History of Louisiana.
“Grace King.”
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PREFACE
In presenting this History of Louisiana to the people of the State, the authors find it necessary to say a word of preface. Their intention has been to write a history that would give the children of Louisiana a simple and true account of the progress of the State from the earliest times of discovery down to the present era. It is hoped, however, that the work will not prove uninteresting to older persons as well.
Every effort has been made to secure accuracy of detail; but as some errors may have crept in, the authors will be glad to receive notice of any that meet the eye of the critic.
If a subsequent edition is demanded, the authors expect to enrich their work with further illustrations. Especially do they hope to obtain portraits of all the State governors─a task which it has been found impossible to accomplish in time for this edition.
It may be added that all the artistic and mechanical portion of the work was done in New Orleans─the book is entirely a home product.
The authors desire to thank the librarians of the Fisk, the Howard, and the State Libraries for uniform courtesy and kindness in putting at their disposal the rich historical treasures from which the materials of this work are drawn.
Among these treasures the authors wish to acknowledge their special obligations to the Histories of Louisiana by the Hon. Charles Gayarré and Judge Martin; to Fiske's Discovery of America; to Margry's Documents; and to the official documents relating to the French and the Spanish Domination.
Grateful acknowledgment is also made to E. H. Farrar, Esq., for the privilege he kindly granted of borrowing books and maps from his valuable library.
The authors owe special thanks to Messrs. L. Graham & Son, printers, for the care they have taken in the execution of their share of the labor.
In conclusion it is proper to state that Miss King wrote the first part of the history (as far as the end of the Spanish Domination), and that Mr. Ficklen completed it.
Louisiana first became known to Europeans through its southern boundary, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Christopher Columbus. 1492.─Christopher Columbus, sailing east on his immortal voyage of discovery, touched the land of the New World on the islands which lie between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. He did not penetrate into the gulf itself, and knew nothing of the vast, beautiful country with its great central river which lay on the other side of it. On the return of Columbus to Spain, with the news of his great achievement, emulators and imitators arose in all the seaports of the kingdom, eager to reap wealth and fame also, by leading expeditions across the Atlantic to the New World beyond.
Americus Vespucius. 1497.─On one of these expeditions sailed the celebrated astronomer and pilot,* Americus Ves-pucius. It is most probable that, sailing around the Island of Cuba and into the blue expanse of the gulf, the southern shoreline of North America, from Florida to Central America, became known to him as afterwards the shore line of South America.
Mississippi, 1502.─On an old map dated 1502, which has been traced to a Spanish chart of this voyage, the results of such an exploration by Americus Vespucius has been preserved. In quaint, rude outlines the gulf shore and Florida are distinctly traced upon it; and cutting through the land and flowing into the gulf are the familiar three channels of the mouth or delta of the Mississippi.
* It was the first of the four voyages of exploration made by Americus Vespucius, the written description of which attached his name to the country.
Bimini. 1513.─This voyage of Vespucius was not followed up. The tide of exploration was turned toward South America and Florida. The Gulf Coast and the great river dropped back into the unknown. But the Indians of Cuba, pointing across the gulf to where the peninsula of Florida ran out into the blue waters, would tell their Spanish masters of a wonderful island over there, called the Island of Bimini. Upon it they said were great and splendid cities, vast riches of gold and silver, and, most strange of all, a fountain whose waters restored the aged to youth; the fountain of youth they called it.
Ponce De Leon. 1513-1521.─A Spanish cavalier, a friend of Columbus, obtained from the King of Spain per-mission to conquer it and make its wondrous possessions his own. He was beginning to get old, and, more than the riches of Bimini, he coveted the waters of the fountain which would make him young and keep him so. He sailed thither in the year 1513, with three brigantines. It was during the spring-time. Either from the quantities of beautiful flowers that met his eye when he landed or from the day, Easter, " Pascua Florida," in Spanish, he changed the name of the country[rom Bimini to Florida. He explored the coast and traveled inland some distance, but found neither the fountain nor the riches, nor any of the wonders promised by the Indians. He returned to Cuba, disappointed but not discouraged. Nine years later, in 1521, he sailed over there again to make another attempt, but the Indians fiercely drove him off, and gave him a wound, from which he died shortly after, in Cuba.
Pineda. 1519.─ Mississippi River.—Between Ponce de Leon's two voyages to Florida, Alvarez de Pineda, coasting along the Gulf of Mexico, saw the mouth of the Missis-sippi river. He sailed into it, and spent six weeks upon its waters and banks. He called it the Espiritu Santo, River of the Holy Spirit. He is probably the first European who ever entered it. He found the Indians friendly and eager to trade. They lived in great towns composed of many small villages, and wore ornaments of gold.
Pamphilo de Narvaez. 1529.─The reports of these great Indian villages and the gold ornaments excited the greed and cupidity of Pamphilo de Narvaez. He saw in Florida acountry rivaling Mexico and Peru for rich plunder. With four hundred men and four ships he set sail for it from Cuba. He landed at Appalachee Bay and marched inland, ordering his fleet to remain on the watch for him in the gulf. At first they found fields of corn and Indian villages; but afterward they journeyed for days through forest solitudes. Their cruelty to the Indians who fell into their hands kindled the fiercest retaliation against them. They were compelled to fight every step of their way forward. Their food gave out, and they suffered the tortures of famine. Some of their captives, forced to act as guides, led them only into the thickest of swamps and forest, out of which they had barely strength to extricate themselves. Their search was now, not for gold, but for food. Finally, weak, faint and dispirited, they returned to the seashore. Their ships were nowhere in sight. After wandering along the coast aimlessly they, in despair, set to work to build boats to get away from their terrible condition.They constructed a bellows and forge. All their iron, even spurs and stirrups, were made into hatchets and nails. Their shirts they made into sails. Cordage was twisted from their horse's hair and palmetto fibre. They made pitch of pine rosin and oakum of palmetto bark. Every man joined in the work. Every three days a horse was killed for food. At length, five vessels were finished and all embarked, crowding the boats to the water's edge. After six weeks they came to a river so great that it freshened the sea water into which it flowed, so that they could drink it. It was the Mississippi, the Espiritu Santo, of Pineda. In the rough water off its mouth, two of the boats capsized and all on board drowned, among them, Narvaez. The other three boats were drivenashore somewhere on the coast of Texas. Ten years after-ward, four gaunt, haggard men, looking more like animalsthan human beings, arrived in Mexico. They were all of the Narvaez expedition which had survived the massacre of the Indians, starvation, and the hardships of their wanderings.
Hernando de Soto. 1539,─The last and most celebratedof the Spanish explorers of Florida was Hernando de Soto. De Soto had been with Pizarro in Peru, and had seen the vast wealth of the Indians. Like Pamphilo de Narvaez, he thought what Pizarro could plunder in Peru, he could plunder in Florida. He set sail from Havana in 1539, with 570 men, and 233 horses, in nine vessels. Never had so brilliant, so well armed, so well provided an expedition started from Spanish shores.
HERNANDO DE SOTO.
They landed at Tampa Bay, then called the Bay of Espiritu Santo. Here, with great pomp, De Soto took possession of the country for the Spanish king, and pitched his camp, confident of his future triumphs and booty.
But before daylight, the Indians, who had been secretly watching him, attacked him in vast numbers, with terrific yells. Many of his men were killed before he could retreat to his boats. The Indians, with the cruelty of Narvaez fresh in their memories, met the new invaders with all the fierceness of their savage nature. Learning that one of the men of the Narvaez expedition was a slave in a neighboring tribe, De Soto obtained possession of him as interpreter and guide.
But Florida held no better fate for him than for Ponce de Leon and Narvaez. The country was poor. Instead of great Indian cities, with temples filled with treasures to sack, he found only moderately sized and sparsely scattered Indian villages, and in the naked, poorly armed Indians the fiercest and most vindictive of foes, who fought like demons, and neither gave nor sought quarter. More than once, De Soto's coolness and courage alone saved his own life and the lives of his army from utter destruction. Hoping always to find the gold and treasures and triumphs further north, he marched day after day, on and on. Through the wild territories of the present States of Georgia and South Carolina he led his band, until they reached the Tennessee river. Turning then, upon his steps, he countermarched and journeyed toward the south, until the great village of the Manvilla or Mobile Indians rose before him. In a fierce battle here his men were killed in great numbers.
But almost as deadly as the Indian arrows, were the fevers that broke out in the army and thinned his ranks day by day. Leaving Mobile behind him, he pushed forward again to the northwest, opening his way through thickets and forests, climbing over steep hills, fording morasses, and crossing innumerable streams that cut through the country.
The Mississippi. 1541. ─ At length, after three years, he came to the banks of a mighty stream, over a mile wide, whose swift, turbid currents carried down great forest trees, which they had uprooted and torn away from their native soil. It was such a river as none in the army had ever seen before.
De Soto named it El Rio Grande de la Florida; the great river of Florida. He crossed it on rafts, at some points above the Arkansas, and led his army still forward toward the west. But he found in the west only what he had found in the east and in the north and in the south; sickness, misery, hardships, and Indians who pursued him like wolves. He came at last to the end of his hope and endurance. Retreat was ordered. Once more the army was turned; and they marched until they came again to the banks of the Mississippi. De Soto could march no further. The iron will and constitution which had seemed superhuman sank under the accumulated hardships, disappointments and ill health. Seized with a fever, he expired on the banks of the great river, surrounded by the gaunt, worn men who had followed him so trustfully and loyally.
With his dying breath he appointed as successor Louis de Muscoso, his faithful lieutenant. To insure the dead body of their leader from Indian outrage, his followers wrapped it in skins, enclosed it in a hollow tree trunk, and in the silence and darkness of midnight they conveyed it to the middle of the mighty stream and sank it under the depths of its yellow currents.*
Muscoso made an attempt to reach Mexico by land; but he was forced to return to the Mississippi, where he and his men built boats, and so reached the mouth of the river. The vindictive Indians pursued them to the last, ambushing them from the banks and killing them with their deadly arrows.Setting sail upon the gulf, they reached, at last, the Spanish settlement on the coast of Mexico. More than half of their number had perished.
How did Louisiana first become known to Europeans? Did Columbus know anything of the Mississippi? Who was Americus Vespucius? What coasts did he probably explore on the first voyage? When is the Mississippi first seen on a map? Was the exploration of Florida followed up? What was Bimini? Relate Indian stories about it? Who was Ponce de Leon? Why did he call the country Florida?
*The precise locality has never been determined, but it is supposed to be near the mouth of the Red river.
Relate his voyage? Who was Pineda? What did he name the Mississippi? Give an account of the expedition of Pamphilo de Narvaez? Who was Hernando de Soto? What did he hope to gain in Florida? Give an account of his march? When did he come to the Mississippi? What did he name it? Continue his march? Who was his successor? How was De Soto buried? What of Muscoso?
Rediscovery of the Mississippi. 1669. ─ One hundredand thirty-two years the Mississippi flowed over the dead body of De Soto, before another white man came into touch with its history. The fact of its existence had passed from memory, and lived only in old charts and records stored in Spanish archives.
And now its chronicle takes us to a different country, and to a different nation. Instead of Spain and Spaniards, we have to do with France and the French, and instead of Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico, we must start from distant Canada and the Great Northern Lakes of America.
Let us study it on the map.
It will be seen that the French had entered and taken possession of the St. Lawrence river. They had founded the cities of Quebec and Montreal upon it, and made settlements in the neighboring regions. Little by little their missionaries and pioneers were advancing west, planting the cross and the standard of France in the territory of the great lakes,Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. From the Indians that visited these mission houses and trading stations came the account of the vast countrv lying still further west and south; a country unknown and unexplored yet by the white men. The accounts were not those by which the cupidity of the Spaniards had been aroused and they lured to
OLD MAP OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
disaster. These Indians described no fabulous kingdom filled with gold and silver and precious stones. They spoke only of the wonders of nature; grand scenery, gigantic mountains, huge cataracts, immense forests and prairies, and boundless hunting fields swarming with game. But above all, they described a great river that they crossed to come to Canada, a river they called the Mississippi, which they said flowed the entire length of the continent, through a valley teeming with riches and peopled with innumerable savage tribes to convert to the Christian faith and subdue to France. These stories, drifting to Montreal and Quebec, came to the ears of the Governor of Canada and of his intendant. But before reaching Montreal the stories had to pass through the settlement of the most celebrated pioneer France ever possessed in this country, Robert Cavalier de la Salle.
La Salle. 1669. ─ Robert Cavalier de la Salle was bornn the city of Rouen, in Normandy, France. He was educated in the religious schools of the time, and came to Canada at the age of twenty-three, determined to make a name and fortune in New France, as it was called. He obtained a large grant of land on the St.Lawrence, a few miles above Montreal. Here clearing the forests and superintending the building of houses for his settlers, he would, at thc close of the day, look out to that part of the heavens bright with the rays of the setting sun, and he would think about the vast un-
known region that lay between him and the west, and about the Indian stories of the great river that flowed through it to the sea on the other side of the continent; a river so long, the Indians said, that it would take nine months to reach the end.
La Salle, like most men of his day, thought that China lay just on the other side of this continent, consequently any river that flowed straight west to the sea would furnish anew, short and easy route between Europe and Asia. To be the first explorer of this route would indeed gain him fame and fortune.
He hastened to Quebec and laid his plans to explore it before the governor, who gave his consent but no money. LaSalle, without hesitation, sold his settlement and with the money bought canoes and hired men. The expedition started from his settlement, which, as though it were really the first step on the road to China, received the name of "La Chine."
They paddled up the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario and stopped at an Indian village to get a guide to the head waters of the Ohio, which would conduct them into the Mississippi.
Louis Joliet. ─ Here La Salle met the man whose name with his own was to be inseparably connected with the Mississippi. This was Louis Joliet. He was a young man ofabout La Salle's age, and like him full of energy and ambition. He was a fur trader and pioneer, and was just returning from an expedition to Lake Superior. He also had heard of the Mississippi, but knew nothing beyond what the Indians had told him.
La Salle proceeded on his way through Lake Erie, into the Ohio river, which he explored a long distance. Then returning he passed through Lakes Huron and Michigan, and crossed into the Illinois river and explored it. He was gone on his expedition two years. He never reached the Mississippi; but he had learned the way to get into it. He returned to Canada for a larger expedition to carry out the larger schemes he had formed.
Joliet and Marquette. 1672. ─ In the meantime a new governor was put over Canada; the Count de Frontenac. The intendant, relating to him all the stories about the Mississippi, advised him to pursue its discovery and exploration, and named Joliet as the proper man to be employed for it. Frontenac accepted both the advice of the intendant and theman of his choice, and Louis Joliet was commissioned to disicover and explore the Mississippi. Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit priest at Michilimakinak, was selected to accompany him.
Marquette. 1673. ─ Jacques Marquette was one of the noblest and purest missionaries that ever came to this country. Born of good and honorable family, in France, he sailed to Canada before he was thirty, to devote himself to the conversion of the savages. He learned six of their languages, land cheerfully braved all the dangers of their barbarous tempers, and the hardships of frontier life, to carry on his work among them. Far out on the great lakes he had advanced his missions, but an unexpected outbreak of the savages had driven him back to Michilimakinak. Here it was that Joliet found him and gave him the governor's commission. Marquette, in his lonely post, had heard much from the Indians about the Mississippi. As he thought over its majestic size; of the mildness and fertility of its great valley, and of the number of Indian tribes living in it, it became the dearest wish of his heart to christianize so favored a region. With joy, therefore, he consented to accompany Joliet. Their preparations were soon made. They consisted of two birch bark canoes, five men, and a supply of smoked meat and Indian corn. They started in the most beautiful time of the year in that region; in the spring, the month of May.
Joliet and Marquette. 1672. ─ As we followed La Salle, let us follow Joliet and Marquette also on the map. They journeyed around the mouth of Lake Michigan until they reached the mission of Father Claude Allouez.* Here they turned into Fox river, which led them across Lake Winnebago, and through a vast prairie country filled with wild rice, in which great flocks of birds fed. They passed villages of Kickapoo Indians to whom the priest and Joliet explained their expedition. The Indians stared with wonder at their temerity and tried to dissuade them from soperilous a journey, by telling them the most horrible tales ofthe cruelty and treachery of the Indians along the Mississippi.
The priest and pioneer were not to be frightened, however. They asked for guides and set out as soon as possible. They followed Fox river to the end, carried their canoes over to the Wisconsin, and launched them in that river.
Mississippi Discovered. ─ For ten days they paddled down the Wisconsin, until from their right a broad, rapid current dashed across their course. It was the Upper Mississippi! Into it they turned their canoes. It bore them rapidly along. They gazed with wonder and awe at the panorama which nature here unfolded to them, hour after hour and day after day, as they advanced. The banks, covered with gigantic virgin forests, now rose into perpendicular heights, now sank into undulating plains. Wild animals darted in the thickets; from the edge of illimitable prairies buffalo stared at them from under their shaggymanes. They hauled up all kinds of strange fish in their nets. They no longer camped on the shores at night. Mind-ful of the Indians of the region, after cooking their supper on land, they carefully extinguished their fires, and, paddlingout into the stream, anchored and slept there, with sentinels on watch. But no human being was to be seen. At last, one day, on the western bank, footprints in the mud caught their eyes. They were found to lead to a well beaten path,
*A devoted Jesuit priest, who founded as early as 1670 this mission at St,Francis Xavier, as he named Green Bay.
across the forest towards a prairie. Leaving their canoes in charge of the others, Marquette and Joliet set out to follow the path. They walked until they saw seven Indian villages in the distance. Then creeping cautiously along, they came near enough to hear talking in the wigwams. With a shout they made themselves known, and paused in anxious doubt whether their reception would be that of friends or foes. The Indians swarmed out of their wigwams like wasps out of their nests. For an instant all was wild excitement and confusion. Then calumet bearers were seen advancing withtheir peace pipes. Marquette and Joliet received them thankfully.
The Indians proved to be the Illinois. Far from being foes they were most friendly to the French. A grand reception was at once held, which all the warriors, squaws and childrenattended. Marquette, standing forth among thern, proclaimed his sacred message of the Christian faith, and the nature of the enterprise upon which he and Joliet were engaged. The chief of the tribe responded in a speech, in which he expressed his joy at seeing the white men and his admiration of them, but implored them to proceed no further in their hazardous undertaking.
All sat down now to a great feast, served in the highest Indian style. First there was a wooden bowl of sagamity or hominy, seasoned with bits of meat and grease, which the Indians fed to their guests with wooden spoons, as though they were infants. Then came fish. The Indians carefully removing the bones and blowing on the morsels to cool them, placed them with their own fingers in the mouths of their quests. The greatest savage luxury, roast dog, was then presented, but learning that it was not palatable to the Driest, the Indians politely substituted buffalo meat in its stead. The night was passed talking and sleeping, stretched out on buffalo skins on the ground. The next morning an escort of six hundred followed Marquette and his friend to their canoes, and waved them farewell as they pushed fromthe bank and paddled out of sight down the stream.
The canoes passed the mouth of the Illinois, and shortly afterwards came to a huge towering rock, on the face of which the Indians had painted hideous monsters in red, green and yellow. The good priest, terrified at what he considered the work of the devil, hurried away from it, with many prayers and signs of the cross.
And now, the great, rushing, yellow torrent of the Missouri poured into the stream before the travelers, turning the currents into a muddy brown. Their canoes almost upset in the sudden whirlpool and eddies. On they paddled, past the site of the present city of St. Louis and the mouth of the Ohio. The highland scenery changed into lowland scenery; mosquitoes made their appearance. A few miles above the mouth of the Arkansas they came to the village of the Kappas Indians, who at first sight gave furious war cries and seized bows and arrows and made most terrific demonstrations. They were pacified, however, and feasted the voyagers and permitted them to pursue their way unharmed.
At the mouth of the Arkansas was a large village of the Arkansas Indians. These received the travelers well and entertained them hospitably.
Marquette and Joliet decided that this should be the end of their exploration. They had found out that the Mississippi flowed south, not west, and that it emptied into the Gulf of Mexico, not into the Gulf of California. Thinking themselves much nearer the mouth of it than they really were, they feared if they went further they might fall into the hands of the Spaniards or of some hostile Indians, and so not be able to return at all.
The canoes headed up stream, and they retraced their course to the Illinois, which they entered and so reached Lake Michigan and the mission house at Green Lake. But midsummer heat and the long voyage were too much for the delicate body of the priest. He fell ill and on reaching Green Bay was too weak to continue the journey. It was then the end of September. Joliet proceeded to Quebec alone. He gave the governor the account of his and Marquette's voyage. Frontenac, delighted with the success of it, ordered public rejoicings, and, in sign of the French triumph, changed the name of the great river from Missisippi to Colbert, after the enlightened minister of Louis XIV. The saintly Marquette remained at Green Bay a year. Thinking then that his health was sufficiently restored, he returned to the beautiful country of the Illinois to found a mission there. He was received like an angel from heaven by the Indians, and was entering on his pious work, when his disease came upon him again. He hastened his departure, but he was not able to arrive at Green Bay; his sufferings increased so violently that he was forced to stop on the shores of Lake Michigan, where he expired and was buried.
How many years after De Soto before the Mississippi was again visited by white men? Describe the advance of the French into Canada. How did they hear of the Mississippi? Who was La Salle? How did the idea of exploring the west come to him? What country did he think to reach in crossing the continent to the west? Relate what followed. Who was Joliet? Continue with La Salle's expediion. Did he get into the Mississippi? Who was the new governor of Canada? Who was named to accompany Joliet? Who was Maruette? How did Marquette and Joliet get into the Mississippi? What Indian village did they pass? What did the Indians tell them of the Indians along the Mississippi? Describe the upper Missisippi. Relate the journey of Joliet and Marquette. Arrival of Joliet1 Canada? Death of Marquette? After whom did Frontenac name the Mississippi?
La Salle meanwhile had not been idle. Having thoroughly explored the two ways to the Mississippi, he had set about to make his plans and preparations to take possession of the river itself. His plans, as a look at the map will show, were very grand and of vast importance to France. He proposed not only to explore the Mississippi to its mouth, but to build forts and trading posts as he went along in all favorable places, particularly at the mouths of those great rivers that flowed into the Mississippi.
As France already possessed the great lakes at the north, this would make her mistress of all the great waterways of the country and give her the monopoly of all its trade. It was a scheme that instantly found favor with Frontenac, and as a first step toward accomplishing it he gave to La Salle the new fort he had just built. Fort Frontenac, and all the trading privileges attached to it. But to carry out such a scheme required a great outlay of money. La Salle went to France, where he secured the favor of the king and raised money for the enterprise, and in addition gained a friend and companion whose loyal faithfulness was never to swerve from him. This was Henri de Tonty, an Italian officer, surnamed the " Iron Hand,* from an artificial hand of metal which he wore to replace the one he had lost in the wars.*
For a year after his return to Canada La Salle was busily engaged making his preparations. An expedition of this size could not be carried in canoes; large vessels were needed toconvey the supplies of men, arms, ammunition, provisionsand building material across the great lakes, and to bringback to Canada the large stores of furs which La Salle ex-
* Tonty wore a glove over it, and made good use of it afterwards to astonish andkeep the Indians in awe of him ; sometimes, wiih a slight tap from it cracking theirjkuUs or knocking out their teeth.
pected to get from the Indians. He got his party togetherind started from Frontenac, and advanced to Niagara river,Adhere they stopped to build a fort, and a vessel which waslamed the Griffin. They embarked again, and, sailing throughl,akes Erie and Huron, and Lake Michigan, came to thenouth of the St. Joseph river. Here they stopped and built Fort Miami.
But it is one thing to plan expeditions and another to carry them out. La Salle, for all his courage and fortitude, has no leader. Proud, haughty, reserved and suspicious, his men, instead of loving him, learned to dislike and fear him. They deceived him, and stole from him; they deserted at every opportunity; they even tried to assassinate him.
