III Dachicoin — A Noble Indian — Los Adais, 1723
Dachicoin had only two years before he reached the considered age of an adult, which according to the Adais law was sixteen. He had ignited the council-fire of the Adais and was demanding audience. The Elders came and seated themselves in their proper places and bade him speak.
He brought to the attention of the Adais how nice the Spanish or French treated an Indian of position in any Indian tribe—they dared not molest this Indian or any of his family. Also, the Indian of position seemed to get a better deal in the matter of trade-goods. “If we make all the Indian adult males of the Adais an officer or man of position then the whole tribe will benefit by it. I wish first to test this and, if I am successful, then I demand to be made a conachas”.4 Dachicoin explained his proposed test to the Elders.
Dachicoin went to the Natchitoches Post and demanded of Sieur Barme, a merchant of certain trade-goods, a supply of such goods, saying that he would bring all the profit back to the merchant in return for which he expected something that he could trade for himself at profit. Sieur Barme saw possibilities in Dachicoin because he agreed to the Indian’s terms. Sieur Barme did not overlook the fact that the Indian spoke to him in French. Later he found out that the Indian also spoke Spanish. Dachicoin was made a conachas among the Adais.
When Dachicoin was fifteen years old the Spanish priests came to the Adais. Even at this young age he must have realized that a new way of life was beginning among the Adais, and decided to follow the new trend by working with the Spanish priests, guiding them among the tribes of the Caddos and commuting back and forth with them to the Natchitoches post. Soon he mastered the Spanish language. When he was sixteen and had successfully filled the agreement of his first test with Sieur Barme, the Natchitoches merchant, three other men, Lotbotiniere, Lagross and Largen, saw the possibility of profit in the use of Dachicoin. One or the other of these traders was continuously traveling back and forth to the Hasinai Indians who lived deep in the Tejas Country. So Dachicoin began a tutorship with the traders, and at the same time began to master the French language.
In 1719 Dachicoin, because he could understand French, heard of the salt shortage at the new post at New Orleans. By this time the young Indian trader had acquired five horses as his part of profit while trading with the Hasinai Indians. He went to Sieur Barme and asked for ten knives, explaining that he wished to trade the knives to the Destonies for salt, this salt would be taken to New Orleans and traded for more knives which would be returned to Sieur Barme. He would replace the ten knives and the other remaining knives would be divided equally between himself and the merchant. He would leave two horses with Sieur Barme as security. Dachicoin then went to Largen, who had dug-out canoes. He wished use of the largest one, explaining his intention to Largen, and leaving one of his horses with him as security. In return for the use of the canoe Dachicoin would take some of Largen’s merchandise of furs to New Orleans and trade the furs for knives, all Largen needed to do was to say how many knives he expected in trade for the furs—of course this service would be free for the use of the boat. The Indian then went to Lieutenant Blondell, the Post Commandante, and told him his intentions, wondering if the officer had letters he wished to be delivered to his French superiors, saying that he would deliver the letters which at the same time would explain to the officials at New Orleans that Dachicoin was a high-ranking Indian of the Adais tribe. “This will be important in my getting a fairer trade for salt and other merchandise”, he said. “I would also like for you to request Quitlami, Son of Koanan, who is called the White Chief of the Natchitoches Indians by the French, to insure safe passage among the Indians I might encounter because Quitlami will have the arm band of the Son of a Chief and I the arm band of a conachas of the Adais. These marks of distinction will be observed by those tribes who are not on friendly terms with the French, but who would not wish to arouse an undesirable antagonism between two tribes such as the Adais and the Natchitoches. The letters will safe-guard us from white men who might be inclined to forget the calumet of the French and the Caddos of whose Federacy we are members. For this service I will expect a French soldier’s coat, one of the things I most desire in life. I will leave two horses at your disposal as a guarantee of my return and my true intention to serve the French. Because of my association with the Caddo Federacy I can be of many uses to the French.” The Commandant was no fool. He quickly realized the importance of Dachicoin, and agreed to his wishes even paying Quitlami’s expenses in the form of presents from the company merchandise.
To the average reader it would seem that Dachicoin was risking five horses which were of more value on this frontier than the supposed profits of this particular trading trip, but Quitlami revealed to Lotbotiniere that Dachicoin distributed these horses in good hands and those people were obligated to take as good care of them as if the horses belonged to them. Thus Dachicoin was assured of the good care of his animals with no expense to himself.
