Freeborn County, Minnesota - Verendrye, the Explorer of Northeitn Minnesota, Ant) Discoverer of the Rocky, 1882

Verendrye, the Explorer of Northeitn Minnesota, Ant) Discoverer of the Rocky

Coiivcrsution of Vcrendrye wilh FatlitT Do Gonor - Parcntapc and Eurly Life. - Olil Indian Map Prcsprved. - Vtrendryc's Son and Nej.lu-H- Ex|dorc Pigeon KiviT and Keacli Rain>' l^kc. - Father Messayera Companion. - Furt St. Pierre Established. - Lake of the Wootis Keachcd and Fort St, Charles Built. - De la Jeinorayo's Map. - Fort on the Assinnhoine River. - Verendrye's Son, Father Ouneau and Associates Killed by Sioux, on Ma.ss,-icre Isle, in l><ke of the Woods - Port La Reine. - Verpndrj'c's Eldest Son, with Others, Reaches the Missouri River. - Discovers the Rocky Mountains. - Returns to Lake of the Woods. - Exploration of Saskatchewan River. - Sieur de la Verendrye Jr. - Verendryo the Father, made Captain of the Order of St. Louis.- His Death. - The Swedish Traveler, Kaliu, Notices Verendrye, - Bougainville Describes Verendrye's Explorations. - Lcgitrdeur de St. Pierre at Fort La Reine. - Fort Jonquiere Established. - De Ja Corne Succeeds St. Pierre. - St. Pierre Meets Washington at French Creek, in Pennsylvania, - Killed in Battle, near Lake George.

Karly in the year 1728. two travelers met at the secluded post of ilackinaw, one was named De Gonor, a Jesuit Father, who with Guignas, had gone with the expedition, that the September before had built Fort Beauharnois on tlie shores of Lake Pepui, the other was Pierre Gualtier V areniies. the Sieur de la Verendrye the commander of the post on Lake Nepigon of the north shore of Lake Superior, and a relative of the Sieur de la Perriere, thie commander at Lake PepLn.

Verendrye was the sou of Eene Gualtier Varennes who for twenty-two years was the chief magistrate at Three Rivers, whose wife was Malie Boucher, the daughter of his predecessor whom he had married when she was twelve years of age. He became a cadet in 1097, and in 1704 accompanied an expedition to New England. The next year he was in Newfoundland and the year following lie went to France, joined a regiment of Brittany and was in the conflict at Malplaquet when the French troops were defeated by the Duke of Marlborough. When he returned to Canada he was obliged to accept the position of ensign notwithstanduig the gallant manner in which he had behaved. In time he became identilied with the Lake Superior region. While at Lake Nepigon the Inilians assured him that there was a communication largely by water to the Pacific Ocean. One, named Ocliagachs, drew a rude map of the country, wliicli is still preserved among the French archives. Pigeon River is marked thereon Mantohavagane, and the River St. Louis is marked R. fond du L. Superior, and the Indians appear to have passed from its headwaters to Rainy Lake. Upon the western extremity is marked the River of the West.

De Gonor conversed much upon the route to the Pacific with Verendrye, and promised to use his influence -nith the Canadian authorities to advance the project of exploration.

Charles De Beauharnois, the Governor of Canada, gave Verendrye a respectful hearing, and carefully examined the map of the region west of the great lakes, which had been drawn by Ocha/- gachs (Otchaga). the Indian guide. Orders were soon given to tit out an expedition of fifty men. It left Montreal in 1731, under the conduct of his sons and nephew De la Jemeraye, he not joining the party till 1733, iu consequence of the deieutions of business.

In the autumn of 1731, the party reached Rainy Lake, by the Nantouagan, or Groselliers river, now called Pigeon. Father ^lessayer, who had been stationed on Lake Superior, at the Groselliers river, was taken as a spiritual guide. At tlie foot of Rainy Lake a post was erected and called Fort St. Pierre, and the next year, having crossed Minittie, or Lake of the Woods, they established Fort St. Charles on its southwestern bank. Five leagues from Lake AVinnipeg they established a post on the Assrnaboine. An unpublished map of these discoveries by De la Jemeraye still exists at Paris. The river Winnipeg, calleil by them ilaurepas. in honor of the minister of France in 173-t, was protected by a fort of the same name.

