed to hold its own.
government in France had been turning its attention to
Louisiana as a more promising field of exploitation.
Cadillac had been withdrawn from Detroit and sent
there to carry out on a larger scale his scheme of coloni-
zation in a climate better suited to French ways of liv-
ing,
tired.
But he made no great success of it and soon re-
Law came to the front and occupied the stage
gotten and an opportunity
for a time with his brilliant scheme of finance. When
the Mississippi bubble burst many a French family of
good birth and breeding found itself in desperate
straits. The most feasible opening seemed to be in mi-
gration to a new country where the past might be for-
found to retrieve the fallen
fortune. New France profited well by this condition of
affairs, for it was the means of bringing over some of
the best blood of the nation. Some notable names were
added to the list of those dwelling in the little settle-
ment on the Strait and they are still found in our city di-
-
rectory. Among these were Robert Navarre, of royal
blood, Dr. Henry Bellisle, Dr. Jean Chapoton, together
with the Chenes, Cicottes, Campaus, Godefrois, Guoins,
Picards Rivards, Riopelles, Morans, Dequindres,
Reaumes, La Fontaines, Lorangers and many others,
w
hose
descendants still remain.
The
new
settlers
swarmed in in considerable numbers and the limits of
the town were extended. The first rude fort had been
replaced by another, after having suffered from fire and
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 1 93
assault, and this by still another of much greater
strength, and enlarged capacity.
The Marquis of Beauharnois became governor and
Hocquart was made intendant. Both these men were
liberal and sensible and appeared to have a just appre-
ciation of the colonists and their struggles and difficul-
ties. The people appreciated the beneficient adminis-
tration of affairs and it can be truly said that matters
moved along smoothly during this period. The most
exciting event was the presence of smallpox which
wrought great havoc among the Indians and proved to
be of serious consequence to the inhabitants of the town.
In 1 749 the government undertook to send over em-
igrant farmers and to provide them with seeds and
tools. Lands were granted for ten miles up and down the
river. These new comers were largely from Normandy,
a frugal and industrious class, who brought their good
qualities with them, to the manifest advantage of the
colony. Among the good things which they brought
over and by which their descendants have profited were
fruit trees. All the old French farms on both sides of
the Detroit river had orchards of most excellent fruit.
Some of the ancient pear trees still remain, bearing
abundantly after the lapse of more than a century and a
half.
During the governorship of Beauharnois consider-
able enlightened attention was paid to the improvement
of conditions in the lake region. The colony at Detroit
was favored in many ways. The governor went in per-
son to Michilimackinac where he conferred with the
1-18
I
194 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
few French and Indians still living there. Through his
influence settlements were established along the Lake
Michigan shore. There had been one for many years
at the mouth of the St. Joseph but it had not developed
to any great extent.
Other settlements were formed at
the mouth of the Muskegon and at L'Arbre Croche,
midway between Little Traverse bay and the Straits of
Mackinac. At this point the making of maple sugar
was a specialty. It was carried on extensively and with
so great care as to cleanliness that it came to have a rep-
utation which commanded for it the highest market
price
*
A Huron mission had been established at an early
day and it continued for many years under the charge
of Father de la Richardie on Bois Blanc Island at the
mouth of the Detroit river. At one period the threat-
ening attitude of the Indians became so alarming that a
proposition was seriously made to remove thither the
entire fort and settlement of Detroit. But it evidently
The
never got much beyond the stage of suggestion.
attitude of the Indians was largely due to the intrigues
of the English. In fact, the English themselves were
pushing westward and when they undertook to open up
trade at White river and in the Wabash country the
French at Detroit felt that defensive measures could not
be too speedily set on foot. In 1744^45 matters seemed
to be approaching a climax and it was only by the most
vigorous efforts to thwart the English designs that act-
*CampbeH's Political History of Michigan.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
195
ual hostilities were prevented. The time was fast ap-
proaching when the final clash of arms between the two
European nations on this continent could be no longer
avoided. In the meantime the little colony at Detroit
struggled along as best it could under the prevailing de-
moralization of the conflict that was seen to be impend-
ing.
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I
CHAPTER XIII
Commercial Rivalry Between the French and
English
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NE of the earliest discoveries made by the
French after having fairly set foot on
the continent was the fact that there
were large profits in the fur trade. We
have seen in a previous chapter some-
thing of the methods of carrying on the trade, as well
as a glimpse of its magnitude and importance. On the
other hand the first English settlers gave no thought to
such matters. The circumstance that the regions into
which the French first came and the remote districts
-
which they first penetrated abounded in fur bearing ani-
mals, while the English came into contact with nothing
of the sort, helps to account for it. The New England
colonists had no interest whatever in the subject. They
gave attention to inducing immigration, developing the
resources of the country and establishing permanent
homes. Some time and leisure were found for religious
quarrels and incidentally to harass their French neigh-
bors of Acadia. But it was not until they had driven
the Dutch out of New York and started the movement
of westward expansion that the English began to see
that there was something in the fur business. With
their natural aptitude for commercial affairs it was to
be expected that having a glimpse of possible profits in
this direction they should proceed to make the most of
their opportunities.
Two French protestant adventurers opened the way.
These were Medard Chouart, known as Sieur des Gro-
seilliers, and Pierre Esprit Radisson. These men were
born in France about 1620 and came to America when
199
200 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
about sixteen years of age. They were full of energy
and daring and entered with spirit into the wild life
then so easily found in the new world. Radisson was
captured by the Iroquois and adopted into one of their
tribes. After two years he managed to escape. Chouart
was for a time mission assistant, but that life was not to
his liking and he became a forest ranger. He married
■
a daughter of Abraham Martin, the French settler, af-
ter whom the celebrated plains of Abraham, just out-
side of Quebec, were named. After her death which
followed shortly he married a sister of Radisson and
henceforth the fortunes of the two adventurers ran
along the same lines. They went together on many
exped
They were the first white men
explore the north shore of Lake Superior. Passing to
the extreme western end of the lake and continuing their
journey in a southwesterly direction they came among
a band of the Hurons who had been driven thither by
the Iroquois. These savages having firearms were able
to maintain themselves against the bloodthirsty Sioux
and they had traversed the country adjacent to the Mis-
sissippi as far as Lake Pepin. Upon the information
furnished by the Indians, Groseilliers and Radisson
pushed on and wintered among the "Mille Lacs" o
Minnesota. They traveled extensively among the Sioux
penetrating into Dakota. They explored the region of
Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lakes and on to the
shores of Hudson's bay. After an absence of two years
they returned to Montreal in 1660 with marvellous
stories of the country they had visited, and a large
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 201
quantity of furs. As they had left without a proper
permit they were immediately arrested for illicit trad-
ing and were fined ten thousand livres. Smarting under
the injustice of such a fine they went to France to secure
its remission and to interest the French people in an ex-
pedition to be sent out to explore Hudson's bay. In
both these efforts they were unsuccessful.
Deeply hurt by what they considered persecution and
influenced in all probability by the fact that they were
protestants, they now turned toward the English. In
1664 they went to Boston, then the center of English
enterprise in America and sought to interest the mer-
chants of that town in their plans. They finally suc-
ceeded in chartering a ship which sailed as far as Hud-
son straits. But the master was too timid to continue
the voyage and it proved a failure. Upon their return
to Boston it happened that there were two royal com-
missioners there, sent over by Charles II to settle some
disputed questions. One of these commissioners was Sir
George Carteret, a man of prominence and influence in
court circles. He was interested in the disclosures of
Groseilliers and Radisson. Through his advice they de-
cided to visit England. Carteret secured for them an
audience with the king. At this stage of affairs the
Dutch came upon the scene and sought to induce Gro-
seilliers and Radisson to join an expedition which they
were contemplating. This offer they declined, having
succeeded in interesting Prince Rupert, the king's cousin,
in their plans. In 1667 the Hudson's bay project was
set on its feet and among the first subscribers to stock
202 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
were Prince Rupert and other members of the royal
family, as well as their personal friends among the no-
bility.* Two ships were chartered by the merchant ad-
venturers— the Eaglet and the Nonesuch. Radisson
sailed on the former and Groseilliers on the latter.
It
is a curious fact that the captain of the Nonesuch was
Zachariah Gillam, the New England captain of the ship
which had sailed from Boston in 1664 and who became
weak-kneed and backed out after reachingHudson strait.
On this later expedition it was the captain of the Eaglet
who showed the white feather and before reaching his
•
destination turned about and sailed for home.
The
Nonesuch entered and explored the bay. The party
landed, made a treaty with the Indians, established a
post and built a stone fort, where they remained
through the winter. In the spring they returned, going
first to Boston and thence to London.
The success of this voyage opened the way for the
organization of the Hudson's Bay Company, which
occurred in 1670 under a charter from King Charles II.
An extraordinary feature of this charter was that it con-
ferred not merely the exclusive rights of trade in peltries
and other articles of merchandise, but conveyed to the
company as absolute proprietors a vast territory called
Rupert's land, equal to a fourth of the whole of North
America. That this was so was established early in the
last century, when the company sold to the Earl of Sel-
kirk a tract greater in extent than the whole of England
*Bryce, History of Hudson's Bay Company. N. Y., 1900.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 203
and Scotland, which conveyance was subsequently con-
firmed by the highest legal authorities in England.
Even more astonishing was the conferring upon the
company the absolute sovereignty over its possessions,
with the right to make and enforce laws and to admin-
ister justice. It had the rights of war and peace and to
make treaties with any prince or people not christians,
to send ships of war with men and ammunition into its
possessions and to appoint commanders and officers. In
short, it was an empire, with an imperial domain, and
equipped with all the powers and prerogatives of an
absolute monarchy, yet organized for the sole purpose
of trade and the profit of its individual stockholders,
was the most gigantic monopoly in history. That its
promoters did not take the utmost advantage of it,
according to the modern fashion, speaks well for the
self-restraint and sense of honor of which the English
race has furnished more than one noted example.
It may well be supposed that all these things going on
in England and elsewhere were watched by the French
with a jealous eye. When Radisson and Groseilliers
returned from their extended western expedition heavily
laden with valuable furs and were roundly fined on a
technicality the French government made a serious mis-
take to penalize them as it did. It is not entirely a mat-
ter of surprise that these men, resenting their treatment,
should then tender their services to the English. The
French laid claim to the Hudson's bay country as cov-
ered by the grant of Francis I in 1540 to Sieur de
Roberval. When the Marquis of Denonville, governor
♦
204 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
of Canada, saw the movements of Radisson and his
associate and before the expedition sailed from Boston
in 1668 he sent an officer in charge of a suitable escort
to go in search of the most advantageous posts and
establish such on the shores of the great Baie du Nord
and the rivers which discharge therein. This party had
instructions to arrest Radisson and his adherents
wherever they might be found. But the movement was
too late to prevent the English establishing themselves
and fortifying important posts on the great bay. The
■
next movement was to dislodge the intruders. Through
the active exertions of the Northern Company* the
French Company then controlling the fur trade of Can-
ada, Governor Denonville organized an overland expe-
dition from Quebec to Hudson's bay. Four brothers of
the family Le Moyne, of whom Le Moyne D'Iberville
was the leader, organized an expedition which set out
early in 1685 and after three months of perilous and
exciting adventures reached its destination. It attacked
and captured in their turn the three important forts
which the Hudson's Bay Company had garrisoned and
equipped, as well as the company's vessel lying in one of
the harbors. With these captures was an immense
quantity of valuable furs. The Hudson's Bay Com-
pany employes were sent to England and the rest of the
prisoners D'Iberville took to France, whence they were
afterward permitted to return to England. The two
countries being at peace at that time, the affair was in
reality nothing more than a squabble between the two
rival fur companies.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 205
That the Hudson's Bay Company had suffered seri-
ous damage and injury through these operations of the
French is made evident by a petition which it presented
in 1687 to the British government asking compensation.
Among the items were the value of the furs on board
the ship captured by D'Iberville, the destruction of
three ships and ships' stores as well as many thousand
beaver skins, but most of all the loss and interruption of
traffic caused by the French occupation of the country,
amounting to ten thousand pounds sterling a year. The
whole bill of damages amounted to nearly a quarter of
a million pounds. This matter hung fire for nearly a
generation but it does not appear that the French gov-
ernment had any interest in it.
While France was exerting herself to retain the fur
trade for her company in the far north she was neglect-
ing the golden opportunity to establish and strengthen
herself south of the St. Lawrence. If instead of devot-
ing her energies to maintain French prestige and control
on the bleak and barren shores of Hudson's bay, she
had anticipated English possession of New York her
fate on this continent might have been different.
The colonists of New England knew nothing of the
fur business and consequently felt no interest in it. Only
after the English passed over to the banks of the Hud-
son and came into contact with the Five Nations did
they begin to perceive the possibilities of making money
out of the trading in peltries. As we have already seen,
the French had their minds so firmly fixed upon this fea-
ture of the opportunities of New France that they gave
206 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
little thought to permanent settlements in the way of
colonization. They quickly made their way to the great
lake region but looked upon this country only as con-
tributing freely to the traffic in furs. They established
and garrisoned trading posts, but they were only trad-
ing posts and nothing more. It was not until the begin-
ning of the 1 8th century that the foresight and energy
of Cadillac produced anything beyond a mere trading
post, and even Cadillac's colony found its most impor-
tant function, in his mind, in building up a settlement
which would serve as a barrier against the English and
so preserve to France the trade of the region beyond.
When the English began to show activity in respect
to trade with the Indians the cupidity of the French was
stirred to put a stop to it. So we find from the very
beginning of the contact between the two nations in the
west that the commercial spirit was at the bottom of all
the trouble. If France had possessed the true coloniz-
ing spirit and had been willing to deal liberally with the
people of her race who would try their fortunes in a new
land her grand opportunity was south of the St. Law-
Here was a vast and fertile region with a cli-
mate much more equable and agreeable than that of
Canada. It was open to her and might have been hers
right of pre-occupation. She could as easily have
made friends of the Iroquois as she did of the Hurons.
But she was looking in another direction and her heart
was with the huntsman and forest ranger. She watched
closely the English adventurers who from time to time
found themselves in the lake regions bent on explora-
rence.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 207
tiort. But the greatest grievance of all lay in the fact
that the lake Indians were tempted to trade at Albany.
There was no way in which the natives could be pre-
vented from taking their peltries where they could be
sold to the best advantage. The English not only paid
a better price for them than did the French but they
offered better bargains on the articles which the natives
wished to buy. They were under no compunctions or
restraint against supplying strong drink and the
demands of that nature were very considerable. As
early as 1685 Governor Dongan of New York licensed
several persons to trade for beaver in the country of the
Ottawas. This proceeding stirred up a great commo-
tion at Quebec and Governor Denonville was very
emphatic in his protest. He says the English have been
already at Michilimackinac bargaining with the Hurons
who received them kindly because they gave such good
prices for furs. In the following year when Duluth
was sent to establish a fort at the foot of Lake Huron a
party of English under Captain Roseboom of Albany
was captured on Lake Huron. There were in this party
twenty-nine Englishmen and a number of Indians,
beside a French interpreter. Not long thereafter a
second party of Englishmen numbering twenty-one in
charge of Major Patrick McGregory of Albany was
captured on the St. Clair river. Denonville was pleased
to hear of the capture of these English invaders. He
says "It is certain that had the two English detachments
not been stopped and pillaged, had their brandy and
other goods entered Michilimackinac, all our French-
208 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
men would have had their throats cut by a revolt of all
the Hurons and Ottawas, whose example would have
been followed by all the other nations." The victorious
Frenchmen invaded New York with a large force and
captured and destroyed the Seneca villages. It had
already become evident that the Iroquois were in the
service of the English and that their ravages which
spread terror among all the tribes friendly to French
interests were in pursuance of a settled policy of hos-
tility.
So the trespasses of the English upon the trading pre-
serves which the French considered theirs by right were
rapidly bringing to a very critical stage the relations of
the two rival nations in America. There had been many
collisions at one time and another, on Hudson's bay as
well as on Lake Huron, and along the border. All these
affairs helped to intensify the feeling on both sides and
there was not long to wait until the smouldering embers
broke into flame.
' CHAPTER XIV
Border Wars of the Colonists
uu
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1
N the latter part of the seventeenth and early half
of the eighteenth centuries England and France
were almost continually embroiled in wars with
each other or with their continental neighbors,
with whom one side or the other was allied.
The American colonies could scarcely avoid being drawn
into the conflict. The settlers in New England felt it a
duty they owed the home government to support its ef-
forts in the field by harassing their French neighbors,
especially since the sentiment of one toward the other
was not overly kind, at best. The French of Canada
were also eager to forward the interests of their native
country by threatening their neighbors to the southward
with the terrors of invasion. Among the earliest of
these wars which affected the colonies seriously was that
known as William and Mary's war. This was purely a
European dispute and the colonies were drawn into it
only incidentally. The peace of Ryswick gave all par-
ties a chance for much needed rest. But it was of short
duration. The opening of the eighteenth century found
France and England again at each others' throats in
what is known as Queen Anne's war, and for the next
twelve years New England was harrowed with border
raids of Frenchmen from Canada and their merciless
Indian allies. The colonists defended themselves as
best they could and sought reprisal in the way then best
available — an onslaught on Acadia and New Found-
land.
The horrors of those years of strife are among the
most impressive of the annals of early New England
211
212 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
life. Scarcely a hamlet of the Massachusetts and New
Hampshire borders escaped. But strange to say, the
passive New Englanders attempted no counter-raids
upon Canada. However, a scheme was hatched a little
later to send a sufficient force to capture Quebec and so
subdue Canada and put an end to the strife. With the
active aid of England an expedition was fitted out, but
it was a futile attempt. The peace of Utrecht in 1 7 1 2
put an end to hostilities and gave another breathing
spell. This restored the regions previously captured
by one party or the other, except that England was to
retain Nova Scotia. But the truce was short lived. The
state of feeling was such that it was becoming more and
more evident that such a thing as permanent peace and
harmony between the
1 nations in Ameri
was a
practical impossibility. The French were continually
exerting themselves to extend their dominions. In 1721
they made large grants of land on Lake Champlain and
also built a fort at Crown Point. They also took meas-
ures to establish their claims to the country southward
of the great lakes and west of the Ohio. La Salle had
traversed this region fifty years before and so gave them
a semblance of right by discovery. They establish Fort
Duquesne in the vicinity of the present city of Pitts-
burg, for the purpose of defending their claims to the
Ohio and Mississippi as the natural channel of commun-
ication for them between Louisiana and Canada.
The
belligerent measures of the French led the English col-
onies to engage in counter movements.
was becoming certain that the clash of arms in
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 213
which the two nations had so long indulged must be
transferred for its final finish to thecontinent of America.
France despatched a large fleet to recapture Nova Scotia
as well as to ravage the whole New England coast,
was dispersed and wrecked by storms. Clearly the time
had come for the English colonists to organize energetic
measures. In accordance with instructions from the
English Lords of Trade, commissioners from Massa-
chusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland met at Albany
in June 1754 and resolved unanimously that a union of
the colonies was absolutely necessary for their preserva-
tion. A plan of colonial union was framed by Benjamin
Franklin and submitted to the British government,
was rejected, on the ground that it infringed the rights
of the crown. Nevertheless, the colonies continued to
co-operate. The British parliament made an appro-
priation of two hundred thousand pounds sterling,
which money was sent over and distributed among the
colonies in proportion to the number of troops which
each should supply for military service.
In the following year Gen. Braddock was sent out
to take command of the colonial forces. He conferred
with the several governors and a plan of campaign was
agreed upon. This involved an attack upon the French
forts at Crown Point, Frontenac, Niagara and Du-
quesne. A force of three hundred British and three
thousand colonial troops was despatched to Nova Sco-
tia and reduced that colony to a state of subj
Braddock himself took up his quarters at Alexandri
214 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
and his little army was quartered there and in the neigh-
boring towns of Fredericksburg and Bladensburg. He
■
had brought with him from Ireland two regiments of in-
fantry, intending to supplement his force with the pro-
vincial levies. Braddock was the son of a major-general
and himself had a military record of promotions for
gallant conduct under fire. In the conferences which
followed the assembling of the forces Braddock took
as
s special task the capture of Fort Duquesne.
To
Sir William Johnson was assigned the responsibility of
leading a force against Crown Point, and to Governor
Shirley of Massachusetts was to be given the glory of
Franklin,
overcoming
Forts Frontenac and Niagara.
then postmaster of Philadelphia, undertook to raise the
necessary funds among the business men and farmers of
Pennsylvania to provide the transportation of troops
and supplies for the quartermaster and commissary de-
partments for the Braddock expedition. The fact that
England and France happened to be at peace at this
particular moment was not allowed to interfere. The
*
claim was made that all these forts occupied by the
French were on English soil and this was held to be
sufficient provocation for driving the invaders out. The
army started westward in June, 1755, and made very
slow progress, owing to the wild and rugged nature of
the country. There were no roads ; the march was
»
through a pathless forest, over unb ridged streams, and
through almost impenetrable swamps and thickets, and
a path must be cleared. There was no cultivated coun-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 215
try to supply forage. The troops, especially the regu-
lars, were quite unused to such campaigning.
As may well be supposed, the French had early and
accurate knowledge of the movement. The Indians
hung upon the flanks of the invading army and noted
how easy it would be from ambush to pick off with their
rifle bullets the straggling troops and their beasts of
burden. The Detroit militia helped to reinforce the
garrison at Fort Duquesne. The French depended al-
most wholly on the grain and other provisions and sup-
plies which were forwarded from Detroit. The French
troops at Fort Duquesne were under the command of
Charles Langlade and the Indians were under De Beau-
jen. They did not wait for the English to attack the
fort, but relying upon their superior numbers, sallied
forth to anticipate the attack. They came upon the
English on the south bank of the Monongahela, entirely
oft their guard and unsuspicious of the nearness of the
enemy. Concealed behind trees the Indians and French
began the onslaught by shooting and yelling in the most
blood-curdling fashion. The Virginians, among whom
were George Washington, an aide-de-camp on the staff
of Braddock, bravely met the assault and fought va-
liantly. The regulars broke and ran in a panic of fright.
