FatherLacombe KatherineHughes j &aitiartj College library FROM THE FRANCIS PARKMAN MEMORIAL FUND FOR CANADIAN HISTORY Established in 1908 FATHER LACOMBE THE BLACK-ROBE VOYAGEUR FATHER LACOMBE The Black-Robe Voyageur BY KATHERINE HUGHES ILLUSTRATED "KEW YOEK MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 1911 Cos*, 2 70"*/ f Copyright, 1911, bj MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY N«w York AU RighU Reserved Published October, 1811 TO THE FAITH AND GRIT OF THE UNWRITTEN HEROES ITS THE OLD GUARD OF OBLATM IN WESTERN CANADA " Send me men girt for the combat, Men who are grit to the core. Send me the best of your breeding, Lend me your chosen ones; Them will I take to my bosom, Them will I call my sons. And I will not be won by weaklings, Subtile, suave and mild, But by men with the hearts of Vikings, And the simple faith of a child." Service. PREFACE Neab the Lake of the Woods at sunrise one morn ing in 1882 I saw a priest standing on a flat rock, his crucifix in his right hand and his broad hat in the other, silhouetted against the rising sun, which made a golden halo about him, talking to a group of In dians — men, women and pappooses — who were listen ing with reverent attention. It was a scene never to be forgotten, and the noble and saintly countenance of the priest brought it to me that this must be Father Lacombe of whom I had heard so much; and it was. My acquaintance with him, begun that morning, has been full of charm to me, and my only regret is that in these later years the pleasure of meeting him has come at lengthening intervals. His life, devoted and self-sacrificing, has been like peaceful moonlight — commonplace to some, but to others full of quiet splendour, serenity, mystery and of much more for which there are no words. We who know him love him because of his goodness and we feel that he is great; but we may not say he is great because of this or of that. His life has been hidden from the world in far-away Indian encamp ments and it is there we must look for accounts of his good works and great deeds. The noble and elevating example of devotion and vii PREFACE self-sacrifice that has been given us by Father La- combe in his more than sixty years of work among the Indians of Western Canada should not be lost, for he would be stony-hearted indeed who would not be softened and humanized by such an example, which must bring even to the irreligious a feeling of pro found respect for the faith which inspired and sus tained this good man. It is fortunate, therefore, that Miss Hughes who is so well fitted in every way and especially by her intimate knowledge of the country in which Father Lacombe has laboured so long and with the conditions surrounding him, should have undertaken a record of his life, with a reverent love of her subject to guide her pen; and I regard it as a very great honour that she has asked me to write a Preface for her book. W. C. Van Horne. Montreal, 21st April, 1910. FOREWORD Fatheb Lacombe's peculiarly vivid intellect — which even yet seizes upon every detail in events and people that touch on his life — holds the Past as in a mirror. To avail myself of this knowledge in securing quite accurate pictures of early West ern periods and incidents I have for some years submitted this venerable man month after month to what he laughingly termed " inquisitions." Some others of the few real Old-Timers remain ing have likewise submitted to my " inquisitions," and generously contributed to my knowledge of details. Their names occur in the narrative; I desire to thank them here for their valuable assistance. I would also acknowledge my indebtedness to my friends — Bishop Legal, who opened to me the Archives of St. Albert and his letters from Father Lacombe, the Hon. Alexander Rutherford, who gave me access to his library of rare Canadiana, and others. K. H. CONTENTS PART ONE I IN OLD QUEBEC 1889-1849 FAOB Chatte-Galerie — Saint-Sulpice — The Home Feast of the New Year — Childhood — Remote Ancestor an Ojibway Chief — L' Assumption College — Bishop's Palace, Mon treal — Rev. Georges Belcourt — Call of Western Mis sions — Ordination 8 II THE WEST BECKONS 1849 Dramatic Scene in Palace Chapel — Departure from Lachine — Bishop Loras and Dubuque — A Missouri Flat-boat — One Month at St. Paul — Father Ravoux — A Coffin-bed — By Carta to Pembina — Saulteuz Indians Pillage Travellers 14 III HIS WANDEBJAHR AT PEMBINA 1849-1850 Bishop Provencher and Red River — Summer on the Plains with Metis— The Wild Glory of the Buffalo Hunt— The Manna of the Prairies — Triumphal Procession of the Primitive Man 22 adi CONTENTS IV ON TO THE SASKATCHEWAN 1850-1852 PAGE Returns to Montreal — Meets Bishop Tache — Volunteers for Western Missions — The Red River in Flood — Replaces Father Thibault at Fort Edmonton — Voyage up Sas katchewan in York Boats — Hardships of "Tracking Crew" — Chief Factor John Rowand — Welcome to Old Fort Edmonton ........ ... 