Capt.Jacques Testard, sieur de Montigny:
(1663 - 1737)
He was the son of Jacques Testard de LaForest
& Marie Pournin, de la Faye, born in Montreal. Jacques married 1st.to
Marguerite Damours de Chauffours (1677-1703) (daughter of Mathieu
d'Amours, de Chauffours & Marie Marsolet) in 1698 and 2nd.to Marie-Anne
Laporte de Louvigny (1696-1763) (daughter of Louis
de la Porte de Louvigny & Marie Nolan) in 1718. His children
were: Marie-Marguerite (1699-1745), Marie-Josephe (1702-1750),
Marie-Francoise (b.1719), Marie-Louise (1721-1799)(m. Jean-Marie
Raimbault in 1765), Jean-Bte.-Philippe (b.1724) (m.Marie-Charlotte
Trotier-Desrivieres in 1748), Jacques (b.1725), Marie-Anne-Louise
(17261804) (m.Pierre-Julien Trottier-Desrivieres
in 1747), Marie-Anne (b.1727)(m.Charles Mezieres, sieur l'Epervanche)
& Marie-Anne-Amable (b.1729)(m.1st.to Pierre II Gaultier
LaVerendrye & 2nd.to Louis-Joseph Gaultier,
sieur La Verendrye in 1755). His relatives included Francois LeBer
(uncle), Jean Bte.Nolan (bro-in-law), Jacques Lamarque (step-father)
Jacques was promoted to Lieutenant. in 1693
and Captain in 1706. He was given the Cross of St.Louis in 1712 and served
in the west from 1721 to 1731. Father Charleviox, writes in July of 1721
that he left Michilimackinac on his way to Fort St.Francois (Green Bay,
Wisconsin) with Capt.Montigny who was on his way to assume command there.
In 1731 he was commander at Michilimackinac.
2 July 1721 Pierre-Francois-Xavier de Charlevoix
(1682-1761) begins a journey with de Montigny from Michilimackinac to Green
Bay [the following exerpts are from translated letters of Charlevoix's,
written to the Dutchess of Lesdiguieres].
"...Since writing my last letter, I have made
a voyage to the Bay eighty leagues distant from this (Michilimakinac) post.
I took advantage of the opportunity of going with M.de Montigny, Captain
of a company of troops which the King maintains in Canada, Knight of St.Louis
and whose name is famous in the annals of this colony; but he is at least
as valuable for his probity and his character full of equity and sincerity,
as for his courage and warlike exploits...After we had gone five or six
leagues, we found ourselves over-against a little Isle, which is not far
from the west Side of the Bay, and which hid from us the Entrance of a
River, upon which is the Village of the Malhomines,
which the French call folles Avoines, (wild Oats), probably because they
make their common food of this grain. The whole Nation consists of no more
than this Village, which is not very populous...The Otchagras,
who are commonly called the Puans,
dwelt formerly on the borders of the bay, in a very delightful situation.
They were attacked here by the Illinois, who killed a great number of them:
The remainder took refuge in the River of the Outagamis, which runs into
the bottom of the bay...We have in the bay a fort which stands on the west
side of the River of the Outagamis, half a league from its mouth; and before
we arrive at it, we leave on the left hand a Village of Sakis.
The Otchagras have lately come and seated themselves near us, and have
built their cabins about the fort...The Sakis, though they are but a small
number, are divided into two factions, one of which side with the Outagamis,
and the other with the Pouteouatamis....They
received the new Commandant with great demonstrations of joy...The next
day the Chiefs of the two Nations paid me a visit, and one of the Otchagras
shewed me a Catalan Pistol, a pair of Spanish shoes, and I know not what
drug, which seemed to be a sort of ointment...About two years ago, some
Spaniards, who came from New Mexico, intending to get in the Country of
the Illinois, and drove the French from thence, whom they as with extreme
jealousy approach so near the Missouri, came down the river and attacked
two Villages of the Ocotatas, who are allies of the Ajouez;
from whom it is also said they are driven. As these savages had no fire
arms, and were surprised, the Spanards made an easy conquest, and killed
a great many of them. A third Village, which was not far off the other
two, being informed of what had passed, and not doubting but that conquerors
would attack them, laid an ambush, into which the Spaniards heedlessly
fell...There was in this party two Almoners, one of whom was kill'd directly,
and the other got away to the Missourites, who took him prisoner, but he
escaped from them very dexterously: He had a very fine horse, and the Missourites
took pleasure to see him ride it, which he did very skilfully...All that
they brought me, was of the spoils of the Almoner that was killed:...The
Nation which for twenty years last has been the most talked of in these
western parts, is the Outagamis.
