Cover illustration:

America the Beautiful... "O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain!..."

In this Part One of our series, we'll head westward, beginning with the Verendrye expedition from 1736 to 1742, which went all the way to Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains.

We'll then explore a pivotal moment in American history: the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which instantly doubled the size of the young nation and led to President Thomas Jefferson to launch the famous Lewis & Clark expedition. The French were never far: several expedition members were of French descent and were well-equipped to engage peacefully with Native American tribes due to their familiarity with these regions.

In future Bulletins, we will honor many French pioneers of the Far West, who started communities and thriving businesses in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California...

In keeping with our series honoring members of the Lafayette Flying Corps, we will honor this month Frank Leaman Baylies, who fought under French uniform during World War One and whose ashes rest at the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette just outside Paris.

As announced upon several occasions before, we will continue to alert you on several upcoming events and relay news of celebrations.

We thank you for your numerous comments and suggestions. We invite you to share this Bulletin with friends, associates, and most importantly, the education community: nothing is more important than passing the torch to younger generations!

Above: Map "Amérique Septentrionale par Nicolas Sanson d’Abbeville, géographe du Roy, Paris, 1650" https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/18142/amerique-septentrionale-par-n-sanson-dabbeville-geog-du-r-sanson. Note the wide blanks "terra incognita" west of the Great Lakes.

• In pursuit of this goal, King François 1er dispatched Jehan de Verrazane* to explore the region and search for the coveted sea route to the South Sea, which was the name given to the Pacific Ocean at that time. However, due to the limitations of the ships during that era, Verrazane was unable to sail directly along the coast. Instead, he had to navigate out to sea and then back towards land, resulting in him only encountering fragmented sections of the North American coast. Consequently, Verrazane inadvertently overlooked the discovery of both the Chesapeake and Delaware bays. As he approached the North Carolina outer banks, he hastily assumed that the expanse of water lying beyond was none other than the Pacific Ocean...

• A decade later, when Jacques Cartier sailed northward towards the Saint Lawrence River and arrived at present-day Montreal, indigenous tribes informed him of a vast body of water situated further west. He too wrongly concluded that the Pacific Ocean was within reach..

• By the time of Samuel de Champlain in 1603, it was believed that traveling far up the St. Lawrence River would lead to a lake that served as the origin of both the St. Lawrence River and a westward-flowing river that reached the Pacific Ocean.

• According to the accounts of the Indians, in 1634, Jean Nicolet was dispatched further west with the purpose of locating a river leading to "People of the Sea" in hopes of establishing contact with Cathay traders. He embarked on a journey from Lake Huron, passing through Lake Michigan and reaching Green Bay, adorned in a damask robe in anticipation of his encounter with the Chinese. The French held the belief that this river could potentially serve as their long-awaited passage to the Indies and China, although they were uncertain about its exact course. They speculated that it might flow northward towards a hypothetical "Mer Glaciale," which they believed could be situated west of Hudson's Bay and connected to the Pacific. Alternatively, they considered the possibility of the river leading in a southwesterly direction, either towards the Gulf of Mexico (as the Mississippi River does) or to the "Vermillion Sea," which was then believed to be a body of water located between the North American coast and the vast island of California. Lastly, there was also the notion that this river could be the fabled "River of the West," flowing directly westward to reach the Western Sea...

• In 1669, the French were provided with more accurate information regarding the "Messipi" River, which had a southward flow. They held the hope that this river would lead them to the Vermillion Sea, near Baja California, thereby providing them with a potential route to the Orient. Consequently, Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette were dispatched in 1673 to embark on an expedition to explore the river and determine its destination. Jolliet and Marquette navigated the Mississippi River in canoes until they reached its confluence with the Arkansas River. It was at this juncture that they realized the high likelihood of the river ultimately emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently, they made the decision to turn back. However, upon reaching the confluence of the Missouri River with the Mississippi from the western direction, the explorers thought that it could potentially be the pathway leading to the Western Sea.

• In the later part of the century, French explorers in the western regions of New France kept hearing similar stories from their Indian allies. An example of this is in 1685 when Daniel Greyselon, Sieur Duluth, was told that there was a lake with undrinkable saltwater just twenty days away from his location.

• Alas, there was no conclusive evidence supporting the existence of a sea route leading west from the Great Lakes, despite some suggestive accounts. The uncertainty surrounding the existence of such a route was evident in the maps of the time, which often left the area west of the Great Lakes uncharted until the 19th century and mostly blank.

• By 1730, the French were still actively seeking a "River of the West" that would offer a water passage from the western part of New France to the Pacific Ocean. This quest became a primary focus for a family of French fur trappers, led by Pierre Gaultier de la Varennes, Le Sieur de la Vérendrye. Stationed on Lake Superior, Pierre Vérendrye learned from Indigenous peoples about a significant river that could potentially lead to the Pacific. With support from French Canadian merchants, he and his sons established a series of trading posts northwest of Lake Superior as strategic bases for exploring in search of this anticipated river. Ultimately, their expedition, 75 years before the famed Lewis & Clark "Corps of Discovery", took them as far as today's Dakotas and Montana...where they are honored at the State Capitol.

* We use the French spelling Jehan de Verrazane, since this is the way he himself signed his name, up to his last will in 1526 and in most official documents. As we are about to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his landing in New York on April 17, 1524 (which he named "Nouvelle Angoulême" in honor of King François Ier), we refer the reader to our past Bulletin:

https://conta.cc/3UGnScM (original version in English)

https://conta.cc/3zZ8xuw (version en français)

Above: Mural of Jean Nicolet, landing at the Bay of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1634. Painted by Franz Edward Rohrbeck (1852-1919) in 1910 in the rotunda of the Brown County Courthouse, Green Bay, Wisconsin. It shows Nicolet wearing a Chinese damask tunic strewn with flowers and birds, and discharging two pistols into the air. This mural, among others in the courthouse, has recently received criticism, over its perceived example of "early terrorism". Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8265724

GPS: 44.609617, -87.865100

• Jean Nicolet (Nicollet), Sieur de Belleborne (c. 1598 – October 1642) was noted for exploring Lake Michigan, Mackinac Island, Green Bay, and being the first European to set foot in what is now the U.S. state of Wisconsin. 

• In 1634, Jean Nicolet landed at Red Banks, near modern-day Green Bay, in search of a passage to the Orient. 

• He was so convinced he would find a land route from Canada to China that he had brought with him in his canoe - - all the way from Canada - - a brightly colored yellow silk chinese robe, which he quickly unpacked and wore once in sight of the Red Banks. He also carried two pistols, to convey his authority... Nicolet wrongly assumed that the people greeting him on the banks were from China.

• Actually, far from being Chinese, they were native American Indians who called themselves Ho-Chunk. The Ho-Chunk people seemed to appreciate Nicolet's ritual display and Nicolet thus named himself the French ambassador to the Ho-Chunk people.

• The Ho-Chunk, was mistakenly translated by the French as "People of the Sea". However, the Ojibwe Indians, who served as guides to the French, had a less appealing name for them: Winnebago, or "people of the fragrant waters," translated to French as, Puants ("Stinkers"), hence the name "Baie des Puants" given to that part of Wisconsin.  Father Jacques Marquette, for his part, thought the name referred to the smell of the swamps when he explored the area in May 1673. Hence the French also called the bay: Baie Verte, which means Green Bay.

• Nicolet established a small trading post named La Baye on the Baie des Puants in 1634 which is today Green Bay, Wisconsin. Fort La Baye, a French military post, was  eventually built in 1717, and occupied until 1760.

• The town of La Baye was incorporated in 1754. At the end of the Seven Years' War, it went under British control in 1761 and was renamed Green Bay, which was incorporated under this name in 1839.