Washington writing to his mother says : "I luckily es-
caped without a wound, though I had four bullets
through my coat and two horses shot under me." This
was the beginning of the fame of the man who was yet
to play an important part in the history of his country.
The British officers showed great intrepidity. Brad-
2l6 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
dock himself was conspicuous for his bravery. Four
horses were killed under him and he mounted a fifth.
Three of his most gallant officers were wounded severe-
including Gates and Gage, who afterward became
noted officers on opposite sides in the war of the revolu-
tion, and Gladwin, who eight years later defended De-
troit against Pontiac. The latter Indian chief was a
conspicuous figure on the French side, having led a rab-
ble of Ottawas from Detroit. The British troops whol-
ly ignorant of this kind of fighting were soon on the run.
Braddock seeing that the day was lost undertook to ral-
the men for an orderly retreat and while doing so
was shot through the body. He was rescued by some of
his gallant companions and borne to a'place of safety.
But his wounds were fatal and he expired three days
The English lost in this engagement eighty-six
later.
officers and sixty-three men killed and disabled.
The
loss of the French was slight, being only three officers
killed and four wounded. The principal fatalities on
that side were among the Indians, but the number was
never definitely known. The retreat of the English be-
a rout. Everything not hurriedly remov-
came in
fact
able was destroyed. More than a hundred wagons were
burned; cannon, shells and ammunition were buried or
thrown into the river ; provisions were scattered through
the woods and swamps. The result was that the French
were left in complete possession of the country. Thus
exposed to the ravages of the victorious savages there
was great apprehension among the dwellers on the fron-
tier. Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia strongly sup-
<
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o
Q
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 2 1 7
ported by Washington, exerted himself for the re-organi-
zation of the expedition to renew the attack upon the
fort. But Colonel Dunbar, upon whom the command
of the regular troops devolved, marched them off to
Philadelphia and left the frontiersmen to shift for them-
selves. The result was as had been foreseen; the coun-
try was ravaged in the most barbarous fashion.
The next stroke of the pre-arranged campaign was to
be the movement against Crown Point, which had been
assigned to Sir William Johnson. His well-known fav-
or and influence among the Five Nations seemed to rec-
ommend him as just the man for the place. He was
accordingly appointed major-general. Connecticut,
New Hampshire and Rhode Island contributed up-
wards of two thousand soldiers at their own charge,
while New York added a thousand, to say nothing of
the Indians who were only too eager to respond to any
call of Sir William Johnson. A month after the luck-
less affair at the junction of the Alleghany and Monon-
gahela Johnson's army had rendezvoused at Albany
and was preparing to move northward. There were no
regulars; the army was made up entirely of the sturdy
yeomanry. It numbered in the ranks some men whose
names afterward became familiar — Ephraim Williams,
who made his will in the camp at Albany and left a leg-
acy to found a school which eventually became Williams
College ; Israel Putnam, a private in a Connecticut regi-
ment; John Stark, who was in the New Hampshire lev-
ies. Their arms and equipment were of the rudest
sort. There were various annoying causes of dela\
2l8 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
chiefly due to the fact that each colony had to equip and
maintain its own levies and to the confusion which
Th
i consequence.
French had ample knowledg
th
designs
gainst C
Po
meet them. A b
d plenty of time to prep
regulars had just a
to
ed
from France and these were put under the command of
o set out at once for the defense of
B
Dieska
w
the fortifi
of Auffusi
ition. The summer wore on and by the end
Johnson's army had got no further than the
head of Lake George. Mohawk scouts reported that
it eight
Canad
was a
abl
with excitement
th
d
m
were marching toward Crown Point
Thereupon Johnson thought it prudent to wait fo
forcements
Th
meant a long delay for sending out
to each colony an urgent request to increase its force in
the field. While Johnson lay at Lake George awaiting
The
lm.
fresh levies, Dieskau prepared to surprise
French forces did not tarry at Crown Point but pushed
on to Ticonderoga. The Indian allies were under the
command of Legardeur de Saint Pierre and they were a
turbulent and troublesome annex to the army. Leaving
a part of his force at Ticonderoga, Dieskau hastened on
with the rest to effect
contemplated surprise
He
seems to have been aware his force was greatly inferior
to the English in numb
Johnson had twenty-two
hundred effective men and three hundred Ind
the
French numbered about fifteen hundred all told, includ
ing six hundred Ind
The English had full knowl
edge of the approach of the enemy and set out to meet
i
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 219
im. The Indians in Dieskau's command prepared an
ambuscade into which the English fell and suffered its
principal loss of life. The latter rallied, however, and
later in the day when attacked by the French retrieved
their fortunes. Dieskau was seriously wounded and cap-
tured, and his entire force was put to rout. Johnson
was himself wounded but not seriously. Ephraim Wil-
liams was killed at the first onslaught. The English loss
was two hundred and sixty-two in killed and wounded
and missing; the French loss was slightly less.*
Johnson did not follow up his success. He was urged
by his officers to push on to Ticonderoga, but he ap-
pears to have been overwhelmed by timidity and appre-
hended a renewal of the French attack. In spite of the
success of the English in the Lake George engagement,
the Crown Point campaign was a failure. After linger-
ing in the camp until the snows of winter began to make
things uncomfortable to the men who were supplied
with only summer clothing, and after holding various
councils of war in which it was declared inexpedient to
proceed, Johnson and his army made their way back to
Albany. Thence the men dispersed to their homes.
Strange to say, in spite of the palpable fiasco, Johnson
reaped great glory from the campaign. His renown
spread to Europe. Parliament voted him five thousand
pounds and the king made him a baronet.
To Governor Shirley of Massachusetts had been as-
signed the capture of Forts Frontenac and Niagara. He
was a major-general and after the death of Braddock
*N. Y. Colonial Documents, Vol. 6.
2 20 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the command of the militia devolved upon him. His
army for the campaign was assembled at Albany at the
same time that the Crown Point army was encamped
near that city. His force had not been recruited to the
extent intended. It consisted of a regiment from New
Jersey and known as the Jersey Blues, together with two
regiments paid by the king and known as regulars,
though in reality raw recruits, raised wherever men
could be found to enlist. They were utterly untried and
though fairly fell equipped, found their commissariat
and bureau of transportation quite unequal to the de-
mands. Thev numbered about fifteen hundred all told.
Jt does not appear that there were any Indian allies at-
tached to this expedition. No time was wasted in de-
parting for the scene of operations and the whole army
'.vas soon assembled at Oswego. Here there was exas-
perating delay in the matter of transportation and sup-
plies. Fort Frontenac was fifty miles away across the
lake. To reach it required many boats and men skilled
in navigating them. Moreover at Frontenac was a
French force of fourteen hundred regulars and Cana-
dians, well provided with everything necessary, includ-
ing vessels for crossing the lake and attacking Oswego.
Here was presented to Shirley a puzzling problem.
With his small force and limited means of transporta-
tion to cross the lake and attack a fortified place, garri-
soned with experienced veterans seemed a foolhardy
thing. On the other hand, if he should pass on to Ni-
agara the French, who knew all about the plan of cam-
paign through papers captured from Braddock, could
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 221
cross over, take Oswego, and thus cut off his supplies
and place him in jeopardy, with the enemy in his rear.
He called a council of his officers and told them that
he proposed to leave about half his force to defend
Oswego from an anticipated attack by the French when
they saw his purpose to push on to Niagara. This would
leave him about six hundred soldiers for the Niagara
campaign. He designed to secure for this service as
many Indian allies as possible. Niagara was garrisoned
with a force of twelve hundred Canadians and Indians
who had come on from Duquesne and from Detroit.
The journey from Oswego was four or five days along
the south shore of Ontario. The boats available were
entirely too small to accommodate the troops and not
suitable for venturing out upon the open lake. The sit-
uation was precarious ; the season was growing late and
there was no time to procure re-inforcements and suita-
ble means of transportation. Another council was called
■
w
which decided to postpone further operations until
spring. Leaving most of his men at Oswego Shirley re-
turned to Albany. This ended the campaign which was
even a worse fiasco than that of Johnson's movement
upon Crown Point.
It was at this time that the French king appointed a
new commandant over his forces in America in the per-
son of Louis de Montcalm. The chevalier de Levis,
afterward marshal of France, was appointed second in
command, with the rank of brigadier, and the chevalier
de Boulamarque as his third, with the rank of colonel.
The appointment of Montcalm was not welcome to
•
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222 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
Vaudreuil, the governor, who
a
handled the cam-
paigns against the English so successfully and who had
-
hoped to command all the troops himself. He had every
confidence in his Canadian soldiers, well versed in the
Indian methods of fighting, who were bold and reckless
and more than a match for equal numbers of the Eng-
lish. He had a poor opinion of the French regulars
and felt in rather contemptuous mood toward the high
officers sent over from France to command them. How-
ever, Montcalm soon showed his metal. He organized
a successful campaign against Oswego, the most import-
ant of all the English forts, and captured it with sixteen
hundred prisoners
a great mass
war materia
This was the greatest triumph the French arms had yet
achieved in America, and it was the triumph of French
soldiers and not of Indians, as was the affair with Brad-
dock. It was now only necessary to maintain a small
force at Niagara and at Frontenac, and the French rap-
idly concentrated at Ticonderoga to repel a threatened
attack at that point, and if successful in this, to push
Albany. Nothing more came of it th
dby
a party which surprised
ptured Fort William
Henry at the head of Lake George, and took the Eng-
lish garrison prisoners.
These failures of the English arms to make any pro-
gress against the French in America were very humiliat-
ing to the people of England. When William
to th
e
head
ffa
he set ab
came
vigorous measures
The English nation was in the deep waters
tion. The kingdoms of Europe were a
.
f tribul
table
war
'
-1)
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 223
camp in the midst of which stood Frederic of Prussia.
Through the intrigues of the women of the court of
Louis XV a formidable alliance had been raised against
him. France, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Saxony, and
most of the smaller German states had joined hands to
* compass his ruin, parcel out his dominions and divide
the spoils. England made common cause with Frederic,
but beyond her there were few, if any, to aid. But he
proved himself a sturdy fighter. Defeat or success
seemed to be all one to him ; from the former he rallied
with perennial vigor, from the latter he pushed on
to further triumphs. The war which was expected at
the outset to be brief, lasted seven years. It raised Prus-
sia to the rank of a first-class power and established the
maritime and colonial greatness of England, while
France issued from the contest with her power and
prestige sadly dimmed. With the coming of Pitt the
face of things in England was changed. "England
has long been in labor," said Frederic, "and at last
she has brought forth a man." The inspiration of the
new order of things was felt wherever the British flag
waved. The American colonies were among the first
to feel the new impulse. The master hand at the helm
made it sufficiently certain that the ship was on her right
course.
♦
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CHAPTER XV
Final Success of the English
1-15
■
ITH Pitt dominating the British Cab-
inet there came a brighter day for
the American colonies. The half-
hearted indifference which had hith-
erto prevailed gave place to sympa-
thetic and earnest support. Instead of saddling the cost
of defence upon the already impoverished colonies he
assumed for the English government the support of the
war and announced that the money already spent should
be refunded. Arms, ammunition, clothing and pay
were to be provided for those who would enlist. This
liberal policy speedily brought into camp fifty thousand
men, which was more than the entire male population
of New France at that time. Lord Jeffrey Amherst
was appointed commander in chief, with James Wolfe,
a brilliant and rising young officer, as his lieutenant,
was arranged that Amherst himself should lead the
expedition against Louisburg 'and Quebec; General
John Forbes was to take command of an expedition to
capture Fort Duquesne and to take possession of the
Ohio Valley; Lord Abercrombie, with whom was
associated Lord Howe, was assigned to the capture of
Fort Ticonderoga.
June 8, 1758, Amherst who had brought with him
twelve thousand troops, landed with his forces near
Louisburg. In the landing of the troops Wolfe led
the first division and was the first man on the shore,
having leaped from his boat into the water to lead the
van. The disembarking of the troops was protected
the firing from the ships of the fleet under Bosca-
227
228 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
wen, and the French deserted their outposts and fled to
the protection of the fortress. The siege lasted fifty
days.
During the bombardment the French shipping
in the harbor was destroyed and the town and fortifica-
tions suffered great damage. Seeing no hope of relief
and with forces badly crippled the French accepted the
inevitable and surrendered. This meant the giving up
to the English of the islands of Prince Edward and
Cape Breton with five thousand prisoners and an im-
mense quantity of military stores. This reverse of the
French arms which had for the most part been hither-
to successful was a sad blow to the people of Canada.
Montcalm was depressed and anxious. The people of
the province had been so absorbed in military affairs that
they had little opportunity to till the soil. The English
fleets had cut off the supplies from the mother country.
So among other disasters famine threatened them. So
great was the scarcity that all, citizens and soldiers alike,
were put on half allowance. Montcalm wrote the king
at Versailles, "For all our success, New France needs
peace, and sooner or later it must fall ; such are the num-
bers of the English, such the difficulty of our receiving
supplies." The destitution became more intense as the
year progressed, and at length the soldiers received but
half a pound of bread daily and the citizens of Quebec
only two ounces. Owing to want of forage domestic
animals perished in vast numbers ; meat was as scarce as
bread. So enfeebled were the people for lack of suffi-
cient nourishment that they were in poor condition to
ward off the attack of the well-fed English.
t
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 229
The campaign to the west was entrusted to Gen. John
Forbes. He set out from Philadelphia early in July
with nine thousand men, with the exception of a regi-
ment of Highlanders, all provincials who had been en-
listed from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Washington was in command of two regiments of the
latter. Forbes was desperately ill at the time with in*
flamation of the stomach and bowels, but he accompan-
ied the expedition. Washington favored making a rapid
march over the road opened by Braddock two or three
years before, but Forbes supported by his lieutenant
Bouquet, stubbornly opposed his counsel and insisted
upon hewing out a new road through the wilderness
some distance to the northward. This caused provok-
ing delay. It was already autumn when the army
approached its destination. Forbes was wholly ignor-
ant of the strength or movements of the enemy. Scout-
ing parties of whites supported by a number of friendly
Indians were sent out to learn the facts. Without moles-
tation they reached a point where they could observe
the fort and they soon learned that the strength of
the garrison had been greatly exaggerated.
Vaudreuil was well informed of the movements of
the English. He undertook to support de Ligueris, who
was in command of the fort, by sending him reinforce-
ments. He ordered troops to go to his aid from Niag-
ara, Detroit and Illinois, as well as the militia of Detroit
and all the Indians of the vicinity, Hurons, Pottawa-
tomies, Ottawas, Miamis and others, who could be
induced to take a hand in the affair. Forbes* procras-
\
230 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
tination had a settled purpose. An intrigue was on
with the Choctaws and Cherokees to tamper with
to withdraw their
western Indians and induce
support of the French. This was to a degree success-
ful.
Presents from the French had not been as
On
dant of late as some of the savages had wished.
the contrary, the English were very liberal. As a result
the loyalty
some
the western tribes had begun
the
to waver and they showed an inclination to return to
their homes and let the French take care of themselves.
The current reports that the English were coming in
such overwhelming numbers that the French would be
driven out of the country had an effect to
ardor of many.
In September Major Grant obtained the consent ;of
his commander to lead a force of about eight hundred
Highlanders, Royal Americans and provincials on a
raid to capture the fort by surprise. His plans mis-
carried to such an extent that by an unfortunate division
of his forces they were attacked in detail by the enemy
and repulsed with great loss of life. The French fol-
lowed up their success with vigor. They marched upon
the English camp and punished the enemy severely,
though they were hot successful in its capture. The
militia of Illinois and Louisiana went home in Novem-
ber. The Indians of Detroit would stay no longer and
00k for de Ligueris was gloomy in the extreme.
with
the
Expected supplies had failed to reach him, an
starvation staring him in the face he saw that the
- ' ' ' ■ . v * .
Was near. Although the winter was on and the roads
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 23 1
had been rendered almost impassable by the heavy
rains and snows, the English determined to push on
with a force large enough to make success certain. On
the 1 8th of November an army of two thousand five
hundred picked men in light order set forth under the
leadership of Bouquet and Washington, Forbes being
brought along on a litter. A week later they arrived
at the fort, but no enemy was in sight. On the night of
the 24th de Ligueris blew up his magazines, set fire to
the fort, and with his five hundred men took to their
boats and made good their escape. On the 25th WashT
ington planted the British flag on the smoking ruina
which1 the French had abandoned. For the protection
of the troops a stockade was built which later was made
into a fort and the place was called Pittsburgh in honor
of the great minister whose energetic support had made
this triumph possible. Thus disappeared the last ves*
tige of French domination in the valley of the Ohio.
A success of almost equal importance in the same year
was the capture of Fort Frontenac by Lieut.-Col. Brad-
street. The expedition was undertaken against the
advice of Lord Abercrombie, but with the enthusiastic
support of Lord Howe. Bradstreet was given a force
of three thousand men almost wholly provincials. He
proceeded up the Mohawk and down the Onondaga
to the dismantled fort of Oswego. He was accom-
panied by a few Indians of the Oneida tribe. On the
August the whole army embarked on whale-
boats and bateaux, and four days later made a lodges
ment without resistance within a few hundred yards
»
232 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
-of the fart. De Noyau was the commandant, and his
*
garrison consisted of only about one hundred regular
troops. With such a force resistance against an army
of upwards of three thousand was useless, and without
firing a gun the fort was surrendered. The French
■
troops were taken prisoners, and with them nine vessels,
forming the entire French naval fleet of Lake Ontario.
The fort was well equipped with arms and munitions of
war, beside an enormous quantity of provisions, naval
stores and supplies of every description for the western
posts.
The fort and its guns were destroyed.
The
English carried off as much of the provisions and sup*
plies as could be handled and burned the rest, as well
*
as most of the vessels of the fleet. The Oneidas were
liberally rewarded with the plunder.
*
The fall of Fort Frontenac was a stunning blow to
the French. New France was cut in two. The west was
now entirely at the mercy of the English who had also
complete command of Lake Ontario. No attention
need henceforth be paid to Fort Niagara, for it was
helpless. Fort Duquesne was at that very moment in
the last throes of dissolution, and so was falling to pieces
French domination and authority in the west.
Not so happy in its results was the expedition against
Fort Ticonderoga. This was led by Lord Abercrom-
bie and Lord Howe, and to them was assigned a force
of fifteen thousand men, of whom over six thousand
t
were regulars and about nine thousand provincials.
Abercrombie was a sort of political figure-head and a
merely nominal commander:
u
heavy
man
»»
>
wrote
'
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 233
Wolfe in a letter to his father, "an aged gentleman,
infirm in body and mind." Brigadier Lord Howe was
the real chief. Montcalm was in command at Ticon-
deroga, but his force was scarcely a tithe of that of the
English. Vaudreuil, the governor, had planned a diver-
sion for the English. He proposed to send Levis with
one thousand six hundred regulars and as many Indians
into the Valley of the Mohawk, there to attack the
English forts and threaten Schenectady. He argued
that this move would attach the Five Nations to the
■
French cause and compel the English to give up their
designs against Ticonderoga and defend themselves far
to the southward. This scheme came to nothing, but
in the meantime no reinforcements were sent to Mont-
calm and he was forced to defend himself as best he
could. The army of Abercrombie and Howe was
assembled at the head of Lake George, whence they
embarked early in July for an assault upon the strongly
fortified position near the foot of the lake. Montcalm
was inclined to abandon Ticonderoga and fall back upon
Crown Point, but realizing that he was in no> better posi-
tion in the one place than in the other, he determined
to stand his ground. The English army reached the
foot of the lake on the morning of the 6th. The French
pickets immediately withdrew, burning the two bridges
over the river which forms the outlet of Lake George.
The invading force was therefore compelled to follow
the considerable bend of the river, leaving behind its
artillery, heavy baggage and provisions. The ground
was very rough and covered with a dense wood, and the
234 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
guides were by no means expert.
The result was
the order of march was soon broken up and the troops
were thrown into confusion. The advance guard of
three hundred French regulars and a body of Indians
soon attacked and fought with desperation. At the
outset of the action Lord Howe was struck by a ball
and instantly died. The consternation caused by the
death of the commander and the wild yells of the sav-
ages threw the English into a panic. But being in over-
■
whelming numbers they rallied and held their ground.
The next morning the bridges were rebuilt an
Aber-
crombie determined upon an assault upon the fort with-
out waiting to bring up his artillery.
This
was car-
ried on with great vigor. The attacking troops behaved
with the utmost intrepidity and persisted for four hours
in their efforts to carry the breastworks. But they were
repulsed with equal courage and determination. The
engagement lasted through a good part of the day and
finally the English seeing the hopelessness of the enter-
prise retired precipitately, having suffered a loss of two
thousand killed and wounded, mostly regulars. The
French losses did not exceed three hundred. Expect-
ing a renewal of the attack on the following day Mont-
calm spent the night in strengthening his defences.
What was his surprise to learn when the morning
dawned, however, that Abercrombie had taken to the
boats again and was already well under way with all his
forces to his old camping place at the head of the lake.
In his hurried retreat he left behind several hundred
barrels of provisions and a great quantity of baggage.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 235
So excitedly did they cross a piece of marshy ground
that they left many of their shoes stuck in the mud.
This was a sad blow to English prestige, which had
been victorious on so many fields. It was charged up
to the incompentency of the commanding officer.
But in spite of this set back the feeling in the Eng-
lish colonies was that the tide of fortune had turned
against the French and that the English arms must
ultimately triumph. Pitt was determined to drive the
French out of America at any cost. Plans of great
importance were formed in 1759. Parliament was
solicited to meet the expenses of a comprehensive cam-
paign with liberal grants. It promptly voted two hun-
»
dred thousand pounds to compensate the American col-
onies for their expenses in levying and maintaining
troops. Twelve millions were provided for the general
service of the year and an immense armament, both by
sea and land was prepared. The plan of campaign
placed General Amherst in chief command. To him
was assigned the task of reducing Fort Ticonderoga
and Crown Point. Wolfe was put in charge of an
army which Was to ascend the St. Lawrence as soon as
the river was free from ice and to besiege Quebec.
