Pickett's History of Alabama -- Chapter 16 -- Horrible Death of Beaudrot
and the Swiss Soldiers

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This file was originally donated to Carol Middleton's Among The Creeks
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                 Albert James Pickett: HISTORY OF ALABAMA.
                  (Kindly contributed by William C. Bell)
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                               CHAPTER XVI. 
                                      
            HORRIBLE DEATH OF BEAUDROT AND THE SWISS SOI.DIERS. 
                                      
   In 1757, Kerlerec was the governor of the colony. He had succeeded the
   Marquis De Vaudreuil, who had been transferred to the government of
   New France. Some of the officers, stationed at the different posts,
   were great tyrants. One of them, named Duroux, was sent to command a
   detachment of troops of the Swiss regiment of Halwyl, who were
   stationed at Cat Island, which, we believe, is now within the
   jurisdiction of the State of Alabama. He forced his soldiers to work
   his gardens and to burn coal and lime, which he disposed of in trade
   for his own emolument. Some of them, who refused to work for him, he
   caused to be arrested, stripped and tied naked to trees, where, for
   hours, the mosquitoes tortured them with their poisonous stings. These
   soldiers, repairing to New Orleans, received no satisfaction from
   Governor Kerlerec, who presently sent them back to Duroux. That
   officer was now still more tyrannical, and in addition to his other
   severe usage, gave them no meat to eat, and fed them upon stale bread.
   One day he entered a boat, and was rowed to an adjacent island, for
   the purpose of hunting deer. Returning in the evening, a party of the
   soldiers prepared themselves to kill him, and, as soon as he put his
   foot upon shire, he was instantly despatched, by the discharge of
   several guns. His body, stripped of its apparel, was contemptuously
   thrown into the sea. They then rifled the King's stores, and for once
   fared sumptuously. 1757: Becoming masters of the island, the soldiers
   set at liberty an inhabitant, named Beaudrot, who had been unjustly
   imprisoned by Duroux. He had been long in the colony, and was ofetn
   employed upon dangerous missions in the Creek nation. Indeed, he well
   understood the language of these Indians, besides that of neighboring
   tribes. Often had he made journeys to Fort Toulouse, upon the Coosa,
   both in boats and upon foot. He was a great favorite of Bienville.
   Beaudrot was a powerful man, as to strength, and almost a giant in
   size, and these qualities, together with his bravery and prowess,
   endeared him to the Indians. The soldiers, who now released him from
   prison, compelled him to conduct them towards Georgia. Advancing
   rapidly through the woods, after they touched the amain land in their
   boats, the veteran Beaudrot led them around Mobile, up the Tombigby,
   and crossing that stream, and afterwards the Alabama, in canoes that
   belonged to the Indians, Beaudrot conducted them from thence to
   Coweta, upon the Chattahoochie. here he was dismissed by the
   fugitives, whom he compelled to give him a certificate, stating that
   he had been forced to act as their guide, and was not in any way
   concerned with the killing of Duroux.
   
   1757: Some of these soldiers, who pursued their journey, made safe
   their retreat to the English in Georgia; but others loitered in Coweta
   and Cusseta enjoying the hospitality of the Indians. In the meantime,
   Montberaut, who then commanded at Fort Toulouse, had been made
   acquaineted with the murder of Duroux and the flight of the soldiers.
   Hearing that some of them were upon the Chattahoochie, a small
   detachment of soldiers and some Indians, under Beaudin were sent
   across the country, to arrest them. Beaudin returned with three of the
   men, who, after being chained in the prison for a week, were put in
   canoes, and conveyed down the Alabama river, to Mobile, and there
   thrown into the dungeon, to await trial.
   
