VI Romance at Los Adais
There was quite a stir on the fine spring morning of April 8, 1735 at Los Adais. Senorita Victoria Gonzales, daughter of the Lieutenant Governor of this Spanish presidio, had eloped with a Frenchman, Jean Baptista DerBonne, assisted by two other Frenchmen of the Post St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches after the High Mass that Sunday. Governor Gonzales, holding office during the absence of Governor Manuel de Sandoval, and Reverend Padre Ignacio Certa were talking when word of the elopement was brought. A searching party was immediately organized but was unsuccessful in capturing the culprits.
The next day Gonzales wrote a letter to his superiors, stating the above details and adding that, even though DerBonne was a French officer and a gentleman, he had refused permission for the marriage. He was so infuriated that he disowned his daughter, thereby wishing to show to the officials over him that he had nothing to do with this matter. However, he did suspect Padre Certa and his brother-in-law Juan de Mora, because both had intervened in DerBonne’s behalf. He also added that de Mora was in jail and at present he had not decided what to do with him. He received word that the party arrived in Natchitoches at midnight, and Father Pierre Vietry, a priest of the Jesuit Order, had married Victoria and DerBonne immediately, thus violating the laws of the Catholic Faith. He wrote: “As you know the banns of betrothed have to be announced at three Sunday Services before the wedding. I am told that the elopers traveled by pirogue, going from arroyo to arroyo and finally reaching the Red River and then on to Natchitoches, which explains why our land searching-party did not find them. Padre Vallejo of the Mission Margil de Los Adais is going to Natchitoches to request wine so necessary in the procedure of the Mass. I am sure Victoria will accompany him back to Los Adais to get her things and the family blessing. Now that she has been married by the Church there is nothing I can do. She is seventeen and of marriageable age.”
The two nationalities had much to say to each other about this wonderful new topic of conversation. The Spanish would give credit to Victoria for planning the whole thing, after all a woman of Victoria’s intelligence must have planned it because certainly a Frenchman could not have had the head for such clever thinking—DerBonne was just the lucky one who won her heart. The French would say that DerBonne was a sly one, that he had stolen Victoria from under their very eyes. The stupid Spanish bachelors, allowing such a pretty prize as Victoria to slip away from them. And so the talk went, but there has to be a formula for each and every elopement that is successful.
Now in this case, take three bayous, a little river and a larger river, mix with one uncle, a willing duenna, two willing assistants, two understanding priests, a friend. Add a handsome French officer, a beautiful senorita and an irate father. Then allow a certain amount of time for observation to turn into fascination, watch closely as fascination develops into desire and desire materializes into love, then you will have the correct ingredients for a successful elopement. So explains the material gathered from John Eskew, Belisle, J. Fair Hardin, Ross Phares and Poitre-Babinsik. All of these authors have shed some light on this incident.
Now, as a certain character would say, let’s add up the facts.
Jean Baptist Der Bonne or Derbonne as the French would write it, was an officer at the French Post, Jean Baptist Des Natchitoches. The Spanish Post, Del Presidio Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Los Adais, was roughly 17 miles due west. The dividing boundary was the Arroyo Hondo, a small stream that ran roughly north and south midway between these two outposts. True, both nationalities respected this boundary to a certain extent, that is they visited openly but hid their trading with each other.
The Spanish had use of the good Doctor Payne (Pain), the post Doctor at Natchitoches, in return the Spanish Fiesta was open to all. If a Frenchman visited the Spanish Church for Mass or Confession he was very welcome.
Father Ignacio Certa admitted in one of his letters that he had spoken to Gonzales in behalf of Der Bonne. Certainly this priest must have approved of the Frenchman or he would not have intervened for him.