About this time their advance was stopped by the oxliaustion of supijlies, liut ou the 12th of April, 1735, an arrangement was made for a second equipment, and a fourth son jouied the expedition.

tion were camped upon an isle in the Lake of the \Voods, they were surprised by a band of Sioux hostile to the French allies, the Cristinanx, and all killed. The island, upon this account, is called Massacre Island. A few days after, a piirty of live Canadian voyageurs discovered their dead bodies and scalped heads. Father Ouneau, t'.ie missionary, was found upon one knee, an arrow in his head, his breast bare, his left, hand touching the ground, and the riglit hand raised.

Among the slaughtered was also a son of Verendrye, who had a tomahawk in his back, and his body adorned with garters and lii'acelets of porcupine. The father was at the foot of the Lake of the Woods when he received the news of his son's murder, and about the same time heard of the death of his enterprising nephew, Dufrost de la -Jemeraye, the son of his sister Marie Keine de Varennes, and brother of Madame Youville, the foundress of the Ilospitaliers at jNIontreal.

On the 3d of October, 1738, they built an advanced post. Fort La Reine, on the river Assiniboels, now Assinaboine, which they called St Charles, and beyond was a branch called St. Pierre. These two rivers received the baptismal name of Verendrye, which was Pierre, and Governor Beauharnois, which was Charles. The post became the centre of trade and point of departure for explorations, either north or south.

It was by ascending the Assinaboine, and by the present trail from its tributary. Mouse river, they reached the coinitry of the Mantanes, and in 1741, came to the upper Missouri, passed the Yellow Stone, and at length arrived at tlie Rocky Mountains. The party was led Ijy the eldest son and his lirother, the chevalier. They left the. Lake of the Woods on the 29th of April, 1742, came in sight of the Rocky Mountains on the 1st of .January, 1743, and on the 12th ascended them. On the route they fell in with the Beaux Hommes, Pioya, Petits Renards, and Arc tribes, and stopped among the Snake tribe, but could go no farther in a southerly direction, owing to a war between the Arcs and Snakes.

On the 19th of May, 1744, the\- had returned to tlie upper Missouri, and. in the country of the Petite Cerise tribe, they planted on an eminence a leaden plate of the arms of France, and raised a monument of stones, which they called Beauharnois. They returned to the Lake of the Woods on the 2d of July.

Korth of the Assiniboine they proceeded to Lake Dauphin, Swan's Lake, explored the river "Des Biches," and ascended even to the fork of the Saskatchewan, which they called Poskoiac. Two forts were subsequently established, one near Lake Dauphin and the other on the river " des Biches," called Fort Bourbon. The northern route, by the Saskatchewan, was thought to have some advantage over tlie Missouri, because there was no danger of meeting with the Spaniards.

Governor Beauharnois having been prejudiced against Verendrye by envious persons, De Noyelles was appointed to take command of the posts. During these difficulties, we find Sieur de la Verendrye, .Jr., engaged in other duties. In August, 1747, he arrives from Mackinaw at Montreal, and m the autumn of that year he accompanies St. Pierre to Mackinaw, and brings back the convoy to Montreal. In February, 1748, with five Canadians, five Cristenaux, two Ottawas, and one Sauteur, he attacked the Mohawks near Schenectady, and returned to :Montreal with two scalps, one that of a cliief. On June 20tli, 1748, it is recorded that ChevaUer de la Verendrye depai-ted from jSIontreal for tlie head of Lake Superior. Margry states that he perished at sea in November, 1764, by the wreck of the " Auguste."

Fortunately, Galissioniere the successor of Beauharnois, although deformed and Insignificant in appearance, was fair minded, a lover of science, especially botany, and anxious to push discoveries toward the Pacific. Verendrye the father was restored to favor, and made Captain of the Order of St. Louis, and ordered to resume explorations, but he died on December 6th, 1749, while planning a tour up the Saskatchewan.

The Swedish Professor, Kalm, met him in Canada, not long before his decease, and had interestmg conversations with him about the furrows on tlie plains of the Missouri, which he erroneously conjectured indicated the former abode of an agricultural people. These ruts are familiar to modern travelers, and may be only buffalo trails.

Verendrye, says that tliey tirst met the ilantanes, and next the Biochets. After these were tlie Uros Ventres, the Oows, the Flat Heads, the Hhick Feet, and Dog Feet, who were established on the Missouri, even uj) to the falls, and that ahoiit thirty leagues beyond they found a narrowpass in the mountains.

