Fort Maurepas, later known as Old Biloxi, "Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville" (biography), ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', 1907, webpage:

gives dates: 13 Feb. 1699, went to the mainland Biloxi, with fort completion May 1, 1699; sailed for France May 4. was developed in colonial French

Louisiana (New France) Louisiana or French Louisiana was a administrative divisions of France, district of New France. In 1682 the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle erected a cross near the mouth of the Mississippi River and claimed the whole ...

in April 1699 along the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

(at present-day Ocean Springs, Mississippi). "Fort Maurepas", Mississippi Genealogy, 2002-2008, webpage:
Mgenealogy-maurepas
Fort Maurepas was designated temporarily as the capital of

in 1699. The capital was moved from Ocean Springs to Mobile (in present-day Alabama) in 1710, then to

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

in 1723 on the Mississippi River. Government buildings in the latter city were still under construction.

Toponymy

The name ''Biloxi'' in French was spelled ''Bilocci'', in a transliteration of the name of the local Native American tribe. The military camp was also known in French as ''Fort Maurepas'' to honor Louis Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas from the city of Maurepas. It appeared as "Fort Bilocci" on English maps updated circa the years 1710/1725. "Pas-Kaart Van de Golff van Mexico" (map from Amsterdam/1710), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage:
Raremaps-Archive-3176
"A New Map of as much of North & South America" (London/1725), Edge of the Map Incorporated, 2007, webpage:
Raremaps-Archive-7278
French Louisiana (part of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, 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 Kingdom of Great Br ...

) was known in French as ''La Louisiane'' in colonial times. In modern times it is referred to as ''La Louisiane française'' to distinguish it from the modern state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

(also ''"Louisiane"'' in French)."La Louisiane française" (in French), by Virginie Tanlay, from book ''Histoire de la Louisiane'', webpage: lfa.free.fr/enquete7.htm flfa-enquete7 states that Iberville chose "le site de Bilocci" (or Biloxi).

History

The fort was completed on May 1, 1699 under direction of French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, who sailed for France on May 4. He appointed his teenage brother Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville as second in command after the French commandant Sauvolle de la Villantry (c.1671–1701). M. d'Iberville originally intended to establish a French colony along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. However, because of its flooding, he had been unable to find a suitable location during his first voyage of discovery up the Mississippi in March 1699. He returned from his river journey on April 1, and spent another week in searching the shores adjacent to Ship Island, where the fleet had been anchored. On Tuesday, April 7, 1699, d'Iberville and Surgeres observed "an elevated place that appeared very suitable". This spot was on the northeast shore of Biloxi Bay. They had found the bay was 7–8 feet (2 m) deep. They decided to construct the fort there, as they "could find no spot more convenient, and our provisions were failing, we could search no longer". On Wednesday, April 8, they commenced to cut away the trees preparatory for construction of the fort. All the men "worked vigorously", and by the end of the month, the fort had been finished. They also carved what is known as the Iberville stone, claiming the site for France. This is now held by the Louisiana State Museum.Online Exhibits: ''The Cabildo: Two Centuries of Louisiana History'', "Colonial Louisiana"
Louisiana State Museum, 2017; accessed 30 May 2017 The expedition journal reported: The best men were selected to remain at the fort, including detachments of soldiers to place with the Canadians (the French also had a colony in what is now Quebec and along the upper Mississippi River) and workmen, and sailors to serve on the gunboats. Altogether about 100 people were left at Fort Maurepas while Iberville sailed back to France on May 4, 1699. Those remaining included: * M. de Sauvolle de la Villantry, lieutenant of a company and naval ensign of the frigate ''Le Marin'', was left in command as governor. * Bienville, king's lieutenant of the marine guard of the frigate ''La Badine'' was next in command. * Le Vasseur de Boussouelle, a Canadian, was major. * De Bordenac was chaplain, and M. Care was surgeon. * Also: two captains, two cannoniers, four sailors, eighteen filibusters, ten mechanics, 6 masons, 13 Canadians, and 20 sub-officers and soldiers who comprised the garrison. Few of the colonists were experienced with agriculture, and the colony never became self-sustaining. The climate and soil were different than they were familiar with. On the return of d'Iberville to Old Biloxi in January 1700, he brought with him sixty Canadian immigrants and a large supply of provisions and stores. On this second voyage, he was instructed:

to breed the Buffalo at Biloxi; to seek for pearls; to examine the wild
mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
with the view to silk ilk worms on leaves the timber for shipbuilding, and to seek for mines. Expeditions in search of gold, jewels and valuable furs were the main goals of the colonists. They made thorough explorations of the Mississippi River and the surrounding country.

In 1700, Le Sueur was sent to the upper Mississippi with 20 men to establish a fort in the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

country. His government intended to take over the copper mines of the Sioux Indians in the interests of France. Meanwhile, the French had established forts and settlements in the Illinois country. Learning of the French colony at Old Biloxi, Canadians came by the boatload down the Mississippi from the upper country (today's Quebec). Fathers Davion and Montigny, accompanied by a few Frenchmen, were the first visitors at the fort, having made the journey downriver in canoes. In May 1700, the settlers were visited by M. Sagan, a traveler from Canada. He carried a request from the French minister to the governor M. de Sauvolle, asking that Sagan be furnished with 24 pirogues and 100 Canadians in order to explore the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

and its branches, a major tributary of the Mississippi that has its confluence at what later developed as Saint Louis. During the absence of d'Iberville, his young brother Bienville made further expeditions to try to secure the prosperity of the colony. But the colonists suffered from tropical diseases of the region: many died from yellow fever, including the governor, M. de Sauvolle, who died in the summer of 1701. Bienville became ranking chief in command, and acted as commandant. On September 16, 1700, a party of

Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...

warriors arrived at Biloxi, asking for French troops to help them fight against the

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, United States. Their traditional territory was in northern Mississippi, northwestern and northern Alabama, western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Their language is ...