The canoe or dug-out of Largen was a four-place canoe, which is a boat that required four men to paddle it and would at the same time, besides the human cargo, carry fourteen hundred pounds of freight. Thus equipped Dachicoin and Quitlami set out from Natchitoches to the Distonies on Saline Bayou in Natchitoches Parish, where he traded five of the knives for two hundred gourds of salt, each gourd contained approximately one pound of salt. From Natchitoches he carried the furs of Largen and small gourds of finely chopped matot, ground leaves of the Sassafras tree. This spice was an excellent trade goods of the Natchitoches tribe. The spice, however, was sent by Blondell and was to be exchanged for some personal things for the Commandant. He did, however, pay for Dachicoin’s coat out of his own merchandise. Because of the success of the trading trip Dachicoin’s name became popular along the frontier. His character was such, that his word was his bond. He never bought any trade goods outright to sell them for a profit as did the French traders. Always he asked for goods on consignment. It was a familiar sight at Natchitoches and at Los Adais to see Dachicoin arrange what he had received for a consignment into three piles—one pile represented the cost of trade goods and one the profits. The one who supplied the merchandise could take his choice of two of the piles, the other went to Dachicoin for his labors.
Dachicoin had taken for his wife, a squaw of the Hasinai said to be a daughter of Bernardino, Chief of that tribe. Upon returning to the Adais, Dachicoin spoke to Largen, who was at the time at the Adais, explaining to him that he wished to be blessed in marriage by a priest just as white men and women were when priests married them. Largen explained to Dachicoin that if he were married by the Church it would be contrary to the beliefs of the Caddos. (The Caddos believed in separations or divorce—that a squaw or man being dissatisfied could separate, the squaw taking the male children and the man the female children. These separations occurred quite often among the different tribes of the Caddos.) At this Dachicoin replied, “A man will have need for only one woman if she is the correct woman for him and a woman needs only one man if he is the correct man for her, my squaw and I understand these things and I, Dachicoin say that it can be no other way.” Pierre Largen sponsored the wedding at the Los Adais Church. It is said that Father Margil De Jesus performed the ceremony.
The squaw, or shall I say wife of Dachicoin, was allowed by her husband to ride a horse instead of walking as most Indians required their squaws to do, and, not only that, but to add to her comfort she was seated on a good Spanish saddle, and even had a pack horse to carry such things that a squaw was required to carry. This caused much dissatisfaction among the other squaws and the Indian men alike.
Dachicoin lit the Council Fire of the Adais and when enough of the tribe had gathered, spoke to them. “You of the Adais are cooking in metal pots that I, Dachicoin gave to you. Because all that I have also belongs to my squaw, then she too gave the pots”. There was no one to criticize her then, for it is a law of the Caddos that no other person can be concerned in the private affairs of a Caddo family unless invited to do so. If one violates this law then he is to be punished by the elders. “If there are any more envious remarks about my squaw I shall see that the law is fulfilled. What I have said shall now be forgotten, it must not occur again.”
At the Natchitoches council fire he berated the Natchitoches in much the same way. Such was the power of Dachicoin that he could demand the obedience of two tribes of Indians.
In 1722 St. Denis returned to Natchitoches replacing Captain Reynaud as Commandante. He, too, was quick to learn the importance of Dachicoin.
In 1723 St. Denis received a demand from Bernardino of the Hasinai for the ransom of a Frenchman. He then sent the small, tin box containing papers of the French officer. St. Denis recognized the name of the officer, a man who once had fought a duel with him. This French officer, Belle-Isle, with St. Denis had attended the Royal School in Paris. They had always seemed to be at odds with each other, and now St. Denis was being asked to pay ransom for him. But St. Denis was not one to hold a grudge, and he knew that Belle-Isle had the makings of a good French officer. He could not bring himself to believe that there was a possibility of Belle-Isle being a deserter and had somehow become a slave of the Indians. Too, he realized the possibility of the Spanish rescuing him, and from gratitude Belle-Isle might have been inclined to offer his services to Spain. St. Denis personally knew French officers in the service of Spain, but now he had the problem of going behind the Spanish Fort at Los Adais to rescue Belle-Isle.
St. Denis sent for Quitlami and had him go to the Adais and bring Dachicoin back with him. When the two Indians returned he sent for Lagross, Largen and Lobotiniere for a conference. All were given the details about Belle-Isle.
The ransom was to be ten French rifles with 100 shots and enough powder to fire those 100 shots for each rifle. This was an impractical and dangerous form of ransom because if the party delivering the rifles should be intercepted by the Spanish they would have grounds to think that the French were trying to supply the Indians with fire arms to be used against them, which could create a disastrous incident on the frontier.