The third army was to be made up chiefly of provincials
and to be commanded by General Prideaux. It was to
be strengthened by a large body of friendly Indians
under Sir William Johnson. The duty of this army was
to capture Fort Niagara and thus secure full control of
the lake region. Amherst, after the capture of Ticon-
eroga and Crown Point, was to proceed down Lake
2^6 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
Champlain and the Richelieu river to form a junction
with the army under Wolfe. Prideaux, after the cap-
ture of Niagara, was to proceed down Lake Ontario
and the St. Lawrence and capture Montreal and finally
to unite his forces with those of Amherst and Wolfe.
i
It is said that this scheme was elaborated by Pitt him-
self, and that in choosing men for commands he was
influenced by no* considerations of seniority, but solely
by his judgment of military ability.
The state of affairs among the people of New France
at this time was almost pitiable. The resources of the
country were strained to their utmost. All the able
bodied men were in the military service, leaving the
tilling of the fields to the women and children and the
old
dear.
men.
Provisions of every sort were excessively
A barrel of flour cost two hundred francs.
Domestic animals, having scant supply of food were
slaughtered for meat. British ships hovered about the
entrance to the St. Lawrence and prevented the bring-
ing in of supplies from the home country. Montcalm
was at Quebec with the main portion of his army, but it
numbered scarce three thousand men. Vaudreuil, the
governor, was intensely jealous of him and threw every
obstacle in his way. Apparently the two men had
very poor opinions of each other. Montcalm bore
himself very discreetly and said little. Vaudreuil was
constantly writing to Versailles disparaging the com-
mandant and urging his removal. The upshot of the
matter was that Montcalm was made lieutenant-general
and given superior authority over the governor in all
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 237
military matters, with Levis as second in command.
But the French court was too busy with other affairs
to give much attention to Montcalm's urgent appeal for
help. He begged for men, arms, munitions, food and a
navy to keep the St. Lawrence open. In reply he was
informed that he must do the best he could with what
he had; that the interests of France at home required
her chief attention to the state of affairs in Europe.
Three or four hundred regulars with a small quantity
of munitions were sent over to him, which it was hoped
would be sufficient for the coming campaign. At the
same time came to him information that the English
were preparing to attack Canada with a force of fifty
thousand men and a great fleet. A census of New
France taken shortly before showed about thirteen
thousand effective men. There were in the colony, in
addition to these, about three thousand five hundred
regulars, and there could be called into the service the
militia and the coureurs de bois of Detroit and the lake
posts. There were also about two thousand friendly
Indians who could be relied upon in case of need. This
was a poor showing against the well equipped, well fed
and disciplined forces of the English. Still Montcalm
did not despair. While the outposts might not be held,
he had hope that Quebec and Montreal would be able
to maintain themselves until such time as France could
come vigorously to their relief.
Early in the spring of 1759 Amherst moved north-
ward from New York, where he had landed, and by the
middle of July had reached Ticonderoga with a force
238 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
of nearly six thousand regulars and an almost
number of provincials. The French seeing that
were attacked by overwhelming numbers, after a feeble
resistance, dismantled and blew up the fort and with-
drew to Crown Point. After stopping to rehabilitate
the fort and to equip and garrison it Amherst pushed on
with some deliberation to Crown Point.
Here he
found the works abandoned, the army having moved
down Lake Champlain to Isle aux Noix, an almost
impregnable island at the entrance to the river, where
they determined to make a stand. In order to attack
this position Amherst found it necessary to provide a
navy
Th
is
volved delay
it was late in Octo
ber before the army was ready to move. Then came the
storms which rendered
lake
navigation practically
impossible, with the kind of vessels they had been able
to provide. The icy blasts from the north reminded
the men of the approach of winter. So reluctantly
Amherst gave up the project of capturing Isle aux Noix
and turned his face to the southward for a more con-
genial resting place until spring. Nothing had really
been accomplished.
In the meantime Prideaux set forth on his expedition
against Fort Niagara with a force of five thousand
regulars and provincials. Leaving Colonel Haldimand
with a considerable force at Oswego to protect his line
of march he pushed on to Niagara which he reached
early
in
July.
The fort at Niagara, which occupied
the site of the present fort, was well constructed. It was
garrisoned by six hundred men under Captain Pouchot
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 239
and was well supplied with provisions and munitions.
When Pouchot learned of the approach of the English
he sent a messenger to summon to his relief the French
and their allies who had escaped from Duquesne, and
who had congregated at Presque Isle under the com-
mand of Aubry. These numbered about one thousand
one hundred regulars, and two hundred Indians
together with a considerable number of militia from
Detroit and coureurs de bois from the upper lake region.
The relieving party was intercepted before reaching
the fort by a large force of Indians under Sir William
Johnson, and after a sharp engagement was put to rout.
Nearly all the officers were killed or captured. The
men fled to their boats and going on up Lake Erie
finally made good their escape to Detroit. The English
continued to bombard Fort Niagara. During the first
day's engagement Prideaux was instantly killed by the
premature discharge of a cannon, and the command
devolved upon Sir William Johnson. Pouchot seeing
that his case was hopeless after the defeat and capture
of his reinforcements was forced to surrender. The
men were sent as prisoners of war to New York. The
capture of this stronghold by the English put into their
hands also Detroit, Michilimackinac and all the lake
posts, and narrowed the French dominions materially.
While these things were going on in the west Wolfe
was operating at Quebec and to him was due the bril-
liant success of the war. He had under his command
eight thousand men, chiefly British regulars. The fleet
under Admiral Saunders comprised twenty-two ships of
■
240 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the line and an equal number of frigates and armed ves-
sels. Montcalm's forces were greatly inferior in num-
bers and quality, but Quebec itself was an almost
impregnable natural fortress. The citadel stands three
hundred and forty-five feet above the level of the river,
and except upon one side the rock upon which it stands
rises as a sheer precipice. Westward of the citadel lie
the Plains of Abraham, the side of which toward the
river is also precipitous and almost unscalable. The
English reached the city near the end of June, and at
once made preparations for the siege. The French
undertook to destroy the fleet by sending down with the
tide a number of fireships. But these were prematurely
fired and exploded and so failed to accomplish the
expected result. Wolfe took possession of Point Levi,
a high bluff on the opposite side of the river, on which
he constructed batteries. From this elevated position
red hot balls and shells were thrown into the city which
set fire to many buildings. The lower portion of the
*
town was wholly destroyed and the upper town badly
damaged by the bomdardment. The English fleet
undertook a reconnaisance above the city and success-
fully passed the batteries without serious injury. Wolfe,
on board, carefully studied the shores and noted possi-
ble openings for an assaulting party. It appeared that
the defences had been carefully planned, every advant-
age being taken in the conformation of the country to
place formidable works in all available spots. Mont-
calm sent a detachment across the river to attack the
batteries at Point Levi which had done such destruc-
*
tive execution, but this movement had little effect.
VIEW OF QUEBEC (1759)
DEATH OF WOLFE
1
-
J
*
I
I
•
■
(,
•
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
241
Wolfe planned an assault upon the garrison from
s
the heights of Montmorenci below the city. A place
was found for fording the Montmorenci, a stream of
considerable volume which flows through a narrow
canon, and a movement was made, which, however,
proved to be disastrous to the English. So the sum-
mer wore away with attack and counter attack, and no
great success on either side. The besieged French in
the citadel of Quebec were in real distress. The army
was on short rations with no relief in sight. The hope
of Montcalm was that the enemy would assault in force,
in which case he felt sure of his repulse and in all prob-
ability a stunning defeat which would cause him to
draw off his forces. The siege was beginning to drag
and Wolfe saw that some new movement must be
devised. In counsel with his officers a plan was pro-
posed to transfer the attack to some point above the city.
The argument was advanced that in this way Mont-
calm's source of supplies would be cut off and he might
be starved into surrender. On the 6th of September
Wolfe discovered the cove which now bears his name, a
narrow ravine which winds up the steep hill about two
miles above the fortress. He saw that only an insignif-
icant guard was stationed there, and that it was possible
to land a force which could make its way to the top
of the cliff before any serious effort could be made
to stop it. Laying his plans well he guided his men to
the spot in the stillness of the
ght
before the
French pickets fully realized what was going on a large
force had
led the
and formed in
upon
the
1-16
242 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
level plain above. When the pickets reported to Mont-
calm what had been done he was at first incredulous.
But it soon appeared that the time for action had come.
So quickly rallying his men from all quarters he pushed
out upon the Plains of Abraham to meet the invading
foe. The result is soon told. The clash of arms was a
most desperate one. Both sides fought with consumate
bravery. Wolfe was fatally wounded and died on the
field. Montcalm was twice struck by bullets and died
from his wounds a few days later. The French fled into
the fortress leaving the English in possession of the
field. Four days later the flag of England waved above
the citadel of Quebec.
During the summer of 1760, Montreal remained the
last French stronghold in America. The Marquis de
Vaudreuil,
still
governor, was
there
besieged by
Amherst, Murray and Haviland and the English fleet.
It held out for only a short time. On the 8th of Sep-
tember, 1760, it too capitulated and New France was
removed from the map for all time.
CHAPTER XVI
Effect Upon the Indians of the Lake Region
#
•
!
,
•
»
■
•
\
• •
>
•■
»
HE treaty of Paris in 1763 put an end to
the question whether Canada should be
restored to France, as Breton and Nova
Scotia had been previously restored.
There was strong feeling on this ques-
tion among the English colonies in America. A pow-
erful party in England favored such restoration. But
Pitt, though he had been out of office since the death of
George II and the accession of George III in 1760, vig-
ously opposed it. He still had great influence and his
councils prevailed. By the treaty the king of France
renounced all pretensions to Nova Scotia, ceded Canada
and its dependencies to England, together with Cape
Breton and the islands and coasts in the vicinity of the
river and Gulf of St. Lawrence. To avoid controversy
a definite boundary line between the dominions of
France and Great Britain on this continent east of the
Mississippi river was described. This left to France
a portion of Louisiana and adjacent coasts of the Gulf
of Mexico. Lest she might be plundered of even
this small remnant of her once vast possessions, she
made haste to turn over her title to Spain.
However, the victorious Amherst did not wait for the
negotiations in the capitals of France and England,
but proceeded to the full occupancy of the western posts
which had been held by the French. Three days after
the capitulation of Montreal he despatched Major
Robert Rogers with a suitable force to move on to
Detroit and take command of that post, as well as all
others in the vicinity. In his order he is told to take
245
•
246 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
with him one Joseph Powpao, alias La Fleur, an inhab-
itant of Detroit, and to proceed to Niagara where the
commanding officer would deliver up to him Monsieur
Gamelin, "who was made a prisoner at the reduction
of said fort, and has continued there ever since, in order
to conduct him, with the above mentioned Powpao, to
their habitations at Detroit; where, upon taking the
oath of allegiance to his most sacred majesty, whose
subjects they are become by the capitulation of the
*
8th inst, they shall be protected in the peaceable and
quiet possession of their properties ; and so long as they
behave as becometh good and faithful subjects, shall
partake of all other privileges and immunities granted
unto them by the said capitulation." Major Rogers
had as his officers Captain Brewer, Captain Wait, Lieut.
Brehme, assistant engineer, Lieut. Davis of the royal
artillery and about two hundred Royal Rangers.
They
embarked from Montreal in whale boats and moved
up the river. Arriving at Niagara they were furnished
with clothing blankets, shoes and other necessary sup-
plies.
Thence they proceeded to Presque Isle, the pres-
ent site of the city of Erie. At this point the detach-
ment waited while Rogers visited General Monkton
at Pittsburgh. Here Rogers was reinforced by a detach-
ment of Royal Americans, 60th regiment of infantry,
under Captain Campbell, who marched to Presque Isle.
Captain Brewer was sent on overland to Detroit with a
drove of forty oxen, protected by twenty Indian allies
under Captain Monter. At the same time Captain
Wait was sent back to Niagara for a fresh supply of
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 247
/
provisions and was instructed to coast along the north
shore of Lake Erie and encamp near the mouth of the
Detroit river.
The English were now entering upon uncertain
ground. To fight an organized army of well drilled
troops under the protection of strong fortifications was
without doubt a very serious matter. To penetrate an
unknown country in which swarmed a horde of hostile
savages, was a scarcely less serious undertaking. The
Ottawas, Hurons, Pottaw atomies, Wyandots who dwelt
in the upper lake region were attached to the French by
long association!. Many of them were Christians
through the influence of the French missionaries. They
were accustomed to the ways of the French, and how-
ever frequently the young and impetuous braves might
go on the war path, and incidentally massacre a few
whites, it seems clear that these tribes as a whole were
genuinely loyal to the flag of France. Those untutored
children of the forest knew nothing of the great games
of nations in which kings and emperors are pawns, and
in which empires change hands through the whims of a
royal mistress or the blunders of an incompetent chief-
tain. They did not wear their allegiance like a cloak to
be changed with the fashion of the day. The flag over
the fort at Detroit might give place to another with
very different symbols, but this meant little in their
understanding of things. Beside all this, they did not
like the English who were proud and haughty in their
bearing and lacked the suavity and easy good nature of
the French. For nearly a generation the English had
248 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
been associated in their minds with the hateful savages
of New York, the Iroquois, who had pursued and
attacked them relentlessly, driven them from their
homes, destroyed their crops, burned their wigwams and
murdered their women and babes. Under such condi-
tions it is not surprising that even the name English
was a black beast to bring on a pallid fright. To put
this hated race in mastery over them was a transfer of
power very far from welcome.
The approach of the English was known to the tribes.
In fact, the rumors of it had been circulating through
the forests and it may well be believed that the facts and
their significance had been discussed in many a wigwam
council. The native savage had some mental acuteness ;
he had a form of government and of tribe organization.
He understood many things and some of the abler men
of the tribes were gifted with a wonderful amount o
shrewdness and cunning. One of the most remarkable
of these was Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawas. He dwelt
with his squaws and offspring on Peche Island, a small
islet in Lake St. Clair, a short distance above the head of
Detroit river. He was of noble form, commanding
presence and proud demeanor. His courage was uncon-
querable and his influenceover not only his own tribe but
of the neighboring ones allied by community of interest,
was most profound. When Major Rogers arrived at
the mouth of the Coyahoga river, the present site of
Cleveland, on the 7th of Novemebr, 1760, he was met
by a delegation of Ottawas who advised him to halt and
await the arrival of Pontiac, who was the lord of the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 249
country. The Indian chief soon put in an appearance
and demanded to know of Rogers why he had pre-
sumed to enter this country without permission, and
what was his business. Rogers quietly informed him
that the French had been defeated, and had surren-
dered to the English, and that he had been sent hither
by his commanding officer to take possession of Detroit.
At the same time he informed Pontiac that the English
had no hostile intent toward the Indian tribes, but pre-
ferred to live in peaceful relations with them.* He
assured the savage of the most friendly treatment. At
the same time he said that the French military forces
must be removed out of the country, as being an
obstacle in the way of mutual peace and good will
between the natives and the new masters. Pontiac
advised the English officer to remain where he was
until there should be opportunity to think these matters
over. At the same time he volunteered offers of assist-
ance if anything were wanted in the way of supplies
which the countrv could afford. Rogers assured him
that if anything were supplied it would be purchased
in the usual way. The next morning Pontiac returned
to the camp and a long conference was held in which it
appeared that the Indian chief was satisfied with the
statement made by the English officer of his purposes
in invading the country. So far as appeared on the sur-
face the dignity of Pontiac had been appeased and he
was contented to live in amicable relations with the Eng-
*Rogers' Journals. Concise account of North America.
25O MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
lish. The calumet of peace was smoked. Pontiac very
graciously offered assistance both to Captain; Brewer in
driving his oxen to Detroit and to Major Rogers in
reaching his destination. He sent word to the Indian
villages along the Lake Erie shore and at the mouth
of the Detroit river that the English had his permis-
sion to enter the country.
On the 2 2d Rogers despatched a messenger, Lieuten-
ant Brehme, with a note to Captain de Bellestre, com-
manding at Detroit, informing him of the capitulation,
of his orders from General Amherst to take possession
of Detroit and the other posts of the district, and of the
fact that he had for delivery to Captain Bellestre a let-
ter from Governor Vaudreuil. While delaying at the
mouth of the river to parley with the large number of
Indians who had assembled there Rogers received
through Monsieur Baby a letter from Bellestre in which
he acknowledges receipt of Rogers' note, but says that
having no interpreter he is not able to fully make it
out. He asks that Vaudreuil's letter be forwarded to
him and he will govern himself accordingly. There
was some evidence that the Indians had been instigated
by Bellestre to attack the English, or at least to make
themselves as troublesome as possible. It was a cause of
no small anxiety on the part of Rogers and his insig-
nificant party, and it required no little diplomacy on his
part to avoid an open rupture. He moved on by easy
stages to the mouth of the Raisin, where he stopped
for a day or two, and thence on up the river to a point
within a mile of the fort. In the meantime corres-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 25 I
pondence passed back and forth between the two officers,
and it appeared that the Indians had been advised by
the French commandant to arm themselves for self-
protection, in case it should appear, as had been
rumored, that the natives following in the wake of the
English troops were bent on plunder. Soon after land-
ing near the fort on the 29th of November a reply was
received from Bellestre to the effect that he yielded to
the commands of the English. Lieutenants Leffic and
McCormick with a party of thirty-six Royal Americans
were sent to take possession of the fort. The French
garrison surrendered their arms and the French colors
on the flag staff were run down and the English flag was
raised amid the shouts of the seven hundred Indians
gathered about. Whatever may have been the real
sentiments of the savages they were shrewd enough to
see that they were helpless to change the course of
events, and that it was good policy for them to hail the
rising sun.
The French garrison were sent east as prisoners. The
inhabitants were permitted to retain their farms and
homes undisturbed, upon swearing allegiance to the
British government. A detachment was sent to bring
in the garrisons from forts Miami near the mouth of
the Maumee, and Gatanois, on the Wabash, still farther
south, and to occupy those small stockades. Rogers
himself leaving Captain Campbell in charge at Detroit,
set out by lake for Michilimackinac to take possession
of that post. The season was so late and Lake Huron
so rough and filled with ice that he was obliged to
252 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
return. He contemplated an overland journey, but the
Indians convinced him that this was impracticable with-
out snow shoes. He was, therefore, forced to abandon
■
until spring the occupancy of the forts at Michilimack-
inac and Sault Ste Marie. At the end of the year he
departed for Pittsburgh. The posts at St. Joseph, near
the mouth of St. Joseph river, at Green bay, as well as
those above named, remained in the hands of the French
through the winter. Early in the following year a
detachment of Royal Americans took possession of
them, and so disappeared from Michigan soil the last
trace of French domination.
-
Though the military and civil control of the country
had changed hands there was very little on the surface
to indicate the fact. The French subjects for the most
part took the oath of allegiance and remained at their
homes. They continued to be good, pious Roman Cath-
olics, of free and easy going habits, cultivated their
farms, married and reared large families, died and slept
peacefully with their fathers in St. Ann's churchyard.
The English had now the fur trade in their own hands,
but they employed the French agents. To save possible
friction with the Indians and allay their suspicion of
the designs of the English, King George issued a proc-
lamation prohibiting the English governors from issu-
ing grants of lands, except within certain prescribed
limits.
make purchases of the Indians, or settlements, with-
out those bounds.* These regulations, however, were
The English subjects were also forbidden to
land claims in Michigan, by
■
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 253
not strictly observed, with the result that the Michigan
land board subsequently had many conflicting and com-
plicated claims to unravel. Settlements had been made
by the French along the margin of streams and lakes,
the farms having a frontage of narrow width on the
water and extending back a considerable distance. This
was the character of the French farms along the Detroit
river, along the Raisin at Monroe, the Huron, or the
Clinton, in Macomb County. When the clash of arms
between the English and French was ended the country
settled down to a peaceful condition of affairs, for the
most part. The English showed no disposition to
extend their colonies in the west. The French were left
in possession, undisturbed by fresh importations of an
alien race, with new notions and habits and new ways
of doing things. They got along peaceably with the
savages. The latter appeared to have a wholesome
regard for the military strength of the English, and
were not disposed to test it or to provoke it too far.
We have already seen what was the conduct of Pon-
tiac when the English approached this region over
which he claimed native jurisdiction. Though he put
on a smooth face and affected to be reconciled to the
situation, there is reason to believe that it was very
far from being satisfactory to him. He had strong
regard for the French who had always treated him
with marked deference and respect. His personal pride
egotism were strong characteristics. His former
masters had recognized them. His new masters treated
him with contemptuous indifference. So far as he was
254 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
personally concerned this was, perhaps, a small mat-
ter. But it expressed a general attitude toward the sav-
ages. When the French were in control they showed
great liberality, supplying the surrounding tribes with
guns, ammunition, clothing and various supplies as gra-
tuities. The English adopted a contrary policy. They
were inclined to parsimony in the way of gifts; the
officers sold at exorbitant prices articles which the
Indians found themselves obliged to buy. These cir-
cumstances resulted in serious hardships. The savages
were improvident to the last degree. When they were
plentifully supplied they indulged themselves and took
no thought of the morrow. When there was nothing
to eat and nothing to wear they suffered the pangs o
hunger and cold. It is not strange that this situation
caused general discontent. The fur business was another
grievance. It had fallen into the hands of a disreputa-
ble class of traders who cheated the Indians right and
left. Apparently each trader was bent only on making
the most profit for himself, regardless of the interests of
the trade or the rights of those with whom he dealt.