, their traditional enemies among native groups. The Choctaw during this period had 40 villages, with more than 5,000 warriors. On October 25, 20 Mobile natives arrived at Fort Maurepas. They were said to have about 400 fighting men. On December 18, 1701, a shallop arrived from the Spanish settlement at

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

to the east, with the news that d'Iberville and Serigny had reached there with the king's ships, the ''Renommée'' of fifty guns, and the ''Palmier'' of 44 guns. This was welcome news to the garrison, which had been living for more than 3 months on little more than corn. They had lost more than 60 men due to disease, leaving only 150 persons in the colony. Bienville was ordered to evacuate Biloxi, and move to a settlement on the Mobile River. On January 5, 1702, Bienville departed for the Mobile River, leaving 20 men under the command of M. de Boisbriant as garrison at the fort. At Dauphin Island, Bienville met with his brothers de Serigny and Chateaugue, who had arrived with a detachment of sailors and workmen. They were to build a magazine for storage of goods and provisions which had been brought from France. On January 16th, Bienville commenced to build the '' Fort Louis de la Mobile'', about 12 leagues above the present city of Mobile, on the right bank of the river. It was the official center of the Gulf Coast colony for the next nine years, until the new Fort Conde was built. (Mobile city developed around it.) In 1717, when the channel at Dauphine island (present-day Dauphin Island) had become choked with sand, "Fort Maurepas", Mississippi Genealogy, 2002-2008, webpage:
-->fort_maurepas.htm Mgenealogy-maurepas
de l'Épinay and de Bienville decided to make use of the harbor at Ship Island. They ordered a new fort to be constructed on the mainland opposite, selecting a place one league west of Old Biloxi for a site across Biloxi Bay. The transport ship ''Dauphine'', commanded by M. Berranger, had arrived with many carpenters and masons. They built the new fort, known as New Biloxi (''Nouveau-Biloxi'') and also as ''Fort Louis''. In 1719, Fort Maurepas (at Old Biloxi) was burned; it was never reconstructed by the French. Another fort and magazines were also constructed on Ship Island, in the

. In 1719, the administrative capital of

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...

was moved to Old Biloxi from Mobile (or ''Mobille''), during the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720) against Spain. Due to hurricanes and shifting sand bars blocking harbor waters during the early 18th century, the capital of French Louisiana was moved from Mobile to ''Nouveau-Biloxi'' (present-day

Biloxi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

), across Biloxi Bay. However, later in the same year, Fort Maurepas (at Old Biloxi) burned. It was never reconstructed. Later, during June–August 1722, the capital was moved again, by colonial governor Bienville, from Biloxi to deeper waters in the

at a new inland harbor town named ''La Nouvelle-Orléans'' (

), built for the purpose during 1718-1722. In modern times, a replica of Fort Maurepas was built at the site, then within the town of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. It was badly damaged by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

in August 2005, when all coastal areas of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

were devastated by a storm tide exceeding 30 feet (9 m), with waves even higher.

During Hurricane Katrina

A replica of the wooden Fort Maurepas was built on front beach about a mile from the original site (which is on private property) in the 20th century and was open to the public. It was badly damaged by

on August 29, 2005, when coastal Mississippi was devastated by a

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...

exceeding 30 feet (9 m) plus higher waves. Within a few hours, all coastal towns were flooded more than 90%. Residents who had not evacuated, survived by swimming to treetops or roof lines of taller buildings. A park has since been constructed at the site of the fort. It includes a playground, a splash pad, a stage, a two-story structure with a viewing platform overlooking the beach, public restrooms, and an eco-friendly parking lot. The construction included improvements of pathways along the beach, and to the sailors memorial, crosswalks, and fire pits. It provides access to parking on the opposite side of the Biloxi Bay Bridge.

Problems in source documents

Historical documents, reports and translated journals about Fort Maurepas sometimes contain conflicting dates, or other details. They were records of what people knew, and their understanding of time and context was limited. Often, such writings compress events to simplify the overall view. In summary, the French claim to La Louisiane (in

) began at Fort Maurepas in 1699, moved to Mobile in 1702 (relocated in 1711), and returned to Fort Maurepas (Old Biloxi) in 1719. The main garrison moved to the fort at (New)

, then to

during June–August 1722. Several source documents sometimes state "1723" for the founding of New Orleans as the capital, but this was in fact its first full-year as capital. The name

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

(after a Native American tribe) was used by the French colonists as one of the nine military districts of the Province of Louisiana (in 1752): ''Biloxi, Natchez, Yazoo, Alabama, Mobile, New Orleans, Illinois, Arkansas and Natchitoches'' (French names of military districts; all but two were named after local Native American tribes).

Notes

References

* "Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville" (history), ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', Volume II, 1907.

External links

* ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' o
Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville

Ocean Springs City Parks
- includes Fort Maurepas Park Louisiana (New France) Maurepas Maurepas Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Mississippi Parks in Mississippi Protected areas of Jackson County, Mississippi 1699 establishments in New France Populated places established in 1699 French-American culture in Mississippi Maurepas National Register of Historic Places in Harrison County, Mississippi