Houj^ainville gives a more full account: he says: He who most advanced this discovery was the Sieur de la Veranderie. He went from Fort la Reiiie to the Missouri. He met on the banks i)f this river the Mandans, or White Beards, who bad seven villages with pine stockades, strengthened by a ditch. Next to these were the Kinongewiniris. or the Brochets, in three villages, and toward the upper part of the river were three villages of the Maliantas. All along the mouth of the "Wabeik, or Shell Eiver, were situated twenty-three villages of the Panis. To the southwest of this river, on the banks of the Ouanaradcba, or La Graisse, are the Hectanes or Snake tribe. They extend to the base of a chain of mountains which rnns north northeast. South of tiiis is the river Karoskiou, or ("erise Pelee, which is supposed to flow to California.

" He found in the inuiiense region watered by the Missouri, and in the vicinity of forty leagues, the Maliantas, the Owiliniock, or Beaux Hommes, four villages; opposite the Brochets the Black Feet, three villages of a hundred lodges each; op. posite the Mandansare the Ospekakaerenousques, or l-'Ial Heals, four \illages; opposite tlia Panis are the Arcs of Cristinaux, and Utasibaoutchatas of Assiniboel. three villages; following these the Makescli, or Little Foxes, two villages; the Piwassa, or great talkers, three villages; the Kakokoscheiia, or Gens de la Pie, five villages; the Kiskipisounouini,, or the Garter tribe, seven villages."

Galassoniere was succeeded by Jonquiere in the governorship of Canada, who proved to be a grasping, jieevish, and very miserly person. For the sons of Verendrye he had no sympathy, and forming a clique to profit by their father "s toils.

Father ("oquard, one of the companions of Verendrye, was consulted as to tlie probability of linding a pass in the Rocky Mountains, through which they might, in canoes, reach the great lake of salt water, perhaps Pugefs Sound.

The enterprise was at length conlided to two experienced oflice'rs, Lamarque de JIarin and Jacques Legardeur de Saint Pierre. The former was assigned the way, by the Missouri, and to the latter was given the more northern route; but Saint Pierre in some way excited the hostility of the Cristinaux, who attempted to kill him, and burned Fort la Reine. His lieutenant, Boucher de Niverville, who had been sent to establish a post toward the source of the Saskatchewan, failed on account of sickness. Some of his men, however, pushed on to the Rocky Momitains, and in 1753 established Fort Jonquiere. Henry says St. Pierre established Fort Bourbon.

In 17o3, Saint Pierre was succeeded in the command of the posts of the West, by de la Corne, and sent to French Creek, in Pennsylvania. He had been but a few days there when he received a visit from Washington, just entering upon manhood, bearing a letter from Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, complaining of the en croaclunents of the French.

Soon the clash of arms between France and England began, and Saint Pierre, at the head of the Indian allies, fell near Lake George, in September, 1 Too, in a battle with the English. After the seven years' war was concluded, by the treaty of Paris, the French relinquished all their posts in the Northwest, and the work begun by Verendrye, was, in 1805, completed by Lewis and Clarke; and the Northern Pacific Railway is fast approaching the passes of the Rocky Mountains, through the valley of the Yellow Stone, and from thence to the great land-locked bay of the ocean, Pugefs Somid.

Effect Of The English And Fbench War Effect Of The English And French Tvar

English Influence Increasing. - Le Due Robbed at Lake Superior. - St. Pierre at Mackinaw. - Kscape ol Indian Prisoners. - La Ronde and Verendrye. - Influence of Sieur Mann. - St. Pierre Recalled from Winnipeg Region. - Interview with Washington. - Langlade Urges Attack Upon Troops of Braddock. - Saint Pierre Killed in Battle. - Marin's Boldness. - Rogers, a Partisan Ranger, Commands at Mackinaw. - At Ticonderoga. - French Deliver up the Posts in Canada. - Capt. Balfour Takes Possession of Mackinaw and Green Bay. - Lieut. Gorrell in Com. mand at Green Bay. - Sioux Visit Green Bay. - Pennensha a French Trader Among the Sioux. - Treaty of Paris.

Englisli influence produced increasing dissatisfaction among the Indians that were beyond Mackinaw. Not only were the voyageurs robbed and maltreated at Sault St. Marie and other points on Lake Superior, but even the commandant at Mackinaw was exposed to insolence, a*id there was no security anywhere.

On the twenty-third of August, 1747, Philip Le Due arrived at Mackinaw from Lake Superior, stating that he had been robbed of his goods at Kamanistigoya, and that the Ojibways of the lake were favorably disposed toward tlie English. The Dahkotahs were also becoming unruly in the absence of French officers.