Dachicoin asked if he might speak, and without waiting for a reply, asked St. Denis if he would settle with Bernardino for two rifles and the requested powder and shot. St. Denis would be glad to agree to such a settlement, but continued Dachicoin, “why not turn this trip for ransom into profit?”, which caused a raising of eyebrows. All those present were traders and the word “profit” was music to their ears. Dachicoin explained, “Bernardino is a trader and a clever one, and also the father of my squaw. If I go as a member of the ransom party my squaw must also go as she will wish to see her father again. Also this party will need someone to cook for them, she can do that. Bernardino has sent five of his braves and ten extra horses. He fully expects each of those ten extra horses to have something on them. We must send five men to accompany the Hasinais; to send less would show carelessness, to send more would show we were afraid, five men to ride five of the horses sent by Bernardino. We must fix a box of wood the size of one which would contain ten rifles, but instead of rifles it will contain lengths of cane filled with the seeds of watermelons, squash, gourds, corn and beans. The Hasinais are farmers, but because they move around for place to place, staying in one place only long enough to raise and harvest a crop; they are often short of seed, we will also send salt, honey, pecans, hickory nuts, walnuts; these are the things that we have plenty of. In return we will ask for the Frenchman and horses and some amole root.5 The last two things are the cheapest trade-goods of the Hasinais. Bernardino has often admired my French coat and has often tried to trade me for it, but I explained to him that it would be too small for him. If M. Rambin can make a coat the size of the one that would fit M. Largen, then Bernardino would try to trade for it especially if Largen pretends he does not wish to trade for the coat. We will have to explain to Bernardino that we have no extra rifles available but the one I am carrying. The other rifle mentioned will be given to me when I return as payment for my assistance in this trip. My squaw will have among the things necessary for her to take some of the knives from the company store, each of us will also have some knives to trade. We will trade for horses and the amole root and anything else that Bernardino has. Quitlami must tell Bernardino that the coat that M. Largen is wearing is magic and is Largen’s trading coat. That when Largen has it on he always makes more profit on his trades. That it would be a great service to the Natchitoches and the Adais if Bernardino could trade Largen out of the coat. So far no one has been able to do this.”
The trip from Natchitoches to the Hasinais was roughly about 360 miles.
Immediately on the arrival of the party Bernardino brought the slave Belle-Isle forward and demanded the rifles when he was told that there was only one rifle and it belonged to Dachicoin. He was furious and threatened to kill the slave on the spot. Dachicoin explained that there were many other trade goods of value and things that the Hasinais needed. Largen was not then wearing the coat made by Rambin the tailor.
In true Caddo fashion Bernardino either spit upon or kicked the trade goods offered for Belle-Isle (this was characteristic of the Caddos, any trade goods was treated in such a way as to cheapen it in the eyes of the one offering it for trade. Those things that they wanted most they spurned the most). Each time Bernardino spit on the trade goods, Largen in turn spit upon Belle-Isle, meanwhile telling him in French that this was necessary. Largen picked up a bundle and went into the Hinta-sak of Bernardino. Quickly Quitlami went to Bernardino and explained to him about the coat of Largen. When Largen came back he was strutting and showing off the coat. He explained the designs on the coat, the hawk on one side was an emblem of the Caddos. He was a Caddo because he had taken an Ais Squaw. The Fleur De Lys because he was also French. Twenty buttons, more buttons than on any French or Spanish officer’s coat (Rambin had surely done his best work here). Bernardino began wanting to trade for the coat but Largen would hear none of it. Finally Bernardino offered the slave for the coat and explaining that if the slave was a Frenchman and Largen was a Frenchman then they were brothers—surely a brother would give a coat to save his brother’s life and if they did not come to an agreement about the coat then the slave was sure to die. Largen then surprised Bernardino by saying he would give the coat if the Chief would given ten horses to the slave and ten horses to him and then trade horses for the other trade goods along with the amole root and some wolf hides. This Bernardino agreed to.
St. Denis was awakened by the sound of thundering hooves. Lobotiniere called to him. St. Denis wiped his eyes as he witnessed the success of the trip—eighty horses, many of them loaded with hides and other merchandise.
After all settlements were made among those who participated on the trip, Belle-Isle told St. Denis of his misfortune. The ship he was on left France in 1718. After they had entered the Gulf of Mexico a storm came up and the ship was blown off course. Then scurvy broke out aboard ship. Finally land was sighted. The ship’s captain, believing that the ship was at a point east of Biloxi, put ashore those who were not yet affected, instructing them to go west overland where they would be sure to find the French. However, it must have been west of the Mississippi instead of east of it. Belle-Isle related, “there were five of us, all died except me. In the distance one day I saw a camp fire and went to it. The Indians took me captive and made me a slave. I was with them eighteen months when Bernardino bought me from them. Bernardino could understand a few words of French. He sent the tin box to you. You know the rest. Bernardino, however, did treat me very well”. (Belle-Isle was indeed lucky; that ship and its entire crew were never heard of again).
I suggest a toast to Dachicoin, who thought like a Frenchman, spoke like a Spaniard, had all the cunning of an Indian, and the honesty of a Pilgrim. Such was the importance of Dachicoin.
By the year 1740 Belle-Isle had become a power in politics at New Orleans.
In 1737 the Natchitoches tribe was able to ship 350 head of horses to New Orleans as part of its surplus trade-goods, and all because of Dachicoin, a conachas of the Adais.