• Inscription of marker:

"Erected 1909 by State Historical Society of Wisconsin & Green Bay Historical Society."

Above: A statue of Nicolet, built in 1951, is located in Wequiock Falls County Park in Brown County, Wisconsin. The statue was paid for by contributions from Wisconsin school children and was set up in 1950, along with a historical marker commemorating Nicolet’s landing at Red Banks.

Photo: by Skiba, Justin M. - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114693088

GPS: 44.610104, -87.86513

• Inscription:

• In 1634 Jean Nicolet passed through the Straits of Mackinac searching for a water route to China. He was not the only one, several French explorers all stopped at Mackinac.

GPS: 45.871700, -84.730883

• Inscription:

“Famous landing place for 17th century adventurers, explorers, voyageurs, traders, coureurs de bois, soldiers and missionaries, who followed Indian routes to this shore; — Brule, Nicolet, Dablon, Marquette, Perrot, Jolliet, La Salle, Hennepin, de Tonty, Duluth, Lahontan, Cadillac, making history here.

GPS: 45.865277, -84.719532

“... French Explorers:  In the 1620s French explorer Etienne Brûlé became the first European to set eyes on the Great Lakes. In 1634 Jean Nicolet passed through the Straits of Mackinac searching for a water route to China. By 1658 traders led by Medard Chouart des Groseilliers and Pierre Esprit Radisson plied these waters in search of furs in Michigan and Wisconsin...”[...]

“French Culture and Indian Ways: French men often married Native women. An Indian wife provided an important connection between the European trader and the Native peoples. Her family ties were essential because Indian people wanted to trade with merchants they could trust. Their children bridged both cultures and were known as metis. Metis were the major population of the Straits of Mackinac into the early 19th century. Today French descendants remain in the Straits area.”

“French Marines at Mackinac: Soldiers of the Compagnies Franches de la Marines (Independent Company of Marines) served at the Straits of Mackinac beginning in the late 1600s. In 1715 French Marines began a 45-year period of service at Fort Michilimackinac. Here they protected the community and supervised the fur trade. French officers also recruited Native American warriors at Michilimackinac to fight against British forces as far away as Ohio and New York.”[...]

Erected by Mackinac State Historic Parks."

• The French explorer Jean Nicolet is believed to have been the first European to reach Lake Michigan, possibly in 1634 or 1638.  Later in 1679, Nicolet explored the southernmost part of the lake where modern-day Chicago is. In the earliest European maps of the region, the name of Lake Illinois has been found in addition to that of "Michigan", named for the Illinois Confederation of tribes. Its name is derived from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning large lake. 

GPS: 45.884200, -84.835900

• Inscription:

“This lake, the sixth largest in the world, was discovered in 1634 by Jean Nicolet, who explored this north shore to Green Bay but found no Orientals as the French in Quebec had hoped he would. The general size and outline of the lake was established in the 1670’s by Marquette and Jolliet. They named it Lake Michigan. Its elongated shape was an obstacle to transcontinental expansion, but its water soon proved a real boon to commerce.

Erected 1957 by Michigan Historical Commission.”

• A postcard from 1906 reads: “The Jean Nicolet Monument at Menasha, Wisconsin - erected by the Woman's Club of Menasha in 1906. Close to this location, Jean Nicolet landed and was the first white man in Wisconsin, meeting here the Winnebago tribe. He held the earliest white council with 5000 savages...”

GPS: 44.198583, -88.441667

• Inscription

“Erected by

• Jean Nicolet is honored in several ways:

Médard Chouart des Groseilliers & Pierre-Esprit Radisson

Left: Médard Chouart des Groseillers, https://canadianhistorytoldbyus.blogspot.com/2016/10/in-medard-chouart-des-groseiliers-shoes.html

Right: Pierre-Esprit Radisson, https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Pierre-Esprit-Radisson/259194

GPS: 45.839850, -91.406417

• Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (born Charly-sur-Marne, Champagne, 1618- died 1696) was a French explorer and fur trader. He immigrated to New France in 1641. He is frequently associated with his brother-in-law, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, who was 20 years younger. After serving at a Jesuit mission for several years, Groseilliers used his knowledge of Algonguin, Huron, and Iroquois languages to begin trading in furs with Indians. In August 1654, he was dispatched to the new Huron lands to journey westward. In another expedition in August 1659, Chouart and Radisson traveled to the far end of Lake Superior and wintered at Lac Courte Oreilles, Wisconsin. Being fined by the French for operating without a licence, they went to London to seek the backing of King Charles II, and thus established the Hudson Bay Company. Eventually, they returned to French service, and on 20 May 1682, the French established their own fur-trading company, known as La Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson or Compagnie du Nord. Chouart and Radisson even engaged in conflict with their former employers, resulting in a diplomatic incident. The French government ultimately sided with the British, whose leader, the Duke of York, was France's best chance to re-convert the English back to Catholicism. Upon returning to France, Chouart declined an offer to rejoin the Hudson's Bay Company and instead returned to his farm at Trois-Rivièresin Québec. His ultimate fate remains unknown.

• Inscription:

“Radisson and Groseilliers were the first white men to discover and explore northwestern Wisconsin. When the French Governor General of Canada confiscated their rich cargo of furs because he claimed they did not have the proper credentials to trade with the Indians, Radisson and Groseilliers left the service of the French government. They went to England and were instrumental in the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada.”

“Erected 1960, 300th Anniversary Discovery and Exploration of Northwestern Wisconsin”

Photo: Statue “Daniel Greysolon Sieur Du Lhut”

GPS: 46.818656, -92.083932

• Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, was a French soldier and explorer who played a significant role in establishing French dominance over the region north and west of Lake Superior. Born around 1639 in Saint-Germain-Laval, near Saint-Étienne, France, Du Lhut began his military career as an ensign in the regiment at Lyon in 1657. By 1665, he had become an officer in the royal household regiment. Du Lhut participated in the conflict against the Dutch under the Great Condé in 1674, having already undertaken two voyages to New France.

• In 1675, Du Lhut returned to Montreal and remained there until September 1678. During this time, he led a group of Frenchmen and three Indian slaves to the Lake Superior region. His objective was to negotiate peace among the Indian tribes residing north and west of the lake, as this area was a valuable source of beaver pelts. In September 1679, Du Lhut successfully brought the Indian tribes together in an assembly that declared amity among them. After spending the winter in the West, he decided to venture even farther west the following summer in search of the western ocean. Du Lhut's expedition reached the Mississippi River and explored what is now Minnesota.

• Upon his return to Montreal, Du Lhut found himself accused of being a renegade trader, which violated a 1676 edict prohibiting Frenchmen from engaging in trading activities in the wilderness. In order to clear his name, he returned to France but was back in 1682. The following year, he embarked on another journey to the West, aiming to renew his efforts in peacemaking and dissuade the Indians from trading their pelts with the English. Du Lhut also sought Indian support for French troops and fought alongside Louis de Frontenac against the British's Indian allies, the Oneida and Onondaga, during campaigns. By 1696, he held command at Fort Frontenac and subsequently retired to spend his remaining years in Montreal. The city of Duluth, Minnesota, was named in honor of Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, recognizing his contributions to French control in the region.

Left: there are no portraits of Claude du Tisne. This illustration gives a reasonable approximation of the explorers of the time. http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/100816.html

Right: Osage warrior watercolor 1811–ca. 1813 by Pavel Petrovich Svinin (1787/88–1839), New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain, after Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, who had drawn American Indians from life in 1805–7. "An Osage Warrior" is derived directly from Saint-Mémin’s portrait "Osage Warrior II" (1807; Winterthur Museum, Delaware).

• Claude Charles Du Tisne (born in Paris 1688- died in Illinois, 1730) also spelled Dutisné led the first official French expedition to visit the Osage and the Wichita Indians in 1719 in what became known as Kansas in the present-day United States.

