LaBalme’s Massacre - 225 Year
Commemoration
The Seven Years’ War ostensibly
began as a group of skirmishes in the Ohio Country of North America in
1754. It spread to Europe in 1756, when
Great Britain declared war on France.
The French and Indian War, as it was known on this continent, was
“practice” for many British, French and Colonials. George Washington, Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold, William Howe,
Charles Cornwallis and countless others began or enhanced their military
experience during this period.
The battle of Minden,
Germany occurred 1 Aug 1757, involving 10,000 British allied with 31,000
Prussians against 51,000 French and Saxons.
The British forces were under the command of Lieutenant General Lord
George Sackville. The French Cavalry
were defeated by the Allied forces.
During this engagement, two year old Gilbert du Mottier became the
Marquis de Lafayette, upon the death of his father, Colonel Lafayette. The French forces may have completely
destroyed at Minden, but defying orders, General Sackville failed to engage. One of the surviving French Cavalry officers
was Augustin Mottin.
Augustin Mottin was born 28
August 28 1733, in the French Alps near Saint-Antoine. The son of a tanner, he served as a trooper
in the distinguished “Scottish” company of the Gendarmerie de France during the
Seven Years War.
Following the war, he
studied horsemanship, eventually becoming master at the Gendarmerie’s Riding
School in Paris. Mottin was promoted to
Fourrier-Major in 1766, and retired with a pension in 1773. Using the assumed name “Mottin de LaBalme,”
he wrote a book on horsemanship in 1773, followed with a book on cavalry
tactics in 1776.
The Lafayette, LaBalme and
Sackville names would literally cross paths again in a remote faraway
wilderness neither family had probably ever heard of.
Along the Eel River, a few
miles northwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a little known, yet important
historical site. A brass and stone
marker placed by the Colonel Augustin de LaBalme Chapter, Daughters of the American
Revolution in 1930, reads: "In memory of Col. Augustin de LaBalme and his
soldiers who were killed in battle with the Miami Indians under Little Turtle
at this place, Nov. 5, 1780."
With a letter of
recommendation from Benjamin Franklin, LaBalme, the former French Cavalry officer,
came over a few months before Lafayette to assist in the American
Revolution. In 1777, the Continental
Congress appointed him as the Colonial Army’s “Inspector General of Cavalry”
with the rank of Colonel. Learning that
Casimir Pulaski was to command the Colonial Cavalry, LaBalme unexpectedly
resigned in October, 1777.
Beginning in 1778, LaBalme
approached General Horatio Gates, and repeatedly lobbied Congress to organize
an expedition against Canada. Documents
from the French settlers near Detroit indicated they were on the verge of
rebellion. On this premise, LaBalme
unsuccessfully argued that Canada could be taken with the help of the French
Canadian locals.
In 1780, LaBalme was known
to be in communication with George Washington.
Rumored to be under secret orders from the General, but most likely
acting on his own, LaBalme traveled down the Ohio River to Kaskaskia. George Rogers Clark’s success in capturing
Fort Sackville suggested and inspired LaBalme to attempt a similar feat against
the British fort at Detroit.
Another Frenchman, Charles
Beaubien, British agent to the Miami, operated the stores at Kekionga
(present-day Fort Wayne). He acquired
weapons and supplies from Detroit to support the Miami, who were attacking homesteaders
in Kentucky and southern Ohio. In
addition to being a British agent, Beaubien married Taucumwah, the sister of
prominent Miami Chief Pacanne. He
therefore possessed considerable influence in the region.
With the ultimate objective
as British controlled Detroit, LaBalme and 41 men, mostly French-Americans,
departed Cahokia, Illinois on 3 October 1780.
Recruiting enroute, the expedition numbered 103 men when they arrived at
Ouiatanon (modern-day Lafayette) 20 October. It isn’t known why, but approximately forty
men left the group. A few days later,
the remaining sixty or so, advanced upon Kekionga, finding the village
virtually deserted. The Indians and the
white traders apparently fled at his approach.
Expected reinforcements from Vincennes and friendly Indians failed to
meet LaBalme at Kekionga.
