Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 8-1980 Charles Langlade in the French and Indian War Paul M. Trap Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Trap, Paul M., "Charles Langlade in the French and Indian War" (1980). Master's Theses. 1920. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1920 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHARLES LANGLADE IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR Paul M . Trap A Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College in partial fullfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Specialist in Arts Department of History Western Michigan University Kalama zoo, Michigan August 1980 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHARXES XANGXADE IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR Paul M. Trap, Sp. A. Western Michigan University, 1980 At the time when North America was "being torn by con­ flict for control of the continent, Charles-Michel Mouet de Xanglade became one of the most important Indian leaders in the Old Northwest. During the French and Indian War he led parties of Indian warriors in most of the major cam­ paigns of the war, from the first fighting at Pickawillany to the French capitulation at Montreal in I76O. Xanglade*s Indians were typical of most Indian war-parties, both impar- ing the French cause by their atrocities and inappropriate actions and providing badly needed support in crucial sit­ uations . This paper describes Xanglade*s actions during the North American phase of the Seven Years' War and examines the controversy over his possible role in the defeat of General Edward Braddock at Fort Duquesne. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In writing this paper, I have benefited from the encour­ agement, advice, and constructive criticism of David A. Armour, Assistant Superintendent of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, Professor Alan S. Brown of Western Michigan University, and Donald Chaput, Senior Curator of History at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. My thanks go to them, to the many others who have given much needed help, and to my wife and children for their support a.nd patience. The intellectual training from the faculty in the Department of History, has made graduate study a challenge and a pleasure. My gratitude in no way divorces me from the responsibility for what is written here. Paul M . Trap Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. 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If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For any illustrations that cannot be reproduced satisfactorily by xerography, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and tipped into your xerographic copy. Requests can be made to our Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases we have filmed the best available copy. University Micrdfilms International 300 N. ZEEB ROAD. ANN ARBOR. Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW. LONDON WC1R 4EJ, ENGLAND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 131 5 3 * 1 I TRAP, PAUL N1LLD CHARLES LANGLADE IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, S P .A ., 1980 COPR. 1980 TRAP, PAUL MILLO Uriversav Microfilms International w o n . z e e s r o a o . a n n a r b o r ,m i 4 8 io 6 © 1980 PAUL MILLO TRAP All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................... ii Chapter I. CHARLES LANGLADE ................................ 1 II. THE ATTACK ON PICKAWIILANY ...................... 7 III. BRADDOCK’S DEFEAT .............................. 26 IV. A SKIRMISH WITH ROBERT ROGERS ...................39 V. FORT WILLIAM HENRY ............................ 50 VI. QUEBEC AND THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM .............. 69 VII. DEFEAT ......................................... 81 VIII. EPILOGUE ....................................... 90 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY..................... 96 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I CHARLES LANGLADE Throughout history wars and major campaings have been planned in the world's capitals while the actual conflicts occur at far distances and are fought by men who serve their sovereigns without question or acknowledgement. The French and Indian War, the North American phase of the Seven Years’ >rar, was no exception. While the grand srategy was formu­ lated in London and Paris, the fighting and dying was done thousands of miles away by men loyal to kings they had never seen. Among these men were the Indians leaders who strug­ gled to rally native Americans to fight what was in reality a war between European nations to protect their empires. Although these Indian leaders experienced great adventures and suffered extreme hardships, they have been forgotten in the passage of time. One of the most important of these In­ dian leaders was a man who lived most of his life near the shores of Lake Michigan— Charles-Michel Mouet de Langlade. Charles Langlade was born at Michilimackinac in May 1729.^ His father, Augustin Langlade, was a fur trader and ^""Register of Baptisms of the Mission of St. Ignac de Michilimacinak, ** Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin; hereafter referred to as WHC, 19*3* 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. a member of the minor nobility. Although Charles Langlade was a descendant of some of the most influential Canadian families, his position as a noble was compromised because his mother, Domitilde, was an Ottawa and half-breed nobles were an embarassment to the French.^ Langlade became an effective link between his Indian and European heritage in large part because of his mother's brother, the great Ottawa war-chief, Nissowaquet, better known to both the French and the British as La Fourche. Wh^n Langlade was only ten years old, Pierre-Joseph C£loron de Blainville, the commander at Michilimackinac, asked La Fourche to lead his people in a campaign against the Chickasaw in western Tennesse. La Fourche was reluctant because the Ottawa had already fought in two unsuccessful campaigns against these Indians. When C£loron continued to press the Ottawa chief, La Fourche agreed to withdraw to his lodge and pray for a message from the spirits.^ ^Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionaire Genealogique de Families Canadiennes. 7 vols. (Montreal* Eusebe Senecal, 1871-1890)* If71* 330* 569; 6*124-125; Benjamin Suite, "Report to the Wisconsin Archives-Origins de Langlade," 25 April 1896, Archives, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin; Donald Chaput, "French Nobility at Mackinac," paper presented to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, Lansing, Mich­ igan, 12 November 1976, p. 61. 2 Dictionary of Canadian Biography IV. s.v. "Nissowaquet," by David A. Armour. ^Augustin Grignon, "Seventy-two years Recollections of Wisconsin," WHC 3*198-199* Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 After a week, La Fourche emerged from his lodge and announced that he would lead his people to war against the Chickasaw, hut only if his young nephew would accompany him. Augustin Langlade reluctantly agreed to allow his son to go and in 1739 the combined French-Indian expedition arrived at Chickasaw Bluffs.^- i The expedition itself was indecisive. The French were unable to penetrate the strong Chickasaw fortress while the Chickasaw were unable to drive away the besieging