Reminiscences - LNG Plants

Reminiscences, memoirs, and lectures of Monsignor A. Ravoux, V. G. 1838, Father Ravoux was induced to leave France for the Missions of America-
-His First Mission was at Prairie du Chien January, 1840-- sent amongst the
Sioux--1841 and 1842 vested Traverse des Sioux, Little Rock, Lac 201 Parle,
Lake Traverse, etc.
Page 1 [pic][pic] Father A. Ravoux was born A. D. 1815, January 11, at Langeac in Auvergne,
France, about twenty miles from Puy, where he spent three years in the
Petit Seminaire and four years in the Grand Seminaire. R. Rev. M. Loras,
previously pastor of the Cathedral Church of Mobile, Alabama, having been
consecrated in 1837, Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, before visiting his diocese,
went to France in order to have a few missionaries and some pecuniary means
for his poor and new diocese. Early in the spring of 1838 he visited the Grand Seminaire of Puy, and
delivered before the seminarians an urgent invitation, in order to induce
some of them to accompany him to America. Deeply moved by the discourse and
tears of the good Bishop of Dubuque, whom he had never seen or heard of
before, l'abbe A. Ravoux, then a sub-deacon, offered himself to him for the
missions of his diocese. Page 2
In September, 1838, they left France for the United States, and after forty-
five days' navigation they reached New York. The Rt. Rev. Bishop was
accompanied also by his Vicar General, Father Cretin, by Rev. A.
Pelamourgues, who in 1858 was appointed Bishop of St. Paul (but declined
accepting the charge), by l'abbe Galtier, who gave to our city its name,
and by two other sub-deacons. The four sub-deacons were ordained deacons in
Dubuque the 1st of November, 1839, and priests the 5th of January, 1840. A few days after, Father Ravoux was sent to Prairie du Chien where he
exercised the holy ministry till September, 1841, when he received from his
bishop the commission of visiting the Sioux being in the northern part of
the diocese of Dubuque, in order to see if there was any prospect of
establishing a mission among them.
He left Prairie du Chien for the upper Mississippi, spent a few days with
his friend, Father Galtier, was then invited to go in a canoe to Traverse
des Sioux, accepted the invitation with many thanks, and after four or five
days arrived at Traverse. He was there the guest of Mr. Provencal, an old
and respectable gentle man, who had been a trader with the Indians for
about forty-five years. During this sojourn, l'abbe Ravoux taught the
catechism to Mr. Provencal's children, and Prepared them for the reception
of the sacraments of the church, and applied himself to the study of the
Sioux language, being persuaded that so long as he could not instruct the
Indians himself very little success could be expected. However, he did not neglect to announce to them the word of God by
interpreters when he had an opportunity to do so. On Christmas day he
baptized two adults and three children; he had baptized five more some time
before. December 26th, 1841, he left Traverse des Sioux, and two days after
he was the guest of Mr. J. Laframboise, at Little Rock, on the Minnesota
River, where he remained about four weeks.
Page 3
Towards the end of January, 1842, in company with some half-breeds and
French Canadians he started for Lac qui Parle, and on the second of
February, 1842, he had the pleasure of being welcomed by Mr. Rinville and
his family, and by a few French Canadians. After having passed there two or
three months, performing the same duties as at Traverse and Little Rock, he
returned early in the spring to Mendota where he spent the greater part of
the summer with his friend, Father Galtier. During that summer Rev. L.
Galtier visited the Catholics living at Lake Pepin and on the Chippewa
River; meanwhile Father Ravoux attended the missions of Mendota and St.
Paul, taught the catechism in Sioux to the Messrs. Frenieres' families who
were encamped for several weeks near the church at Mendota. At their
invitation he accompanied them to Lake Traverse, being by them informed
that he would find there several hundred families of Sioux who would be
glad to see him and hear the good tidings of the Gospel. Unfortunately,
when they reached the place, the Indians, four or five families excepted,
had already left for their winter expedition. He spent about two weeks near
the bank of the lake, baptized many persons belonging to the families of
the Frenieres, and returned to Mendota. Messrs. J. B. Faribault, Oliver Faribault and his brother David, urged on
Father Ravoux to begin a permanent mission at Little Prairie (now Chaska)
where Mr. J. B. Faribault had his trading post for the Sioux, and where his
two sons, Oliver and David, lived with their families, and a few others.
