History of the Valley of the Mississippi

Front matter

MOORE, ANDERSON, & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. THREE GREAT TEMPTATIONS! Second Thousand in One Month ! ! ! THE THREE GREAT TEMPTATIONS OF YOUNG MEN— With several Lectures addressed to Business and Professional Men : By Samuel W. Fisher. 1 vol. 12mo., pp. 336. $1. CONTENTS. The Sirens, The Slater of the Strong, The Wine-cup, The Card-table, The Play-house, The Web of Vice, The Christian Lawyer, The Mosaic Law of Usury, The Path of Infidelity, Commercial Morality. "A work of unusual attraction. We know not where to have seen these subjects so im pressively, yet so properly and guardedly examined. Far above common-place specimens. They expose dangers of terrible imminence, and urge persuasions of incomparable impor tance, in a way that offends not the taste, yet reaches the heart and engages the thoughts." <_V. T. Evangelist.

"Able and often eloquont. * * * A work which may well be put into the hands of youth just entering upon life."— _V. T. Observer. "We shall put the book by upon one of the choice shelves of our private library."—Bos ton Congregationalist. "The author's style is not less clear and forcible than ornate and eloquent." — Detroit Serald, "Characterized by earnestness, eloquence, and adaptation to the end had in view."— iV. T. Recorder. " Paints in vigorous language the horrible consequences of vice." — Boston Post. " We would that every young man in the land could be persuaded to read it carefully."— Louisville Recorder. "Dr. Fisher has spoken honestly and boldly. * * * Characterized by great energy of thought, a free and copious style, and by a spirit of high Christian philanthropy."— Puritan Recorder.

" Has proceeded boldly where most public teachers are too timid to venture, and his manly plainness is also marked by prudence and true delicacy ."—Presbyterian of t/u West. " Written in a style most inviting to youth and worthy of a very wide circulation."— Cincinnati Ch. Herald. « Will do much good to that great class of young men who, reared in the country, are daily transferred to the cities and make up their effective population.''- ITorcwto- (Mass.) Palladium. _ _ _ _. , MJI_„ " Mr. Fisher speaks pointedly and plainly. Let young men. listen and learn. -Philadel phia Presbyterian. " Worthy of an attentive perusal."— Philadelphia Observer. <• The man, who sits down to the perusal of this volume, must rise up wiser and better, if there be any virtue in good counsel beautifully and touchingly given,"-J/a_„on Cow r. " The style is bold, manly, and vigorous, and in some portions very beautiful. * • In the name of the young men of our cities, we thank Dr. Fisher for preparing and sending forth so timely a volume."— Presbyterian Herald.

Preface

. In the month of February last, the writer published, in St. Louis, the " History of the Discovery of the Valley of the Mississippi," which comprised an accurate account of the dis covery and colonization by the French of the country West of the Alleghanies, up to the passing of the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle in the year 1748. Believing that the narration of the " leading events" in Western History, subsequent to that period, would render the work more interesting, the author directed his attention to the task of compiling, from the numerous pamphlets on the shelves of several Historical Societies in the West, and a few manu scripts to which he was permitted to have access, a brief and succinct statement of the most important facts in the History of the Valley of the Mississippi. Some of these have become exceedingly scarce, and while the information contained in them is of surpassing interest to the student of Western History, it is almost inaccessible to him.

How far the author has succeeded in compiling a work, from the materials at his command, which will be acceptable to the inhabitants of the Valley of the Mississippi, he leaves for them to determine, availing himself of this occasion to thank them for the kind manner in which they received the small portion of the work heretofore published. Cincinnati, Nov. 30, 1852. TO THE REVEREND SAMTEL SIMPSON WOOD, MASTER OF ARTS, OK THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, AND RECTOR OF THE PARISH OF THREE RIVEHS, IN THE PROVINCE OF CANADA, ar ii is tooru IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED AS A TOKEN OF THE AFFECTION AND ESTEEM OF HIS OLD FRIEND AND PUPIL, THE AUTHOR. HISTORY OF THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. There are many historical associations, which cluster around the ancient denizens of Canada, in their efforts to colonize this section of the American continent, and to rescue it from the savage tribes who wandered in its pathless deserts.

