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8/ of all those who happened not to be absent on hunting expeditions was in a little time effected, also some of those upon returning to the camp. Those who were absent and consequently escaped destruction numbered about a hundred, twenty of whom were supposed to have retreated up Red river and joined the Cumanches, and the remainder sought a union with the Chickasaws who received them upon the condition they united with them and considered themselves as Chickasaws, and never more to use the name of their parent nation in relation to themselves. To these conditions they acceded. Shortly after, the French not satisfied with the massacre at Lake Louis of the great majority of the nation, pursued this remnant to the Chickasaw nation & demanded them, but fortunately, without success. The Chickasaws informed them that they had no Natchez Indians amongst them - that those whom they demanded had now become Chickasaws and as such they would defend them. The French, upon reflection prudently relinquished their sanguinary intentions, as contemplated against the Chickasaws, and returned to their fort near Natchez. Thus, and thus only, were a remnant of the Natchez tribe of Indians spared to tell the story of their national destruction, which is a following:
The traditional history of the difficulties which ensued between the Natchez and Choctaw Indians after the massacre of the French at fort Natchez; communicated to me by W. John Hutchins of Natchez, who recieved it from his father Colo. Anthony Hutchins who obtained it from those of the Natchez Indians who escaped destruction at Lake Louis by the French.
The Natchez Indians deny having, knowingly and intentionally, violated their treaty with the Choctaws. They state that the difficulties originated through the instrumentality of the daughter of the Natchez Chief. She was in love with, and fancied herself beloved by a Frenchman of the garrison, and learning of the purpose of the treaty which had been made between her nation and the Choctaws, she feared that the object of her affections would be destroyed in the contemplated massacre; to defeat which, she drew several sticks from the bundle that had been provided her Father by the treaty to guide the movements of his nation. as to time, and thus caused her father to lead on his forces before the arrival of the Choctaws. She calculated that her father would abandon the enterprise unless he met the Choctaws in readiness to assist him.
Contrary to her expectations as regarded the result, her father advanced upon the garrison, commenced and finished the destruction of the French without foreign aid. Some days after the battle the Choctaws arrived. The Natchez charged them with having violated their obligation. The Choctaws on the contrary asserted that they were punctual to the time specified, and although they had not participated in the battle, yet, as they had appeared in time, according to the treaty, to render the promised assistance, they claimed half of the booty.
The Natchez, under the influence of a contrary opinion, refused to divide with them the treasure. Each nation charged the other with dishonesty till finally, they went to war, the result of which was stated in the Choctaw narative.
The Natchez continued ignorant of the part which the chief's