From Fort Miami the Griffin was sent back to Canada loaded with a wealthy cargo of furs gathered from the Indians.
Nothing was ever afterward heard of the vessel or cargo. La Salle always thought that the captain had scuttled her and made away with the furs, which in those days were as good as gold. He pushed on in canoes up the St. Joseph to its end, and carried his canoes over the portage to the Kankakee, which flowed into the Illinois. But the Illinois Indians, so gentle and hospitable to Marquette, were distrustful of and savage to La Salle, French traders, jealous of La Salle's fur monopoly, had poisoned the minds of the natives agamst him. He built his third fort on the Illinois river, a few miles above the Indian village on Lake Peoria. From messengers from Canada he heard here, besides the loss of the Griffin, hat his creditors had seized his property at Fort Frontenac. From his griefs and disappointments in the enterprise he gave this stronghold the appropriate name of " Creve-Cœur " (Broken Heart).
With the Griffin and all his furs lost, his property in Canada seized, his men deserting and mutinous, provisions exhausted and no means at hand to replace them. La Salle saw himself forced to go to Canada for new supplies. He left Fort Creve-Cœur in command of Tonty and set out with four men and an Indian guide. It was in early spring, the deep snow lay white upon the ground, the rivers and lakes were frozen over. He made the journey, over a thousand miles, mostly on foot with snow shoes, dragging his canoe after him.*
He hastened through his business in Canada, and in the autumn he once more paddled his canoe through the waters of the St. Joseph, towards his fort. But what a different scene met his eye as he advanced. Fort Miami deserted and destroyed; the great towns of the Illinois a shocking sight of rapine, cruelty and outrage; blood and corpses, fire and havoc everywhere. He pushed on to Fort Creve-Cœur and Tonty. The fort was demolished, no human being visible. The bloody Iroquois had passed over the country, and nothing but the silent forests were left to bear witness to the thoroughness of their work.
But the indefatigable explorer was only the more resolved not to give up. He had to return to Canada again and makea new start on his journey. He searched in every direction for traces of Tonty. He had given him up as massacred, when from some Indians on Green Bay he heard that the " Iron Hand " was still alive among the Indians of Lake Ontario. La Salle sped on, found him, and together they commenced at the very beginning again to form their expedition.
Success of La Salle. 1682. ─ They set out in the early winter, fifty-four of them, in canoes. Following the route with which they were now familiar, they got into the Illinois, and from it into the Mississippi.
* Belore starting troin the fort, La Salle sent a priest in the expedition, namedHeniu pin, to explore the sources ot the Illinois >iver. Hennepin was captured bythe Sioux Indians and i-arned far up in the northwest. At the balls of St. Anthony,which he named after his patron saint, he was rescued by a Canadian " coureur debois" (adventurer). Hennepin did not return to Fort Creve-Coeur, but went on toCanada, where he published an acco-int of his adventures. After La Salle's death,Hennepin claimed that, besides going up to tne Falls of St. Anthony, he had de-scended to the mouih of tlie river, and that he, not La Salle, was entitled to thehonor ot its first exploration. His claim was proved to be false, and he untrust-worthy.
They paddled down the Mississippi, gazing, as Marquette and Joliet had done, with awe and wonder on the mighty stream turning and twisting before them through its forest-covered heights and slopes. Camping on the Chickasaw bluffs they built a fort which they named Fort Prudhomme, fter one of the men who went hunting in the woods and did not return. After six days' continual searching for him, La Salle concluded he must have been killed and was proceeding without him, when he was found and brought to camp, almost dead from hunger and fatigue.
They stopped at the Kappas and Arkansas villages at the nouth of the Arkansas river, which had formed the limit of Marquette's and Joliet's explorations. The Indians showed themselves gentle, kind hearted and hospitable. When the smoking, feasting and entertainment following their reception was over, La Salle, with great pomp and cermony, erected a cross bearing the arms of the king of France. The priest chanted a Latin hymn, the soldiershouted "Vive le roi!" and La Salle in a loud voice proclaimed that he took possession of the whole country in theame of the king of France. The Indians standing around stared in wonder and admiration.
Arkansas guides piloted the party the rest of their way down the river. They showed La Salle on the right hand side of the river the path that led to the great Tensas village, in Lake Tensas, a few miles inland. While the rest of the expedition waited at the river landing, Tonty with some of the men went on a visit to it.
Great Tensas Village. 1682. ─ It was indeed a greatillage; greater and handsomer than any Tonty had ever seen in America. The wigwams were large and well built; their shape round. The walls were of pickets plastered with mortar, made of clay and moss; the roofs were conical shaped, formed of split canes fastened together, with a hole the pointed centre for a chiminey. The temple of the sun and the lodge of the chief were built like the other wigwams, only larger and handsomer. On the roof of the temple and on each side the entrance were daubed rude pictures of animals. The inside was a dark, gloomy bare room, in which stood a kind of altar; before it burned a perpetual fire from three logs placed end to end. The temple was surrounded by a palisade on which was stuck the heads of the victims sacrificed to the sun god; and before the door was a block of wood on which lay braids of hair, also from the sacrificed. The chief and dignitaries of the village wore white mantles woven from the bark of the mulberry tree. They all came in state to visit La Salle at the bank of the river and returned loaded with presents which the generous French-man had bestowed upon them.
Down to the Mouth of the Mississippi. 1682. ─ The explorers next stopped at the Natchez village, which in size and appearance was very like the Tensas. La Salle erected another cross here. The Houmas village, which came next, was passed in a fog without being seen. Then came Red river, rolling from the west, churning up the Mississippi into eddies and whirlpools and emptying into it great floating trees and masses of driftwood. The canoes glided unknownigly over the spot where the dead body of the unfortunate De Soto had been sunk in midnight burial, and sped unmolested between the banks from which the ambushed warriors had sent their deadly arrows into Muscoso's flying band. At the Quinipissas village, warlike sounds broke into their peaceful, calm advance. But La Salle, anxious to avoid strife and bloodshed, hastened by unheing. He stopped at a village he saw on the left bank of the river. It was deserted, and some of the cabins were filled with corpses. It was the village of the Tangipahoas, destroyed by their enemies only a few days before.
Now the river divided into three channels. The canoes paddled into them and now the bright gleaming gulf pened out before them. Eyes gladened voices rose in shouts—The journey was ended—The task at last accomplished—The Mississippi explored to its very mouth!
Taking Possession of the Mississippi. 1682. ─ La Salle limped to the land. By the grace of God and his own inomitable will the plans formed at La Chine thirteen years before, while his eyes looked across the forest toward the seting sun, had been realized.
After sounding and exploring all around the mouth of the river, the canoes filed up stream again and paddled along until they came to where the banks rose dry and firm above the muddy current. Here all landed—La Salle, Tonty, nests, Frenchmen, Canadians, Indians. After prayers and hymns of thanksgiving and praise, a great column was made and erected, bearing the arms of the king of France. La Salle, standing beside the column, made the following procimation in a loud voice:
"In the name of the most high, mighty, invincible and victorious Prince, Louis the Great, by the grace of God King of France and of Navarre, fourteenth of that name, I, this 9th day of April, 1682, invirtue of the commission of his Majesty, which I hold in my hand, and which may be seen by all whom it may concern, have taken, and do now take in the name of his Majesty and of his successors to the crown, possession of this country of Louisiana, the seas, harbors, ports, bays, adjacent straits, and all the nations, peoples, provinces, towns, cities, villages, mines, minerals, fisheries, streams and rivers within the extent of the said Louisiana, from the mouth of the great river, St. Louis, otherwise called the Ohio, as also along the river Colbert, or Mississippi, and the rivers which discharge themselves thereinto, ...from its source as far as its mouth at the sea or Gulf of Mexico . . . from the assurance we have from the natives of this country that we were the first Europeans who have descendedor ascended the said river Colbert; thereby protesting against all who may hereafter undertake to invade any or all of these aforesaid countries or lands to the prejudice of the rights of his Majesty, acquired by consent of the natives dwelling therein; of which and of all else that is needful, I hereby take to witness those who hear me, and demand an act of the notary, here present."
The cross was then planted with further ceremonies andnear it was buried a leaden plate engraved with the arms of the king of France, and the inscription, Ludovicus Magnusregnat: Louis the Great reigns.
La Salle fell ill on the return voyage and was forced to stop at Fort Prudhomme, while Tonty carried the report ofthe expedition to Canada. By the middle of summer he was able to go to Fort Miami. There he remained for a year with Tonty, arranging plans for a new expedition. He then went to Canada and sailed to France.
What was La Salle doing meanwhile? Give an account of his schemes? What friend did he gain in France? Continue La Salle's operations, start and journey? What fort did he build on the St. Joseph? Continue account of journey? What was the location and name of his third fort? Why was La Salle forced to return to Canada? Relate his return? Who and what was Hennepin? Continue account of La Salle? Where is Fort Prudhomme? Describe Kappas and Arkansas village? Describe the great Tensas village? Quinipissas village? The deserted Tangipahoa village? Describe the act of taking possession?
La Salle's new expedition was to be an entirely differententerprise from the last. Instead of undertaking again thelong, difficult and dangerous journey from Canada, La Salledecided to sail direct from France, and found a colony atthe mouth of the Mississippi, fetching at once all the settlersand materials necessary. When the colony was fairly es-tablished he intended to open communications with Canada,and build his line of forts and trading posts along the wayto it. The Mississippi, it is true, did not lead to the west
and to China, but it flowed south, leading to the mines ofMexico and the trading centres of Spanish America and thefWest Indies. He had visions of discovering in Louisiana[gold and silver mines as rich as those in Mexico, and ofmonopolizing all the commerce of the Gulf of Mexico andthe Carribean Sea. He even looked forward, in case of awar between France and Spain, to the invading and captur-ing of Mexico itself.
The court of France granted all that was needed for thenew colony and forts, and La Salle, confident and full ofhope, sailed with two hundred and eighty colonists, in fourships, from La Rochelle, in July, 1684. But from its be-ginning the enterprise seemed doomed to disaster and mis-fortune.
The same unhappy faults of temper which made La Salleunpopular with his subordinates and companions before,produced dissensions again. His jealousy and tyranny be-came unbearable. Before he was half way across the oceanhis men hated him ; he was in dispute with every officer inthe squadron, and in open quarrel with Mr. de Beaujeu, theofficer of the royal navy sent to escort him. At St. Domingomany of his men deserted. The rest suffered cruelly froman epidemic of fever then raging there. La Salle himselffell dangerously ill of it, and while he was slowly recoveringhe heard of the capture of one of his vessels and valuablecargo by the buccaneers. The news gave him a relapse, fromwhich he came near dying. Finally he was able to set sailin the month of December.
On the Gulf Coast. 1685. ─ On New Year's day, 1685,they came to anchor in sight of land.
When he was at the mouth of the Mississippi, La Salle had taken its latitude, but not its longitude ; consequently he had to steer his ships with only half knowledge of the location of the point he was steering for. Had he sailed due north from the channel into the gulf, he would have hit it,
but he heard such exaggerated accounts of the easterly currents of the Gulf of Mexico that he thought he must take a westerly course to counteract them. A look at the map will show the result of his error. Instead of landing near the mouth of the Mississippi he landed four hundred miles away on the coast of Texas.
The low sandy shore was the same as the shore around the Mississippi, and its configuration was not unlike the delta. Le Salle was convinced that it was the delta of the Mississippiand would hear no contrary opinion from any of his officers. The ships sailed along the coast until they came to Matagorda Bay ; there the colony disembarked. One of the freight vessels wrecked entering the harbor and most of her cargo was lost. De Beaujeu, the royal escort, with his vessel, sailed back to France. A fort was built named Fort St. Louis, and the emigrants struggled along heroically for two years in their forlorn condition, building lodgings and fortifications and tilling the ground. But the seasons were against them, provisions and the supplies of clothing gave out, and sickness attacked them. The little graveyard filled, fuller and fuller. Worst of all, the last remaining vessel was wrecked and lost,and all communication with the mother country, all hope from the outside world, was cut off. Despair settled over the fort and its inmates. During this trying period. La Salle, always great in misfortunes, showed marvelous patience, courage and fortitude, day and night devoting himself to those who had trusted their future to him. He was the last of the band, however, to open his eyes to the facts of his desperate situation, that instead of being on the Mississippi, he and his colony were castaways on an unknown and unexplored shore, out of reach of help of any French settlement.
End of La Salle. 1687. ─ La Salle adopted the only resource left him to go on foot to Canada and fetch back help to the colony. He assembled what was left of his
wretched companions, only about forty now, and announced his resolution to them. He selected those who were to accompany him, about twenty, among them his brother, the Abbe Cavalier, and his two nephews, a priest, and the young Frenchman, Joutel, who afterward wrote an account of the journey. The parting was sad and solemn, the women and young girls weeping bitterly.
La Salle, still, not withstanding the desperate nature of his mission, could not lay aside his haughty demeanor to his companions. The men under him, naturally lawless, had become savage with suffering and disappointment. They were not disposed to stand any discipline from their superiors. A dispute between some of them and La Salle's nephew resulted in the assassination of the nephew. The assassins then, for their own safety, forced all the men to join them, and to make themselves perfectly secure, and satisfy their long hatred against La Salle, waylaid him and murdered him.
Joutel, the priest, and La Salle's brother made their escape from the assassins. Reaching the Arkansas, they got into the Mississippi, and from thence to Canada and France, where they arrived eighteen months after leaving the coast of Texas. Their appeal to the king in behalf of their companions of Fort St. Louis was in vain. Louis XIV would do nothing for them. Their fate was indeed most tragic. The Indians fell upon the fort and slaughtered all the inmates with the exception of two children and one man, whom they kept prisoners. The Spaniards, who claimed this part of the country, sailing over there not long afterwards to drive the French away, found nothing but dilapidated walls and buildings and mutilated corpses. One man, however, had made a life-saving effort for La Salle. This was Tonty. In his distant fort on the Illinois river, he heard from Indians and Canadian tramps that La Salle was in the mouth of the river, shipwrecked and a prey to the Indians. Raising a band of Canadians, he with all speed journeyed there. He found, of course, no trace of La Salle nor of his expedition.
How was the new expedition to be different from the last? What were La Salle's plans when the colony was established? When and with how many did he sail? What appears from the very beginning? What happened at St. Domingo? What did he do when the truth broke upon him? What happened? Who escaped? What did they do in France? What was the fate of the colony? Who made an attempt in behalf of La Salle?
France was at the time plunged in war, fighting Spain, England, and the other principal powers of Europe combined against her in the league called the Holy Alliance. The Mississippi, the grand new territory of Louisiana, and the abandoned massacred colony of Matagorda Bay, were forgotten in the excitement of great battles and sieges nearer home. But as soon as the peace of Ryswick was signed(1697), Louis XIV showed himself eager enough to take up and push La Salle's great scheme.
Louis XIV, however, was not the only king of Europe who had his eyes fixed on the rare prize of the Mississippi and Louisiana. There was, besides, William III, king of England, anxious to gain it to add to his possessions in America. And there was also Charles II, king of Spain, determined that no power except his should be established over the gulf, and near his precious mines of Mexico. Louis XIV's minister of marine was the Count Louis de Pontchartrain, a man of great moral worth and enlightenment. The Count de Pontchartrain's secretary and assistant was his son, Jerome Count de Maurepas, a young man of
It Uiant qualities, filled with ambition for himself and the glory of France. It was to these two men that France owed her triumphs over England and Spain in the contest for the possession of the Mississippi and Louisiana. When Louis XIV announced, after the peace of Ryswick, his determination to continue La Salle's enterprise, Pontchartrain, with energy and vigor, fitted out the expeditiontor it, and Maurepas produced the man to lead it. This manvvas the great Canadian seaman, Pierre Lemoyne d'Iberrille.
Iberville. 1698. ─ Iberville was the son of Charles Le Moyne. of Dieppe, Normandy, one of the earliest and most noted settlers of Canada. He was one of nine brothers, all of whom distinguished themselves working and fighting for their country.* Of all the nine, Iberville was the most glorious, and it is with pride that Louisiana points to him as her founder.
Before he was fourteen, he had become a good sailor by cruising in a vessel of his father's in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. After that he voyaged on the Atlantic, sailing with skilful navigators, to and fro, between Canada and France. Strong, active, daring and handsome, he never failed to please his superiors and secure the good fellowship of his subordinates ; and there seemed nonterprise on land or sea perilous enough to daunt him. His
IBERVILLE.
*The names of these famous brothers were Charles, Sieur de Longueuil; Jacques,ieur de Sainte Helene; Paul Pierre, Sieur d'Iberville; Paul, Sieur de Alaricourt;rancois, Sieur de Bienville; Joseph, Sieur de Serigny; Louis, Sieur de Cha-jaugnayl; Jean Baptiste, Sieur de Bienville II; Francois Marie, Sieur de Sauvolc."hree of them, Sainte Helene, Chateaugnay, and Bienville I, were killed in battle.our, Longueuil, Bienville II, Sauvole and Serigny, became governors of cities orrovinces.
most famous exploits were against the English in Hudson's Bay and on the coast of New Foundland. In canoe or in snow shoes, brandishing gun, hatchet or cutlass, we see him ever in the front of his hardy band of Canadians and Indians, and always leading to success. From 1686, the year that the unfortunate La Salle was making his life and death struggle on the coast of Texas, until 1697, when the Peace of Ryswick put an end to the war with England, he was the hero of one brilliant action after another, until his name in the reports from Canada to France became the suresign of French victory and English defeat.
When Maurepas, therefore, sent for Iberville and confided to him the mission of completing La Salle's work, he well knew that his man was one who had never disappointed expectations of a friend or foe.
Iberville's Expedition. 1698. ─ La Salle's failed plan was to be carried out. A colony was to be transported directly from France to the Mississippi and settled there; communications afterwards opened by river to Canada, and forts built at the mouths of all the important streams emptying into the Mississippi.
Pontchartrain and Maurepas threw themselves heartily into pushing forward the preparations. Two frigates, the Badine and Marin, were fitted and manned witlr a picked crew; and two freight ships were purchased and filled generously with stores of ammunition, arms, provisions, presentsfor the Indians, etc. Iberville himself superintended everything on the spot; selected his men, tried, tested his arms, and examined the provisions and presents for the Indians. For in all his enterprises Iberville never left anything to the chance of another man's sense of duty.
Joutel was, after all his adventures, living peaceably in his native city of Rouen. Pontchartrain tried to induce him to join the expedition, but Joutel refused. He sent, however, to Iberville the journal he had written of La Salle's expedition. It contained only the accounts of a great failure, but there is no surer way to success than by studying the reasons of another's failure. Everything being completed on the morning of the 24th of October, 1698, Iberville fired the signal from his frigate, the Badine, and led the way out of the harbor of Brest, followed by the Count de Surgeres in the Marin ; the heavily loaded freight ships sailed slower behind them.
With Iberville sailed his young eighteen-year-old brother, Bienville, a midshipman ; with the Count de Surgeres sailed, as lieutenant, the Sieur de Sauvole,* both destined to be governors of Louisiana.
One of the freight ships disappeared in a gale, off Madeira, and after a short search was given up as lost. The rest of the squadron, after a quick and uneventful voyage, arrived at St. Domingo, where they made a hasty stay for supplies of fresh water and food. Here the royal escort, the Marquis de Chateaumorant, on the warship Francois, joined them, and shortly afterwards, much to the delight of the whole squadron, the lost freight ship made her appearance, with her mast broken, but not otherwise injured by the gale.
Before he left France, Iberville had heard of an English expedition being fitted out also to discover and take possession of the mouth of the Mississippi, and he had made up his mind, if it were to be a race, to be the first at the goal; if a contest, to hold good, by ruse or force, his reputation agains this rivals.
Some English vessels had been sighted off St. Domingo; fearing that they might belong to the English expedition, he hastened his departure, setting sail from the island on the last day of December. He took with him as pilot, Lawrence de Graff, one of the most noted buccaneers of the time and
* The Sieur de Sauvole is sometimes confounded with Sauvole, the brother ofIberville and Bienville. He, however, was no relation to them.
region, a man who had lived upon the Gulf of Mexico and knew it thoroughly.
They sailed through the channel of the Yucatan, and steered due north, across the Gulf of Mexico. Anchoring every night and sounding their way as they went along by day, they advanced slowly. It was not until the afternoon of the twenty-third day that land was sighted. Taking his bearings, Iberville found that he had struck the coast of Florida as he expected, just south of Apalachicola Bay.
De Graff had spoken of a beautiful harbor on the coast of Florida, well known to buccaneers, who went there for mast timber and to get shelter from storms. Iberville, anxious to find and take possession of it, commenced a systematic search for it. He sent a barge to row in and explore close along the shore, while he brought the ships in as near astheir draught permitted, and scanned the land with his glasses. Mile after mile was thus passed. Suddenly the barge signaled a bay ahead with the masts of vessels in it. Iberville thought the vessels must be English. He fired the signal to halt. The vessels in the bay, taking it for a warlike demonstration, answered with a volley of musketry. Then a fog fell and the vessels saw nothing of one another for hours. When it lifted, Iberville sent a party ashore and found out that the harbor was the one he was in search of, but that the Spaniards were in possession and had named it Santa Mariade Galvez de Pensacola.
The disappointed French squadron remained at Pensacolaseveral days and then set sail for Mobile Bay. Fearing opposition from the Spaniards, Iberville concealed from them the real object of his expedition, giving out instead that he was in search of some roving coureurs de bois, to whom he was carrying the king's orders to return to Canada.
Mobile Bay. 1699. ─ The ships anchroed in front of Mobile Bay. Iberville, with his young brother, Bienville, crossed to the long, narrow island that lay like a breakwater between the gulf and the bay, and explored it. At one end they came to a ghastly heap of human bones, left from some ruthless Indian massacre; so they named the island Massacre Island. A terrific storm broke over the fleet here. Iberville, engaged in sounding the channel, was driven with his men to one of the near little islands for shelter. For three days they were held there, storm-bound, the driving rain, mists and spray shutting them off from even the sight of their vessels in the gulf.
When the storms had subsided and fair weather set in, Iberville explored the shores of Mobile Bay. Returning to the ships, anchors were raised and sails set for another stage of the search. Mobile Point and Massacre Island dropped in the distance behind them. Before them, in the beautiful blue, glistening waters to the north and northwest, other islands came into view; dots of white sand and green trees that seemed to float on the dancing waves. Iberville sent Bienville to look for harborage in them from the south wind that was threatening another storm. Bienville returned after an unsuccessful search and the ships sailed on anxiously in the stiffening breeze. Other islands appeared in the northwest, and nearer, in the south, two flat, sandy surfaces. Iberville ran into these and found the shelter he needed. It was Candlemas day, and the islands received the name of Chandeleurs Islands. In the morning, Bienville was again sent out to look for a harborage among the islands to the north and a pass between them. This time his search was successful. At daylight, Iberville, leading the way in the Badlne, steered his fleet through the pass between the two Islands and anchored safely in the harbor of Ship Island.
His men, freed at last from their long confinement on shipboard, spread themselves gladly over the small place, delighting in the rare abundance of fish and oysters. The live stock was landed; the swine were put on the adjoining island, which the sailors named Cat Island, on account of the quantities of little animals upon it, which they took for cats. The little animals were really raccoons, and it is said that in a few years the swine destroyed them all.
What was the condition of France at the time? What followed after the Peace of Ryswick? Who, besides Louis XIV, wanted Louisiana? Who was the Count de Pontchartrain? Who the Count deMaurepas? Who was Iberville? How many brothers had he? When were his most famous exploits performed? Whose plan was to be carried out? When did Iberville sail? Who sailed as midshipman under him? Who as lieutenant under Surgeres? Relate the voyageto San Domingo? What did Iberville hear before sailing from France? Whom did he take with him as pilot? How did he steer across the gulf? What part of the Florida coast was first sighted? What had De Graff spoken of? What harbor was it? Why did Iberville conceal his designs from the Spaniards? For what point did he set sail? Why was the island named Massacre? How was Chandeleur Islands named? Why was Cat Island so named?