Canada was the gateway, through which the pioneers of civilization entered, to disclose to the world the rich and exhaustless treasures of the West, or rather it may be likened to the portal of a mansion, through which admission was gained to the inner chambers, ornamented with every production of nature, and disclosing to the view, in their gaudy array, pictures, which had never been dreamt of, in the wildest efforts of the human imagination. The poor and ignoble Colonist, who emigrated in the seventeenth century, from the hills and valleys of his native country, with his ax in his hand, and his gun on his shoulder, to clear the forest and drive away the red-man from those paths which had been familiar to him from his infancy, exhibits to the view of the philanthropist of the present day, an exam ple of courage and energy, of fortitude amidst danger, and of heroism in his trials, which marks not the course of the modern adventurer.

Changeable as are the circumstances of human life, the Canadian colonist remains at the present day, as unchanged as ever. No longer is he required to wage an exterminating warfare, against the aboriginal tribes of the country, no longer does he hunt " the wild beast from his lair," but now, with his bible in one hand and his ax in the other, religion goes hand in hand with civilization, and wherever one sees the boundaries of the primeval forest receding from his view, there he observes the glittering spires of the Parish Church, reflecting the rays of the 6un in the firmament of heaven, and betokening the soothing influence of religion, over a moral and au industrious people. Nor can we withhold our meed of praise from those French missionaries, who took their departure from Que bec, and traveled amongst all the Indian tribes, from Hudson's Bay, on the one hand, to the countries along the shores of the Mississippi, on the other.

History has commemorated in bright and glowing colors, whatever events transpired, during the march of the crusaders to rescue the Holy Land from the power of the Saracen; and here the valiant warrior and hero was accompanied by armed hosts, bent on achieving their object and having the means to do so ; but with the missionary who stepped beyond the bounds of civilization, and wandered through trackless deserts (his only compass, the blazeed bark of the pine-tree ; his only food, the fortuitous product of the chase), history has not done justice to the noble philanthropy by which they were animated, nor to their ardent devotion for the progress of science and religion, amongst the benighted nations of the earth. The cross was the emblem of both the Crusader and the missionary, but there must have been something sad and touch ing, in the effect, which this religious emblem produced on the minds of the Savages, in the midst of the somber and silent forests of the _STew World, when it could dis arm their fierce hearts and render them sensible to the liveliest feelings of emotion.

There must be something soothing in religion, when it could mollify the wild pas sions of man, in the savage state, and make him succumb to its influences. It was owing to the existence of these feelings that the French missionary was able to establish those friendly relations, which were afterward en tertained toward him, by the denizens of the forest. The religious doctrines which he inculcated, contributed to draw closer the ties which connected him with his neophytes. Hence the facilities which he had, to pene trate from one cabin to another, from one nation to ano ther, even in countries the most distant. Whether we regard their efforts as connected with the cause of science or religion, or as tending to develop to the inhabi tants of Europe an example of energy and activity in the cause of human civilization, the French Missionary of the seventeenth century will always be an object of in terest to the student of American history, and will al ways be considered, as having contributed his share in the regeneration of the aboriginal tribes of this Conti nent, from the galling chains of superstition and igno rance.

The warriors and statesmen of the reign of Louis the Fourteenth fade into insignificance, when put in com parison with what the genius of a Colbert and a Talon planned, or what the energy and activity of an Allouez and a Marquette accomplished. "Do you not know," said the interpreter of an Indian tribe to these mission aries, " do you not know, " said he, " that these distant nations never spare strangers; that the wars which they carry on, infest their frontiers with hordes of robbers ; that the grand river (meaning the Mississippi,) abounds in monsters, who devour men and animals, and that the excessive heat there causes death ? " " We know that, " said they, " we know all, but by the decree of Provi dence, we have been appointed, as humble missionaries, in the service of God, to disseminate His holy doctrines amongst countless tribes, in the deserts of America, and with His will, we shall do our duty.

