Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-03-07
The Sun Of White Apple.
BY MAURICE THOMPSON.

In November, 1929, French officer
by the name of Chopart, with small
body of picked soldiers, held the little
post called Fort Rosalie, in Louisiana,
and ruled with military despotism the
country round about. He was brave
and efficient soldier, no better ever drew
sword during the long struggle for the
upbuilding of the Louisiana colonies;
but, as was the case with most of those
hardy.and intrepid adventures, he had
little regard for the rights or the feelings
of the real owners of the soil, the i'll -fatea
red men, whose romantic and heroic his
tory has never been adequately recorded.
The region surrounding Fort Rosalie
was extremely fertile, and had been long
occupied by the Matches tribe Of Indians,
whose knowledge and skill in agricul-
ture were only equaled by their lofty
pride of bearing and their courage in
battle. They were inclined to be peace
full and treated the white invaders of
their country with great kindness at a
time when it would have been easy to rid
themselves of their threatening presence
forever.
Bicnville, lately superseded by Perier
IS Governor or Commander General OF
the province of Louisiana, had treated
the Matches most brutally. True, the
Indians had massacred the settlement on
the Sainte Catherine: but before this
they had been robbed, tricked, cheated
and forced from their lands by Bienvilles
followers, and their act was but the out.
burst Of n righteous indignation long
suppressed Biesville and his officers
fearing to meet the Matches in open war.
fare, sought IN interview with their
chiefs, and entered into compact to
maintain peace. No sooner were the
Indians of their guard, however, than
the French secretly took possession OF
Fort Rosalie, and prepared to drive the
whole tribe into the wilderness. A
general attack was made on the quiet
and practically defenseless villages and
plantations. Many Of the Indians were
slaughtered in the most inhuman wav,
and to crown all, Bienville demanded
that the Matches should surrender up to
him their leaders When this was done
the brave chiefs were brutally murdered.
For time the appalled, and grief.
stricken tribe appeared to be utterly sub
duCd. The braves ceased to struggle
against fate which was bearing them
down with such mcrcilcss certainty. They
became stolid tillers Of the soil. opened
trade with the white men and went about
as if heart broken.
Chopart, whose desire for gain knew
no bounds, used his official power at
Fort Rosalic as lever for hosting gold
into his Golfers. He had ceased to credit
the reports of vast deposits OF precious
metals to be found farther northward,
and turned his attention to despoiling
the Indians bv trickerv and intimidation
At THIS time a famous chieftain, one Of
the nobest OF the Matches tribe, owned
superb plantation called White Ap-
ple," upon which he lived surrounded
by small village of his tenants. He
was man in the first prime of life, tall,
1.-THE and of commanding presence; his
face. though inscrutable, was of fine
manly type, dark, but not black, straight
featured and fGN Of quiet but lofty dig
nifty. His home at>Nhite Apple was a
spacious lodge, hung with the skins OF
wild beasts and furnished with all the
savage splendor of weapons and warlike
trophies and decorations becoming arich