North of Ship Island, about twenty miles away, the low, scalloping shore line of the mainland could be seen, and upon it, with glasses, Iberville could distinguish the forms of Indians moving about. He lost no time in sailing over there in a sloop, well provided with presents for the Indians and well protected by a crew of Canadians. Bienville accompanied him in a canoe. Landing, they followed the tracks of the Indians, and came to where they could see canoes full of them busily crossing to and fro between Deer Island and Biloxi. At sight of the white men the natives abandoned theircanoes and fled in terror. The Canadians pursued, but were only able to come up with one of them, a poor old man whoay helpless on the beach, unable to move on account of a putrefying sore on his leg. He was moaning and shivering with cold and pain and seemed to expect instant death from the white men. The Canadians reassured him by signs, took him in their arms and carefully carried him higher up the beach laid him on a buffalo skin and kindled a fire to warm him. They put a handsome present of tobacco near him, and, to show that they did not intend anything unfriendly, drew up the abandoned canoes of provisions on the beach and left them. A squaw, as old and almost as wretched as the man, seeing that the white men did nothing warlike, crept out of the woods where she had been hiding and watching, and joined the group. The Canadians withdrew and left them together.
During the night the old woman slipped away to carry the aews and some of the tobacco to her tribe. In the morning the Canadians found a piteous spectacle; the fire had caught on the weeds and grasses around the old man, and the poor wretch lay half burned. The Canadians did what they couldto ease his pains, but in a few moments he died.
The old squaw returned, bringing some of her tribe withher, and later in the day many more came slipping out ofthe forest to join in the smoking and feasting of the whitemen, and received some of the tobacco, hatchets, knives,beads and paint which Iberville distributed with a generous band. He finally succeeded in gaining their good will and confidence sufficiently to induce three of the chiefs to go with him on a visit to the ships, Bienville and two Canadians being left behind as hostages.
Ship Island. 1698. ─ As the boats approached the ships the chiefs stood up and began to chant their peace songs. Their reception gratified their vanity exceedingly. Iberville had cannon shot off, and the ships put through their manoeuvres and gave them a great feast with sagamity made with prunes. He gave them, also, brandy to drink, which astonished them greatly, burning their stomachs so long after it was swallowed. But what excited their greatest wonder and admiration was the spy glass, by which they could see so far with one eye, while the other eye stayed at home. They examined everything on the floating houses, as they called the ships, with the greatest curiosity. They belonged to the Annochy and Biloxi tribes and lived on the Pascagoula river. They did not know anything of the Mississippi, nor of any of the tribes met by La Salle.
When Iberville returned with them to the mainland, he found Bienville making friends with a new set of Indians. These were a party of Bayougoulas and Mongoulachas warriors who were out on a hunt, but hearing the sound of cannon they had hastened to the seashore to find out what it was. Much to Iberville's gratification they lived on the banks of the Mississippi, which they called the Meschacebe, and knew the tribes met by La Salle. Iberville gave them a store of presents, among them a calumet or peace pipe, such as they had never seen before. It was of metal, shaped like a ship under full sail, flying the lily banner of France. The evening was passed in a great jollity, with singing and dancing and telling of stories around the camp fire. In the morning the warriors left to continue their hunt, promising to return in three days and guide Iberville by the little river they traveled on into the Mississippi. They were to light a fire at the campon the seashore, as the signal of their return, and Iberville was to answer by a cannon shot. Iberville sailed back to his ships, elated. Once guided into the river, all that he had to do to accomplish his task, was to follow it to its mouth, fix the exact latitude and longitude, make his way to Ship Island, get his vessels and sail there.
Twenty-four hours later, a day too soon for the appointment, the signal fire was descried on the mainland. Iberville, with all haste, sailed over to the spot. But he found only the forest ablaze from the fire; not an Indian was to be seen. He returned disappointed to Ship Island. Looking for the Mouth of the Mississippi. The next day, however, he had another expedition ready to execute his first plan. Two sloops were manned with a good force of Canadians, sailors and filibusters,* and provided with ample supplies of ammunition and food for six weeks and each carrying a canoe in tow. Iberville commanded one, Sauvole the other. They sailed from the ships, and steered south, wheren clear wafer low lying groups of bare, sandy islands could be seen.
In the Mississippi Delta. ─ It was Friday, the 37th of February. The wind was from the southeast, with rain. The sea tossed restlessly. Running the length of the first inland, the boats entered the strange scene of the Missisippi delta. Far as the eye could reach, islands small and peat rose before them. Some standing high and dry, other sippled over by the slightest wave. Here the water broadned out into deep, handsome bays; there it crested and urled into sheets of foam, over rising bottoms and sand bars. Vegetation was to be seen except willows and osiers. Thenen struggled with sail and oar to find a way through the watery maze; consuming hours to get around one island only to find another blocking their path. Well tired out at night, they pitched their camp on the nearest dry land. They madeow and then catches of fish and gathered oysters to add to their fare. The only game they saw was wild cats; great tough, redfurred animals. On Sunday such a furious storm roke over them that they could not leave their camp. The bunder pealed as they had never heard it before ; the lightining flashed fearfully; the rain descended in torrents. The water rose until it stood two inches over the highest part of their island, and the waves swept it from end to end.
*The term filibuster is derived from " flibote," a small, fast sailing vessel usedy the Dutch. It was applied to roving- adventurers who formerly sailed the Gulff Mexico in search of conquest and plunder.
The day was passed cutting osiers and piling them up to stand on, catching rain for drinking water, and during the showers hanging shivering over the smouldering fire to protect it.
Finding the Mississippi. Monday, March 2, 1699. ─ On Monday the weather permitted an early start. Steering always south and southeast, the sloops kept the irregular shore line to the right in view, so as not to pass any river that might be there. The northeast wind rose to a gale andthe sea broke over the small barks. The canoes were taken up and shipped inside, and the men took turns holding their gummed cloths down over the deck by main strength, to keep the water from pouring in and swamping them. Tacking this way and that, first off the shore for fear of being beached, then on, for fear of being engulfed in the raging sea, the sloops fought their way along. For three hours they battled gallantly to double a rocky point that rose grim and threatening before them. The night was coming on. The bad weather showed no signs of abatement. Iberville saw before him no hope. He must either be wrecked ashore or perish at sea during the night. Determined to seize the one chance of daylight for himself and his men, he grasped the tiller, put his sloop about, and, with the wind full astern, drove her upon the rocks. The other sloops followed his example. But, to his wonder, as he approached, the rocks opened out before him and through the openings whitish muddy water gushed into the gulf. He steered into it, tasted it; it was fresh ; the Mississippi was discovered !
The murderous rocks were only driftwood, piled in huge, fantastic shapes, covered with deposits of Mississippi mud, hardened into cement by sun and wind! They looked indeed like the palisades which made the Spaniards call the river the Palissado. The boats advanced up the river until they came to a good camping place. Then landing, lighting their fires, and putting their supper to cook, the men threw themselves upon the rushes and enjoyed the rest they had so richly earned. It was the last Monday of the carnival; as the stars came out, and the savory fragrance of their homely repast stole upon the air, they could not help contrasting their day's work with the masquerading and frolicking of friends and relatives in the old world. And they exulted in the dangers they had run, and the brave success they had met, for, as Iberville said, it was a gallant task, discovering unknown shores in boats that were not large enough to keep to sea in a gale, and yet were too large to land on a shelving shore, where they touch and strand a mile out.
What lay to the north of Ship Island? Relate what followed. Give episode of the old Indian. Describe the reception and entertainment of the Indians at Ship Island. To what tribe did they belong? Did they know anything of the Mississippi or of the Indians met by LaSalle? What did Iberville find on his return to the mainland? To what tribe did these Indians belong? Where did they live? What did they promise Iberville? What followed? Continue with the start on Monday. What course did the boats pursue? Why? Describe the gale. Relate what followed. What were the murderous rocksat the mouth of the river? What had the Spaniards called the river? What day was it?
»-?-«
The next morning Mardi Gras, mass was celebrated, the Te Deum sung, and a cross and the arms of the king of France erected. The boats pushed off from the shore for the exploration of the river. Like De Soto and La Salle,Iberville gazed with awe at the mighty stream which rolled before him, whose currents bore down what appeared to befloating forests. The boats had hard work to make any headway with such a current against them; they needed a new wind for every turn, and could not make much use of their sails, and the men at the oars declared they rowed six miles to progress one. Their first day's journey ended at the little bayou named Mardi Gras for the day. The low, grass covered banks began to rise higher and higher as they advanced. Instead of willows and sedges, oaks and magnolias and thickly grown forests gradually made their appearance.
Bienville, paddling ahead to reconnoitre, would sometimes startle up flocks of ducks and sarcelles; and sometimes deer, wild beeves, raccoons and opossums running along the bank, would tempt the Canadians into a hunt; and great was there joicing around the camp fire when fresh game was brought in to add to their larder. Several alligators were killed and the meat cooked, but it was not exactly enjoyed. Every afternoon when the camp was pitched the cannon was fired off to attract the attention of any Indians there abouts, and Iberville would climb to the top of a tall tree to take observations of the new country about him. They saw no Indians until the fifth day, when turning a bend the explorers came upon two in a pirogue. But in a flash, they leaped to shore and disappeared in the woods. A gun shot further on, five pirogues full of Indians were seen. Iberville succeeded in speaking with them. These Indians belonged to the Annochy tribe, which lived, as we have seen, along the lake shores. They gladly traded their stores of dried meat to the Frenchmen. One old fellow in particular was most enterprising; spreading out his entire stock and sitting behind it in market style, bargained the whole of it — a hundred pounds — for two knives. The Annochys knew the Bayougoula hunters who were met by Iberville and they gave him a guide to their village
Site of New Orleans. ─ That night the camp was pitched close to the spot selected by Bienville twenty years afterwards for the site of New Orleans. Near by was a deserted Indian village formerly inhabited by the Quinpissas. It consisted of ten cabins, thatched with palmetto. On a tall point of the bank commanding the river, was a fortified oval shaped cabin, surrounded by a palisade. A few miles higher up the guide conducted Iberville to the portage used by the Indians in their journeys between the river and the lakes. Taking their pirogues out of the river, they had only to drag them over a short road to launch them into a bayou that ran into the lake. Both banks of the river in this locality were covered with cane brakes of enormous height and thickness.
At Bayou Plaquemines, then called Bayou Ouacha,from the Oaacha Indians living on it, two large pirogues of Ouachas and Bayougoulas were met. As soon as the Bayoujgoulas heard that the French intended visiting their village,they turned back in their pirogues to announce the news, so that a reception could be prepared. The next day, when the boats arrived in sight of the landing, a pirogue of Bayououla and Mongoulacha warriors came out to meet them,2han<:ing peace songs and brandishing their calumets, gailyj adorned with brilliant feathers. At the landing the white men, according to Indian notions of politeness, were tenderly helped from their boats, supported under their elbows, land conducted to where the chief sat, surrounded by the squaws and warriors of the united Bayougoula and Monoulacha tribes. Mats of cane and skins were spread on the ground in a cleared space for the guests. In the centre, resting on two forked sticks, guarded by two warriors wholever took their eyes from it, was the precious calumet prejented by Iberville on the lake shore.
Traces of Tonty. ─ The chief, a man of great pride and dignity, wore a coat of blue French serge. Iberville's first question was to find out where it came from. The chief answered that it had been given him by Tonty, of the Iron Hand, who had paid his tribe a visit in passing along
the river. The next day, when Iberville went over to the village, a lew miles inland from the river, he discovered among the treasures of the temple a glass bottle, which the Iron Hand had also left in the tribe.
The Bayougoulas and Mongoulachas. 1699. ─ The village of the Bayougoulas and Mongoulachas resembled almost identically that of the Tensas. There were only one hundred and fifty inhabitants in the village, a great many having died off in a recent epidemic. The cabins were cleanly kept.The bed frames, about two feet above the ground, had bark covered branches the size of a man's arm, laid close together for mattresses, cane mats for sheets, and skins for covering. The only other furniture was earthen pots which the women made very nicely. The women tied their hair high on top of their heads and wore girdles of cloth woven from the fibres of trees, colored red and white and fringed with long cords that fell to the knee and shook with every movement of the body. The little girls wore girdles of moss. The men went naked except on grand occasions, when they tied around them a kind of sash made of feathers strung together and weighted at the ends with bits of stone or metal, which jangled and tinkled gaily when they danced. The warriors were handsome, well made and active, but very lazy. The fields for corn and pumpkin were small, and were tilled with implements of bone. When the crops were gathered they were used as play grounds by the tribes. There were a few chickens in the tribe which were said to have come from tribes in the far west, evidently from some of the Spanish possessions. The dead, wrapped in straw mats, were placed on little conical, covered platforms, raised all aroundthe village, attracting great crowds of buzzards and disseminating loathsome odors.
The tribe regarded the opossum with particular veneration, but the French found it only a hideous combination of ugliness, with its pig's head, rat's tail, badger's skin and pouched stomach. To requite the hospitality and friendliness of these Indians, Iberville spread upon the ground before them a dazzling array of presents scarlet doublets embroidered in gold, scarlet hose, blankets, shirts, mirrors, beads, hatchets and knives. The Indians gave also of their best in return; feasts and entertainments, abundant supplies of corn and twelve large dressed deer skins.
From accounts that he had of La Salle's Mississippi exploration, Iberville understood that there was a fork about here in the river. His plan was to return to the gulf by this fork. But when he questioned the Bayougoulas they denied that there was any fork in the river, and said that when Tonty went to rescue La Salle he had paddled the same way both up and down the Mississippi. Fearing that the Bayougoulas might be deceiving him and concealing one of the outlets of the Mississippi, Iberville decided to go on to the next tribe, the Houmas, and interview them. One of the Bayougoula chiefs and a party of warriors accompanied him as guides and introducers to the Houmas.
Manchac. ─On the way the Bayougoula chief pointed out on the right a small stream, which he said was the only stream he knew that ran from the Mississippi into the gulf. It was called Ascantia, now Bayou Iberville or Manchac. Some miles further on, on the right bank, they came to a small river celebrated for its fish, that formed the boundary line between the hunting grounds of the Houmas and the Bayougoulas.
Baton Rouge. ─ Here Iberville saw a tall, red, leafless cornstalk, hung with offerings of fish and game by the Indian hunters. The Frenchmen called it a " Baton Rouge," and thus named the spot afterwards to become the capital of Louisiana.
Pointe Coupee. ─ The next day the chief pointed to a tiny stream running into the river on the left, and said if the boats could only get through it, they would cut off a whole day's journey. Iberville was not the man to be stopped by an" if." He put his Canadians at once to work. A huge drift pile was cut away, the bottom of the stream was deepened and cleared, and the boats were slowly towed through and launched into the Mississippi, just eighteen miles above the point where they had left it. The Mississippi in course of time adopted this cutoff also, and in a few years abandoned its old channel entirely for it.
The Houmas. 1699. ─ The Houmas' reception was even more cordial than that of the Bayougoulas and Mongoulachas. A delegation of them were waiting to welcome Iberville at their landing, and there was no end to their ceremonies and professions of friendship. Iberville, who did not smoke, complained of the number of times he had to smoke the calumet. When it was at last over the officers of the party and the delegation set out for the Houma village, some eight miles inland. The Indians kept up their peace songs all the way, leading their guests up and down hill, through cane brakes and swamps, at such a pace that the heavily clad Frenchmen were severely tasked to follow them.
At the entrance to the village the chiefs and principal warriors advanced, brandishing crosses made of white wood. All assembled in the open space in the centre of the village, where presents were exhibited, speeches made, more calumets smoked, and a great feast served. In the afternoon the handsomest of the young warriors and squaws, in all their finery of paints, feathers and jingling girdles, bounded from behind the trees and danced until late in the evening, to anorchestra of gourd rattles.* Then all adjourned to the great cabin of the chief, where, lighted by huge blazing fagots of cane, the frolic was kept
•Called Chichieconchy, made of hollow gourds with pebbles inside.
till midnight. The French officers retired to the couches prepared for them, but not to sleep, for the chiefs haranguedne another with interminable addresses until daylight.
The Houma village was large and well built, like that ofle Bayougoulas, but the tribe had also been very much painned by a recent epidemic. They knew Tonty, who had passed several days with them, leaving his boats at the same ending where Iberville left his. But they said also that they knew of no fork in the river. Thinking that, like the Bayououlas, they might have some reason for deceiving him, berville determined to bring his visit to an end and hurry to the Tensas and question them. Some of the Houmas and a Tensas Indian visitor consented to go with them.
Turning Point. 1699. ─ The boats pushed away from the landing; the oars men showing fatigue and discouragement after their long, hard pull up the river, on no better rations than sagamity with an occasional treat of dried beef. Stoping for dinner, Iberville cross-examined all the Indiansi again, separately, about the fork in the river. They all agreed that the Mississippi flowed without a break to the gulf and hat La Salle and Tonty had never traveled but one way to the gulf and back. He was forced to believe them. The Bayougoula chief, to prove his veracity, confessed to Ibervillehat Tonty had left a letter in his tribe to be delivered to a Frenchman, who was to come up from the sea (evidently meaning La Salle). The letter had been kept a secret from Iberville out of the suspiciousness and distrust natural to the Indian in treating with the white man.
As he was pushed both for time and provisions, Iberville concluded that a further journey would be unwise and useless. He gave the orders; the boats were turned around. Rowing down stream, the men easily put mile after mile behind them. Arrived at the bayou called Ascantia, Iberville decided to go through it to the gulf. He left Sauvole in command of the expedition, and charged Bienville to obtain at any price Tonty's letter from the Bayougoula village; and with two canoes, four Canadians and an Indian guide, he pushed his way through the tangled opening of what was called henceforth Bayou Iberville.
Bayou Iberville. 1699. ─ It proved to be but ten feet wide and three feet deep at most, and so choked up as to be almost impassable for even a pirogue. The first day they traveled twenty-one miles and made fifty portages over fallen trees and rafts. After a few days the Indian guide deserted. Iberville continued without him, resolved to show the natives that he was not dependent upon them. Then one of the Canadians fell ill, and Iberville had to take his place, not only paddling the pirogue, but in carrying an end of it over the portages. He noted with delight the beautiful country through which the Ascantia flowed. He said it was one ofthe finest he had ever seen rich soil, handsome forests, and no canebrakes. The river was filled with fish, and alligators were so thick in it that at times he seemed to be paddlingthrough a solid mass of them. He heard wild turkeys in quantities, but he did not succeed in killing any.
The first lake he came to he named after his young protector, the count de Maurepas ; the second after the count de Pontchartrain. Camping at night on the low grassy points or islands around the lakes, he made acquaintance with those pests of hunters and fishermen, mosquitoes; " terrible little animals, "he calls them, *' to men in need of rest." Traveling from twenty to thirty-six miles a day, he soon came to the shores opposite Ship Island. He crossed over and mounted the deck of the Badine, -just one month and two hours after he had started on his expedition. Eight hours later Sauvole and Bienville were seen speeding their way across the gulf. Bienville brought the precious letter left by Tonty. He had bought it for a hatchet. It was addressed to M. de laille, Governor General of Louisiana, and contained the count of the loyal pioneer's efforts to rescue his friend, he said he had found the cross erected by La Salle eight oars before, lying half buried in the sand, and had set it up twenty-one miles higher up the river. He had left the other letter for De La Salle concealed in the hollow of aie near the cross. As we have seen, no cross was found the Iberville expedition, either going up or coming down the river; it had disappeared, and with it all clue to the her letter.
What took place Mardi Gras morning? Account of journey up the/er? The meeting with the Indians? Where did the French campat night? What of the portage? Describe arrival and reception atlyougoula and Mongoulacha landing? What did the chief wear?hat was this trip of Tonty's? Describe Bayougoula and Mongoul-ha village? What of the Ascantia? Relate origin of the name ofLton Rouge? What about Pointe Coupee? Describe Houmarecep-)n? Welcome of French? Did the Houmas know of the fork ine river? What did Iberville do at noon? What did Mongoulachaief confess? What did Iberville conclude? What did he decidelout the Ascantia? What was the Ascantia henceforth called ? WhenId he arrive at his ships? What did Bienville bring?
FRENCH DOMINATION
Iberville had intended to take possession of the mouth ofe river by making an establishment there. But now, withTie and provisions running short, he saw that he must selectme spot nearer Ship Island and his vessels. His choice laytween a site on Lake Pontchartrain ; the mouth of the
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
iscagoula river, and the Bay of Biloxi. The advantagesthe latter were found so superior to those offered by theher two places that he decided in favor of it.The spot selected for the fort was the highest point on the;ing ground on the eastern shore of the bay. Workas commenced upon it immediately. Trees were cut,space cleared and the fort laid out. The barges andlall boats plied incessantly between it and the ships,tching over the supplies of tools, implements, provisions,ms and ammunition, and the details of workmen drawn)m the crews. The logs for the bastions and stockadesive cut a mile and a half away and boated to the building.)rn and peas were sown in the clearings. In six weeksough was completed to justify Iberville's leaving forance. He put the Sieur de Sauvole in command, and Bien-le second in command under him. Then taking with himdy the men and provisions necessary for his own ships, hejled for France.
jSauvole vigorously carried on the work left him to do. He.ished the fort, maintained discipline among his men, andide friends with his Indian neighbors. Almost every week)ught a visit from some of them, prompted by curiositygreed.
The first to make an appearance was their old acquaint-
:e, Autobiscania, the Bayougoula chjef, with a party of
warriors. They were received with military honors,
ich duly terrified them, as was intended ; but the presents
issured them, particularly the shirts, which to their great
ight were fitted upon theYn. They looked with wonder at
fort, astonished that the French could get together and pile
such a number of great logs in so short a space of time.
I went well until the sentinel came at nightfall to get the
vtchword from the sergeant. The whisperings threw the
I ians into lively fears of treachery, out of which Sauvole
A to calm and soothe them.
At daylight they confessed that their wives were on. theside of the bay, and they would also like to see the fort.Permission being given, the savage dames were sent for.They landed; Autobiscania, anxious that the show shouldbe equal to female expectations, made signs to Sauvole toput his men under arms, and ran himself to hunt up thedrummer. The visit terminated to the satisfaction of all.
Bienville's Explorations. ─ After Iberville's departurefrom Biloxi, while Sauvole was regulating the affairs of thefort, Bienville proceeded to make acquaintance with the na-tives and country about him. He visited the Quinipissas,who lived on the shores of Lake Maurepas, and sought outthe villages of the Moctobys, Biloxis, and Pascagoulas alongthe Pascagoula river. From there he went to Mobile Bayagain and explored it, and made a reconnoissance on footof Pensacola and its surroundings. On his return to Biloxi,he, with two pirogues and five Indians, set out once more toretrace Iberville's journey through the lakes and Bayou Iber-ville into the Mississippi, and to explore Bayou Plaquemine.But he found the Indians living on Bayou Plaquemine, theOuachas, Chouachas and Opelousas, so ferocious and menac-ing that he was glad to beat a retreat to the Mississippiagain.