• The term "Osage" is a French version of the tribe's name. The Osage people refer to themselves in their indigenous language as 𐓏𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟 (Wazhazhe), or "mid-waters", which can be roughly translated as "calm water", in French: "eau sage".

“On one occasion, being together with some Frenchmen, among unfriendly Indians, who were to barter goods, he found that the Indians meditated a hostile attack, and understanding fully their purpose, as he wore a wig, he took it from his head and threw it defiantly on the ground, saying from time to time, “You will have my scalp: take it up if you dare to do it!” the astonishment of the Indians was inexpressible, for Du Tisne had had his head shaved before this happened.

Afterwards, he told them it was very wrong of them to attempt to injure him, because he only came to make an alliance with them, but that, if they compelled him he would burn the waters in their lakes and rivers and thus hinder them from paddling their canoes, and also set fire to their forests. To demonstrate the truth of his power, he secured a little pot, put some brandy in it and set it on fire, and the Indians, not being then acquainted with brandy, were amazed. At the same time he took out of his pocket a convex glass and set fire to a rotten tree by means of the sun. The Indians, really believing that he had power to burn their lakes and rivers and forests, caressed and loaded him with presents and accompanied him as an escort, so that no one might do him any harm.”

Top: Carte de la Nouvelle Partie de la Louisiane ("Map of the new part of Louisiana" ) by La Harpe 1723

Bottom: Arkansas River from Petit Jean State Park. Photo by Mike Keckhaver

• Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe (1683 in Saint-Malo –1765) was a French officer, trader and  explorer who is credited with the discovery of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was also the first known French explorer to set foot in the future state of Oklahoma.

• In 1722, La Harpe ascended the Arkansas River and found two distinct rock formations on the Arkansas River, the smaller one the South bank he named Le petit rocher and the larger on the North bank le rocher francais.

• Marker, “Arkansas River of yesterday”

GPS: 35.127567, -92.838950

• Inscription (excerpts):

"The Arkansas River below you has a long history and continues to flow through time.

Bernard de La Harpe, the first European known to explore the Arkansas River, arrived here in 1722. His expedition was commissioned by France to establish whether this area was suitable for colonization and to map the Arkansas River and its tributaries. La Harpeand 25 men traveled upstream from Arkansas Post to a point 50 miles from Little Rock, near Petit Jean Mountain. Knowledge gained during this expedition led the way for many hunters and traders to use the Arkansas River as their main travel route.

“Having advanced a league through the river, our small pirogue...has been dashed upon a log by the violence of the current, so that it turned over. The men hung to the log, but all that was in the pirogue has been lost, which consists of eighty-five pickaxes and hatchets, a boiler, three muskets and several other objects, wheat and clothes. We have had much difficulty in pulling the pirogue from beneath the log, after which we resumed the course.

• Another marker explains the origin of the name "Little Rock"

GPS: 34.749033, -92.267167

• Inscription:

“Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe was the first European explorer to record the existence of a large rocky bluff on the north bank of the Arkansas River. According to his journal, La Harpe named it le Rocher Français ("the French Rock") on April 9, 1722. It later became known as the Big Rock. The French referred to the smaller outcropping on the south bank as le Petit Rocher ("the Little Rock"). The name first appeared on a 1799 French map of the area. The first official reference to Little Rock occurred in the Treaty of 1818, indicating the northernmost point of the Quapaw reservation. An August 20, 1822, article in the Arkansas Gazette described the rock: "It projects several feet into the river, forming below it a fine basin for boats, and its top reaches perhaps about midway between low water mark and the summit of the bank of the river. The name Little Rock was given to it by the aborigines or the early white settlers of the county to distinguish it from the Big Rock." In the 1950s, la Petite Roche became the accepted spelling based on local scholar Samuel D. Dickinson's suggestion.”

• Another marker celebrates the first Peace council with Indian tribes:

GPS: 35.804117, -95.672550

• Inscription:

“First peace council and alliance in Oklahoma between a European nation and Indian tribes held here at a Tawakoni village by Comdt Bernard De La Harpe on his first visit to the Arkansas River. He erected a post here carved with the coat-of-arms of the French king, on Sept. 10, 1719. This date marks the beginning of French place names and trade activities in Oklahoma. 

Erected 1995 by Oklahoma Historical Society”

• Marker, “Expedition of Bernard de la Harpe, The Red River Journey”

GPS: 35.493600, -97.496983

• Inscription:

“Authorized by French authorities to explore, trade with the Indians, and establish trade relations with Spanish settlements in New Mexico, Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe made an extensive tour of eastern Oklahoma in 1718-1719. The Caddo guided the la HarpeExpedition to a Wichita village along the "Alcansas" river near present-day Tulsa, Oklahoma. Along the way the explorer noted the bounty of flora and fauna. La Harpeestablished a formal relationship with both the Caddo and the Wichita that would ensure decades of trade. Moreover, he sent geographer Gaston du Rivage 180 miles up the Red River and established a thriving trade and successful alliance with the tribes on the upper Red River.”

Top left: Jean-Baptiste de La Vérendrye and his cousin, Christopher Dufrost de La Jemeraye

By Arthur H. Hider, from Library and Archives Canada, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11640946

Top right: Pierre de La Verendrye by Edgar Samuel Paxson, 1912, oil on canvas, 81 x 39 inches, Montana State Capitol (House lobby) By Edgar Samuel Paxson - https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Capitol/Art/House-Lobby, Public Domain,

Middle: A map showing the area of operations of the La Verendrye family in the 1730s and 1740s

By http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/america/canada/northwest/verendrye.htm - The Robinson Library, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17593446

Bottom: “Verendrye Plate"

GPS: 44.373122, -100.337696

A. Miotte. 30 March 1743. 

• Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye was a leading explorer for New France, and with his four sons he led many early exploratory expeditions into the northern plains of North America. By the 1730s, the Vérendryes had established several trading posts in what are now NorthDakota and Canada. Their expedition of 1742-43 sought to extend the range of influence further west, with an ultimate goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean. In this they were unsuccessful. 

• In 1742 two of his sons (probably Louis-Joseph and François) made another expedition to the Missouri. Because of the difficulty of identifying places(...) they may have been the first European explorers to view the Rocky Mountains. This was more than 60 years before the expedition of Lewis and Clark.

• Inscription:

Erected by The South Dakota State Historical Society; a Preserve America grant and the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation.”

(Marker located at Verendrye Dr, Fort Pierre, SD 57532 GPS: 44.355325, -100.378322)

Photos: Verendrye National Monument, Verendrye Drive Fort Pierre, SD 57532

GPS: 44.355325, -100.378322

•  Pierre Gaultier De La Verendrye and his sons explored the interior of North America in the 18th century. In 1742, Francois and Louis-Joseph Verendrye embarked on an expedition to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Though the Verendryes’ epic achievements were dismissed as a failure in their time because they found no Northwest Passage to the Pacific, this site documents their undisputed role in the French effort to achieve colonial dominance in North America. The Verendryes penetrated further into the heartland of North America than any previously known European explorers. They reached the area in South Dakota where Pierre and Fort Pierre are now located 61 years before Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first arrived in the area. At the end of March, 1743, after visiting with local Arikaras, they buried a lead plate at the site to lay the basis for French sovereignty on the upper Missouri.

• Inscription:

“Here on March 30, 1743 the Verendryes buried a lead tablet to claim this region for France. This tablet found on Feb. 16, 1913, is the first written record of the visit of white men to South Dakota. Erected 1933 by the South Dakota State Historical Society and the Fort Pierre Commercial Club"

• A plaque at the monument reads:

• Inscription:

“First visited by Verendrye, who took over for France by planting a lead plate on March 31, 1743. A monument marks the spot. It is over the R.R. track first street to right, on hill to you left .6 miles.”

