Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun (1792 – 1841) was a

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...

militia officer and later a fur trader in the service of the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

. Pambrun fought against the United States in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, in particular the

Battle of the Châteauguay The Battle of the Chateauguay was an engagement of the War of 1812. On 26 October 1813, a combined British and Canadian force consisting of 1,530 regulars, volunteers, militia and Mohawk warriors from Lower Canada, commanded by Charles de Sal ...

. He joined the HBC during a time of turmoil with its competitors, the

North West Company The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...

. After the

Battle of Seven Oaks The Battle of Seven Oaks was a violent confrontation in the Pemmican War between the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Company (NWC), rivals in the North American fur trade, fur trade, that took place on 19 June 1816, the climax of ...

, he was among those held captive by men employed by the NWC. With the merger of the NWC and the HBC during 1821, Pambrun was sent to the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

. He was first stationed in the New Caledonia District, and in 1832 was put in charge of

Fort Nez Percés Fort Nez Percés (or Fort Nez Percé, with or without the accent aigu), later known as (Old) Fort Walla Walla, was a fortified fur trading post on the Columbia River on the territory of modern-day Wallula, Washington. Despite being named after the ...

, a vital station placed among the

Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to: * Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named * Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...

. Over time Pambrun strengthened relations with the neighboring

Sahaptin The Sahaptin are a number of Native American tribes who speak dialects of the Sahaptin language. The Sahaptin tribes inhabited territory along the Columbia River and its tributaries in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Sahaptin-s ...

nations through fair treatment and joining in on seasonal animal hunts. In addition to its use by the HBC, Fort Nez Percés would become an important stopping point for American migrants following the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

. When

ABCFM The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

missionaries

Marcus Whitman Marcus Whitman (September 4, 1802 – November 29, 1847) was an American physician and missionary. In 1836, Marcus Whitman led an overland party by wagon to the West. He and his wife, Narcissa, along with Reverend Henry Spalding and his wife, E ...

and

Henry H. Spalding Henry Harmon Spalding (1803–1874), and his wife Eliza Hart Spalding (1807–1851) were prominent Presbyterian missionaries and educators working primarily with the Nez Perce in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Spaldings and their fellow missio ...

arrived in the area to proselytize among the Sahaptins, Pambrun helped them select Waiilatpu for a mission post. Pambrun gained the distinction of becoming the sole French-Canadian promoted to the rank of Chief Trader in the

Columbia Department The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. Much of its territory overlapped with the disputed Oregon Country. It was explored by the North West Company betwe ...

. While riding a horse in 1841, Pambrun became grievously injured in an accident and died four days later.

Early life

Pambrun was born in

Vaudreuil-Dorion Vaudreuil-Dorion () is a suburb of Greater Montreal, in the Montérégie region of southwestern Quebec, Canada. The result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, it is located in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

on 17 December 1792. During the

, Pambrun enlisted in the primarily Québécois militia, the

Canadian Voltigeurs The Canadian Voltigeurs were a light infantry unit, raised in Lower Canada (the present-day Province of Quebec) in 1812, that fought in the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States. History Formation As war with the United States threate ...

and rose to the rank of sergeant by 1813. Pambrun fought in several skirmishes and earned acclaim for capturing an American scouting party.Tassé, Joseph
''Les Canadiens de l'Ouest.''
Montreal: Cie d'Imprimerie Canadienne. 1878, pp. 299-303. During the "

Canadien French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

Thermopylae Thermopylae (; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: (''Thermopylai'') , Demotic Greek (Greek): , (''Thermopyles'') ; "hot gates") is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur ...

" of the

, Pambrun served under Jacques Viger. After the battle Pambrun's combat record earned him a promotion to second lieutenant, though his prospects for advancement ended with the disbandment of the Voltigeurs in 1817.

Hudson's Bay Company

With the end of his service in the militia, Pambrun became an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1815. In the spring of that year Colin Robertson led him and other employees into the Canadian interior. At

Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods (french: Lac des Bois, oj, Pikwedina Sagainan) is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over long and wide, containing more than 14,55 ...

the party received news of the disbandment of the

Red River Colony The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hud ...

due to hostilities with the

(NWC).''Narratives of John Pritchard, Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun, and Frederick Damien Heurter...''
London: John Murray. 1819, pp. 43-55. In July, twenty families of Red River were located on the shores of

Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg (french: Lac Winnipeg, oj, ᐑᓂᐸᑲᒥᐠᓴᑯ˙ᑯᐣ, italics=no, Weenipagamiksaguygun) is a very large, relatively shallow lake in North America, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Manitoba, Canada. I ...