The foster brother of Gonzales’s wife, Juan de Mora, was a very good friend of Der Bonne because he helped and was put into prison because of the incident. Even this imprisonment was a sham, as de Mora could have gone to the post at Natchitoches a guest of DerBonne. He could have left immediately after the two eloped and with a fast horse, reached Natchitoches well ahead of any searchers. I believe de Mora remained at Los Adais and allowed himself to be imprisoned so that his brother-in-law, Gonzales, might save face with his superiors in Mexico and the Tejas country. There are no records revealing a trial or punishment of Juan de Mora. One thing is certain, there was a food and clothing shortage at Los Adais and de Mora was one of the Spaniards who was on very good terms with the French officer, DerBonne. And DerBonne, being an officer, would have enough influence at the French post at Natchitoches to assist the Spanish traders in getting more reasonable bargains when purchasing food and clothing there. Too, DerBonne being a French officer, as a side line, also was a trader among the Indians and certainly with the Spanish. Now that the Frenchman had taken a Spanish wife and she being the daughter of Gonzalez, the Gonzalez family would certainly profit by this marriage. The deals, however, having been transacted through DerBonne and de Mora and both men now being of the Gonzalez family would leave the Lieutenant Governor in the clear as far as his superiors were concerned.
The duenna (chaperone) of Victoria Gonzalez must have assisted the two lovers, reasoning that the duties of a duenna, are to look after her charge’s morals and religious training and to teach her things she must know concerning her social standing and her responsibilities to her family in respect to marriage. A duenna, therefore accepted or rejected those who wished to court her charge. Quite often the duenna had to be won as well as the young senorita. The chaperone’s duty was to channel her young charge’s affections and thoughts toward the suitor considered most able to support the young lady in the manner to which she was accustomed; but the duenna would also observe the suitors that the senorita liked best, and by elimination, to these she thought most suitable, certain privileges would be allowed. In this case the suitor was DerBonne. Now came the time for observation to turn into fascination. To watch closely as fascination develops into desire, and then when desire materializes into love, arrangements must be made so that the wedding can be solemnized. The duenna or chaperone was also a match-maker.
Now for allowing those certain privileges. At a fiesta at Los Adais, DerBonne and Victoria danced, and after a while walked out into the patio for a breath of fresh air. The man, being a gentleman, would not on first meeting attempt to guide his companion to a darkened shadowy spot for closer conversation. The duenna naturally followed and observed at a discreet distance. She would locate herself at such vantage point where she could see and yet not be seen.
At Church on Sunday, DerBonne having received an invitation from de Mora, with de Mora advising DerBonne to be there early, arrangements were made so that DerBonne sat next to Victoria, with the duenna on one side of the couple and de Mora on the other. Perhaps at sometime during the services of the Mass the duenna suggested a walk in a certain direction, making sure that DerBonne overheard the suggestion intended for Victoria. Just to be sure, immediately after the Church Services de Mora would suggest a stroll before eating the noon meal, and, as if by chance both parties met at some point on a secluded footpath, the young couple would find that for the moment they were alone and unobserved, while the elderly couple was engaged in some topic of conversation. Now for a quick embrace and kiss while the old duenna was not looking. To these well planned, or chance meetings as the young couple thought, surely fate was lending a helping hand. So fascination turns into desire and desire into love. Now to ask for her hand in marriage (the old duenna and de Mora must have felt proud of themselves.) DerBonne asked the father, Jose Gonzalez, but the irate father refused. Then the priest, Father Ignacio Certa, interceded on behalf of DerBonne. Another refusal as the obdurate father explained that the Spanish authorities would not permit such a thing on the frontier. After all, the Spanish and the French were rivals here, and such a marriage might even lead to war among the two nationalities at these outposts of empire.
DerBonne was well aware of the dire consequences that might result from the marriage and without a doubt had discussed the situation with his Commandante, St. Denis. Now, Louis Juchereau de St. Denis was one of the slyest and most commercial-minded men who ever trod the soil of Natchitoches, certainly the most adventurous. Without accusing him of entering into a conspiracy, he evaluated the circumstances concerning this elopement, and weighed the risks of the outcome.