Erected 1955 by R. S. Howe Co. and State Highway Commission.”

Montana State Capitol, 1301 E 6th Ave, Helena, MT 59601

GPS: 46.585640, -112.018414

Art In the House, Pierre de La Verendrye, by Edgar S. Paxson, oil on canvas, 1912, 81" x 39”, (Photo by Don Beatty, Personal photograph taken at Montana State Capitol, Public Domain) https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Capitol/Capitol-Art/House-Of-Representatives-Lobby

GPS: 45.896639, -111.551417

•  Inscription:

“Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, England, France and Spain competed in the search for a water route across North America. Explorers such as DeSoto, La Salle and de la Verendrye believed that the Mississippi-Missouri was the fabled Northwest Passage to the wealthy Orient. 

By 1760, the French had penetrated father up the Missouri that any other nation, but England emerged from the French and Indian Wars as the strongest power on the continent. With the birth of the United States in 1776, a fourth nation entered the contest for domination of the western lands. The power struggle continued for another 25 years, with the United States siding with one European nation, then another. In the end, the desire of France to limit England's power made possible the purchase of the western territory by the United States.”

Top: Map: The Louisiana Purchase Projection = USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic (EPSG:102003) Sources: Natural Earth and Portland State University

By William Morris - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42826877

Middle: Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Gilbert Stuart via the Bowdoin College Museum of Art; with Portrait of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte by Jacques-Louis David, 1812, via the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Bottom: Flag raising in the Place d'Armes of New Orleans, marking the transfer of sovereignty over French Louisiana to the United States, December 20, 1803, as depicted by Thure de Thulstrup

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19310406

• The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1682 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762 as a sort of custody under a "Bourbon pact", following the loss of the Seven Years war and Canada. In 1800, Napoleon, then the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana in exchange for Tuscany. By 1803, he lost interest in establishing a North American empire and needed funds to fight the British. At the same time Prsident thomas Jefferson was seeking to acquire the crucial port of New Orleans. Instead, Napoléon Bonaparte directed his emissaries to offer not just New Orleans but all of the Louisiana Territory to the Americans.

• In this transaction with France, signed on April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. For roughly 4 cents an acre, the United States doubled its size, expanding the nation westward.

Part of Canada:

GPS: 39.105150, -94.592050

Created by sculptor Eugene Daub, “Corps of Discovery” features Lewis, Clark, York, and Sacagawea with her baby Jean Baptiste and Seaman (Lewis's Newfoundland dog).. Created of bronze and granite, it stands 21 feet tall and about 18 feet wide. It was dedicated in April 2000. Photo: http://lewisandclarktrail.com/

• The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also referred to as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was an important endeavor undertaken by the United States to explore the newly acquired western territory following the Louisiana Purchase. Led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, the Corps of Discovery consisted of a select group of U.S. Army personnel and civilian volunteers. On May 14, 1804, Clark and 30 members departed from Camp Dubois in Illinois, while Lewis and ten others joined them in St. Charles, Missouri. From there, they embarked on a journey up the Missouri River.

• During their expedition, the group crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas near the Lemhi Pass, eventually reaching the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The return voyage commenced on March 23, 1806, from Fort Clatsop in Oregon and concluded on September 23 of the same year.

• The expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Its primary objectives were to explore and map the newly acquired territory, find a practical route across the western part of the continent, and establish American presence in the region before European powers could make any claims. Additionally, the expedition had secondary goals of conducting scientific research on the area's flora, fauna, and geography, as well as establishing trade relations with local Native American tribes. Upon their return to St. Louis, the expedition members presented their findings to President Jefferson, providing him with maps, sketches, and journals documenting their discoveries.

• The ability to converse with native tribes was essential to the success of the mission. Hence the need to have French Canadians in the expedition. For a fascinating insight on the difficulty of conversing with so many different local languages, we cite this excerpt from "Corps of Discovery" by Glen F. Williams of the United States Army, Center of Military History:

"The ability to communicate in Indian languages was one of those absolutely crucial capabilities that Lewis and Clark had to acquire in order to accomplish the diplomatic component of their mission. One must recall that there is no single American Indian language. The native inhabitants of the Great Plains spoke many different languages and dialects. Even those from within the same “language group,” are not always mutually intelligible. Long before contact with Europeans, the various Indian nations on the plains developed a system of hand signs that could be mutually understood in order to communicate, negotiate peace, establish military alliances, and conduct trade with one another. What made the Captains’ task of finding sufficient interpreters even more complex was the fact that they did not know how many different Indian tribes of the various nations would be encountered along the route [...] Next to the ability to speak one or more Indian languages, proficiency in French was a decided advantage. French-Canadian traders and trappers had lived among various Indian tribes for decades, and the expedition was sure to encounter a number of them along the way"... (https://history.army.mil/LC/The%20People/interpreter.htm)

• Inscription on pedestal (Excerpts - side in English):

“The French-speaking community made a significant contribution to the ultimate success of the epochal Lewis & Clark expedition. The St. Louis Chouteau brothers, fur traders Auguste and Pierre, lodged the two captains in their substantial homes many times during the winter of 1803-04, and assisted in procuring supplies, boats, and personnel [...] French voyageurs had ventured up the Missouri for over a century before 1804.

French explorers, the Verendryes, reached an area two-thirds of the way along Lewis & Clark’s route in 1742 in present Montana, near the Rockies and the headwaters of the Missouri. Le Page du Pratz’s 1758 “Histoire de la Louisiane” (with map) was a useful resource. The Indians had told the French of the Rockies and the West, including the Great Salt lake, and of mountains and a river system leading west (part of which eventually became known as the Bitterroots, the Snake, and the Columbia) and the Chouteaus had access to French maps and memoires alluding to these features. President Jefferson even obtained a French passport for Lewis since the Louisiana Territory had been French until less than a year before.

Patron (captain) Baptiste Deschamps and his Gallic engages took supplies and personnel in the large “red pirogue” as far as the Mandan-Hidatsa villages in present North Dakota. A French-Shawnee interpreter, George Drouillard, also acted as chief hunter, arbiter of disputes, and enforcer of the two captains’ orders, and Lewis praised him highly in his reports. 

Toussaint Charbonneau, another French-Indian interpreter, was occasionally a problem. But his young Indian wife, Sacagawea, procured from her brother, a Shoshoni chief, the indispensable horses to ride over the snow-covered mountains. Her little French-Shoshoni papoose, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, was with her on the entire voyage and later lived at Kawsmouth as a youth.

A probable expedition veteran, Frenchman Pierre La Liberté, deeded the land for the first Catholic church (now Cathedral) in Kansas City in 1834. En route up the Missouri, the French boatmen recited the names given long before by their countrymen to features along the river. Near present Kansas City (French “Chez les Canses” or home of the Kansa) were: Pierre à Flêche, L’Eau d’Azur River, Charretin Creek, La Bénite Creek, Petite Riviere Platte, Remore Creek, and Isles des Parques. Above present Leavenworth they pointed out the remains of  French Fort de Cavagnial (1744-64) and Isle au Vache (Cow Island), where the French had kept their livestock.”

Pierre Cruzatte, Private, boatman, fiddler, interpreter

Francois Labiche, Private, interpreter, hunter, boatman

Jean Baptiste Lepage, Private, hunter

George Drouillard, interpreter, scout, hunter, trapper

Toussaint Charbonneau, interpreter, cook, Sacagawea’s husband

Sacagawea, wife, mother, interpreter, gatherer, occasional guide

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (Pompy), toddler

1 Battist de Shone [Deschamps] Patrn

*2 Joseph Le bartee [La Liberté?]

