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04 - Starved Rock- A Historical Sketch by Eaton G. Osman · Starved Rock- A Historical Sketch

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  Speaker 1: Section four of Starved Rock, a historical sketch by Eton
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  Speaker 1: g Osman. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain
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  Speaker 1: recording by Veronica Jenkins. Section four Lesalle's career and Tonti
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  Speaker 1: LaSalle's career. Planting strange fruits and sunshine on the shore.
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  Speaker 1: I make some coast, alluring some lone isle to distant
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  Speaker 1: men who must go there or die Emerson his earlier work.
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  Speaker 1: Robert Cavier Siue de la Salle born in wu Won
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  Speaker 1: sixteen forty three, educated for the priesthood a Jesuit long
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  Speaker 1: enough to legally sacrifice his fortune because of the connection,
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  Speaker 1: came to America in sixteen sixty six. With a small
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  Speaker 1: patrimonious capital. He set up as a feudal lord at
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  Speaker 1: a place called Lachene, on lands granted him by the
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  Speaker 1: sulmonary of Saint Sopice, at the most dangerous spot perhaps
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  Speaker 1: in North America. It is clear that LaSalle's purpose in
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  Speaker 1: coming to America was a greater one than to establish
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  Speaker 1: himself as landlord of a frightfully dangerous wilderness. For we
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  Speaker 1: find him studying Indian languages and Indian nature, both of
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  Speaker 1: which he came to understand thoroughly and completely. His relations
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  Speaker 1: with the natives were always singularly happy. The establishment of
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  Speaker 1: Le Salle at Lachine was a means only to a
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  Speaker 1: greater end. In sixteen sixty nine he made his first
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  Speaker 1: expedition of discovery, and it is now generally conceded that
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  Speaker 1: in that year and in sixteen seventy he explored the
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  Speaker 1: Ohio River at least to the falls at Louisville, and
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  Speaker 1: possibly to the Mississippi, as well as the Illinois River.
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  Speaker 1: In sixteen seventy four, the discovery of Joliet and Marquette,
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  Speaker 1: becoming known in Canada, disclosed the truth which LaSalle had
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  Speaker 1: probably come to America to establish. If the latter were
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  Speaker 1: the fact, as seems probable, the current of his purpose
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  Speaker 1: was thereby changed. Since therefore the Spaniards had never taken
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  Speaker 1: possession of the Mississippi, it was Lessal's ambition now to
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  Speaker 1: profit by that oversight, and by reaching its mouth at
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  Speaker 1: the Gulf via the Illinois, he could take verbal possession
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  Speaker 1: at least of the valley, and by closing the mouth
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  Speaker 1: with a fort, and by placing others along the rivers
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  Speaker 1: from the lakes to the gulf, he could hold it
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  Speaker 1: against all others, and thus add the best part of
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  Speaker 1: a continent to the possessions of Lewis the fourteenth in America.
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  Speaker 1: Then the center of French dominion in North America could
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  Speaker 1: be transferred from the bleak and inhospitable Canada to the
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  Speaker 1: fertile fields of the fruitful Valley, which, by agriculture and
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  Speaker 1: trade would sooner or later become a mighty empire. It
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  Speaker 1: was a grand and eminently practicable conception which, not many
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  Speaker 1: years after LaSalle's death, became the policy of the French government,
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  Speaker 1: with what success. The history of the Franco English struggle
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  Speaker 1: in America during the US eighteenth century amply testifies. Returning
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  Speaker 1: to France in sixteen seventy four, Lasal unfolded his great
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  Speaker 1: project at the court of Louis the Magnificent. In reward
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  Speaker 1: for his discovery of the Ohio, he was ennobled, and
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  Speaker 1: having the friendship of Frontenac, the governor of Canada, he
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  Speaker 1: obtained liberal grants of lands and exclusive trading privileges, both
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  Speaker 1: on Lake Ontario and in the new lands of the
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  Speaker 1: Illinois Country, which he was to explore and settle at
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  Speaker 1: his own individual expense. However, in the summer of sixteen
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  Speaker 1: seventy nine. Therefore he built on Lake Erie the Griffin,
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  Speaker 1: the first vessel except the Indian canoe to sail the
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  Speaker 1: Great Lakes. But while returning from Mackinaw and Green Bay
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  Speaker 1: to Fort Frontenac with her first cargo affirs, the Griffin
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  Speaker 1: was lost with all on board. Lasal meantime, had pushed
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  Speaker 1: on to the Saint Joseph River, at the mouth of
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  Speaker 1: which he built Formed Miami, thus securing the key to
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  Speaker 1: the Illinois via the kanka Kei. Here he heard rumors
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  Speaker 1: of the loss of the Griffin, but his purpose never faltered.
