The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-23
MADELEINE DE vERCHERFs.
Tho story af the Girl of Fourteen VINO
Held a Canadian Fort Against
this rrnnnTs.
New York World

New York World.l
II WAS In Canada, almost two centuries ago.
Sir Williams Philips had not long sailed away
beaten from Quebec, one OF his officers who
had been charged with the exchange OF pris-
oners, saying as he took his leave: we snail
make you another visit In the spring to
which French officer had returned, with
martial courtesy: I'VE stall have the honor
Of meeting you ere then" The Iroquis, with
torch and knife, were harrassing the French
settlements scattered around Montreal, and
cruelty trying the patience and courage Of
the colonists. In broad day they had fallen
on the mission, Just behind the mountain
round which to-day some scores Of American
| tourists are lazlIy rolling in big hacks drawn
| by big gray horses, and made prisoners OF
thirty-five converts. They had fallen ON fair
Pointe-aux- Trembles, just below the city
how many thousand Americans have not seen |
| from the Richelieu steamers. Quebeewards |
bound the sun setting over its high church |
and green trees blown about by the fresh |
wind and burned thirty houses Van
Dreuil, begging from door to door biscuits
and morsels OF pork to sustain his men, had
fallen upon forty Of the savages in house at
Repentigny, and setting fire to it, had killed
| thirty-four OF them with muskets and axes or
by driving them back into the flames. Young
Francois de Bienville,' says ParkfnaD, zone
of the sons Of Charles LIE Noyne, rushed up
TO window, shouted his name like an In
dian warrior, fired on the savages within, and
was instantly shot dead" One Of his brothers
took his name-he founded New Orleans.
But one savage got away from the trap; the
five prisoners we're given To the Inhabitants
Of Repentigny, PoiDte aux Trembles and
} Boucherviie, who burned them alive on the
highway that runs along the river bank 10
plain view Of the tourist by the stea mers.
: The lineal descendants Of the gengeful set
tiers clad in holden gray, jog In their little
{ carts drawn by stumpy ponies along the
g nuiet road from the deck OF the steamer one
9 could almost toss biscuit upon them.
: Not go quiet we're these pastoral parts In
: 1892 "a traveller passing through this part
, Of Canada would have found the houses emp
: ty. Here and there he would have seen all
= the inhabitants Of parish lab0ring In field
r together watched by sentinels and generally
guarded by q squad OF regulars. When one
field was TILED they passed TO the next; and
| this communal process was repeated when
| the harvest was ripe At night they took
!. refuge in the fort-that Is TO say, in cluster
| OF log cabins surrounded by palisade" It
| was not safe 10 do anything else This the
folk Of La Chesnaye had found out when, for
y getting the sharp lesson OF two winters be-
8 fore, they had returned to their homes. A
n young man had gone TO spend the Uestke with
, his sweetheart, widow, whose husband had
q been killed by the Indians In the recent mas
It saere, taking with him his gun and a
little dog, doubtless q wee eoffee-col-
II ored cur with short legs, a little pink tongue
v lOlnp out OF his mouth on one side and a
II big curved tail with whits tip curling over
e his back on the other When the hour Of
g parting came his sweetheart possessed by
). some unaceountable apprehension, urged him
9 not to go-tO remain till morning. He did 80
It : luckily for them both. Towards dawn the
II barking Of his dog aroused him, and going
h out he saw the sky lit with the blaze Of burn
Z ing houses and ringing with the yells Of the
$ Indians. They barred the door, and ne beat
4 | off the savages, the widow standing behind
9 him to load the gun he had discharged, while
g with the spare piece ne fired on them. By
d daylight the lroquois had gone, and the widow
> and her lover were the only living souls ia La
/ Chesnave outside the fort. but they were a
CONTAGIOUS folk, and their descendants now
, till in peace the pretty fields lying round the
II village Of LacheDaie.
o Those we're indeed troublous times, as shall
If witness the story Of the deeds wrought In
If October, 1882 by Madeleine de Vercheres, In
" the fort which Parkham has happily STYLED
e ''the Castle Dangerous 81 Canada A covered
r way connected it with a strong block-ho
l. outside, in which her mother, with three o.
e. four armed men, had two years before steoe
v two days siege by the Indians till the Mar
r quis de Crisasi came 20 their aid with troops
"a Mime. de VerchereS was now, however aDsen
& at Montreal, the lord Of the seigniory, al
10 officer Of the regiment Of Carignan, was OF
K duty at Quebec. The settlers were all at worl
y in the fields, there being LETT at the fort onl.
IN two soldiers, two boys an old man OF eight
and q number Of women and children, amoDl
ar them the Segneur's daughter. Marie Made
{, Ieine Jarret de Vercheres was precisely four
a. teen years and q half Of age; her brothe
g. Louis was twelve; the other brother Alsx
49, andre, was baptized In 1852, and 80 probabl
to was ten. One Of them was killed at tn
~ attack Of Hayerhill In 1903.
&c The girl, with a man named Layiolette, wa
D. at the landing-place not far from the for
nd when suddenly she heard firing from the d
to reetiOn Of the harvest fields and at the sam
in instant her companion cried: Run, made
in moiselle. nfn-here are the Iroquoisr Turr
Ia ing she saw some fifty Of them within pistt
range, and ran for the fort commencing hel
to self To tine Blessed Virgin. The Iroquois, fint
of ing they could not overtake her before sh
y reached the gate, stopped and fired at hel
an "the bullets" she said, 'WhisCled about IN
er- ears and made the time seem very long
90 When near enough to be heard she crie
,ly f'Atlc nrmesi Aur armesP hoping that som
We body from the fort would come TO her aid, b.
Up the two soldiers, panic-stricken, had hidde
nd at the gate two women Weeping
ar the husbands that had that instaI
ICE been slain before their eyes. Il made the
go In" says the heroine, "and then shut On
gate. next thought what / would do TO say
mr. myself and the few people with me. son
Of the palisades Of the fort she found, on u
spection had fallen down; these she helPe
to carry to their places and Get up. III
red breaches closed, she went TO the DiocK-nols
the and found the two soldiers, Gaehet and L
my Bonte, IN the magazine, one covering - u -
hi corner, the other with q lighted match Ia ~
her hand. What are you going to o., Oh
18th asked Of the nearly demented man. "Ligf
nee the powder and blow US all up" ne answere
gas s'You miserable coward, said she, "go out
nd tbis Mace" speaking with such resolutiC
if t that that Re- obeyed II then" her recit goes o.
hat Threw off my bonnet, and after putting on
hat and taking a gun, said to my tF
ORC mothers: Let US fight to the death. We a.
IN fiohting for our country aud our rellgio
on Penember that our father has taught "
that gentlemen are born TO shed their blot
1t | for the service Oh Lod ana Lne kih9.
moo two children and the soldiers, Row sham.
me into courage, began firing from the Io1p- mol
n . mon the Indians, who, ignorant alike Of d
L. mea kneas Of the place and Of ita parriann 81