Life of the Abbe Adrien Roqu'ette
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LIFE O F T HE ' ABB E ADRIEN ROQUETTE " " CHA HT A -IMA Compil ed and E dited by R . E LD E R M S S B . from material furnished fri ds by en . Published under auspice s of B env e A ssemb Kn hts of Co umbus i ill ly , ig l , on the cente ar of his th n y bir . W O R E A N E L N S , 1 9 1 3 3 J J n ’ T h e L . Go éh m o a omm n S . I A C t , N 0 j i. A; o r h t 1 9 1 3 C p y ig , B Y M B E L D E R U S A N . R . S . S A l l r h t s r v e d ig s r e e . T I N T R O D U C I O N . Probably one of the most striking and picturesque figures in the later history of the lower Mississippi Val f ley i s that of the Abbe Rouquette , who lived his li e in ! and about N ew Orleans . Students of American His of L a tory are well aware Salle, Bienville , Audubon and of the many others wh o have had a part in our early al Louisiana development . The Abbe Rouquette seems most to have been the last of that long series of pioneers who instinctively and progressively worked from within h i s for the betterment and welfare of people . h Himself a distinguished sc olar, he yet was imbued — ’ with a desire to help forward the lowly his life s greatest ‘ f el t d r awn duty was, in his Opinion , the mission work he towards among the Choctaw Indians , whose last villages , of M B L m east the ississippi , were near ay ou aco be , j ust f north o N ew O rleans . The Choctaw Indians in Colonial days were an exten s i ive tribe , occupying the territory , now Alabam a and M s s i ssi i e P on t ch ar t r i an pp , as far as the Lak north coast . The tribe have interested the Ethnologist because of superior qualities and traditions that seem d to indicate that they had wandered northward from ol d Mexico and A zt were probably of ec origin . Their location between the English plantations of the l ower Atlantic coast and the of French settlements Louisiana, mad e them of consider able political interest . England laid claim to Carolina with an extent as far West as the Mississippi River . This was set forth by Coxe 461 51 6 6 R D T I I N T O U C O N . in 1 740. Some years later traders from Charleston came as far through the Choctaw country a s the Mississippi . Tomahawks an d firearms were traded to these people, and a the English tried to get them , with the Chickas ws and Natchez to surprise and exterminate the Louisiana pion er . e s The Choctaws were friendly, however, and but little progress was made in setting them against their French neighbors . Capta in Bernard Romans i s the first E nglishman to e a write intimately of these people , an exc edingly r re book d 1 775 r to ay , was published by him in , afte he had spent i s many years in their country . This book a famous source book and seems a faithful account of this fine Indian peo wh o t o ple, were then quite numerous , according Romans , having some seventy villages . I mention Romans , the first white man to reside with these red men , to draw a contrast with Pere Rouquette , wh o was the last Ca ucasian to take up a home with these people prior to their transmigration to the Indian Ter r i t or d . y, where they are to ay Romans was among them of his own volition as a — student originally but he later developed designs favor ing an alliance with t h e British in their effort to push their possessions westward . He was called away by the Revolution against England, the Choctaws remained neu tral in the war that followed, and continued, as before, — on good terms with the French trading post s frequently h visiting New Orleans, capital of t e Province of Louis iana . One of their very interesting villages was near Bayou I N T R O D U C T I O N . n t . was Lacombe, o far from Lake Pontchartrain It to h R ou this settlement that t e polished scholar , Adrien uet t e h e t o q , retired when had determined to apply himself a . a special work, impelled by great devotion There can hardly be any doubt that when the world h as becom e acquainted with the Abbe Rouquette he will rank among the distinguished figures of the nineteenth of m century . His was a bright mind , great i agination , — wi th ideals and conc entra tion like all men of genius he wa s peculiar . The impressions of an infancy spent among a Choctaw Indian environment eventuall y lured him b a ck f or a fie i on to that people whom he had acquired a great ct . Had he remained in Paris where he wa s educated the d world would know him to ay, without doubt, a s it does Chateaubriand . Hi s a h i s return to Louisi na, the development of love of h e the Faith , his going into Orders, all in t direction of the missionary life which seemed to him his. spiritual des — Hi tiny these were practical duties he had in mind . s great literary accomplishments were held by him secon dary in importance, and were not developed as they would en vi r on m n t e have been in an of l tters . However it is as Natur e lover an d servant of man ’ a for God s s ke , that Pere Rouquette is remembered lo cally . The descendants of the Choctaws revere him a s a saint ; h i s deeds of charity have become the story of the “ ” Vi ews Cam e, h i s soul stirring oratory in Louisiana’ s i s a two historical Cathedral part in its century traditions . of A fine description Abbe Rouquette , written from n . d of perso al observation by Dr Alexan er De M enil , St . 8 N R D C N I T O U T I O . “ t e Louis, in his in eresting work entitl d Louisiana Writ er s is as follows : 1 74 a s ta On a warm day in February, 8 , I w s nding on Rue Royale , industriously engaged in idling away time e m and youth , when I was startl d by a voice that came fro ‘ ’ ’ C es t l A bb e R ou u t t an Open doorway just behind me , q e e — i ” n : n t . u m m s a and the commere crossed herself . “ a — a I looked down the narrow street man , old in i years , yet strong and active , of about medium s ze , a little stooped, long black hair streaked with grey , and clad in the wa s simple black clothes of a Catholic priest, leisurely ‘ — a passing along the sidewalk . Abbe Rouquette real saint ! ’ The words have often recurred to my memory f ew since then . A years later I was delighted to learn that Abbe Rouquette had written several books , and was a poet ! ” I am very glad to contribute to the Abbe Rouquette n ot h i s matter, a Choctaw vocabulary yet published , in a s autograph which has recently turned up in Paris . It w sent t o me and now forms a part of my Americana collee tion . a It is given , in part , as an addend to this very ex ’ cel l en t of relation the Abbe s life , which though much fin e t o h i s belated is a tribute worth , his genius and his patriotism . T . P . THOMPSON . Chairman History Committee , m Bienville Asse bly, Knights of Columbus . N E 4 1 91 3 . W ORLEANS, July , P I C T R E O F . R E T U A OU Q U T E . CHA PTER FIRST . B IRTHPLACE . ‘ — New Orleans how varied are the thoughts evoked by ! ! thy name . Oh Queen City of the Southland Situated near the mouth of the great Mississippi— and possessing a — — capacious harbor to - day almost the eve of that gigantic of — achievement , the completion the Panama Canal the would - b e seer has little difficulty in predicting a future greatness such as the most sanguine of her sons has never f or O r l ean s m wh en dreamed of , New she will be the center of commercial enterprise and in touch with all the nations of the world . But these promises we will leave f or future ver ifica — of - tion , while we consider New Orleans to day . Visitors on l come from all over the world , some p easure bent , some b al m to seek the v winter sunshine, and some in the inter f o ests of business . And as varied as the reasons r their wav sojourn in the Crescent City, are the souvenirs taken a of a memories ple sant company distinguished for courtesy , s s — of varied amu ement , gay crowds brilliant pageants and splendid buildings .