The savage who was unskilled in the trickery and decep-
tion practiced by such knaves, was the sufferer. So the
Indians were plundered without mercy. Many traders
were dissolute profligates who wrought havoc with the
laws of morality and debauched the wives and daughters
of the native, filled him up with cheap whisky and
ruined his physical as well as his spiritual well being.
The officers and soldiers of the garrisons showed a
far different attitude toward the savages than had the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 255
French officers and soldiers. Formerly when the native
warriors and men of distinction came into the forts they
were formally welcomed and received with flattering
attention. Their peculiarities were overlooked and
French suavity and politeness had great effect in pro-
moting good will. Now the case was different. The
Englishman had only contempt for the rude and repul-
sive son of the forest, and he did not hesitate to show it.
#
The savage may have been a distinguished chieftain
of his tribe but when he came loafing around the fort
and got himself in the way of some understrapper ser-
geant or corporal he was incontinently kicked out and
told to make himself scarce. Common soldiers were
sometimes brutal and treated the natives with the very
rudest and coarsest incivility. All these things had their
effect in producing a state of feeling greatly to be
deplored.
Another matter which went a long way to confirm the
dissatisfaction and feeling of apprehension among the
Indians was the extent to which the country was filling
up with white men. The untutored savage was shrewd
enough to see that this meant the extinction of the forest
animals upon which he had hitherto been dependent
for his livelihood. The Indian's natural occupation was
that of the huntsman. His living depended upon the
chase. When the white men swarmed into the land,
built forts, established towns, felled the forests, wild
game must retreat before him. The Indian felt that this
land was his own by divine right of first possession. He
could not help seeing that the white man was steadily
.
256 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
encroaching upon him and crowding him out of his own.
The eastern tribes were naturally first to discover the
effect of these movements of the whites. The Dela-
wares and Shawanoes had been roused to a high state
of indignation and rebellion. The Six Nations began
to perceive that the white man was no friend of theirs,
whether he be Englishman or Frenchman. So the feel-
ing of discontent and unrest spread through the forest.
The tribes about the great lakes were inoculated by it.
This state of mind was fostered and encouraged by the
French, who still had great influence over the savages.
The late masters of the country would, no doubt, be
glad to see the Indians rise in successful rebellion and
thus settle the ancient grudge which the French bore
toward their conquerors. They helped to foment the
resentment rankling in the Indian mind against the
English. Though they might not hope to recover con-
trol of Canada, it would be some satisfaction to see
bloody vengeance wreaked by the savages upon the Eng-
lish.
So disturbed was the state of mind among the Indians
that it became apparent early in the summer of 1761
to Captain Campbell, then in command at Detroit, that
trouble of a serious character was brewing. Forthwith
he despatched messengers to General Amherst and to the
commandants at Forts Pitt and Niagara warning them
of the situation and the dangers which threatened. As
fact the garrison at Michilimackinac was
surprised by a ruse, and many were massacred, the rest
being carried o
a m
o
into
pitvity
simi
attack at
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 257
Sault Ste. Marie was prevented by a timely warning
and preparation to meet it. It now appeared that there
was a wide conspiracy and a general understanding
among the Indian tribes of all the northern country
from the Atlantic seaboard to the Mississippi to rise in
rebellion. By the timely discovery of Captain Camp-
bell the plan was frustrated for the time being. Know-
ing of the hostile designs of the savages the com-
mandants of all the western forts were on the guard
against surprises. Every movement was closely
watched. In the summer of 1762 another plot was
discovered among the tribes of the immediate vicinity
of Detroit to- capture the fort and slaughter the garri-
son. Its fortunate discovery prevented this attack also.
As an instance of the state of the popular mind in
apprehension of direful events, it is related that in that
same summer there was a rain which brought down
from the sky sulphurous water of the color and consis-
tency of ink, some of which being collected in bottles
seemed to be quite suitable for correspondence.* There
appears to have been no doubt of the fact, though pos-
sibly greatly exaggerated. Its influence upon the super-
stitious dread of the unlettered habitants was of more
than passing importance. Signs and omens and dreams
exercised a powerful force upon the minds of the sav-
ages. Before setting out upon any important enterprise
they indulged in incantations and diabolical formulas
and called upon imaginary dieties for assistance. Just
*Carver. Travels through interior parts of North America.
1-17
258 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
at this time there arose a great prophet among the
Delawares who was imbued with the strong spirit of
religious exaltation such as at various periods in the
history of the world has produced remarkable and some-
times far-reaching results. This prophet went up and
down among the tribes repeating his lurid dreams.
He
warned his people that they had fallen from their high
estate through the demoralization which followed their
contact with the white race. There was much obvious
truth in this. He counselled them to discard all the
arts which they had gained from the whites, throw
away their arms and clothing and return at once to
their natural and simple mode of life. They must purify
their natures if they would commend themselves to the
great spirit. He was a powerful and vigorous preacher
and a greatly effective one, too. His discourses pro-
duced tremendous excitement and the Indians gathered
from far and near in large encampments to listen to his
exhortations.
This crusade against the white race, preached so
effectively at this psychological moment, was the spark
re to the tinder. The natives were in a
which set
tumult of excitement. They were inclined to follow
the advice of the prophet and return to their primitive
ways of living. Their resentment against the white man
who had come into their country unasked, and who
*
showed a disposition to stay and make himself at home,
was not long until this
was still more inflamed,
disturbed condition showed omnious
signs, as
has been
already intimated. The threatened attack upon Detroit
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 259
and other posts, the massacre at Michilimackinac, the
scalping of traders and travelers by scattered parties
here and there, were surface indications of the seething
ferment in the minds of the savages.
•
' I
CHAPTER XVII
Pontiac Plans to Wipe Out the English
Invaders
■
I
, '
h
i
•
■
i
•
•
HE ferment in the camps of the savages
was contagious. It was not confined to
any locality, but appears to have been
general throughout the country. It was
at this critical time that the astute chief-
tain, Pontiac, appeared upon the scene. But for him
the tumult might have expended itself in a few impul-
sive raids or disconnected attacks which would have
been easily suppressed and without any very serious
results. Mention has been already made of the cir-
s
cumstance that Pontiac met Major Rogers on his way
to Detroit and demanded to know by what right he
presumed to enter the country without the permission
of the lord thereof. His conduct on that occasion
proved him to be a diplomat. With great dignity he
asserted his authority as chief of the rightful owners
of the land. He undertook to impress upon the invad-
ers his assumption that they could come in only by suf-
ferance. At the same time he yielded with apparent
cheerfulness and allowed the English to pass on.
■
must have been plain to him that the time was not yet
ripe to assume the offensive. The savages were not
organized sufficiently to resist the well disciplined forces
of the English army. To attack with a disorganized
rabble meant sure defeat, and defeat under such cir-
cumstances would very likely put an end to all future
hope. Therefore Pontiac concealed the real state of
his feelings and without making any hostile demonstra-
tion he permitted the English to occupy Detroit. With
great dissimulation he even aided their progress into
263
264 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the country and thus deceived them as to his sentiments
and purposes.
Pontiac was at this time about fifty years of age. As
chief he appears to have enjoyed the confidence and
esteem of all the Algonquin tribes. He was possessed
of remarkable natural gifts of mind, which accounts
for his influence over his savage tribesmen. He had
sufficient force and energy, coupled with shrewdness
and knowledge of the springs of human action, to main-
tain his ascendency and organize a combination, the
most remarkable in the annals o
the
n
dian
race in
America. He had lived in a contented state under
French domination. He led a squad of his followers in
support of the French in the attack upon Braddock
near Duquesne. But when the English came into his
territory his eyes were opened to the inevitable results
of this influx of foreigners. He had the intelligence to
observe the course of events and the foresight to per-
ceive that if the tendency were not checked the day of
was drawing to a close.
the native Indian in the
Therefore he resolved to organize all the tribes in a
combination to wipe out the English and drive them
from the country once and for all. He sent out ambas-
sadors to all the tribes north of the Ohio, into Canada
to the Ottawa region and far to the southward along the
Mississippi. They went from village to village and
talked with the head men and warrior chiefs. They met
with a cordial reception and found the sentiment among
the savages to be the same as that of Pontiac and the
Ottawas. Nearly all the tribes of Algonquin stock
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•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 265
were united in the plan to make universal war upon the
English. These comprised the Pottawatomies, the
Wyandottes, the tribes of the lower Mississippi, and the
Iroquois tribe of Senecas of western New York.
So cautiously was this campaign of a universal upris-
ing against the English conducted that no information
of it leaked out. The American savage was reticent
and reserved naturally. He was capable of dissimula-
tion. He kept his own counsel and depended largely for
success upon taking the enemy off his guard. This was
his characteristic method of warfare. In conflicts with
his own race he gathered his forces secretly and
descended upon the camp of his antagonist when the
latter had no suspicion of his whereabouts. Though
there were white men constantly moving about among
the tribes, though the traders went among them buying
furs and selling merchandise, no word was whispered
to any one of them by friend or foe of the conspiracy
which was on foot. The intention of the savages was
to have a general uprising in 1762, when all the Eng-
lish posts at Niagara, Fort Pitt, Detroit and elsewhere
should be simultaneously attacked, their garrisons mas-
sacred and the white men generally put to the scalping
knife or driven out of the country. A drunken half-
breed boasted that he would soon decorate his hunting
frock with English hair. Evidences of unusual commo-
tion in the villages aroused the suspicion of the whites.
The commanding officers of all the forts were cautioned
to exercise the greatest watchfulness. These timely pre-
cautions had the effect to postpone the outbreak. The
266 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
wily savages protested that it was all a mistake, that
only some miserable, good-for-nothing tribe was trying
to make trouble, while the tribes generally had only the
most ardent affection for the English and wished to live
with them in peace and harmony.
By such tactics the suspicions of the English were
quieted, while the plot was not frustrated but only post-
poned.
It is proof of the wonderful skill and force of
character of Pontiac that he was able to unite so many
diverse and jealous interests in a scheme of such mag-
nitude and involving so tremendous consequences. There
had never before in the history of the red race in Amer-
ica, except in the single case of the Iroquois, been any
confederation which was more than a rope of sand.
There were cases in which different tribes united upon
an enterprise and held together to carry it into execu-
tion. It was a severe test of Pontiac's combination that
it was able to stand against a failure of instant move-
ment and a delay which dragged through more than
fourteen months. Meantime the forests were alive with
active war parties who went up and down encouraging
the spirit of revenge and stimulating the inflamed pas-
sions of the warriors. Such men had no conception of
discipline or self restraint. The native had never been
taught to submit his will to the control of another. He
loved individual freedom. He was impatient of subor-
dination. Hence there was never an Indian army in the
proper sense of the word. The French were able to
command the services of Indian allies in many affairs,
and even the English had troops of savages to help
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 267
them in engagements against similar forces on the other
side. But these allies were not amenable to military dis-
cipline and generally fought Indian fashion, without or-
der or restraint, in a sort of go-as-you-please method.
The organization which Pontiac was able to effect prob-
ably came nearest to being an Indian army of any ever
known. That he was able to attack as strongly a forti-
fied place as Detroit and maintain a state of siege
against it for a year speaks strongly for his superior gen-
ius.
By the treaty of Paris in 1763 the Valley of the Ohio
and adjacent parts were reserved as an Indian domain
of which the natives were to have exclusive possession
and control. If this fact had been anticipated or could
even now be made generally known the situation might
have been radically changed. The Indians had been ir-
ritated by the aggressiveness of the English. The course
of events seemed to show the intention of these people
to drive the natives out of the country and possess it for
themselves. The benevolent intentions of the distin-
guished gentlemen who formulated the treaty in the
French capital never came to the ears of the dwellers in
the American forests, or if they did, they had no mean-
ing within savage comprehension. A proclamation was
issued in October of that year strictly prohibiting Eng-
lish settlements within the reservation. Practically this
came too late to have any effect whatever on the attitude
of the Indians. They were already on the war path,
butchering, burning, sacking, destroying. The luckless
trader or traveler caught in the woods was murdered off-
268 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
hand. The families living in exposed frontier locations
were scalped, their cattle run off, their dwellings sacked
and burned. The rumors of these depredations quickly
■
spread. Terror-stricken families fled from their homes
to the refuge of the fortified posts. Everywhere there
was a frenzy of apprehension, of excitement. Those
who lived near the forts felt little security. Even the
garrisons themselves were compelled to exercise the
greatest watchfulness to guard against surprise, to
suspect treachery in every move and to trust no protes-
tations of friendliness on the part of any savage.
Pontiac called a council of his warriors. This was held
at an appointed spot on the banks of the River Ecorces,
a short distance below Detroit. Thither came all the
tribes until there was an immense village of their wig-
n the 27th of April, 1763, all the warriors
were summoned and Pontiac addressed them in his most
impassioned manner. An account of this council writ-
ten by a priest of Detroit at the time has been pre-
served in the archives of the State Historical Society.
From contemporary evidence it is believed to be trust-
warns.
worthy. He reports Pontiac as saying: "It is import-
ant, my brothers, that we should exterminate from our
land this nation, whose only object is our death.
must
11
ible
as
You
as myself that we can no
longer supply our wants in the way we were accustomed
to do with our fathers, the French. They sell us their
goods at double the prices the French made us pay, and
yet their merchandise is good for nothing. Neither will
they let us have them on credit, as our brothers, the
1
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 269
French, used to do. When I visit the English chief and
inform him of the death of any of our comrades, instead
of lamenting, as our brothers, the French, used to do,
they make game of us. If I ask him for anything for
our sick, he refuses and tells us that he does not want
us, from which it is apparent he seeks our death. We
must, therefore, in return, destroy them without delay.
There is nothing to prevent us. There are but few of
them and we shall easily overcome them. Why shou
we not attack them? Are we not men?
What do you fear? The time has arrived.
Let us strike. Should there be any French to take their
part, let us strike them as we do< the English. Remem-
ber what the Giver of Life desired our brother, the
Delaware, to do. This regards us as much as it does
them. . . . There is no longer any time to lose,
and when the English shall be defeated, we will stop the
way SO' that no more shall return upon our lands."
No doubt there were other speeches, but the record
does not give them. When the council broke up it was
agreed on all hands that an attack should be made upon
the fort and plans were laid to carry this program into
effect.
The fort at Detroit was at that time garrisoned by
about three hundred regulars under the command of
Major Henry Gladwin. Anticipating that there was
likely to be trouble of a serious nature the commandant
had already sent notice to General Amherst at New
York of the threatening situation and asked for rein-
forcements. There were two small armed schooners in
270 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the service of the English, the Beaver and the Gladwin,
and one of these was despatched to Niagara for supplies
and munitions. But Niagara was threatened, as well as
Detroit. In fact all the English posts in the west were
simultaneously attacked. The little garrison at Fort
St. Joseph, at the mouth of the St. Joseph river on Lake
Michigan, was captured and some of the officers and sol-
diers were brought to Detroit for exchange. At Michi-
limackinac the fort quickly fell into the hands of the In-
dians. The fort near the mouth of the Maumee was cap-
tured and partially destroyed. Detroit alone was able
to maintain a stubborn resistance.
Here Pontiac undertook to gain possession of the fort
by strategy. He had planned to have a council between
the English officers and a number of his braves. During
this council at a given signal the Indians were to make
an attack with the guns which they had concealed under
their blankets. Having murdered the officers the alarm
was to be given and the Indians who had swarmed into
the fort were to massacre the garrison and so gain com-
plete control of the fort. Fortunately Gladwin had re-
ceived warning the previous night of the plan and so had
made every preparation to defeat it. The wife of St.
Aubin, one of the principal settlers, had visited the Ot-
tawa camp to buy venison and while there observed that
the warriors were busy filing off their gun barrels so as
to make them much shorter. She did not know that the
purpose of this was to enable them to conceal these
weapons under their blankets, but it struck her as a very
unusual and suspicious proceeding. She discussed it
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 27 I
with her neighbors and knowledge of the singular cir-
cumstance soon became public property.
There is a romantic story believed to have some foun-
dation in fact, that Gladwin was told of the diabolical
plot by a squaw who had come to his quarters to deliver
a pair of moccasins which she had made upon his order.*
She felt enough personal interest in him to try to save his
life and though she did not know the details of the plan
she was fully aware that a scheme was on foot to capture
■
the fort by treachery. Being thus forewarned Gladwin
ordered all his troops under arms and every man was on
the alert against surprise. Pontiac came to the council
with sixty of his chiefs, while his warriors swarmed
through the Pottawatomie and Ottawa camps just out-
side the palisades. The chief and his warriors were ad-
mitted to the fort and they could not help seeing that on
every side the troops were in arms and lined up ready
for action. As the party seated themselves in the council
house he also noticed that not only was every officer
armed with sword but that each wore a brace of heavy
pistols in his belt. The savages could not fail to see that
the Englishmen could not be taken off their guard. Pon-
tiac indulged in the usual oratorial effort in which he
reiterated his professions of friendship for the English.
Gladwin had arranged that while this performance was
going on within doors there should be rolling of drums
and a great clatter of arms just outside. This rude in-
terruption and the unexpected look of things so discon-
*Carver. Travels through the interior parts of North America
272 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
certed Pontiac that he failed to give the signal to his
companions to rise up and attack the Englishmen. When
quiet had been restored Gladwin replied to the speech of
Pontiac that the savages might be assured of the friend-
ship of the English so long as they behaved themselves
in a peaceful and orderly manner. But he said in the
most emphatic phrases that vengeance would surely
overtake them if they should assume the aggressive.
Gladwin strongly intimated his suspicions of the treach-
ery of the savage warriors and exposed their concealed
guns, very greatly to their chagrin. The council came
quickly to an end and the warriors slunk away. During
this conference the gates of the fort had been kept
locked to prevent any sudden inrush of the savages.
Now they were swung open and the baffled chieftain was
allowed to depart.
In the opinion of many this was mistaken lenity or
the part of Gladwin. If he had made Pontiac or even a
half dozen of his chief warriors prisoners, or held them
as hostages for the good behavior of the savages the ef-
fect misht have been beneficial. But it was the evident
desire of Gladwin to avoid an open rupture. He knew
the overwhelming numbers of the savages, the weak con-
■
dition of his defences and the fact that reinforcements
could not reach him for several weeks. He preferred
to gain time, at least. Pontiac attributed his conduct
to cowardice and was more belligerent than before. He
called a council of his followers in the Pottawotamie vil-
lage and the war spirit was roused to a still greater inten-
sity. He evidently still had hope to trick his adversary
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 273
into believing him friendly. The next day Pontiac with
three of his chiefs came to the fort and assured Gladwin
that his intentions were all peaceful and he then offered
to smoke the pipe of peace. Leaving the pipe in the
hands of Captain Campbell he withdrew.
The following morning, Monday, May 9th, the sav-
ages suddenly swarmed in great numbers on the com-
mons behind the fort. They were decorated with war
paint, and yelling and leaping and brandishing their tom-
ahawks they moved toward the fort. As they ap-
proached Pontiac himself advanced from the multitude
to the gate of the fort which was close barred and
locked. He demanded to be admitted. Gladwin re-
plied that he would admit Pontiac himself but not his
followers. He said in terms too plain to be misunder-
stood that however much he might respect Pontiac and
his official position he had no respect whatever for the
rabble he led. Then Pontiac turned abruptly from the
gate and with a cry for revenge he rushed to his followers
who lay flat upon the ground just beyond gunshot. Wav-
ing his arms and exhorting them in the most fantastic
manner he stirred them to action and leaping and yelling
they ran to the dwellings of the English outside the pal-
isades and began scalping and tomahawking the helpless
women and children. From that time forward there was
bloody work in and about the little settlement and in its
neighboring forests.
M8
,
1
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'
•
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'
CHAPTER XVIII
Complete Defeat of the Savages
•
•
I
I
.
-
-
*
LL the English outside the fort were mur-
dered. The French were not molested.
It has been said that Pontiac did not ap-
prove these assassinations but was pow-
erless to prevent them. A Frenchman
named Desnoyers came down the river in a canoe and
landing at the fort reported that two Englishmen, Sir
Robert Davers and Captain Robertson, with a boat's
crew, who had been sent to St. Clair Flats to discover
a passage for a schooner upward bound, had been mur-
dered; also that a powerful band of Ojibwas from Sagi-
naw had joined the forces of Pontiac. An Englishman
living on the island, then called He au Cochon, or Hog
Island, in charge of a herd of cattle belonging to the
government and pastured there, was scalped and the
cattle were killed. The entire Ottawa camp was trans-
ferred to a point on the high bank of the river just above
the mouth of Parent's creek, afterward called Bloody
Run. Here Pontiac and his warriors indulged in a war
dance and clamored for vengeance upon the English.
All the English who had taken refuge in the fort were
impressed into the military service. The utmost vigi-
lance was exercised and every precaution was taken to
prevent surprise.
Early next morning the attack upon the fort was be-
gun with all the savage forces combined, including the
Ottawas, Pottaw atomies, Wy an dots and Ojibwas. They
pelted a rain of bullets against the stockade and an as-
sault was momentarily expected. The savages concealed
themselves behind trees, fences, outbuildings, or lay flat
277
»
278 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
upon the ground, protected by hillocks or logs.
They
aimed at the loopholes, but their firing had little effect.
The shooting was returned from the fort with effective
*
results, so far as could be known. A cannon was brought
into service and red-hot slugs of iron were poured into
the wooden buildings in which the savages had con-
cealed themselves. These buildings were soon in flames
driving the warriors into the open where they were eas-
ily picked off by the sharpshooters in the fort. The fir-
ing was kept up for about six hours and then the attack-
ing party withdrew. The losses upon the Indian side
were not definitely known. Five men in the fort had
been wounded, none fatally. La Butte, a French inter-
preter who was on friendly terms with the Indians, was
sent by Gladwin to the camp of Pontiac to express the
surprise of the commandant at the attack and to say that
he would be glad to treat with the chieftain for any re-
dress of real grievances. Two old French residents,
Chap
d Godefroy, volunteered to accompany the
messenger and aid in arranging an understanding. The
envoys were received by Pontiac with apparent cordial-
ity. He said little or nothing, but from his manner La
Butte was convinced that he was not implacable. Upon
his return to the fort he suggested that Major Camp-
bell, second in command to Gladwin who was believed
to have the good-will of the savages, should be sent to
their camp to continue the negotiations. Campbell was
quite willing to go, though Gladwin suspected treachery.