In a few weeks after Le Due's robbery, St. Pierre left Montreal to become commandant at Mackinaw, and Vercheres was appointed for the post at Green Bay. In the language of a document of the day, St. Pierre was " a very good officer, much esteemed among all the nations of those parts ; none more loved and feared." On his aiTival, the savages were so cross, that he advised that no Frenchman should come to trade.

By promptness and boldness, he secured the Indians who had murdered some Frenchmen, and obtained the respect of the tribes. While the three murderers were being conveyed in a canoe down the St. Lavsrence to Quebec, in charge of a sergeant and seven soldiers, the savages, with characteristic cunning, though manacled, succeeded in killing or drowiiing the guard. Cutting their irons with an axe, they sought the woods, and escaped to their own country. " Thus," writes Galassoniere, in 1748, to Count Maurepas, was lost in a great measiure the fruit of Sieur St. Pierre's good management, and of all the fatigue I endured to get the nations who smTendered these rascals to listen to reason."

Under the mfluence of Sieur Marin, who was in command at Green Bay in 1753, peaceful relations were in a measure restored between the French and Indians.

As the war between England and France deepened, the officers of the distant French posts were called in and stationed nearer the enemy. Legardeur St. Pierre, was brought from the Lake Winnipeg region, and, in December, 1753, was in command of a rude post near Erie, Pennsylvania. Langlade, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, arrived early in July, 1755, at Fort Duquesne. With Beauyeu and De Lignery, who had been engaged in fighting the Fox Indians, he left that fort, at nine o'clock of the morning of the 9th of July, and, a little after noon, came near the English, who had halted on the south shore of the Monongahela, and were at dinner, with their arms stacked. By the urgent entreaty of Langlade, the western half-breed, Beauyeu, the officer in command ordered an attack, and Braddock was overwliehned, and Washington was obliged to say, " We have been beaten, shamefully beaten, by a handful of Frenchmen."

Under Baron Dieskau, St. Pierre commanded the Indians, in September, 1755, during the campaign near Lake George, where he fell gallantly fighting the English, as did his commander. The Rev. Claude Coquard, alluding to the French defeat, in a letter to his brother, remarks:

" We lost, on that occasion, a brave officer, M. de St. Pierre, and had his advice, as well as that of several other Canadian officers, been followed, Jonckson [Johnson] was irretrievably destroyed.

Other oflicers who had been stationed on the borders of Mhinesota also distinguished themselves during the French war. The Marquis Montcalm, in camp at Ticonderoga, on the twenty-seventh of July, 1757, writes to Vaudreuil, (iovenior of Canada:

" Lieutenant Marin, of the Colonial troops, who has exhiliitcd a rare audacity, did not consider himself bound to halt, although his detachment of about four hundred men was reduced to about two hundred, the balance having been sent back on account of inability to follow. He carried off a patrol of ten men, aud swept away an ordinary guard of fifty like a wafer; went up to the enemy's camp, under Fort Lydias (Edward), where he was exposed to a severe fire, and retreated like a warrior. He was miwilling to amuse himself making prisoners; he brought in only one, and thirty-t«'o scalps, and must have killed many men of the enemy, in tlie midst of whose raidjs it was neither wise nor prudent to go in sesu'ch of scalps. The Indians generally all behaved well. » * * The Outaouais, who arrived with me, and whuui I designed to go on a scouting party towards the lake, had conceived a project of administermg a corrective to the English barges. * * * On the (lay before xesterday. your brother formed a detachment to accompany them. 1 arrived at his camp on the eveningof the same day. Lieutenant de Corbiere, of the Colonial troops, was returning, in consequence of a misunderstanding, and as I knew the zeal and intelligence of that officer, I made him set out witli a new instruction to join Messrs de Langlade and Hertel de Chantly. They remained in auiliusli all day and niglit yesterday; at break of day the Euglisli appeared on Lake St. Sacrament, to the number of twenty-two barges, luider the commanl of Sieur Parker. The whoops of our Indians impressed them with such terror that they made but feeble resistance, and only two barges escaped."

After De Corbiere's victory on Lake Champlain, a large Frencli army was collected at Ticonderoga, with which there were many Indians from the tribes of the Northwest, and the loways appeared for the first time in the east.

Pierre, Lusignan, Marin, Langlade, and others, became the pioneers of tlie IJrifish, a few years afterwards, in the occupation of the outposts of the lakes, and in the exploration of Mimiesota.

