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•Cross,

One Quartillo

Fourth Stamp, One Quartillo, Years of

,Stamp, One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty-Six

And Fifty-Seven0

N. 91 1755

,Cross,

In the City of Mexico on the nineteenthDeDosition

day of February of the year one thousand seven

hundred f ifty-five i Seftor Don Domingo V'alcdrzel, a Knight of

the Order of Santiago , a member, of the Council of His Majes-

ty, his Uidor in this Royal Audiencia' and Auditor General de

la Guerra, while he was in the Confession Hall of the Nation-

al Royal Prison for the purpose of receiving the depositions

of the Frenchmen , summoned one of them before him. By meanslv

of Don Josseph de Cuenca9 the interpreter //appointed, and

before me, the said notary of Guerra, the aforesaid sePior

administered to him the oath which he took in the name of our

Lord God and a sign of the cross, according to law, promising

to tell the truth in so far as he knew and might be questioned.

When asked his name, status, nationality' age, residence, and

profession, he said his name was Joseph Blancpain, a native

of Mons, Flanders; that he was married in Mississippi to Ma-

ria Anna Lambrote, that he has been appointed by the King of

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France as an interpreter of the languages of the Indians of

those regions, of which thereare eight, and that at the pres-2

ent time he has a//mercantile store in the presidio of Nati-

choos and an hacienda for farming twenty-two leagues from New

Orleans, where he lives, and, that he is fifty-seven years

old. When asked by what order or command the deponent had

come with his other companions to the banks and the mouth,of

the Trinity River or whether he had come solely.on his own

initiative, where they had come from, what was their itinerary,

and how many days they had spent on the way, he said that he

came to trade on his own initiative rather than by anyone's2v

order or //command; that he set out with his companions from

the hacienda he owns at los Homasess twenty-two leagues from

New Orleans; that from his house they embarked on the Missis-

sippi River, and ten leagues up they entered a branch of the

said river that flows into the Laguna called Chetil from where

they went out to sea. Then, after entering the Laguna of the

Atacapas Nation' they egain went out to sea. They next arrived3

at the place where they were arrested, //which is at a dis-

tance of two leagues from agua salada and fifteen leagues,

from the sea. They spent two months on the way because at

times they were detained by the wind or stopped to.fish.

When asked when they had arrived and whether anyone Eelse,

had come with them,, and whether any of their company or

party had escaped at the time of their arrest in October of

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last year, he said that as well as he could,remember, they

arrived the first of August of last year and that their names3v

were listed on the license or passport //that he was exhibit-

ing and that there was, also another negro whom he hired in

New Orleans from Monsieur Lacrev; and that prior to their im-

prisonment, he had sent those who were missing to his hacien-

da. When asked how long before their imprisonment they had

settled in that locality, by whose influence or order they

had come, whether they had been sent by the governor of New

Orleans or of some other French colony to barter and trade,

what goods and merchandize they had brought; whether they had

disposed of any merchandize,, and what goods, they had at

the time of their //arrest, he said that they had had their

settlement at the place where they were arrested for two

months.and ten days; that they had come under the command of

the deponent and had not been sent to barter and trade by the

governor of New Orleans or of any other French colony. He

added, that, as he had stated, he had come with the permis-

sion and license of the governor of New Orleans; that they

had brought bolts of goods of different colors, bayetas, ver-spinning

milion, cutlery, glass beads? calderas,/tops, large andL-v

//small axes, verdigris, wire' blankets., shirts and blousesi

hats9cotton cloths, camlet and other woolen goods for Iin-

ings' four and a half barrels of gunpowder each containing

one hundred pounds, a thousand pounds of bullets, two hundred

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0,pounds, of munitions, combs, bells, gunflints, escopettes,

