Eyewitness to History
The Amazing Story of the
Talon Children in Texas
A unique insight into three
cultures on the Spanish/French
Frontier in Texas
Journal of Henri Joutel
Documenting
the
Last Voyage of Sieur de La Salle to
The Gulf of Mexico
• Henri Joutel was the
trusted lieutenant of La
Salle.
• He kept a detailed journal
from the beginning of the
Voyage in France until
after the death of La
Salle.
• His journal is the only
complete account of the
La Salle expedition.
• It is in his journal that we
begin the story of the
Talon Family.
The Talons
A true tale of the Texas frontier
The following is the timeline of the Talon
siblings from the point they left Quebec,
Canada as children, until their return to the
New World as adults.
Information about the Talons has been
pieced together from various journals and
documents.
Their lives are divided into four distinct time
periods.
The Talon Family
Lucien Talon- father
Isabelle Talon- mother
Children:
Marie-Elizabeth
Marie-Madeleine
Pierre
Jean-Baptiste
Lucien
Robert
Four Periods
• 1684-1688
• Voyage and Fort of St. Louis
• 1689-1691
• Adoption by Native Americans
• 1691-1698
• Life in Spanish Mexico
• 1700-1715
• Guides and Interpreters for the
Louisiana Territory
1684-1688 Voyage and Fort St. Louis
• Talon family sailed from native
Quebec to France in 1684
• Joined the La Salle expedition
as colonists bound for the
Mississippi.
• La Salle overshot the mouth of
the Mississippi and landed in
Matagorda Bay.
• La Salle moves upriver and
establishes Fort St. Louis on
Garcitas Creek.
• Lucien and Isabelle Talon’s
family grew to include 2 girls
and 4 boys while on the
expedition.
• Settlement struggles to survive, while La Salle attempts
multiple expeditions to locate the Mississippi. Each time
La Salle returns with fewer men.
• Lucien Talon (father) is lost during one of these
expeditions, and the oldest daughter (Marie-Elizabeth)
dies of disease.
• Eldest son, Pierre, goes with La Salle on his last
expedition to find the Mississippi. La Salle is killed by his
own men, Pierre is adopted by the Caddo Indians.
• Karankawa Indians learn of La Salle’s death and choose
to attack the fort before the colony learns of La Salle’s
fate.
• All colonists, including Isabelle Talon, are massacred
except the remaining Talon children and another boy.
These children are adopted by the Karankawa.
1689-1691 Adoption and Life with
Local Native Americans
•
•
•
•
Jean Baptiste, his sister and
brothers live among different
camps of the Karankawa. Pierre
lives among the Caddo
The children are tattooed with
tribal markings on their hands,
face, and arms. These tattoos
remain with the Talons for the rest
of their lives.
The children were taught to run,
shoot arrows and hunt like fellow
tribesmen.
Talons tell that the Indians always
treated them with kindness and
often sided with them in disputes
with native children of the camp.
• Jean Baptiste tells of a war against the Caddo.
Pierre confirms that there was once war with a
local native group.
• Talons witness medical practices among the
Natives, and varied techniques with herbs.
• The Spanish have heard stories of a French
settlement along the coast. DeLeon begins
looking for it. DeLeon finds Pierre Talon among
the Caddo.
• Pierre tells DeLeon of his brothers and a sister
living among the Karankawa.
• The children are found and ransomed for
tobacco and horses.
1691-1698 Life in Spanish Mexico
•
•
•
Talons travel by land until they
reach Mexico City. The Spanish
decide the children should remain
in Mexico. The Talons knew so
much about the territory, the
Spanish do not want the French to
have so much information.
The Talons are taken in by the
Viceroy. They are regarded as
household servants and
naturalized citizens. Talons are
able to make observations about
Native and Mexican Relations in
Mexico.
The Viceroy retires and returns to
Spain with Robert and MarieMadeleine. The three older
brothers are placed in the Spanish
Navy.
• The Spanish Military ship is captured by a
French Warship.
• The Talon brothers are discovered on board and
repatriated to France.
• After repatriation to France, the two eldest boys
are placed in the French Service, the youngest
Lucien is placed as a servant in Oleron, France.
• The Talons are interrogated in February of 1698
at the request of the French Minister of Marine.
• The Talons are then kept in France as
reinforcements.
• Talons again sail from LaRochelle,France in
1699 and arrive in Biloxi in February of 1700.
1700-1715 Guides and Interpreters
in the Louisiana Territory
•
•
•
•
•
It is believed the Talons may have
accompanied Saint Denis and his
explorations around the Red
River.
The brothers are imprisoned in
Portugal. No record of their crime
has been located.
For ten years there are no records
of the Talons.
1713 The French begin a journey
in search of Spanish missions, the
expedition includes 25 Caddo
Natives and Pierre and Robert
Talon. Due to their tattoos and
knowledge of language, they
serve as interpreters among the
natives on the expedition.
The expedition reaches San Juan
Bautista in 1714.
• The Talons were recognized by Captain
Martinez who had accompanied DeLeon on the
rescue mission to Texas. The Talons are also
able to serve as Spanish Interpreters for the
expedition at this time.
• Other French members of the expedition are
sent to Mexico City for further questioning by the
Spanish.The Talons slip away and return to
Mobile with letters and a possible map for the
Sieur de Cadillac of present day Louisiana.
• Sieur de Cadillac made reports to the Council of
Marine in 1716 based on recent information from
the Talons.
Talon Family Comes Full Circle
Pierre Talon
Pierre may have returned to France, but
there is some indication he may have
settled in Mobile and died at an early age.
Jean-Baptiste Talon
Jean-Baptiste may have remained in
Louisiana and settled at New Orleans.
Lucien Talon
Nothing more is known of Lucien after he
was sent to Oleron.
Robert Talon
Robert is listed on the roster of the Mobile
Parish register in 1721, married with two
children and a carpenter by trade.
Marie-Madeleine Talon
Marie-Madeleine married Pierre Simon of
Paris in 1698. She had a son named
Pierre in 1699. She is believed to have
returned to Canada where the son was
married in 1719, and then later lived in
Quebec, WHERE THEIR STORY BEGAN.