" Long before what is now known as " the West, " was discovered, several missionaries had penetrated beyond the hunting-grounds of the Ottawas and the Abenakies, and had established themselves along the borders of Lake Huron. The Fathers Brebœuf, Daniel, Jogues, Eaim bault and several other members of their order, had estab lished villages along the shores of that Lake, amongst others, Saint Joseph, Saint Michael, Saint Ignace and Sainte Marie. The latter, placed at the outlet of Lake Superior into Huron, was for a long time the central point of the various missions, in that distant part of the country. Later, in the year 1671, the scattered tribes of the Hurons, fatigued of wandering from country to country, fixed themselves at Michilimackinac,* a place situated on the shores of Lake Superior.

This was the first establishment founded by a European, in the State of Michigan. The Indians who were found there, received from the French the name of " Sauteurs, " or " Leapers " on account of their proximity to the Falls of Sainte Marie, known as the "Sault Sainte Maries These Indians belonged to the Algonquin Tribe. In the space of thirteen years (from 1634 to 16_7), this extensive territory was visited by eighteen French missionaries, beside others attached to their ministry, * The name of this locality is derived from a small Island formerly celebrated in those Countries, from the height of its banks, which might be seen, at a distance of twelve miles. It is situated at the junction of Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior. who, animated by zeal in the cause of civilization, lent their services to their clerical brethren, in order to reclaim these savages from the depths of ignorance and supersti tion into which they had cast themselves.

The Five Nations, comprising the Iroquois, one of the fiercest tribes that inhabited those countries, were located to the north of Cataraqui, between the River Ottawa and Lake Ontario, but nearer the latter, and the travelers had to pursue their route across that part of the country which was watered by the tributaries of the Ottawa, the river Akuanagusin, marked on the old charts, being one of those tributaries. At that period, the South of Lake Erie, beyond Buffalo was almost unknown to either the voyageurs or the missionaries. It might be interesting to particularize those sections, on the borders of Lake Erie or Oswego (as it is marked on an old chart, in the possession of the writer), which were then inhabited by the Indian tribes, but the geographers of those days in Europe do not seem to be very remarkable for accuracy in fixing the localities of Indian settlements.

Fort Sandoski, (Sandusky,) now the termination of a Bail road, connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio, is marked on this map, and the euphonious appellations of Tus carora, Mingos, Kittawing, Schohorage, Fort Mohican and the Cross of Holfway, need only be mentioned, as indicating those parts of the Western States, now teeming with millions of human-beings, devoted to the arts of agriculture and commerce, and supplying the world with the products of a soil, which a bounteous Providence has given them, to promote the prosperity and happiness of their fellow-men. In the year 1640, the Fathers Chaumonot and Breboeuf, completed the survey of the valley of the Saint Lawrence, from the foot of Lake Superior to the Ocean. About this period the two missionaries Charles Baimbault and Isaac Jogues left Canada, to visit Lake Huron, and after a pleasant voyage, in which they were struck with the picturesque ness of the scenery along the shores, and amongst the islands of Lake Huron, they arrived in seventeen days at Sault Sainte Marie, where they met with a friendly reception from about two thousand Indians, assembled there.

As they advanced on their journey, the bounda ries of the American Continent seemed to recede from them, and they learnt the names of numerous Indian tribes, who it was said, inhabited the South and West, and amongst others, the " Sioux, " whose hunting grounds were situated at a distance of several leagues from Lake Superior. They heard also, of several tribes of war riors, who lived by the products of the soil, but whose race and languages were unknown to them. — "Thus," observes an American author, " from the religious zeal of the French, a cross was erected on the borders of Sault Ste. Marie, and on the confines of Lake Superior, from whence they saw the lands of the Sioux, in the valley of the Mississippi, five years, before Elliot of New England had addressed even a single word to the Indians, who were but six miles from the harbor of Boston.