He set out, however, accompanied by Lieutenant Mc-
Dougall, a junior officer, with La Butte and a number of
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 279
Frenchmen. They arrived at the camp of Pontiae which
they found in a state of great turmoil and excitement.
Major Campbell addressed the chief in the most con-
ciliatory terms. He was listened to in silence, but no
response was made. Time passed and all sat silent until
Campbell began to feel uneasy at the aspect of things.
At length he arose and expressed his intention to return
to the fort. Thereupon Pontiae told him that he would
stay with his red brothers as a prisoner. Several of the
warriors made a movement to murder him on the spot.
But this Pontiae prevented.
Campbell and McDougall were conveyed to the
house of a Frenchman named Meloche near the camp,
where they were given comfortable quarters and de-
tained as prisoners. The following day Pontiae took
measures to prevent any outside relief to the beleaguered
garrison. He stationed pickets along the river below
the fort and in the outskirts of the adjoining woods to
waylay and murder any 1 Englishman who might ap-
proach from any direction. These things being done the
attack upon the fort was renewed. For many days the
attacks were kept up from morning to night and the gar-
rison was compelled to be on constant watch day an
night, momentarily expecting attack in force and well
knowing that the palisades could not withstand a sharp
and determined assault. Many of the Englishmen coun-
selled the abandonment of the fort and embarking at
once for Niagara. Gladwin would not listen to this sug-
gestion. Though the situation was desperate and in the
event of capture the life of every man was forfeited, he
^8o MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
bravely insisted on holding on and awaiting reinforce-
ments which were then believed to be on the way. Dur-
ing intervals between the more active demonstrations,
parties sallied out from the fort and cut down orchards
and destroyed fences and out-buildings behind which the
savages lurked. Thus their hiding places were demol-
ished and the ground was swept clean for a considerable
distance from the stockade. The two armed vessels in the
river covered at close range the grounds and kept the In-
dians from attacking on that side.
Early during hostilities Pontiac formally demanded
the surrender of the fort, accompanying his demand
with the offer to permit all the garrison to retire upon
the vessels in the harbor, and offering as the alternative
the well known treatment which the Indians accord their
captives in war. To this Gladwin sent a defiant nega-
tive. The attacks were renewed with increased viru-
lance. The savages were reinforced
one hundred
and fifty O jib was from Grand River. These fresh ar-
rivals were eager for the fray while the men in the fort
were nearly exhausted with their ceaseless vigilance. For
weeks, in all kinds of weather, the soldiers walked guard
and slept upon the ramparts.* To make the situation
worse, the supply of provisions was running short. In
fact, the garrison must have been completely starved
out, but for the assistance of the French, especially of
Mr. Baby and others living upon the opposite side of the
river, who under cover of night brought over in boats
♦Rogers. Journal of the siege of Detroit
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 281
beef, pork and other supplies, without the knowledge of
the savages. The latter on their own part were begin-
ning to feel the pinch of hunger. An immense army had
een gathered and in the camp was a great horde o
women and children, so there were many mouths to feed.
This army had no organized commissary. It lived on the
country. The French farmers up and down the river
felt the effects. The savages made free with their cattle,
pigs, chickens, ravaged their fields and gardens, and
wasted and destroyed as much as they used. Thereupon
the farmers sent a delegation to Pontiac to protest
against the outrage. The council was held at the house
of Mr. Meloche, where Campbell and McDougall were
still detained as prisoners. To their complaints Pontiac
replied that doubtless some of the injuries complained
of were committed by his young men who did not real-
ize what they were doing, but he reminded his friends
that the war of extermination which he was waging
against the English was as much in their interests as his
own; that the movements of an army were necessarily
more or less destructive to the region which it occupied
and through which it must move. He said he only asked
for provisions for himself and his men. These they could
well afford to supply, since it would be to their interests
in the end. Pontiac took measures to stop marauding.
He visited the various farms and parcelled out the
quantity which he estimated each was capable of supply-
ing. For these supplies he issued in payment promis-
sory notes written upon birch bark and signed with his
totem, the figure of an otter.
282 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
About the middle of May, Lieutenant Cuyler left
Fort Niagara with ninety-six men and a quantity of pro-
visions and ammunition for Detroit. They had no
knowledge of the terrible situation at the point of their
destination. So they proceeded deliberately, coasting
along the north shore of Lake Erie. Two weeks later
they landed one evening at Point Pelee, a short distance
below the mouth of Detroit river, and prepared to en-
camp for the night. Scarcely had they landed and drawn
up their boats when they were attacked by a party of
-
Wy an dots who had been sent thither by Pontiac to in-
tercept any such relieving parties. The Englishmen were
all killed, put to flight or captured. Cuyler himself es-
caped and made his way back to Niagara. The savages
took possession of the captured boats and supplies and
with about forty prisoners made their way to Detroit.
The men of the little garrison were delighted when they
saw the approaching boats, believing that relief at last
near. What was their horror when they found that
was
the boats were manned by Ind
The boats moved
on up to Pontiac's camp, where the supplies were wel-
come and where the whiskey which constituted part of
the same was greedily swallowed. All the prisoners
were tortured and butchered as part of the festivities of
the occasion, and some of them were cooked and eaten
by the drunken savages. Some were shot full of arrows
and their bodies were thrown into the river. These
floated down past the fort and horrified the soldiers who
saw a possibly similar fate in store for themselves. Just
at this time also came the news that the fort at Sandusky
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 283
had been captured by the Wyandots and all the garrison
slaughtered. Of all the scattered posts west of Niagara
and Pittsburgh, Detroit alone had been able to maintain
itself. It was at this time also that Gladwin learned of
the capture of Fort St. Joseph. This post was under
the command of Ensign Schlosser and fourteen men.
The Pottawatomies sent ' from Detroit by Pontiac
slaughtered all these men except the ensign and two oth-
ers whom they brought to Detroit to be exchanged for
some of their tribe held by Gladwin.
The garrison at Detroit numbered scarcely three hun-
dred all told. Pontiac is reported to have had eight hun-
dred and twenty warriors, of whom two hundred and fif-
ty were Ottawas, one hundred and fifty Pottawatomies,
fifty Wyandots and three hundred and seventy Ojib-
was.* The last mentioned were gathered mostly from
the interior of the peninsula. The estimate is made that,
with the wives and children of the warriors, there must
have been fully three thousand savages in the camps
about the fort. It was at this time that the schooner
Gladwin which had been sent to Niagara to hurry for-
ward men and supplies returned to Detroit. She escaped
the fate of Lieutenant Cuyler and his men, and though
she was repeatedly attacked and was compelled to fight
her way through the narrow channels among the islands
down the river, she finally succeeded in reaching the fort
in safety. She brought much needed reinforcements, as
well as fresh supplies of ammunition and provisions.
1
*Parkman. Conspiracy of Pontiac.
284 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
This was near the end of June. Pontiac made another
effort to frighten Gladwin into surrender by telling him
of the expected early arrival of heavy reinforcements.
The Indian chief then undertook to secure the active co-
operation of the French residents. He called a council
of them to which many came. He made a speech in
which he tried to play on their prejudices against the
English. To offset his harangue, one of the Frenchmen
displayed the articles of capitulation of Montreal, which
showed that Detroit had been included in the surrender,
and that there was no possible further hope of assistance
from France. Nevertheless, some of the French and
half breed coureurs de bois and adventurers joined the
standard of Pontiac, though the better class of French
citizens held entirely aloof from giving him any encour-
agement. The savages, with the assistance of their new
allies undertook under the cover of darkness, to con-
struct entrenchments near the fort. When these works
were discovered in the morning, Lieutenant Hay with a
party sallied forth and dislodged the enemy. The
French allies fled precipitately. The savages held their
ground and in the melee two of them were killed. Short-
after this affair a white man was seen running toward
the fort pursued by Indians. He was rescued and proved
to be Ensign Paully, who had been in command at San-
dusky and who had been brought to Detroit a prisoner.
By some strange caprice his life was saved and he had
now made good his escape. He reported that Captain
Campell, who had been detained a prisoner at Meloche's
house had been killed by an Ojibwa chief, the father of
ROBERT ROGERS
•
•
» 1-
I
•
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 285
one of the two savages killed in the attack upon the en-
*
trenchments. Lieutenant McDougall, who> was taken a
prisoner at the same time with Captain Campbell, had
previously found means to escape, or he too would
doubtless have fallen a victim to the rage of the savage.
Late in July the garrison was cheered by the arrival
of Captain Dalzell with twenty-two barges bearing two
hundred and eighty men with several cannon and an
abundant supply of provisions and ammunition. The
men comprised detachments from the Fifty-fifth and
Eightieth regulars and twenty Independent Rangers un-
der command of Major Rogers. The party was at-
tacked by the Indians from the shore just below the fort
and fifteen of the soldiers were killed or wounded. The
barracks in the fort could not accommodate these fresh
troops and they were quartered upon the inhabitants of
the town. The day after their arrival Captain Dalzell
held a conference with Major Gladwin and proposed an
attack in force upon Pontiac's camp. This camp had
now been removed from near the mouth of Parent's
Creek to a marsh some two or three miles above. The
plans of the English officer had not been kept entirely
secret and coming to the knowledge of some of the
French were betrayed to' Pontiac. At two o'clock on
the morning of July 31st the detachment two hundred
and fifty strong set out for the camp. They moved along
the road which ran parallel with the river a short dis-
tance from the shore. Two large batteaux with mounted
guns moved up to the river simultaneously. Unsuspic-
ious of the fact, the English marched under the observa-
286 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
tion of savages who spied upon them from behin
bushes and fences by the roadside. No sooner had the
head of the detachment passed over the narrow bridge
across Parent's Creek than it was met full in the face by
a blaze of musketry from the forces of Pontiac which
had entrenched themselves on the rising ground just be-
yond.
Scores of the English fell and the whole column
recoiled under the shock of the unexpected attack. Dal-
zell rushed to the front to lead his men to an attack upon
the breastworks. But the savages after firing did not
fight in a compact body. They scattered and from be-
hind trees, wood piles, outbuildings, poured a galling
fusilade into the ranks of the bewildered English, who
in the darkness could not discover the whereabouts o
the foe. Anticipating that the savages were organizing
to cut off their retreat the English faced about and in
good order began to retrace their steps. The column
was protected somewhat
the guns on the batteaux
which moved up abreast. But the savages concealed
themselves behind barns and in some cases in houses
which they forcibly entered and from the windows of
which they fired upon the retreating troops. Captain
Dalzell was wounded in the first attack and afterward
killed on the retreat. His body was recovered in a hor-
ribly mutilated condition and was brought to the fort by
a Mr. Campau. Other officers killed were Captain
Gray, Lieutenants Luke and Brown; there were fifty-
seven rank and file either killed or wounded. The rem-
of the command made good their escape into the
fort
A writer in the Annual Register for 1763, speak
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 287
ing of this engagement says: "Although in European
warfare it would be deemed a mere skirmish, yet in a
conflict with American savages it rises to the importance
of a pitched battle ; since these people being thinly scat-
tered over a great extent of country are accustomed to
conduct their warfare by detail, and never take the field
in any great force." From that time Parent's Creek has
been called Bloody Run.
Pontiac was greatly elated over this affair. He sent
out runners to inform the savages everywhere of his suc-
cess, with the result that many others flocked to his
standard. But in spite of it the English kept up good
spirits. The strengthening of the garrison was a great
relief. It was not now necessary for every man to be
on constant duty. It had become evident that there was
no longer danger of combined and desperate assault on
the works, which had been so greatly dreaded. The
fort could not long have withstood European soldiers.
But the Indian knew nothing of such tactics. It had
been his custom to act independently, to shoot from am-
bush, to avoid exposing himself in the open. Such a
thing as marching in a body in the face of fire to assault
a fortified position was wholly inconceivable to him. He
never be brought to do it, though Pontiac be-
sought his French allies to show his people how the
thing was done. When the English were fully convinced
of this they breathed easier. They had only to watch
against surprise and treachery.
The desultory shooting and skirmishing went on
without event of importance until September. Then the
288 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
schooner Gladwin returning from Niagara was at-
tacked in the river at night and a most desperate fight
ensued. The savages were driven off, however, with a
loss of fifteen killed and as many more wounded. The
schooner lost her captain and four of the crew. The men
who so bravely defended the ship were later on re-
warded with medals of honor. Shortly afterwards came
rumors of the approach of Major Wilkins with rein-
forcements and this led the savages to relax their war-
like plans. Accordingly the great chief of the Mis-
sissaugas visited the fort and made overtures of peace to
Gladwin. The latter declined to treat but granted an
armistice of which he took prompt advantage to fully
provision the fort for the winter. In November came
news that Wilkins' detachment had been overwhelmed
by a storm on the lake; the boats were wrecked and all
the supplies and ammunition were lost, while seventy of
the men perished. The Indians departed for their win-
ter hunt. Pontiac retired to his camp on the Maumee
and Detroit was left to enjoy a season of undisturbed
repose. In the spring hostilities were renewed, but in a
desultory sort of way. It was not safe for an English-
man to wander far from the fort or go into the forest
in search of game. He was in great danger of being
shot or scalped, so numerous and belligerent were the
savages.
Thus matters moved along until midsummer, when a
new policy was entered upon. Str WtHiam Johnson and
his deputy, George Croghan, addressed to the British
Lords of Trade a memorial suggesting a course of pro-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 289
cedure intended to conciliate the Indian tribes and estab-
lish settled peace. This plan was taken up by the British
government and put into execution. It contemplated a
treaty with each of the separate tribes by which, for suit-
able compensation, they would agree to alienate their ti-
tle to certain lands which could then be thrown open to
actual settlement by whites. Before this could be car-
ried into effect, however, it was essential to subdue the
hostile tribes by force of arms. For this purpose two
armies were raised. The first was placed under the
command of Colonel Bouquet with orders to proceed to
Fort Pitt and from that as a base of operations to chas-
tise the adjacent tribes. The second army was given in
charge of Colonel Bradstreet to ascend the lakes and
subjugate the savages at Detroit and beyond. He ar-
rived at Detroit near the end of August and never was
relief more cordiallv welcomed. For fifteen months the
beleagured garrison had suffered untold hardships and
privations. It was now relieved and the new army took
its place on the ramparts. Negotiations were at once
opened with the various tribes. Councils were held and
moderation and conciliation characterised all their pro-
■
ceedings. The savages had been thoroughly impressed
with the idea that there was to be no trifling; that they
must acknowledge the sovereignty of the king of Eng-
land. The last glimmer of hope of the restoration of
the power of France had faded. The tribes came in and
signed the treaty and thereafter the king of England, in-
stead of the king of France, was the acknowledged fath-
A-19
29O MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
er, and by the same token all Englishmen became broth-
ers.
This business having been satisfactorily disposed of,
Captain Howard was despatched to take possession of
Michilimackinac, Sault Ste Marie and Green Bay. Cap-
tain Morris was sent to recapture Fort Miami, but
found the Indians of the neighborhood so hostile that he
thought it prudent to return to Detroit. Bradstreet de-
parted to deal with the Indians of Sandusky and other
localities. Now for the first time since the cession of
this region to the English, Detroit and the lake posts
enjoyed the luxury of peace. Pontiac found
allies
could no longer be held in line. They deserted him to
make terms with his old enemy, the English. He disap-
peared completely from view for a time and we next
hear of him at St. Louis where he was the guest of some
of his old friends of the days of Duquesne and Brad-
dock. While there in 1769 he crossed the river to Ca-
hokia, where the Indians were indulging in some sort of
festivities, to see what was going on. He joined in the
festivities and as whiskey played so large part in the
luxuries of the occasion, a drunken orgie soon followed
in which Pontiac was as deeply involved as any. The
natural sequence was a quarrel, and the next morning
Pontiac was found in the neighboring wood with a tom-
ahawk buried in his brain.
When Gladwin was relieved of his command at De-
troit he retired for a much-needed rest and visited Eng-
land where he was presented to George III who compli-
mented him highly for his gallant defense of his post
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 29 1
against the long siege. Military opinion coincides with
the complimentary sentiments of the king. It was one
of the most notable achievements in the annals of the
country and had inestimable influence in fixing for all
time the sovereignty of the white race in the lake region.
It is shameful that the name of Gladwin is not better
known in Michigan. It is attached to a county, but be-
yond that it nowhere appears in the geography of the
land. He was a brave and wise commander. He de-
serves to be remembered in all the ways in which poster-
ity honors those who have rendered conspicuous service
to their country.
.
'
w
CHAPTER XIX
Progress of the Colony Under the Improved
Conditions
1
••
I
.
•
•
•
HEN the English government as-
sumed control over the possessions ac-
quired from France in America they
were divided into four separate dis-
tricts. That with which we are deal-
ing was known as Quebec, with headquarters in the city
of that name. The western limit of this district was at
Lake Nipissing, beyond which there were at that time
no settlements. The Hudson's Bay Company had se-
curely established its authority in the country which it
occupied. It was industriously engaged in developing
the trade in the most profitable and successful manner.
Following closely the end of French control, the Eng-
lish were quick to seize upon the opportunities for traf-
fic. English and Dutch traders flocked in from Albany.
They employed the French wood rangers and coureurs
be dots who had had life-long experience in dealing with
the Indians for peltries. The English placed no restric-
tions upon the trade, as had the French. Passes to go
into the country were granted as a matter of course to all
who could give reasonable security for observing estab-
lished regulations. Controversies had arisen between
the Hudson's Bay Company and the Northwest Com-
pany, as to the boundary line between the two, which
was not clearly defined, and some friction developed in
consequence. This trouble was finally adjusted by unit-
ing the stock and control of the two companies in the
same hands.
There was no effort to fill up the country with perma-
nent settlers. In fact, by proclamation of the king near-
295
296 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
)
lv all this region had been reserved to the Indian tribes.
It was the policy of the government to give the natives
possession of the principal portion of their hunting
grounds to be retained for their exclusive occupancy.
The tribes were expected to sustain themselves by hunt-
ing and fishing. They were to be restrained from law-
lessness and warlike interference with each other and
with the whites, but they were to be left pretty much in
their former condition. To this end the country about
the great lakes was not open to settlement or to purchase
without special leave. Nevertheless, as we have seen
Bradstreet made treaties with many of the tribes where-
by they parted with their titles to lands in a number of
instances. These conveyances, however, were held to
be invalid unless they were approved by the governor
and the superintendent of Indian affairs. The power of
granting lands in Detroit was declared to be solely in the
king and no purchase could be made of the Indians but
with that permission and authority, or with that of the
special representative of the crown. The Pottawatomie
village and cemetery, then below, now within the limits
of Detroit, were conveyed by that tribe to Robert Na-
varre and Isidore Chene, on the condition that the gran-
tees should live there and care for the cemetery.
This
sale was approved by Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton,
Major Bassett and others.* The Hudson's Bay Com-
pany which claimed jurisdiction hereabout was on the
watch to prevent interference with the interests of the
♦Campbell. Political History of Michigan. The original of the
Navarre deed is now the property of the Detroit Public Library.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 297
savages. This naturally follows from the fact that its
own interests were identical with these. If the fur-bear-
■
ing animals were left to propagate freely and the In-
dians were left to secure their hides and sell the same to
the company to its great profit, there appeared to it, of
course, every reason for the indefinite continuance of the
■
situation. But the sturdy American pioneer had no pa-
tience with this logic. The people of the colonies along
the Atlantic seaboard had turned their eyes westward.
They had seen the land and declared it worth possess-
ing. So, in spite of royal proclamations, in spite of
treaties which they did not share in the making and the
validity of which they did not recognize, they moved
over into the Ohio valley, the advance guard of a
mighty army of pioneer settlers who in a little more than
a generation were to occupy the land, while the poor In-
dian took up his final journey to the reservation beyond
the Mississippi.
n 1765 Sir Guy Carleton was made the first Gover-
nor-General of Canada. Complicated questions, some
of them of a very serious character, developed. The
population of the Province of Quebec, which included
Michigan, was almost wholly French. The form of
government, the laws and usages and religion to which
these people were accustomed were so different from
those of their new rulers as to be wholly incomprehensi-
ble. The making and enforcement of laws, the dispens-
ing of justice and settlement of civil disputes fell into the
hands of the military authorities. This government was
for the most part mild and sensible, though the inhabi-
•
298 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
tants grumbled at some of the exactions, especially those
relating to taxes for the maintenance of the fortifications
and for other purposes the importance of which they
dently did not apprec
But it may be truthfully
said of the British commanders that they were honest
and sincere ; they had not learned the art of plundering
their subjects, as had the officers of some other nation-
alities. However much the people might find fault,
they yet respected their governors. But in the province
generally the serious complications which arose led to
the passage by parliament in 1774 of the Quebec act.
Th
act provided for a governor
council and for
ince.
the enforcement of all the criminal laws of England ; the
crown reserved to itself the establishing of courts of civ-
criminal and ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The catholic
inhabitants were granted the free exercise of their reli-
gion and the undisturbed possession of their church
property and the right in all matters of litigation to de-
mand a trial according to the former laws of the prov-
The boundaries of the country were extended to
include the region south and west of the great lakes as
far as the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The enlarged
boundaries provoked opposition in parliament from
William Penn, who claimed jurisdiction beyond the
Ohio where some of his colonists had already found
homes. The passage of the act stirred up much feeling
among the British merchants, among the English liv-
ing in Canada, and especially among the American col-
is cited in the Declaration of Independence
as "abolishing the free system of English laws in a
omsts.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 299
neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary
government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render
it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing
the same arbitrary rule into these colonies." The act
was highly acceptable to the people of Canada. When
it was before parliament Governor Carleton testified
that there were in the province of Quebec three hundred
and sixty persons who claimed to be protestants and one
hundred and fifty thousand catholics. It is easy to un-
derstand why the great mass of people approved an act
which secured to them the rights of administration of
their civil and ecclesiastical affairs in the manner to
which they had been accustomed. And it is to be noted
that when, a few years later the American colonies in
the midst of the revolution sent a delegation to Canada
to swerve that province from its allegiance to Great
Britain, they met with no encouragement. Even to this
day, the people of Canada appear to be sincerely at-
tached to the British crown.
