Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Alright southern boys, wtf is a “coonass “??

The Spanish predated the French, Natchitoches is older than New Orleans. It was a Spanish outpost on the Red River, later the Cane River, when the Red bypassed it, creating an oxbow.

During the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Celebration, the French were getting all the accolades, the Spanish seemingly not getting the attention they deserved. While New Orleans was all aglow entertaining things French, Alexandria got the Heart of Spain exhibit. We are the "heart of Louisiana", thus the name.

Asked how we got such an event, the answer, "we asked". Gov. Blanco was instrumental in putting it together. Rare artwork and artifacts that had never left Spain were shipped in two 747's to Alex and were exhibited in our museum for several months. 80K people viewed this exhibit. It was quite an event. Amazon has the Heart of Spain book that shows the artwork.

DF

The Spanish could never make a go at Natchitoches because they could not get along with Les Sauvage as well as the French. They retired back across the Arroyo Hondo to a hill amongst the Adai Caddo that became Bot a mission station and the Presidio Los Adaes close to present Robeline. It was the capital of Tejas for almost 70 years until it was moved to Bejar. That is also an interesting story. I highly recommend this he father of Texas History Herbert Eugene Boltons "Texas In The Middle Eighteenth Century”.

One of the most interesting quotes I came across was from the journal of Francois de la Harpe. Circa 1720 ish. There in your neck of the woods Dirt Farmer, he mentioned that "one of the Canadiens killed a whistling deer at the rapides!"

Lots of interesting history out there. Too many just gloss over it, take what they have for granted.

I really enjoy learning about those things.. Wish more people were of that mind set.

Kaywoodie, I always enjoy your historical posts. You've spent the time to study it.

DF

Kaywoodie, Birdwatcher and the departed (from The Campfire) Shrapnel always have some interesting history lessons.

Dirtfarmer, when the old retired Mayor of Saint Francisville brought up the fact of the deep Spanish history hereabouts,,,The Historical Society (Hysterical Society) wanted to nail his ass to a tree.

Natchez, Mississippi is a bit prouder of their Spanish heritage.

Natchitoches is a very historically significant city/area. It was the northern terminus for the Red River at the Grand Encore. So much happened there. Grant even refused to burn Natchitoches. He stated it was one of the most beautiful cities he had seen. Maybe not so much now. 🤣

It was the hub of the salt, bear oil, deerskin trade for the colonial French. Also thanks to the likes of St. Denis, 1000’s of head of clandestine Spanish beeves and horses went down river to New Orleans. So much bear oil went down river it kept New Orleans lit!!!

There is so much that went on there.

A funny story! There is a group around Natchez that does colonial Spanish reenacting. Many years ago they came and participated with us for our Christmas event at Ft. St. Jean Baptiste SHS at Natchitoches. This coincided with the city of Natchitoches festival of lights weekend.

We put them up in there own quarters in the caserne. They built a big blazing inferno in the fireplace which was designed for small cooking fires. Being made of mud and stick. About 2 a m the hearth was smoldering good and woke them up. They went and found the site ranger and very gingerly woke him with a “Bubba, the fort is on fire we are sorry!"

Bubba went ballistic! LOL! They had awaken just in time as got it put out. It hadn’t really burned much. Fire dept shows up. Big excitement. And I being the post commandant in my own quarters, slept thru the whole ordeal.

Thats the story of the Spanish Marines trying to burn down the fort!!! After feeding them and showing them a great time.

Before Capt Shreve blew up the Red River log jam to open up Shreveport, paddle wheelers went thru Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou to the Marshall, Jefferson TX area where there was quite a hub of agriculture and trade, lots of wealthy folks.

DF

Yes the area was known as “Spanish Lake”. Even in colonial times you could poll the pirogue all the way to present east Texas! And north of the Adai hills. Caddo Lake is the only remnant remaining now.

That is funny, had a good chuckle....