3 Lasoness [Baptiste La Jeunesse]

4 Paul Preemau

5 Chalo [Charles Hebert?]

7 Roie [Peter Roi]

In the large boat [the barge]

*J: Le bartee [Liberte?]

Pieter Crousatt [Pierre Cruzatte] half indian

George Drewyer. Hunter & 4 horses

Mr. Dueron [Dorion] interptr for the Sues

Capt. Lewis my Self & York

GPS: 45.897183, -111.592950

Top Right: Artist’s representation of Drouillard standing with his rifle. George Drouillard by Michael Haynes, https://lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/kentucky-people/george-drouillard/drouillard-death-article/

Bottom: The 2003 Shawnee Nation Five Dollar gold coin commemorates George Drouillard

Photo: https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Drouillard-1660-1

• Georges Drouillard, born around 1775 and died in 1810, played a crucial role as a member of the Corps of Discovery. With a French Canadian father and a Shawnee mother, Drouillard spent his formative years in Ohio and the Detroit area.

• Drouillard spoke French, Shawnee, English, and was an expert at sign language. He possessed exceptional hunting and tracking skills, earning him high praise from Lewis at the conclusion of their journey. As a civilian member of the Corps, he encountered Lewis and Clark in November at Fort Massac, situated along the lower Ohio River. At that time, he resided in Massac Village and the Cape Girardeau District of Missouri. The captains enlisted his services to locate and accompany a group of expedition recruits from South West Point, Tennessee, who had failed to reach Massac.

• On December 25, 1803, Drouillard officially joined the expedition as an interpreter and hunter.

• Throughout the expedition, he often found himself in the midst of perilous situations, including a confrontation with a band of Blackfeet Indians on July 26, 1806. Following the conclusion of the expedition, Drouillard remained in the Western region as a fur trapper.

• Unfortunately, he met his demise at the hands of the Blackfeet near the Three Forks of the Missouri in the spring of 1810. Drouillard's life has been the subject of a biography, various articles, and even a historical novel.

• Inscription:

“George Drouillard, the son of a Shawnee mother and French-Canadian father, was one of the most valued members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Meriwether Lewis noted in a letter to Secretary of War Henry Dearborn that Drouillard was "a man of much merit; he has been peculiarly useful from his knowledge of the common (sign) language of gesticulation, and his uncommon skill as a hunter and woodsman." Discharged from the Corps of Discovery in October, 1806, Drouillard partnered with St. Louis fur trader Manuel Lisa in 1807 to further trap and trade on the upper Missouri. Upon returning to St. Louis, Drouillard described his explorations of the Bighorn region to William Clark, then Superintendent of Indian Affairs, who added the new information to his map of the West.

Three year later in the employment of the St. Louis Missouri Fur Company, Drouillard found himself once more poised at the headwaters of the Missouri River. As the company men, under Pierre Menard, constructed a trading post between the Jefferson and Madison Rivers, the trappers drew constant attention from the Blackfeet who resented their presence. Chafing at the constrains the ever-present Blackfeet placed on the trappers Drouillard and a party of men from the post set out to trap the upper Jefferson. After two days of successful trapping on his own, Drouillard and two others left the main camp on the third day. When they did not return, a search party discovered the mutilated bodies of all three men less than three miles from camp. The physical evidence indicated that Drouillard "made a most obstinate resistance" before being overwhelmed.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Illustration: Shoshone Camp. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Digital Collection, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-chain-of-communication.htm

GPS: 45.836200, -113.979700

• Francois Labiche [uncertain] formerly Milhomme aka Milhomme dit Labuche, was a Metis of French and Omaha descent, born about 1775, died about 1836). 

• Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark picked François Labiche in Kaskaskia, IL, because of his experience as a trader with the Indians. He was an invaluable link in the chain of communication with various tribes and in his great success as a hunter. 

• Lewis was so impressed with his interpreter skills, he recommended him for a bonus. Later Labiche accompanied Lewis to Washington to interpret for the Native American chiefs who went to meet President Jefferson.

• In 1827, he signed a contract with Pierre Chouteau of St. Louis to serve as a “boatman, voyageur, and winterer” for the American Fur Company.  

• Inscription (excerpts):

[...]  “Because it was a language no one in the Expedition spoke, transactions between the two groups went through five translations. A Shoshone lad who lived with the Salish was able to translate to Sacajawea, who was also Shoshone, who passed the message to Charbonneau, her husband, in the Hidatsa language. Charbonneau translated to Labiche in French who then delivered the message to the captains in English.”

Erected by U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Montana Department of Transportation.”

Illustration: Pierre Cruzatte playing the fiddle, https://lewis-clark.org/members/pierre-cruzatte/

Marker, « Through the Short Narrows”

GPS: 45.640517, -121.104567

• Pierre Cruzatte (?-1825-28) special qualifications were that his father was French and his mother Omaha and he spoke both their languages along with English, he himself had been as far up the Missouri River as Nebraska around 1802, and he was a river pilot, a person skilled in “reading” rivers and selecting the best paths for boats to follow

• Inscription (excerpts):

The Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived here after shooting the rapids of the "Short Narrows." In that narrow section of the Columbia, the water squeezed through a channel of basalt that compressed the width of the river from 400 to 45 yards.

William Clark and his "principal waterman" Pierre Cruzatte, examined the tumultuous waters of the narrows. They decided to take their canoes through the passage - a risky plan. Clark wrote. "I deturmined to pass through this place notwithstanding the horrid appearance of this agitated gut Swelling, boiling & whorling in every direction (which from the top of the rock did not appear as bad as when I was in it.).” [...]

Private Pierre Cruzatte: Described as a small, wiry man, Pierre Cruzatte had one eye and was nearsighted. Despite these limitations, he was an excellent boatman and lead the Expedition's canoes through the rapids in this area. The violin was his passion, and he played regularly for the explorers and tribes. During the westbound journey, the Expedition named present-day Wind River after him, calling it "Cruzats River.”[...]

Erected by Lewis & Clark Expedition - Washington.

Above: Map, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, WA MSS 303.

GPS: 46.345700, -117.936033

• Jean-Baptiste Lepage, a French-Canadian trapper born on August 20, 1761 in Kaskaskia, Illinois (now present-day Illinois), possessed significant knowledge of the region prior to the expedition. He had resided among the Mandan people and had also ventured into the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Little Missouri River. As a result, Lepage likely became one of the earliest European-Americans to explore this particular area. The Captains were pleased to have someone with his expertise join their team.

• Inscription(excerpts):

(The list of members of the Corps appears in three columns, one for each of the three messes organized by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.) [...] Erected by Lewis & Clark Expedition - Washington"

Toussaint Charbonneau: By Edgar. Paxson - Montana Historical Society - Montana.gov, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116034956

Portrait of Sacagawea at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Photo by Dsdugan, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122516859

• Toussaint Charbonneau, born on March 20, 1767, and passing away on August 12, 1843, was a French Canadian explorer, fur trapper, and merchant renowned for his involvement in the Lewis and Clark Expedition as the spouse of Sacagawea.

• During the late 1790s, Charbonneau transitioned into a fur trader who resided among the Hidatsa and Mandan indigenous communities. While living among the Hidatsa, Charbonneau acquired a Shoshone girl named Sacagawea (Bird Woman) through purchase or as a prize. The Hidatsa had taken Sacagawea during one of their customary raiding and hunting excursions to the west.

• Sacagawea's decision to accompany Charbonneau may have been influenced by limited options or a preference for her new circumstances. Upon marrying Sacagawea in 1804, Charbonneau was already wed to Otter Woman, another Shoshone woman. Charbonneau eventually recognized both women as his wives, although the nature of their union, whether by Native American tradition or common-law marriage, remains uncertain. By the summer of 1804, Sacagawea was expecting their first child.