As to the state of the colony at Detroit at the time, a
census taken by Philip Dejean, a justice of the peace,
September 22, 1773, throws some light. This shows
two hundred and ninety-eight men, two hundred and
twenty-five women ; young men and women, ten to twen-
ty years old, one hundred and forty-two, boys and girls
from one to ten, five hundred and twenty- four; servants
ninety-three; slaves, eighty-five; cattle, fourteen hundred
and ninety-four; sheep, six hundred and twenty-eight;
hogs, one thousand and sixty-seven ; acres of land culti-
vated, two thousand six hundred and two; houses, two
300 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
hundred and eighty, barns, one hundred and fifty-seven.
This gives a total population of one thousand three hun-
dred and sixty-seven souls and includes the garrison of
the fort which numbered less than a hundred. The pres-
ence of slaves will be noticed. A few were of African
descent, but they were mainly Indian captives brought
here from the west and south. Though they were orig-
inally of various tribes they went under the general
name of Panis, or Pawnees. The title to these slaves as
property was secured by the treaty of peace and the rec-
ords show many conveyances of them from one owner
to another. The situation with reference to this matter
was not changed after the American possession, though
the holding of human property gradually ceased as the
old servants died off.
Lieutenant Governor Hamilton writing from Detroit
in August 1776, says: "The Canadians are mostly so il-
literate that few can read and very few can sign their
Till the surrender of the country to the
English the breeding of sheep was not known here and
horned cattle were very rare. At present I am told there
are about two thousand sheep and three thousand head
of black cattle in the settlement. The backwardness in
the improvement of farming has probably been owing
to the easy and lazy method of procuring the bare neces-
saries. Wood was at hand; the inhabitants therefore
neglected to raise stone and burn lime which is to be had
at their doors. The strait is so plentifully stocked with
a variety of fine fish that a few hours' amusement may
furnish several families, yet not one French family has
own names.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 301
got a seine. Hunting and fowling afford food to num-
bers who are nearly as lazy as the savages who are rare-
ly prompted to the chase till hunger pinches them. The
soil is so good that great crops are raised by careless and
very ignorant farmers. Wheat, Indian corn, barley,
oats, peas, buckwheat yield a great increase. Yet there
is no such thing as yet as a piece of land laid down for
meadow and the last winter indeed, a remarkably severe
one for this country, several of the cattle perished for
want of fodder. There are very extensive prairies in
the settlement, but so many natural advantages have
hitherto appeared rather to encourage sloth than excite
industry. The great advantages to be drawn from the
management of bees has never induced any to try them
here, though there are wild bees in great numbers and
the woods are full of blossoming shrubs, wild flowers
and aromatic herbs. As to the climate, it is by far the
most agreeable I have ever known. * * * The in-
habitants may thank the bountiful hand of providence
for melons, peaches, plums, pears, apples, mulberries,
grapes, besides several sorts of smaller fruits. Several
of these grow wild in the woods. Those which have got
a place in gardens are after being stuck in the ground
committed to the care of the climate, so are perpetually
degenerating. * * * The number of white settlers
is about fifteen hundred. They build on the borders of
the strait and occupy about thirteen miles in length on
the north and eight on the south side. The houses are
all of log or frame work, shingled. The most have their
orchards adjoining. The appearance of the settlement
302 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
is very smiling. On holy days one would be tempted to
think the inhabitants very fond of cleanliness, for they
in general dress beyond their means. Almost every one
has a calache for summer and a cariole for winter. They
use oxen and horses indifferently for the plow.
" Regulations for the trade with the Indians are either
not generally known or not duly enforced. For example
great abuses
the weights and measures used by
traders, and for want of an office to> stamp the silver
work, which make a
derable article in the trade
with the savages, they get their trinkets so debased by
copper as to lay open a large field for complaint.
The
»
number of traders not being limited allows of many en-
gaging in it who have no principle of honesty and who
impose on these poor people in a thousand ways, to the
disgrace of the name of trader among the savages
which usually means with them an artful cheat. The
distrust and disgust conceived for these traders occasions
many disputes which frequently end in murder. This
trade being lucrative engages several who have little or
no capital of their own to procure credit, sometimes to
a considerable amount. Their ignorance or dishonesty
or both, occasion frequent failures. The adventurers then
decamp to some other post where they re-commence the
same traffic, improving in art and villany."
is interesting to note that in this same report he
mentions the arrival of a party composed of white men
and educated Indians who brought a letter from the Vir-
ginia congress soliciting the confederacy of western In-
dians to go to a council to be held at Pittsburgh.
He
• •
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 303
tcok their letters from them and told them to make
themselves scarce. He states incidentally that they had
with them a copy of the Pennsylvania Gazette of July
25th, containing a declaration of the colonies of their
independence of the mother country, which declaration
was adopted at Philadelphia on the preceeding 4th of
July. This was evidently not very welcome news to him,
but it caused no sensation whatever among the people of
the settlement.
A short time before this a project had been started
which evidently originated with Alexander Henry, a
trader who had spent some time in the Lake Superior
■
country and who has been already mentioned as an eye
witness of the massacre at Michilimackinac, to under-
take the working of copper mines. He organized a
company and obtained a royal charter for this purpose.
A number of prominent Englishmen were concerned in
it, including the Duke of Gloucester. Sir William John-
son was interested as was also a Mr. Bostwick, a trader
who had been a companion and associate of Henry in
his upper lake enterprises. Practical operations were in
the hands of Mr. Henry, who may have been a very
good Indian trader but was far from being a mining ex-
pert. A vessel was purchased and loaded with supplies
and a number of miners were employed. They sought
out a location on the Ontonagon river with which Henry
was evidently familiar, as it was there he had secured
with no other tool than an axe a considerable mass of na-
tive copper which he sent to London and which is still
displayed in the British Museum. They blasted thirty
304 MICHIGAN AS PROVINC
STATE
feet into the solid rock. But it was soon, found that the
blasting was expensive and they had very little copper to
; project was, therefore, soon
sh
as a result.
Th
abandoned, the
discharged
the vessel
Id
So this enterprise came to a disastrous end and it was
many a long day before another like it was started.
In the meantime Michilimackinac had been re-estab-
lished. Major Robert Rogers had been placed in com-
mand and it was not long thereafter that rumors were
current that he was intriguing to gain influence with the
Indians for some ulterior purpose. France had parted
with her possessions in Louisiana to Spain and there was
said to be a plan on foot to encourage Spain to assume
the rights of the former nation in the region of the up-
per lakes. Rogers had made lavish presents to the In-
dians and had spent large sums which were raised by
means of over-drafts, and which were afterward dishon-
ored, resulting in great financial embarassment and loss.
Charges were preferred against Rogers based on these
transactions and also on the report that he was nego-
tiating for the surrender of his post to the Spaniards.
He was arrested and taken to Montreal in irons where
*
he was tried by court martial. He escaped punishment
through some technicality and left the country, taking
service with the Dey of Algires. It appeared through
some intercepted correspondence from the hand of one
Colonel Hopkins, who had formerly been stationed at
Detroit, that the latter had urged and encouraged the
plans of Rogers. Hopkins, through some troubles with
the British officers, had taken up the cause of the Amer-
.
'
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 305
ican colonists who were planning independence and he
urges Rogers to espouse this enterprise and turn his in-
fluence in his locality in this direction. Nothing actually
came of it; it is simply evidence of the state of feeling
throughout the country at the time. Hopkins' profes-
sions of interest in the American cause were suspected of
not being entirely sincere. He was not able to gain the
recognition he desired, and so he cast in his lot with the
British and was given a commission as colonel.
In spite of the studied restrictions upon the acquire-
ment of lands for settlement, many of the traders who
came west immediately after the English occupation of
Detroit remained as permanent settlers. Many of these
were of Scottish birth or origin. They were of a frugal,
careful disposition and possessed those traits of courtesy
and kindness to inferiors which lead to personal popu-
larity. They soon made friends with the Indians, for
the same reasons which cemented the tie of friendship
between the French and Indians — a suavity and polite-
ness and consideration for the feelings of others. For
the same reasons they enjoyed the intimate friendship of
the French residents. They were much more careful
than the English had ever been to avoid giving offence
to others, regardless of all social distinctions. Of the
new comers the Scottish merchants outnumbered all the
rest and there were among them representatives and
subsequent inheritors of the best houses in Scotland.*
Angus Mcintosh of Detroit inherited the estates which
♦Campbell. Political History of Michigan
I-20
306 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
belonged to the old earldom of Moy. These old mer-
chants formed an important element in the population
which raised perceptibly the general standard. It is
a rather curious illustration of the proverbially narrow
English view that to encourage the building up of the
new colony would injure the commercial interests of the
home country. Those astute Lords of Trade argued
the settlers became manufacturers the English
that
tradesmen would find their market narrowed. The more
liberal minded took the position that however much the
settlers might produce, they could not possibly supply
every demand and that instead of narrowing the mar-
ket, they would, in fact, enlarge it. It was this selfish
spirit of treating the colonists as inferiors and subjects
to be exploited merely as contributors to the greed of
English merchants and manufacturers that had much to
do with the revolt of the people of the Atlantic coast.
The Lords of Trade deliberately set their faces against
the encouragement of any enterprises "at the distance
of above fifteen hundred miles from the sea, and upon
places which, upon the fullest evidence are found to be
utterly inaccessible to shipping," on the ground that they
would not produce returns sufficient to pay for the man-
ufactures of Great Britain, and thus would be obliged
to manufacture for themselves. They say that the pres-
ent French inhabitants will raise enough provisions to
supply the military posts, and that meets all the require-
ments.
The navigation of the lakes was at this time very lim-
ited in extent. There were a few schooners, but the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 307
trade by water was mostly carried on in batteaux which
were propelled by oarsmen. Governor Carleton issued
an order, in consequence of the situation caused by the
war of the revolution, that no vessels are to navigate the
lakes, except such as are armed and manned by the
crown, the arms and ammunition of the trade to be put
on board these armed vessels and no military stores,
whether public or private property, to be suffered to go
in open batteaux. It was, however, arranged that mer-
chants should be permitted to ship goods and to take
passage upon any vessel not in full employment in the
king's service. This restriction of navigation was
thought to be essential to the safety of the lake posts in
view of the troubles in which the thirteen colonies had
involved the country. Though these troubles were of
only remote interest to the people living in the lake re-
gion, we, nevertheless, perceive a faint echo in the efforts
to prevent any possible aid and comfort to the rebels,
and especially to hold the loyalty of the Indian tribes.
This latter consideration was matter for earnest caution
and delicate treatment on the part of the English offi-
cials. It needed but slight temptation to draw the sav-
ages into a warlike affair. Later, the English considered
it to be their best policy to enlist the savages on their
side and to incite them to attack the Americans.
•
.
•
•
'
•
CHAPTER XX
The Old French Habitants and their Ways
•
•
'
'
'
'
•
>
-
_
•
«
■
IEUTEN ANT-GOVERNOR HAMIL-
TON, quoted in the preceding chapter,
describes the French peasant settled at
Detroit as a lazy, happy-go-lucky sort of
fellow, contented to satisfy his stomach
in a moderate way and let the world take care of itself.
He had no ambitions beyond his modest sphere in life.
As a farmer he was indifferent. In spite of a luxuriant
virgin soil, a superb climate and abundant crops his cat-
tle starved in winter for lack of fodder. He drove a
shaggy little pony, about two^thirds the size of an aver-
age horse, possessed of a number of vicious traits, ex-
ceedingly tough and hardy and able to pick up its living
the year round. His pigs were of the "razor back" va-
riety. They had enormous appetites, and though in sea-
son they found an abundant supply of acorns and beech
nuts, they never, by any possible exaggeration could be
considered fat. He knew nothing of sheep raising — evi-
dently had little use for wool and no predilection for
mutton. His implements were as crude as his system of
farming — a plow and a harrow, a spade and a hoe, a
sickle and a flail, made up the list. The licensed black-
smith fashioned these according to his best instincts.
They might have been more serviceable if they had been
better made, but they served. The dwellings were pat-
terned after those of the peasantry of the home country.
They were of wood, sometimes the exterior covered
with clapboards, one and one-half stories high, the long
stretch of roof sloping toward the street, pierced with
dormer windows. The little garden in front of the
3ii
312 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
house was protected by pickets and was given
onions, lettuce, art
to
artichokes, cucumbers and other garden
The kitchen was at the back of the house and here
and under the side windows flourished bachelor buttons,
pinks, hollyhocks and other more or less gaudy flowers.
Everything which drew its sustenance from the earth
grew vigorously. The day of the destructive bug and
worm had not yet arrived. The grasshopper was on
hand, but the mosquito was about the only really pesti-
ferous insect, and it distributed malaria with the great-
est impartiality. The orchards were behind the houses.
They furnished a great variety of delicious fruits.
Ap-
pies, pears, plums, quinces, grapes were among the best
grown anywhere. Young trees or cuttings must have
been brought over from France, for here are found va-
rieties not known elsewhere in the country. Some of the
apples still maintain themselves as favorites, in spite of
all competition. Of course, none of the original apple
trees remain, but the varieties have been perpetuated.
Quite a number of the pear trees, however, are still bear-
ing fruit after a century and a half. The expansion of
the city has destroyed the trees, with very few excep-
tions, on the American side of the river.
But
on
the
other side, especially in the vicinity of Sandwich, many
of the pear trees still flourish. They have grown to
enormous size and the annual crops which they shower
down upon the heads of the present generation are pro-
portionate to their size. The fruit is not large, but in
flavor and quality it is not surpassed by any known va-
riety.
•
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 313
The French settled at Detroit were, for the most part,
of a different class from those found at Quebec and
Montreal. These latter were of the educated noblesse.
Some were doubtless worthless and dissolute scions o
noble houses who sought in the new world to retrieve
their fallen fortunes or to start amid more favorable
surroundings a new course of life. Some were of re-
fined tastes and aristocratic manners. They brought
with them the French language which they spoke in all
its purity. This purity was preserved in the face of ad-
verse circumstances until in our own day it has been said
that the French one hears in Quebec is more Parisian
than that heard in Paris itself. The settlers upon the St.
Lawrence were well up in the social scale. The old feu-
dal scheme of society was perpetuated in a small way.
The lord of the manor established his castle in the midst
of his estate and his retainers grouped their houses there-
about under his patronage. Cadillac came to Detroit
with some such notions, but they did not survive his de-
parture. With few exceptions, the settlers at Detroit
were peasants. They came mainly from Normandy and
Picardy. They were uneducated. Some of them could
write their own names, in a way, as we have evidence in
existing documents, but beyond that they attempted
nothing with the pen. They were devoted to the ser-
vices of the church. Their moral characters were above
reproach. They married early and reared numerous
children. There were no opportunities for instruction,
except such as the priests afforded. Later regular
schools were established which were under the care of
314 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
philanthropic ladies, but the instruction was naturally
of a quite primary character. Even this was not practi-
cable in the early period. The residents found their time
fully occupied in protecting their lives in the presence of
the savages and in raising food for their own sustenance.
Besides, there did not appear to be much necessity for
education. They had nothing to read and as for writ-
ing, it was a luxury they could not afford.
The French people were quite moral and correct in
their habits. The wild and reckless coureurs de bois
had a fondness for ardent spirits in common with their
Indian friends. They were also dissolute and addicted
to a plurality of wives. But the peasants who lived
quietly on their farms could not be charged with any
such disregard of the moral code. They drank, upon
occasion, as was the universal custom of the time, but
rarely did one become besotted. The long summer even-
open air. Canoeing upon the
ings were spent in
the
river was naturally a favorite pastime. Gallantry
toward ladies has always been a French characteristic, as
have social festivities generally. So, young men and
maidens were likely to be found in each other's company
either upon the river or upon the lawns. Barbecues
were a form of recreation in which the elders indulged
themselves. The open-air roast furnished a hearty
feast, washed down with generous potations of home-
Even in modern times, the old-
made
wine or
cider.
fashioned barbecue has been a notable feature of social
festivities and not infrequently has it helped to draw out
a crowd to listen to the orations on political occasions.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 315
In winter when the little settlement was completely
shut in from the outside world and compelled to rely
solely upon itself, life was by no means stagnant. There
was nothing to do but to seek pleasure. Balls and par-
ties made up the whole round. It is said that every
house held a fiddle and some one who could manipulate
it. The word had only to be passed as to the rallying
point and there the crowd was sure to be found an
dancing was kept up from dark to dawn. Up near the
mouth of Connor's creek was a large marsh called the
Grand Marais. This froze solid late in the fall and
generally so continued through the winter. Here the
young men built a rude cabin of ample proportions, long
and narrow, with huge chimney and fire-place at each
end, and fitted out with tables and benches. This was
known as the Hotel du Grand Marais.* Here on win-
ter evenings the young folks gathered, driving thither
in their carioles on the smooth ice along the margin of
the river. Arriving, the well filled boxes and baskets
were unloaded upon the tables and all sat down to a
toothsome feast. This disposed of, the tables were
cleared, shoved back against the wall, and dancing was
the order until morning. The crisp winter air was a
tonic for the appetite as well as an incentive to the vigor-
ous exercise which followed. The military officers of
the fort, who found time hanging rather heavily upon
their hands, with only the dull routine of garrison duty
to attend to, constituted an important element of the so-
*Shelden. Early History of Michigan.
316 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
view.
cial life. They found plenty of pretty, attractive young
women for partners at the balls. An officer in uniform
somehow appeals to the feminine heart, and so the ad-
miration was doubtless mutual.
Pony racing on the ice was always a seasonable diver-
sion for the men. Every Johnny Couteau had a pony
of uncertain speed. He might challenge the whole
town, or the whole town might challenge him, and then
there were doings. Sometimes these races took place on
the smooth ice along the margin of the river, but more
frequently upon the Rouge, which being of sluggish cur-
rent furnished ice which made an ideal track for that
kind of sport, especially so on account of the curving of
the channel which afforded spectators an unobstructed
Every Sunday after mass the crowd gathered at
the appointed place and the fun was on. The chal-
lenged and the challenger brought out their ponies and
scored for a start, while the crowd sized up the animals
and the betting was furious. There was no starter, no
jockey, no book-maker, no drawing for the pole. Each
driver handled the reins over his own animal. He ma-
neuvered for position and took his chances with his ad-
versary. And when at last the ponies were off for the
mile stretch down the river, the excitement among the
multitude on the bank was something tremendous. If
ever violence was done to the French language, it was
upon such occasions, when individual opinions were
struggling for utterance from hundreds of throats.
Large sums of money changed hands, considering the
financial resources of the town. The descendents of
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 317
■
these same Frenchmen up to recent years, at least, still
raced their ponies on the frozen surface of the Rouge.
The sport drew a bigger and rougher crowd than in the
early day. The rough element which imbibes freely and
proves itself a noisome nuisance was made up wholly of
Americans. Johnny Couteau is naturally of a somewhat
excitable nature, but he still behaves himself and relishes
the sport for the excitement and uncertainty there is in
it. His language now is a mixture of French and Eng-
lish, which adds flavor to the other ludicrous features of
the affair.
The characteristic French fondness for dress is noted
by several writers of the time. The farmers must have
been prosperous to be able to dress their wives and
daughters in silks and satins. They undoubtedly raised
large crops of wheat and Indian corn, which sold to the
garrison and English residents at good prices. The
money they thus received they spent freely with the mer-
chants. It is said the stores contained finery of all sorts
and descriptions which sold for little more than the same
articles were quoted at in New York. So the people in-
dulged in the pomps and vanities of dress and showed
their fondness for amusements to quite as great extent
as did those in France or elsewhere, who might be pre-
sumed more able to do so.
Isaac Weld, an Irish gentleman of some literary
prominence, visited Detroit in 1795. He describes the
place and the people at some length. He says, speaking
of the town, that it "consists of several streets which
run parallel with the river which are intersected by oth-
Tl8 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ers at right angles. They are all very narrow and not
being paved, dirty in the extreme whenever it happens
to rain. For the accommodation of passengers, how-
ever, there are footways in most of them formed of
square logs laid transversely close to each other. About
two-thirds of the inhabitants of Detroit are of French
extraction and the greater part of the inhabitants both
above and below the town are of the same description.
The former are mostly engaged in trade, and they all
appear to be much on an equality. The stores and shops
in the town are well furnished and you may buy fine
cloth, linen, etc. and every article of wearing apparel as
good in their kind, and nearly on as reasonable terms as
you can purchase them in New. York or Philadelphia.
The country round Detroit is uncommonly flat, and in
none of the rivers is there fall sufficient to turn even a
The current of Detroit river itself is stronger
*s, and a floating mill was once in-
grist mi
than that of any othe
vented by a Frenchman which was chained in the middle
of the river where it was thought the stream would be
sufficiently swift to turn the water wheel. The building
of it was attended with considerable expense to the in-
habitants, but after it was finished it by no means an-
swered their expectations. They grind their corn at
present by windmills, which I do not remember to have
seen in any other part of Am erica." His observations
respecting water mills were at fault. There were sev-
eral streams which afforded current sufficient to turn a
water wheel. One of these was the Savoyord which
flowed through what is now the heart of the city.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
319
Knaggs' creek, a little further to the westward, was an-
other. There were two water mills on Bloody Run and
others on Connor's creek and elsewhere. The wind-
mills he speaks of were quite a conspicuous feature of
the landscape in their day.
