THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Letter to Maurepas
(April 8, 1734)
Bienville, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de,
and Salmon in: (AC, C13, Gen. Corr.
Louisiana, vol. XVIII: 70-88) and
in
Mississippi Provincial Archives,
vol. III, pp. 656-667.
. . . As far as the Wabash is concerned, Mr. de Vincennes, from whom we had not yet had any news at all, sends us word by a convoy which has just come down from the Illinois that the fort that he had made for the garrison which consisted of only ten men is very small (p. 85 v.) and in rather good condition; that it was advisable merely to add a reenforcement of piles; that he has had a house built in it at his expense for his quarters and that the soldiers on their part have themselves built shed for their quarters there; that now that the garrison will be increased to thirty men as Mr. de Bienville has given Mr. d'Artaquette orders to do it will be necessary to build barracks and a guard-house there. Mr. de Bienville also thinks it advisable to give him orders to increase the fort in proportion to the garrison. We shall be able to do that with little expense by having the Indians to work at it.
(p. 86) According to the statements that Sieur de Vincennes has sent us of the parties of Indians from the Wabash and the neighboring regions that were at war with the Chickasaws in 1732 and 1733 it appears that they have captured of killed of these enemies; to wit, in 1732 thirty-four men, women and children and forty-two in the year 1733. Since the Marquis de Beauharnois had given him order to have the Indians that surround his post march against the Chickasaws he has sent Sieur Salmon a statement of the expenses that he has incurred for this war from the fifteenth of January, 1733, until the twelfth of May following for furnishing munitions of war and merchandise (p. 86 v.) to different parties of Weas, Piankashaws, Potawatomis, Miamis, Iroquois and Illinoi. This statement amounts of 984 livres, 10 sous and is certified to by the Marquis de Beauharnois. We thought that we could not avoid having it paid. Sieur Salmon will have reimbursement for it paid to the said Sieur de Vincennes.
There remains the post of the Illinois at which we see with great pleasure that his Majesty has kindly decided to build a stone fort. Mr. d'Artaquette, whom we had charged to give us news about the old fort, writes us that although it was reestablished only two years ago the piles are already partly decayed, that the buildings that are in it (p. 87) will not last long, and as we have flattered ourselves, since this post is as considerable as it is, that we should receive orders to construct the fort of stone. On the memoirs that we had given him on this subject he replied to us that each cubic fathom of masonry would amount to ninety livres; to wit, for a cubic fathom of stone delivered on the spot thirty livres, twelve livres for a barrel of lime and forty-eight livres for the labor. This we have had difficulty in understanding as well as [did] Sieur Broutin, the engineer, with whom we conferred about it. . . .
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