Paddling his way confidently along to within twenty-three,miles of its mouth, he rounded a bend and was arrested by asight which startled and transfixed him. A corvette layanchored mid-stream before him. He sent his companionpirogue forward to speak the vessel. It proved to be Eng-lish. Bienville then advanced afid went aboard. The cap-tain, named Banks, turned out to be one of Iberville's oldHudson Bay prisoners, and therefore an acquaintance ofBienville's. The ship belonged to the expedition of whichIberville had heard, and for which he had been so anxiouslyon the look-out. It was one of three vessels loaded withemigrants which had sailed from England to make an estab-
lishment on the banks of the Mississippi about the verytime that Iberville, with his squadron, sailed from France.They had passed the winter in Carolina, where the greatestnumber of colonists, pleased with the climate, had chosen toremain. One ship had returned to England, leaving theother two to pursue the search for the mouth of the Missis-sippi. The captain said they had cruised fruitlessly forthirty leagues round about, when he found this stream andentered it. As it was the only one large stream he had dis-covered in his cruise on that shore, he doubted not it was theMississippi. Bienville convinced him that the river andcountry were in the possession of the King of France, whohad force sufficient at hand to protect his rights. He had thesatisfaction of seeing the captain raise anchor and head thecorvette down stream. " The English Turn " in the Missis-ippi still commemorates the bend in the river where theyoung lieutenant and his five Canadians obtained this triumphover the Englishman.
Return of Iberville. ─ Iberville returned shortly after thenew year, 1701. He brought with him supplies of money,provisions and reinforcements of men, among them sixtytried Canadians, who had been with him in Hudson Bay,His seventeen-year-old brother, Chateaugnay, accompanied^im, and his relations the Sieur de Boisbrant, and the notedpioneer, Jarchereau de St. Denis; a noted geologist, theSieur Le Sueur, came over also with men and means to exploitcertain copper mines that were said to be in the upper Mis-sissippi country.
/Iberville stayed only long enough at Biloxi to get an expe-dition ready to build a fort on the Mississippi, which the visitoi the English captain warned him as necessary. During thesearch for a proper situation, Iberville, coming to the de-serted village of the Quinnipissas, made a planting of sugar:ane there from seed he had brought from St. Domingo.But the seed, already yellow and sour, came to naught.^ .
Fort Maurepas. 1700. ─The location selected for thefort was on the left bank of the river, about fifty-four milesabove its mouth. A strong log building twenty-eightfeet square was put upon it; and a powder magazine,five feet above the ground, well banked with earth. Duringthe building a pirogue of Canadians came down the riverand stopped at the landing. Iberville greeted the leader,Tonty, " the Iron Hand," with warm welcome. The loyalman had heard of the French settlement and had traveleddown the river to offer his services. Iberville gladly acceptedthem, for an exploration he wished to make into the Redriver country, to find out the number of tribes of Indiansliving there, and the exact limit of the Spanish possessions.They set out at once. Stopping at the Houmas" on their wayup the river, Iberville gave them some apple, orange andcotton seed to plant. Louisiana thus owes to him the firstplantings of her two great staples.
The Natchez. 1700. ─ At the Natchez landing Ibervilledespatched a messenger to announce his presence to theNatchez chief. The chief responded by sending his brother,escorted by twenty-five men, with the calumet of peace andan invitation to the village. Climbing to the summit of thesteep bluff, covered with magnificent forest trees, Ibervillegazed with joy upon the beautiful rural landscape. " It wasa country," he says, " of plains and prairies, filled with littlehills and groves of trees, with roads intercrossing from villageto village, and from cabin to cabin—a country resemblingFrance not a little." Half way to the village the chief ap-peared, ceremoniously advancing, surrounded by his bodyguard—twenty large, well made men.
The village differed from the other villages visited onlyin being handsomer and better built. The cabin of the chiefstood on a spacious mound ten feet high. Facing it was thetemple ; around stood the cabins, enclosing a handsome openspace. A small running stream near by furnished the water.
The Natchez were the most enlightened and civilized ofthe Mississippi river Indians. They v^orshipped the sun, andtheir chief was called after their deity the Great Sun; hisbrothers the Little Suns. The government was an absolutedespotism. The Great Sun was master of the labor, prop-erty and lives of his subjects. He never worked. When hewanted provisions he sent out biddings to a great feast, andthe invited were required to attend, bringing sufficient sup-plies for the entertainment and for the after support of theroyal family. None were allowed to approach him withoutobserving an elaborate deferential ceremony. He selectedhis servants from the most noted families, and when he diedthese servants were strangled to death, to accompany him tothe next world. When an heir was born, each family thathad a new-born infant appeared with it in the royal presenceand a certain number were selected to be his attendants. Ifthe heir died, all thus chosen, were strangled. The chief-tainship was hereditary, but it was not the son of theGreat Sun, but the son of his nearest sister or nearest femalerelative, who succeeded to the government. The royalprincesses were not allowed to marry in the royal family,but were forced to take their husbands from the commontribe. No women except the mother and sisters of the GreatSun, were ever allowed to enter the temple.
The Tensas. 1700. ─ The Indian guides all advised Iber-ville and Tonty not to attempt to go up Red river, which wasmuch rafted and difficult of navigation. They persisted thatthe easiest and best way of getting into the Red river landswas by going up above Red river and striking across thecountry from the great Tensas village. The advice seemedreasonable, and it was followed. Iberville, with his party,paddled up to the Tensas landing and made their way onfoot through the woods to Lake Tensas, where they foundpirogues for the rest of the journey They were well re-ceived by the Tensas, but during the night were witnesses of
such a scene of barbarity as turned their hearts from thetribe. A terrific storm broke out. Lightning struck the tem-ple, setting it on fire. In a few moments it was entirelyconsumed. The Indian priest, or " medicine man," as hewas called, attributed the disaster to the wrath of their god,because after the recent death of the great chief the tribehad not made the human sacrifices demanded of their faith.
Standing by the furious flames, with the storm ragingabout him, he called out repeatedly in a loud, commandingvoice: " Women, bring your children and offer them in sac-rifice to the Great Spirit to appease him!" Five squawsresponded, and five papooses, strapped in their swaddlingclothes, were thrown into the heart of the burning pile.Proud of his victory over them, the priest led the unnaturalmothers in triumph to the cabin of the new chief, where allthe village assembled to praise, caress, and do them honor.A painful trouble in his right knee prevented Iberville, atthe last moment, from leading the exploration into the Redriver country. He turned the command over to Bienvilleand journeyed back to Fort Maurepas. On his arrival hefell very ill of fever, which kept him for some time fromproceeding to Ship Island, where quite a notable event washappening to enliven the monotony of the officers' lives.
Visit from the Spaniards. 1700.—De la Riola, governorof Pensacola, came in all the panoply of his power with threearmed vessels and several hundred men to protest againstthe French settling in a country which he claimed belongedto the King of Spain. The French, no ways intimidated bythe Spaniard's pomp and arrogance, determined to make asbrave a show as he. During the four days of his visit alltraces of sickness and privation were carefully hidden ; menand officers wore their gala uniforms; wine flowed andbanquets were served with reckless prodigality and thefort and garrison kept up one continual round of gaietyand frolic. De la Riola sailed away as majestically as he
came, but was very much impressed with the abundance andstability of the new French establishment. He was soon tobe still more impressed with it.
Seven days afterwards the officers at Ship Island saw anopen boat approaching from the sea, with figures of men indistress in it. They proved to be the stately Spanish com-mander and his officers, naked and famishing. A gale inthe night had struck their squadron shortly after leavingBiloxi, and every vessel had been wrecked on ChandeleursIslands; they had not had time even to clothe themselves,and for five days had only had a small bit of chocolate to eatand nothing but sea water to drink.
Again the French proved themselves equal to the occasion.Messengers were despatched with the news to Pensacola ;boats were sent to rescue the miserable crews perishing onthe exposed sand bars; food, drink and clothing were pre-pared. De la Riola was equipped from tip to toe out ofIberville's wardrobe ; the officers were supplied by the otherFrench officers, and French boats conveyed them all toPensacola.
Where did Iberville intend to make his settlement? What of Sau-vole after Iberville's departure? What of Bienville? What Indianslived on Bayou Plaquemine? Give the meeting w^ith the English ves-sel? What commemorates the circumstance? When did Iberville re-turn? Who accompanied him? What was his next expedition?What of Fort Maurepas? Planting of cane? What expedition didIberville and Tonty undertake? What seed did Iberville give theHoumas? Describe Natchez village and the Natchez? Give an ac-count of Spanish commander's visit?
Bienville left the Tensas village with his party; twenty-two Canadians, with six Tensas and one Ouachita forguides. It was early March, the severe winter still lingered,and the country was beginning to overflow from rising water.Not only was every little bayou swollen into a rushing stream,but great tracts of land lay under the water from knee tobreast deep; in many places over the head. As they had nopirogues they crossed on foot-logs when they could find them(they were generally hidden under water), and sometimes theywould fell a tree for a bridge. But most of the times theyswam or waded across, pushing their clothes before them onrafts; always firing off their guns first, to scare away thealligators. As Bienville was only of medium height, he wasat a great disadvantage, and many times had to swim, whenhis companions only waded. The water was icy cold andthe Indians soon turned back, saying'they did not like walk-ing naked all day in cold water. At night the camp waspitched on any dry spot to be found. Sometimes the trav-elers would come to a good hunting place and a day wouldbe given up to supplying their bags with game; but dayswould often pass when all the meals consisted only of sagam-ity. They would make from ten to twelve miles a day, cross-ing from six to a dozen bayous and swamps. Hardy asthe Canadians were, many of them fell ill from the hard-ships and exposure. Often in the water they would be seizedwith chills and cramps, and were forced to climb trees andstay in the branches until they recovered. Once four menthus passed a whole day in the trees until rafts were sent tofetch them away. To add to their discomfort rain set in,and every day drenching showers would again and again wetthem to the skin. But Bienville says they never stopped sing-
ing and laughing, to show the Indians they met that French-Qien, unlike Spaniards, did not mind such fatigue. Theymet only a few Indians journeying to get out of the highwater, or carrying salt from the salt springs in the Ouachitacountry to sell to the Indians along the Mississippi.
They came to Red river, but found most of the villages inundated and abandoned. What Indians remained were liv-ing on rafts and scaffoldings, and their supplies of corn wereoo meagre for the French to buy any.
Bienville visited some villages of the Natchitoches, Sou-chitionis, Nakasas, and Yataches, living above the water, andthere he met some Caddodaquious Indians, They gave him30 discouraging an account of the road and distance to theirvillage that Bienville decided not to push his sick, disabledand half-starved men any further to get there. Procuringoirogues, he brought them down Red river to the Missis-sippi.* On his arrival at the settlement, Iberville put himn command of Fort Maurepas and sailed to France.
Fort Maurepas. 1700. ─ Bienville took up his position atFort Maurepas, which soon, with its fields of corn and vege-:ables, formed a bright picture on the banks of the great,savage river. Canadian coureurs de bois learned the waylown there from the north and west; and every now andhen bands of them would paddle up to the landing, theiroirogues almost sinking under the heavy loads of peltry,hied meat and bears' grease ; the sombre forests resoundingWith the echoes of their loud frolicking. More quietlyand humbly, missionaries, who had already begun to estab-lish themselves along the Mississippi, would come, with a fewattendants only and Indian guides, to the new settlement of:heir faith and country to greet their compatriots and get:idings from France.
* Jachereau de St. Denis the following- year explored the same country as far ashe Caddodaquious; and a few years afterward founded a post at Natchitoches. StDenis' attempts to open an overland trade from the French colony to Mexico led:o a series of romantic and thrilliniir adventures of which he was a most interestingiiero. St. Denis may be called the father of the Natchitoches country.
Biloxi. 1700. ─ At Biloxi Sauvole struggled through try-,ing experiences. The Canadian settlers proved themselvesunruly under discipline ; they liked no work but hunting andfighting, and w^ere much given to drinking, saving up theirdaily allowance of spirits until they accumulated enough toget intoxicated. Then the Indian visitors came in such num-bers that he was hard pressed to give them the food andpresents they expected, and without which they might turninto enemies ; in addition to this, great pirogues of Canadianswould come to Biloxi from Fort Maurepas, and they wouldquarter themselves on the garrison until asked to leave. Theship of supplies promised from France did not arrive. Sau-vole had to send to St. Domingo and buy the necessaries oflife. There was a drought which killed all vegetation anddried up all the springs. This was followed by a season ofgreat rain. Fever broke out and soon became epidemic.Soldiers and Canadians died in numbers.
Death of Sauvole. August, 1701. ─ The gallant youngcommander himself was stricken with it and died in August,1701, leaving his uncompleted journal for a record of hisfaithfulness and conscientiousness in duty. At the news ofhis death, Bienville hastened over from Fort Maurepas toBiloxi and took command.
Arrival of Iberville. 1701. ─ In December, couriers fromPensacola brought news of Iberville's arrival at that port,accompanied by De Serigny, his brother, a mariner of greatrepute in the royal navy. He was unable to move from Pen-sacola, being confined to his bed with an abscess in his side,which caused him great suffering, and for which he had beenoperated on ship-board. The fever which he had caught onthe Mississippi had continued in France, almost causing hisdeath there, and preventing his return sooner to the colonywith the supplies he had promised.
Impressed with the necessity of a port directly on the gulfcoast as a protection to his position on the Mississippi, and
Still unreconciled to the possession of Pensacola by the Span-iards, Iberville had, during his long stay in France, endeav-ored to procure its cession from Spain, He wrote an ablepaper to the court of Spain on the subject, assuming as war-rant for his presumption the new and near relations betweenthe thrones of France and Spain (the grandson of the king ofFrance being heir to the throne of the king of Spain). Thepaper was submitted to the Spanish Junto, or council ofstate, who, far from approving his designs, warned him, asan interloper, off the coast which they claimed still as Span-ish.
Iberville's answer to this was the determination to settleMobile. That would give France a close and definite boun-dary line on the east against the Spaniards, assure her of thepossession of the Mobile river, the next important stream ofthe country after the Mississippi, and secure to her the con-tinuous stretch of Gulf Coast all the way to La Salle's westernlimit, Matagorda Bay. Without loss of time, he sent ordersto Bienville to transport the colony from Biloxi to Mobile.
Mobile, 1702. ─ The new fort, named Fort St. Louis de laMobile, was to be situated on the right bank of the Mobileriver, about fifty miles above its mouth. The work ofremoval from Biloxi was pushed forward vigorously. DeSerigny brought over from Pensacola his ship laden withthe supplies for the colony, and all the small boats and mento be spared from Iberville's ship. Tents were erected onMassacre Island for the storage of freight until flat-boatscould be built to convey it across the bay and up the river.As soon as Iberville was well enough to come to Mobile andsuperintend the work, Bienville was sent out to establish re-lations with the tribes of the country round about. On theisland at the mouth of the Mobile he found only desertedhabitations, and on one of them the carefully hidden gods ofone of the vanished tribes. They were rude figures of menand animals, which the Indian guides would only approach by
58 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
walking backwards, and which they warned Bienville not totouch on pain of death.
Bienville, to the Indians' astonishment, carried them with-out suffering any disaster to Iberville, who examined themand pronounced them relics of some of the old Spanish ex-plorers.
Eighteen miles above the fort were the Mobile Indians, thedescendants of the fierce warriors who had given De Soto sowarm a reception. Six miles above the Mobiles lived theTohomes, a small but industrious tribe, whose corn cropsoften stood between the French garrison and hunger. Onthe Alabama river were the Alabamas, a fighting, refrac-tory tribe, whose warriors were ever on the war path againsttheir neighbors, white and red. On the Apalachicola riverwere the Apalaches, or Conchaques; a peaceful tribe sub-dued to the Spaniards, but suffering such ravages from theinroads of the Indians incited by the English of Carolinathat they soon moved into the neighborhood of the Frenchfor protection. To the northwest, between the Tombigbeeand the Mississippi, was the territory of the Choctaws, thelargest and most powerful tribe of the region. Cunning,brave and well skilled in their savage warfare, theyformed the great safeguard of the French against the vin-dictive and unconquerable Chickasaws. The lands of thiscelebrated tribe lay to the north of the Choctaw, betweenthe French and English possessions, and the French foundthem in course of time more redoubtable foes than the Eng-lish themselves.
It was with great satisfaction that during the building ofthe fort Iberville received forerunners from Tonty, announc-ing his speedy arrival, with chiefs from both these importanttribes. A grand reception was at once prepared, and pres-ents selected. These were exposed in full view; two hun-dred pounds of powder, the same quantity of balls and birdshot, twelve guns, a hundred hatchets, fifty knives, a number
of cauldrons, and quantities of small articles, such as beads,flints, awls, etc. With so tempting an array spread beforethem, the chiefs smoked all the calumets and made all thetreaties desired by Iberville, and departed from the fort wellpromised to France and laden with booty.
Mobile. 1702.—Iberville sailed away from his anchorageat Massacre Island on the last day of March, 1702; neitherhis brother nor his colony ever saw him again.*
Describe Bienville's expedition. What of the Indians he met? Didhe go to the Caddodaquious? What of life at Fort Maurepas? Whendid Sauvole die? What followed? What news came from Pensacola?Who accompanied Iberville? Describe the removal from Biloxi.What was the new fort named and where situated ?~ Give an accountof the Indians of the Alabama country.
STOPPED HERE
Mobile. 1702-1711. ─ Bienville was left in command.The charge committed to him by Iberville was no light one.He was not only to maintain himself in his present position,but with his handful of men to hold Iberville's great grasp ofcountry, with the mouth of the Mississippi, firm to the crownof France. The Spaniards to the east and the English tothe north were to be kept in check, and all the warring, rest-less savage tribes under him to be fastened together in tract-able submission to his authority and armed into an efficientforce to oppose against the colonies of France's rivals.
?The gallant Canadian died of yellow fever at Havana, in 1706, four years later.His last effort at arms, like his first, was against the English. He was preparing,with a large armament, to attack the British islands in the Antilles and their settle-ments on the Carolina coast. Landing at Havana for reinforcements of Spaniardsand filibusters, he was attacked by the prevailing epidemic, and died. Ibervillehad advanced large sums to the government for Louisiana, so left little to his widowand children. His widow afterward married a French nobleman, the count deBelhune.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
Let US give a glance at the life and character of the twenty-two-year-old governor.
Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville was theninth son of his father and the sixth brother of Iberville. Left
an orphan when a child, helived with his eldest brother,the Baron de Longueuil, inthe chateau de Longueuil,near Montreal. At fourteenhe followed Iberville to sea,and before he was eighteenhad taken part in all thethrilling dangers of thestruggles in Hudson Bay.Quiet, gentle and reserved,he yet possessed an indom-itable will and inflexiblecourage; well proven in thecourse of this history. Evenat an early age he knew howto gain a powerful influenceover his friends and men under his command. The Canad-ians were ever devoted to him, and formed an unfalteiingclan behind him, ready for any service of offence or defence.The Indians respected and revered him and called him father.He knew the Indians, indeed, as few white men ever knewthem, and in his dealings with them acted with a judgmentwhich they never questioned. He boasted that he never brokehis word to them, always conformed to their manners andcustoms, and talked to each tribe in its own dialect. In Can-ada, he spoke with ease the language of the natives, and onhis arrival in Louisiana he acquired the dialect of every tribewith which he came in contact, a capital of infinite advantageto him in his after career'.
BIENVILLE,
FRENCH DOMINATION. 61
Fort St. Louis de la Mobile. 1702. ─ With all its de-pendences, the fort was soon completed. Standing eminenton the bank of the river it was an imposing edifice for thetimes in that wild country. It measured three hundred andsixty feet square, and held at each corner a battery of sixguns. Inside were a chapel, the guard house, officers' lodg-ings and a parade ground. The barracks for the soldiersand Canadians were outside, some fifty paces to the left, onthe bank of the river. Later, also, on the left of the fort, aresidence for the priest was erected.
The Indians from all the neighboring country flocked tosate their wonder at the marvelous structure, always leavingwell impressed with French power and wealth, and feed withtheir presents. The Spaniards from Pensacola came also asoften as the Indians; and Bienville claimed that these neigh-bors were even more costly to him than the Indians. Thegarrison at Pensacola seemed always in a state of famine,their supply ships from Vera Cruz being ever delayed or lostat sea, and hardly a week passed that a boat was not sent toMobile to borrow provisions. As Bienville complained theywould many a time have been forced by starvation to aban-don their settlement, if he had not kept them up from hisscant stores, not daring to refuse on account of the new alli-ance and kinship between the French and Spanish monarchs.
War with England. ─ The war* declared by Englandagainst France and Spain, on account of this very kinship,made itself felt before he was firmly established in his fort.Indian war parties, equipped by the English, in Carolina,over and over again ravaged the corn fields and burned thevillages of the Indians of Florida, and attacked the Indiansin the French territory, while an English fleet, hovering inthe gulf, kept the seaboard from St. Augustine to Mobile ina constant state of alarm.
* War of the Spanish Succession, 1700, over the succession of the g^randson ofLouis XIV to the throne of Spain. England, Germany, Holland, Portugal andPrussia opposed this aggrandizement of the royal house of France.
Bienville flew to the rescue of his Indian allies, distribut-ing arms and ammunition to their warriors, and equippingthem into equality with the English Indians. The flyingbands of Apalaches were received and settled along Mobileriver.* The Spaniards at Pensacola, instead of assisting himin these crises, only increased his burdens. As ill providedwith munitions of war as with provisions, they knew no bet-ter means of defence, when threatened, than to shut them-selves in their strongholds and send appeals to Bienville, andhe was forced to respond with men, arms and boats.
Indian Troubles. ─ And along the Mississippi, whereverEnglish traders could insinuate themselves in the Indiantribes, the savages would break into revolt, and the toma-hawk would be raised to spread destruction and carnage upand down the river. The humble, pious missionaries andtheir attendants were always the first victims. And almostas often Spanish barks, long pointed pirogues, from theriver countries would come flying across the gulf bearingnews of assassination and murder, and fetching a load ofwounded praying for protection and medical help.
So, one day came good father Davion,| fleeing from theTunicas, telling the story of the murder of the aged priestFoucault and his attendants, by their Coroasj guides, as theywere peacefully descending the river to visit Mobile ; and so,later. Father Gravier§ arrived, his arm pierced with fivearrow-heads, shot by the Indians of his mission on the Illinois.
?Here, under the spiritual charge of M. Huve, they built themselves a church,and became so edifying a religious example that the colonists used to jaunt out onSundays and feast-days to see them perform their devotions and hear them sing theLatin hymns.
t Father Davion had originally settled at Natchez, but making no converts, hewent to the Tunicas, and erected a cross on the highest bluff, where he said massevery morning. The bluff was called Roche a Davion until 1764, when it becameknown as Loius Heights, and afterwards and ever since as Fort Adams.— Clai-home's Afissis.^ippt.
X Nicholas Foucault had a mission among the Arkansas, where he had accomphshed much good, when, in 1702, he set out for Mobile with three attendants andtwo Coroas guides. The guides killed them for the plunder of their luggage.
§ Father Gravier, a Jesuit, had succeeded to the mission at Kaskaskia, amongthe Illinois, continued by Allouez after the death of Marquette. He was appointedVicar General by the Bishop of Quebec. An accomplished as well as a devotedpriest, he has left valuable descriptions of the Indians and early settlements by theFrench. He was always an earnest friend of Bienville.
War with the Alabamas. 1702. ─ Bienville intrusted thepunishment of the Coroas to the Arkansas, who gladly un-dertook it, while he prepared to inflict upon the Alabamaswhat they merited for an act of treachery which had incensedthe whole colony.
Some of their chiefs came to the fort with such plausiblestories of the plenteousness of corn in their village that Bien-ville sent five men home with them to purchase. After someweeks, one of them came back alone to tell of the treacheryof the savages. The party had traveled to within two days'of the Alabama village. Here the chiefs begged the whitemen to remain while they went in advance to notify theirpeople, so that a reception could be prepared. That night,while the white men slept, the Indians returned and toma-hawked lour of them. One escaped by leaping into the riverand swimming lor his life. A hatchet thrown after him in-flicted an ugly wound on his arm; this he dressed with pinegum, gathered from the trees, chewed, and applied as hefled through the forest.
