VIEUX BILOXY and ENVIRONS: 1720-1721
 

Until Dr. Val Husley recently presented me with "The Voyage to Louisiana (1720-1724) of Franquet de Chaville", the only description of French Colonial Ocean Springs that I had read was in Richebourg Gaillard McWilliam's, Iberville's Gulf Journals (1981). Charles Franquet de Chaville, a French engineer, was assigned to Louisiana with Adrian de Pauger (d. 1726) and Chevalier de Boispinel (d.1723) to work under Chief Engineer of the Company of the Indies, Pierre Leblond de La Tour (d. 1723).

Leblond de La Tour drew the plans for Vieux Biloxy (Ocean Springs), Fort Louis at Nouveau Biloxy (Biloxi), and Nouvelle Orleans (New Orleans). Fort Louis, which was located west of the Biloxi Lighthouse, was never completed as the Louisiana capital was moved to New Orleans in 1722. Monsieur de Chaville arrived in the Louisiana Colony first at Ile Dauphine (Dauphine Island) aboard the Dromadaire. He then went to the natural harbor at Isle aux Vaisseau (Ship Island) before disembarking at Vieux Biloxy (Ocean Springs) in December 1720.

Franquet de Chaville like his fellow engineers eventually went to New Orleans. He assisted Ignace Francois Broutin (d. 1751), who in 1745, would design the second Ursuline Convent, on several projects. The most noted was the "Plan of the Chapitoulas" (1724). It was a map of the Ste. Reine Concession up river from colonial New Orleans. Noted architect and architectural historian of New Orleans, Samuel Wilson, stated the following concerning the draftsmanship and coloring of the Broutin-de Chaville map of the Chapitoulas:

The following was generously translated by Madame Eileen Za of Ocean Springs and is the Franquet de Chaville description of Ocean Springs and the Mississippi Gulf Coast in late 1720 and early 1721.

Old Biloxi is situated at the back of a bay surrounded by marsh. The land that we settled on (occupied) is a plateau, stretching for about 2400 feet. It was the only place we could see without any trees. Those who had recently arrived from France had built cabins for themselves there. The only house, that is to say a building or barracks worthy of the name, that was to be seen was that occupied by the Directors. All others were built in a style I have described later.

As far as age goes, this post was the oldest, according to the Commander, established at the time they discovered the mouth of the river in 1702. It was occupied a second time after Dauphin Island was abandoned. Hunting and fishing are abundantly rewarded, deer among others, is very good. It is certainly the best eating when cooked on a spit. The fish which is caught in the bay is called red fish and is the very best. It is larger than a large carp and its flesh is very firm. The scales are like those of a carp except that they are red. The Commander and the Directors were always well supplied with red fish for their table. Since they felt honored to invite newly arrived officers, I ate there almost the whole time during my stay.

Up until now, I have not touched on what happened, but now will try to fulfill my mission. After having recovered from the fatigue of the journey, I was ordered to report to New Biloxi, which lies opposite the anchorage of Ship Island. Everyone sent from France debarked there to rest, while waiting for boats to be built to take them to their destinations.

We started work by cutting down a large number of trees to build barracks. Each one made his own. After each person had built his own shelter, we began work on lodgings for the Directors. A warehouse was built to hold the goods, which had been unloaded on the sand. This work was cheerfully begun. All the workers inspired by the same feelings, gladly undertook to build the foundations of a new town. In truth, everything needed to encourage them in this work was provided. Bread and wine were doled out in abundance. The weather was calm, neither too hot nor too cold, just right. Everything was fine at the beginning. But this happy period did not last. The heat was excessive Boats did not arrive. Food was cut back for the workers. Foolishly, no more was distributed to them. They fell ill. Work stopped. Each man was to busy looking after himself, hunting and fishing for food. To all these troubles were added the greatest of all-homesick. In less than six months our work force was halved. Colonies that had been intended to house other concessions fared no better. Most of the good workers died, which meant they could not make the necessary voyage to the site indicated by the Company since they had already eaten most of their food. The only thing they could do was to wait on the river bank for new help in travelling further on.

During this period of distress, we received no news of any other ship, and it seemed as though one would never come, that we had been completely forgotten, which doubled our worries, and caused many me to desert and flee from this unhappy Colony, going to live among the Spanish, who offered them asylum. This annoying predicament led us all to think differently depending on how much interest we had in the success or failure of the enterprise. But we were united on one point-we expected nothing good.

The chief engineer unburdened himself on the subject of the Company. Rather than find something that would reward him for all his work, he felt, sadly, only the uselessness of the endeavor, and the final disgrace, he had nothing to work with. He had been told in France that he would have a heap of material necessary for the proposed projects. Instead of the expected abundance, he saw only a frightful lack of just about everything. Time to him to short to ensure the definite establishing a Colony. He calculated the enormous expense already incurred, which was totally useless, and the further expense, which would be necessary. He was shocked (horrified) by the amount, especially as everything at this point was not resolved, not even the final decision on the location of the post, whose final situation was still not assured since the advantages of this particular site had not yet been combined with those of the whole coast. He was slow, as were we all, to recognize this fact. The memoranda on these points could not satisfy us. It was easy to see the spirit that dictated them: self pride combined with a vested interest played a large part, and truth was nowhere to be seen.