pistolets. He said, that everything belonged to the deponent,

had cost him about six thousand pesos at New Orleans, and was5

itemized in the invoices and account books that //were taken

from him at the time of their imprisonment. He added, that

he had bartered some goods for deer skins valued at about

three hundred or four hundred pesos. When the inventory on

folios seven and eight of the principal proceedings had been

read to him, he said that it did not contain a record of every-

thing that was taken from him at the time of his arrest, that

what was recorded was only about a fourth of what he saw dis-

tributed among the lieutenant, the soldiers, and the arrie-

rocs,. He stated that, they gave the Indian chiefs of the

Vidais and Horquissas five or seven fusils, a little gunpowder,5v

bullets, and //knives, and some small mirrors, and to the wom-

en they gave, glass beads, bells, and some bayeta, and this

cwas, what the said chiefs told him and.showed him. He said,

that he would make an estimate and present a memorandum of the

goods that were extant at the time of their.arrest. When asked

what commerce they had with the Horquisas and Vidais Nations,

whether the companions of whom he spoke to the Horquisas when

they attempted to release the prisoners had gone over to these6

or to other nations, he said that //neither he nor his compan-

ions had any commerce or trade with the Horqu.isas and Vidais

Nations and that he had traded only with the Atacapas Nation

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125

with whom he had done the bartering of which he had spoken and

that he had had license for trading with them for twenty-five

years. He said, that he had obtained part of his articles

for barter, from the governor of New Orleans and that the Ata-

capas Indians also went to New Orleans to trade taking horses,

skins, and bear oil. He said, that for thirty-two years the6v

French had been trading //with the said nation, which is very

numerous, has many rancherias, and extends from the Trinity

River to Laguna de Cheti, which is at a distance of five

leagues from the Mississippi River. He said, that five or

six days previously these Indians had notified him that the

Spaniards were coming to arrest them and that he and his com-

panions did not escape because from the passport he had he

believed that he was in the dominions of the king of France.7

He told the Horquissas that,in order to learn whether //the

seizure was just, he was going to speak to the Spanish govm

ernor9 and he told them to calm down because the French gov-

ernor and the Spanish ^governor, were one and the same. When

asked whether it was true that he had destroyed the patent of

the chief named Calzones Colorados granted by Captain Don Joa-

chin de Orobio Basterra and had appointed a new chief giving

him a new patent on behalf of the French Nation thus, violat-

ing the friendship and harmony between the two nations, and

to state who was this new chief whom he appointed; and whetherv

it was true that he went to New Orleans with Monsieur //Lacrev

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•

for the purpose of bringing back, some families, how long

ago, how many families and what covenants and agreements

they made, with the Horquissas, he said that everything con-

tained in the question was false because the deponent did not

destroy the patent of Chief Calzones Colorados, whom he did

not know, neither did he create a new chief nor have the au-

thority to do this. And he said, that he also believed it

was not true that Monsieur Lacrev had gone to New Orleans for

the purpose of bringing ^back, families. When asked whether

he had told Joseph de Arias or other persons that fifty fami-

lies and a chaplain who were about to leave New Orleans were8

coming //to settle and to establish a mission for them, he

said that he had not said anything of the sort, that it was

all suppositious and he did not know whether families were

being expected and he did not believe that they were. And

,he said, that what he had said was the truth under penalty

of the oath he had taken, which he affirmed and ratified.

And he signed this with the said interpreter and the sef]or

auditor affixed his rubric. I certify.

Signed with a rubric.

Blancpain

Before me:

Joachin de Balbuenael v

Notary //of His Majesty and

,Notary, of Guerra,

Josseph de Cuenca

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Sworn memorandum that I, Don Joseph Blanc-

pain, a native of the kingdoms of France and a

vecino of New Orleans, now under arrest in the Royal Prison

of Mexico, am presenting of the effects, the boat with its

stores, etc., my own clothes and my servants' clothes,, all

of which were taken from me and seized on the tenth of Octo-

ber of last year of one thousand seven hundred, fifty-four

in the Pueblo named Atacapas after said nation, situated on

the far bank of the River, five leagues to the east,. The

seizure was made, by order of 9 Don Jazinto del Barrio, govern-

or by order of His Majesty //of los Adaias Csic,. cThese ef-

fects, are as follows:

Memorandum

Twenty-four ordinary French escopettes.

Six English ditto.

Four Dutch ditto.

Three superior master ditto.

Six pairs of ordinary horse pistols.

One pair of superior ditto.

One pair of pocket ditto.

Twenty-four ordinary machetes.

Twenty-four ordinary narrow sword blades.

Four quintales and a half of gunpowder.

.One thousand pounds of lead bullets for escopettes.

Two hundred pounds of ammunition,

Two bolts of blue cloth.

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0Two bolts of red ditto.

Twelve bolts of red bayeta.

Two bolts of green serge.

Twenty-four bolts of assorted camlet in colors.9v

//Two bolts of white mofort.

Two bolts of ordinary velvet.

Two bolts of blue barracan.

Two bolts of Dauphine, a cloth of flowered silk and cot-

ton, sixty arrobas per bolt.

Four bolts of striped ribbon.

Two bolts of em,broidered ditto.

