Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
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Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis (September 17, 1676 – June 11, 1744) was a
French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...
soldier and explorer best known for his exploration and development of the
Louisiana (New France) Louisiana (french: La Louisiane; ''La Louisiane Française'') or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, ...
and
Spanish Texas Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a lega ...
regions. He commanded a small garrison at Fort de la Boulaye on the lower Mississippi River, built in 1700, and founded Fort St Jean Baptiste de Natchitoches in northern ''
La Louisiane Louisiana (french: La Louisiane; ''La Louisiane Française'') or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, ...
'', as they called the French colony.


Early life and education

St. Denis was born at Beauport,
New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...
(Quebec), the eleventh of the twelve children of Nicolas Juchereau (1627-1692),
Seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...
du Chesnay and
Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies is a municipality in Quebec, Canada. See also * List of municipalities in Quebec * Alexis Bélanger Alexis Bélanger (January 18, 1808 - September 7, 1868) was a Roman Catholic black priest and missionary; born at Sain ...
; member of the
Sovereign Council of New France The Sovereign Council (french: Conseil souverain) was a governing body in New France. It served as both Supreme Court for the colony of New France, as well as a policy-making body, though this latter role diminished over time. The council, though ...
. His paternal grandfather was the elder brother of Noël Juchereau des Chatelets. His mother, Marie Thérèse Giffard de Beauport, was the daughter of Robert Giffard de Moncel,
Sieur Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
de Moncel à Autheuil, and the 1st
Seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...
of
Beauport, Quebec Beauport is a borough of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on the Saint Lawrence River. Beauport is a northeastern suburb of Quebec City. Manufacturers include paint, construction materials, printers, and hospital supplies. Food transportation is impo ...
. His brother was the grandfather of Louis Barbe Juchereau de Saint-Denys (1740-1833), 1st
Marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
de Saint-Denys, ancestor of
Marie-Jean-Léon, Marquis d'Hervey de Saint Denys Marie-Jean-Léon Lecoq, Baron d'Hervey de Juchereau, Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys (; 6 May 1822 – 2 November 1892) son of Pierre Marin Alexandre Le Coq or Lecoq, Baron d'Hervey (1780-1858), and Marie Louise Josephine Mélanie Juchereau ...
. By decision of his parents, St. Denis emigrated temporarily to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
to acquire a higher level of education. In late 1699, St. Denis joined the second expedition of Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville (his first cousin), which departed from
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...
and travelled to
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. St. Denis commanded a small garrison at Fort de La Boulaye, named for a commune in the Bourgogne region of France. The fort was constructed in 1700 on the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
about 20 kilometers below the future development of New Orleans; it was designed to protect French interests against the Spanish and English in the region. St. Denis also commanded a fort at
Biloxi Bay Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...
, where the French founded another settlement. St. Denis also explored to the west of the bay and up the Mississippi River, where he journeyed to the lower Red River. These expeditions to the northern areas allowed him meet the
Karankawa The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys."Karankawa." In ''Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures,'' edited by John ...
and
Caddo The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, wh ...
tribes, from whom he learned wilderness skills specific to the area. In September 1713
Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac Antoine is a French language, French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton (name), Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West ...
sent St. Denis and a group of French marines from
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to the Red River, where they established a French outpost and fort. The intent was to protect the territorial boundaries of French-Louisiana and halt the eastward expansion of the Spaniards, whose local government was based on the Rio Grande in south Texas. The Spaniards were building Fort
Los Adaes Los Adaes was the capital of Tejas on the northeastern frontier of New Spain from 1729 to 1770. It included a mission, San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes, and a presidio, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes (Our Lady of the Pillar of the Adae ...
about 15 miles west of Natchitoches, near the present town of
Robeline, LA Robeline is a village in western Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 183 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Robeline was the capital of Texas for 50 years. ...
. St. Denis arrived in central Louisiana at what is now Natchitoches later in 1713 and built Fort St. Jean Baptiste de Natchitoches as a trading post along the banks of the Red River, whose course later changed and the result became the
Cane River Cane River (''Rivière aux Cannes'') is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 3, 2011 formed from a portion of the Red River that is located in Natchitoches Pa ...
. He traded with the Caddo Nation there and freely sold them guns; additionally, St. Denis developed a somewhat friendly relationship with the nearby Spaniards, despite the objections of the French governorship. St. Denis and his men learned many hunting and trapping skills from the Caddo Indians, who were welcoming and friendly. St. Denis became fluent in the
Caddo language Caddo is a Native American language, the traditional language of the Caddo Nation. It is critically endangered, with no exclusively Caddo-speaking community and only 25 speakers as of 1997 who acquired the language as children outside school ins ...
, as well as the
fictive kinship Fictive kinship is a term used by anthropologists and ethnographers to describe forms of kinship or social ties that are based on neither consanguineal (blood ties) nor affinal ("by marriage") ties. It contrasts with ''true kinship'' ties. To ...
relationships that supported peace and trade. Soon after founding Natchitoches in 1714, St. Denis went to the territory of the
Hasinai Confederacy The Hasinai Confederacy ( Caddo: ) was a large confederation of Caddo-speaking Native Americans who occupied territory between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas. Today, their descendants are enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma ...
, a group of
Caddoan language The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of ...
tribes. After leaving these lands, Denis traveled to the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
, where visited the Spanish outposts located along the river. However, Commander Diego Ramón captured Denis and arrested him at San Juan Bautista, Coahuila for having violated Spanish trade "restrictions". He confiscated his goods while waiting for the
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
authorities to decide how a foreigner with such charges should be treated. In the meantime, St. Denis courted the Ramón's step-granddaughter, Manuela Sanchez-Navarro, a descendant of the conquistadors of the provinces of
Nueva Vizcaya Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya ( ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Vizcaya; gad, Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya''; tl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Vizcaya ), is a landlocked province in the ...
and
Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
, Mexico, and got her to promise to marry him. Following the orders of Mexico City, Ramon ordered him to go to that city to stand trial. However, St. Denis managed to defend his case and the city authorities suggested him to lead the Domingo Ramón expedition to East Texas, whose purpose was the founding of missions, with the title of commissary officer. Chipman, Donald E. ''Spanish Texas 1519-1821''. University of Texas Press: Austin (1997), p. 105. So, St. Denis returned to San Juan Bautista and in the years 1716-1717 he traveled to eastern Texas to lead the Domingo Ramon expedition. Finally, the expedition founded six missions and a presidio. He returned to San Juan Bautista in April 1717. However, at this time,
Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...
died and the
War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
came to an end. This led to the breakdown of relations between France and Spain and St. Denis left the
Spanish America Spanish America refers to the Spanish territories in the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The term "Spanish America" was specifically used during the territories' Spanish Empire, imperial era between 15th century, 15th ...
and returned to
La Louisiane Louisiana (french: La Louisiane; ''La Louisiane Française'') or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, ...
. On February 1719 the French transferred St. Denis to Mexico City. However, his stay in New Spain would have favoured his capture and sending to a Spanish prison, so he decided to flee and emigrate to Natchitoches. The Spanish officers accepted his departure and allowed his wife, Manuela, to emigrate with him in 1721. Denis and Manuela settled at
Le Poste des Cadodaquious Le Poste des Cadodaquious was a small French fort founded in 1719; it was located northwest of Texarkana, Texas in today's Bowie County. Recent analysis suggests that the site was somewhere on the escarpment near either Everett or Barkman. T ...
, a French fort in
Texarkana, Texas Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately from Dallas, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census. ...
, where they lived the last years of their lives. In 1722, St. Denis was appointed commandant of Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches.