The natural fierceness of these savages, sour'd by the ill treatment they
have several times met with, sometimes without cause, and their alliance
with the Iroquois, who are always disposed to create us new enemies, have
rendered them formidable, They have since made a strict alliance with the
Sioux, a numerous Nation, which has inured itself in war by degrees; and
this union has rendered all the navigation of the upper part of the Mississippi
almost impracticable to us. It is not quite safe to navigate the River
of the Illinois...[in October of 1721 Charlevoix arrives (escorted by St.Ange
di Bellerive & 11 Frenchmen) at Fort de Chartres, commanded by Dugue
de Boisbrand & finds some Osage visiting a near village of Illinois
(Kaskaskia)] The Osages, a pretty numerous Nation, settled on the side
of a river that bears their name and which runs into the Missouri, about
40 leagues from its junction with the Mississippi, send once or twice a
year to sing the Calumet amongst the Kaskasquias and are actually there
at present. I have also just now seen a Missourite Woman, who told me that
her Nation is the first we meet with going up the Missouri,...It is situated
80 leagues from the confluence of that river with the Mississippi. Higher
up we find the Cansez; the the Ocotatas, which some call Macotatas: then
the Ajouez, and then the Panis, a very populous Nation, divided into
several cantons, which have names very different from each other. This
woman has confirmed to me what I had heard from the Sioux, that the Missouri
rises out of some naked mountains, very high, behind which there is a great
river, which probably rises from them also and which runs to the west.
This testimony carries some weight, because of all the savages which we
know, none travel farther than the Missourites. All the people I have mentioned,
inhabit the west side of the Missouri, except the Ajouez, which are on
the east side, neighbours of the Sioux and their allies. Among the rivers
which run into the Mississippi, above the River of the Illinois, one of
the most considerable is the River of Bulls, which is twenty leagues distant
from the River of the Illinois and which comes from the west...The Ajouez...say
that setting out from their habitations, they come in three days to a people
called Omani; who are of a fair complexion, with light hair, especially
the women, They add, that this Nation is continually at war with the Panis
and other savages further to the west; and that they have heard them speak
of a great lake, very distant from them, in the environs of which there
are people like the French, who have buttons to their clothes, who build
towns, who use horses for hunting the buffaloes, which they cover with
buffaloes skins; but who have no arms but bows and arrows. On the left,
about sixty leagues above the River of Bulls, we see the Moingona come
out of the midst of an immense and magnificent meadow, which is quite covered
with buffaloes and other wild creatures. At its entrance into the Mississippi,
it has little water and it is also but narrow; It has nevertheless a course,
as they say, of two hundred and fifty leagues, winding from the north to
the west.They add, that its source is in a lake and that it forms a second
fifty leagues from the first. From this second lake it inclines to the
left and enters the Blue River; thus named, because of its bottom, which
is an earth of this colour. It discharges itself into the River St.Peter...Ten
leagues above the Ouisconsing, on the same side, begins a meadow sixty
leagues long...Twenty leagues higher...they have named the place the Lake
de bon Secours. It is a league wide and seven leagues in compass and it
is also environed with meadows. Nicolas Perrot
built a Fort on the right. At coming out of the lake, we meet with L'Isle
Pelee...The French of Canada have often made it the Centre of their Trade
in these western parts...Some leagues further, we leave on the left hand
the River of St.Pierre, the sides of which are peopled with Sioux and the
mouth of which is not far from the Fall of St.Anthony. The Mississippi
is little known above this great cascade...the Illinois...and the Miamis
come from the borders of a sea very distant to the west, it appears that
their first station, when they came down into this country, was the Moingona.
As the French military Commander at Michilimackinac,
Montigny wrote, on June 18th 1731: "...Monsieur de
Villiers (Nicolas-Antoine Coulon) passed by several days ago. He is
taking the Fox to Montreal where he is going to ask the General to grant
the Foxes their lives,
accompanied by several people from each Nation in the vicinity of the St.Joseph
River. I do not know exactly what the intentions is of one or the other,
which motivated the Ottawas
of this post to go down to Montreal to know what might be decided in favor
of that wicked Nation, and with the intent also of asking that it be dispersed
among all those who are our allies, if such is the pleasure of the General
to allow it to still live on earth, in order for them to be able to hunt
peacefully and without fearing their habitual treason...
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