Bienville, raising a levy amongst his Indian allies, mus-tered, with his Canadians, a force of nearly two hundred men,of which Tonty and St. Denis shared with him the command.
The plan was to ascend the Mobile river and the Alabamato some convenient point, to land, and marching rapidly acrossthe country, fall a surprise upon the foe. The Mobilianswere to act as guides and baggage carriers. But it was soonseen that they were in secret sympathy with the AlabamasThey conducted the little army so cunningly that at the endof eighteen days it was spent with marching and very littleif any nearer the enemy than when it set out. Then, uponsome trivial pretext, all the Mobilians, Choctaws and To-homes deserted in a body.
The French commanders were forced, without striking ablow, to return also to the fort, which they reached (bymarching in a straight line) in four days. But in a few days
they quietly led forth another expedition, composed of whitemen only. They made the entire journey by water. Asthey neared the spot where their companions had been assas-sinated, scouts were sent to spy out the camp. It was founda short distance above on a bluff upon the bank of the river.Bienville was for attacking it at once ; but his companionsprevailed in favor of a surprise at night. They waited intheir hiding places through the rest of the day until dark-ness fell and the camp fires dimmed to a dull smoulderingglow, when the savages, as they judged, would be in a heavysleep. Then the command was given and the stealthy ad-vance begun. With all their precautions a dry twig crackledunder some foot. The war cry rose in the air. The old men,women and children broke from the camp and ran into theforest. The warriors retreated slowly after them, firing theirguns at the invaders. All escaped with the exception of four;two killed and two wounded. The French also had two menkilled, and had, for the rest of their vengeance, to contentthemselves with destroying the Alabamas' camp, breakingup their pirogues and throwing their hunting booty into theriver.
On his return to Mobile, Bienville put the scalps of theAlabamas in the market, offering a gun and five pounds ofpowder and ball apiece for them.
The war sputtered along like a slow fire for nine years.The Mobilians a few years afterwards were detached fromthe Alabamas by Bienville's generosity in restoring to themsome captive Alabama women and children taken prisoners,whom the Mobilians claimed as kinspeople. Their gratitudeto Bienville for the restoration maintained them in unswerv-ing loyalty to the French ever afterwards.
The 1st of February, 1705, tidings came to Mobile thatthe Chickasaws had seized and sold as slaves to the Englishseveral Choctaw families who had come to visit them in goodfaith, and that the act of treachery had caused a rupture be-
tween the two nations. As there were in Fort St. Louis atthat time more than seventy Chickasaws of both sexes, theywere very much troubled about returning to their villages,which they could not do without passing through the territoryof the irate Choctaws. At their solicitation, Bienville senttwenty-five Canadians under De Boisbriant to escort them.They arrived on their route at the Choctaw village about theend of the month. The Choctaw chief assured De Boisbriantthat they would not oppose the return of the Chickasaws, butthat it was only just to reproach them with their perfidy inthe presence of the French. Therefore, the Chickasaws wereinvited to assemble in the open space in the centre of thevillage, and the Choctaw chief, with his calumet in his hand,began his harangue to them. He reproached them with theirinjustices and want of good faith ; told them if the Frenchtook any interest in them, it was because of ignorance oftheir real character. The Chickasaws listened with moreuneasiness than contrition. Around, a circle of Choctawshad gradually closed them in. When the orator had reachedhis-'point that they were too vile to live, and therefore it wasproper they should die, reversing the calumet in his hand,there was no hope of escape from the sentence, which wasexecuted at the instant. Only the women and children werespared. Several Choctaws were killed in the 77ielee^ and DeBoisbriant accidentally received a ball in trying to get out ofthe way. He was placed upon a litter and carried to the fortby a numerous escort of Choctaws.
It was a blow which staggered the Chickasaws. Theysent deputation after deputation to Bienville, praying his^ood offices in favor of peace After a year's hostilities andlosses had somewhat mitigated the resentment of the Choc-taws, Bienville was able to bring them to terms and persuadethem to smoke the pipe of peace with their adversaries. The re-:onciliation proved a mere truce, however, andBienville's hopepf uniting the two powerful tribes for the French an illusion.
In the summer of 1703-1704 ships came from France,fetching everything that a growing colony could need ; emi-grants, money, soldiers, missionaries, provisions, a commis-sary, clothing, live stock, and most important of all, undercharge of two Gray Sisters, twenty-three young girls, to bemarried to worthy young men.
The emigrants received their allotments of lands along theriver; the cattle were set at large, the goods and provisionsstored in the magazines, and the outstanding accounts of sol-diers, and their employes, paid.
All seemed to bid fair for the happiness and prosperity ofMobile. But the last ship, touching at Havana for livestock, brought yellow fever into the colony. The plagueraged pitilessly; priests, sailors, soldiers, and the new emi-grants sickened and died of it. The place was almost de-populated ; and, most grievous and serious of all to Bien-ville and to the colony, was the loss of the brave, loyal, efficientHenri de Tonty.
Dissensions. 1706. ─ Almost as fatal as the epidemicwere the discords that broke out among the officers of thecolony. The priest De la Vente,* and the royal commissary,De la Salle,t were barely installed in their positions, whenthey began to chafe and fret under the authority of the youngcommander. Their criticism of and opposition to him pro-duced a most bitter and active animosity, which inflamed thewhole garrison into partisanship. Accusations and recrim-inations passed from side to side. Letters were written toFrance by De la Salle and De la Vente, charging Bien-ville with illicit trade with the Spaniards and unlawful use ofthe royal stores and provisions. Bienville retaliated with
?Louisiana belonged to the diocese of Quebec. On the 20th of July, 1703, SaintVallier, Bishop of Quebec, formally erected Mobile into a parish, uniting it to theSeminary of Foreign Missions in Paris and Quebec, who agreed to supply it withclergy. Rev. Henry Roulleaux de la Vente was appointed parish priest, Rev.Alexandre Huvo, curate.— Colotital Church iii America, Shea.
tDe La Salle, son of a naval officer at Toulon, was not related to the greatexplorer. ,,
general charges of incompetence, untruthfulness and mischief-making.
As the years passed without a vessel coming from France,Chateaugnay, "the sea courier," of Mobile, and his trans-port were kept busy plying between Mobile, Cuba, St. Do-mingo and Vera Cruz, bringing provisions and carrying themail for both the French and Spanish establishments. Pensa-cola caught fire and burned to the ground, and the vice ad-miral's ship sank to the bottom at her moorings, which re-duced the Spaniards to greater misery and dependence onBienville than ever before, and once more threatened by theEnglish Indians, Bienville himself had to lead a company totheir relief.
Government's Dissatisfaction with Bienville. 1708.—The repeated letters from the priest and commissary reiter-ating their charges against Bienville made at last an im-pression on the government. Jerome de Maurepas was nowCompte de Pontchartrain and Minister of marine, havingsucceeded to his father's position and title. The confidencewhich he felt in Iberville extended to Bienville only so longas Iberville lived. After the death of his brother, the younggovernor found out that he was to be judged without favor,and that from Pontchartrain all that he could expect wasstrict justice.
Bienville Dismissed. 1708. ─After three years of wait-ing, a ship with the sorely needed supplies arrived fromFrance. By it Bienville also received a letter dismissinghim from office, informing him of the charges against him.A new governor, M. de Muys, was sent out, and a new com-missary general, M. Diron D'Artaguette. De Muys died atHavana, on his way to the colony.
De Muys was not only to supersede Bienville ; he was,with D'Artaguette, also to institute a strict inquiry into hisconduct, and if the charges against him were found true theywere to arrest him and send him prisoner to France, on a
lettre de cachet.* The captain of the ship was given amorder to take charge of Bienville, conduct him to France^'and deliver him up to the commander of the first port atiwhich he landed.
Bienville demanded that some one be put immediately in:his place, that he might return to France and answer the(charges against him. D'Artaguette, however, concealing^the harsh orders given him and DeMuys insisted that he should!remain at his post until the king appointed another governor.He made an examination into Bienville's administration, and:wrote a report to the Minister of Marine, not only exonerat-ing him from charges against him, but praising him highlyfor the ability with which he had met and overcome his diffi-culties. Far from Bienville and his brothers making money,out of the colony, they were all poor, not having for several!years received a cent of their salary.
Three years again passed after the last vessel and no re-lief came from France. The colony made brave effortsto be independent of the mother country. A brisk littletrade in peltry, bears' grease and other forest produce sprangup between it and Florida and the West Indies and CentralAmerica. Massacre Island throve and prospered with thesure persistency of a port town. Inhabitants drifted to itfrom the fort, from the country, and dropped upon it fromvessels. Houses were built, stores opened, trees set out andgardens planted, until, as Bienville said, it was a pleasureto see it. And the property accumulated was considered sovaluable that the loss inflicted by a raid from an enterprisingBritish privateer was estimated at X5o,ooo.
Up the river, affairs were not so flourishing; provisionsand clothing became exhausted, and what was worse thesupply of gunpowder threatened to give out—a timely loanfrom St. Domingo alone preventing this calamity. With the
* Lettre de cachet," a warrant for the arrest of a person under the old regime(government) of France.
able-bodied men always under arms, and with no oxen toassist in tilling the ground, dependence had to be placed onthe Indians for bread food. Successive overflows destroyedthe corn crops of these, and the garrison was often reducedto acorns for nourishment. In 1711 the fort itself stood underwater, and spies brought word that the English Indians werepurposing to profit by the high water and make an attack bythe way of the river on the French settlement. They hadalready made an attack on the Tohomes and Mobile villages,but had been driven back.
Removal of the Fort.—In this extremity a council ofofficers decided, for better protection, to concentrate forcesand means and bring the two posts closer together by re-moving the fort colony nearer to Massacre Island. A newfort was built nearer the mouth of the river and the garrisonremoved to it, the colonists following and settling around ; butvery much discouraged at the loss and trouble of the change.
During the summer months, in order to spare his store ofprovisions, Bienville allowed his unmarried men of goodcharacter to live among the neighboring Indian tribes. Itwas a privilege they eagerly sought, and one which maderare returns of frolic and pleasure, particularly when thevisit was to the gentle Natchez or to the Colapissas livingon the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The days were filledwith long fishing and hunting excursions with all their whole-some and exciting adventures, the nights with jollity and funwith the young folks around the camp fires, under the greenleaves. Once a violinist was taken along, and the pretty In-dian girls were taught to dance the stately gavotte and cotil-lon, and to sing the sprightly French songs, the woods peal-ing with merriment. It was not always easy for the Frenchmento return at Bienville's summons, and the Indians were assorry as they over the parting.* The good fellowship which
* A young ship carpenter, named Pennicaut, one of Bienville's followers who ob-tained this privilege summer after summer, has written a most charming descriptionof his adventures among the Indians. "
resulted from this friendly commingling of his men with thenatives, and his stern punishment of any offence of his menagainst hospitality, was one of the reasons of Bienville's goodreputation among the Indians and of his safety among them.For almost at any time, had they wished it, they could havecombined and swept him and his colony out ot existence.
Give an account of Bienville's charge. Bienville's life and character.!Fort St. Louis de la Mobile. Spaniards at Pensacola. Indian troubles.!Epidemic. Dissensions. Charges against Bienville. WhjwasBien-jville dismissed.? By whom succeeded.'' What instructions were giveniDe Muys and d'Artaguette.'' What of the investigation into Bien-iville's conduct.?
CHAPTER XI.
LOUISIANA CHARTERED.
Crozat's Charter. 1712.—The reason why Pontchartraindid not send relief to the colony was that the financial condi-tion of France was extremely depressed. The many wars andextravagant expenditures of the court during the long reignof Louis XIV* had brought the country almost to bank-ruptcy. All the executive branches of the government suf-fered for want of money. Public expenses were lowered inevery way, and France's great glory and pride, her colonialestablishments, were cut down with a mere pittance. As forLouisiana and the mouth of the Mississippi, Pontchartrainsaw that he must abandon them, unless he could find someone who would assist him in the responsibility of providingfor their needs.
After two years' negotiation the Sieur Antoine de Crozat,a capitalist and favorite of the court, was induced to become
* Louis XIV, calledthe "Grand Monarque," gave his name to the 17th century inFrance. He reigned seventy-two years; died in 1715, and was succeeded by hisgreat-gradson, Louis XV. The Duke of Orleans, nephew of Louis XIV, was re-ffcnt during the minority of Louis XV.
the chartered owner of the colony for fifteen years, for whatprofit he could draw out of the monopoly of its trade.
Lamothe Cadillac. 1710.—Lamothe Cadillac was namedgovernor. One of the most prominent French pioneers inAmerica for twenty years ; indefatigable, shrewd and clever,he would have been an excellent governor but for his obstinateadherence to his own opinions and opposition to the opinionsof others.
Bienville again petitioned to be allowed to return toFrance, or to his old position in the navy. But his wisdomm managing the Indians made his presence a necessity inthe colony. Pontchartrain ordered him to remain, and as-signed him to the command of the Mississippi, with head-quarters at Natchez, where a fort was to be built (calledRosalie, after the Countess of Pontchartrain).
Bienville, who, with his brothers, Canadian friends andkinsmen, had been supreme for so long a time in the colony,did not welcome the new governor put over them in a kindlyspirit. Cadillac, on his side, was resentful, arbitrary anddomineering to the Canadians.
It was not long before the settlement was in a state ofpetty warfare, worse even than in the time of De la Salleand De la Vente. Cadillac stood at the head of one cabal,Bienville at the head of the other, and the aggressive enmityof both fell short only of personal conflict.
Crozat, to make sure of Cadillac's zeal, gave him an interestin his trading profit. But the efforts to develop a lucrativetrade in the colony were a dismal failure. St. Denis was sentto Mexico with packs of goods; ships were loaded for theCentral American ports ; trading posts and magazines wereestablished at Natchez, and at all the principal stations alongthe river.* To force the colonists to buy of him, no vessels
* Under St. Denis a trading post was established on Red river, on the site of thepresent town of Natchitoches. St. Denis explored Red river much further and ad-vanced on a tour of exploration as far as Kio Bravo del Nerte, to observe themovements of the Spaniards, to see whether they had advanced over that river intoJ^ouisiana. He found that they had formed a settlement on the western side of the
or goods but those of Crozat were allowed to enter the prov-ince. Prices were put up to suit Crozat's desires.. And asmuch as possible, all the expenses of the colony were paidin merchandise at these exorbitant prices. The inhabitantswere forbidden selling anything out of the province, and pro-hibited even from owning a sea-gomg vessel. The peltry ofthe Canadian trappers was bought at the lowest of prices,which, as there was no competition, were fixed by Crozat'scommissioners; and he obliged them to receive pay in hismerchandise also at his own valuation.
Under the circumstances it is not surprising that hugestores of goods rotted m the various warehouses before find-ing a purchaser. As for the commerce with Mexico and theSpanish posts upon which Crozat's greatest expectation hadbeen based, they were destroyed by recent prohibitive meas-ures of Spain against French trade.*
In the Crozat charter the king had agreed to provide forithe garrison as usual. But neither pay nor uniforms arrivedfor the soldiers, who, naked and destitute, and not able tobuy except from Crozat's stores, began to desert to the Eng-lish in Canada. To the sum of discord and distress and de-sertion came threatened Indian troubles.
First War of the Natchez. 1716.—In January, 1716,news came to Mobile that the Natchezf were raising thehatchet against the French. They had pillaged Crozat's
Bravo and erected a fort called Presidio of St. John the Baptist; no settlement hadbeen made by them east of that river, but they claimed jurisdiction to that riverunder the name of province of "Texas," signifying friends, because the Indiansvirere friendly.
About the same time a small settlement and trading post was established on theYazou, on Sicily Island and high up on the Ouachita (Monroe). Charleville, oneof tJrozat's traders, penetrated into the Schawanese tribes, then known as the Chou-anoes, as far as the Cumberland river. His store was situated on a mound near thepresent site of Nashville. The same year also French posts and missions were es-tablished upon the upper tributaries ot the Sabine, also a little settlement was madethirty miles west of the present Nacogdoches.
?According to a clause in the treaty of Utrecht (which ended the War of the Suc-cession), Spain closed her American ports to French goods, and gave tradingprivilege to England.
t The reason of the outbreak seemed to be the neglect of Cadiliac, in a voyageup and down the river, refusing or slighting the offered calumet of the Natchez.The Natchez suspiciously concluded that war was intended and struck the firstblow.
storehouse, killed his commissioners, and were putting todeath all Frenchmen caught traveling up and down the river.Nothing could be more disastrous to the colony. There wasno nation so important to it as the Natchez, none with whomit was so necessary to keep on good terms. But since theywere in revolt it was vital to subjugate them promptly andin an impressive manner.
The difference between Crozat and Bienville had deterredthe latter hitherto from taking up his position at the projectedfort. Now he hastened in every possible manner to get toit at once. But he could obtain from Cadillac only aforce of forty-nine men. With these he started, and by Aprilarrived at the village of the Tunicas, about fifty miles belowthe Natchez.
As he had not force enough to war, he saw himself obligedto gain his point by subtlety. He learned that the Natchezhad assassinated another Frenchman coming down the riverfrom the Illinois, and were lying in wait at the same placefor fifteen more who were expected. He was warned, also,by the French missionary against the Tunicas, who had re-ceived presents to kill him. Concealing his anxiety at thislast information, and his knowledge of the state of affairsamong the Natchez, he assembled the Tunica warriors andgave out to them that his mission was to make a trading es-tablishment among the Natchez, but as his men were veryfatigued with the voyage, he was going to camp on an islanda third of a league below, to rest for some time, and thatthey would do him a favor by sending some of their tribe toannounce his arrival to the Natchez.
This was done at once. He proceeded to the island, wherehe immediately erected an intrenchment and the necessaryshelters for his men. A few days later three Natchez ar-rived, sent by their chief to present the calumet to Bienville.He waved it aside, saying that they could get some of hissoldiers to smoke it, but that tor himself, being a great chief
of the French, he would only smoke a calumet presented bya Sun chief. The next day the three warriors returned.Bienville sent with them a young Frenchman, who spoketheir language perfectly, to whom he explained everything tosay to the chiefs, and all the answers necessary to inducethem to come to the island. The same day he sent one ofhis bravest and most adroit Canadians in a pirogue, to slipby the Natchez during the night and hasten up the river towarn the fifteen men coming down from the Illinois. Hegave him, to place in different points of the river, a dozengreat sheets of parchment on which was written in largecharacters: "The Natchez have declared war against theFrench, and M. de Bienville is camped at the Tunicas."
In about a week there were seen approaching the islandfour pirogues, in each of which were four men erect, chant-ing the calumet, and three sitting under parasols, with twelveswimmers round about. It was the Natchez Suns comingto fall into the trap prepared for them.
Bienville ordered one-half of his men not to show them-selves, but to keep under arms near by. The other halfwere to stand unarmed around his tent, and when the boatslanded were to take the arms of the savages as they steppedashore ; and he charged them only to let the eight chiefs henamed enter his tent; the rest were to remain seated at thedoor. The eight chiefs entered, holding their calumet,which they presented to Bienville. He pushed it aside withcontempt and asked them what satisfaction they were going togive him for the five Frenchmen that they had assassinated.They hung their heads without answering, at which Bien-ville made a sign to have them seized and conducted tothe prison he had prepared for them. They were put inirons. In the evening bread and meat were presented tothem. They refused to eat. All sang their death song.The next morning he persuaded them to send one of theirnumber to the village for the heads of the assassins. Five
days later the little Sun returned, fetching three heads.Only two were identified as belonging to the guilty parties.Bienville threw the rejected head at the teet of the Sunsand reproached them for sacrificing an innocent man. Thechiefs confessed that the head was that of a warrior whohad taken no part in the killing of the Frenchmen, but thatbeing the brother of one of the murderers who had escaped, hehad been put to death in his place. Bienville kept his Natchezvisitors prisoners a month while awaiting the capture of thethird criminal. The great Sun fell ill. His irons were re-moved, and he was taken into Bienville's tent, and treatedwith great kindness.
The river began to rise and the water stood over the island ;the tents had to be raised on scaffoldings. As many of hismen fell ill, Bienville concluded to make terms without wait-ing further. The Natchez agreed to put the escaped assassinto death when they found him, and consented to Bienville'sexecuting two of the warriors captured in the Sun's party, asit had been proved that they had a hand in the killing. Theypledged themselves also to furnish timber and assist in build-ing the fort for the French at their landing, and henceforthto observe a loyal peace with them. They were released andrestored to their villages.
Fort Rosalie. 1716.—In the course of the month a solid,handsome fort was constructed according to agreement.Bienville put his lieutenant, De Pailloux, in command andreturned to Mobile.
Cadillac Recalled. 1716.—On his arrival in Mobile,Bienville found that Cadillac had been recalled, and he putin command until the arrival of the new governor, De I'Epi-nay.
De I'Epinay. 1717.—De I'Epinay was an old lieutenantof marine who had seen considerable service in Canada.Crozat not only gave to him, as to Cadillac, an interest in theprofit of his charter, but agreed to pay him two thousand
livres a year additional, if, as the governor, he would strictlyand severely execute the ordinance protecting his monopolyof trade.
De I'Epinay was accompanied by a new commissary, Hu-bert. On the vessel that brought them came also a band ofemigrants and three companies of soldiers. Bienville wasmaintained in his same position, and received as recognitionof his past services the Cross of St. Louis. But his disap-pointment at not succeeding Cadillac was great. He thoughtthat his services entitled him to the first place in the colony,and he resented the belittling of himself and his Canadianfellow pioneers in favor of strangers to Louisiana.
The secret dissatisfaction soon broke out into open contest.Hubert, the new commissary, sided with De I'Epinay, andthe usual accusations were banded from one side to the other.De I'Epinay was charged with tyrannical conduct, scandal-ous morals, withholding the presents sent to the Indians forhimself, and illicit trading. Bienville was accused of beinga paid pensioner of the Spanish government. It was a libelwhich he never forgot nor forgave.
Crozat Gives up His Charter. 1717.—Crozat, finding outat last there was no trade to be had with Spanish ports, andnot enough in the colony in spite of all his protection to payhim for his expenditures, prayed the king to be relieved ofhis charter. His prayer was granted; and Louisiana andCanada, by another charter, was made over for twenty-fiveyears to a company called the Company of the West and ofthe Indies. The president of the company was the famousJohn Law.*
*John Law, a Scotchman, was one of the most celebrated financiers who everlived. A friend and protege of the regent, Duke of Orleans, he was allowed to ap-ply his theories to the amelioration of the national debt of France. He opened abank called the Bank of France, which operated most successfully in re-establish-ing credit and reducing the interest on the debt. By degrees Law, extending hisschemes, took into it the entire colonial interests of France in one comprehensivecompany, the stock of which, under his manipulations, rose to a fabulous height;to fall again to the lowest depths. The Company of the Mississippi, as it came to becalled, met at first with a most glittering success, and its failure involved the bank-ruptcy of Law and the greatest ruin in France. In Louisiana it was, on the whole,
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of the Crozat charter. Disputes between Bienvilleand Cadillac. Cadillac's efforts to secure trade. St. Denis' explora-tions (see note). First war of the Natchez. Terms of peace. Build-ing of Fort Rosalie. Who succeeded Cadillac.^ Who was De 1' Epinay.?Who was John Law?
CHAPTER XII.THE COnPANY OF THE WEST.