Four bolts of painted Marseilles linen cloth.

Two bolts of white braid.

Eight dozen handkerchiefs in four..rolls.

Thirty-six ordinary men's shirts.

Twelve ditto women's blouses.

Twelve ordinary European blankets.

Thirty-six superior ditto.

Six dozen pairs of cotton stockings.

Two bolts of striped cotton duck.

Twenty-five pounds of superior vermilion.

Fifty pounds of minium.

Fifty pounds of verdigris.10

Fifty pounds of assorted.colored glass //rosary beads.

Twenty-five pounds ditto, large, sky-blue.

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0Twenty-five pounds small colored glass beads.

Five hundred pounds of salt in a cask.

A box with assorted gunsmith's tools with several pieces

for mounting and dismounting weapons with a large

vise.

Five hundred ordinary razors with wooden handles in a-

barrel.

Two hundred ditto with horn handles.

two Flemish knive s .

One hundred fifty large ditto with cleft handles for kill-

ing cattle.

One gross of ordinary combs of horn and light wood.lUv

One //gross_of eslabones.

One gross ditto.

Ten thousand gunflints.

One gross of awls.

One gross of small crosses of gilded copper.

One gross of drop earrings of the same material with

small stones.

Two gross of buttons or links with ordinary stones.

Two gross of small metal rings.

Four gross of yellow copper bells.

One gross bronze ditto.

Five hundred children's steel trumpets.

One skein of iron wire.

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9Six skeins of assorted brass ditto.

One hundred large fishhooks.

Thirty-six skeins of fishing line.

Three dozen harppons.11

//Twenty thousand assorted sewing needles.

Twelve dozen small ordinary mirrors in a case.

Twenty-four needles for sewing pelts.

Four reams of paper.

Four pounds of ordinary thread.

Four pounds ditto for sewing boat sails.

Six curved knives for preparing pelts.

Fifty pounds of iron nails.

Four dozen needles for sewing boat sails.

Twelve bridle bits.

Four dozen iron sickles.

Four dozen crystal glasses.

Two knives with handles on both ends used by carpentersliv

for shaping //wood.

Two iron compasses.

Two saws, large and small.

Two iron tongs.

Fifty iron calderas varying from four to twenty-four

cuartillas.

One hundred large axes.

Fifty small axes.

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Four carpenters' axes.

Four dozen tin spoons.

Thirty-six hoes.

A set of scales with large scale plates of copper and

fifty weights 6f lead and iron assorted in size.

Two yellow copper calderas or size kettles of fifty

cuartill.os each.

Six iron shovels.

One small iron bar with a thirty-pound weight..

Two sets of calker's tools.

Two long-handled curved anzuelas.12

//Six chisels for cleaving and riveting the seams of a

boat.

Six very.long drills.

Six medium ditto varying in diameter.

Three hammers of different sizes.

Five hundred pounds of tobacco in bundles in a large

cask.

Two bolts of the cloth that we call MasamG, which is the

woolen cloth, used by the English to Make redin-

gotes.

Two thousand three hundred deer skins.

Four pairs of long trousers.

Four pairs of ditto of striped cotton duck.

One boat which with three sets of sails, tackles, and

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other appurtenances--in the same condition as at

the time of the seizure--cost one thousand five

hundred pesos.

Kitchen utensils and food.12v

Two red copper calderas //with six kettles used as lids.

Four iron ditto with six lids of the same material,.

One iron frying pan.

Platters and plates of tin.

Spoons and forks of steel.

Twelve napkins and four tablecloths.

One cask of Carlon wine.

An6ther ditto of aguardiente.

One barrel with s-ixty cuartillos of aguardiente.

Two cases each with twelve bottles full of aguardiente,

Another case with twelve bottles of olive oil.13

Two jars of thirty //cuartillos each of bear oil or lard.

One barrel with fifty cuartillos of vinegar.

One hundred pounds of white sugar in a barrel.

One jar. with fifty pounds of brown sugar.

Six pounds of Chinese pepper.

One half pound of cinnamon.

One half pound of nutmeg.

One half pound of cloves.

Eight pounds of chocolate.

Twelve pounds of coffee.

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Five hundred pounds of hard-tack in two large casks.

Five hundred pounds of rice, thrashed and clean.

Two barrels of salt meat.

Another, ditto of salt fish.

Four barrels with iron hoops.13v

Four water casks with //iron hoops.

Two vats with iron hoops.

Two wooden pails with iron hoops.

Six funnels of different sizes.

Six cruets.

