226 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



administered the last sacraments to some, and deferred one till next 

 day, as his case Avas not so nrgent, and it was alread}^ quite late. The 

 next day he said mass and then carried the Viaticum to the sick man, 

 to whom he had promised it, and it was after performing this duty of 

 charity that he was encountered by a chief, who seized him around the 

 body, threw him to the ground, and chopped off his head wnth blows 

 of a hatchet. The father, in falling, only uttered these words, "Ah, 

 my God ! ah, my God !"' M. clu Codere drew his sword to defend him, 

 Avhen he w^as himself killed by a musket ball from another savage, 

 Avhom he had not perceived." 



Charlevoix places the number of killed at about 200 and the num- 

 ber of captured at 150 children, 80 Avomen, and almost as many 

 negroes,'' while Perrier places the killed at 250.'^ This last statement 

 is probably the most correct, although it appears to be conservative, if 

 anything, as Dumont, whose wife was one of the captives, puts the 

 French loss in killed alone at " over TOO." '^ As in other cases of the 

 kind, the story of this disaster lost nothing in the telling, and we hear 

 the French loss placed as high as 1,500,*^ or even more. Those women 

 who had young children and those who were pregnant were killed. 

 The rest were enslaved and the greater part of them placed in the 

 cabin of the great female Sun, or white woman.^ 'No resistance was 

 made except at the house of M. de la Loire, chief commissary of the 

 India Company and " former commandant of Fort Eosalie." ^ M. de 

 la Loire, having learned that morning of the intended massacre, had 

 mounted his horse and was on his way to the fort to give w^arning, 

 when the signal was given, and he perceived he was too late. Endeav- 

 oring to return, he Avas intercepted by a party of Indians, who killed 

 him only after he had shot fonr of them. JNIeanwhile the members of 

 his household defended themselves stoutly and killed eight of their 

 assailants. At nightfall the two survivors reached the river, found a 

 galere, and escaped.'' 



Of the entire post, only about 20 white men got away and five or 

 six negroes, most of them wounded.'' One soldier was engaged at the 

 time in cutting wood for a furnace which had been made on the side 

 of the hill upon which the fort stood. At the first alarm he promptly 

 drew back the wood, crawled inside, and concealed himself there all 

 day, escaping at night.* The first to reach New Orleans and bring 



« Le Petit in Jes. Rel., lxviii, 166, 167. 



*" Sliea's Cliarlevoix, Hist. Louisiana, vi, 82-83. 



' Gayarr^, Hist. Louisiana, i, 414. 



<* Dumont, M6m. Hist, sur La Louisiane, ii, 144. 



" Adair, IHst. Amer. Incl., 353-:5r)4. 



' Du Pratz, Hist, de La I^ouisiano, in, 261. 



" Dumont does not mention liim among tlie commandants, Init says lie had been " judge 

 and commissary.'" 



'' Sliea's Charlevoix, Hist. Tiouisiana, vi, 82 : Dumoiil. MC'ra. Hist, sur La Louisiane, ii, 

 146-148. 



* Dumont, M<5m. Hist, sur La Louisiane, ii, 148-149. 



