St. Denis retaliated by inviting all of the chiefs of the Caddo tribes of Indians to come to the Post St. Jean Baptiste to receive presents, knowing that all of the chiefs would bring their families and a number of followers and that many would have to pass the Spanish presidios on their way to Natchitoches. He was successful in working out a trade agreement with all of the tribes to buy their entire surplus food supply.
This alliance of the Caddo federation with the French restored the balance of power on the Spanish-French frontier. St. Denis assured the Caddo chiefs that each year such presents would be available as long as the alliance was kept.
This one move by St. Denis brought safety to the French of the area. Thus any unpleasantness which arose thereafter was confined to verbal statements or letter writing.
III
DACHICOIN—A NOBLE INDIAN
LOS ADAIS, 1723
Dachicoin had only two years before he reached the considered age of an adult, which according to the Adais law was sixteen. He had ignited the council-fire of the Adais and was demanding audience. The Elders came and seated themselves in their proper places and bade him speak.
He brought to the attention of the Adais how nice the Spanish or French treated an Indian of position in any Indian tribe—they dared not molest this Indian or any of his family. Also, the Indian of position seemed to get a better deal in the matter of trade-goods. “If we make all the Indian adult males of the Adais an officer or man of position then the whole tribe will benefit by it. I wish first to test this and, if I am successful, then I demand to be made a conachas”.[4] Dachicoin explained his proposed test to the Elders.
Dachicoin went to the Natchitoches Post and demanded of Sieur Barme, a merchant of certain trade-goods, a supply of such goods, saying that he would bring all the profit back to the merchant in return for which he expected something that he could trade for himself at profit. Sieur Barme saw possibilities in Dachicoin because he agreed to the Indian’s terms. Sieur Barme did not overlook the fact that the Indian spoke to him in French. Later he found out that the Indian also spoke Spanish. Dachicoin was made a conachas among the Adais.
When Dachicoin was fifteen years old the Spanish priests came to the Adais. Even at this young age he must have realized that a new way of life was beginning among the Adais, and decided to follow the new trend by working with the Spanish priests, guiding them among the tribes of the Caddos and commuting back and forth with them to the Natchitoches post. Soon he mastered the Spanish language. When he was sixteen and had successfully filled the agreement of his first test with Sieur Barme, the Natchitoches merchant, three other men, Lotbotiniere, Lagross and Largen, saw the possibility of profit in the use of Dachicoin. One or the other of these traders was continuously traveling back and forth to the Hasinai Indians who lived deep in the Tejas Country. So Dachicoin began a tutorship with the traders, and at the same time began to master the French language.
In 1719 Dachicoin, because he could understand French, heard of the salt shortage at the new post at New Orleans. By this time the young Indian trader had acquired five horses as his part of profit while trading with the Hasinai Indians. He went to Sieur Barme and asked for ten knives, explaining that he wished to trade the knives to the Destonies for salt, this salt would be taken to New Orleans and traded for more knives which would be returned to Sieur Barme. He would replace the ten knives and the other remaining knives would be divided equally between himself and the merchant. He would leave two horses with Sieur Barme as security. Dachicoin then went to Largen, who had dug-out canoes. He wished use of the largest one, explaining his intention to Largen, and leaving one of his horses with him as security. In return for the use of the canoe Dachicoin would take some of Largen’s merchandise of furs to New Orleans and trade the furs for knives, all Largen needed to do was to say how many knives he expected in trade for the furs—of course this service would be free for the use of the boat. The Indian then went to Lieutenant Blondell, the Post Commandante, and told him his intentions, wondering if the officer had letters he wished to be delivered to his French superiors, saying that he would deliver the letters which at the same time would explain to the officials at New Orleans that Dachicoin was a high-ranking Indian of the Adais tribe. “This will be important in my getting a fairer trade for salt and other merchandise”, he said. “I would also like for you to request Quitlami, Son of Koanan, who is called the White Chief of the Natchitoches Indians by the French, to insure safe passage among the Indians I might encounter because Quitlami will have the arm band of the Son of a Chief and I the arm band of a conachas of the Adais. These marks of distinction will be observed by those tribes who are not on friendly terms with the French, but who would not wish to arouse an undesirable antagonism between two tribes such as the Adais and the Natchitoches. The letters will safe-guard us from white men who might be inclined to forget the calumet of the French and the Caddos of whose Federacy we are members. For this service I will expect a French soldier’s coat, one of the things I most desire in life. I will leave two horses at your disposal as a guarantee of my return and my true intention to serve the French. Because of my association with the Caddo Federacy I can be of many uses to the French.” The Commandant was no fool. He quickly realized the importance of Dachicoin, and agreed to his wishes even paying Quitlami’s expenses in the form of presents from the company merchandise.
To the average reader it would seem that Dachicoin was risking five horses which were of more value on this frontier than the supposed profits of this particular trading trip, but Quitlami revealed to Lotbotiniere that Dachicoin distributed these horses in good hands and those people were obligated to take as good care of them as if the horses belonged to them. Thus Dachicoin was assured of the good care of his animals with no expense to himself.