[ 237 ] 80 



of ambition, and the desire of giving himself importance on his arrival 

 at New Orleans, by exhibiting in the persons of his deluded followers 

 the deep regret which his departure had occasioned in the bosoms of 

 the inhabitants of Illinois, in the hope of thereby rising to some elevated 

 funciion. 



This appears to have been the opinion of Mr. Laclede, who had always 

 endeavored to retain these flmiilies. by the offer of certain and immediate 

 advantages, as a set off against promises, the fulfilment of which de- 

 pended upon a thousand contingencies. On this subject he explained 

 himself to Mr. de Neyon in no measured terms. But the influence of the 

 latter prevailed. This did not prevent the high-minded Mr. Laclede from 

 acting as the friend and benefactor of those whom misfortunes drove back 

 to seek his protection. He distributed among them lands and provisions, 

 aided them with laborers, and furnished them the m.eans of transporting, 

 by land and by water, whatever they had preserved, or had previously 

 abandoned in their first removal. Thus the colony of St. Louis received 

 the accession of all those that emigrated from the left side of the Missis- 

 sippi. The village of Fort Chartres was completely deserted, there re- 

 maining only the small garrison of the fort. The inhabitants destroyed 

 their houses; not, however, in a feeling of spite, but to avail themselves 

 of whatever could be transported and appropriated to their new establish- 

 ments. 



In the meanwhile, the second year after the signature of the treaty of 

 peace had elapsed, and the British had not yet been able to take possession 

 of Illinois. This v/as owing to the opposition made by several Indian 

 tribes, who, as alluded to above, had refused to abide by the treaty, and 

 were waging a most cruel war against the British, These tribes had form- 

 ed a confederacy, under the command of Pontiac, a bold warrior, who had 

 already become celebrated for his prowess, and his devoted attachment to 

 France during the whole of ihe war which the latter had carried on against 

 Great Britain, in America, The confederated Indian army was composed 

 of Hurons, Miamis, Chippeways, Ottowas, Pottawatomies, Missourias, &C,, 

 &c. The name of Pontiac was the terror of the whole region of the lakes ; 

 and, by his bands, he effectually interrupted the British intercourse with 

 the rest of the nations that had remained friendly to that government. The 

 taking of Fort Michilimackinac, the attempt at Detroit, and the attack upon 

 the schooner Gladwin, on lake Michigan, are memorable events, evincing 

 a spirit of cunning and daring highly characteristic of the genius of the 

 red man. 



In the winter of 1764-65, Pontiac, whilst engaged in his acts of 

 depredation, learned that an armed British force was about to start from 

 New Orleans, to take possession of the left bank of the Mississippi. He 

 immediately proceeded to the neighborhood of Fort Chartres, accompa- 

 nied by 400 warriors, to oppose this occupation of the country, and, find- 

 ing there some Illinois Indians, who had placed themselves under the 

 protection of the French garrison, he proposed to them to join him. But 

 these people, disheartened by recent calamities, and, as it were, foredoomed 

 to a final extinction, were unwilling to assume a hostile attitude towards 

 their new rulers, from whom interest, if not generosity, would lead them 

 to expect the same protection which they were then receiving. To this 

 refusal Pontiac replied, with characteristic energy: "Hesitate not, or I 

 destroy you with the same rapidity that fire destroys the grass of the 