First, DerBonne was a good French soldier and officer and if he were to get married this would bring about family ties on the frontier, which would keep him in the Natchitoches district (quite often when a soldier’s enlistment expired he left the Natchitoches area for greener pastures). DerBonne would settle land nearby so that his wife to be would be near her own people. Eventually when his enlistment expired, the French would have an experienced officer in this area without having to pay for his services. DerBonne was also a trader, and his supplies were furnished by the store at the Natchitoches post and St. Denis received a commission on all merchandise sold at the post as well as on all trade merchandise sent back to New Orleans. This marriage between DerBonne and the daughter of a high ranking official at Los Adais would naturally bring on better trade relations, even if it was to be effected in a slightly underhand way.
Secondly, St. Denis understood the love of a Spanish parent wishing to see his offspring happily married. He probably thought of his own marriage to Manuella and how her family risked all their worldly possessions and position of office to protect his marriage into the Don Diego Ramone family. The Spanish, to be sure, had their faults, but also they must be commended for their forgiving and understanding nature when the welfare of their families was concerned. In this respect Jose Gonzalez, the Lieutenant Governor of Los Adais, would be no exception. He knew that this man would have to do a great deal of letter writing and pretending but in the end would be a forgiving father-in-law. St. Denis, after weighing the risks, secretly consented to lend his support to this marriage. Even if the risks had been greater St. Denis would have given his consent because his whole life, if one studies it carefully, was full of risks and intrigue. One more incident would have made no difference to him. The fact is that he probably enjoyed the entire situation, for this affair would bring a new topic of interest and conversation to the dull life of the frontier.
The whole procedure of the successful elopement suggests the cool, calculating mind of one such as St. Denis possessed, not the flustrated mind of a young lover.
Let us examine the water-route that these two elopers traveled: The Arroyo Adais, a small stream of water that ran near the Presidio De Los Adais and then into the Bayou Mayoux. This bayou ran into La Petite Rigolet (Little River, as it is known today) in turn ran into Bayou Pierre, which drained into Red River (just above Grande Ecore) flowed past the French fort at Natchitoches. The distance traveled would be about twenty-four miles.
Governor Gonzalez’s letter states that DerBonne and two Frenchmen ran off with his daughter. These two Frenchmen would have to be hand-picked men capable of carrying out an assignment without a flaw. Men who could stand the rigors of twenty-four miles of continuous paddling, part of the time being in the black of the night, men who could be trusted to keep their mouths shut, and above all men who were not afraid of danger for which there would be no profit to them and certain imprisonment if they were caught. Evidently the post at Natchitoches had two such men. However, their names are not mentioned. So by process of elimination of the known inhabitants of Natchitoches at this time let’s see if we can determine who these two men were. But first, one most important point that should be brought out, because as they were to travel by water there could be no risk of a drowning, especially of the girl—if this were to happen war would certainly follow. The inhabitants of Natchitoches in 1736 were: St. Denis, Commandante, his wife, Manuella and his children; Pierre Largen, trader, married to an Ais Indian maiden; Lt. Basset next in command; Lobotiniere, trader and farmer, married; Duterpints, soldier and baker for the post; Jean Lagross, trader and merchant, settled across the river from Campti; Dr. Payne (Pain), Doctor and Notary, married; Jean Baptista Deherbonne (BerBonne, Derbon, Derbonne); Lt. Gautren, married; Lafreniere, soldier; Joseph La Duc, soldier; Prudhomme, planter and trader, married; Sieur Barme, store keeper, married; Jacques De La Chase, government storekeeper, married; P. Duplessis, Notary, married; Father Pierre Vietry, Jesuit Priest; Sieur Bacque, farmer, married; Pierre Mercer, farmer; Andre Berrange, farmer; Antoine Germaine, soldier; Juan Biseros, merchant, married; Antonio Charbonnet, merchant; Gilbert Maxent, merchant; Pierre Gaignie, trader, married; Nicholas Tibaud, trader; Paul Muller, soldier; the two Barberousses, hunters contracted to supply meat for the Post; LaRenaudiere, a miller; Rambin, a tailor, married; the Dupress brothers, hunters and trappers; DeLame, storekeeper and trader; Jean Layssard and Nicholas Layssard, brothers, soldiers and traders; Lantallic, farmer and trader; Sieur Badin, farmer, trader and storekeeper; Francois Lemoine, soldier in love with Victoria Emanuella Garcia; Sieur Jambare, doctor.