DF

During the Natchez indian war the locals burned and massacred the French garrison at Ft Rosalie close to present Natchez Miss. I think it was across the river. I can’t remember. Anyway a very evil French commandant at Rosalie treated the indians very bad. So they decided to throw a big feast for the French. When all the French came to dine, they got knocked in the head!! Circa 1730ish.

So they headed to do the same to Ft. Baptiste. St Denis receive the word that the Nat hez were on the way. So he sends a msg to the Spanish commandant at Los Adaes of the impending attack. And warns them they will probably be next. And he thinks it would be a good idea to consolidate their forces against the Natchez. The Spanish commandant agrees. BTW, their entire dialog is conducted in Latin as neither understood the others tongue!

So the Spanish arrive at Bapriste. They are all mounted troops called “soldados de cuera” for the think leather jerkin they wore. They had not one working escopeta ( carbine). I believe they numbered beteeen 50-70 soldados. I can’t remember actual number. They were issued French fusils.

The Natchez managed to burn down 1/2 the fort. But they are repulsed by the joint French/Spanish force ard are chased back to there village and eventually received a what for when addition troops arrive from down the Mississippi.

Kaywoodie and dirtfarmer are y’all familiar with an eclectic group known as “The Chasseurs”?

Their hub of activity and then to points far away was Nakatosh and they’d go out for months at a time harvesting bear, deer, about anything they could preserve in bear fat and sell.

There was a good article on them in Country Roads magazine a while back.

Those were the guys that didn’t like to farm like I mentioned earlier. LOL! Chasseur as you probably know, means hunter

Du Pagé wrote in the 1760’s that Natchitoches stank to high heavens from the alligator excretment in the bayous (seven islands made up the village). And they were there because of all the deer carcasses brought in that remained unused and wasted. Hogs were the primary food source amongst the french there. (As in the old adage manger de lard). And deer hair scrapped from the hids was in such abundance that it was used as temper in the mud used as chinking on the houses.

A nasty place in some areas. Apparently there were LOTS of bears too! LOTS!!!

On another note concerning Native waste of resources. Same thing discovered at the Gilbert site in Rains county Texas. Lots of French trade goods and remains of compete deer skeletons in situ, unbutchered. The site was a
Simply a place they brought the deer and skinned them. And French traders were there to receive the skins. Deer hides were big business in europe. Every bit as big a beaver would be a bit later on!

There was lots of wasted resources that were thought could never end.

I’ve seen commercial fishermen throw mounds of trash fish and game fish up on the banks for alligators to keep the alligators out of their hoop nets and trammel nets. Also very large catfish that had no significant commercial value.

Kaywoodie in Tales and Lore of The Big Thicket I believe there was a gent named Uncle Ben Brackin who supposedly killed over 300 black bears.
I think I recall that correctly.

Friend that grew up their and a self-ascribed coonass said it was derived from a french word. I will butcher the spelling but something to the effect of cunai. Long "I" sound at the end. IIRC he said it was slang/derogatroy word used to describe poor folks in that part of the world that became coonass.

The Spanish had the area around Natchez (Spanish West Florida) until 1763 when they lost it to Britain in the seven years war. The Brits handed it back to Spain in 1783 after losing the American Revolution. The U.S. annexed it in 1810.

I have a friend that owns a lot of timberland in the area north of Natchez to Port Gibson along the Mississippi River. He said that when he's had the titles searched he's gone back to the Spanish land grants on some of them. He bought one piece of property that was supposed to be 700 acres and after he had it surveyed it turned out to be 1200 acres. A lot of it had never been properly surveyed along the river and the boundaries are all screwed up.

Spanish vara leagues and French arpents! Gotta love em!

Old surveys along a constantly changing River is a challenge to this day. With valuable mineral deposits, ownership becomes critical. Some make a lifelong career sorting thru deeds and surveys. My brother retired from the Louisiana State Mineral Board; that was his job. Figuring and collecting royalties owed the State was what he did. Frustrating but interesting. Glad it was him, not me.

DF

Some rivers even change names! 😉