Six jars of fine porcelain.

One trunk or male ma le,, as we call it in French, with

. the following clothes for my use:

Two dozen fine shirts with trimmings.

One dozen and a half ditto of striped cotton duck.

Two waistcoats and two paits of trousers with silk

braid.

One waistcoat and one pair of trousers of iron gray

wool.

One dress coat of ratteen with buttons and loops of

gold.

One waistcoat and trousers of drugget and flowered

blue silk.14

//Three pairs of silk stockings,, new.

Two pairs of ditto, partly worn..

Twelve neckties.

Twelve handkerchiefs of Muselenitan, six red and the

others blue.

Twelve larger ditto of Rouen linen.

Six embroidered caps.

Six plain ditto.

Two ditto of Segovia wool.

Six silk handkerchiefs.

Four pairs of sheets.

One dozen towels.

One dozen pairs of stockings.

One dozen pairs of cotton stockings.

Two dozen pairs woolen slippers.

One sundial of silver plated copper, which cost

fifty escudos in Paris.

Two field glasses' large and medium.

Four pairs of reading glasses.l4v

One beaver h.at, with a//gold galloon, three f-±,n-

ger-s wide.

One dressing..table mirror.

One silver plated box containing six razors' scis-

sors, gunflint, &.

One cutlass and bericie trimmed with silver.

One walking cane with a silver heade

One pair of silver shoe buckles.

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135

Other silver buckles for neckties.

Two pairs of new shoes.

The following is the property of the white and black

servants:

Of the white servants, :

Eighteen shirts with trimmings.

Twelve ditto of striped cotton duck.

Two waistcoats trimmed with galloons.

One waistcoat and trousers of dark cloth.

Four pairs of silk stockings.

Eight pairs of cotton ditto.

Two pairs of wool ditto.15

//Twelve silk handkerchiefs.

One beaver hat.

One ditto part beaver.

Two woolen redingotes.

Eighteen handkerchiefs.

Six pairs of stockings.

Six ordinary shirts.

Four cotton caps.

Two wool ditto.

Two fine blankets.

One pair of shoes.

Two oxen and bear skins used for covers.

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Of the negro servants,:

Four skins used for covers: two oxen ^skins, and

two 'k.>ear. skins,.

Two ordinary blankets.

One waistcoat and trousers of woolen stuff.

Another waistcoat and trousers of cutin.

Eight shirts for Indians.

Five pairs of long trousers.

Four silk handkerchiefs.

Four handkerchiefs.1 5v

One raglan of the material called //hasamd.

More of my own,persorial effects:

One set of saddle accessories consisting of one

ap_quera, pistol cases of fine scarlet cloth

with a double gold braid.

Twelve pairs bolts, of ribbon two fingers wide.

Six bolts of blue ribbon,.

And six rbolts of, red ribbon „

Eight bolts of blue and red tape.

The said memorandum contains all the effects and the other

items listed therein that were attached and taken from me in

the above-said pueblo, day, and year. I am presenting it under

oath in order that it may be valid for all time and that I may

137

retain my rights. In order that this may be of record I am16

signing it in Mexico on the twenty-fifth //of October of the

year one thousand seven hundred fifty-five.

Blancpain

A true copy of the originals which are with the proceed-

ings on, the subject in the Ofiio de Gobierno y Guerra of this

kingdom in my charge, to which I refer. And in order that it

may be of record wherever needed, by virtue of the order is-

sued, I am granting the present copy,. Mexico, February six-

teen, one thousand seven hundred fifty-six.

•Joseph de Gorraez

,Rubric,

cA.D.S* in :.C.C.9 February 19, 1755,

eFndorsed,: Proceedings relative to Lanpen, his deposi-

tion, inventory.

February 19, 1755.

cBndorsed in English,: 1755. Trial & Examination of the

Frenchmen taken at the mouth of the Trinity in 1754.