In addition to the stores
there, Kekionga was also an excellent strategic target. The eight mile portage between the Maumee
and Wabash Rivers was the shortest and most efficient route connecting the Atlantic
Ocean with the North American interior.
Control of the portage allowed the British access to the Wabash Valley
and protected Detroit from American forces attacking from the south.
Raiding the Beaubien stores,
LaBalme seized a large quantity of blankets, clothing, lead, guns, 100 horses
and as much as 1,000 pounds of gunpowder.
On, or about 27 October, leaving some twenty men to guard the captured
stores at Kekionga, he started out over the Eel River trail (the same trail
Colonel John Hardin followed ten years later) to capture a second trading post
to the northwest.
The Indians, stirred up by
Beaubien, were literally up in arms about this intrusion. Presumably destroying the small group of men
left at Kekionga, they attacked LaBalme near the Eel River Trading Post. A few days later, surrounded by a large body
of Indians under Little Turtle, LaBalme negotiated with the white traders to
leave the place and return all captured materials. He even offered his own supplies and equipment to the traders
and the Indians. The Indians, however
were determined to punish the intruders.
A few hundred yards from the trading post, LaBalme was attacked by Miami
warriors. LaBalme and his men fortified
themselves along the banks of the Eel River.
They were besieged for several days before being completely defeated by
an overwhelming Indian force.
In a log entry dated 13
November, Captain Arent Schuyler de Peyster, in command of the British garrison
at Detroit, recorded:
“A detachment of
Canadians from the Illinois and Post Vincennes arrived [Kekionga] about 10 days
ago, and entered the village, took the horses, destroyed the horned cattle and
plundered a store I allowed to be kept there for the convenience of the
Indians, soon after assembled and attacked the Canadians, led by a French
colonel.”
"… The Miami
resisting the fire of the enemy, had five of their party killed, being,
however, more resolute than savages are in general, they beat off the enemy,
killed 30 and took LaBalme prisoner with his papers ... I expect the Colonel in
every hour …”
It was later learned Colonel
de LaBalme was not captured, but died with his men.
The Spanish Governor at St.
Louis, Francisco Cruzat wrote,
"… I am very sorry for what has happened to Monsieur LaBalme ... [he] having, perhaps, attempted with imprudence an undertaking which needed more time, more strength and better circumstances ... "
Although LaBalme’s
expedition resulted in failure, it did cause the British considerable
concern. Captain de Peyster
subsequently deployed a detachment of British Rangers to protect Kekionga.
There is evidence that
suggests LaBalme was defeated by Beaubien ‘s brother-in-law, Pacanne near a
Miami settlement along Aboite Creek, a second body a water a few miles south of
the Eel River. However, many historians
believe the location of the trading post and the subsequent discovery of
several relics and human bones, provides credence that the massacre actually
happened at the Eel River location.
LaBalme's watch, double
barreled gun, spurs, regimentals, and some papers now reside in the British
Military Museum.
225th
Anniversary Commemoration
During the summer of 2004,
several Clarence A. Cook Chapter (Indianapolis) compatriots discussed the
prospect of creating a greater awareness of Indiana’s “other” Revolutionary War
battle. Realizing the remains of forty
four militiamen were scattered along the Eel River, the chapter felt placing an
SAR Patriot grave marker was appropriate.
When initially approached on
17 November 2004, the Colonel Augustin de LaBalme Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution was not very enthusiastic about the prospects of placing a
marker where they had already, 75 years earlier, erected one. The idea of a 225th anniversary
event was later presented to INSSAR National Trustee, Roger Barnhart. Roger, who lives near the site, immediately
set out to involve several local officials and area residents. Largely due to the efforts of Roger, and his
wife Martha, the Indiana DAR soon endorsed the project.
5 November 2005 marked the
225th anniversary of the LaBalme’s Massacre
Representing the over 600 compatriots of the Indiana Society Sons of the
American Revolution, the Clarence A. Cook Chapter contributed an SAR Patriot
grave marker which was placed next to the existing DAR monument. Compatriots from several Indiana SAR
chapters, the Indiana Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the Miami
Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana and Bugles Across America contributed
to the success of this historical event, attended by over 120 spectators and
participants.
2005
Commemoration Event Photos