The Company of the West by its charter acquired fortwenty-five years the exclusive monopoly of the trade ofLouisiana, with the absolute ownership of any mines thatmight be discovered in the country, the title to any landsthey improved, and the right of granting concessions to itsstockholders, upon condition of settlement and improvement.They were given all the forts, magazines, guns, ammunition,vessels, provisions, etc., in the colony, with all the merchan-dise surrendered by Crozat. They were empowered to raisetroops, fit out ships of war, cast cannon, make war or peacewith the Indians, and nominate governors and officers (to becommissioned, however, by the king). On its side, the com-pany obligated itself to build churches, provide clergymen,and to bring into the colony during the term of its charter sixthousand whites and three thousand blacks. The first direc-tors of Ihe company, six in number, were to be named bythe king; afterwards they were to be elected every threeyears by the stockholders.*
The Superior Council. 1719.—During the Crozat char-ter, 1712, a council, called the Superior Council, was ap-
most beneficial in developing the colony. The title by which it is now known, theMississippi Bubble, records the verdict passed upon it by posterity. Law tell likehis stock, from vast wealth to utter worthlessness. He ended his days a poverty-stricken, homeless adventurer.
*The first directors of the company named by the regent were: Law, directorgeneral of the Bank of France; Diron d'Artaguette (former royal commissary),receiver general of the finances of Auch ; Duche, receiver general of the finances ofLa Rochelle; Moreau, deputy of commerce of St. JSIalo; Piou, deputy of com-merce of Nantes; Castaigne and Mouchard, merchants of La Rochelle.
pointed for three years, to administer justice in civil andcriminal cases. It was composed of five members—the gov-ernor, the royal commissary, the commander of the royaltroops, who elected the other two members, and an attorneygeneral, clerk, etc.
The term of this first board having expired, a new one*was appointed, composed of the directors of the companypresided over by the governor, with the director general ofthe company as senior counsellor. But, although he had theseat of honor at the board, the governor had no more powerthan his one vote entitled him to, and he was in reality subor-dinate to the senior counsellor, who performed the functionsof president of the tribunal, counting the votes, pronouncing¦judgments, affixing seals, etc.
Inferior Councils.—Hitherto this council was the sole tri-bunal of the colony, but the increasing extension of popula-tion demanded that tribunals should be stationed in severalparts of the province. The directors of the company and theagents, with two to four of the most notable of the inhabi-tants of any neighborhood, were, therefore, constituted mtosuch inferior tribunals. Their judgments were appealable tothe Superior Council.
Bienville Governor. 1718.—The new company appliedall the stimulus of capital and determination to the develop-ment of their enterprise.
They recalled De I'Epinay, and gave the government toBienville (with the title of Commandant General for theKing), as to the one man qualified by experience and abilityto carry out their expectations. The appointment was backedby three ships loaded with abundant supplies of money,provisions, merchandise and a full corp of directors, under
*The first Superior Council under the Company of the West was composed ofBienville, commandant general; Hubert, senior counsellor; Boisbriant and Chat-eaugue, king's lieutenants; I'Archambault, Villardo and Legas, puisne counsel--lors ; Cartier de Baume was the attorney general, and Cuture the clerk.
79
a director general,* and more than seven hundred emi-grants.
A large and capable corps of engineers was sent out underthe Chevalier Leblond de la Tour, a knight of St. Louis, tosuperintend the construction of the necessary public works.
Bienville went to action with an energy which showed thathe considered the expectations of the company of easy ful-filment with the means at his disposal.
To make sure of his western boundaries against the Span-iards, he sent Chateaugnay to take possession and build afort at La Salle's old site on the coast of Texas. De laHarpe, with fifty emigrants, was sent to establish a post onRed river among the Caddodaquious. The newly arrivedengineers were ordered to examine and report upon the depthof water at the mouth of the Mississippi, with a view to se-curing a good channel into it.
New Orleans. 1718.—He himself, with a party of work-men, set out to accomplish a design which had lain near hisheart ever since the days of his command at Fort Maurepas.This was to found a city on the banks of the Mississippi;
?Among the first arrivals, in August, 1718, was the first historian of Louisiana,Le Page du Pratz. He came with a force of ten men, and selected a tract of landnear the new city. Du Pratz relates the anchoring of his ship in the open road be-fore Dauphin Island ; the chanting of the Te Deum for the safe voyage, the landingof the passengers and their effects, etc. On the island he was lodged and led by afriend, an old ship captain who treated him to the most wonderful good cheer, thefish particularly eliciting glowing praise.
for he was convinced that a city thus situated would one daybe one of the trading centres of the continent. He hadchosen the spot years before, and had even settled some Can-adians there to prove its fertility and height above overflow.It was a ridge of high land near the bank of the Mississippi,about one hundred and fifty miles from its mouth ; commu-nicating with Lake Pontchartrain in the rear by a smallbayou (afterwards named Bayou St. John). He named theplace after the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, the patronof Law and the Company of the West.
Colonization. 1718.—Over in France the MississippiCompany continued parceling out its capital of land in largeconcessions to its shareholders, who sent over emigrants bythe ship load to take possession. The Yazou* district,Natchez, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Baton Rouge, Man-chac, Houma, Tchoupitoulas (jnst above the site of the newcity), Cannes Brulees, Bay of St. Louis, Pascagoula, allwere made over to noble or millionaire families. Law him-self secured a tract of four miles square on the Arkansas, towhich he shipped Protestant Swiss and German emigrants.
The small establishments of Mobile and Dauphin Islandstaggered under the sudden increase of population put uponthem. According to the terms of the Mississippi Company,free lodging, food and transportation were guaranteed to thecolonists. As the concessions were scattered all over the lowerMississippi valley, boats and carts had to be made to conveythe emigrants. The overworked carpenters did what theycould, but delays were unavoidable, and while the emigrantswere waiting for the means of transportation they were
* A company headed by Leblanc, secretary of state, the Comte de Bienville, andthe Marquis de Assleck, took p.issession of the Yazous. Concessions at Natchezwere jnade to the Commissioner Hubert, and to a company of St. Malo merchants.Natchitoch s was conceded to Bernard de la Harpe, the compiler of "JournalHistoriques ;" Tunicas to St Reme ; Pointe Coupee to De Meuse ; the present siteof Baton Rouge to Diron d'Artaguette; the bank of the Mississippi oppositeManchac to Paris Duvernay; the Tchoupitoulas lands to De Muys; that of theOumas to Marquis d'Artagnac;the bank opposite to De Guiche, Dela Houssaie andDe la Houpe ; Bay St. Louis to Madame de Mezieres; and Pascagoula to Madamede Chaumont.
forced to eat the provisions sent to feed them in their new-homes, and spend the money they had brought to furnishthem. No lodgings being provided, they were forced tosleep under any shelter they could find. In the summermonths this produced great distress and sickness, particularlyamong the women and children.
Capture of Pensacola. 1719. — But the colony was toreceive an interruption, and an interruption of the pleas-antest kind to the Canadian governor and his soldiers.
In April, 1719, Bienville's brother and nephew, the twoDe Serignys,* sailed into the harbor of Dauphin Island,bringing the news of war between France and Spain. Thiswas the opportunity for which the French had been waitingfor twenty years, to capture Pensacola. Bienville summoneda council of war, and it was decided to attack the Spaniardsat once, before they heard the news and had time to putthemselves in a state of defence.
As soon as his cargoes were discharged De Serigny sailedthere with his ships, the Marechal de Villars and the Philippe,followed by the Count de Toulouse, which happened to be inport. They carried one hundred and fifty soldiers. Bien-ville sailed in a sloop with eighty men. With a fair windthey made a good run to Isle Ste. Rosa, the outpost of theSpaniards. Anchoring as close to land as possible, the troopsdisembarked unperceived, and soon mastered the small gar-rison stationed there. Putting their prisoners in irons anddressing in their uniforms they easily deceived and cap-tured the detail, who came out next morning to relieveguard. Embarking then in the Spanish boat, they crossedthe bay, entered the fort, surprised the sentinels on duty, andcaptured the whole place—soldiers, magazine, storehouse andthe commandant, who was still in bed. Chateaugnay was
* De Serigny, the brother, was charged with the commission to examine andsound the coast of Louisiana. His maps form the beginning of the scientific car-tography of the Mississippi Delta.
put in command, and the Spanish garrison shipped for Ha-vana on the Comte de Toulouse. The governor of Havanareceived the French officers in charge most ceremoniously,thanking them for the politeness of their visit; but no soonerwere the prisoners in his hands than he seized them withtheir ship, placed the soldiers in irons and put the entire crew,officers and all, in prison. He then equipped the Frenchvessel with a Spanish crew and Spanish soldiers, and sentthem with his squadron to retake Pensacola. The Spanishvessels drew up behind the Isle Ste. Rosa. The French ves-sels, flying the French colors, boldly entered the channel.Scarcely was anchor dropped, however,when the French flagwas lowered, the Spanish run up, and three cannon shotsfired. At the signal the rest of the squadron made its appear-ance, twelve sail in all. The next day eighteen hundred menwere landed and began the assault, which soon reduced thefort. Chateaugnay was sent to rejoin his compatriots inHavana. The Spanish commander then sailed over to Mo-bile and summoned Serigny, who was in command, to sur-render. Serigny, surrounded by his soldiers, Canadians, andsavages in all their war paint, received the messenger andtold him that the Spaniards could come when they pleased,they would find the French ready to receive them. And intruth the French made so gallant a show that the Spaniardsdid not venture to land, nor even come within gunshot ofthe French batteries. One of their vessels, entering the bay,captured some flat-boats of provisions and ravaged the plan-tations along the shore. Fortunately, that night Bienville wassending la reinforcement of Indians to his brother. Thesefell upon the marauders. Very few escaped.
The sight of a squadron o± French war ships in the gulfhastened the departure of the Spanish fleet. With this strongreinforcement, Bienville and Serigny shortly afterwardssailed again to Pensacola and captured it a second time, anddestroyed its fortifications.
After this sprightly episode, the colony returned to itsformer routine of life.
Inflation. 1719.—Emigrants continued to arrive by thehundred, two hundred, four hundred at a time. Ignorant ofall life except that of the small peasant of France, dazedfrom the long voyage, weak from sea-sickness, a more help-less mass of people never landed in a new country. And noemigrants ever landed in a more unfavorable spot than Dau-phin Island. Put ashore with their scanty effects, they wereforced to wait weeks for the means of transportation to theirconcessions; without shelter, with insufficient food, unableto find work or gain anything by cultivating the arid soil,tortured and blinded by the dazzling white sand, under therays of a tropical sun, exposed to the infection of the shipsfrom the West Indian Islands, always waiting and hopingand being disappointed, it is easy to believe that most ofthe unfortunate creatures died on the spot of their misery.The directors of the company, more and more helplessbefore the increasing difficulties of the situation, and moreand more unable to meet the demands upon them, werepanic stricken at the crisis which they saw impending. Theycouid think of no remedy but a change of base.
Bienville exerted himself in vain in favor of New Orleans.The emigrants, he maintained, could be landed there andeasily distributed to their concessions, or find self-support incultivating the rich alluvial soil. He was outvoted at thecouncil, which decided in favor of the old capital, Biloxi.
Biloxi. 1720.—The move was effected with all haste, andat great expense to the company and colony ; and in a shorttime Fort St. Louis de la Mobile was only a garrison post,and Dauphin Island a way station for incoming and outgoingships. But, as Bienville had maintained, there was no changefrom the removal except to still greater financial loss and hu-man misery. The emigrants continued to increase m numbersand their quality decreased. Formerly small bodies of con-
victs were sent to Louisiana to work out their sentences there inclearing and developing the land. Now the company, to keepup by flattering numbers its enterprise in the eyes of the share-holders, began to send as emigrants any material they couldget, even by force or fraud. Prisons, reformatories, asylumsand hospitals were raided, and the inmates shipped to theMississippi. Kidnappers in the streets of Paris and otherlarge cities of France drove a thriving trade by furnishingemigrants at so much a head. And to add to the dark pic-ture, slave ships brought their wretched, reeking Africancargoes, and dumped them, like so much ballast, on thesands of Biloxi. The result can be imagined. Crime andoutrage could not be prevented. The famine became sogreat that more than five hundred died of hunger. Fish andoysters were all the food that the starving creatures couldfind, and to get them they had to wade out in water up totheir waists. Their dead bodies were found in heaps aroundpiles of oyster shells.
New Biloxi.—A drunken, sleeping sergeant, by letting hislighted pipe fall in his tent, started a fire which consumedBiloxi to the ground. A council of all the colonial officerswas held, and another transference of headquarters was de-cided upon. Bienville again made an effort in favor of NewOrleans, and was again outvoted, on the pretext that therewas not enough water at the mouth of the Mississippi to per-mit the entrance of loaded vessels. The point of land oppo-site Deer Island, called thenceforth New Biloxi, was chosenfor the seat of government, and orders for its establishmentcarried into effect at once. A fort and extensive buildingswere put up on the mainland, and a hospital on the island.
Bienville met the denial of the possibility of loaded vesselsentering the mouth of the Mississippi by the proposition tosend the " Dromadaire/' a vessel of the company, throughit as a test. One of the directors opposed this violently onthe strength of a certificate from the captain of the " Drom-
adaire," that his vessel could not get through the mouth ofthe river. Bienville then declared that he would send thevessel through on his own responsibility; the director warnedhim that if he did so he would be held liable for damages.Bienville, shortly afterwards, did in fact carry the " Drom-adaire " triumphantly through the passes.
Pauger, De la Tour's assistant, was dispatched to the passesto make maps of them and a report to send to France, toprove Bienville's theory, that the Mississippi was navigablefor large vessels and that New Orleans must be the capitalof the province. Pauger* went also with a force of convictsto lay out New Orleans as a regular city. He accomplishedthe task satisfactorily; clearing the neglected space, aligningstreets, assigning allotments, and making a plan of the whole,containing the names of the owners of the allotments.
The Mississippi Bubble. 1721.—Just at the time thenews of Law's failure and flight, and collapse of the Missis-sippi scheme, reached the colony. All enterprise and hopewere for a moment paralyzed, and a financial panic seemedinevitable. But ships, emigrants, soldiers and merchandisecontinued to arrive as before, and it soon became evidentthat whatever the amount of bankruptcy caused in Franceto the stockholders and investors in the Mississippi scheme,Louisiana was not going to be given up as a bad debt.
In France the board of directors to whom had been con-fided the liquidation of the company made known their de-termination not to abandon the enterprise by sending out newdirectors and two officials, Messrs. Daunoy and De la Chaise,to examine into the late accounts.
The statements published by the Company of the Westproved that during the term of its charter it had transportedto Louisiana 7020 persons, among these 600 negroes. The
* Pauger's map of New Orleans is the earliest we have.
expenditures had been enormous ; those of the last year alonehaving risen to 474,274 livres.
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of the Company of the West? The judicial ad-ministration of the colony? What of New Orleans? Give an accountof the capture of Pensacola and follow^ing circumstances? What ofthe inflation of 1719? The sufferings of emigrants? Move to Biloxi?Scenes there? New Biloxi? How did Bienville exert himself in favorof New Orleans? What of the passage of the " Dromadaire " throughthe mouth of the Mississippi? What was the effect of the breakingof the Mississippi Bubble in Louisiana? How many persons had theCompany of the West brought into Louisiana?
CHAPTER XIII.
NEW ORLEANS.
New Orleans, Capital of the Colony. 1722.—Bienville'sreiterated letters on the subject, with Pauger's map and re-ports, at last convinced the Louisiana administrators inFrance, and the long desired authorization was received tcremove the capital of the colony to New Orleans.
Centralization.—From this moment Louisiana ceased tobe a mere colonial experiment, and began to be self sustain-ing from its own efforts. The work of transference wasbegun without delay and was prosecuted with vigor. InJune, 1732, De la Tour and Pauger lead the way, by sail-ing in a loaded vessel through the mouth of the river. As.soon as word was brought back that they had passed the bar,other boats followed with men, building materials, ammuni-tion and provisions.
Under De la Tour's supervision, the city took form andshape. A church and houses were built, levees thrown up,
ditches made, and a great canal dug in the rear for drainage;a cemetery located, and a quay constructed protected withpalisades. Bienville arrived and took up his residencethere in August. To Pauger w^as assigned a post at theBalize.* With fifty workmen and a dredge boat, he per-formed marvels in an incredibly short time. Besides keepinga pass open, he built out of the drift caught from the river,lodgings, storehouses, boats, a smithy, and a chapel with abelfry that could serve for a light-house, while his gardensfurnished the gladdest of welcomes both to the eye and heartof the weary incoming sea traveler.
Beginnings of New Orleans.—New Orleans, however,had no more fortunate beginnings than Mobile or Biloxi. Inthe midst of the building and transportation the Septemberstorm came on, with a hitherto unexperienced violence. Forfive days the furious hurricane raging from east to west,swept land and sea. The ripened crops of rice, corn, andbeans on the river bank were utterly destroyed, the housesand buildings of the planters blown down. In New Orleansthe church and most of the new edifices were demolished,and three vessels wrecked in the river. At Biloxi, the maga-zine with all the stores, and a ship with its cargo of ammuni-tion and food were ruined ; almost all of the boats, sloops andpirogues were lost, and two ships rendered totally unfit forservice. For a week the greatest apprehensions were felt onaccount of the three ships anchored at Ship Island and for aship on its way to the mouth of the river loaded with pinetimber for a storehouse, which had cost the company over ahundred thousand livres. All of them arrived in course oftime at New Orleans, passing with facility over the bar.Another crop of rice sprouted from the seeds scattered bythe storm—a proof of the fertility of the land—which cameas a great consolation to the colonists ; but the destruction of
?Balize means buoy.
Other food which could not be replaced brought upon themthe affliction of a famine.
To complete the sum of disasters fevers broke out withgreat mortality, and the indomitable Bienville himself fellill, and for a time his life was despaired of. But the citygrew despite it all, and became, as it was destined to become,the centre of the colony, attracting inhabitants from all quar-ters.
After the bankruptcy of Law, his concessions upon theArkansas became entirely neglected. Most of his colonists,seeing themselves abandoned by him, moved down to NewOrleans, in hopes of finding a passage back to their nativecountry. The council, not willing to lose them, gave themland on both banks of the river, about twenty miles above thecity. It is still called from them the " Cote des Allemands "!(divided between the parishes St. Charles and St. John theBaptist). The industrious Germans took to garden cultureand soon supplied the markets of New Orleans with vegeta-bles. Every Saturday their little fleet was seen descendingthe river loaded with their fresh verdant produce.
Restoration of Pensacola to the Spaniards.—The ter-mination of the war with Spain, and a double marriagealliance between the two crowns, made the retention of Pen-sacola by France an impossibility. It was formally surren-dered by Bienville in the beginning of the year 1723.
Second Natchez War. 1723.—The disaffected Natcheztribes had gradually recovered from the crushing punishmenlinflicted upon them and again influenced by either theEnglish or by the Chickasaws, allies of the English, hadcommenced their depredations and ambushed assaults uponthe French—attempts which had grown in boldness until feanwere entertained for the safety of the post. After the usual rou-tine of pacificatory measures—summoning the chiefs to him,haranguing them, giving presents to them, Bienville saw him-self forced to an attitude more intelligible to the savage mind.
In October, 1723, he landed there with a small army ot sevenhundred men—regulars, volunteers and Indians. To give thevillagers no time to rally or fortify, he began his march againstthem the morning after arrival. " Stung Serpent," a notedNatchez chief, still loyal to the French, hurried to FortRosalie, where the commandant slept, and confessed that thepeople of the White Apple, Jenzenaque and Gray Villagewere in a state of insurrection, and obtained from Bienvillethe promise that vengeance should strike only the three guiltyvillages. It was on All Saints' Day that the army, with allprecautions for their surprise, filed through the narrow pathsof the forest surrounding the doomed White Apple village.They came to a mud cabin, before which were three squawspounding corn. The women ran in and closed the door afterthem. Two or three warriors inside made a defence, butthey were expeditiously killed and scalped and the womenmade prisoners. With the exception of some individual ex-ploits by Canadian and Indian scouts, this was the only war-like achievement of the French in the campaign. The WhiteApple village was found deserted ; it was burned and thearmy returned to St. Catherine's Concession, whence theyhad set out in the morning.
A few days later, Bienville led his army against the Grayvillage, with the same results. The village and temple wereburned. From a captured squaw it was learned that the In-dians were awaiting the French at the Jenzenaque village, ahalf league away. On this the army was wheeled about, and aTunica chief leading the way, marched toward the enemy. Astrong cabin was discovered on a height, the fifes struck up,and the army forming into a square advanced. This cabin,like the others, was found empty. The Tunica chief, taking aturn around the height, perceived below him one of theenemy's chiefs, a Little Sun, or rather they both at the sametime saw one another; aimed and fired. The Tunica chiefstretched his enemy dead on the spot, but fell himself danger-
ously wounded at the instant. The army then again returnedto St. Catherine. Bienville summoned Stung Serpent to himand they agreed upon a peace; but the Natchez, not theFrench, were felt to have been victorious in the skirmish.
Bienville Recalled. 1724.—There had been no moreharmony between Bienville and the Directors General Hubertand Duvergier than between him and the Governors Cadillacand De I'Epinay. And, as in the former cases, discordstook the shape of charges and accusations. The suspicioncaused by the old stories of De la Salle and De la Ventehad never wholly died out, and every dissatisfied official re-turning to France revived them by their versions of newtyrannies and flagrant peculations.
Hubert and Duvergier took to France their accusations inwritten documents with notarial signatures and attestation.These produced prompt effect in official headquarters. Aletter from the king directed Bienville to sail to France im-mediately and answer for himself.
Black Code. 1724,—To provide the security and protec-tion of the law to the growing number of negro slaves im-ported into the colony, Bienville published his celebratedCode for the Blacks, or "Code Noir," taken from the regu-lations compiled by the jurists of Louis XIV for the islandof St. Domingo. It was the last public ordinance to whichhe affixed * his name before returning to France. After hisdeparture the Superior Council investigated the charges madeby Hubert and Duvergier. They reported that they foundthem to be only the calumny of the malicious. The notarywho had signed them had his commission revoked and washimself condemned as a libeler.
*Also signed by De la Chaise, Fazende, Brusle, Perry, members of the SuperiorCouncil. De la Chaise had succeeded to Duvergier as Commissary General of thecolony. The following is the list of captains commanding in Louisiana, with thedate of their commissions: 1714, Marigny de Mandeville ; 1717, De la Tour, D'Ar-taguette ; 1719, Du Tisne, Lamarque ; 1730, Leblanc, Desliettes, Marchand de Cour-celles, Renault d'Hauterive and Pradel.
The year following, rumors being rife in the colonythat the Indians were rejoicing over the recall of Bienville,and that his reappearance in the colony would be the signalfor hostilities from them, De Noyan, Bienville's nephew,made a request to the Superior Council that the Natchez,Houmas, Tunicas and other tribes might give voice to theirsentiments and refute so grievous a calumny against his uncle.The Superior Council acceding, these nations made theirdeclarations that they all regretted Bienville.
Bienville was, nevertheless, destituted, and in his ruin in-volved his family and friends. Chateaugnay was relieved ofhis rank, the twoDeNoyans were broken and sent to France.
Boisbriant was recalled to give an account of his conduct.Pauger, Perry, Perrault, as members of the council, werecensured; the two latter were sent to France. Fazende,also dismissed, was allowed to remain in the colony. Inshort, for the first time since its colonization, Louisiana wasto own in its government neither member nor iriend of thefamily of its founders.