• In November 1804, Lewis and Clark invited Charbonneau to join the expedition as an interpreter. While Charbonneau was proficient in French and some Hidatsa, and didn't speak English fluently, Lewis and Clark were particularly interested in having two Shoshone women accompany them. With Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and Otter Woman contributing their linguistic abilities, the expedition gained proficiency in Hidatsa and Shoshone.

• Charbonneau's negotiation skills proved valuable when the expedition obtained much-needed horses at the Shoshone camp. Charbonneau and his family remained with the Lewis and Clark expedition until August 1806, receiving a payment of $500.33, a horse, and a lodge for their nineteen-month service. Additionally, William Clark penned a farewell letter to Charbonneau, expressing a desire for continued interaction.

• Although the exact date of Charbonneau's demise is uncertain, it is believed that he passed away in 1843, as evidenced by Jean-Baptiste settling his father's estate that year. It is widely acknowledged that Charbonneau was laid to rest in Fort Mandan, North Dakota.

Above: Statue, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau and his mother Sacajawea

GPS: 45.521448, -122.702287

Statue of Sacajawea in Washington Park, viewed from the south. It was sculpted by Alice Cooper from Denver, Colorado and unveiled in 1905 at the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition. It depicts Sacajawea pointing the way westward.

By EncMstr - EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=634449

• Sacajawea, also known as Sakakawea or Sacagawea, (May c. 1788 – December 20, 1812, or April 9, 1884) was Toussaint Charbonneau's wife. A Lemhi Shoshone woman, Sacagawea and several other children were taken captive by a group of Hidatsa. Toussaint bought her and married her. She accompanied her husband in the expedition.

• On November 4, 1804, Clark recorded in his journal:

" [A] french man by Name Chabonah, who Speaks the Big Belley language visit us, he wished to hire & informed us his 2 Squars (squaws) were Snake Indians, we engau (engaged) him to go on with us and take one of his wives to interpret the Snake language..."

• Clark later nicknamed her "Janey". Lewis recorded the birth of her baby boy Jean Baptiste Charbonneau on February 11, 1805. Having a woman and infant demonstrated the peaceful intent of the expedition.

• On the 14th of May in 1805, Sacagawea demonstrated her bravery by retrieving various items that had been lost from a boat that had overturned. These items included the valuable journals and records of Lewis and Clark. Recognizing her swift response, the commanders of the expedition decided to honor her by naming a river after her, the Sacagawea River.

• In August 1805, the corps encountered a Shoshone tribe and sought to negotiate for horses in order to cross the challenging Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea played a crucial role as an interpreter during these negotiations and it was during this time that they discovered that the leader of the tribe, Cameahwait, was actually... her own brother!

• After giving birth to a daughter, Lizette, historical documents suggest that Sacagawea died in 1812 of an unknown sickness.

• The National American Woman Suffrage Association embraced Sacagawea in the early 1900's as an emblem of women's value and autonomy. In honor of her achievements, numerous statues and plaques were erected.

Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau (February 11, 1805 – May 16, 1866), son of Sacajawea and Toussaint Charbonneau, was born in North Dakota and was nicknamed by Clark “Pomp”.

• He lived a remarkable life of adventures in the West, as a fur trader, fighting during the Mexican-American War, alcalde (mayor) of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, a gold digger in Oregon, and hotel operator in Northern California, where he died at the age of 61 of pneumonia.

By Secretary of War (February 19, 1863), U.S. Senate, Government Printing Office, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55283755

• Coeur d’Alene is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, and also a satellite city of Spokane in Oregon, a few miles west. It is named after the Coeur d'Alene people, a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans who lived along the rivers and lakes of the region.

• The French name Cœur d'Alêne translates to "heart of an awl". The name is first recorded by the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1805) when interpreters Sakagawea and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau first met the tribe. It was later popularly said to have been given by French traders to one of the chiefs of the tribe noted for his stinginess, or meaning the tribal traders had hearts as sharp as the tip of an awl - or that they were sharp businessmen.

• The Coeur d'Alene (also Skitswish; natively Schi̲tsu'umsh) are a Native American nation and one of five federally recognized tribes in the state of Idaho.

• The Coeur d'Alene have sovereign control of their Coeur d'Alene Reservation, which includes a significant portion of Lake Coeur d'Alene and its submerged lands.

• French explorers and trappers indiscriminately used and popularized the name "NezPercé" for the Nimíipuu and nearby Chinook. The name translates as "pierced nose", but only the Chinook used that form of body modification. As a federally recognized tribe, the Nez Perce Tribe govern their Native reservation in Idaho.

Photo: National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/places/sacajawea-park.htm

Marker, Sacajawea Park, Livingston MT 59047

GPS: 45.653650, -110.557117

• Inscription: 

“Sacajawea and her son traveled with Captain William Clark down the Yellowstone River passing through this area on July 15, 1806. Sacajawea was a Shoshone teenager whose knowledge of native tribes, languages, and geographical landmarks of the area proved invaluable to the Corps of Discovery.

She was the wife of Toussaint Charbonneau, a French interpreter who offered his services to Lewis and Clark at Fort Mandan (in present-day North Dakota) on their westward journey.

She gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste, at Fort Mandan and took him with here to the Pacific Ocean and back. Sacajawea assisted the Corps of Discovery in trading for horses with the Lemhi Shoshoni tribe.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service.”

GPS: 46.585640, -112.018414

Charbonneau and his mother Sacagawea appear on the United States Sacagawea dollar coin. Pompeys Pillar on the Yellowstone River in Montana and the community of Charbonneau, Oregon are named for him.

Left: monument at Saint Louis Church, 14013 Manning Rd NE, Woodburn, OR 97071

GPS: 45.122767, -122.942900

By Andrew Parodi https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47732472

Old Fort Boise, 109 Parma Rd, Parma, ID 83660

GPS: 43.779783, -116.932400

By Dawnmariew19, https://dawnmariew19.wordpress.com/tag/fort-boise/

• Inscription at the base of statue:

Pierre Dorion, Sr. (Old Dorion) and his son Pierre, Jr. (Young Dorion) were both utilized by Lewis and Clark as interpreters during their journey up to the Sioux nation.

• Pierre Dorion, Sr. resided in Cahokia in 1780 before moving to live among the Yankton Sioux, where he eventually married a Sioux woman. Dorion had previously lived with the Yankton Sioux for twenty years, and he proved to be a gifted interpreter and knowledgeable diplomat. Lewis & Clark commissioned Dorion: “to act with a flag & some Cloathes & Provisions & instructions to bring about a peace with the Scioux Mahars, Panies, Ponceries, Ottoes & Missouries— and to employ any trader to take Some of the Cheifs of each or as many of those nations as he Could Perticularly the Sceiouex.”

• Pierre Dorion Jr. spent much of his early life among the Yankton people and accompanied his father in a part of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

By the winter of 1810-1811, Dorion Jr. had married Marie, a French-Yankton woman and was the sole proficient speaker of the Sioux languages in St. Louis, making him a valuable asset for fur traders.

• Marie Aioe Dorion, later known as Madame Marie Dorion Venier Toupin (approximately 1786 – September 5, 1850) was also an interpreter. Like her first husband Pierre Dorion Jr., she belonged to the Métis community. Her lineage comprised of an Iowa mother and a father of French Canadian descent. After Pierre Jr.'s death she remarried twice, all with French Canadian husbands. She was also recognized as Marie Laguivoise, a name documented in 1841 at the Willamette Mission, which seemingly derived from Aiaouez, later known as Iowa. When news reached her of Pierre's tragic death, she managed to successfully escape and made her way towards the west accompanied only by her two children. Their arduous journey involved traversing frigid rivers, navigating snowy expanses, and scaling treacherous canyons. With immense courage and unwavering resilience, they were ultimately rescued by benevolent Walla Walla Indians.