, having resided there since leaving the colony. They agreed to accompany the HBC men back to their former homes. Pambrun was then stationed in Pembina, and he journeyed with Governor Semple to visit the regional HBC stations. Officials of the company began to worry about the rapidly rising hostilities with their NWC competitors. In April 1816, Semple ordered Pambrun to proceed to the NWC

Fort Qu'Appelle Fort Qu'Appelle is a town in Canadian province of Saskatchewan located in the Qu'Appelle River valley north-east of Regina, between Echo and Mission Lakes of the Fishing Lakes. It is not to be confused with the once-significant nearby t ...

where

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

were gathering, but was instructed to "carefully avoid every act of hostility until fully justified by the conduct of our enemies." Reaching the station in May, Pambrun found Métis men speaking "violent threats against the Colony" and soon departed with 22 HBC staff under master and trader James Sutherland. The party was bound for the Red River Colony to resupply the settlement. On 9 May, they were attacked by

Cuthbert Grant Cuthbert James Grant (1793 – July 15, 1854) was a prominent Métis people (Canada), Métis leader of the early 19th century. His father was also called Cuthbert Grant. Life Cuthbert James Grant was born in 1793 at Fort Tremblant, a North We ...

and 49 NWC, including a future coworker of Pambrun's,

Thomas McKay Thomas McKay (1 September 1792 – 9 October 1855) was a Canadian businessman who was one of the founders of the city of Ottawa, Ontario. Biography McKay was born in Perth, Scotland and became a skilled stonemason. He emigrated to the C ...

, son of

Alexander MacKay Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants li ...

and Marguerite Wadin and stepson of

John McLoughlin John McLoughlin, baptized Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, (October 19, 1784 – September 3, 1857) was a French-Canadian, later American, Chief Factor and Superintendent of the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver fro ...

. The HBC men were then taken prisoner and held at Qu'Appelle, although after five days all the captives except Pambrun were released. Late in May, Pambrun witnessed an oration at The Forks by a NWC officer requesting Native recruits. While Pambrun did not witness the attack on

Brandon House Brandon House was a Hudson's Bay Company post or posts from 1793 to 1824. It was located at several places on the Assiniboine River between Brandon, Manitoba and the mouth of the Souris River about 21 miles southeast of Brandon. Because of its lo ...

, he was in the area and promptly was taken to see the victorious NWC men looting the station property. Sixty miles outside the Red River colony, a small fortified position was made to store the seized HBC goods. Pambrun was held at this position as the NWC force marched on the colony, where the

then occurred. After the battle he was imprisoned for twelve days at Fort William, until Lord Selkirk demanded his release. Pambrun was to play a key witness in the legal proceedings between the NWC and HBC, having to spend most of 1817 in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

and 1818 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. With the closing of the case, Pambrun began a tour of service across interior HBC posts in 1820. Serving as a clerk, he spent time at

Cumberland House Cumberland House was a mansion on the south side of Pall Mall in London, England. It was built in the 1760s by Matthew Brettingham for Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany and was originally called York House. The Duke of York died in 1767 a ...

, the

York Factory York Factory was a settlement and Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) factory (trading post) located on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, at the mouth of the Hayes River, approximately south-southeast of Churchill. Yo ...

Fort Edmonton Fort Edmonton (also named Edmonton House) was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1795 to 1914, all of which were located on the north banks of the North Saskatchewan River in what is now central Alberta, ...

until being assigned to the New Caledonia Department in 1824. Pambrun primarily worked at

Fort Babine Fort Babine, British Columbia (Wit'at) is a small native reserve community, located at the northern tip of Babine Lake, approximately 100 km north of Smithers. It is accessible by an all-weather gravel logging road. There are approximately 6 ...

for the next six years. In March 1832, he was directed to his final trading post, Fort Nez Perces. McLoughlin, John. ''Letters of Dr. John McLoughlin, written at Fort Vancouver 1829-1832.'' Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort. 1948, pp. 258-259.

