The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-10
FOG CH5zH RETzNAT1T OF .5oLDLERS
9O7P7ERS FT5ELLEE07lHZI

ST Charles County and several Of the
Rangers killed there. and just hack of
Alton
FORTS VARIED Uses
IN SPANISH TIMES
1t appears thai Eel!efontaine's Uses eyed
back in Spanish times Were varied. The
fur trade and its rivalries had taen be
gun. and the French from The LAKE region
encroached upon Spanish Louisiana In
his Traditions and Recoiiections o:
Prairie du Chen in Wisconsin Historical
Society Collections. Volume IN B. W.
Bresbeis says Of the for, Al Prairie dG
Chen:
I'm after times this old fort Was said
10 have been occupied by Canadian irad-
ers as depot for furs and pelts. oc-
casionally the Spaniards 81 ST Louis
would send up gun boat 10 si"ze every
thing of the kind. as 50 much contiScat-i
property. having been gathered by British
traders on Spanish territory. and without
Spanish license or permission. Wren the
traders below. would learn OF the ap-
proach OF Spanish gun boa; they would
apprise their friends at Prairie du Chien,
who would hurry OF their property To
Aack1naw Tor preservation.
Captain J. Long. British trader. in his
voyages and travels. relates that in June.
1850. news was brought from the Missis-
sippi to Mackinaw that the Indian traders
had deposited their furs at La PraTie
Du Chens or Dogs Field. where there is
a town Of considerable note built after the
Indian manner, under the care OF Mons.
Langlade. the Kings interpreter; and
that the Americans were in great force
at the Illinois, and on the opposite shore.
at st. Louis. was a Spanish fort. COM
manded by an officer and about twelI e
men, to prevent-illicit trade.
LEWIS AND CLARK
VISITED THE GARRISON.
To Fort Bellefontsine came Lewis and
Clark When Colonel Thomas Hunt WAS
ordered to the West he went by way OF
Vincennes to St. Louis. In her sketch OF
the life of Abigail Smelling. a daughter OF
Colonel Hunt. Mrs. Eilet says:
General Wilkinson was there -.at- 81 I-otiisj
at that time, and ordere'i Colonel HIInS 10
take command OF the garrison at the mouth Of
the Missouri. eighteen miles above St I>olis.
This was about tho time OF Burr cons PIRACY
and a court martial was Immediately he'd t.
one Of his adheren,s. He vas acquitted. Then
arrived a, the garrison Lewis anu Clark from
their exploring expedition; and the ,.ecIliar ap-
,sarance of their dress made Of den skins. the
outer garment tringed and worked with porcU-
Pine Quils. something between military
dress frock coat and Indian sh,t. with tseir
,egeins and moccasins three e-ccrnered cooked
hats and long boards caused no small wonder
among the younger members OF the family.
General Pike was at this time Captain in
Colonel Hunts regiment. and was selected By
the Government to explore the Upper Misslssip-
nj He left his wife and iit;Ie daughter under
the protection OF Colonel Hunt. his depart
ure in the following year. His absence was
prolonged two years. during which time MS
friend was removed from this world
It appears then, that il was in Pixies
absence on his exploring expedition that
his child died. and was buried at Belle
fontaine. the gravestone and its inscrip-
ton having been preserved all these years.
Years afterwards Mrs. Smelling again
visited ReIlefontaine. The troops went up
10 the barracks AT BeIlefontaine. where
she visited the graves of her parents find
ing them in good order, with the exception
Of the railing. which inclosed the mounds.
Her youngest child, 10 months old. was
then very III: he had been named Thomas
after his grandfather. He died and was
buried beside his brave ancestor.
1t was to Bellefontaine near st. Louis
that one of the prisoners taken by the
Indians. from the massacre at Fort Dear
born was taken. 1t is recorded that Lieu
tenant Helm who was likewise wounded.
was carried by some friendly Indians to
their village on the Au Sable and thence
10 st. Louis, where he was liberated by
the intervention of Thomas Forsyth.
trader among them"
HISTORIC POINT AS
DESCRIBED IN 1919.
In an account OF an expedition from
Pittsburg to the Rocky Mountains, per-
formed in the years 1873 and 20 by order
OF the Honorable J. c. Calhoun Secretary
Of War, under the command OF Major
stephen H. Long. the fort at Bellefontaine
IL described:
to BelIefontaiae. distance Of four miles. our
boat grounded twice On the point Of the same
sand bar. and considerable time was consumed
in effort. to get her afoat. 4 military post
was established at Beilesontaine under the d.
rection Of the Government Of the United States
By General Wilkinson, in 1sc3. but the soil on
which his works were erected has disappeared,
the place being now occupied by the bed Of the
river A few fruit trees only. which stood in
the end Of his garden. are yet standing. but
are nsw On ths bsiak & ~ girer. The arat