GPS: 42.868450, -97.400200

• Inscription:

“West of this stone near the crest of the hill is the burial site of Pierre Dorion, Sr., an early trader in what is now South Dakota. Born in Canada in 1740, Pierre came to this area around 1774–1775 to trade with the Sioux. He married Holy Rainbow, the daughter of a Yankton Sioux chief. While delivering a boatload of hides and tallow to St. Louis, Pierre met the Corps of Discovery on June 12th, 1804 on their trek upriver and was hired as their interpreter. 

GPS: 46.056079, -118.907476

• Inscription:

"Madame Dorion of the Iowa tribe was the second woman to come west on an overland route. She made the Journey with her husband, Pierre and two young sons. They were part of the Wilson Price Hunt party employed by the Pacific Fur Comany. The Hunt party was part of American John Jacob Astor's attempt to establish a fur trading empire in the Pacific Northwest. Her husband was an experienced guide that had earlier traveled west with the Lewis and Clark expedition. The trip was especially arduous for Marie. She was at that time expecting her third child and caring for her sons, Baptise, age 5 and Paul, age 3.The party left the Missouri territory in 1811 to establish trading posts along the Columbia River. After enduring cold, starvation and perilous whitewater river crossings the party arrived near this location on January 21, 1812. The Pacific Fur Company later established Fort Nez Perces along the Walla Walla and Columbia Rivers just west of this location. They eventually reached Fort Astoria for a long deserved rest. The Dorion family and a party of trappers later set out for the Snake River country in the winter of 1813 on a fur trapping expedition. Here Snake warriors attacked the party. All the men were killed, leaving Marie Dorion and her two young children to live out the winter hiding in the Blue Mountains, near present day Hilgard, Oregon. Marie managed to keep her family alive and they endured the cruel hardships of cold and starvation. Marie then led her family to safety in the spring. Marie Dorion later remarried and lived in Walla Walla, Washington and later in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She died on September 5, 1850 at the age of 64. Even in death she was revered by those who knew her. She was buried in a place of honor at the parish of St. Louis Catholic Church in the Willamette Valley. She had died as she had lived, a brave and noble pioneer esteemed by all who knew her."

Long before the celebrated Lewis & Clark expedition, several French explorers had ventured far into the West, trying to find this direct route to China, claiming land for the King of France. Although they are duly recognized at many sites (some of them rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th Century) with markers, statues and monuments, they are mostly forgotten or barely mentioned in school textbooks, in the United States and in France as well.

They had lived for generations with the local Indian tribes, trading with them, mixing blood lines. That was before the "Conquest of the West " and the forced relocation of so many native tribes.

Yet, French pioneers were actually among the first cohorts of immigrants, and this will be the topic of our next series.

Left: Page from Lt. Baylies' "Livret Militaire". Buried at Escadrille Lafayette Monument, Marnes-la-Coquette, France.

Right: Lt. Frank Leaman Baylies by French Air Service photograph, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29824316

https://conta.cc/3Qz0Xjl (original version in English)

https://conta.cc/3QCRqYM (version en français)

This month, we pay hommage to Lt. Frank Leaman Baylies, who "Died for France" while serving in World War One.

Lieutenant Frank Leaman Baylies, born on September 23, 1895, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was an American World War I flying ace who achieved twelve aerial victories while serving in the French Aeronautique Militaire. Initially, Baylies volunteered for the Ambulance Corps in May 1916 and served on the Western Front, as well as in Serbia and Salonika. His bravery and dedication were recognized when he was awarded the Croix de Guerre in March 1917 for his efforts in evacuating the wounded amidst enemy fire.

On 13 May Baylies was transferred to the United States Air Service and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He declined a Captain's commission so he could remain on detached service with SPA 3 as a fighting aviator and not a Flight Leader in an American Aero Squadron. He thus remained with the French, until his death in action on June 16, 1918 while engaging Fokker Triplanes from Jasta 19. Mistaking the Fokkers for British Sopwiths, Baylies and his wingmen attempted to join their formation, only realizing their error at the last moment. Despite his efforts to evade, Baylies was shot down by the fourth Fokker that targeted him. One wingman, André Dubonnet, was also downed but survived, while François Macari narrowly escaped.

Our Hermione Fund raising appeal continues!

• In November, our Society kicked-off the US Fund raising campaign to help Save the Hermione and have it sail back in time for the United States Semiquicentennial. This is an ongoing campaign and all donations are tax-deductible.

• Our November 2022 Bulletin narrated the incredible story and ongoing legacy of the "Train de la Reconnaissance Française", affectionately called "The Merci Train" (November 2022: "The Merci Train, 49 boxcars of French gifts"

https://conta.cc/3OLtgJ3 (original version in English)

https://conta.cc/3VpKzRP (version en français)

• 2024 is the 75th anniversary of the "Merci Train", a gesture of friendship and gratitude from the French people to Americans who gave 49 boxcars full of gifts for each State in 1949.

• The Merci Train, the 40&8 National Box Car Association and many other local organizations, custodians of the various "Merci train" boxcars in several States are planning celebrations throughout the year. We are honored to help get the word out.

• The Historic Museum of Holly Hill is planning with our Society, represented by Brigitte van den Hove-Smith, Déléguée Générale Adjointe, South East USA a special commemoration in Holly Hill, Daytona Beach, FL at the Florida boxcar on November 11 at 11:00AM, with the French General Consulate in Miami. Stay tuned for more details!

• Another "Save the Date": February 2, 2025 for the re-dedication of the Hawai'i boxcar, currently being restored thanks to Mr. Jeff Livingston, Historian, 40 & 8 Project Manager, Hawaiian Railway Society, and volunteers, as well as the enthusiastic support of the Aloha Chapter, NSDAR, of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Laura Ingenluyff, State Vice-Regent, Hawai'i NSDAR. See the photos below that we just received, showing the incredible efforts that are being deployed to save this historical artifact.

If you don't have one of these posters and the Merci Train posters, please contact National Box Car Association Secretaire Virgil Blum via email. You can find his contact information at the Forty & Eight website: https://www.fortyandeight.org/box-car/ 

 The Revolutionary War Conference 250 in the Mohawk Valley is Back and Registration is Open!

Lodging: Please Click Here for the 2024 Hotel-Lodging Information

Conference Location: The Fulton-Montgomery Community College's Theater - The Visual Arts & Communications Building (Campus Map Building #2) - 2805 NY-67, Johnstown, NY 12095 - Please Park in Lots 5, 4 or Visitor's Lot - Please Click Here - FMCC Campus Map

Photos: courtesy Delta airlines, The Girl Who Wore Freedom, TheFrenchWillNeverForget.org, laflammedelaliberte.com

• We are proud to announce that our First Vice-President, Patrick du Tertre, who is also co-Founder of TheFrenchWillNeverForget.org, along with Paul Bensabat, Jean-Pierre Heim, and Christian Millet (in memoriam), are planning a momentous celebration in Paris, with 1,944 schoolchildren waving American and French flags at the foot of the replica of the Statue of Liberty, Pont de Grenelle, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

One goal is to create a video clip and an emblematic photo to be distributed widely and especially in the United States. TheFrenchWillNeverForget (TFWNF) welcomes any idea and participation around the concept and started collecting funds to support this event. TFWNF is a 501c3 not for profit association and your donation is fully deductible. Any amount will help, and you will be recognized officially in the donors list. You can mail checks written to The French Will Never Forget to Patrick du Tertre PO Box 375 Bethel CT 06801. For companies there are 4 levels of sponsorship available, You can contact Patrick directly at patrick@dutertre.com

• You may remember that 3 years ago we also supported premiere in New York

the incredibly moving documentary "The Girl Who Wore Freedom", by filmmaker Christian Taylor.