According to a 1735 census there were only 32 people at Natchitoches, however, this must have meant the personnel of the Post St. Jean Baptist. It will be noticed that there were many traders listed, undoubtedly many of these were also soldiers, but not listed as soldiers, because a soldier’s pay was so small, and that they were paid only once a year, if at all. Many of them drew from the Army Post Exchange and sold this merchandise either to the Indians or the Spaniards, who seemed to have many gold coins, but there the army post had nothing to sell them. The reason being that Los Adais was too remote from its base of supplies.
Of all the names listed, the two most likely to have assisted DerBonne would have been Francois Lemoine and Jean Lagrosse. I give these reasons—Francois Lemoine was young, strong and ablebodied or he would not have been a soldier. He was in love with a Spaniard, Victoria Emanuello Garcia. Therefore, if someone was willing to break the barrier between the two nations he might profit by assisting and observing the outcome. Jean Lagross, Indian trader had married a Caddo maiden of the Ais tribe. By so doing he was recognized as a member and friend of the Caddo federation of which the Adais Indians at Los Adais was also a tribe of this federation. This being the case the Adais would not take part in a search for a member of their own nation if their assistance was requested by the Governor of the Spanish Fort. Lagross had been with St. Denis during his stay in Mexico, he had a good knowledge of the Spaniard’s abilities, and too, Lagross had many friends among the Spanish. Being a trader he had traveled this water route many times. His skilled hands would surely be the ones to steer the pirogue safely back to Natchitoches.
The good friends, St. Denis and Manuella, would have met the boat when it arrived at Natchitoches. Manuella would not have missed this wedding for anything. After all Victoria was of her own people and who in Natchitoches could best represent her.
Now for the part of Gonzalez’s letter stating that a priest could not marry a couple without the proper notices of the betrothal being read on three consecutive Sundays. This is true in most cases, but, there is an old saying that the French always had a way for everything, and so in this case they had a way which was recognized by the Church. Due to the shortage of priests in Louisiana there was a ceremony of marriage called “jumping the broom” and in the eyes of witnesses this was considered a just and true marriage. The couple vowed that the wedding would be solemnized as soon as a priest was available (Quite often in recent years this procedure was looked upon as a joke but in the year 1735 in Louisiana it was no joking matter). Here, too, a time element was necessary. Possibly somewhere en-route to Natchitoches this party pulled the boat onto the bank long enough to make a broom of switch cane and the two witnesses, Lagrosse and Lemoine, watched as DerBonne and Victoria jumped the broom. This was necessary. You will note that the wedding took place after mid-night or right at mid-night, the beginning of another day. When the couple told Father Vietry that they had jumped the broom yesterday they did not lie, they had witnesses to prove it. Father Pierre Vietry had no choice but to marry them.
Just so you do not get the wrong impression of Jose Gonzalez you should know that in his letter he states that Padre Vallejo was going to Natchitoches the next day and that Victoria would return with him to receive blessings of her family. Later maps of Natchitoches show that DerBonne owned more land than St. Denis, the Commandante of the Natchitoches Post. Gonzalez could have refused Victoria her dowry because she eloped. Either she got the dowry or DerBonne was an excellent trader. With twenty eight known competitors in the same profession, I believe he got the dowry, and Papa Gonzalez saved face and his position by the elopement happening as it did. And, too, I believe Jose could have written that letter before the elopement and put down the facts just as they occurred.
In July of the same year Francois Lemoine married Victoria Manuella Garcia. And so... the Arroyo Honda barrier came down.