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  Speaker 1: Crossing the portage to the head waters of the kanka
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  Speaker 1: Kei River, he launched eight canoes with thirty five men,
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  Speaker 1: including the faithful Tonti, upon the Illinois, down which he
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  Speaker 1: paddled until he came to Starved Rock, or rather to
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  Speaker 1: the great Indian town La Vantoum, on the plain north
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  Speaker 1: and west of the rock. The town was deserted, but
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  Speaker 1: LaSalle opened the corn caches of the Indians and removed
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  Speaker 1: such as he needed, leaving abundant presents in payment. Then
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  Speaker 1: he pushed on to the present Peoria Lake, where he
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  Speaker 1: built another fort called Kreeve Corps, for he was now
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  Speaker 1: convinced by the non arrival of men in supplies of
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  Speaker 1: the Griffin, that his vessel was indeed lost. Here he
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  Speaker 1: put another boat on the stalks, in which he purposed
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  Speaker 1: to sail to the mouth of the Mississippi, and then,
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  Speaker 1: leaving Tonty with fifteen of his men to complete the ship,
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  Speaker 1: he started for Canada to repair his loss. It was
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  Speaker 1: on this return journey, depressed by his loss and fearful
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  Speaker 1: for the future, that early in March sixteen eighty he,
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  Speaker 1: as second time, reached the Illinois town Lavantum, now buried
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  Speaker 1: in the desolation of very early spring. Lesal's men saw
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  Speaker 1: buffalo waiting in the snow, and they killed one of them.
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  Speaker 1: On the following day, while the hunters were smoking the
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  Speaker 1: meat of the buffalo, Lasal went out to reconnoiter and
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  Speaker 1: presently met three Indians, one of whom proved to be Chosagoac,
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  Speaker 1: the principal chief of the Illinois. The interview with the
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  Speaker 1: latter was so favorable that the chief at its close
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  Speaker 1: promised to be friend Tonti at Creeve Corps. After several
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  Speaker 1: days spent at the deserted town, Lsal prepared to resume
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  Speaker 1: his journey, says Parkman. Before his departure, his attention was
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  Speaker 1: attracted to the remarkable cliff of yellow sandstone, now called Stick,
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  Speaker 1: a mile or more above the village, a natural fortress,
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  Speaker 1: which of score of resolute white men might make good
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  Speaker 1: against a host of savages. And when he arrived at
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  Speaker 1: Fort Miami and found two of his men there waiting
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  Speaker 1: for him, he sent by them to Tonty an order
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  Speaker 1: to examine it and make it his stronghold in case
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  Speaker 1: of need. The rock was indeed admirably adapted for Lassalle's purpose.
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  Speaker 1: It commanded the river the highway for all travel from
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  Speaker 1: the Lakes to the Gulf, and in addition to being
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  Speaker 1: in the midst of a fertile country, it overlooked the
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  Speaker 1: great town, which would be the center of an immense
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  Speaker 1: Indian traffic. Tonti, hear ye, not the shrill piping screams
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  Speaker 1: on the air, up braves for the conflict. Prepare ye,
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  Speaker 1: prepare aroused from the cane brake far south by your drum,
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  Speaker 1: with beaks wet for carnage. The battle birds come on
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  Speaker 1: the forehead of earth, strikes the sun in his might,
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  Speaker 1: O gide me with glances as searching as light in
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  Speaker 1: the front of the onslaught to single each crest till
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  Speaker 1: my hatchet grows red on their bravest and best Indian
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  Speaker 1: war song, the Iroquois raid. La Salle had scarcely bade
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  Speaker 1: farewell to Tonty at Creeve Corps, when eight of the
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  Speaker 1: men with the latter, discouraged by the news brought by
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  Speaker 1: La Salle's messengers to Tonty from Fort Miami of the
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  Speaker 1: loss of the Griffin, mutinied, and having plundered the fort
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  Speaker 1: and destroyed the ship deserted while Tonti was examining Starved Rock.