Father Ravoux followed their advice and went to Little Prairie. They were
all very kind to him and helped him as interpreters when he had to speak to
the Indians, and also when he wrote in the Sioux language a short
catechism, the daily prayers, some canticles and a few instructions. In the spring of 1843, he went to Dubuque to see the Right Rev. Bishop
Loras, who gave him some encouragement; then he left Dubuque for Prairie du
Chien, where he spent almost two months, and printed, with a small printing
press belonging to Very Rev. J. Cretin, a book in the Sioux language, and
then returned to his mission. Page 4
In the months of January, February, and March, 1844, twenty-three Indians
and half-breeds received the sacrament of baptism, but, unfortunately for
that new mission, Rev. L. Galtier was, in the spring of the same year,
removed from Mendota to Keokuk, and Father Ravoux had to take his place
until another priest would be sent from Dubuque. Right Rev. Bishop Loras
had promised to send one after a short time, but, though he renewed again
and again his promise, he could not fulfill it; and so Father Ravoux had
under his charge Mendota, St. Paul, Lake Pepin, St. Croix, till the second
of July, 1851, when Right Rev. Bishop Cretin arrived in St. Paul.
No. II. 1842--A Great Fight between the Chippeways and the Sioux at
Kaposia, (Little Crow Village) and on the other side of the
Mississippi River--Father Ravoux, to fulfil his duty, went immediately
to Kaposia--What he saw--What he heard--Great Lamentation, etc.--Some
fifteen White Families living at St. Paul and on the East Side of the
River, near the Indian Village fled away and assembled at the Island
crossed by the Wabasha Street Bridge to save their Lives--A Messenger
sent to Fort Snelling--Soldiers were sent in a Barge to protect them
and Peace was restored--In September, 1842, with the Frenieres'
Families he made a Journey to Lake Traverse--Many Troubles and
Difficulties--Preparations for a fight with the Chippeways, etc.
Page 5
During the summer of 1842, while standing at the foot of the hill, near the
log church of Mendota, I saw several Sioux Indians carrying their guns, and
running as fast as possible. "Toki da?" "Whither dost thou go?" said I to
one of them, who was not only running very fast, but jumping about like a
deer. "Raraton Dakota ktepi." (Raraton the Chippeways, Dakota the Sioux,
ktepi kill.) "The Chippeways are killing the Sioux," was his reply, and he
did not stop. A little later I was told that the Chippeway warriors had come in great
number, near Little Crow's village, and had killed several Sioux, and that
the fight was not yet over. I learned also that all the Indians of the
village were in danger of being massacred, because almost all the men were
intoxicated, or under the influence of liquor. Some messengers, however,
had been sent to Black Dog village, and to other places farther up along
the St. Peter River (now the Minnesota River), to let them know the sad
state of affairs at Kaposia. Such news electrified the Sioux, and they ran
immediately to the place of slaughter, to repulse the common enemy, or to
die with their friends and relations.
Page 6
They were indeed aroused by a noble sentiment--sentiment which God has
implanted in the heart of man towards his people, his friends and
relations, and which will never be extinguished, except, perhaps, in the
heart of the brute, who says: "There is no God." The situation of the poor Indians at Kaposia saddened me very much, and
brought into my mind my sacerdotal obligations. "Several men, women and
children, unbaptized, are now perhaps dying at Little Crow's village;
thither I must go," said I to myself; "if I would baptize only one child
before his death my trouble would be well rewarded." I had no horse, but I
could then walk seven or eight miles without any difficulty. I took
information about the road to Kaposia, and started. I went on one mile,
when I saw before me two roads, and I took the wrong one. I came down the
hill, and proceeded along the Mississippi towards St. Paul, until
perceiving my mistake, I returned to the place of the two roads, and this
time went right. The sun was setting when I reached Little Crow's village where I heard
great lamentations and mourning. Many beloved once had been killed, some
others had been wounded, and were in danger of death. Parents, relatives
and friends wept bitterly, and made the air resound with these words: "My
son is dead!" "My brother is dead!" etc., and repeated the same again and
again. Their hearts bleeding with grief and sorrow made them cry in the
most lamentable and pitiful manner; and they refused to be comforted,
because many beloved ones wer