They
were inexpensively
c
1
built, wooden affairs with canvas sails to catch the wind,
these sails being thrown into position by means of a long
timber sweep operated by hand.
What he says about the impassable condition of the un-
paved streets will be recognized as truthful by every one
who has seen such streets in the modern metropolis c
Michigan. After heavy rain and at certain seasons they
are literally a sea of mud of uncertain depth. The con-
siderable mixture of clay in the soil prevents the water
from sinking into the ground and the contour is not such
as to accomplish natural drainage. The vehicle almost
exclusively in use by the French was a two-wheeled cart.
The pony which drew the cart was not very strong and
it was not an uncommon spectacle at certain times to see
the whole turnout stuck solidly fast in the mud, only to
be pried out with a stout fence rail. The two-wheeled
cart was used for all sorts of purposes. In it the farmer
hauled his produce to market. In it, seated upon the
boards of the bottom, rendered more comfortable by
plenty of hay and buffalo robes, the family of the farm-
er from Grosse Pointe or Ecorces was driven to church
The
If it
on Sunday morning and to mass on saints' days,
cargo of the cart was discharged from the rear,
was produce, the staple which held down the front of
the box, was unbolted and the contents were dumped. If
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320 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
the cargo was human, the cart was backed up to the
church steps or to the horse block and the people stepped
out as gracefully as circumstances would permit. Cases
have been known when the michievous small boy loos-
ened the staple in such way that chattering girls were un-
expectedly dumped in the middle of the road. The pub-
lic vehicle, and possibly the family coach of the nabob,
was the calache. This is a two-wheeled affair with low
wheels, the body mounted on leather strap springs, and
furnished with a folding top, or hood.
The
average
habitant could not, of course, afford so expensive a ve-
hicle. The date of the arrival in Detroit of the first one
is not known, but it seems certain that they were never
quite common.
The tradition which has come down
from a former generation is that ladies dressed in the
height of fashion and in the richest silks have been seen
riding in the streets seated upon the floor of the ordinary
springless cart. One can imagine that it was not an easy
vehicle to climb into or alight from, and that the occu-
pant jolting over the rough roads experienced anything
but the poetry of motion.
The old habitants were generously hospitable.
As
seems to be almost universally the case, pioneers are
gratified at the opportunity for entertaining strangers.
Their very isolation arouses a feeling of sympathy and
they cordially welcome visitors. It was a common say-
ing of the early settlers that the latch string of the rude
cabin in the clearing was always hanging outside the
door, so that whoever desired might lift the latch and
enter. He was sure to find a cordial welcome.
This
I
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 32 1
feeling of humanity and sympathy is not characteristic
of one nationality more than another; it pertains to all.
The French pioneer was pleased to receive a friend,
though he had never seen him before and might never
see him again, and to furnish him with food and lodg-
ing, without expecting or accepting any compensation,
The old habitant was rather close in money matters.
This was, perhaps the results of early training, for it
had always been necessary for him to practice the most
rigid economy. He was conservative to the last degree.
As the town expanded and his acres were in demand for
building lots he would not sell ; neither would he make
improvements. He would lease and let his tenant make
improvements. This policy has resulted in making some
of his descendants rich. He did not take kindly to new
fangled notions. He preferred to plod along in the
old-fashioned way. It has been remarked that this old
French spirit has characterized Detroit down to the
opening of the present century. The city has never en-
tertained anything in the nature of a boom. It has been
considered rather slow and unenterprising. Neverthe-
less, it has flourished in a business sense and its growth
and expansions have kept pace with that of other and
better advertised cities. Its conservatism has on more
than one occasion proved a strong staff of support, es-
pecially in the face of financial panics and monetary rev-
olutions. Speculation has never run rampant. Busi-
ness of all kinds has been done on a modest basis and al-
though it may have been considered a slow town, it was
an eminently safe and reliable one. So, even in modern
1-21
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322 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
times, when the descendants of the old habitants form
but a mere handful of its population, the spirit of the
former generation seems to pervade: the city. In the
long run, perhaps, it is better that this is so.
CHAPTER XXI
Michigan Under British Rule
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HILE the colonies along the Atlantic
seaboard were in a state of ferment
over the question of establishing
their independence of the British
crown the people of the settlement
at Detroit took little or no interest in the affair. Lieu-
tenant Governor Hamilton was in command, not only
at Detroit but over all the western posts, and was most
arbitrary in enforcing his authority, which appears to
have been unlimited. An instance in point was the case
of Garret Graverat, a former Albany merchant settled
at Detroit. Apparently he had expressed some out-
spoken opinion not pleasing to the British commander.
Thereupon he was arrested, without any formal com-
plaint, so far as appears, and was compelled to give bail
in the sum of four hundred pounds sterling, conditioned
uthat he does not correspond with, carry intelligence to,
or supply any of his majesty's enemies, nor does any-
thing detrimental to this settlement in particular, or
against any of his majesty's good subjects, during the
space of one year and one day," etc. One Philip De-
jean was appointed by Hamilton a justice of the peace
and to him apparently was given jurisdiction in all mat-
ters, civil and criminal. In March 1776, there were
brought before him a Frenchman named Jean Conten-
cinau, charged with stealing furs from Abbott & Finch-
ley, a commercial firm, and Ann Wyley, a negro slave,
charged with stealing a purse of six guineas from the
same, found on her person. Thereupon a jury of six
Englishmen and six Frenchmen was empaneled and be-
325
326 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
•
fore them the case was tried.* They returned a verdict
of guilty and upon this Dejean sentenced both to be
hanged. The woman was reprieved, but the man was
hanged a week later. Dejean was afterward made sec-
retary to the lieutenant governor and was also appointed
king's receiver, the most lucrative position in the prov-
ince, so that he enjoyed not only great official distinc-
tion, but also emoluments of the highest profit.
In 1778 Sir Guy Carleton was succeeded as Governor
General
Frederick Haldimand. General Arent
Schuyler De Peyster was in command at Michilimacki-
nac, Rocheblave at Kaskaskia and Lieutenant Edward
Abbott at Vincennes, which constituted the important
posts in the west, and all under the immediate control of
Hamilton at Detroit. The Virginians, who had pushed
their outposts into the Ohio valley, were showing per-
nicious activity in taking possession of the country, and
this was a serious offense in the eyes of the British. The
continental general Edward Hand, had taken possession
of Fort Pitt and that bold and enterprising Virginian,
Colonel George Rogers Clark, had led a band of de-
voted followers into Kentucky and southern Ohio. Thus
was British supremacy threatened and it became neces-
sary to take vigorous measures to counteract the move-
ment. The Spanish who held Louisiana, were also in-
triguing with the Indians, with the inducement that with
their aid the English might be driven out of the country,
but with ill success. Meanwhile, Clark by rapid and
*Lanman. History of Michigan.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 327
bold movements pushed forward to Illinois and cap-
tured Kaskaskia and Vincennes. While these events
were transpiring to the southward, Hamilton was plan-
ning a concentration of the Indians as British allies to
meet the advance of Clark and to harass the frontier of
the Pennsylvania and Virginia pioneers.
He accordingly called a council which was held at De-
troit in June, 1778. There were present Lieutenant
Governor Hamilton, Lieutenant Governor Abbott, sev-
eral officers of the Indian department, Captain Ler-
noult, Lieutenant Caldwell of the King's regiment. The
interpreters were Wm. Tucker, Joseph Drouillard, Si-
mon Girty, Isidore Chene, Duperon Baby, Charles
Beaubien. The Indian tribes represented were Ottawas,
Chippewas from Saginaw, Hurons from Sandusky, Mo-
hawks and Senecas from New York, Delawares, Pot-
tawatomies from St. Joseph, Chippewas from Wash-
tenaw, six hundred and eighty-three Indians of both
sexes.* The council lasted through the remainder of
the month, with daily sessions in which presents were
liberally distributed to the savages and Hamilton sought
by his talk to inflame the Indians to take up the war
hatchet against the American colonists. He very adroit-
ly led them to believe that the invasion of Ohio and Il-
linois was fatal to their interests and that the British
were their only true friends. He urged them to take the
war path and return laden with scalps. To all this talk
the savages gave hearty assent. The fall of Kaskaskia
♦Michigan Pioneer Collections, Vol. 9.
328
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
and Vincennes created a profound sensation at Detroit.
Hamilton at once set about organizing a campaign to
re-capture these posts. De Peyster at Michilimackinac
sent out an emissary influential with the savages to
arouse the tribes west of Lake Michigan to active co-
operation with the British forces. Hamilton personally
took charge of the expedition which left Detroit early
in October. The forces consisted of one hundred and
fourteen whites and sixty Indians, the whites regulars
and volunteers recruited at Detroit. They went by boats
to the Maumee, which stream they followed for some
distance to a portage, whence they crossed to the head-
waters of the Wabash and proceeded down that stream.
They reached Vincennes in December and were greatly
surprised to find that the garrison consisted only of Cap-
tain Helm and one soldier who immediately surrendered
with all the honors of war.
In the meantime the savages about Detroit were rest-
less from inactivity. Having agreed to the advice of
Hamilton in council they felt like undertaking some
warlike operations. Accordingly an expedition was or-
ganized by Isidore Chene which was made up almost
wholly of savages. They went as far south as Boones-
borough, the surrender of which they demanded. Boone
had just returned from captivity at Detroit. He had
been captured early in the year and had been taken to
that post but had managed to make his escape. He was
quite a favorite with the Indians and had faith in their
sincerity. When surrender was demanded he proposed
a parley just outside the gate, but under the guns of the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 329
fort. The savages treacherously undertook to capture
him, but he managed to make good his escape within the
fort. The place was besieged for ten days by the hos-
tile forces, but their attacks were successfully resisted.
The winter season being on when Hamilton reached
Vincennes he concluded to delay the capture of the rest
of the country until spring and in the meantime to in-
crease his forces to meet any possible resistance by the
enemy. But Clark did not wait. In February he ap-
peared before Vincennes with a considerable force and
at once began an attack. The Americans were the better
fighters and after the experience of their marksmanship
for but a single day Hamilton proposed a parley. The
result was surrender of the post. Two days later rein-
forcements from Detroit, consisting of a company 0
forty men, with whom was Dejean, justice of the peace,
was captured as it was approaching. Most of the com-
mon soldiers were paroled and returned to Detroit.
Hamilton, Major Hay, Dejean, and Lamothe, an of-
ficer of the Indian department, were placed in irons and
with the other officers were taken as prisoners to Wil-
liamsburg, Virginia. Governor Jefferson and the Vir-
ginia legislature refused to sanction their exchange, or
to mitigate the severity of their punishment, holding
them responsible for Indian atrocities, especially in view
of Lieutenant Governor Hamilton's advice to his In-
dians in council to go on the war path and to be sure to
bring in plenty of scalps. Finally after nearly two years1
imprisonment, on the advice of General Washington,
they were allowed to go free. Hamilton was permitted
33° MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
■
to go to England. Dejean went to New York and never
returned to Detroit.
When Hamilton left Detroit on his ill-starred expe-
dition the command of the post fell upon Major R. B.
Lernoult, who thought it wise to strengthen the defences
of the town, in view of the threatening attitude of Colo-
nel Clark and his Americans. He accordingly built a
new and much stronger fort on the rising ground some
little distance back from the river. This work was
called Fort Lernoult until it fell into the hands of the
Americans when its name was changed to Fort Shelby
Early in 1779 General Arent S. De Peyster was trans-
ferred from Michilimackinac to Detroit and remained
in command there about six years. He was born in New
York in 1736 and was related to the Van Cortlandt and
Schuyler families. He was sent to England in his youth
where he was educated for the army, upon entering
which he was given a commission in the Eighth, or
King's regiment of foot. After his service at Detroit he
retired to Dumfries, Scotland, which had been the early
home of his wife. Here in 1796 he commanded a regi-
ment of volunteers, among whom the poet, Robert
Burns, was enrolled. De Peyster was a man of some
literary pretensions and wrote alleged poetry himself.
Quite a warm friendship sprang up between the two men.
There are allusions in some of the poems of Burns to his
military commander.
After the capture of Fort Vincennes Clark contem-
plated an expedition against Detroit, but various causes
delayed such a movement. It was plain to be seen that
\RENT SCHUYLER DE PEYSTER
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MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 33 I
the colonial forces could gain possession of Detroit
the Indian problem would be solved and the raids upon
the Virginian frontiers would be suppressed. Jefferson
was strongly in favor of the project and called Wash-
ington's attention to it. The cost of it was the chief ob-
stacle. But Virginia stood ready to carry a large share
of the financial burden and to see to it that if congress
should refuse to aid, Virginia herself would stand the
brunt of it. Clark, in whose hands was to be given the
task of reducing Detroit, appealed to Washington to
furnish supplies, while he himself should undertake to
raise and equip the men for the service. But he foun
it extremely difficult to enlist men for so arduous an un-
dertaking at such a great distance from their homes, in
a wild and untra versed country, infested with Indians.
Just then the invasion of Virginia by Cornwallis concen-
trated the energy and resources of that commonwealth
within her own borders and the western project was
abandoned. It is probable that if such an enterprise had
been undertaken its issue would have been doubtful and
in any event its success could have had little influence
upon the great contest then going on between the colo-
nies and the mother country.
General Haldimand was profoundly earnest in his ef-
forts to suppress the encroachments of the Americans in
the Ohio valley. At large expense he fitted out an ex-
pedition which was sent out from Detroit under Captain
Bird. This expedition was made up of a company o
regulars to which was attached a large body of Indians
and was accompanied by Detroit militia, commanded by
1
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332
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
Chabert De Joncaire, Jonathan Schiefflin, Isidore Chene
and others. They went as far as Licking, Kentucky,
which they assaulted and captured. The excesses of the
Indians in murdering and scalping all the whites who
could be found and looting their homes could not be re-
strained by Bird and were so repulsive to him that he
determined to proceed no further. He wheeled about
and retreated rapidly toward Detroit. This movement
was not premature. The report of his destructive raid
spread quickly. A large party of Kentuckians was hur-
riedly gathered and choosing Colonel Clark for their
leader undertook to cut off Bird's retreat. They inter-
cepted him at Pickaway where he had the protection of
palisades. These they battered with cannon and though
they did nothing very effective against the troops, they
did scatter the Indians and completely broke them up as
an organization. Bird was ultimately left free to make
his way back to Detroit as best he could. The expedi-
tion accomplished nothing, except to still further irritate
the American settlers against the British, and especially
against the British policy of inciting irresponsible sav-
ages to murder and scalp inoffensive women and chil-
dren.
When De Peyster was transferred from Michilimack-
inac to Detroit he was succeeded at the former post by
Captain Patrick Sinclair. He was made Lieutenant
Governor and Superintendent of Indian affairs, a highly
responsible and dignified position. He signalized his
arrival at his new post in the fall of 1779 by transfer-
ing it from the main land on the south side of the strait
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 333
to the island. He proceeded to build the new fort and
to occupy it without any authority from the governor.
When he reported what had been done Haldimand ap-
proved the removal, although the merchants and resi-
dents at Michilimackinac had sent in a vigorous protest
against it. He says : "It is, however, my desire that the
post, although removed to the island, may still be called
Michilimackinac and the fort be styled Fort Mackinac,
have never known any advantage result from chang-
ing the names of places long inhabited by the same peo-
ple." Sinclair's jurisdiction extended to Fort St. Joseph,
to which he sent officers and a small garrison to keep the
Pottawatomies in check. He had supervision over the
traders who frequented the Saginaw bay, though it does
not appear that there was at that time any settlement of
whites in that locality. In 1780 he sent an expedition
made up largely of traders and Indians to attack the
Spanish settlements on the lower Mississippi. When
they reached St. Louis a party of volunteers and traders
attacked the defenceless town and seven whites were
killed and eighteen were taken prisoners and sent to
work on the new fort at Michilimackinac. The affair
amounted to little, but it provoked retaliation. In Jan-
uary 1 78 1 Don Francisco Cruzat, the Spanish military
commander of the western posts, sent an expedition
against Fort St. Joseph. The winter march of this ex-
pedition four hundred miles across the bleak and frozen
prairies must have been a toilsome and weary undertak-
ing. But they accomplished the trip and found Fort
St. Joseph so ill defended that its capture was a matter
'
'
334 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
f no difficulty. The English colors on the flag staff
to the standard of Spain and the pi
gave
its dependencies were taken possession of in the name of
the Spanish king. This is the only instance on record
of Spanish supremacy over the soil of Michigan. But
it was of short duration. The Spaniard vanished as
quickly and silently as he came and left no trace behind.
De Peyster planned a vigorous campaign which in-
cluded the co-operation of Sinclair from Fort Macki-
nac, who was to send down parties of his upper lake
Indians to join with those from below in active opera-
tions against Colonel Clark and the dwellers along the
Ohio. Alexander McKee, an Indian agent with a small
detachment did make a descent into Kentucky. But the
Indians were becoming timid or indifferent. They had a
wholesome fear of Colonel Clark. They were upset by
wild rumors of large forces of Americans being organ-
ized against them and marching unopposed in all direc-
tions. The Indian relishes a fight when he can get his
adversary at a disadvantage; he has no appetite for a
square stand-up contest of arms where the chances are
anywhere near equal and where there is shooting
skilled marksmen. When there is business of this kind
in prospect he prefers to sit down and think it over and
to take plenty of time to consult the oracles. So the sav-
age forces dwindled and imperceptibly vanished away
into the forests. The British commander was left with
only his handful of whites who were manifestly no
match for the American forces. There was nothing to
do but to retire. The governor was deeply chagrined
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 335
over the outcome of the expedition and was disposed to
blame the savages. But he was forced to admit that
they had acted in their customary manner. He could
only lament that his government was put to the expense
of maintaining and fitting out such shameless and unre-
liable allies.
So matters progressed from year to year. The story
of one raid is the repetition of the story of another. The
Indians under the instigation of the English harassed the
American settlements and the latter defended them-
selves as best they could but were never able to under-
take any successful reprisal which would end once for all
such distressing conditions. By June, 1782, news of the
cessation of fighting between the British and colonial
armies came to Detroit and it was evident that an era
of peace was to follow, De Peyster at once sent word
to Captain Caldwell and to Brant and McKee who were
stirring up matters in Kentucky and Ohio to stop hos-
tilities, and with a few more skirmishes these bloody
conflicts of arms came to an end. The doors of "Yan-
kee Hall," the military prison at Detroit were opened
and De Peyster sent the captives to their homes. Some
chose to remain and settle in Michigan. Among these
were a number of Germans from Pennsylvania whose
families came hither for permanent settlement.
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CHAPTER XXII
Influx of Settlers
1-22
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I
W><\
ITH the cessation of hostilities and an
era of peace assured the colonies be*
gan casting about to see where they
stood. . They had been greatly im-
poverished by the war. Moreover
they were burdened with debt. It was important to
consider means for liquidation. Several of the colonies
claimed by virtue of royal charters land extending! in-
definitely to the westward. New York, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia Were
among the states which set up such claims. Congress
proposed that all these lands be ceded by the several
claimants to the Union, to be disposed of for the gener-
al benefit. These new regions, it was proposed, should be
ultimately organized into states possessing equal rights
and privileges with the others. In this way the expenses
incurred by the thirteen original colonies in carrying on
the war could be refunded. One after another the sev-
eral states, after some controversy and compromise, ap-
proved this program, and by 1786 all had ceded to the
general government the title to such lands west of the
Alleghanies as they might properly claim under their
charters. This opened the way to settlement and occu-
pancy of the western country. The tide of emigration
soon began to flow westward with increasing velocity,
as it had already swept over the mountain ranges from
Pennsylvania and Virginia, even under the adverse con-
ditions which existed during the progress of the revolu-
tion. The Indians, being no longer inspired by British
presents, advice and entreaty, showed a more pacific dis-
339
34-0 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
position and looked with comparative indifference upon
the coming settler and his evident purpose to hew out a
home for himself and family in the forest.
The mass of this migration was to the southward of
the great lake region. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and II-
linois filled up with comparative rapidity. The fertile
prairies and the genial climate were enticing. Never-
theless there were some who were attracted to Michigan.
There had been a few small settlements outside the im-
mediate vicinity of Detroit. Chief of these was at Mon-
roe upon the banks of the Raisin river, first known as
Frenchtown. There had long been military posts at
■
Sandusky and at Maumee near the present city of To-
■
ledo, and naturally a settlement grew up around such
stations. The route of travel overland took in these
»
posts and where this trail crossed the Raisin the observ-
ant eye of the woodman was not slow to discover a beau-
tiful and promising site for a settlement. About 1780
Colonel Francis Navarre purchased from the Pottawat-
*
omie Indians a tract of land on the south bank of the
Raisin upon which he built a log house and where he
made his home. Here was born his oldest son, Robert
Navarre, the first white child born in the county. Four
years later over one hundred families of Frenchmen fol-
lowed their countryman, Navarre, and made their
homes on the Raisin. About the same time a number of
families settled upon Sandy creek, three miles north;
Stony creek, five miles north, and Otter creek, five miles
south of the Raisin. These settlements extended along
■
the streams named and along both sides of the Raisin
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 341
for a distance of eight or ten miles. For the sake of se-
curity these pioneers settled very near each other. All
the farms extended from the streams back an indefinite
distance, but only a small portion of the land fronting on
the streams was actually cleared and cultivated. The
patents for these lands were issued by the government,
the Indian titles having first been acquired by treaty.
Colonel Navarre obtained in Detroit cuttings from its
famous pear trees and reproduced that excellent fruit
upon his own farm, specimens of which trees still flour-
ish there. The river took its name from the abundance
of grapes which grew wild thereabout. It is said that
the trunks of some of the vines were of a thickness of
six to eight inches; that they ran over the tops of the
tallest trees, dropping branches which again took root
and grew in real tropical profusion, a tangled and al-
most impenetrable mass.
