The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-10-10
The Journal OF lie suenr's voyage up
the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers
I'll
xUmBER Z.

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lie 'Sueur, Though the least known Of the
adventurous Frenchmen, who explored the
Upper Mississippi nthe l7sh Century, lis
more worthy ofremembrance by the Mime
sotian. HE was the first to discover the
Minnesota river, assembled il for consider
aLle distance, and may well lie termed the
Pioneer explorer ofthe present Minnesota
Territory, as Hennepin was captive all
the time oc his visit in the vicinity of Rum
River. Though 10 common with the trav-
elers Of that age, addicted to exaggeration,
his descriptions are more accurate than
Hennepin's, and he is the only French trav-
eller that gives any extended account of the
Dakota nation.
But little is known of his early history
Previous TO his travels South and West, he
was commissioned in 1903 by Frontenac,
the Governor of Canada, to establish post
mt Chegoirnegon, on Lake Superior, and TO
make an alliance with the Saulteurs or
Chippewas, and Scioux. After leaving
Lake Superior, he appears. to have visited
the Mississippi river by the way ofthe Wis
consn. In the year 1895 he caused fort to
be erected on an Island in the Mississippitwo
hundred leagues above the Illinois, a1rp
btyaffseslrse1selaDA This post was huiIt to
keep up peaceful relations between the
Chippewas, who (accordmg to La Harpe,
resided on the shores of Lake FIVE hum
bred lesgues in circumference, and one
hundred leagues to the east, )aud the Srioux
who resided upon the upper Mississippi.
The same year he went back to Montre-
al with Chippewa Chief named Chingo-
wabe, and Scioux called Iioscate who
WAS the first Dakota in that city, he was
received very kindly by the Governor and
other officers Two days after be came to
Montreal, he presented frontenac as many
arrows as there were s'Scioux'' villages and
asked tina, these might be Under has protec-
ton. lie Sueur had intended to have re-
turned to the Dakota country in I69h with
Tiosrate, but the chief in the meantime
died, after thirty-thr days sickness. lie
Sueur then went to France aud obtained
permission in 1897 to open some mines
which he claimed TO have found in the Da-
koia country. :. ...lt..fl 1se ag .rsi.li'tf
In June of that year. be left Rochelle for
the New World, but was captured lly a
British fleet and taken to England. Being
released from captivity, he returned to
France, and in 1893 obtained q new com
mission for mining. r1 ft e-
lie Sueur published no account of his
travels, but in the history Of the establish
inent of the French in Louisiana, by La
Harpe there is an extract from the account
Of his last voyage to the Scioux or Dakota
county. ..-. f.t E'.t-t.
The "History Of Louisiana by La Harpe"
who was French officer, remained in
manuscript in Louisiana, more than one
hundred years. In 1905 a copy was taken
from the original and deposited among the
archives Of the American Philosophical So
ciety. In the year 1881 it was published at
Paris for the first time. AS it has never
been translated and is not easy Of access we
transcribe all that relates to the ''Scioux"
aud the mining operations Of lie Sueur, on
the Blue Earth River. On the SSth and
following pages, La Harpe says: "On the
10th Of February MIR. lie Sueur ar
rived (at the mouth of the Missssipm) with
1000 quinlals of blue and green earth from
the Scioux country. Here is an extract of
the account of his voyage. Ii has been seen
above, that he arrived at the colony in the
month of December, 1899, with so work.
men. but could not reach Iamarois before
the following June, the journey being long
from the mouth Of the river to that place.
On the 10Th of July, 100, with one fe-
louque and two canoes, and with nineteen
men, he departed. On the 18th having adj
vanced six leagues and quarter, he stopped
at the mouth Of the Missouri River, and six
leagues above this, he passed the Illinois
Oh the East side. He there met three Can
adian voyageurs, who came to join his band
aud received by them letter from Fathe,
Marest, Jesuit, dated July 10Th, 1900 a,
at the Mission Of the immaculate Concep-
ton ofthe Holy Virgin, in Illinois, of which
the following is copy: fs.
81 have the honor to write, in order to
inform you, that the Saugiestas have been
defeated by the Scioux and Ayayos (io.
wasO The people have formed an alliance
! with the Quincapous (kickapoos?), some
of the Mecon.ins, Renards (Foxes), and
MetesigamIas and gone to revenge them
selves, not on the Scioux, for they are toe
much afraid Of them, but perhaps on the
Ayavois, or very like upon the Paoutes, OF
. more probably upon the Osages, for these
supect nothing, aud The others are on their
r guard. .af
"As you will probably meet these allied
nations, you ought to take precaution agans
their plans, and not allow them to boar,
your vessel, since they are traitors, and ut
terly faithless. | pray God to accompany
you in all yonr designs"
Twenty-Five leagues above the Illinois
he passed small stream which he called
; the river Of Oxen, and nine leagues beyond
this he passed small river on the wes
, side, where he met Canadians descend
ing the Mississippi, on their way to the Hi.
noi~. On the S0th Of July, nine leagues
: above the last named river, he met II
: Scioux in canoes, who were going to re.
venge the death of 8 Scioux, one of whom
r had been burned and the Others killed, al
4! Tamarois, u few days before bis arrival in
$ that village. AS he had promised the chic
of the Illinois to appease the Scouy who
should go to war against his nation, he
made a present to the chief Of the party tt
engage him to turn back. He told them The
king Of France did not wish them to make
this river more bloody, and that he was sen
to tell them, that il they obeyed the King,
word, they would receive in future al
things necessary for them. The chief an
swered that he accepted the present, that i.
.. to say, that he would do as had been tolt
= him. .e..t te .f,a..ae' ee ve.'
i From the the S0th Of July to the 25th o
: August, lie Sueur advanced So IA leagues
I to small river, which he called the rive
n the Mine. At the mouth it runs fromth
r North, but il turns to the northeast. o,
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