It is exciting to know that the French kept records about their activities with the Ho-Chunk as early as the 1712'. The events that David Smith wrote about in the Winnebago Indian News (no references) regarding the early Ho-Chunk/Winnebagos and GOM in 1737, have been recorded in French by Beauharnois himself. Awesome. Though preliminary reviews have not shown GOM's name, there is info about "Puant chefs" and the described events that Smith discussed in his articles compare well with the French writings and the Wisconsin Historical Society (Kellogg) writings. Not sure where this will lead me since I have sent for 100 pages of information from the University of Ottawa regarding "Puant chefs" and I have over 30 letters written by Beauharnois when he was Governor of New France to pour over using the BING translator. Additionally, there are several other letters written by the commanders, Lintot and Hacquart, who were at an outpost and heavily engaged in the Fox War, Mesquaki War and so on.
What I have managed to translate so far reveals that the French gave the early Ho-Chunk at Doty Island (GOM) a lot of "marchandise" to gain their favor and maintain relations. I have come across a permit and a record of Joseph Decarries (spelled differently again!) who was engaged to take said "marchandise" down river into the "baie et Puants". Amazing! Is this how he met GOM? It seems Joseph gave up his commission in the French Military to be a voyageur > GOM though it has been recorded that he was in the French Military > GOM > voyageur. Perhaps there are some military records that would reveal a clearer picture. New France certainly used soldiers to carry these provisions into what is now Wisconsin. The Ho-Chunk were at Green Bay when they first met us and then we moved westward and spent time at Three Rivers, St. Joseph River, and Doty Island, but the bay near Green Bay continued to be called the "baie et Puants" throughout the French Regime.
More to decipher!
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