Natives versus Settlers: the Natchez Revolt of 1729

As we've often seen, settlers were rarely satisfied with the land, food or other provisions made for them by Native people.  They inevitably demanded more and, when that happened, trouble always followed. 

The Natchez had been an ally of the French in the fur trade since La Salle's expedition of 1682.  They settled in villages nearby French forts and outposts, which unfortunately had the consequence of exposing them to communicable diseases to which they were not immune, decreasing their numbers.  They allowed the French land to build outposts and welcomed missionaries to their villages.  Nevertheless, there had been three clashes between the French and the Natchez, 1716, 1722 and 1724, respectively, which should have warned the French not to do what they eventually did.  However, with Natchez numbers reduced by sickness, the death of their last heredity leader or Great Sun, and the effects of "Christianization", the French believed they could treat these people lightly.

In 1728 a new commandant was appointed at Fort Rosalie, in present-day Natchez, Mississippi.  This man, named Chepart, had been put on trial before for his treatment of the Natchez and other Natives in the area but had been saved from conviction and punishment by influential friends.  These friends also secured for him the command at Fort Rosalie, but rather than count his blessings and behave better, he decided to build a plantation nearby.  And, he demanded that the Natchez supply him more land for his African slaves to work.  The land Chepart chose was sacred land, containing grave sites and a temple center used by the Natchez for generations.  No matter, Chepart planted a cross near the temple and threatened to burn it and destroy the graves if the Natchez protested.

While the Natchez gathered arms and ammunition and made their plans, a female leader among them warned some French women whom she could trust that an attack was on the way.  These women attempted to warn Chepart, but he had them imprisoned.  The next day, November 29, 1729, a delegation of Natchez approached Chepart with trade goods and carrying a peace pipe.  It was a decoy and he walked right into it.  Natchez warriors began firing.  Chepart tried to rally his men, but it was too late.  By that time, most of his soldiers and militia in outlying areas were already under attack.  They also seized a ship on the river belonging to the French East India Company to prevent escape and had captured or killed personnel at nearby trading posts, preventing them from helping or spreading the word.  The Natchez killed 150 men at Fort Rosalie.  Only 20 escaped, along with the women, children and African slaves, who had been left alone for the most part.  Only women who resisted or attempted to defend or assist their husbands or other men were killed.  Only 12 Natchez warriors were killed.

Chepart was captured and later given to a common warrior to kill.  Other Frenchmen were spared for a grim duty, to carry the loot back to the Natchez main village and/or to carry the heads of comrades there as well. 

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, settlers began hearing the news and started panicking.  Repercussions fell, but not on the Natchez.  A delegation of Choctaw were forbidden to enter the city, for fear they were in on the revolt with the Natchez.  And members of another tribe altogether, the Chaouacha, had their village destroyed and its inhabitants slaughtered in retaliation, though they'd had nothing to do with the Revolt.  The King ordered the then-Governor back to France and replaced him with Jean-Baptiste le Moyne de Bienville, whom, as we saw in a previous post, would soon be embroiled in his own war with another tribe who'd had nothing to do with the revolt, the Chickasaw.  Natchez warriors had kept up sporadic attacks on the French but, as their numbers dwindled, they had sought refuge with the Chickasaw, which caused de Bienville to retaliate against them, too.  With the aid of Choctaw warriors, the French began systematic raids against the Chickasaw, mostly seeking Natchez survivors and refugees.  He killed several Natchez people, selling the women and children into slavery in what is now Haiti, further inflaming the situation with the Chickasaw, who were allies of the Natchez.  Only after several stinging defeats at the hands of the Chickasaw would de Bienville learn his lesson.