Pierre D'Artaguiette

Pierre d'Artaguiette was a French army officer known for his valor during the Natchez War. D'Artaguiette went on to become the commander of the Province of Louisiana's Illinois District.

In 1733, French colonizer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville prepared to invade the Chickasaws. He commanded D'Artaguiette and his forces to move south, while Bienville moved north to join the Choctaws. The plan was for the forces to unite so that that they could attack the Chickasaws together.

D'Artaguiette arrived before Bienville and the Choctaws. Bad weather had delayed Bienville's march, so D'Artaguiette and his northern forces waited. Supplies ran low after a week, and therefore D'Artaguiette met with their allies and decided to attack without Bienville's forces. On March 24, 1734, the Chickasaws massacred D'Artaguiette's forces at Pontotoc Ridge. D'Artaguiette, along with many others, was burned alive by the Chickasaws.

This French defeat was very significant for the Chickasaws, because it meant the end of the French influence in the Mississippi area. The Chickasaws' good relationship with the British continued, however, and this resulted in an increase of British influence in the area.