This is the perfect time to view it again, or for the first time! It is now widely available on several platforms such as AppleTV or Amazon Prime Video. For a complete list, visit: https://thegirlwhoworefreedom.com/

• "Operation Mirror 2024": Flame of Liberty from the arc of Triumph, Paris to Arlington National Cemetery

• We are also proud to announce that on June 7th, our Society will honor Anna Marly, the composer of the "Chant des Partisans", in close partnership with the Alaska Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution. Anna Marly is buried in Palmer, Alaska. Her hymn galvanized the French Resistance and became the second unofficial French national anthem. She became an American Citizen in 1965. The wreath-laying will be done by the French Honorary Consul in Alaska, Ms. Sonia Lelarge, and Alaska officials.

Stay tuned for more details in our upcoming Bulletins.

GPS: 61.607426, -149.091571

• Anna B. Smiernow, born Anna B. Betulinskaya, known as Anna Marly, (30 October 1917 – 15 February 2006) was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia and died in Palmer, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. Her mother fled the Russian Revolution with baby Anna and found refuge in Nice, France. As a teenager, Anna became a ballet dancer in Monaco and as a young woman became a cabaret singer in Paris when WWII broke out. She joined the Free French in 1940.

• Anna Marly is the composer of the "Chant des Partisans" ( Joseph Kessel and Maurice Druon wrote the lyrics) which became a second national anthem of France after La Marseillaise during WWII and up until today, whenever ceremonies are held in honor of the French Resistance.

• After the war and her divorce, she moved to Latin America, then Pennsylvania with her second husband, and moved to Alaska after his death. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1965.

• She also wrote "La Complainte du Partisan" (known in English as "The Partisan"), which was later famously covered by Leonard Cohen and Joan Baez.

• Inscription:

visiting our website: www.SouvenirFrancaisUSA.org

• Friday, March 22: 75th anniversary ceremony at the Texas "Merci train" boxcar at Camp Mabry, Austin, TX

• Sunday, May 5: celebration of "French Alliance Day" at Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge, PA

• Monday, May 27: Memorial Day

• May 24: "Operation Miroir" In honor of the 80th Anniversary of

D-Day: Fifty young French students will carry "La Flamme de la Nation" from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to Arlington National Cemetery, where a ceremony will take place on May 24th at 2:00PM. Our Society is helping out with logistics between NY and Arlington.

• Thursday, June 6: D-Day allied landing in Normandy celebration

• Thursday, June 6: TheFrenchWillNeverForget.org is planning a memorable event in front of the replica of the Statue of Liberty in Paris at the Pont de Grenelle, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, with 1,944 schoolchildren waiving American and French flags. With the support of Le Souvenir Français in Paris and several other French and American patriotic associations.

• Friday, June 7: American Society of Le Souvenir Français wreath-laying at Anna Marly's grave, Pioneer cemetery, Palmer, Alaska (composer of Le Chant des Partisans) by Mme Sonia Lelarge, Honorary Consul of France in Alaska, in cooperation with the Daughters of the American Revolution.

• Tuesday, June 18: Appel du 18-Juin

• Friday July 5: annual wreath-laying at the tomb of general Lafayette at Picpus cemetery, Paris, by the American Ambassador.

• Weekend July 12-13-14: annual wreath laying ceremony in front of the Statue of Rochambeau in Newport, R.I., homage at the tombs of Admiral de Ternay, Chevalier Pierre Rousseau de Fayolle, LT Benjamin de la Villemarais at Trinity Churchyard and "Tribute to France"

• Saturday, July 13: Bastille Day celebration in Central Park

• Thursday, August 15: 80th anniversary of Allied landing in Provence

• Friday, August 16: Kick-off Lafayette Farewell Tour Bicentennial on Broadway

• Friday, October 18: stele and boulder with bronze plaque honoring by name the hussars who died at the Battle of Hook, to be installed between our two markers at Abingdon Elementary School park.

• Saturday, October 19: celebration of French-American Victory at Yorktown, dedication of a bronze plaque "Sailors buried at sea” at the French Memorial

• Sunday, November 10: Annual wreath-laying at the 463 "Morts Pour la France", Notre Dame Church in Manhattan

• Monday, November 11: Veterans Day / Armistice Day, 5th Avenue Parade in NYC, Washington DC, Houston, TX

• Monday, November 11: wreath-laying ceremony at the Merci Train boxcar in Holly Hill , Daytona Beach, Florida

• Tribute at Varian Fry's grave, Green-Wood cemetery, Brooklyn, NY (Righteous Among the Nations)

• Ceremony to honor the memory of 8 French Soldiers who are buried by Old St. Peter's Church in Old Hillside Cemetery, Cortlandt, NY

• Re-dedication: La Pérouse Memorial restoration at LaPerouse Bay, Maui, HI

• Dedication of 4 commemorative plaques in honor of the 4 American “Companions de la Libération”: General Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Hasey, James Worden, Jacques Tartière

• Dedication of a bronze plaque honoring "Le Tigre" French prime minister Georges Clemenceau in New York, where he spent four years as a young journalist from 1865-1869

• Dedication of a bronze plaque at Gramercy Park, New York, honoring Varian Fry who lived in Marseilles in 1940 and 1941 and helped many jews escape to America.

• Dedication of the Memorial to 4 soldiers from the Royal-Deux Ponts regiment who are buried in the vicinity of the Odell House – Rochambeau Headquarters

• Other sites of exhibits in France of the touring US Unknown Soldier exhibition in Paris will be announced as they are confirmed.

• Statue of Alexis de Tocqueville, author of the 1835-1840 classic "Democracy in America" (university site TBD)

• Bronze plaque to the memory of 3 soldiers of the Auxonne, Saintonge and Soissonnais regiments who died at West Point in 1782.

• Bust of Antoine de Saint Exupéry at the Intrepid Pier, New York

• Commemoration at Odet Philippe's monument, Philippe's Park, Safety Harbor, FL (Founder of grapefruit industry in Florida)

• Bust of Jean Ribault, site of the Trinity shipwreck, near Cape Canaveral, FL

• Beautification of "Matanzas" marker at the site of Jean Ribault's colony massacre in 1565, Saint Augustine, FL.

Last but not least, we will pursue our national fund-raising campaign in partnership with other US patriotic and cultural organizations to help the frigate Hermione sail again and participate in the upcoming semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the United States.

• To preserve the memory of the French soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives for freedom, and who are buried in the United States.

• To honor French Citizens who did great deeds in the United States, or with a strong connection with the United States, 

• To strengthen the long-standing traditional bonds of friendship between the American and French peoples, and to this end: erect or maintain memorials and monuments and encourage historical research, public presentations and publications in the media. 

Françoise Cestac, Honorary President • Thierry Chaunu, President, and General Delegate, Le Souvenir Français in the United States • Yves de Ternay, Treasurer • Patrick du Tertre, 1st Vice President • Henri Dubarry • Francis Dubois • Alain Dupuis, 2nd Vice President & Deputy General Delegate, Le Souvenir Français in the United States • Daniel Falgerho, General Secretary • Clément Mbom, Education Advisor • Jean-Hugues Monier, Auditor • Harriet Saxon • Nicole Yancey

Jacques Besnainou, Great Lakes and Midwest • Bruno Cateni, South

Prof. Norman Desmarais, New England • Alain Leca, Washington D.C. •

Marc Onetto, West Coast • Brigitte Van den Hove – Smith, Southeast • Nicole Yancey, Yorktown & Virginia, former Honorary Consul of France in Virginia

Email: tchaunu@SouvenirFrancaisUSA.org Tel: (212) 847-1371