" It may be said, that at this period (1646), the safety of the French possessions in America, depended chiefly on the efforts of the missionaries to preserve peace, which they succeeded in doing with all the neighboring Indian tribes, with the exception of the Iroquois. The small French Colony, on the banks of the Saint Law rence, situated at such an immense distance from the mother country, with limited resources, and scarcely food to eat would have been annihilated had it not been for the friendly alliance, which these missionaries had been able to contract with the native tribes. The Five Na tions had already boasted, that they would soon drive Montmagny* and the French to the sea, from whence they came. But the bravery and the courage of these men, who, with the breviary hanging around their necks, and the cross in their hands, penetrated the innermost recesses of the forest, gave these people a lofty idea of the power and the resources of the nation, to which they belonged.

Ther^ they were, from the shores of Hudson's Bay, to the gulf of Saint Lawrence and the forests of Michigan, engaged day and night, in the accomplishment of their high and lofty purposes, animat ing, encouraging, and rewarding those, who were disposed to be friendly with them, and intimidating those, whose hostility they were menaced with. Brought up to a life of strict austerity, accustomed to that self-de nial, which was enjoined by the sect to which they be longed, the terrors of a violent death, at the hands of ruthless savages could not deter them from fulfilling the solemn trust, which had devolved upon them, and that very confidence which they had in the holiness of their cause, enabled them the more readily to accomplish their duty. Providence smiled benignantly on their eflbrts, for had it not been that the tribes, whose alliance was courted by the French, feared the hostility of the Iro quois, in all probability they would have rejected the overtures of the missionaries and preferred war to peace.

In the year 1659 (as is related in the narrative of the Missionaries), two young voyageurs, or travelers, led by curiosity and the spirit of adventure, joined an Algon quin tribe, and spent the winter on the shores of Lake Superior. With their eyes fixed on the immense sol- * Governor of New France or Canada. itudes of the West, and wondering what people inhabited those forests, they heard with avidity the glow ing accounts, by the Huron tribe, of those " Sioux, " war riors and they resolved to visit them. They met on their route with scattered tribes, who had been dispersed by the Iroquois, and they at length arrived in the coun try of the " Sioux, " who, to their surprise, tendered to them the hand of fellowship. They were a numerous tribe, being divided into forty companies, and their man ners, while they were unlike those of the Algonquins and Hurons, were calculated to impress the minds of the travelers with a favorable opinion of them.

The Histo rian of New France, states, " that they had an excellent disposition, treated their prisoners with less cruelty than other nations, and had some knowledge of the existence of a Divinity. " These two intrepid adventurers re turned to Quebec, in 1660, escorted by sixty Algonquin canoes and Canadian boats, laden with furs and peltries. They confirmed the accounts which two other French men, who had gone four years before, as far as Lake Michigan, brought back with them, of the numerous tribes who wandered in those parts, and of the Kristinos, "whose cabins were raised high enough to enable them to see the Great Lakes." In the year 1660, Father Mesnard went with the Al gonquins to preach the Gospel to the Ottawas and other tribes, on the shores of Lake Superior. He remained about eight months, in a bay which he called Sainte The resa, probably the bay of Kiwina, on the south side of the Lake, where he subsisted for some time, on acorns and the fruit of wild plants.

Invited hence by the Hu rons, he took his departure for the bay of Cha-gouia migong or Saint Esprit, on the Western side of the Lake, whither the Iroquois did not resort, on account of the distance and the scarcity of provisions. While Mes nard's compagnon de voyage (fellow-traveler), was occu pied in repairing the canoe, he went into the woods and never re-appeared. This Priest had a great reputa tion amongst the savages, for the sanctity of his clerical office, and a few years afterward, his soutane (a garment worn by Priests), and his breviary were found amongst the " Sioux, " who preserved them as relics, and held them in great veneration. The Indians generally were remarkable for their carefulness in preserving whatever belonged to these faithful missionaries, for four or five years after the death of the Fathers Breboeuf and Gar nier, whom the Iroquois assassinated, a missionary found in the possession of those barbarians a testament and a prayer-book, which had belonged to them.