Arrived in France, Bienville presented his justification tothe minister, the memoir* of the services that had filled hislife ; since a mere stripling he had followed his brother Iber-
* The following is an extract from his memoir:
*• It is not without trouble I arrived at being absolute master of so many nations'• of such barbarous tempers and such different characters, almost every one of" which has a particular language. One can conjecture how many difficulties I" encountered and what risks I ran to lay the foundations of the colony and" maintain it to the present time. Necessity, it is said, renders us industrious; I ex-" perienced that it also renders us intrepid in danger, and makes us perform, so" to speak, the impossible in the different conjunctures in which one finds oneself" in an unknown world with such a small force. I first applied myself to putting" myself in a position to govern by myself without the aid of an interpreter. 1" applied myself to the language which appeared to me to be the dominant one" among the savages, and of which the knowledge would facilitate me in learning" the others in the end. I was fortunate enough Irom the first years to gain their" confidence and their friendship. I studied to know well their customs so as to be" able to retain them in peace with one another; so that for the twenty-seven years" during which I had the honor of commanding in the province, I was the arbiter'* of their differences. I always governed these nations, born in independence, so" to speak, despotically; and I pushed my authority to the deposing of chiefs.
*' The Sieur de Bienville dares say that the establishment of the colony is due*' to the constancy with which he has attached himself to it for twenty-seven years" without going out of it since he made the discovery of it with his brother Iber-"ville."
ville in quest of the country for the government of which hewas now, a middle-aged man, called to account.
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of the removal of capital to New Orleans. Whatof the beginning of the city? What of the Germans belonging toLaw's concession? When was Pensacola restored to the Spanish?Give an account of the Natchez war. The recall of Bienville. TheBlack Code. What of the investigation into his conduct by theSuperior Council? What of Bienville in France?
CHAPTER XIV.
NATCHEZ MASSACRE.
Perier Governor. 1725.—Bienville's successor, Perier,arrived and took up his abode in the capital, where, for atime, all went well in the march of improvement.
Ursuline Sisters.—A great event in the community wasthe arrival of six Ursuline Sisters to found a convent for theeducation of the young girls of the colony, and to serve inthe hospital. While their convent was being built, they tookup their residence in Bienville's* old hotel.
The Jesuits, who came over at the same time as theUrsulines, were given a tract of land immediately above thethe city, in what was long known as the faubourg St. Mary.They had a house and chapel built and laid out their groundin a plantation for Myrtle waxf trees.
^Situated in the space now bounded by Chartres, Decatur, Bienville and Cus-tomhouse streets. One of the nuns thus describes it in a letter to her father: "The•* finest house in the town. It is a two-story building-with an attic . . . with six" doors in the first story. In all the stories there are large windows, but with no" glass. The frames are closed with very thin linen, admitting of as much light as" glass."
t Wax was an important and valuable article of trade at a time when candleswere the principal means of illumination.
City in 1725.—The government house had been built onthe land next to the Jesuits. In the centre of the city stoodthe Cathedral; facing it was the Place d'Armes, on eachside of which were the barracks. A house for the sessionsof the Superior Councils and a jail were built on the squareimmediately above the Cathedral. A levee ran in front ofthe city, and a wide ditch for drainage on Bourbon street.Each lot was at first surrounded with a small ditch, inaddition to the larger ditches around the squares, but thesein course of time were filled. On the plantations the cultureof indigo had been added to that of tobacco and rice ; thefig tree was introduced from Provence, and the orange fromSt. Domingo.
To provide wives for the bachelors, numbers of young girlswere again brought into the colony. They were poor, butof good character and honest family. Each of them wassupplied with a small box, called in French "cassette/' con-taining clothing, which gave the girls the name of filles a lacassette. They remained in charge of the nuns until mar-ried.
Natchez Massacre. 1727. —After Bienville's last treatywith them the Natchez seemed determined to remain on goodterms with the French, but the systematic tyranny and injus-tice of Chepart, the officer in command of Fort Rosalie, in-furiated the tribes into such hatred that they inflicted a blowwhich made the colony reel, and appalled the home govern-ment. The crowning outrage of Chepart was most wanton.Looking for a suitable tract of land for a plantation, he casthis eyes upon the charmingly situated White Apple village,and determined to possess it. He sent for the Sun of thevillage and ordered him and his tribe to vacate it. The Sunreplied that the ancestors of his tribe had possessed the vil-lage as many years as there were hairs in his war lock, andit was only right that he and his descendants should still livein it. But the French commander, refusing to listen to reason
or remonstrance, fixed the day for evacuation. The Sunassembled the council of his village and made a speech inwhich he exposed the rapacity and tyranny of the French andurged the tribe to make a stand against it.
Village by village was aroused, and the different Sunsadopted the determination to strike one bloody blow, andfree themselves forever of the burthensome yoke upon them.Emissaries were sent to the adjoining tribes. Packages con-taining an equal number of sticks were prepared and sent toevery village, with directions to take out a stick every dayafter the new moon. The attack was to be made on the dayon which the last stick was taken out.
Great care was taken to keep the design from the women.One of the female Suns, however, had her suspicion aroused,and extracted the secret from her son. The bundle of sticksfor her village had been deposited in the temple, the keeperof which was to take out a stick daily and burn it in thesacred fire. The princess, by reason of her rank, had accessto the temple at all times. She found an opportunity to takeone or two sticks from the bundle and threw them into thefire; this destroyed the count and prevented unanimity ofaction. It is said that she even gave notice of the massacreto one of the officers of the garrison; but her warning wasunheeded.
The fatal day arrived. By daylight the Natchez, in smallgroups, strolled into Fort Rosalie and the establishment ad-joining until they outnumbered the whites. Pretending thatthey were going on a hunt, they borrowed guns and offeredto buy powder and shot. At 9 o'clock the signal was given.Each Indian fell on his man. By noon two hundred werekilled, and ninety-two women and fifty-five children and allthe negroes were made prisoners. Chepart was among thefirst slain. During the massacre the great Sun, with appar-ent unconcern, smoked his pipe in the government ware-house. His men brought in to him the heads of the officers
placing that of Chepart in the centre and the others aroundWhen the Sun was informed that not a white man was leftalive, except a carpenter and tailor specially reserved fromthe massacre, he gave the command to pillage. Every build-ing was sacked and the spoils divided. Two soldiers, whowere accidentally in the woods, escaped and earned thenews to Perier, in New Orleans.
The colony trembled from limit to limit. New Orleanswas given over to panic. Every settlement of Indians, how-ever small, became an object of dread. There was an insig-nificant and peaceful group of Chouachas livmg above thecity. Perier sent a band of negroes from the neighboringplantation and had them ruthlessly destroyed—men, womenand children.
Ships were sent to France for troops. Couriers were des-patched to the Illinois, Red river and Mobile countries,warning the white men there. Emissaries were also sentamong the Yazous to hold them true to France.
The Choctaws were the first in the field. Seven hundredof them, under the Canadian Le Sueur, fell upon the Natchezwhile they were still in the midst of their feasting and re-joicing, killed sixty of their warriors, and rescued fifty-ninewomen and children, and one hundred slaves who had beentaken prisoners. It was February before the troops fromNew Orleans, fourteen hundred men, under Loubois, ar-rived. The Natchez, in the meantime, had fortified them-selves in the White Apple village in two strong houses. FortFlour, and the well named by the French, Fort Valor. Theirdefence was splendid. The French opened siege with all thescience of continental warfare—sappers, miners, cannon;but from the first they were hopelessly overmatched in everysoldierly qualification by their savage foes.
The honors of the campaign rested with the Choctaws.They at least had the merit of terminating it. Waiting invain for the French to make a promised breach in one of the
forts, and seeing one day thirty Frenchmen running from thetrench before a sortie of the Natchez, the Choctaws openeda parley with Fort Flour. Alabamma Mingo, one of theirmost famous chiefs, made a speech to the obstinate foes, mwhich he convinced them that although the French could notfight them the Choctaws were sufficient in numbers and pos-sessed patience enough to blockade them and force them in-to surrender through starvation. The Natchez agreed to de-liver to the Choctaws the remainder of their women,children and negro prisoners, if the French would evacuatetheir position and with their guns retire to the banks of theriver. This was executed. Two nights after the Natchezsecretly made their escape from their forts, eluding all pur-suit of the French. With their allies, the Yazous, some ofthem sought refuge with the Chickasaws. The others, cross-ing the Mississippi, made their way westward through forestand swamp to an imposing mound, in the present parish ofCatahoula, just above the juncture of Little river with theOuachita. Here they remained until tidings reached themof a great armament of white men and Indians led by Perierclose upon them. They withdrew to a far stronger militaryposition, to a thirty-foot bluff on the eastern end of a plateau,known now as Sicily Island, situated at the southwest ex-tremity of a small lake (Lake Lovelace). There they in-trenched themselves. It took Perier nine months withtwenty different scouting parties to locate them.
Last Stand of the Natchez. 1731.—In the middle of thesummer the remforcements from France arrived—eight hun-dred French soldiers and Swiss mercenaries. This, withwhat he could raise from among the colonists and his Indianallies, enabled Perier to garrison all his settlements and leada thousand men against his enemies.
In the beginning of the year 1731 he ascended the Mis-sissippi to the mouth of the Red river, where all of hisforces were to assemble. Proceeding through Red river to
Black river and up the Ouachita, he reached the lair, inwhich the Natchez stood like beasts at bay. As before,the Natchez held their own gallantly, until they broughtabout a parley. Perier refused to treat with any but chiefs.Two Suns and the great warrior who had defended FortFlour presented themselves. They were treacherously madeprisoners. Perier then demanded the surrender of all Frenchprisoners; this was acceded to. During the night the war-rior from Fort Flour made his escape; the two Suns, not sofortunate, were discovered and held. Perier then offered tospare the lives of all the Natchez men, women and childrenwho delivered themselves up to him. The next day fourhundred women and children and forty-five men left theNatchez fortifications and ranged themselves inside those ofthe French ; but they came in such small groups that thewhole day was consumed in the surrender. Seventy stillremained in their fo|t, asking a delay until the morrow. Itwas raining in torrents. Between the water under foot andthe water overhead, not being able to take them, Perier wasxorced to consent. At 9 o'clock at night the weather cleared,and the French could approach the Natchez forts. Theywere found deserted ! Again the great fighting bulk of thenation, under the leadership of the redoubtable warrior ofFort Flour, had given the slip to their captors. The strong-hold was destroyed and two prisoners taken were scalped andburned. Perier returned to New Orleans with his trophiesof women and children, the two Suns and forty men, all ofwhom he sold into slavery in St. Dommgo.
Escaped Natchez.—The number of Natchez Indianswho escaped durnig the siege and capitulation was threehundred. They spread themselves over the Red river coun-try, savagely attacking the Natchitoches fort under St. Denis.Beaten back, they took possession of a deserted Natchitochesvillage, from which they were driven out by St. Denis, afteran obstinate fight. They then sought refuge with the Chicka-
saws, who from the first had offered their villages and strong-holds to them.
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of the citj in 1725. What product had been addedto agriculture? Give an account of the Natchez massacre. The effecton the colony. Describe the expedition against them. What of thetreaty? Describe the last stand of the Natchez. What became ofthose who were taken prisoners? Those who escaped?
CHAPTER XV.LOUISIANA A ROYAL PROVINCE. 1731.
With the peace, prosperity and life of the colony threatenedby an Indian war, the administrators in France could nothope to carry on its development with any profit. Theytherefore remitted their charter to the king, and Louisianaonce more came back into the wardship of the royal govern-ment. The colonists themselves, shaken by past events, lostconfidence in the men over them. The commandants of thedifferent posts who had served under Bienville's long admin-istration, wrote to the Minister of the Marine representinghis merits over those of any man who had ever governed inthe colony. Pontchartrain himself must have felt the forceof their arguments if not of his experience with Bienville.Perier was recalled, and the Canadian, relieved of his dis-grace, reinstated.
Bienville Governor. 1733.—Stopping at St. Domingoon his way to Louisiana, Bienville had an interview with hisold friends, the unfortunate Natchez who had been sold intoslavery. They assured him that they had only been driveninto revolt by the hard treatment they had received from theFrench officers at Fort Rosalie, and that they bitterly re-gretted the sad termination of their long alliance with the
French. The governor was much impressed with theirchanged fate and the wretchedness of their demeanor.
Arrived in New Orleans, Bienville took up his residencein his former hotel and addressed himself to his old routineof governing.
War With the Chickasaws. 1736.—The first and mostimportant claim upon his attention was naturally the Natchezquestion. He could arrive at no accurate estimate of thenumber of them still at large. But, through his Indian allies,he knew that there were three bands of them ; one on theOuachita, one on the Yazou and one with the Chickasaws.
French security demanded that these last should be pro-ceeded against in an exemplary manner. In case the Chick-asaws could not be forced or bribed to give them up, theymust be included in the war also. The Choctaws were hismain reliance. Strong and powerful, their rivalry of theChickasaws had kept them in a state of well disciplined war-fare. But Bienville found that during Perier's unskilful ad-ministration a division had crept into the Choctaw nation.That English traders and emissaries, with liberal display ofpromises and presents, had secured a considerable partyamong them favorable to the English. While he prepared hisarmament against the Chickasaws he addressed himself tohealing this division. He sent his Canadians among themagain. Under their instigations many of the Choctaw vil-lages rose and killed the English staying there, and were firedinto keeping a succession of war parties in the field againstthe Chickasaws, burning their corn fields, waylaying theirhunting parties, and harassing them greatly. The same tac-tics were employed to induce the Indians along the Missis-sippi, to strike down from the north against the Chickasaws,who, between two fires, kept close in their territory, appeal-ing for help to the English.
Bienville's plan of campaign was one in which he thoughthe had secured every possible means for success. It was to
penetrate by the Tombigbee river into the Chickasaw coun-try, where he was to be joined by d'Artaguette (a youngbrother of Diron), commandant at the Illinois, with a forceof three hundred good men. Orders were sent to d'Arta-guette fixing the place of meeting on the Tombigbee, fourdays' journey from the Chickasaws' villages ; the time, be-tween the loth and 15th of March.
Bienville, the better to further his preparations, took uphis position during the summer in Mobile, where, in a grandcouncil, he exposed his plans to the Choctaw chiefs, and se-cured their willing co-operation in them. But the means oftransportation, to be furnished by the middle of October, werenot ready by the middle of January. A courier was des-patched to D'Artaguette, putting off his march until themiddle of April.
Finally, all was ready and a grand start made on the istof April. The armament made a fine show on the Mobile,rowing up the river in the early morning sunlight; thirtypirogues followed by thirty flat-boats loaded with five hun-dred soldiers, without counting the brilliant staff of officersand company of forty-five blacks commanded by free negroes.
It took twenty-three days to get to the place of meeting onthe Tombigbee. No trace of D'Artaguette was to be seen.The Choctaw chiefs arrived, however, and promised to meetthe French, with all their warriors, in fourteen days, at thelittle creek, Ottibia, that separated the Choctaw and Chicka-saw territories. They arrived promptly at the time andplace shortly after the French.
After throwing up a fortification to protect their boats andprovisions, and leaving a small garrison behind them, thearmy set out on the march to the Chickasaw country. It wasa hard march, through deep ravines filled with water waisthigh, and across thick-grown canebrakes. But after this theycame to a beautiful country easy of travel. Camp was pitchedabout six miles from the Chickasaw villages. The great chief
of the Choctaws asked Bienville which village he intendedattacking first. Bienville told him the Natchez, as they werethe authors of the war. The great chief then explained thatthe first village was the nearest Chickasaw village to theChoctaws, and did them most harm, and that he would liketo attack that first, particularly as it w^is filled with provi-sions which the Choctaws needed. Hardly doubting but thatthe Choctaws would return home after taking this first vil-lage, their habit being to fly after they had struck a blow,Bienville persuaded them to attack the Natchez village first,promising to return and take the other one afterwards. TheChoctaws appeared satisfied, and their guides, leading thearmy as if to conduct it to the point agreed upon, came to asmall prairie, where were three little villages placed trian-gularly on the crest of a ridge, at the foot of which floweda brook almost dry. This little prairie was only separatedby a small forest from the large prairie where lay most of theChickasaw villages. Bienville defiled his army the lengthof the woods that skirted the prairie, and stopped on a slighteminence, where a halt was made for dinner. It was justpast mid-day.
The Choctaws, who had gained their point by a ruse andwere before the village they desired, hastened to completethe trick by bringing on the action. With war cries andyells, they began skirmishing around the village, and drewits fires upon the French. The French officers then joinedtheir demands to the Choctaws that this village should beat once taken. Pressed on all sides, Bienville orderedthe attack. A company of grenadiers—a detachment fromthe French and Swiss troops—and forty-five volunteers underDe Noyan, were commanded to lead it.
From the height where the French were, four or five Eng-lishmen could be seen bustling around among the excitedChickasaws, and over one village floated the Englishflag. The French battalion moved out of the woods,
crossed the brook, and began to ascend the ridge. A mur-derous fire poured upon them simultaneously from thethree villages. One of the negro mantelet bearers in frontwas killed. The rest threw down their mantelets and fled.The column of grenadiers, attaining the summit of the ridgeand the entrance to the village, met the full fire of the hid-den batteries * about them. Two or three cabins were takenand burned; but when it came to crossing, under fire, theopen space between these and the next, the Chevalier DeNoyan, looking about him, saw only a few officers, a rem-nant of grenadiers, and about a dozen volunteers. The othersoldiers, hopeless at fighting an unseen enemy, were seekingshelter from the range of their loopholes behind the capturedcabins, and refused to be driven out by their sergeants.Almost all the ofiicers were killed or disabled. De Noyanand four officers fell wounded at the same moment^ In vainhe sent his aid to rally the soldiers ; the killing of the aidamong them only added to their panic. He finally got amessage to Bienville that unless assistance were sent, or aretreat sounded, not an ofiicer would be left alive. There wasalso a sudden alarm in the camp that a reinforcement fromthe Chickasaws of the great prairie was approaching. Bien-ville ordered the retreat, sending a company to protect it andfetch off the wounded. The officers, massed together, werefound still fighting and holding their own. The Choctawswere under cover of the hill; they had lost twenty-two men,which discouraged and disgusted them not a little.
The night was passed in felling trees and making hasty de-fences against surprise, but the Chickasaws held themselvessilent and secure in their strongholds. Bienville dared not
* Bienville thus describes the Chickasaw stronghold: "After having surrounded" their cabins with several rows of great stockades filled with earth, they hollow out*'the inside until they can let themselves down into it shoulder deep, and shoot" through loopholes almost level with the ground; but they obtain still more ad-" vantage from the natural situation of their cabins, which are placed so that their" fires cross, than from all the arts of fortifying that the English can suggest. The" coverings of the cabins are a thatching of wood and mud, proof against nre-arrows" and grenades; nothing but bombs could damage them.'^
FRENCH DOMINATION. 103
renew the attack the next morning. Litters were made forthe wounded, and the humiliated French colors led the wayback to the Ottibia and embarked. The water was now solow that in many places a passage had to be cut for theboats. The Tombigbee was slowly reached, and finally theMobile. From the Tohomes Bienville heard the first newsof the full extent of" his disaster.
The young commandant, d'Artaguette, had set out fromthe Illinois at the date first named, with one hundred andforty white men and two hundred and sixty Iroquois, Arkan-sas, Miamis and Illinois. Arrived at the place of meeting,his scouts could discover no signs or traces of Bienville'sarmy. The next day, the courier who had been sent to theIllinois appeared with Bienville's letter and change of plan.D'Artaguette called his officers and Indian chiefs together ina council of war. They advised striking a blow immedi-ately. Pushing forward their march they arrived within amile of the great Chickasaw prairie. It was Palm Sunday.The army left their baggage under a guard of thirty menand confidently took the road to the village. It was the roadto certain death to all but two of them. Hardly had the attackon the village begun, when D'Artaguette saw a troop offrom four to five hundred savages issue from behind theneighboring hill, and bear down upon him with such rapidityaud force that the Miamis and Illinois Indians, the greaterpart of his army, took to flight. He turned to gain the roadto his baggage, to save or at least blow up his powder.Fighting desperately, step by step, he, his officers, men, andthe Iroquois and Arkansas who stood by him, struggled ashort space. Then the savages overwhelmed them. Nine-teen were taken alive, among them D'Artaguette, woundedin three places, and Father Senac, a Jesuit priest.
An Avoyelle woman slave, who escaped from the Chlcka-saws to the Alabamas some time afterwards, related the fateof the prisoners. Two were put aside to exchange for a
Chickasaw warrior in the hands of the French. The remain*ing were divided into two lots and burned in two huge firesprepared by the Chickasaw women. All died heroically,one Frenchman singing his death song to the last like an In-dian brave.
Bienville never recovered from the pain and humiliationof this double defeat, and Diron D'Artaguette, maddenedwith grief at the loss of his young brother, changed from atrusty friend into a carping enemy of the governor.
Chickasaw War.—Bienville returned to New Orleans,inflexibly determined to retrieve himself by another expeditionagainst the Natchez—an expedition which must not only be abrilliant success, but a brilliant triumph.
He wrote to France for artillery and bombs and soldiers,and to the governor of Canada for a reinforcement of volun-teers. He sent engineers to explore the best routes to theChickasaws by the Mobile and Mississippi rivers, and hekept his coureurs de bois diligently employed in maintainingthe French sentiment among his Indian allies.
On the reports of the engineers the route by the Mississippiand Yazou rivers was selected, and the years 1738-1739 wereconsumed in building a fort and depots for provisions, at themouth of the St. Francis river and another. Fort Assump-tion, on the opposite side of the Mississippi, at the mouththe Margot river, the meeting place for the whole army.
Two hundred horses were sent from New Orleans fortransportation of the provisions which were to be drawn fromthe abundant fields of the west. Beeves and oxen wereordered from the Natchitoches district. In the summer of1739, the assistance demanded from the home governmentarrived—arms, ammunition, provisions, with seven hundredsoldiers—bombardiers, cannoneers, miners—under the Sieurde Noailles D'Aime, who was put in command of all thetroops.
FREXCH DOMINATION. IOr>
But the new soldiers, on their arrival, suffered so severelyfrom scurvy and fever that less than half were able to go onduty. Shipped from New Orleans as fast as possible, greatnumbers of them died on the way up the river. Bienvillehimself landed at Fort Assumption in November, with hiscolonial troops and Indians. He found the reinforcementsfrom Canada and the Illinois waiting. They raised his armyto the respectable strength of twelve hundred white men andtwo thousand four hundred savages. But it was one thingto get an army to the fort on the Margot, and another to getit into the Chickasaw country. The continual rains and theoverflow made the routes laid out by the engineers imprac-ticable for the heavy wagons and artillery, while the bottomlands could only be crossed by boats or bridges. More thanone-half of the live stock from Natchitoches perished in thewoods before reaching the Arkansas. Three months passedand the situation did not improve. Without a road to theChickasaws and without the means of transportation, theFrench army on the Mississippi saw itself threatened with amore inglorious fate than befell the one on the Tombigbee ;and the safety of the Chickasaws was more brilliantly provedthan ever. A council of war was held to decide how to endthe situation in the manner least mortifying to the French.
The Chickasaws, on their side, were not indifferent to thetremendous preparations made against them. From the firstthey had dropped all around the neighborhood of the Frenchcamp, calumets and symbols of peace. On these hints, dis-dained at first, the French were now glad to act. But somewarlike demonstration was necessary to satisfy the Indians,so five hundred of them, with one hundred Canadians, werepermitted to go against the Chickasaw villages. With nohamperings but their light savage accoutrements, they madetheir way through the forest with ease and celerity. But theChickasaws, thoroughly warned and on their guard, heldthemselves close in their strongholds, from which no demon-
106 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
strations could entice them, save once or twice when theycame out for a brief moment to display a white flag. Aftersome days of skirmishing, negotiations were opened, andthe Chickasaw chiefs persuaded to go to the French campand ask for peace. They were cautioned, however, that theywould not get it unless they consented to deliver up theirNatchez refugees. The cunning savages, prepared for thiscondition, declared that although they had bound and im-prisoned their Natchez guests, in order to surrender them tothe French, unfortunately some of their young men had re-leased them and all had escaped to the Cherokees except three.
