Gypsy Heart
Gold Member
Juchereau's Buried Money near Sharps Bayou Illinois (near Old Frankfort)
Sieur Charles Juchereau de St Denis was granted a royal patent by King Louis XIV of France to establish a tannery on the Ohio in the Illinois country for the purpose of killing and skinning all the buffalo he could find.
Juchereau organized a company consisting of the following: 30 men of his own class who were to be share-partners with him; tanners and their helpers, one or two surgeons, sailors, ship carpenters, chefs with their helpers, fifty or more soldiers who had past experience but were not then in the army of the King, a priest, Father Mermet, and other workmen. Altogether there were approximately 150 in the party. It is not known how they traveled to the Illinois country, but in November 1702, they left Kaskaskia by boat for the destined tannery at the head of the Grand Chain of Rocks. The tanyard was named Va Bache.
At Burnhams Island near Fayville, the entire party except the sailors and enough soldiers to guard the boats went ashore. They were going to walk overland to Va Bache because Jucherean had been to Tacaogone and knew there were rapids near the post. Naturally, he assumed that the Ohio was swift from Tacaogone to its mouth. This party followed the route of the public road from Fayville to Olive Branch. On this trip, Father Mermet accompanied them from Kaskaskia to Olive Branch to visit Roenza in his winter camp there. Roenza provided Juchereau a guide to show him the crossing over Cache and the trail to the Ohio. The route followed was along the foot of the hills to Hargus Store site, on the right bank of Sandy Creek, then down Sandy Creek nearly to its mouth, and then up Cache to the Big Drift (which was a mile below Tamms). There has always been a big drift at that particular spot every time a record has been made. Such a drift was there in 1702. The party crossed Cache at that, point and a member of the party exclaimed, “Ce crique est Cache.” (This creek is hidden.) It has been gone by that name from then to now.
Juchereau’s company reached an ancient Indian trail near Levings and followed that trail to Va Bache. Va Bache was located in Post Creek Gap. The summit of Post Creek Gap was 24 hundred feet north of the low-water line of the Ohio, and approximately 80 feet higher than that line. Thus, a sloping grade plus a bayou ran down to the Ohio.
Juchereau was faced with many problems whenever the whole party reached Va Bache. He had to provide shelter for all of his company; tanning vats had to be made from huge oak trees; and tanning bark had to be gathered.
Ten or twelve muettes (hunting lodges) were constructed for shelter. Huge quantities of supplies, with the exception of meat, were brought from Kaskaskia. The only problem of that nature was a supply of good drinking water. This was solved by digging a large, deep cistern. It might be interesting to note that this huge cistern in later years fell down at the edges, filled up from the bottom, and became known as Round Pond.
At the top of a little hill near the camp, the soldiers entrenched and built their barracks. Eight rifle pits, each large enough to hold 6 to 8 soldiers, were dug on “Butte-Petite” Facing the river. Besides their usual arms, the soldiers had several small cannons.
In the early part of 1703 the buffalo hunt began. They hunted in three states—Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. By April, 1704, they had killed 13,000 buffalo. All the buffalo were killed in a 14 month period. Some people say this was an impossible feat and they doubted that it was even true. But Reuben Gold Thwaites, who translated it, said that he merely translated the story as he found it in print in French libraries.
The Indians resented this wholesale killing because they depended upon the buffalo for food. So, they made plans to do away with the French at Va Bache. The Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, and some of the Chickasaws gathered along the Tennessee; the Miamis, Shawnees, Kickapoos, and other Illinois tribes were along the Wabash while the Missouri tribes were at the Clear Creek. Only the tribe of Roenza did not take part.
On a moonless night in June, the Indians with their guides crept close to Va Bache. At dawn musketry and war whoops sounded through the silence. The battle was short and decisive. Before long, the massacre, probably the greatest in July was finished. Only Juchereau escaped.
There are three traditions telling how Juchereau escaped. One tradition says that Mother Juchereau in Montreal had a vision that her kinsman was in trouble. She prayed to St. Francis Xavier to spare him, and at once a fog surrounded Juchereau and thus he escaped. The second tradition has it that Juchereau spoke several Indian languages, and in his quarters he had an Indian robe and a box of paint. Whenever he knew what was happening he put on the war-paint and robe and escaped as an Indian.
According to the most known tradition, Juchereau and a companion had been hunting the day before the battle. Being so far from Va Bache, they camped out overnight. The next morning they heard the noise and stayed hidden until the danger was past. Juchereau and his companion went to the camp where they buried the dead. They then dug up the cedar box which had all of the money of the entire group and started toward the outposts. Two Indians saw them and killed the companion; Juchereau killed one Indian and wounded the other. Juchereau then went to Sharp’s Bayou where he buried the cedar box. He made it safely to Nataogami where he told of all that had happened. Jean Coppre, who was at the outpost, and a friend took a disguised Jucherean to Kaskaskia. He supposedly died there in 1705 and was buried by Father Mermet.