The old chro niclers, such as Charlevoix, Champlain and others do not mention, that they preserved any other articles, belonging to the persons they murdered, but the books they had with them. These untutored savages regarded these books in the light of their better spirits, by whose directions these missionaries had been led onward, in the paths of usefulness they were following.

Chapter II

We have thus far traced the early discoveries in the West, which did not at the period we mentioned (1660), extend beyond the hunting-grounds of the " Sioux. " But vague suspicions were then entertained of the extent of the country, or the existence of a great River in the West, and the accounts which they received from the Sioux were so uncertain, that there was little inducement for renewed exertions. However, we are about reaching a period (1665), when the spirit of adventure was again in the ascendant, among the old French Colonists of America, and when their progress in making discoveries in the AVest is to be regarded with increased interest. Hitherto we have been narrating the attempts of a few voyageurs and missionaries, to penetrate the depths of the American forest, and when we consider the almost insurmountable obstacles, which they encountered and the melancholy fate which many of them met with, at the hands of their ruthless enemies, we cannot withhold from them our meed of praise for the magnani mity they displayed and the heroism they manifested.

But at this period, it pleased Divine Providence to bring other actors on the scenes, other men, who with all the self-devotion and courage, which were found in those who had preceded them, combined qualities, which suited them better for the task they had to perform. Previ ously to the year 1G65, it was religious zeal, which prompted men to risk their lives, in exploring the wild erness, the propagation of their faith, and the know ledge of God, were surely objects holy enough, to engage their attention, but now, to these powerful motives was joined the love of science and the desire to enlighten Europeans, as to the extent of the American Continent and the resources and capabilities of this extensive country. It was in this year, that Father Allouez, a man who may be justly regarded as the pioneer among the discoverers of the West, combining great mental en ergy, with a steadfastness of purpose, for which he was remarkable, was sent from Canada to explore the regions about Lake Superior.

As he approached that vast In land Sea, and observed the Islands which dotted its surface, the fertility of its shores, and the gorgeousness and picturesqueness of its scenery, there was something in it dazzling to his imagination. He gazed with won der at the numerous objects which struck his attention, and to a mind bent on the pursuits of science, they were doubly interesting. To his zeal for religion, and untir ing exertions in the cause of human civilization, are we indebted for the first Christian chapel, which was erected in the solitudes of the West. After a short sojourn at Sainte Theresa, he arrived at Cha-gouia-migong, or Saint Esprit, which had been visited by Father Mesnard in 1660. Here, in what is now known as the northern part of Wisconsin, at a spot which was not far from the source of the Mississippi, was raised the first Temple in the Western wilderness, in which prayers were offered up by the humble missionaries of God, to give them strength and confidence in their holy undertakings, and to vouch safe to them His protection in the numerous trials they had to undergo.

Father Allouez preached in the Algonquin language to twelve or fifteen tribes, who understood that idiom. His reputation spread abroad, and the warriors of different nations left their hunting grounds to visit the white man. The Pouteouatamis, from the borders of Lake Michigan, the Outagamis and the Sal'is from the deserts of the East, the Sioux from the West, the Kristinas from the swampy forests of the North, and the Illinois of the Prairies, all vied with each other in their eagerness to see and hear the white man, to learn his discourse and admire his eloquence. It was on one of these occasions, that the Sioux informed Father Allouez, that they pro tected themselves from the inclemency of the weather, by covering their huts with the skins of wild animals, and that they inhabited vast Prairies on the borders of a great river, which they called " the Mississippi.

