7/27/2019 Letendre dit Batoche, Joseph (1800-1816)

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Joseph Letendre dit Batoche. (c. 1800-1816)

Joseph Letendre, a Metis, was the only member of !thbert "rant#s party to ha$e been%illed at the &attle of 'e$en a%s on J!ne 1, 1816. Joseph was the yo!n*est son of Jean

&aptiste Letendre also %nown as %imawas%awi%inam and +&atoche and Josephte(ree). n the 1810s and 180s Letendre 'r. en*a*ed in the f!r trade on his own acco!ntas a +freeman. /lon* with his family he owned a tradin* post called &atoche at

M!s%ootao oint, west of ort-2-la-orne on the north ban% of the 'as%atchewan 3i$er.

4he Letendres also stayed for a time in the 3ed 3i$er 'ettlement d!rin* this period. 4he

 5 a*reed to pay Mme. Josephte Letendre compensation for the !nfort!nate accidentthat led to her son#s death beca!se of the +*ood character her h!sband always bore.1

James &ird was on his way to arlton 7o!se when he stopped at 9pper 5ippoe now

%nown as 5ipawin on the 'as%atchewan 3i$er, and $isited the Jean &aptiste Letendre dit

&atoche, the father of the 5 man that was %illed at the &attle of 'e$en a%s. 7e

records in his :o!rnal;

<ec.1=, 18164he anadian Master of this place, &attoche, is father of the yo!n* 7alfbreed who was

%illed in 3ed 3i$er. 7a$in* heard that the old "entleman always disappro$ed of his

1 n 1 J!ne 1816 one of their sons was %illed >li%ely Joseph Letendre dit &atoche born ca. 1800?   in the

en*a*ement at 'e$en a%s, %nown in historical writin*s by the M@tis and rench of the west as

La "reno!illAre. 4he 5 a*reed to pay Mme Letendre compensation for this !nfort!nate accident

 beca!se of the +*ood character her h!sband always bore. Jean &aptiste Letendre (also %nown as %imawas%awi%inam and +&atoche), born /!*!st B0, 1C6 in

'orel (D!e.), he married circa. 1C8E à la façon du pays Josephte +rise (b. 1C60) a member of the ree

nation, in the 5orthwest. 7e died in or after 18C, probably in 't &oniface.

Jean-&aptiste Letendre, dit  &atoche, came to the northwest in the 1C80s. n 1C8E – 86 he was employed by

the 5orth est ompany in the /thabasca department as a +de$ant or bowsman. 7e is listed as an

interpreter in the re*ion of ort des rairies (ort-2-la-orne, 'as%.) in 180=. Marie-/nne "abo!ry and

Jean-&aptiste La*imodiere, who spent some time in the area in 1808, are reported to ha$e met the anadian

&atoche and his ree family. n 1810 Letendre or his son, who was also called Jean-&aptiste, was with the

eFplorer <a$id 4hompson. n his diary 4hompson mentions that Letendre and his family arri$ed from there*ion near &ea$erhill La%e (/lberta), brin*in* a h!ndred or so bea$er pelts. 4hat year Letendre or his son

went with 4hompson to eFplore the /thabasca 3i$er as far as the 3oc%ies b!t G!it the eFpedition in

Jan!ary 1811 at the camp on the anoe 3i$er (&..), a trib!tary of the ol!mbia.

Joseph#s older brother, Jean &aptiste Jr. (b. 1C0) too% 7alf &reed scrip !nder the hippewa 4reaty of

186= with the embina and 3ed La%e &ands. Jean &aptiste married Mar*!erite <ela!nay on J!ly 6, 18E at't. &oniface.

&atoch, &aptiste (1C0) >18E0 9.'.? H&aton, &aptiste >3.L. 'crip I==8? H

Minnesota 4erritorial ens!s, embina o!nty, 18E0, family C8C8,

 born 3ed 3i$er &r., occ!pation 7!nter 

 5ational /rchi$es, 3" CE, Kntry B6B, List of ersons to hom 'crip

was ss!ed !nder 3ed La%e embina 4reaties.... >chec%ed?

7alfbreed 'crip 5o. ==8, iss!ed ebr!ary E, 18C6, !nder the

a!thority of 'ecretarial <ecision, J!ne 1, 18C, deli$ered ebr!ary

1

7/27/2019 Letendre dit Batoche, Joseph (1800-1816)

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'ons :oinin* in that affair and that he had repro$ed Mr. 7!*hes, e$en in the hearin* of

o!r people with all the bitterness of parental *rief, for ha$in* occasioned the death of his

'on, sent for him with a $iew of ascertainin* his real sentiments re*ardin* that e$entand of the ca!se in which his son had fallen. 7e did not sit lon* before he ad$erted to the

s!b:ect in D!estion loadin* Masers 7!*hes and 7alden with the se$erest reproaches. t

was 47KM said the old Man with *reat warmth who depri$ed me of my 'onN &yflatterin* promises and artf!l insin!ations they ind!ced him for the first time in his life to

disre*ard my ad$ice and to act in direct opposition to my wishesN ne$er, contin!ed he,

wo!ld consent to his *oin* to 3ed 3i$er beca!se belie$e the b!siness he was to been*a*ed in to be both cr!el and !n:!st, a s!fficient proof of which was, the 5orthwest

roprietors themsel$es refrainin* from ta%in* a part in it. ho was it, he eFclaimed, that

sent for my 'onO Mr. /leFander Mc<onnell and Mr. <!ncan ameron answered. t is

on one of those if e$er see them, said he, that will be re$en*ed.

praised the old "entleman#s discernment and liberality and ass!red him that the day is

not far distant when he will ha$e reason to con*rat!late himself for ha$in* acted with

s!ch re*ard to the d!ties of a ci$iliPed bein* and for ha$in* scorned to be made awretched tool of the 5orthwest ompany.B

Lawrence &ar%well

oordinator of Metis 7erita*e and 7istory 3esearchLo!is 3iel nstit!te

E, 18C6

 5ational /rchi$es, 3" CE, Kntry B6=, 4reaty of /pril 1, 186=, 3ed

La%e and embina 7alf-&reeds, 'crip 't!bs, 5!mber ==8, dated eby

E, 18CE, 160 /cres, deli$ered eby E, 18C6, iss!ed to &aptiste

&aton, deli$ered to /*ent 'towe

h!sband of; &atoch, Mar*!ritte (1810)

iss!e; &atoch, Mar*!ritte (188)B 1M1 &.Ca6 7&/ microfilm n!mbers; 3eel 1MEC &.Bb6