138

0Most Excellent Sefior:

Under date of the sixteenth of April last, Don Zdsar de

Blan, commandant of Nachitos, wrote me that he had learned

that the Indians of this dominion intended to attack this pre-

sidio and that he was notifying me of this because it was his

duty; and because of his friendship he was offering me troops

and munitions for my defense. I replied expressing my appre-

ciation to him. And because Don Marcos Ruiz, who was then a25

civilian, and Sergeant //Domingo del Rio were the two persons

who had the most influence among the Indians, I sent them to

scout the Indians. I obtained all kinds of articles for bar-

ter from Nachitos at the obvious risk of losing them if dis-

covered, and on the nineteenth of the said Emmonth of, April

the two above-said ^m.en set out, by land without any troops

and with only two men each in order to win the friendship of

the said nations. They carried orders to make gifts to the

Indian Chiefs and Tamas and to dissuade them from believing

the rumor, spread by the malice of a Frenchman. The Indians

were quieted merely by seeing that the Spaniards carried arti-

cles for barter for them; and it was this circumstance that

enabled Jazinto de Le6n to disperse to their homes c a group

of Indians, from many rancherias who had congregated at San

Pedro by telling them that if the Spaniards had intended to

kill them they would not have given them fusils, gunpowder,

and bullets„ This statement was so noised abroad, Most Ex-

139

cellent Seor, that the consequent peacefulness was wide-

spread. The sergeant continued on his way to the Vidays, a

numerous and warlike nation; he found them unbiased and un-

perturbed. He treated them obsequiously and gave them gifts

whereupon they declared themselves pro-Spanish. He remained

among them almost three months and came back, well satisfied.

Chief ThomAs asked for a captain`s patent and bast6n, which

were granted and presented to him by the said sergeant by

whom they were sent with many other gifts, not only in order

to.establish their friendship more firmly but also because

the news.that the French had entered the Horcoquisas country

was beginning to spread. The sergeant returned slightly over

a month.later with news confirming the intrusion of the French

in the said Horcoquisas country. While treating this news

lightly, I nevertheless made use of it by providing myself

with a large stock of articles for barter. I obtained these

from Nachittos at the above-said risk. And although I_had to

resort to various means and bribes, I did in fact succeed in

sending the Sergeant and his brother Xt6val del Riol who is,

equally loved by all the Indians, with ten mules loaded with26

fusils, gunpowder, bullets' and the //other effects valued by

these nations, and the hard-tack of corn,and pinole requested

by the said Vidais Indians. All this was sent, in charge of

only the said sergeant, his brother, and two arrieros and

without being armed for greater security. I was expecting a

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small shipment of supplies from San Antonio and postponed the

publication of the outfitting of troops until the arrival of

a courier,. And de facto, it so happened that on the ninth

of September I received from Your Excellency some pliep,os

which enabled me to announce that Your Excellency was sending

.me a squad of twenty-five men under the command of an officer

under orders from Don Pedro Rdbago y Terdn. The said squad

was not able to set out until the twenty-second of September

because.it had to.be supplied with provisions and other in-

dispensable articles. Finally, SePlor, we succeeded in keep-

ing the French or any of those who went on the said expedition

from learning ourintentions because Don Marcos Ruiz carried

a sealed plie-o, which he was ordered to open at the ranche-

ria of the aforesaid Chief Thomds. This was done as Your Ex-

cellency will see from the proceedings enclosed with this let-

ter,. It seemed necessary to give away everything that the

French had as a warning to them and in order to win the friend-

ship of the Indians. This fact has afforded me the satisfac-

tion of.doing my duty without desiring any compensation for

the expenses that I have incurred other than to be worthy of

Your Excellency' s gratitude and of your. m??oroval for the man-

ner in which I`have conducted this expedition. I can assure

Your Excellency that the French would not have been captured

if these foresighted precautions had not been taken. It is

now imperative for us to provide these Indians with arms be-

cause the first stipulation made by the Indians to the lieu-

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tenant and the sergeant was that they could not get along

without gunpowder7 bullets, and fusils. I already have an

abundant supply of articles for barter for this purpose some

of which, I shall send rby, the aforesaid sergeant on the

first of December. I shall continue doing this until Your

Excellency sends me orders to the contrary. From the en-

closed proceedings on this subject Your Excellency will real-27

ize the necessity for protecting //the mouth of the Trinity

River not only because of the intrinsic importance of this

site but also because of the proof contained in the said

.proceedings, that fifty French families are expected to

settle there. These cfamilies, have not arrived because the

Indians have agreed to notify cus, as soon as they arrive.

It is impossible to provide such protection, with only the

troops from this presidio because of the many duties assigned

to these men. For this reason I am asking for eighteen sol-

diers from the three presidios, of San Xauier9 San Anttonio,

and Dahia and ten esoldiers, from this presidio,. As soon

as they arrive they will be stationed at the said locality

until Your Excellency shall decide whatever you consider ad-

visable. . . .

Archivo General de Indias, Au-diencia de Guadalajara. 17 56 .Dunn Transcripts' pp. 34-3

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