Aboite, Indiana Named For Indian Massacre and French Word For "Slaughterhouse."
103 men were massacred west of Fort Wayne, Indiana at a place called Aboite. The Miami Indians left the mutilated bodies to rot, which resulted in the French calling the site, "The Slaughterhouse."
A slaughterhouse, also called by the French word abattoir. Today the site is still called the "Slaughterhouse" in the name of a small town and township in Allen County, Indiana called, Aboite.
On the 3d of November, 1780, numbers of frightened savages created alarm in the quiet Miami Town by rushing in with the tale that an army of the "rebels" (Americans) was approaching rapidly from the southwest. There was no time to call in the scattered braves and traders for a defense of their homes — nothing to do but hasten to places of safety. Hurriedly abandoning the village, the men, women and children fled to the northward or across the St. Joseph, while others launched their canoes and pirogues upon the open river and paddled to places of safety. Among the families which chose the latter method was that of Jacques Lasselle; in some manner, one of the children, a girl, fell from the boat and was drowned. Soon the invaders poured into the villages and plundered the dwellings of the traders and a large storehouse belonging to Baubien, 8 remaining long enough to make thorough work of the destruction of the property of those whom they considered the most offensive enemies of the American cause.7 Then they retired to their camp for the night. They chose a spot a few miles to the west of the scene of their raid, an open space, on the bank of a small stream, known as Aboite8 (or Aboit) river or creek. The leader of this adventurous body of men was Augustus Mottin de LaBalme. He had served in France as a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, and as a colonel in the colonial army during the latter part of the American revolution. LaBalme had come to America with the Marquis de LaFayette and entered at once into active service for the republic. Without announcement, he appeared in October, 1780, at Kas- kaskia on the Mississippi, now under the American flag, where he was received with gladness9 by the French and the Indians who encouraged his plan to proceed to Detroit to capture that post for the United States.10 Fired with the vision of a success which should equal or surpass that of Clark on the lower Wabash, LaBalme lost no time in gathering his followers and starting to the northward. A great demonstration attended the departure from Kaskaskia. The inhabitants en masse, as well as large companies of Indians, accompanied the expedition for a considerable distance on its way up the Wabash. At Ouiatanon, LaBalme went into camp with the hope that re-enforcements would reach him before his movement northward. Here he passed twelve impatient days. The four hundred men who were to have joined him failed to appear.
The Vermilya house sits on the hill that overlooks the confluence of Aboite Creek and the Little Wabash Rivers. It is on this hill that De la Balmes men were massacred. No historic markers have been placed at the site to commemorate the loss of American lives.
Meanwhile, he feared, the anti-American settlements on the site of Fort Wayne might learn of the proximity of his detachment and prepare for defense. So he decided to make the raid on the offending villages and then go into camp and await the addition to his numbers before proceeding to Detroit. We have seen his confiscation of the villages, and now we find the small company of 103" men settling themselves for the night in their camp on the Aboite. The tragic fate of the expedition is soon told. While the men were arranging for a few hours of comfort, Charles Beaubien, the chief trader at Miami Town, who seems to have been the chief anti-American agitator of the region, was active in assembling the savages and laying plans for a fierce retaliation. That LaBalme 's attack on the Miami village was directed against Beaubien is shown by a clause in a letter written by Richard Winston to Colonel John Todd to the effect that "'is the general opinion that he will take Baubin [Beaubien], the general partisan at Miamis [Fort Wayne], and proceed thence to Fort Pitt." With the gathering of the shades of night, a large number of Indians, fully armed, were assembled at the village. A council, directed by Beaubien, resulted in the choice of Little Turtle to plan and execute the attack on the camp of the invaders. Following the custom of savage warfare, to which LaBalme and his men appear to have been strangers, the Indians quietly surrounded the place, and then, with the terrifying war whoop, fell upon the sleeping encampment. The scene is best imagined from the story of the results.
A marker was mistakenly placed in the adjoining county of Whitley, Indiana that was not the place of La Balmes defeat.
During the few minutes that followed the opening of the attack, thirty or forty of the Americans, including LaBalme, were killed, a few escaped in the darkness, and the remainder, among whom was one "Mons. Rhy, who styles himself aide-de-camp"1* were taken prisoners. The Miamis lost five of their party. Such re-enforcements as may have been on the way to join LaBalme were turned back by the news of his destruction, and the Wabash valley, above the influence of Vincennes, remained in the hands of the British partisans. The LaBalme escapade sent a thrill of alarm throughout Canada. "It was certainly the beginning of a general attack against this province," wrote Governor Haldimand, at Quebec, to DePey- ster, in command at Detroit, "which, from different intelligence I have received, I have every reason to think, will be attempted in the spring against these upper posts. Monsr. LaBalm's papers clearly evince the sentiments of the Canadians, and you will benefit by the discovery. "
A slaughterhouse, also called by the French word abattoir. Today the site is still called the "Slaughterhouse" in the name of a small town and township in Allen County, Indiana called, Aboite.