A notable settlement was that of the Moravians upon
the banks of the Clinton river, then called Huron, near
the site of the present city of Mt. Clemens. The Mo-
ravian or Bohemian brethren trace their origin to the
time of John Huss. His disciples were driven out of
*
Moravia and Bohemia in the early part of the seven-
teenth century, and about 1740 came to America, estab-
lishing themselves in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They
were earnest and active missionaries who met with fair
success in their labors among the Indians. The Rev.
David Zeisberger was a devoted and energetic leader in
Judge Christiancy on History of Monroe in Pioneer Collec
6
^42 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
this religious colony and it was he who led a little com-
pany of his followers to Michigan and founded the set-
tlement at Mt. Clemens. In the fall of 178 1 General
De Peyster, then in command at Detroit, sent for Zeis-
berger who at that time was sojourning with some of his
devoted followers near Sandusky, having been forcibly
expelled from the Ohio valley on the score of sympathy
with the American cause and suspicion that they were
acting as spies in the interest of the latter. It was upon
this point that DePeyster wished to be enlightened. Ac-
companying Zeisberger in answer to the summons were
Heckewelder, Sensemann and Edwards with a number
of Christian Delawares who had attached themselves to
Zeisberger's diary, which has been
missionaries.
the
published, gives a full account of his extraordinary ex-
periences and throws much light on the condition of af-
fairs hereabout at the time. According to his account
Detroit was a veritable Sodom "where all sins are com-
mitted." He mentions by name many of the residents
whom or whose children he baptized while dwelling
here for a time. De Peyster was evidently satisfied that
there was nothing harmful in the apparently inoffensive
missionaries, for he persuaded them to establish them-
selves upon the Clinton where a tract of land was tem-
porarily procured from the Chippewas. He aided them
in all practical ways, even to the extent of money and
supplies. Here they founded a village of some twenty
or thirty huts and a rude chapel. They did not think it
worth while to erect a stockade, which shows their abid-
ing faith in the silent influence of Christianity upon the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
343
savage nature. The savages do not appear to have been
very numerous in the vicinity and the records do not
show that the missionaries made any progress in con-
verting them. The place was christened Gnadenhutten,
which signifies in the Moravian language "Tents of
Grace." The houses were built upon each side of a
street seventy feet in width. The people cleared and
cultivated the land and subsisted by hunting and fishing
and upon the crops which they raised from the land.
They made canoes, baskets, brooms, bowls, ladles and
other simple articles which sold readily in Detroit. They
laid out and built a straight road to Detroit which was
the first wagonway constructed to the interior, a distance
of twenty-three and one-half miles. On Christmas 1782
Zeisberger notes "there were together fifty-three of us,
white and brown," probably mostly brown. Among the
births was Susanna, daughter of Richard Connor, born
December 16, 1783. In 1784 eight children were born,
three couples married, two adults died. It is to be noted
that this settlement was purely a mission. The purpose
was to convert the Indians to Christianity and not to cre-
ate a permanent home for the people who joined in the
scheme. Perhaps thiey contemplated remaining indefi-
nitely, but mainly with a view to spread the gospel and
not to improve their own temporal condition, and least
of all to improve the country as a place of habitation.
The Indians never disturbed the little community; in
fact, took little interest in it. But when the Chippewas
heard that the war of the revolution was over and that
the chief who had given permission for the settlement
344 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
-
was dead they began to threaten trouble. Governor
Hay, who had succeeded De Peyster, at Detroit, ad-
vised the Moravians that it would be wise for them to
give up the mission in deference to the wish of the In-
dians. So in the spring of 1786 they took their depart-
ure and after some wanderings finally settled on the
Thames a few miles from the present Canadian city of
Chatham. Their improvements on the Clinton were
bought by Major Ancrum, the British commandant at
Detroit, who had succeeded after the death of Colonel
Hay, and John Askin, a trader living at Sandwich, for
$450.00.* Says Zeisberger, "None of us all remained
behind, save Conner's family, who himself knew not
where to go nor what to do." Connor spent the rest of
his life there and died in 1808. He left four sons
James, John, William and Henry. The only daughter,
Susanna, whose birth is chronicled as that of the first
white child born in Macomb county, married Judge
Elisha Harrington, who had an extensive farm in the
same locality, which afterward proved a profitable in-
vestment when subdivided into city lots. Connor was
an Indian captive taken by the Chippewas in one of their
numerous incursions in the Virginian settlements in the
Ohio valley. There were many who came hither upon
compulsion in the same fashion. And it is worthy of
remark that having seen in their wanderings how goodly
was the land of Michigan they brought their families
out after their release and established themselves in per-
mr nent homes. This was the case with Connor.
♦Mich. Pioneer Collection, vol. 10.
.
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
345
William Tucker was a Virginian who was captured
when eleven years old, his father having been murdered
by the savages. He was brought to Detroit. After a
time he escaped and returned to his old home where he
married. With his young wife he came back to Detroit
and in 1784 they settled upon the Clinton river about six
■
miles from its mouth. His land was bought directly
from the Indian chief. Others who came under some-
what similar circumstances and settled in the same vicin-
ity were John Lovelace, Joseph Spencer, Joseph Hayes.
Thus although the Moravians had departed, their
places were speedily filled and a settlement of promising
dimensions sprang up. John Brooks built a distillery
and this was an incentive to the farmers to raise rye. In
1800 Christian Clemens, after whom the town was
named, came from Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was
possessed of considerable means, built a good dwelling,
operated a tannery and was always ready to lend a hand
to every worthy enterprise. Elisha Harrington married
the daughter of Connor and became a prosperous farm-
er. John Stockton married a daughter of Mr. Clemens
and built the first frame house in the place. Detroit was
the accessible point and the market for whatever the
farmers might raise. This attempt at an interior settle-
ment was clearly a success. It was the leader of other
advances in the wilderness. Those who had ventured
found their prospects satisfactory. Their friends were
induced to follow and so, the impetus having been given,
the pioneers became more and more numerous.
Naturally the points first reached were those accessi-
346 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
ble by navigation. So there early appeared settlers along
the St. Clair river. Captain William Thorn was among
the earliest. He was a lake captain who had been fa-
miliar with the banks of the St. Clair and who selected
a goodly site for his home near the present Marine City.
Captain Patrick Sinclair who was in command at Michi-
limackinac, bought a tract of land upon which he estab-
lished a depot and supply station. This was called Fort
Sinclair and was located at the mouth of Pine river with-
in the limits of the present city of St. Clair. The heirs
of General Sinclair afterward laid claim to the lands
said to have been bought by him and in the evidence
brought in support of that claim it appeared that the
land was given to him in lieu of expenses on behalf of
the government and to re-imburse him for money paid
for the release of colonial prisoners brought into the
country by the Indians. However, nothing came of these
claims, the matter having never been pressed in the
courts. A number of the buildings of this settlement and
vestiges of the old earthworks were noted by the later
settlers on their arrival in the early part of the nine-
teenth century.
At about the time of the Fort Sinclair enterprise a
number of English and Scotch settlers who had been
sent over by Lord Selkirk and who had established
themselves at Belladoon on the Chenille Ecarte, Cana-
dian side of the river, crossed over and founded homes
for themselves near Algonac. These families were
named Stewart, Robinson, Brown, Harrow, Harris, etc.
In the summer of 1790 seven Frenchmen with their fam-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
347
ilies established themselves on the site of the present city
of Port Huron. They came up the river in boats bringing
their household effects. Their names were Anselm Pe-
tit, Francois Lerviere, Batiste Levais, Duchien, Jarvais,
Corneais and Moreau. They built cabins, cleared away
the forest and soon had land under cultivation. They
were a hardy class of peasants who came for the purpose
of establishing themselves as farmers. Jarvais erected a
sawmill in what is now called Indian creek, but which
was then known as Riviere Jarvais. The settlement was
then known as Dismond, or more commonly la Riviere
Delude, the name then given to Black river. It was
twenty years later and after American occupation that
Fort Gratiot was established. A promising and profit-
able employment for the early settlers along the St.
Clair was the cutting of timber which was made up into
rafts and floated down the river and lake to Detroit and
Maiden. This gave occupation at seasons of the year
when farming could not be carried on, and furnished
ready money to the pioneers. Thus early began lum-
bering operations which in later years gave Michigan a
wide reputation and proved a mine of wealth' to many.
Hog Island, now known as Belle Isle, was granted in
1768 by General Gage and Captain Trumbull, com-
mandant at Detroit, to Lieutenant George McDougall
of the Sixtieth regiment, upon the condition that he pro-
cure from the Indians a proper indenture. This latter
document was secured signed by the several chiefs with
-
their totems. Thereupon the citizens sent to Governor
Carleton a vigorous protest, in which they set forth that
34§
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
this island was from the first a common, ceded as such
to the public by Cadillac, the first commandant of the
country, to keep the cattle in safety. The protest pro-
ceeds to state that when De Tonty became commandant
he undertook to appropriate the island but was forced to
relinquish his assumptions. The same thing happened
to Mr. De Quindre when he, under the orders of de
Celoron, also claimed the ownership. The petitioners
say that it is a hardship to see themselves stripped of .
their ancient rights and privileges in favor of a stranger
lately come into the country. This petition was signed
apparently by every resident of the place and the names
furnish a pretty full record of the family names of the
is certified by P. Dejean, judge.
time — all French.
It seems to have had no effect and the title of McDou-
gall held good. But when Haldimand was governor in
1780, he ordered General De Peyster to immediately
reclaim the island for his majesty's use for cultivation. It
appears that McDougall was then dead, as the governor
stipulates that Mrs. Mc Dougall shall be suitably com-
pensated for any existing improvements of value. The
appraisal shows three dwellings
old barn without a
top, a fowl house and some timber. Barracks were built
and some of the Kentucky prisoners were quartered
here, it being their own request to live in the open air
and to engage in the cultivation of the land, rather than
to be confined in the military prison. They were quite
willing to take their chances against an attack from the
Indians.
■
The commandants at Michilimackinac, at one time or
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 349
ther, made grants on the mainland or on Bois-Blanc
island, the grantees having arranged with the Indian
chiefs, for a nominal consideration. These grants were
seldom held good, since the king of England assumed to
* •
himself the disposal of such lands. Grosse He and some
of the adjacent smaller islands were granted in the same
manner to Alexander Macomb.
is to be noted that the settlers hereabout differed
from those of New England. The latter soon estab-
lished a popular form of government. The town meet-
ing was the primary forum in which public matters af-
fecting the colonists were discussed and settled. These
people were enlightened, progressive, with enlarged
views of individual rights and liberties, and a disposition
to retain in their own hands the management of their
public affairs. The French settlers in the lake region
had no such notions. They were intensely loyal to their
king and church. They had no inclination to meddle
with the prerogatives of either. They were humble, do-
cile, easy-going, contented. When the colors of France
gave way to the red cross of St. George, they were equal-
ly loyal to the British crown. They had never been in
the enjoyment of the civil rights of some other nationali-
ties, which made British rule intolerable to the New
Englanders. So they were contented to accept what
they had and to plod along in their undemonstrative
fashion, a little better in a physical sense, but no better
in a political sense, than their ancestors in Picardy.
These people made up the mass of the population. The
new-comers to this region were too few in number, too
.
350 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
diverse in nationality to organize anything like a com-
munity of interests, or to assert themselves in a way to
influence their local government. There was never a
town-meeting in old Detroit. Up to the final evacuation
of the country, the British commander was the autocrat
whose word was law and who controlled all affairs, civil
as well as military. The people and their ways were not
those of the dwellers upon the Atlantic seaboard. The
men were brave enough and manly enough, but the
spirit of rebellion had not been born in them.
CHAPTER XXIII
Close of the Revolution and Surrender of
Michigan to the United States
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treaty of peace of November, 1782,
provided that "His Britannic majesty
shall, with all convenient speed, an
without causing any destruction or carry-
ing away any negroes or other property
of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his
rm
garrisons and fleets from the United States, and from
every part, place and harbor within the same; leaving in
fortifications the American artillery that may be
therein ; and shall order and cause all archives, records,
deeds and papers belonging to any of the said States or
their citizens, which in the course of the war may have
fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith re-
stored and delivered to the proper States and persons to
whom they belong." By a subsequent article it was stipu-
lated that five months should be the utmost term for the
validity of hostile acts. The final treaty of September,
1783, reaffirmed all these articles as of the preceding
date. By the terms of this treaty the international bound-
ary line between the possessions of Great Britain and
those of the United States ran through the middle of
Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron and their connecting
water-ways, and through Lake Superior to the north-
*
ward of Isle Royale and thence by the grand portage to
the Lake of the Woods, embracing so far as the north-
west is concerned, the entire region to the eastward of
the Mississippi river. The maps which accompanied
this treaty left no doubt that the whole of Michigan, as
at present constituted, was within the United States.
Nevertheless, the British forces showed no inclination
1-23
353
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354 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
to vacate the fort at Detroit. General Washington sent
a messenger to Governor Haldimand to establish a date
for the actual surrender of the western posts. Haldi-
mand wrote in a respectful tone to the effect that he
could not consider the matter of vacating these posts in
the absence of positive orders from his majesty. New
York and Charleston were evacuated in November,
1783, and the continental army was immediately dis-
banded. In spite of the claim by congress for the actual
possession of the western country, in spite of the agita-
tion on the part of officials of our government for the
carrying out of the treaty in good faith, the British gov-
ernment took no action whatever. Governor Haldimand
shielded himself behind his lack of instructions, and so
matters remained for a long time in this unsatisfactory
condition.
There is some ground for belief that this was a de-
liberate policy, founded upon the expectation or hope
that something might turn up in the interests of Great
Britain through which that government could continue
its occupancy indefinitely. It is known that Washing-
ton harbored some such idea. There were still oppor-
tunities for complications in the new state of affairs be-
tween the two countries. No one could forsee what
questions might arise or whither the course of events
might lead. There were plenty of emissaries of Great
Britain working among the Indian tribes, seeking to
bind them to British interests and to solidify a naturally
unfriendly feeling against Americans. This very feel-
ing of the Indians was offered as a pretext for maintain-
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE
355
ing an armed force in the country. It was argued that
the safety of the whites could only be assured bv the
presence of a strong military guard. This the United
States had not undertaken to supply. Hence it devolved
upon Great Britain to preserve the peace. In view of
the known efforts to foment Indian hostility this argu-
ment was transparently deceptive. There were evidences
of intrigues on the part of Great Britain in dealing with
her former Indian allies, who had suffered severe losses
and who felt that they had not been adequately re-
warded for all their sacrifices. So the Indian question cut
a considerable figure in the determination of Governor
Haldimand to hang on to the western posts as long as
possible. ■
In 1786 a council of Indian nations northwest of the
Ohio river was held at the Huron village near the mouth
of the Detroit river. This was attended by representa-
tives of all the leading tribes. They were troubled
about the boundary between their possessions and those
of the United States. They maintained that the Ohio
was not to be crossed by the Americans. They also in-
sisted that their rights had not been properly considered
in the treaty between the United States and Great Bri-
tain. It seemed to be the feeling of the savages that the
United States had neglected to show the attention to
their wishes which the same demanded. A grand coun-
cil was held at Fort Harmer, Marietta, in 1787 which
formulated a treaty tending to settle in a satisfactory
manner the points in controversy. This was finally and
definitely disposed of at Greenville in 1795, when
356 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
treaty the title to large tracts of lands included in Michi-
gan was confirmed to the United States.
There was another element in the case which
ad
much weight, and that was the fur trade. This trade
had been of immense value to England. She could
not see these profits slip from her grasp without a strug-
gle to save them. The region included within the new
boundaries of the United States had been the most
profitable source of supply. The Northwest Company
had a practical monopoly which it was not yet ready to
relinquish. It was not until later, when John Jacob As-
tor came into the field with the American. Fur Company,
that the United States furnished a rival capable of com-
peting in the markets of the world and of expanding the
enterprise to the far-off Pacific slope. Governor Haldi-
mand did his best to hold for his countrymen this im-
portant trade. He saw what some of his predecessors
had seen long before him, that to let the Americans into
the country to destroy the forests, to build homes, to
, meant an early and total
clear
cultivate the
extinction of the fur bearing animals and the consequent
end of the trade which they furnished. His policy had
a tendency to hold the country from settlement, to turn
back the American pioneer. These influences may not
appear on the surface and are not distinctly mentioned
in the official correspondence, but it seems evident that
they had much weight.
Governor Haldimand writing
to his successor, General Barry St. Leger, declares that
he has thought it his duty "uniformly to oppose the dif-
ferent attempts made by the American States to get pos-
t
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JOHN JACOB ASTOR
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MICHIGAN
357
f the posts in the upper country until his m
orders for that purpose shall be received, and my
conduct upon that occasion having been approved,
have only to recommend to you a strict attention to the
same."
There were some questions of quite minor importance
which were greatly magnified. The treaty of peace
guaranteed that congress would take under immediate
consideration the full payment in sterling coin of debts
owing to British subjects by Americans. It was claimed
that this guaranty had not been maintained in good
faith, and that loyalists had been thwarted in all efforts
to regain possession of their estates. Hence, the terms
of the treaty not having been fully observed by the
Americans, the British, on their part, were relieved from
obligation. It was charged by the Americans that a
number of negro slaves had been enticed away from
their owners and carried off by British officers, in viola-
tion of the express provisions of the treaty. Other prop-
erty was alleged to have been confiscated and smuggled
out of the countrv. It is known that the official records
of the post at Detroit were removed to Quebec and that
they were not recovered until a half century later.
These were some of the elements of the friction which
developed. Claims and counter-claims were bandied
back and forth between St. James and the capitol at
Philadelphia. Some of them had the appearance of be-
ing merely subterfuge, an effort to kill time or to pro-
voke controversy for the sake of controversy. It might
be inferred from her conduct that Great Britain re-
358
MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
gretted having yielded in fixing the boundary line in such
way as to give up to the United States the country north-
west of the Ohio, and was now inclined to shape matters,
if possible, for a re-opening of the treaty stipulations.
In 1787 an ordinance was enacted by congress organ-
izing the territory northwest of the Ohio river. Under
this organization General Arthur St. Clair was ap-
pointed governor.
Though Michigan
was included
within the provisions of this ordinance, they could not
at once be practically applied, owing to the fact that the
country was still under British control. In 1792 Quebec
was divided into Upper and Lower Canada, with the
seat of government of the latter at Toronto, then known
as York. Sir Guy Carleton as Lord Dorchester had
again become Governor General of the whole province,
with John Graves Simcoe Lieutenant Governor of Up-
per Canada. The Quebec act, so far as related to this
region, was repealed and all legislation under it was ab-
rogated. Permanent courts were established in the reg-
ular way and a form of civil government was set up for
the first time at Detroit and Michilimackinac. The leg-
islature also made provision for granting lands in the
province and grants or pretended grants by Indian tribes
were made to Jonathan Schiefflin, Robert Innis, Alexan-
der Henry, John Askin, Robert McNiff, John Dode-
mead and others of parcels of land covering pretty near-
ly the whole southeastern portion of Michigan west-
ward as far as the centre line and as far north as Sagi-
naw. This was supposed at the time to cover all of the
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 359
region likely to be considered worth anything for the
next hundred years.
To encourage the Indians in self-defence and inci-
dentally as a protection to Detroit, Simcoe built a fort
at the rapids of the Maumee and garrisoned it with Brit-
ish soldiers. He was evidently persuaded, even so late
as 1794, as was apparently Governor Carleton also, that
the prospects were favorable for Great Britain to con-
tinue holding the country. But in that very year their
hopes must have been blasted, for Jay's treaty made in
September, 1794, stipulated that all the western posts
within the territory belonging to theUnited States should
be surrendered by June 1, 1796. In spite of this, however,
they still sought to postpone the inevitable through In-
dian hostility which they lent their efforts to promote.
While there were some disaffected savages ready to take
up arms in behalf of British interests, the councils were
divided. Nevertheless there were troubles of a suffi-
ciently serious character to call for the energetic efforts
of General Anthony Wayne and a considerable army.
Several bloody engagements took place, in which militia
and volunteers from Detroit participated, one of them
almost under the gates of the British fort on the Mau-
mee. When the news of Jay's treaty came some of the
natives were shrewd enough to see that with a definite
date set for the surrender of the country there was small
prospect of annulling a solemn treaty made and con-
firmed by the governments of the United States and
Great Britain, and they were ready to agree to a perma
360 MICHIGAN AS PROVINCE, TERRITORY, STATE
nent peace. Then followed the treaty of Greenville and
the end of hostilities.
The ratifications of Jay's treaty having been ex-
changed, a messenger was at once despatched to
Lord
that
Dorchester
its
provisions
at
be
wi
ith
a
Quebec
carried into effect.
demand
This
time there was no hesitancy in acceding to the
demand. The necessary orders for the evacuation
of the western posts were issued, and upon the return to
Philadelphia of the messenger they were at once put in-
to the hands of General Wayne. They were duly for-
warded by him to Lieutenant-Colonel John Francis
Hamtramck at Fort Miami to be carried into effect. He
despatched Captain Moses Porter with sixty-five men
fully armed and equipped to take possession of Detroit.
The detachment arrived on the 1 ith of July, 1796, and
on that day Colonel Richard England, then in command
of the garrison, lowered the British colors from the flag-
staff of Fort Lernoult, and Captain Porter ran up the
stars and stripes. Thus, after long and vexatious de*
lays, the sovereignty of the United States was estab-
lished over Michigan. Colonel Hamtramck with his
entire command arrived at Detroit two days later and
assumed military authority over the post and the town.
General Wayne himself came in a few weeks with the
powers of a civil commissioner as well as those of a
military commander, and remained throughout the
summer, busied in setting into operation the governmen-
tal machinery. A small detachment was sent to Michi-
limackinac and in August of the same year the British
I
MICHIGAN AS A PROVINCE 36 1
flag gave place to that of the United States over that
fortification. So, for the first time it can be said that
Michigan had ceased to be a British province and had
attained the dignity of allegiance to the United States.
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