To commit oneself to this project any longer could have meticulous consequences. We were therefore sent off to make a meticulous visit to the coast. One of my comrades was ordered to sail down the Mississippi and carefully observe the mouth of the river. You will find this description later.

I was sent to Ship Island and Cat Island to map them both. I left in a small boat with six sailors and nine workmen to help me in my operations. I was provided with food for 15 days, bacon, biscuits, and brandy. It was August. Judge for yourself whether we needed anything to keep us warm! We could almost burn up like matches.

First I went to Ship Island. I made a map and took soundings in the anchorage. Here is a brief description.

This island is situated on the same latitude as Dauphin Island, lying the same distance from shore and in the same direction. The two are separated by another island, called Horn Island. The soil of the three islands is similar, not good for cultivating food.

Ship Island is shaped like a fichu having two points, each about a league long with no trees. The center has a few pine trees and some small oaks, for about a league. The whole island is only three leagues long by one-half league wide. There is a pond 5500 feet across which connects with the sea. Monsieur d'Iberville, captain of the King's fleet, named it Ship Island, when he moored there when he discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The harbor is in the bay formed by the west and north points of the island. It can hold a goodly number of ships moored in 20 feet of water, with sandy bottom, sheltered from the sea and winds by the island, having only to fear those winds off the land (from the north). But the over all picture is good. Besides the tide there does not rise very high. There is a sand bank which lies ENE and WSW about 5000 feet in size. Water depth there is about thirteen feet, with a base of hard grey sand. To avoid this bank and arrive at a good mooring place, this is the route to take:

Fish is plentiful and can easily be caught in a net. We caught many that resembled the fish along the French coast.

When I had finished all that I had been ordered to do, I left to do the same at Cat Island, which is about 2 leagues distant. Bad weather prevented me from examining it exactly as I would have liked, as it was struck by its poor location. It is riddled with marshes, which connect to the sea, and make its use impracticable. The whole time that I was there strong winds led me to find it very disagreeable. Food was getting short and we were reduced to eating wild cats and some oysters, which abound along the coast.

Fatigue was a major problem for all of us, but especially me. I suffered on all sides, sleeping on the sand, and eating bad food did not suit my temperament at all, and I paid dearly for it after this tour of duty. I was very sick. My comrade arrived some time after his trip to the mouth of the river with a detailed map of the various practicable openings, which had been unknown until then for ordinary Company vessels!

The Commander in Chief who knew this began to tell everyone not to believe it as it was just an idea of the engineer. Why he did this we did not know. The chief engineer even though he got along well with my comrade, the engineer, did not know what to make of this contradiction, and the denials that he received daily on every issue, and he had a hard time trying to discover the truth. He had been refused, on our arrival, admission to council meetings, which he blamed on the Directors. He was not allowed to enjoy the same privileges that they enjoyed by virtue of the new orders contradictory to those he carried. He realized that the man's maneuvers were completely sincere which led to such inner unhappiness that eventually it killed him. Still, he followed the advice given him and worked with the Biloxi post, less out of confidence in this advice, than to pass time while waiting for a reply from France to the memo he had sent regarding the situation at this post and also regarding the mouth of the river.

The Franquet de Chaville report on his travels and work in French Colonial Louisiana is over forty pages in length. This excerpt represents eight pages. de Chaville left New Olreans and returned to La Rochelle, France in 1724. By 1764, Franquet de Chaville carried the title, Chief Engineer and Director of Fortifications. In 1765, he was named Director of Engineers.

Merci beaucoup a' Madame Eileen Za for her excellent translation of the French text.
 

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REFERENCES:

Jean M. Farnsworth and Ann M. Masson, The Architecture of Colonial Louisiana: Collected Essays of Samuel Wilson, Jr. F.A.I.A., (University of SW Louisiana-1987), p. 24, p. 224-225,

Journal de la Societe Des Americanistes De Paris, "Le Voyage En Louisiane de Franquet de Chaville (1720-1724)", pp. 20-27.

Personal Communication:

Dr. Val Husley
Eileen Za

REFERENCES:

BOOKS

Carl Brasseaux, A Comparative View of Frenck Louisiana, 1699-1762: The Journals of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Jacques-Blaise d'Abbadie, (The Center For Louisiana Studies @ USL: Lafayette, Louisiana-1979), 159 pages.

Laville Bremer, Biloxi Historical Sketch, (General Printing Company: New Orleans-1931), 42 pages.Glenn R. Conrad, Immigration and War, Louisiana: 1718-1721, (USL: Lafayette, Louisiana-1970), 55 pages.

Glenn R. Conrad, Historical Journal of the Settlement of the French in Louisiana, (USL: Lafayette, Louisiana-1971), 272 pages.

Patricia K. Galloway, La Salle and His Legacy, (University Press: Jackson, Mississippi-1982), 260 pages.

Jay Higginbotham, Fort Maurepas: The Birth of Louisiana, (Colonial Books: Mobile-1968), 93 pages.

----------------, The Journal of Sauvole, (Colonial Books: Mobile-1969), 70 pages.

----------------, Old Mobile: Fort Louis de la Louisiane (1702-1711), (Museum of the City of Mobile, Publication No. 4: Mobile-1977), 585 pages.

Henri Joutel, Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, (Corinth Books: New York-1962), 187 pages.

Robert S. Weddle, The French Thorn: Rival Explorers in the Spanish Sea (1682-1762), (Texas A.& M. Press: College Station, Texas-1991), 435 pages.