Until the late seventeenth century, no Europeans who came into the upper
Mississippi River
Valley
made any lasting impact upon the territory[i]. However, this would change as two groups of Europeans would explore this region. The first, although he was not the leader of the group, was Father Louis Hennepin who arrived from the south. He would write a popular book about his adventures once he returned to
France
. The second was Daniel Greyselon Sieur du Luth who arrived from the north in 1678. He would claim this territory for
France
. He would also began trade negations with the Native Americans in the upper
Mississippi River
Valley
. Although these two men were at the same battle in
Europe
in 1664 [ii] they would not meet each other until August of 1680 at present day Lake Mille Lacs,
Minnesota
.
Father Louis Hennepin was born in
Arth
,
Belgium
in 1640. Although Hennepin did not write extensively about his earlier years, he must have had a profound calling to enter religious life. He writes of himself, “I entered the order of St. Francis, in order to spend my days there in a life of austerity”. Although his sister tried to persuade Hennepin from entering religious lfe, he did so and began his “novitiate in the Recollect Convent at Béthune in the
province
of
Artois
.”[iii] Hennepin as a Recollect first did some traveling through
Italy
and
Germany
. He then spent a year as a chaplin at Halles Herinx. Finally he was sent to
Calais
for the ‘salting herring’s’ season. It is here that Hennepin’s story really begins.[iv]
While he was at
Calais
, he would hide behind tavern doors so he could listen to the tales sailors would tell about their travels and adventures. The passion of listening was so great that he would spend all day at this activity without eating and the smoke from these taverns would sicken him. Even when he was recalled to his “convent of Bietz near
Dunkirk
”, he would continue to listen. Hennepin eventually became a missionary in
Holland
for eight months, where he ministered to the ill. Because of this ministry, he also became ill and almost died before his adventure ever began.[v] It was after the Battle of Seneffe on
August 11, 1674
when Count de Frontenac, governor of
Canada
requested Recollect missionaries from King Louis XIV of
France
. In response to this request Louis XIV sent five Recollect missionaries to
Canada
and Father Louis Hennepin was one of them.[vi] Hennepin thus sailed to
Canada
in 1675 with such men as Bishop Messire Francis de Laval and explorer Robert Cavelier Sieur de la Salle.[vii]
[i] Sieur Pierre Esprit Radisson may have arrived here about 1659 according to Millard Fillmore Stpies who wrote the book, “Raddisson and Hennepin in the Mississippi Valley”. In his book he quotes Benjamin Sulte a profound scholar in
Canada
who stated of Raddisson’s group, “They wintered on
Green Bay
, 1658-1659, visited the tribes in
Wisconsin
in the spring of 1659, pushed Southwest and saw the
Mississippi
between April and July, 1659, and spent the following winter among the Sioux.”
[ii] According to Wikipedia “The Battle of Seneffe was fought on August 11, 1674 and resulted in a French victory under Prince of Conde against the Dutch-Spanish-Austrian army under Guillaume of Orange”, At this battle Father Louis Hennepin role was that of Chaplin, while Daniel Greyselon Sieur du Luth role was that of a soldier. There are no records found but most likely these two did not meet each other here.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Seneffe
[iii] Source “A Description of Louisiana” by Father Hennepin translated by John Gilmore Shea, which can be found in the “March of America Facsimile Series” volume 30, page 10. Fr. Hennepins novice master was Father Gabriel de la Ribourde.
[iv] Source “A Description of Louisiana” by Father Hennepin translated by John Gilmore Shea, which can be found in the “March of America Facsimile Series” volume 30, page 11-12. The reason Hennepin traveled was to escape his sister’s urgings not to enter religious life. While he was traveling, he visited churches by order of the General of his order.
[v] Source “A Description of Louisiana” by Father Hennepin translated by John Gilmore Shea, which can be found in the “March of America Facsimile Series” volume 30, page 13. Hennepin wrote aabout himself, “I was even myself taken down with purples and dysentery… … But God as last to my former health by the care and aid of a very able Dutch Physician.”
[vi] Source “A Description of Louisiana” by Father Hennepin translated by John Gilmore Shea, which can be found in the “March of America Facsimile Series” volume 30, page 14. According to Wikipedia, “Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau (1622-1698) was a French courtier and Governor of
New France
from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. He established a number of forts on the
Great Lakes
and engaged in a series of battle against the English and the Iroquois.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_de_Buade_de_Frontenac.
[vii] According to Wikipedia, “Robert Cavelier De la Salle (November 22, 1643 -
March 19, 1687
) was a French explorer. He explored the
Great Lakes
region of the
United States
and
Canada
, the
Mississippi
and the
Gulf of Mexico
. He was responsible for the launching of the first actual ship on
Great Lakes
waters, the Le Griffon.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%E9_Robert_Cavelier,_Sieur_de_La_Salle
|
|
|