Later life

During the last few years of his life, St. Denis did not consider himself capable of continuing to maintain command of Natchitoches, as he explained to
Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas Jean-Frédéric or Jean-Frederic may refer to: *Jean Frederic Bazille (1841–1870), French Impressionist painter * Jean-Frédéric Chapuis (born 1989), French freestyle skier * Jean Frédéric Auguste Delsarte (1903–1968), French mathematician * ...
through a letter he sent him on 10 January 1743. Thus, he asked him to leave the post and move to New Spain with his family. However, his request was rejected. St. Denis ended his life at Natchitoches on 11 June 1744.


Personal life and family

In early 1716, Denis married Manuela Sánchez Navarro y Gomes Mascorro and they had five children. Manuela and his children survived his death. After the time of his death, it was rumored that his wife became the richest woman west of the Mississippi River. As St. Denis' two sons did not father any children of their own, his daughters carried his posterity.


Controversy

Denis was a very questionable character since the time when he commanded Natchitoches, as the Spanish authorities were suspicious of their possible links with the Government of France. They believed that he was possibly a secret agent of that country. However, St. Denis argued that he wanted to become a Spanish citizen, and his Spanish wife was proof.


Legacy

St. Denis played an important role in the generalization of knowledge about the physical geography of both the Spanish and French empires in North America, as well as fostering relations between the European settlements in both areas. However, Denis also favoured the normalisation of the smuggling trade on the frontier between Texas and Louisiana.


References


External links


Biography at ''the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juchereau de St. Denis, Louis 1676 births 1744 deaths French explorers of North America explorers of Texas Explorers of Canada People from Natchitoches, Louisiana People of New France People of Louisiana (New France) People of Spanish Texas