Note : Nataogami-, now Old Frankfort
Sieur Charles Juchereau de St Denis was granted a royal patent by King Louis XIV of France to establish a tannery on the Ohio in the Illinois country for the purpose of killing and skinning all the buffalo he could find.
Juchereau organized a company consisting of the following: 30 men of his own class who were to be share-partners with him; tanners and their helpers, one or two surgeons, sailors, ship carpenters, chefs with their helpers, fifty or more soldiers who had past experience but were not then in the army of the King, a priest, Father Mermet, and other workmen. Altogether there were approximately 150 in the party. It is not known how they traveled to the Illinois country, but in November 1702, they left Kaskaskia by boat for the destined tannery at the head of the Grand Chain of Rocks. The tanyard was named Va Bache.
At Burnhams Island near Fayville, the entire party except the sailors and enough soldiers to guard the boats went ashore. They were going to walk overland to Va Bache because Jucherean had been to Tacaogone and knew there were rapids near the post. Naturally, he assumed that the Ohio was swift from Tacaogone to its mouth. This party followed the route of the public road from Fayville to Olive Branch. On this trip, Father Mermet accompanied them from Kaskaskia to Olive Branch to visit Roenza in his winter camp there. Roenza provided Juchereau a guide to show him the crossing over Cache and the trail to the Ohio. The route followed was along the foot of the hills to Hargus Store site, on the right bank of Sandy Creek, then down Sandy Creek nearly to its mouth, and then up Cache to the Big Drift (which was a mile below Tamms). There has always been a big drift at that particular spot every time a record has been made. Such a drift was there in 1702. The party crossed Cache at that, point and a member of the party exclaimed, “Ce crique est Cache.” (This creek is hidden.) It has been gone by that name from then to now.
Juchereau’s company reached an ancient Indian trail near Levings and followed that trail to Va Bache. Va Bache was located in Post Creek Gap. The summit of Post Creek Gap was 24 hundred feet north of the low-water line of the Ohio, and approximately 80 feet higher than that line. Thus, a sloping grade plus a bayou ran down to the Ohio.
Juchereau was faced with many problems whenever the whole party reached Va Bache. He had to provide shelter for all of his company; tanning vats had to be made from huge oak trees; and tanning bark had to be gathered.
Ten or twelve muettes (hunting lodges) were constructed for shelter. Huge quantities of supplies, with the exception of meat, were brought from Kaskaskia. The only problem of that nature was a supply of good drinking water. This was solved by digging a large, deep cistern. It might be interesting to note that this huge cistern in later years fell down at the edges, filled up from the bottom, and became known as Round Pond.
At the top of a little hill near the camp, the soldiers entrenched and built their barracks. Eight rifle pits, each large enough to hold 6 to 8 soldiers, were dug on “Butte-Petite” Facing the river. Besides their usual arms, the soldiers had several small cannons.
In the early part of 1703 the buffalo hunt began. They hunted in three states—Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. By April, 1704, they had killed 13,000 buffalo. All the buffalo were killed in a 14 month period. Some people say this was an impossible feat and they doubted that it was even true. But Reuben Gold Thwaites, who translated it, said that he merely translated the story as he found it in print in French libraries.
The Indians resented this wholesale killing because they depended upon the buffalo for food. So, they made plans to do away with the French at Va Bache. The Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, and some of the Chickasaws gathered along the Tennessee; the Miamis, Shawnees, Kickapoos, and other Illinois tribes were along the Wabash while the Missouri tribes were at the Clear Creek. Only the tribe of Roenza did not take part.
On a moonless night in June, the Indians with their guides crept close to Va Bache. At dawn musketry and war whoops sounded through the silence. The battle was short and decisive. Before long, the massacre, probably the greatest in July was finished. Only Juchereau escaped.
There are three traditions telling how Juchereau escaped. One tradition says that Mother Juchereau in Montreal had a vision that her kinsman was in trouble. She prayed to St. Francis Xavier to spare him, and at once a fog surrounded Juchereau and thus he escaped. The second tradition has it that Juchereau spoke several Indian languages, and in his quarters he had an Indian robe and a box of paint. Whenever he knew what was happening he put on the war-paint and robe and escaped as an Indian.
According to the most known tradition, Juchereau and a companion had been hunting the day before the battle. Being so far from Va Bache, they camped out overnight. The next morning they heard the noise and stayed hidden until the danger was past. Juchereau and his companion went to the camp where they buried the dead. They then dug up the cedar box which had all of the money of the entire group and started toward the outposts. Two Indians saw them and killed the companion; Juchereau killed one Indian and wounded the other. Juchereau then went to Sharp’s Bayou where he buried the cedar box. He made it safely to Nataogami where he told of all that had happened. Jean Coppre, who was at the outpost, and a friend took a disguised Jucherean to Kaskaskia. He supposedly died there in 1705 and was buried by Father Mermet.
Note : Nataogami-, now Old Frankfort
