The Renards, in Conjunction with the Maskoutins and quikapous, had waged open war upon us and our Savage allies for many years; they Surprised our detachments, carried off our Voyageurs, frustrated all our plans and Harassed us Even in our settlements, which we could Cultivate only with weapons at hand. Attempts had been made on several occasions to destroy them; But lack of Concert, the Spirit of self-interest, and the bad Management of those who at various times were Entrusted with That undertaking, always caused it to miscarry. Finally an event occurred that Brought about their disunion and the destruction of the renards.

In the month of October of The year 1728, A band of Quikapous and Maskoutins captured on the Missisipy seventeen Frenchmen who were going down from the Sioux to the Illinois.

[ Page 110 ]

They deliberated at first as to Whether they should Burn them or hand them over to the Renards who demanded them. But father Guignas, a Jesuit Missionary, who was among the prisoners, won their Confidence, and finally Succeeded in detaching them from the Renards, and in inducing them to sue for peace with us. He himself, after Five months Captivity, Came with them to the fort Chartres where peace was concluded According to their Wishes.

The Renards, weakened and disconcerted by This division, thought of taking Refuge, by way of the Ouyatannons, with the Iroquois, the friends of the English. The quinkapous [Stelle: an oddly different spelling of Kickapoo than in previous paragraph] and Maskoutins found out their designs and notified all The French posts of Louisiana and Canada. Their Good faith was doubted for some time and Monsieur De St Ange, the Commandant of fort Chartres, could not induce the French setters to take the Field.

Meanwhile, the Illinois of the Village of Cakokias Came, in the month of July 1730, to tell us that The Renards had taken some of their people prisoners and had Burned the son of their great Chief near le Rocher on the River of the Illinois. In consequence of This news, added to the warnings received from elsewhere, an expedition set out; the Savages were assembled; Monsieur de St Ange placed himself at the head of the French and on the 10th of August the Latter Joined the three or four Hundred Savages who had preceded them by a few Days, bringing up our army to a strength of 500 men.

The quikapous, Maskoutins and Illinois of le Rocher had Made Themselves masters of the passes on the North east side and this probably compelled the Renards to build a fort at le Rocher, A league below them, to Protect Themselves against their Attacks. [Stelle: If I was a good scholar, I would go to Paris, find the original manuscript, and retranslate this sentence and paragraph. It has been the source of much confusion and Thwaites made mistakes as seen above and below. I interprete the paragraph to reference two seperate fortifications. The Reaume Narrative states that the Meskwaki "...envoy retired to his village, five leagues from the Rock."] We had news of the enemy on the 12th, through One of our scouts who told us where their fort was situated; that he had Counted a Hundred and Eleven Cabins, and that we were at a Distance of only two or three Days' journey from them. We therefore continued our march through a Wooded

[ Page 111 ]

country, and on the 17th at Daybreak we came in Sight of The enemy. We met a band of 40 men who were out Hunting and whom we Compelled to Regain their fort.

This was A small Grove of trees surrounded by a palisade Situated on a gentle slope Rising on the West and North west Side on the bank of a small River, in such manner that on the East and South east Sides they were exposed to our fire. Their Cabins Were very small and Excavated in the earth Like the Burrows of the Foxes from which they take their name.

At the sound of the first gun-Shots the Quikapous, Maskoutins, and Illinois who had frequently come in contact with their bands, and who had been waiting for Aid for A month, Joined us to the number of 200. Our men were posted. By order of Monsieur de St Ange, so as to Blockade the renards, who made two unsuccessful sorties that Day. Trenches were dug the Following night and Every man worked to fortify Himself in the post assigned to him.

On the 19th, the enemy demanded a parley; they offered to Restore the captives they had formerly taken from the Illinois, and in fact they Gave up some. But it was found that they were Seeking only to Deceive us, and we Recommenced our fire Against them on the Morrow.

During the following Days we were Joined by 50 or 60 Frenchmen and 500 Pouatamis and Sakis savages brought by Monsieur De Villiers, the Commandant at the River St Joseph, Ouyatannons and Peanguichias.1 A fresh Parley took place. The Renards begged for their Lives with presents in their hands. Monsier [Stelle: sic] De Villers [Stelle: sic] seemed inclined to consent but His Party was not The most numerous, and he could not Conclude anything without the Consent of the French and of the Illinois Savages who Would not agree to any compromise.

Meanwhile it was Found that the Sakis were betraying us. Being the kindred and allies of the Renards, they dealt in an underhand manner with them, supplied them with munitions
----------------

1 Thwaites: This is either an hiatus in or a corruption of the manuscript. See De Villiers's account, for the conduct of these two tribes.

[ Page 112 ]

and took steps to favor their escape. Our Savages, who discovered this on the 1st of September, rose in a body and were about to fall On the Sakis, when Monsieur de St. Ange at the head of 100 French Advanced to close all avenues leading to the fort on the Side of the Sakis, and Restored order.

We feigned not to notice This Treachery Until the arrival of Monsieur de Noielle, the Commandant of the Miamis, who came to our Camp the same Day with 10 Frenchmen and 200 Savages. He was the bearer of an order from Monsieur The Governor of Canada forbidding the making of any treaty with the Renards. A General Council was held at which the Sakis were put to shame and it was unanimously decided that The enemy should be destroyed.

But we, as well as the Renards, had Long been Suffering from hunger; our Savages, being Reduced to Eating their dressed hides, became Discouraged; 200 Illinois deserted on the 7th of September. This bad example had No Consequences; the Renards were pressed more and more closely; the troops under Monsieur de St. Ange Built, at a distance of two pistol-shots, A small fort destined to Cut off their Communication with the River and everything seemed to presage A complete Victory in our favor.

[ Page 113 ]

But, on the 8th of September, A Violent storm with dreadful thunder and Continual rain Interrupted our work. The Day was Followed by a night as Rainy as it was dark and very cold. The renards seized The opportunity and issued in Silence from their fort This was at once perceived through the Crying of the children. But what could be done and how was it possible to Recognize anybody in Such Obscurity? There was as much Fear of killing our own people as of Letting the enemy escape. Nevertheless all were Under arms and the Savages advanced On both flanks of the fugitives to be ready to attack them as soon as Day broke. Daylight came at last and All set out in Pursuit. Our Savages, who were fresher and more Vigorous, Soon Overtook them.

The women, children, and Old men walked at the head, and the Warriors posted Themselves in the rear to Protect them. Their ranks were at once Broken and defeated. The number of those killed and captured was about 300 Warriors, besides the women and children. It is Agreed on all sides that not more than 50 or 60 men Escaped Without guns and Without any of the Implements for procuring their Subsistence. The Illinois of le rocher, the Maskoutins, and quikapous Are now in pursuit of this small Remnant of fugitives, and the first news we shall get will tell us of the total destruction of That Wretched Nation.

We do not yet Know How many Warriors the Nations of Canada have killed nor how many prisoners they have taken.