On the 3d of November, 1780, numbers of frightened savages created alarm in the quiet Miami Town by rushing in with the tale that an army of the "rebels" (Americans) was approaching rapidly from the southwest. There was no time to call in the scattered braves and traders for a defense of their homes — nothing to do but hasten to places of safety. Hurriedly abandoning the village, the men, women and children fled to the northward or across the St. Joseph, while others launched their canoes and pirogues upon the open river and paddled to places of safety. Among the families which chose the latter method was that of Jacques Lasselle; in some manner, one of the children, a girl, fell from the boat and was drowned. Soon the invaders poured into the villages and plundered the dwellings of the traders and a large storehouse belonging to Baubien, 8 remaining long enough to make thorough work of the destruction of the property of those whom they considered the most offensive enemies of the American cause.7 Then they retired to their camp for the night. They chose a spot a few miles to the west of the scene of their raid, an open space, on the bank of a small stream, known as Aboite8 (or Aboit) river or creek. The leader of this adventurous body of men was Augustus Mottin de LaBalme. He had served in France as a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, and as a colonel in the colonial army during the latter part of the American revolution. LaBalme had come to America with the Marquis de LaFayette and entered at once into active service for the republic. Without announcement, he appeared in October, 1780, at Kas- kaskia on the Mississippi, now under the American flag, where he was received with gladness9 by the French and the Indians who encouraged his plan to proceed to Detroit to capture that post for the United States.10 Fired with the vision of a success which should equal or surpass that of Clark on the lower Wabash, LaBalme lost no time in gathering his followers and starting to the northward. A great demonstration attended the departure from Kaskaskia. The inhabitants en masse, as well as large companies of Indians, accompanied the expedition for a considerable distance on its way up the Wabash. At Ouiatanon, LaBalme went into camp with the hope that re-enforcements would reach him before his movement northward. Here he passed twelve impatient days. The four hundred men who were to have joined him failed to appear.
Meanwhile, he feared, the anti-American settlements on the site of Fort Wayne might learn of the proximity of his detachment and prepare for defense. So he decided to make the raid on the offending villages and then go into camp and await the addition to his numbers before proceeding to Detroit. We have seen his confiscation of the villages, and now we find the small company of 103" men settling themselves for the night in their camp on the Aboite. The tragic fate of the expedition is soon told. While the men were arranging for a few hours of comfort, Charles Beaubien, the chief trader at Miami Town, who seems to have been the chief anti-American agitator of the region, was active in assembling the savages and laying plans for a fierce retaliation. That LaBalme 's attack on the Miami village was directed against Beaubien is shown by a clause in a letter written by Richard Winston to Colonel John Todd to the effect that "'is the general opinion that he will take Baubin [Beaubien], the general partisan at Miamis [Fort Wayne], and proceed thence to Fort Pitt." With the gathering of the shades of night, a large number of Indians, fully armed, were assembled at the village. A council, directed by Beaubien, resulted in the choice of Little Turtle to plan and execute the attack on the camp of the invaders. Following the custom of savage warfare, to which LaBalme and his men appear to have been strangers, the Indians quietly surrounded the place, and then, with the terrifying war whoop, fell upon the sleeping encampment. The scene is best imagined from the story of the results.
During the few minutes that followed the opening of the attack, thirty or forty of the Americans, including LaBalme, were killed, a few escaped in the darkness, and the remainder, among whom was one "Mons. Rhy, who styles himself aide-de-camp"1* were taken prisoners. The Miamis lost five of their party. Such re-enforcements as may have been on the way to join LaBalme were turned back by the news of his destruction, and the Wabash valley, above the influence of Vincennes, remained in the hands of the British partisans. The LaBalme escapade sent a thrill of alarm throughout Canada. "It was certainly the beginning of a general attack against this province," wrote Governor Haldimand, at Quebec, to DePey- ster, in command at Detroit, "which, from different intelligence I have received, I have every reason to think, will be attempted in the spring against these upper posts. Monsr. LaBalm's papers clearly evince the sentiments of the Canadians, and you will benefit by the discovery. "
