Page 21 [21]
: J i
ig leh rine 47 dőlt, d 37 Le Se ee ld Ba me
HISTORY OF LEEDS AND GRENVILLE. 7
Translated, this reads as follows : " Francis Pic¬
. guet laid the foundation of this habitation, in the
name of the Almighty God, in 1749. — These build¬
ings were subsequently occupied by a British
garrison, and also as court-house, gaol, and barracks.
The first French Governor of the fort was the great¬
grandfather of James Keeler, Esq., of Edwardsburg.
The fort was named La Presentation, and subse¬
quently played an important part in keeping up |
communication by land between the St. Lawrence
and Lake Champlain. The French spared no efforts
in attempting to withdraw the Iroquois from inter¬
course with the English, sending Father Ragueneau
to Onondaga in 1657-8; Isaac Joques, to the
Mohawks, in 1646; Frs. Jos. Lemercier to Onon¬
daga, in 1656-8; Frs. Duperon to Onondaga, in
1657-8; Simon Le Moine to Onondaga, in 1654,
and subsequently to the Mohawks and Senecas ;
and many more, whose efforts were crowned with
partial success.
As a result of the efforts put forth by the
missionaries, a part of the Mohawk tribe, in 1675-6,
emigrated to the Saut St. Louis, in the vicinity of
Montreal. The room in which Charlevoix dwelt
while at this mission of the Saut St. Louis is still
pointed out to visitors; and the table on which he
wrote, forms a part of the furniture of the priest’s
house at that mission.
The establishment of the missionary station and
fort at the mouth of the River La Presentation
(Soegatzy) (Oswegatchie), is described as follows, in
the Documentary History of New York, the trans¬
lation having been made at Paris by a special agent
of that State:
“A large number of Iroquois savages having
declared their willingness to embrace Christianity,
it has been proposed to establish a mission in the
vicinity of Fort Frontenac. Abbe Picquet,a zealous
confidence, is especially fitted for the task.”
. Nevertheless, Ogdensburg was subsequently se¬
lected,
‘The account says : “ Father Picquet arrived at the
. River de la Presentation (1749), called Soegatzy,
with twenty-five Frenchmen and four Iroquois
L ns. He set about building a stone house to
ecure his effects. He next had erected a small
ve as a bastion.
In due time, five cannon, of two-pound calibre,
ie > sent to the Abbe for his little fort, so as to |
: ion to his Indians, and persuade them
ts 1 ey would be in security.”
meeecancions were well taken, for on the 26th
i 1749s a band of savages, believed to have
a
been Mohawks, attacked the mission, which was
Fort Frontenac. The French believed that the
attack was instigated by the English, who beheld
with alarm the erection of a post, by a hostile
nation, within the borders of the lroquois country.
In 1751, Father Picquet, having strongly fortified
his position, commenced the erection of a saw-mill
—the first one built upon the shores of the St.
Lawrence.
On the roth of June, 1754, there assembled at
Albany, a congress of representatives from the
several English colonies, to devise a plan of union,
for common defence against the encroachments of
the French. The following is one of the statements
agreed upon by the council :
“That they (the French) are continually drawing
off the Indians from the British interest, and have
lately persuaded one-half of the Onondaga tribe,
with many from the other nations along with them,
to remove to a place called Oswegatchie, where they
have built them a church and fort; and many of
the Senecas, the most numerous nation, appear
wavering, and rather inclined to the French ; and it
is a melancholy consideration, that not more than
150 men of all the several nations have attended this
treaty, though they had notice that all the Govern¬
ments would be here by Commissioners, and that a
large present would be given.”
In July, 1755, a French regiment, under De
Bearre, ascended the St. Lawrence for the purpose
of operating against the British. The Abbe Picquet
joined this expedition, with twenty-eight warriors,
proceeding to the Island of Tonti. Several prisoners
were taken, and with them Picquet proceeded to
Montreal.
In several other engagements the name of this
indefatigable missionary is mentioned, the French
authorities heaping upon him the highest enco¬
niums; the English uniting in declaring that he
was all that was vile, because he employed the
Indians in making attacks upon defenceless settle¬
That he was actuated by - patriotic
sentiments, no one can doubt. With zeal unabated,
and energy untiring, he labored in behalf of his
religion and the cause of his King. The conversion
of the savages was the ruling passion cf his life ; and
to secure that end, he no doubt resorted to means
which disregarded the common claims of humanity.
ments.
La Presentation was the centre from which were
sent out scalping parties, that harrassed the English
settlements on the Mohawk, during the years 1758-9,
under General Gage, to crush the fortress, and