   Beaudrot arrived in Mobile, and was quietly living in his hut, when
   two of his sons, who had just arrived from New Orleans, were the
   innocent cause of his arrest. Governor Kerlerec sent by them a sealed
   package to De Ville, the commandant at Mobile, authorizing his
   imprisonment. The poor fellow knew nothing of the arrest of the
   soldiers, until his eyes feel upon them in prison. Notwithstanding
   that he exhibited, upon the trial, his certificate, which declared his
   innocence of the murder, and which stated that he was compelled to
   facilitate the escape of the soldiers of it, a court martial condemned
   him to die. The soldiers, of course, were also condemned to share the
   same fate. As soon as Governor Kerlerec confirmed the judgment, the
   innocent and unfortunate Beaudrot was led forth and broken upon a
   wheel! The people of Mobile were shicked at the spectacle, for some of
   their lives had been saved by the sufferer. Not many years before that
   Beaudrot, while trading in the town of Autauga among the Alabamas,
   ransomed a French boy who had been captured near Mobile by the Lower
   Creeks of the Chattahoochie, and who had sold him to those Indians.
   Beaudrot paid away all his profits for the boy, and immediately
   carried him to Mobile and restored him to his uncle. On another
   occasion, a party of the Lower Creeks had taken a Frenchman, who had
   gone up to his little plantation on the Tensaw river. They stripped
   the man, and, having pinioned him well, took the trail for the
   Chattahoochie. It so happened that Beaudrot was returning upon that
   trail from Fort Toulouse, whither Bienville had some weeks before
   despatched him with a letter to the French commandant. Night drew
   apace, and Beaudrot sought repose upon the pine straw, behind a log,
   without a spark of fire. It was his custom when alone to sleep in the
   dark, for fear of being discovered by Indian enemies. He lay quietly,
   with his head resting upon his knapsack. Presently three stout
   warriors made their appearnace with the Frenchman to whom we have just
   alluded. They presently collected lightwood, which lay in profusion
   around, and kindled a large fire. Ten of the party, after the capture
   of the Frenchman, went in another direction, to see if they could not
   do more mischief in the French settlements, and, entrusting the
   prisoner to the three warriors who now guarded him, had not yet
   overtaken them. The fire threw a glare over the woods, and Beaudrot
   would have been discovered had he not, fortunately, been behind a log.
   The warriors eat theri supper, and, tying the Frenchman to a tree,
   where he would have been compelled to stand all night upon his feet,
   they dropped off to sleep. Te eart of the generous Beaudrot beat
   quick: he longed to rescue the man whom he well knew, but endeavored
   to compose himself. After a while, when the wearied warriors snored in
   profound sleep, he cautiously approached. His first intention was to
   unloose the prisoner and place a pistol in his hand, when they both
   instantly fell upon the Indians; but a moment's reflection warned him
   that if he approached the prisoner first the latter would be startled
   and cry aloud, which would arouse the savages. This reflection now
   altered his plans, and he now crept up to the camp, keeping a large
   pine tree between him and the warriors. Two of them lay together.
   Beaudrot's carbine was heavily charged, and raising h imself suddenly
   he fired, and the warriors were both killed. The third one rose up and
   rushed at Beaudrot with his hatchet, having in his haste forgotten his
   gun. Beaudrot had already a pistol in his hand, and now discharged its
   contents into the stomach of the Creek, who whooped and fell dead.
   Rushing to the tree he untied his friend, who immediately sank in the
   arms of the generous deliverer. But they had no time to tarry here.
   The rescued prisoner informed Beaudrot constructed a raft, on which he
   now placed the prisoner and they both floated down the river some
   distance, and landed on the western side. He tore the raft to pieces,
   and set the fragments adrift. Beaudrot took all this precaution to
   keep the Indians from tracking him. About this time it was daylight,
   and he and the Frenchman were in a swamp, and quite secure. Beaudrot
   now drew forth his bottle of brandy, and gave his companion a drink,
   which did much to revive him. They also shared some bread and dried
   venison. After they had rested here some hours, Beaudrot and his
   companion arose, and, after a tedious march through the woods,
   subsisting upon what game Beaudrot could kill, he arrived safe in
   Mobile, with the Frenchman. Such a man was Beaudrot, whom the French
   authorities in Mobile broke upon a wheel! His life was worth a
   thousand such lives as that of the tyrannical wretch whom he was
   accused of having killed. On the same day that he was thus made to
   suffer death, in the most barbarous and excruciating manner, one of
   the fugitives, a French soldier, was also broken upon a wheel, while
   two poor Swiss soldiers were subjected to a still more horrible fate.
   The authorities placed each one of them in a long narrow box, like a
   coffin, nailed it up, and then cut the box in two with a cross-cut
   saw. *
   
   * French MS. letters in my possession, obtained from Paris. See also
   Bossu's Travels, vol. 1, pp. 320-325. But Bossu incorrectly states
   that these men suffered death in New Orleans. Some years previously,
   Fort Conde, a large brick fortress, had been built at Mobile, and it
   was in front of the gate of that fort that these men met such terrible
   death.
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