Free Force of Blood by Joseph Heywood Page B

entitled, “Various Iroquois Wars, and Their Results.” The report was dated September 4, 1663, submitted by one Hierosme Lalemant, S.J.
The old froggies had interesting names
.
    He did the math in his head. He was looking at the facsimile of a report written 344 years before—nearly three and a half centuries, photos of the original French-language letter beside the English translation. The report was to the point, and, after a quick skimming, Service found several terms he didn’t understand. He decided to write down the part that he wanted, which was less than half a page long, and chase down the unknown terms later.
    He began copying Lalemant’s words:
    Last year the Agnieronnons and Onneiochronnons, the haughtiest of the five Iroquois nations, formed an expedition of a hundred men to go and lie in ambush for the Outaouax, who constitute our upper Algonquins, and to fall upon them when engaged in passing some difficult rapid. With this purpose they set out early in the spring of the year 1662, depending on their muskets for provisions, and using the Woods, which lay in their path as a courtyard, kitchen, and lodging place. The shortest paths are not the best, because they are much traveled; he who loses his way makes the most successfuljourney, because one is never lost in the woods without finding wild animals, which seek a retreat in the remotest forests.
    Definitely way before GPS, and a reminder that Native Americans had no word for
wilderness
until we gave them one
.
    After following the Hunter’s calling for a considerable time, they turned into Warriors, seeing that they were approaching the enemy’s country. So they began to prowl along the shores of the Lake of the Hurons, seeking their prey; and while they were planning to surprise some straggling huntsmen, they were they themselves surprised by a band of
Saulteurs
(for thus we designate the Savages living near the sault of Lake Superior). These latter, having discovered the enemy, made their approach toward daybreak, with such boldness that, after discharging some muskets and then shooting their arrows, they leaped hatchet in hand, upon those whom their fire and missiles had spared. The Iroquois, although they are very proud and have never yet learned to run away, would have been glad to do so had they not been prevented by the shafts leveled at them from every direction. Hence only a very few escaped to bear such sad news to their country, and to fill their villages with mourning instead of joyful shouts that were to ring out on the warriors’ return. This shows clearly that these people are not invincible when they are attacked with courage.
    Service signed onto a library computer and quickly translated
Agnieronnon
and
Onneiochronnon
to Mohawk and Oneida. He took his notes and went outside to smoke a cigarette and think.
    The Saulteurs were obviously Ojibwa in the Soo. This had to be the battle, but this invading force had been made up of one hundred warriors, not three hundred. Also, Father Lalemant’s report was secondhand, not eyewitness, regarding alleged events that had happened six months before. Still, the nut of the report seemed right, and would probably pass Etta Trevillyan’s notions of a reasonable-size attack force. The Iroquois had started up the coast of Lake Huron looking for Ottawa victims and had ended up in Saulteur territory. As far as he knew, the Ojibwa had controlled turf all theway down the St. Mary’s River to Drummond Island. How had the Iroquois gotten
around
the Soo if the attack had gone down near Crisp Point, or even if it had happened at Iroquois Point?
    Something about this didn’t jibe, and there was nothing in the priest’s secondhand report to provide direction, other than making it clear that the invading Iroquois had been effectively surrounded and dispatched. No mention of actual casualties on either side, and the statement that only a very few escaped. What about the old stories of the triumphant Ojibwa