Volume 16 , Issue 31

Du Tisne's Expedition Into Oklahoma 1719

It was during the first half of the 18th century that France's most far-reaching activities, pushing westward into North America, and it was during a period the international conflict in the Southwest was being fought out between two nations with each trying to get control of the territory through control of the Indian and his trade.

Oklahoma came into the picture, struggle because of its two great highways (Arkansas and Red Rivers). France was expending much effort in opening these highways, especially around the Arkansas River between 1718 and 1724.

It was Bernard de la Harpe, who was crossing eastern Oklahoma, coming in from the south and assembling nine nations at the Touacara village on the Arkansas. Another Frenchman, Charles Du Tisne, was approaching Oklahoma from the north, and visiting the pawnees, who were located in northeastern Oklahoma.

The Pawnees (Pani) belonged to the Caddoan family. When history dawned in Oklahoma, the Caddoan family were occupying northern half of Oklahoma. The term Pani, or Pawnee, as applied to Indian slaves, came into use in the sixteenth century, by the French and Spanish explorers and traders. The Pawnee villages laid between the French and Spanish colonial frontiers and the French had to make al alliance with the Spanish in order to get into New Mexico via Arkansas River.

It was other tribes of this Pawnee family that La Harpe had visited in the summer of 1719, making treaties and alliances to open the way to trade with the Spanish settlements on the Rio Grande.

La Harpe and Du Tisne wanted to go farther west and visit the Paducas (a strong, warlike nation living on western plains). The Spaniards were interested in making alliances with the Paducas. It was in 1719, the year La Harpe and Du Tisne entered Oklahoma, that a Spanish expedition was sent from Santa Fe to the Missouri to drive the French back.

France's renewed interest in the Louisiana country came as result of Law's financial scheme, causing the Spaniards much concern. The fate of this Spanish expedition was still a mystery. It was possible that the Paducas were the ones responsible for its ill fate.

It was the spring of 1719, Claud Charles Du Tisne started on an expedition in the southwest with the aim in view of visiting the Missouri, Osages, Pawnees and Paducas. Du Tisne's starting place was Kaskaskia, in the Illinois country. Du Tisne went up the Missouri to the mouth of the Osage, forty leagues according to Du Tisne's calculations.

The Osages had been known to the French since Father Marquette's expedition into the southwest in 1673. It was Father Marquette located them on the Osage River. The French trappers and traders had mad frequent visits to the Osages, but the first official visit to the Osages was that of Du Tisne. Du Tsine said that the Osages villages consisted of about a hundred cabins, and two hundred warriors. They stayed in their villages and spent the winters in chasing the buffalo.

Du Tsine was well received by the Osages, but when he told the Osages that he had plans to go on to the Pawnees, the Osages were opposed to the idea. Like La Harpe, Du Tisne brought goods with him to acquaint these Indians with French merchandise. Du Tisne used much persuasion and with determination proposed to the Osages to let him take three guns for himself and three for the interpreter. If the Osage did not consent to this request Du Tisne would be very angry. The Osages consented to this and Du Tisne went on to the Pawnee country.

It took Du Tisne four days (25 miles per day) to cross four rivers, taking him into Oklahoma across the Grand River, and to about where Chelsea, Oklahoma. When Du Tisne first arrived at the Pawnee village he was badly received, because the Pawnees feared that he came to get slaves. It was justified because it was not an uncommon thing for the French, traders to get slaves from the Indian tribes on the Missouri and the Arkansas. It took Du Tisne convincing the Pawnees that he was there on a friendly visit. Du Tisne made an alliance with them on 27 September 1719. Du Tisne raised a white flag in the middle of their villages. Du Tisne traded with the Pawnees for two horses and a mule with a Spanish brand. The Pawnee village was situated on the bank of a creek, on a hill surrounded by elevated prairies, and there was another village a short distance away. They had three hundred horses in these two villages. Du Tisne also said that the Pawnees were a very brutal nation, but could easily be subdued if the french would make them presents of guns. There were only six guns among all of them. There were many other Pawnee villages west and northwest, which the French had never heard.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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