The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-04-24
w L N e N A.,
Da"shter of Sun Of the Natchez..A
t"ie OF the Massacre Of the French
at Fort ROsalie, In 1870.
BY PAP.

eU' ana on line east and west from Mobi
lt- Bay to the Sabine,) was recalled to Fran
to answer some charges which had be,
preferred against him, and which ultimat
lr- ly caused his removal.
on Perrier was appointed to succeed him c
tie the 9th of August, 1925.
The most powerful Indian tribes occup
ing the country at that time, wei
in the Choctaws, Chickasaws and Natchez-
n the latter, however, were by far the MOI
It. intelligent and enlightened, and more r,
mote from barbarism. Their villages wer
numerous, and along the beautiful valley
a of tie St. Catherine and Second creek, til
le perpetual fires burned in their sacred ten
n pies, and they We're at peace with thei
European neighbors.
On an elevated plateau on the Westerl
10 bank of Second creek, some ten or clever
\ miles southeast from the present city o
Natchez, was situated "White Apple Vii
lage," where dwelt the Great Sun, or Chief
of the tribe, as well as many of the lesser
Suns and their families-for this was theil
favorite village, the site of which il
still pointed out to the traveler-it being
!, marked by group of lofty mounds, which
date back into the misty past, even beyond
tradition.
1 The French garrison at Natchez, at this
s time consisted of about hundred men
t under the command of Col Chepar. While
in the immediate vicinity of Fort Rosalie-
which was situated on bluff overlook
ing the Mississippi and in what is now the
! suburbs of NatcheZ-resided some fifty or
sixty families, comprising about two hum
dred men and women, one hundred and
fifty children, and about the same number
of slaves.
Col. Chepar was very Incorporate man,
beside, he was naughty and arrogant in the
extreme which, coupled with willful,
exacting disposition, rendered him very
unpopular with the Indians. Not so
with Major De Rouche, his second in COM
mand; he was well liked, especially by
the squaws And being young man,
of prepossessing appearance, rumor saidh he
was very intimate with one of the female
Suns. Be that as it may, the sequel would
seem to Warrant the presumption.
From repeated failures of remttances
f%@v FEenfe s it %tTn ue to
presents, and the Choctaws, as well as the
Chickasaws, became disaffected thereat,
while Perrier proved less polite III his in
tercourse with them than Bienville; SO
much so in fact, that they concocted a
scheme of general hostility, with view to
massacre the French colonists in all of their
settlements. The Natchez, h owever, would
not enter into the scheme; owing to which
fact, it was not carried into execution.
But the day was fast approaching when
the colony was to receive terrible blow.
About this time Chepar conceived desire |
to possess himself of the land whereon was
his demand accordingly, backed by the |
assertion that it was in accordance with
command of Perrier, and threatened to
seize it by force of arms, ifit was not vol
UNFAIRLY given up by the next moon.
This was an unexpected and unprece-
dented demand to the Natchez; and one
they did not intend to acquiesce in. Yet,
to give them time to mature plans to pre-
vent Chepar from taking possession, they
pretended to submit Willingly to his wishes,
and only asked an extension Of time to en-
able them to locate another abiding place.
This was granted, and the commandant of
Rosalie chuckled over his acquisition, and
made himself happy over his Cognac.
Late one afternoon in November, 1923,
Mai. De Rouche was seated in his apart
ment, in Fort Rosalie, looking out upon
the broad river, while his thoughts revert
ed to the land of his nativity, La belle
France, and the dear ones he had left be-
hind him among the vine clad hills, and
wondered were they thinking of him afar
off among the wilds of the new world.
1t was a cold, raiaeevening, and the bleak
winds broke from off the river against the
bluffs, and whistled dolefully around the
stockade of the fort. Across.the river, as
far as the eye could reach, dense cypress
swamp stretched in an unbroken sea of
dark green, suggestive of melancholy l
thoughts, and these had taken possession {
of Mai. De Rouche. A rap at the door t
awoke him from the reverie into which he S
had fallen. lie sprang to his feet and asked: I
"Who is there?" S
"Tbe officer of the day has called to in
form you, Major, that a young squaw OF q
The Natchez is at the stockade portal, and I
wishes to speak to you in private"
"All right. Lieutenant, admit her." said I
De ROuche.
Presently the squaw entered the room. s
She was scarcely eighteen years old, Of g
medium height, of fine form and faultless II
features. Her head was encircled with u
,and of red velvet ornamented with beads p
If various colors, coufning her hair which u
,ung in raven tresses half way to the u
round, She wore loose tunic of blue Il
10th. which reached to her knees, and W
vas confined at the waist by a broader II
and similar to that of her head dress; yell al
ow buckskin Ieggins encased her limbs, tN
erminating in a pair Of richly embroidered Sc
nd beaded moccasins; large blue cloth fo
lantle with bead fringe had enveloped her in
u her way thither, but being wet she al
ung it over a chair to dry. g;
"What brings you here ON such day as lii
his, Winena!" asked Major De Rouche as til
he entered the room. She made no reply, til
nj pointed to the door, and listened to the in
eparting footsteps Of the officer who es- W
orted her to the Majors quarters. at is da
Il right. no one shall hear our converse er
on - said De ROuche, who OWNED the be
,ason Of her silence, and proceeded to tn
olt the door. "Be seated, Winena, my Ia
,,ls one. aud tell me what brought you ff
ut on such a day as this" ca
Being assured that no one was listening,
he Indian girl accepted the profered seat, ar
nd spoke as follows, in very fair French wi
Monsieur le Major DE Rouche, you tell SCI
e you love me, and one day will make me du
,ur wife. and carry me on visit to your up