84 V FORT EDMONTON IN ROWAND'S DAY 1852-1853 Headquarters of Hudson's Bay Company in Far West — Primitive Stronghold — Rowand's Folly — Lac la Biche — Studies Cree with Governor Simpson's Piper — The Bully Paulet Paul— Defies His Friend Rowand, the Napoleon of the Saskatchewan — The Company's As sistance to Pioneer Missionaries 46 VI EXPLORING A NEW FIELD 1853-1857 Blackfeet Trading at Fort Edmonton — When Rum was Ex changed for Peltry — Lac Ste. Anne — Tache's First Pastoral Visit — Father Lacombe Journeys to Peace River, 500 Miles Distant — Novitiate — Trip to Jasper House — Caught by Forest Fire — Into the Country of Warlike Blackfeet — Three Mangled Bodies ... 59 CONTENTS VII PALLISER AND SOUTHESK 1857-1861 PAQJE First Mission to the Blackfeet — Distress in Epidemic — Col ony at Lake Grows — Palliser Expedition — Dr. Hector and Invalid Frain — The fameux Alexit and Dog-train — Lord Southesk's Tribute to Father Lacombe — An Un expected Visit and Gladness in the Forest — Blackfeet want Father Lacombe as their Praying-Man ... ... ... 7Q VIII AN ORGANIZING GENIUS AT PLAY 1861-1862 Tache Selects Site of St. Albert — Father Lacombe Estab lishes Colony — The Golden Age — Builds First Bridge West of Red River — Initiates Transport of Freight Across Prairies in Red River Carts — Establishes First School West of Red River — Starvation on Plains — Plenty in Colony — Father Lacombe Builds a Grist mill .88 IX VISITS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD 1862-1865 Governor Dallas Visits St. Albert — Angered at Bridge — Lord Milton and Cheadle Arrive — Out to the Plains — Encounter with Medicine-Man, White Eagle — Murder of Sarcee by Little Pine — War-Party of Blackfeet Threaten Fort Edmonton — Dr. Rae Visits Father La combe — Gaspard Lacombe — American Miners Appear on Saskatchewan — Visit of Father Vanderburghe ... 92 xiv CONTENTS X A CRUSADER OF THE PLAINS 1865 PAGE Father Lacombe Assigned to Free-Lance Mission on Plains — Journeys by Dog-Train with Alexis — Head-Chief Sweet-Grass — Establishment of St. Paul des Cris — A New Moses in a Camp of Israel — Hunting Buffalo, and Souls 107 XI BATTLE BETWEEN BLACKFEET AND CREES 1865 Midnight Attack of Crees on Band of Chief Natous — Father Lacombe in Tent of Natous — Amid Clamour of Battle He Calls on Crees to Withdraw — Crowfoot to the Res cue — Father Lacombe Advances Alone Upon Firing- Line — Struck by Bullet — Richard Hardisty's Welcome to Rocky Mountain House 116 XII COURSING THE WIDE PLAINS 1865-1867 Christmas at Fort Edmonton — The Mess-Room of the Gentlemen Adventurers — Peace to Men of Good-Will — Jimmy-from-Cork — Gibbons and Livingstone, Miners — Father Lacombe Rescues Abandoned Squaw — Hard Trip to Fort Carlton — Bishop Grandin 124 XIII A HUNTING GROUND FOR SOULS 1867-1868 On to St. Boniface — The Company Brings in Its First Bri gade of Carts — Sarcee Maiden Captive — The House- Tent — Off to the Plains — Band of Starving Indians . 136 CONTENTS Xf. XIV SOWING IN TEARS 1868 PAOK Starring on the Winter Plains — Bouillon of Moccasins and Sinews — Carcass of Dying Buffalo — Camp of Chief Sweet-Grass — The Innocent Prodigals Welcomed to the Camp-Fires — Midnight-Mass on the Plains — Tribute of Sweet-Grass to the Pontiff 146 XV IN PARTIBUS INFIDELIUM 1868-1869 Wins Sarcees by Coup d'Etat — On the Plains with Crees — Prevents Blackfoot Attack — Welcomes Bishop Grandin — Quaint Notes of Episcopal Surroundings in partibut infidelium — A Successful Surgical Operation . 137 XVI ACROSS THE BORDER 1869-1870 Possibilities of Southern Transportation — Father Lacombe Departs for St. Louis — Fort Benton — Hunting Buffalo from Deck of Flat-boat — A Hurried Visit to Canada — Return West With Sister — A Hard Winter on the Plains — Blackfeet March on Fort Edmonton . 168 XVII RAVAGES OF SMALLPOX 1870 Fort Edmonton in State of Defence — Narrow Escape of Father Lacombe — Journey to Fort Dunvegan on the Peace — Ravages of Smallpox — Battles with the Disease on the Plains — A Year of Sad Memories .... 178 xvi CONTENTS XVIII "I will tell you when my time has come!" 1870-1871 PAQE Many Pagans Converted — Head-Chief Sweet-Grass and His Past — Winter at Rocky Mountain House — Compiles Two Books in Cree — Author of Great Lone Land — Another Summer on the Plains — The Marriage of Wil liam — Quaint Ante-nuptial Declaration 187 XIX FRESH MARCHING ORDERS 1871-1872 With the Blackfeet — A New Mission Along the Bow — In vents an Illustrated Catechism — The Beginning of the End — Rumours of a Transcontinental Railway — Neces sity of Indian Schools — Father Lacombe Receives Fresh Marching-Orders — Finds Winnipeg Rising Out of Fort Garry — A New Life Beckons 201 PART TWO I THE PLAINSMAN ABROAD 1872-1873 Archbishop Tascherau — Father Lacombe Learns the Hard Metier of a Beggar — Government Grant to Cree Dic tionary — Sails for Europe — Ploughing London — Arch bishop Manning — Experiences in Paris — Louis Veuillot — Tours France and Germany — Homesick for the CONTENTS xvii II OTTAWA POLITICS AND RED RIVER COLONIZING 1873-1876 paoi Archbishop Tache and Sir John Macdonald — The Trouble some Amnesty — Sir Aime Dorion Appeals to Father Lacombe — St.