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  Speaker 1: In accordance with Losalle's order, having sent four men by
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  Speaker 1: different routes to Canada to inform LaSalle of his latest disaster,
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  Speaker 1: Tonty was left at the Rock with but five white companions,
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  Speaker 1: two of whom were member and reboard Ricolet Friars. For
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  Speaker 1: greater show of confidence, this little band of Lsalle's faithful
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  Speaker 1: followers took up their residence with the Indians, hoping to
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  Speaker 1: maintain themselves until LaSalle's return. Here they spent the opening
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  Speaker 1: spring and summer. The Illinois, among whom they dwelt, were
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  Speaker 1: an aggregation of distinct, though kindred tribes, the Caskaskias, the Peorias,
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  Speaker 1: the Cahokias, the Tamaroas, the Moingona, and others, and were
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  Speaker 1: reputed a cowardly and rather contemptible race of Indians. The
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  Speaker 1: summer had passed uneventfully, and for the Frenchmen time doubtless
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  Speaker 1: hung heavy on their hands, for nothing can surpass the
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  Speaker 1: vacant monotony of an Indian town, where there is neither hunting,
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  Speaker 1: nor war, nor feasts, nor dancing nor gambling to beguile
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  Speaker 1: the lagging hours, and so out of the interminable monotony
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  Speaker 1: came the tenth of September, when suddenly the village was
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  Speaker 1: awakened from its lethargy, as by the crash of a thunderbolt.
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  Speaker 1: An army of Iroquois from New York had been approaching
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  Speaker 1: to attack them. On the eleventh the attack came Tonty
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  Speaker 1: and his few men, who then were suspected as allies
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  Speaker 1: of the Iroquois and had the day before barely escaped
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  Speaker 1: with their lives from the infuriated Illinois, joined with the latter,
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  Speaker 1: who were greatly outnumbered by the Iroquois. The scene of
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  Speaker 1: the struggle was the prairie just at the edge of
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  Speaker 1: the woods bordering the Big Vermilion River. Near its mouth.
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  Speaker 1: The Illinois had crossed the river now bearing their name
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  Speaker 1: and had attacked the enemy, where Tonti, desirous at all
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  Speaker 1: hazards for the sake of Lassalle's interests of preserving peace
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  Speaker 1: or at least of saving the Illinois from their almost
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  Speaker 1: certain massacre, attempted to mediate and at infinite personal risk,
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  Speaker 1: did obtain a cessation of the battle and a promise
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  Speaker 1: from the Iroquois, who were at peace nominally at least
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  Speaker 1: with the French, to abandon their purpose. The Iroquois, however,
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  Speaker 1: soon repented and as quickly violated all their promises. Tonty
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  Speaker 1: and his followers were compelled to leave the village and
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  Speaker 1: that part of the country. While the Iroquois balked of
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  Speaker 1: their life prey wreaked their fury on the Illinois dead.
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  Speaker 1: They dug up the graves, they threw down the scaffolds.
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  Speaker 1: Some of the bodies they burned, Some they threw to
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  Speaker 1: the dogs. Some, it is affirmed, they ate. The Illinois
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  Speaker 1: had escaped down the river by keeping together as a
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  Speaker 1: compact mass until they reached its mouth. Then some crossed
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  Speaker 1: the Mississippi to the western side. Others continued on down
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  Speaker 1: the river, while the Tamaroas remaining near the mouth of
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  Speaker 1: the Illinois were destroyed by the Iroquois. Lasal with four men,
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  Speaker 1: reached the scene on his return from Canada in November,
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  Speaker 1: but no saluting whoop greeted their ears from the village.
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  Speaker 1: As they had expected. They passed starved Rock, but as
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  Speaker 1: La Salle ascended its lofty top, he saw no palisades,
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  Speaker 1: no cabins, no sign of human hand, and still its
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  Speaker 1: primeval crest of forest overhung the gliding river. The town
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  Speaker 1: was desolate. They landed. Before them lay a plain, once
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  Speaker 1: swarming with wild human life, now a waste of devastation
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  Speaker 1: and death. Near at hand was the burial ground of
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  Speaker 1: the village. The travelers sickened with horror as they entered
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  Speaker 1: its revolting precincts. Every grave had been rifled, a hyena
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  Speaker 1: warfare had been waged against the dead. Lozal knew the
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  Speaker 1: work of the Iroquois. La Salle was consumed with alarm
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  Speaker 1: for the fate of Tonty, But finding no trace of
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  Speaker 1: white men among the remains, he hoped to find him
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  Speaker 1: still alive, and in that hope, pushed on to the
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  Speaker 1: mouth of the Illinois, trusting to get some clue to
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  Speaker 1: his fate or his whereabouts. At the mouth of the river,
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  Speaker 1: he abandoned the trail and returned to Fort Miami, where
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  Speaker 1: he spent the winter, while Tonty and his companions, after
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  Speaker 1: most fearful suffering, found a refuge at Green Bay end
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  Speaker 1: of section four, recorded by Veronica Jenkins in Ottawa, Illinois,