" It was thus, that the French had the first idea of the ex istence of a great river, the discovery of which was to immortalize Joliet and his companion. During the sojourn of Allouez in the country, he pur sued his researches among the Indian tribes toward the North, where he discovered the Nipissings, whom the fear of the Iroquois had driven to that distant region. He entered into friendly communications with them, and after having traveled two thousand miles, in these ex tensive forests, suffering hunger, want and fatigue, he di rected his steps homeward, overjoyed with the result of his expedition. To his discoveries, and the information, which he imparted to the French Government, was the world indebted for the origin of that expedition, in which a French Priest and a Canadian merchant dis closed to the inhabitants of Europe the existence of a river which to geographers had been hitherto unknown, and which flowing to the ocean, was destined to bear on its waters the products of a country, unequaled on the face of the globe, for its richness and fertility and affording to the people of the old world, a home and an asylum, where they could end their days in peace and happiness.

Historians of modern times have done justice to the energy and activity of Joliet and Marquette, and the people of these Western States have erected monuments to their memory, and named towms and villages, in honor of them, but do we not see the hand of Divine Provi dence pointing to the spot where was to be consumma ted the regeneration of the human race, directing these hardy adventurers, as instruments in its service, to avail themselves of the time, and the occasion, which were most favorable for the accomplishment of its wise purposes : never before, had the Indian tribes been brought to such a state of submission to their European neighbors, as they were at that period. Even the Iroquois, the fiercest of all the tribes that wandered about the American forests, were on friendly terms with the neighboring savages, and peace and unanimity seemed to reign in their councils.

This was a most auspicious period for making further discoveries, and the French Govern ment took advantage of it. Allouez, Marquette and Dablon made themselves more celebrated for their scientific discoveries, than for their services in the cause of religion. The latter was the originator of an expedition in search of the Mississippi ; his curiosity had been excited by the glowing descriptions he had heard of the magnificence of the country bordering on its waters, and in 1669, he resolved to undertake the journey. But his apostolical labors having interfered with the execution of his design, we hear nothing of the result of this expedition, excepting that he reached a tract of country, which was not far off from the source of the river. Between 1670 and 1672, Allouez and Dablon pursued their journey as far as Wisconsin and the northern part of the State of Illinois, visiting the Mascoutins (supposed to be fire worshipers), the Kickapoos, and the Outagamis, on the border of Fox river, (riviere aux Ren ards) which takes its source to the east of the Mississippi.

The brave and intrepid Dablon had resolved to penetrate, if possible, as far as the ocean, and endeavor to seek out a passage to the countries beyond it. Hitherto, Canada had been governed by officers appoint ed by the French government, under the name of Gov ernors and Intendants, some of whom had accepted the of fice, more from considerations of pecuniary interest, arising out of the profitable nature of the fur-trade, than from any other motive ; but at this period such men as Colbert and Talon ruled the destinies of the New World ; they were men whose minds, imbued from their infancy with a love of science and a desire for the progress of the human race, who saw at once the advantages which would arise if the discoveries in the West were pushed forward with energy. There were few men like Talon, for enterprise and activity of mind.

Shrewd, calculating, and a close observer of what was occurring around him, he grasped at the idea of the glory which awaited him should he succeed in his endeavors. His administration of the government of the French Colonies in America would be crowned with success, if, while he was at the head of it, the wealth and commerce of his country could be increased by the discovery of the Mississippi. These were objects dear to his heart ; but there were others which were dearer to him. It was the desire to extend the bounds of civilization, to aid in the development of the resources of this vast country, to forward navigation, and promote the sci entific knowledge of his fellow-countrymen. Under his administration commerce had revived, emigration had increased, and the Indian tribes had learned to respect the power and authority of the French government.

Such was the character of the French Governor, under whose auspices the first expedition started from Quebec, which was successful in discovering the Mississippi. Some writers say that Marquette was the originator of the project, others attribute it to the genius and foresight of Talon ; however that may be, Talon selected Joliet, a merchant residing in Quebec, who had previously traveled amongst the Ottawas, and a man of great experience, energy, and activity, to accompany the French missionary in his voyage of discovery. They left Quebec in the year 1673, and reached Fox river in safety. They remained some time at Sainte Theresa, where they were received with every mark of distinction. They asked for two guides, and their request was readily granted. No other European had ever wandered in that direction be yond the precincts of the village.