Fort Nez Percés

was the main company station between

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the ...

and

Fort Hall Fort Hall was a fort in the western United States that was built in 1834 as a fur trading post by Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth. It was located on the Snake River in the eastern Oregon Country, now part of present-day Bannock County in southeastern Ida ...

, in an area occupied by

Walla Wallas Walla Walla (), Walawalałáma ("People of Wallula, Washington, Walula region along Walla Walla River"), sometimes Walúulapam, are a Sahaptin people, Sahaptin indigenous people of the Northwest Plateau. The duplication in their name expresses the ...

and frequented by neighboring Nez Perces and Cayuses. The previous administrator of the fort, Simon McGillivray, had to be reappointed to another station after an affray was provoked. A great-great-nephew of Cayuse chieftain Hiyumtipin and son of Wide Mouth had continued disputes with McGillivray.Stern, Theodore. ''Chiefs & chief traders: Indian relations at Fort Nez Perces, 1818-1855. Vol. 1'' Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1993. This culminated in Wide Mouth's son killing a Native cattle herder employee of the fort. Pambrun was then appointed to direct the activities of the fort, initially having to resolve the feud. Pambrun announced to the natives present that he "came to be their friend and to do them good" but that Wide Mouth's son was banned from fort until he paid forty beaver skins, which was done within a year.Stern, Theodore. ''Chiefs & chief traders: Indian relations at Fort Nez Perces, 1818-1855. Vol. 2'' Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1996. Pambrun's focus turned to fort administration, quickly discharging any "drunken hangers-on or other undesirables".Nichols, Marie L. H
''The mantle of Elias; the story of Fathers Blanchet and Demers in early Oregon.''
Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort. 1941, p. 75. Various headmen and chieftains were issued calendars to "have one tribe present at one time", the time schedules only being revoked when Pambrun was assured of the good intentions of each nation. Pambrun built a rapport with the Walla Wallas in part by joining their seasonal rabbit hunts. Townsend, John K.br>''Narrative of a journey across the Rocky Mountains.''
Philadelphia: Henry Perkins. 1839, p. 327. While in Oregon Country in 1831, George Simpson, described Pambrun as "an active, steady, dapper little fellow." Weary travelers who crossed the continent into the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...

praised Pambrun's hospitality.

Jason Lee Jason Lee may refer to: Entertainment *Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American film and TV actor and former professional skateboarder *Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian American film actor * Jaxon Lee (Jason Christopher Lee, born 1968), American v ...

and four Methodist clergy and laypeople reached Fort Nez Perces on 2 September 1834. Lee reported that Pambrun "proffered me any provisions he had", giving several spare tents and meals.Washington Pioneer Project
''Told by the Pioneers, Vol. 1.''
Olympia, WA: 1937, pp. 69-71. The few horses and cattle held by the Methodists were traded for provisions, with the promise to receive replacements at Fort Vancouver. After establishing the

Methodist Mission The Methodist Mission was the Methodist Episcopal Church's 19th-century conversion efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Local Indigenous cultures were introduced to western culture and Christianity. Superintendent Jason Lee was the principal leader fo ...

, Lee returned to the United States in 1838, being accompanied by Pierre's wife, Catherine, to the Waiilatpu Mission. While first entering Oregon Country, Catholic missionaries

François Norbert Blanchet François Norbert Blanchet (September 30, 1795 – June 18, 1883) was a French Canadian-born missionary priest and prelate of the Catholic Church who was instrumental in establishing the Catholic Church presence in the Pacific Northwest. He was on ...

and

Modeste Demers Modeste Demers (11 October 1809 – 28 July 1871) was a Roman Catholic Bishop and missionary in the Oregon Country. A native of Quebec, he traveled overland to the Pacific Northwest and preached in the Willamette Valley and later in what would beco ...

were greeted by Pambrun in November 1838. Arrangements for the baptisms of his children and an official marriage were arranged.

