﻿40 
  HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  

  

  tions 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  French, 
  but 
  more 
  by 
  the 
  threats 
  of 
  

   Ahbamo 
  Mengo, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  formidable 
  of 
  the 
  

   Choctaw 
  chiefs, 
  the 
  Natchez 
  were 
  brought 
  to 
  terms; 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  27th, 
  deUvered 
  to 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  Choctaws 
  all 
  

   the 
  women 
  and 
  children, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  negroes 
  in 
  

   their 
  possession. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  night 
  of 
  the 
  18th, 
  eluding 
  the 
  vigilance 
  of 
  the 
  

   besiegers, 
  or, 
  as 
  some 
  assert, 
  with 
  the 
  connivance 
  of 
  the 
  

   French 
  ! 
  they 
  made 
  their 
  escape, 
  crossed 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  

   and 
  took 
  refuge 
  among 
  the 
  Washitas. 
  

  

  Thus, 
  with 
  the 
  escape 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez, 
  ended 
  this 
  ex- 
  

   pedition, 
  so 
  little 
  creditable 
  to 
  the 
  French 
  arms, 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  rescue 
  of 
  the 
  captured 
  women 
  and 
  children, 
  and 
  

   whatever 
  else 
  of 
  success 
  attended 
  it, 
  were 
  owing 
  mainly 
  

   to 
  their 
  Choctaw 
  confederates. 
  

  

  The 
  women 
  and 
  children 
  thus 
  rescued 
  were 
  sent 
  down 
  

   the 
  river 
  to 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  

   eventually 
  settled 
  on 
  concessions 
  of 
  land 
  made 
  to 
  them 
  

   at 
  Point 
  Coupie. 
  The 
  country 
  being 
  thus 
  abandoned, 
  

   the 
  French 
  commenced 
  the 
  erection 
  of 
  a 
  brick 
  fort, 
  the 
  

   command 
  of 
  which, 
  with 
  a 
  garrison 
  of 
  one 
  hundred 
  

   men, 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  Baron 
  de 
  Cresnay. 
  

  

  Another 
  expedition 
  was 
  set 
  on 
  foot, 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   which 
  Perrier 
  placed 
  himself, 
  and 
  in 
  January, 
  1731, 
  

   having 
  discovered 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  retreat, 
  and 
  the 
  fortified 
  

   camp 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez, 
  near 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  the 
  Washita 
  

   and 
  Tensas, 
  eventually 
  succeeded 
  in 
  capturing 
  forty-five 
  

   men 
  and 
  four 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  women 
  and 
  children 
  ; 
  

   the 
  others 
  escaped. 
  

  

  The 
  prisoners 
  captured 
  by 
  Perrier, 
  including 
  two 
  suns 
  

   and 
  a 
  princess, 
  were 
  taken 
  to 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  transported 
  

   to 
  San 
  Domingo, 
  and 
  sold 
  into 
  slavery.* 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  January, 
  1*731, 
  application 
  having 
  been 
  made 
  toM. 
  de 
  Maure- 
  

   pas 
  to 
  relieve 
  the 
  company 
  of 
  the 
  expense 
  incurred 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

  

  