Rogers, tlie celebrated captain of rangers, subsequently commander of Mackinaw, and Jonathan Carver, the first British explorer of Minnesota, were both on duty near Lake Champlaiu. the latter narrowly escaping at the battle of Fort George.

On Christmas eve, ]7o7, Eogers approached Fort Ticonderoga, to fire the outhouses, but was prevented by discharge of the camions of the Fren h.

He contented himself witli killing fifteen beeves, on the horns of one of wliicli he left this laconic and amusing note, addressed to the commander of the post:

'- I am obliged to you. Sir, for the repose you have allowed me to take; I thank ymifor tlie fresh meal you Jiave sent me, I request you to present my compliments to the ^larquis du Montcalm."

On the thiiteenth of March, 1758, Durantaye, formerly at Mackinaw, had a skirmish with Ilogers. Both had been trained on tlie frontier, and tliey met " as Greek met Greek." The conflict was fierce, and tlie French victorious. Tlie Lidian allies, finding a scalp of a chief underneath an officer's jacket, we>'e furious, and took one hundred and fourteen scalps in return. 'When the French returned, they supposed that Captain Rogers was among the killed.

On tlie eightli of September, 1760, the French delivered up all their posts in Canada. A few days after the capitulation at Montreal, ^Major Rogers was sent with English troops, to garrison the posts of the distant Northwest.

On the eighth of September. 1761, a year after the suiTender, Captani Balfour, of the eightieth regiment of tlie British army, left Detroit, with a detachment to take possession of tlie French forts at Mackinaw and Green Bay. Twenty-five soldiers were left at Mackinaw, in command of Lieutenant Leslie, and tlie rest sailed to Grten Bay, under Lieutenant Gorrell of the Royal

Pennensha Writes A Letter For The Sioux

Americans, where they arrived on the twelfth of October. The fort had been abandoned for several years, and was in a dilapidated condition. In charge of it there was left a lieutenant, a corporal, and fifteen soldiers. Two EngUsli traders arrived at the same time, McKay from Albany, and Goddard from Montreal.

" On March 1, 1763, twelve warriors of the Sous came here. It is certainly the greatest nation of Indians ever yet found. Not above two thousand of them were ever armed with firearms ; the rest depending entirely on bows and arrows, wliich they use with more skill than any other Indian nation in America. They can shoot the wildest and largest beasts in the woods at seventy or one hundred yards distant. They are remarkable for their dancing, and tlie other nations take the fashions from them. ***** Tliis nation is always at war with the Chippewas, those who destroyed Mishamakinak. Tliey told me with warmth that if ever the Chippewas or any other Indians wished to obstruct the passage of the traders coming up, to send them word, and they would come and cut them oft' from the face of the earth ; as all Indians were their slaves or dogs. I told them I was glad to see them, and hoped to have a lasting peace with them. Tliey tlien gave me a letter wrote in French, and two belts of wampum from their lung, in which he expressed great joy on hearing of there being English at his post. The letter was written by a French trader whom I had allowed to go among them last fall, witli a promise of his behaving well ; which he did, better than any Canadian I ever knew. ***** With regard to traders, I would not allow any to go amongst them, as I then understood they lay out of the government of Canada, hut made no doulit they would have traders from the ^lississippi in the spring. They went away extremely well pleased. June 14th, 1763, the traders came dowii from the Sack coimtry, and confirmed the news of Landsmg and his son being killed by the French. There came with the traders some Puans, and four young men with one chief of the Avoy [loway] nation, to demand traders. *****

" On the nineteenth, a deputation of Winnebagoes, Sacs, Foxes and Menominees arrived with a Frenchman named Pennensha. This Pennensha is the same man who wrote the letter the Sous brouglit with them in French, and at the same time held council with that great nation in favour of the English, by which he much promoted the interest of the latter, as appeared by the behaviour of the Sous. He brought with him a pipe from tlie Sous, desiring that as the road is now clear, they would by no means allow the Chippewas to obstruct it, or 'give the English any disturbance, or prevent the traders from coming up to them. If they did so they would send all their warriors and cut them off."

By the treaty of Paris of 1763, France ceded to Great Britain all of the country east of tlie ilississippi, and to Spain the whole of Louisiana, so that the latter power for a time held the whole region between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, and that portion of the city of Jilinneapolis known as the East Division was then governed by the British, while the West Division was subject to the Spanish code.