Thomas J. Farnham Thomas Jefferson Farnham (1804–1848) was an explorer and author of the American West in the first half of the 19th century. His travels included interaction with missionary Jason Lee, and he later led a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. While in O ...

of the

Peoria Party The Peoria Party was a group of men from Peoria in the U.S. state of Illinois, who set out about May 1, 1839, with the intention to colonize the Oregon Country on behalf of the United States and to drive out the English fur-trading companies ope ...

arrived at Pambrun's station on 1 October 1839, and was given a meal and a tour of fort facilities. Other than HBC employees, Pambrun's other non-Native contacts were members of the

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

(ABCFM). Samuel Parker and

were sent in 1835 to explore the Oregon Country for suitable areas to establish missions, though Whitman departed east at the Rendezvous.Drury, Clifford M
''Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and the Opening of Old Oregon.''
Seattle: Northwest Interpretive Association, 2005. Parker went through Fort Nez Perces on 6 October 1835, receiving a meal including the "great luxuries" of milk, bread, butter, and sugar. Parker, Samuel
''Journal of an Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains.''
Ithaca: N. Y.: Mack, Andres & Woodruff. 1838, pp. 121-125. An escort of several Walla Wallas was organised for Parker by Pambrun as well. In 1836, Marcus Whitman returned with his wife,

Narcissa Whitman Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (March 14, 1808 – November 29, 1847) was an American missionary in the Oregon Country of what would become the state of Washington. On their way to found the Protestant Whitman Mission in 1836 with her husband, Marcus ...

, along with William Gray and the Spaldings. Arriving at the fort on 1 September, the Whitmans were given quarters in one of the fort bastions.Drury (2005), pp. 222-223 Additionally traveling with the missionaries was

John Sutter John Augustus Sutter (February 23, 1803 – June 18, 1880), born Johann August Sutter and known in Spanish as Don Juan Sutter, was a Swiss immigrant of Mexican and American citizenship, known for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area th ...

, then headed for

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

overland. Pambrun killed a "fat mare" and served the horse to Sutter when the latter departed for Fort Vancouver. The mission carpenter, Gray, found the meals served "a great change from dried and pounded buffalo meat" that the party had previously subsisted on. Gray, William H.br>''A History of Oregon 1792-1849, drawn from personal observation and authentic information.''
Portland: Harris & Holman. 1870, pp. 144-145 For dessert, Pambrun served muskmelons he grew two miles outside the fort, one measuring 18 inches. The Spaldings and the mission livestock reached Fort Nez Perces two days after the Whitmans. On 6 September, the ABCFM members and Pambrun began a portage down to Fort Vancouver. Whitman, Pambrun, Spalding and Gray spent 4 and 5 October assessing locations in the

Walla Walla Valley The Walla Walla River is a tributary of the Columbia River, joining the Columbia just above Wallula Gap in southeastern Washington (state), Washington in the United States. The river flows through Umatilla County, Oregon, and Walla Walla County, ...

for a missionary station, with Waiilatpu being chosen. Despite not joining the missionaries in determining a station among the Cayuse, Pambrun arranged for two Hawaiians to assist construction there. In 1839, Pambrun was promoted to Chief Trader, the only French-Canadian in the Columbia Department to achieve the rank.Barman, Jean. ''French Canadians, furs, and indigenous women in the making of the Pacific Northwest.'' Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia Press, 2014. During that year he additionally became the godfather over one of

Tawatoy Tawatoy or Young Chief, variously spelled as Tauitowe, Tauatui, Tauitau, Tawatoe or Tu Ah Tway, was a Cayuse headman. Alongside his brother Five Crows, Tawatoy held sway over one of three bands of the Cayuse nation. As the Catholic missionaries ...

's Catholic baptised sons. Blanchet, Francis Norbert
Historical sketches of the Catholic Church in Oregon
' Portland, OR: 1878, p. 35.

Death

Pambrun became gravely injured while riding a horse in 1841 and continued to live in agony for four days. Narcissa Whitman reported that "He was only anxious to die that he might be relieved of pain."''Transactions of the Nineteenth Annual Reunion of the Oregon Pionner Association.''
Portland, OR: Anderson & Co. 1893 Shortly before dying, Pambrun attempted to arrange a marriage between Cornelius Rogers and one of his daughters, though the proposition was rejected by his daughter. Pamburn's body was later exhumed and placed in the Catholic Stella Maris Cemetery at Fort Vancouver on 9 March 1844.

presided over the service, with attendees including

and James Douglas.

Bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pambrun, Pierre-Chrysologue 1792 births 1841 deaths Canadian fur traders Canadian Roman Catholics French Quebecers Hudson's Bay Company people Oregon pioneers Oregon Trail Pre-Confederation Quebec people