NO. 14 CADDO BURIAL SITE WALKER 7 



The post was visited by Benard de La Harpe on his trip up Red 

 River in 1719; he found there the Yatasi also Hving with the Natchi- 

 toches and Oulchionis (Doustiony). The Yatasi had been induced 

 by St. Denis on his return from Mexico to settle with the Natchitoches 

 about 1 71 6, and yet the three tribes together only numbered about 

 150 persons. They were all, however, very friendly to St. Denis, a 

 circumstance much in his favor in the course of subsequent events. 



The next event of major importance in the history of this site 

 occurred in 1731, when a band of Natchez under the Flour Chief, 

 driven from their stronghold on the headwaters of Black River by 

 Perier, came to attack St. Denis in his fort. That officer was still 

 able to get word out for reinforcements, but before they could arrive 

 from New Orleans, he sallied out with his Indian allies and a few 

 Spaniards from the neighboring presidio of Los Adaes and fought a 

 battle with the Natchez, which resulted in the defeat and almost total 

 annihilation of the latter at a lake a few miles to the south. Charlevoix 

 gives the account of this fight, as told by Sieur Fontaine to De Loubois, 

 the leader of the party sent to succor St. Denis, in the following words : 



* * * that the Natchez had been defeated; that the Natchitoches had at the 

 outset wished to attack them, but being only 40 against 200, they had been com- 

 pelled to retire, and even abandon their village after losing 4 of their men; 

 that the Natchez had seized the village, and intrenched themselves there; that 

 then De St. Denys, having received a reenforcement of Assinais and Attacapas, 

 who were joined by some Spaniards, had attacked the enemy's intrenchments 

 and killed 82, including all their chiefs ; that all the survivors had taken flight, 

 and that the Natchitoches were in close pursuit.'' 



Their pursuers caught up with the Natchez at the lake about 3 miles 

 west of Cloutierville, and the sanguinary conflict that took place there 

 is said by Dr. Dunn to have been the origin of the name Sang-pour- 

 Sang (Blood-for-Blood), by which it is locally known. A hill in this 

 vicinity is called by the same name, corrupted in writing to " Sampu- 

 sanc Hill ", and this may be the source of Sibley's information that 



before the viceroy in June 1715, returned to the Spanish settlements north of 

 the Rio Grande, where he acquired a wife in 1716, pushed on to the Hasinai 

 village in June of that year, and on August 25, 1716, found himself back at 

 Alobile. The following January the Governor, Cadillac, sent a sergeant and six 

 men to take possession of the island of Natchitoches and establish a fort there 

 in order to keep out the Spaniards, who had already set up a presidio at Los 

 Adaes, some 9 leagues to the west, near the modern town of Robeline, La., and 

 were suspected of having cast greedy eyes on the Red River site. The prompt 

 move of the French forestalled the Spaniards in this attempt. 

 ' Swanton, Op. cit., p. .'250. 