Under the circumstances, peace was soon agreed upon.The Chickasaws made no further excuse for or explanation ofthe escape of the Natchez; and again the French were forcedto submit to having them slip through their fingers. Bien-ville destroyed his buildings and returned with his army toNew Orleans.
There, oppressed with his sense of failure, and feeling hisold reputation to be no longer the same in the colony, hewrote to the Minister of Marine, asking to be relieved of hisoffice.
1741.—While awaiting the minister's answer he appliedhimself with his characteristic care and solicitude to theneeds of the colony. He vainly tried to get from the kingthe establishment of a college in New Orleans for the edu-cation of boys; and also some relief for the suffering causedby the depreciation of paper money,* epidemic, overflowsand short crops.
* The financial affairs of the colony had been necessarily carried on larg-elywith paper money. During- the period of settlement royal warrants on thetreasury in payment of salaries were used; during the Crozat charter, checksupon him had passed into current use. The card money of Canada, a most fluc-tuating medium, had always been in circulation, and finally the Company of theWest had made an issue of paper for the payment of its debts. All these differentissues appearing, and being retired, added to the arbitrary fixing of prices in thecolony, and consequent speculation of money lenders, had produced financial chaos.Now, an edict of the royal government, withdrawing at short notice the paperof the Mississippi Company from circulation, threatened utter collapse and ruin.
A Charity Hospital. 1739.—An humble sailor, JeanLouis, dying in 1739, left his savings to found a hospitalwhere the poor could be tended for charity. Bienville ap-plied the legacy, as directed; bought a suitable piece ofproperty, provided the beds and proper furniture, with medi-cal and nursing attendance, and so inaugurated the firstcharity hospital in the city.*
The Minister of Marine granted Bienville's resignation andnamed the Marquis de Vaudreuil to succeed him. Pendingthe arrival of his successor Bienville endeavoured to arrangethe affairs of the Indians, so that his absence from the colonywould not injure it. He convened the prominent chiefs ofthe Alabama country at Mobile, made them presents, andhad them sign treaties, which would pave the way for theirgood understanding with his successor. He left Louisianaforever on the loth of May 1743. -^^ came into the colonya youth, full of hope and courage; he left it a prematurelyaged man, worn with care, anxiety and disappointment. Hehad given forty-five years of unremitting toil to the task lefthim by Iberville.
QUESTIONS.
How did Louisiana once more become a royal province? Give anaccount of Bienville's interview with the Natchez at St. Domingo.What did he find out about the escaped Natchez? Of the divisionamong the Choctaws? Of his tactics against the Chickasaws? Givean account of his expedition into the Chickasaw country; his defeatand the fate of D'Artaguette. How did Bienville prepare for his nextexpedition? Give an account of it. What did his sense of failureforce him to do? What of his solicitation for the colony? Of thefirst charity hospital in New Orleans? Who was Bienville's suc-cessor? When did Bienville leave the colony forever?
* It may be considered the parent of the present noble institution which com-mands the admiration not only of the State, but of the whole South.
108 HKSTOUV OF T.OUrSIANA.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Marquis de Vaudreuil, Governor. 1743-1753.
The Marquis de Vaudreuil was a Canadian and a son of aformer governor of Canada. He came to Louisiana to findit suffering its penalty as a royal province of France.
War* had been relighted in Europe between France andEngland, and in America the colonies of the two rival pow-ers, always glad of an excuse, sprang also eagerly to arms,and from Canada to New Orleans the rifle and the tomahawkwere kept on the alert. The Chickasaws, who from the firsthad only made a pretence of observing the recent treaty, roseagainst the French more vindictively than ever. Travelingalong the Mississippi became a perilous adventure, andlife in the Mississippi settlements most insecure. Even theenvirons of New Orleans were not safe. The Germancoast was surprised and pillaged, many of its farmers killed,and its women and children taken prisoners, and every-where in the French lines sudden alarms would send thecolonists, fleeing in terror-stricken bands, to the city ornearest garrison post. At Mobile the panic became so ex-treme that Vaudreuil had to remain there with troops forawhile to restore calm. Reinforcements arriving fromFrance, he was able to station garrisons at the various threat-ened points. To protect the city from an attack by the Eng-lish, he erected batteries on each bank of the river at EnglishTurn. He also led an army against the Chickasaws, but hewas no more successful than his predecessors had beeil^ Thesavages, resorting to their former triumphant tactics, shutthemselves in their forts and defied him and his army.
More alarming to the colonists than the hostilities of theChickasaws, even, was the increasing division among the
?Called the war of the Austrian Succession, 1740, over the succession of MariaTheresa, of Austria, to the throne of her father,
Choctaws, who now, instead of using their strength in de-fending the French against the English, were consuming itin domestic strife and civil warfare.
In 1751 the mother country sent her last ship load of emi-grants to her daughter colony, and her last donation of mar-riageable girls, sixty in number, to be wives for deservingbachelors.
To encourage agriculture, the king promised to buy allthe tobacco raised in the colony.
Sugar Cane.—Besides tobacco and indigo another com-modity had been added to the agricultural products andprofits of the soil. The Jesuits of Hispaniola obtaining per-mission to send sugar cane and some negroes acquainted withits culture to their brethren in Louisiana, these put a portionof their plantation in it.
Levees.—As the settlements above and below the city werenow in a flourishing state of cultivation, the question oflevees began to be an important one. De Vaudreuil issuedthe first levee ordinance in the State, requiring the inhab-itants to keep up the levees before their property, on pain ofhaving it confiscated. He also issued the first police regula-tions in the city of New Orleans, restricting the number ofdrinking saloons, the sale of liquors, and adjusting the civicrelations of negroes.
In 1753 the Marquis de Vaudreuil was promoted to thegovernorship of Canada and left Louisiana.*
M. de Kerlerec was appointed to succeed him.
De Kerlerec. 1753-1763.—De Kerlerec was an officer ofthe royal navy, in which he had served for twenty-five years.
* During the last year of De Vaudreuil's governmenl the following- incidentoccurred which has been made the subject of a drama by a French officer, Le Blancde Villeneuve, stationed in the colony at the time.
A Choctaw and a CoUapissa had a quarrel, in which thejlatter killed the formerand fled to New Orleans, The relatives of the Choctaw came to the city to demandthe CoUapissa from de Vaudreuil. The Marquis, after trying in vain lo pacify theChoctaws, was obliged to order the-arrest of the murderer; but he made his escape.His father went to the Choctaws and offered his life in atonement for the crime ofhis son. They accepted. The old man stretched himself on the trunk of a fallentree, and a Choctaw at one stroke cut his head from his body.
Like his predecessor, he was to conduct his administrationunder the shadow of war.
Seven Years' War. 1757-1763.—It was no mere ques-tion of succession to distant thrones that was this time towet the soil of America with the blood of her colonists.The dispute was native to the country and one which hadbeen growing since its first settlement. The time had comewhen it had to be decided to which of the European powersAmerica was to belong; whether its future development wasto be according to the religion and thought of the Anglo-Saxon or of the Latin race; whether the Lilies of Franceor the Cross of England should recede.
The rival colonists had clashed over every boundary line,and fought over every advanced post in the continent. Aswe have seen, the policy of France was to unite Canadaand New Orleans by a chain of fortified posts, whichshould insure her the possession of the great waterways ofthe continent, and crowd England between the Alleghaniesand the Atlantic coast. Midway between Canada andLouisiana lay the valley of the Ohio. Should the Englishgain possession of it, they would cut in two the French lineof fortifications and sever the territory of Louisiana. TheEnglish had already sent out from Virginia and establishedtrading posts along the branches of the Ohio, and their trad-ers were deftly winning the Indians into allies. TheFrench, quicker in action than their rivals, descending throughLake Erie, drove the English away and built three fortsto guard their position. One of them, Fort Duquesne,*
* An interesting- episode connects Louisiana with Fort Duquesne. Georg-eWashinj^ton, then a colonel in the British army, was sent by Governor Dinwiddie,of Virginia, against the fort. On the route he heard of a French detachment com-ing to surprise him. He manoeuvred to surprise it, and in the engagement J um on ville,the ensign in command, was killed. Jumonville de Villiers (the ancestor of oneof our distinguished creole families), the brother of the ensign, obtained permissionof Kerlerec to leave his station at Fort Chartres and go to avenge his brother'sdeath. He hastened to Fort Duquesne with a large force of Indians and soldiers.Washington, with his men, lay entrenched in a rude fortification called Fort Ne-cessity, not far from the scene of his first engagement. Jumonville attacked him,and, after a sharp fight,',had the honor of forcing the future "Father of his country"into surrender.
FRENCH DOMINATION. Ill
on the forks of the Monongahela and the Alleghany rivers(site of the present city of Pittsburg), commanding the keyof the situation, became the first objective point in the mo-mentous conflict.
Although the seat of war was in the far north, Louis-iana suffered her measure of damage from it. Her ships ofsupplies from France and the islands were intercepted andcaptured by vigilant British privateers. Her commerce wascrippled and almost destroyed. The home government,burthened with the expenses and necessities of the war in Can-ada, could neither renew the supplies nor protect the com-merce. The yearly tribute of presents to the various Indiantribes had to be suspended, and this sent the discontentedwarriors into trading and treating with the English. Thepoorly clad, poorly nourished and ill paid soldiers also de-serted in large numbers from their different garrisons to theever convenient English.*
Kerlerec put the colony into the best state of defence pos-sible with his inadequate means. His only reliance wasupon the Swiss mercenaries, and these he distributed amongthe untrustworthy French soldiers in the different poststhroughout the Mississippi and Alabama country.
City Defences.—A fortification consisting of a palisadewall was made around the city. The batteries at EnglishTurn were repaired and resupplied, and a vessel was stationedat the mouth of the river, to be sunk in the pass in case ofemergency.
From time to time the news of the fortunes of the distanthostilities drifted into the colony. Early in 1759 there camefloating down the river boats containing the garrison andofficers of Fort Duquesne, which, after much gallant fight-
*In the summer of 1754, four of the soldiers of the garrison of Cat Island roseand murdered their officer, who ill treated them. They tried to escape to Georgia,but a party of Choctaws sent after them captured them. One killed himself. Therest were brought to New Orleans. Two were broken on the wheel; the other, be-longing to a Swiss company, was, according to the law of Swiss troops, nailed intoa coffin, which was sawed in two through the middle.
ing on both sides, was evacuated and abandoned by theFrench. The news of the fall of Quebec and Montreal fol-lowed in due time, and eventually that of the complete tri-umph of the English over the French. The Lilies of Francehad been beaten out of her northern possessions by the Crossof England.
Treaty of Paris. 1763.—By this treaty between England,France and Spain, France signed her defeat and made overto Great Britain all her territory on the North American con-tinent, east of the Mississippi, with the exception of NewOrleans, and the adjacent district called the Island ofOrleans, lying between Manchac and the Lakes.
Spain received back Havana, which had been captured bythe English, but paid for it by the cession of Florida, andall her possessions east of the Mississippi.
Louisiana Ceded to Spain.—On the same day, the lothof February, by a secret treaty, France voluntarily divestingherself of the last vestige of the princely legacy left her byMarquette, Joliet, La Salle and Iberville, secretly ceded toSpain the one remaining bit of territory she still possessed inAmerica: New Orleans, the mouth of the Mississippi, andall her lands lying to the west of the Mississppi.
During Kerlerec's administration, discord both civil andecclesiastical was rife in the city. Violent quarrels brokeout between the Capuchin priests, who had titular spiritualcharge of the colony, and the Jesuits, who, though onlytolerated as visitors, had managed to gain a large following,to the weakening of the influence of the Capuchins. ThevSuperior Council was invoked by the Capuchins to interfereand prohibit this usurpation, as they called it, of the Jesuits.
A still more violent quarrel broke out between the;governor and the royal commissary, Rochemore. On chargesof the latter, an investigation was ordered into Kerlerec'sadministration. The report being against him, Kerlerec wasrecalled to France and thrown into the Bastile.
/
A stride in advance in the sugar culture has to be chron-icled during this administration. The experiment of theJesuits having proved successful, the Sieur Dubreuil put hiswhole plantation in cane, and erected a mill and made anexperiment at boiling the juice.* /
Abadie Governor. 1763.—The chief magistracy of theprovince was vested in M. d'Abadie, under the title ofDirector General. The military force was reduced to threehundred men, under the orders of Aubry, as senior captain.The cession being, however, still a secret, Louisiana ap.peared as before, a French province to her colonies and thecountry at large.
British Take Possession.—The Spaniards retired fromFlorida; and from post after post in the Illinois, Alabamaand Mississippi regions, the French flag and garrison werewithdrawn, to be replaced by the British. French and Span-ish names were changed for English ones: Fort St. Georgeat Pensacola; Fort Charlotte at Mobile; Fort Fanmure atNatchez, etc. The transfer of authorities was made amica-bly and expeditiously. The Indian allies of the French madehere and there a few attempts at guerilla warfare againsttheir new masters; but the French interposing peaceably,most of them ended by following the French flag in its re-treat and settling around New Orleans.
In a few months English vessels traveling up and downthe Mississippi became a familiar sight. They became alsoa welcome one, for, fetching in articles of commerce of whichthe colonists had been so long deprived by the war, they ac-quired a thriving though illicit trade all along the coast.Tying their boats to a tree a short distance above New Or-leans, they attracted customers even from the city.f
* The sugar was so badly made, however, that it leaked out of the hogshead onits way to F"rance ; and the ship was so lightened that it came near upsetting.
t As it was under the pretext of going to Manchac, where they were building afort—Fort Bate—that the English vessels traveled up the river, the place where theytied up for the contraband trade was called " L.ittle Manchac," "I am going toLittle Manchac" was the current expression for a shopping excursion to this con-
Jesuits Expelled. 1763.—In obedience to the decree ofPope Clement XIII, expelling the Jesuits from the dominionsof the kings of France, Spain and Naples, Abadie wasforced to expel them from Louisiana. All their property,including their fine plantation, was sold at auction, and theFathers made to leave the colony in which, in truth, they haddone all to benefit and nothing to injure.
Cession to Spain Made Known. 1764.—In the month ofOctober, 1764, Governor Abadie received from his sovereign.Louis XV, the communication which made him acquaintedwith the cession of Louisiana to Charles III, King of Spain.He was ordered to remit the government to the officer orenvoy sent by the King of Spain to receive it, evacuate theterritory and retire to France with all his officers and all thesoldiers who did not wish to engage in the service of Spain.
The publication of this communication threw the colonyinto the greatest grief and consternation. They had beenforced to submit to the triumph of the English flag, and theloss to England of all the magnificent country bought withtwo centuries of their blood and labor ; but that was accord-ing to the fortunes of war. Now they were called upon toyield the one last corner of the continent over which theFrench flag floated and see themselves and the great mouthof the Mississippi tossed like a trifle to a nation who hadnever lifted a finger for them, a nation too insignificant as a :foe to be much esteemed as a friend. j
M. d'Abadie died in 1765, and thus could not carry outhis instructions. The government was put in to the hands ofAubry, the commander of the royal troops.
The Acadians. 1765*—Before the feelings of the colonistshad time to calm, there arrived in their midst a band of
traband depot. D'Abadie, seeing the necessities of the colonists, closed his eyesto the custom.
* Acadia, or Nova Scotia, as it is now called, had been conquered from Franceby the English, and transferred to the British crown, by the treaty of Utrecht, in1713. It was stipulated that those of the French who chose to remain in thecountry as subjects to the King of England should enjoy free exercise of their reli-
compatriots whose unhappy fate seemed to foretell their own.On the open levee, in front of New Orleans, the pilgrimsfrom Acadia landed and told their sad story—a storywhich has found worthy immortality in versef Theircountry also had been ceded away; their homes, theirchurches, their allegiance.
The citizens greeted them with tender and generous hos-pitality, furnishing them food, clothing, lodging and sympa-thy. Aubry gave them land, settling them on the river bankabove the German coast, at what is still known as theAcadian coast; also in the Attakapas and Opelousas dis-tricts, where their descendants live to this day; a worthy, in-dustrious and frugal population, retaining, even in the wealthand official distinction that many have attained, the primitivefaith and simplicity of their early history.
QUESTIONS.
Who was the Marquis de Vaudreuil? What of the war declared inEurope? Give account of colony and city under De Vaudreuil?Who succeeded to De Vaudreuil? Give an account of the SevenYears' War. Kerlerec's defences. The treaty of Paris. British pos-session of the country. Expulsion of the Jesuits When was thecession to Spain made known? What of its effect on the colonv?Who succeeded to Abadie? Who were the Acadians?
gion ; the rest were allowed to remove within a year. Very few withdrew Bleakand bare as their country was, they loved it with all the blind devotion of the simple,ignorant peasant. But it was years before they could bring- themselves to take theoath of allegiance demanded by the English. They hoped against hope, that some-thing would come to pass to prevent their utter disseverment from their nation andchurch. The English accused the Roman priests of fomenting discord, andthey suspected the Acadians of inviting Indian inroads, A new and still morebinding oath was drawn up, but its imposition on the Acadians was a task fraughtwith pain and trouble. For fifty years the process of reconstruction was maintainedby tlie British and resisted by the Acadian. It was then determined by the conquer-ors that all who refused to take the oath should be exported from the country Thewhole number removed was over six thousand. Then deserted dwellings and build-ings were burned. The wretched people, distributed among the British coloniesfrom Massachusetts to Georgia, among a people speaking a different language andprofessing a different religion, hud a sad lot. After hardships and vicissitudes of allkinds many of them wandered back to Canada, and many banded together to jour-ney to Louisiana, where they might once again rest under the flag of their mothercountry, hear the language of their ancestors, and pray at the altars to which theywere accustomed.
t Evangeline, Longfellow.
CHAPTER XVII.RESISTANCE TO SPANISH DOMINATION.
The Louisianans were not to be ceded away from theircountry and flag without a protest. Public sentiment ripenedinto action. Each parish throughout the colony was re-quested to send delegates to a meeting to be held in NewOrleans. The parishes responding with their best and mostnotable citizens, a large and impressive assembly met.The attorney general, Lafreniere, opened proceedings withan energetic and eloquent speech, proposing a resolution inwhich the colonists of Louisiana en masse supplicated theKing of France not to sever them from their country * Theresolution passed unanimously, and Jean Milhet, one of therichest and most influential merchants of New Orleans, wasdeputed to carry it to France and lay it at the foot of thethrone.
Milhet departed on the first vessel. In Paris he soughtout Bienville, now a white-haired patriarch eighty-six yearsof age. Together, they went with the memorial to the PrimeMinister, De Choiseul, whom they asked to present them tothe king. But as De Choiseul had been the counsellor of thecession of Louisiana, he was not in the mind to further anyremonstrance against it. He received the deputies withcivility and listened to them with patience, but he so artfullythwarted their designs that Milhet was never able to presenthis paper.
Over a year passed after the official news of the cessionand the meeting; Milhet did not return from France, and noSpanish envoy presented himself to take possession of the
* The following- are the names of those who were foremost in the first politicalconvention held in Louisiana: Lafreniere. Doucet. St, Lette Pin. Villere, thechevalier d'Arensbourg, Jean Milhet, Joseph Milhet, St. Maxent, De la Chaise,Marquis, Garic, Masson, Masange, Poupet, Noyon, Boisblanc, Grandmaison,Lallande, Lesassier, Braud (royal printer) Kernion, Carrere, Dessales, etc.
colony. To all appearances either the King of Spain or theKing of France was hesitating about it. The colonists there-fore rebounded from their first feeling to hope and courage.
Ulloa. 1766.—Suddenly the bright horizon darkened. Aletter came to the Superior Council in July, 1766, from DonAntonio de Ulloa, announcing his arrival in Havana on hisway to take possession of Louisiana, of which he had beenappointed governor. He did not reach the colony, however,until the following spring. He was accompanied by twocompanies of infantry, a commissary of war, De Loyola ;an intendant, Navarro ; and a royal comptroller, Gayarre.They met a respectful but cold reception from the citizens.
Requested by the Superior Council to present his creden-tials, Ulloa refused, saying that he did not wish to take pos-session until the arrival of the rest of the Spanish troops,adding that he had nothing to do with the Superior Council,which was a civil tribunal, and that in taking possession heonly recognized Aubry as competent to treat with him.
The colonists fell again into despair over their situation.Instead of mitigating it by his personal influence, Ulloa onlyrendered it worse, and the prospect of submission to him be-came unendurable. Although a distinguished man of scienceand letters, he was most unattractive and impolitic. Cold,haughty, reserved and dictatorial, he was in every respect apainful contrast to the people whom he was sent to govern;and, restricting his intercourse entirely to the military gov-ernor, Aubry, he ignored the colonists in a manner most ex-asperating to the independent, free-spoken Creoles.
He offered to take the French soldiers into the service ofSpain, but they refused to change their allegiance. TheSpanish soldiers were lodged, therefore, apart from them,and Aubry was forced to garrison the city with his troopsand still to act the part of governor. In reality he was onlythe mouthpiece and deputy of Ulloa, who assumed surrep-titiously all the rights of his unacknowledged official position.
He had a census of the inhabitants taken, made a tour ofinspection of the different military establishments in theprovince, and as Aubry had received no money from Franceto pay French soldiers or to carry on the government, he ad-vanced him the funds to do so. He issued various ordinancesand decrees, one of them forbidding trading vessels enteringthe port without previously submitting to him the estimateand price of their cargoes, and restricting all trade to sixSpanish ports and to vessels commanded by Spaniards.Vessels sailing to or from Louisiana were even prohibitedfrom entering any Spanish port in America, except in caseof distress, and then had to submit to strict examination andheavy charges.
What the people of Louisiana most dreaded in the trans-fer to Spain was the application to them of the narrow-minded, arbitrary decrees of trade of the Spanish colonies,which would ruin their commerce to the profit of the com-merce of Spanish ports. This decree of Ulloa was the real-ization of their worst fears. Commercial ruin stared themin the face.
The merchants, in a body, presented a petition* to theSuperior Council, signed by names that are still distinguishedin Louisiana, begging a suspension of the decree until theycould be heard on the subject. The ship captains also pre-sented a similar petition.
Ulloa meanwhile descended the river to the Balize, and re-mained there seven months, awaiting the arrival of the wealthylady from Peru whom he was to marry. Aubry made peri-
* The merchants who siafned the petition ag-ainst the decree to the SuperiorCouncil, were: Joseph Milhet, Rose, Cantrelle D. Braud, J. Mercier, L. Ducrest,Petit, Duforest, Toutant Beanregard, L. Boisdore, B, Duplessis, Bracquier, P. O.Caresse, J. Vicnne. P. Scgond, Voix, Durel, Blache,M. Poupetjr., Poupet, Estebe.Rodrigue, J. Sauvestre, G. Gardelle, Ducarpe, F. Durand, J. and N. Boudet. Riv-oire, Klacuenara, F. Denis, J. Arnoult, A. Renard, P, Senilh, A. Bodaille, Laulhe,Dubouri,^, Festas, Frig-iere, Kanson, Fournier, St. Pe, Detour, Villefranche Salo-mon, Delassize Blaignat, Langlois, Fortier, Lafitte, Henard, Estady, Astier,Brunet, Bienvenue, Sarpv, Doraison, Cavelier, Papion, Gaurrege, Revoil, Gnezille,Guignan, St. Anne, Moullineau, P. Hery, A. Ollivier, Broussard, Dumas, Gnieu-mard. Chateau, Simon, Ungues, Sarrou, Raguet, Nicolet,Brion, Betremleux, Blan-din, Dutertre, Bijon, D'hubeck, Dralde, Bonnemaison, Joli, Forstal, L'Enfant.
Ddical visits to him ; during one of which he made a privateict of possession in favor of Ulloa and had the French flag'epiaced by that of Spain. Relieved from the presence ofJlloa and still awaiting the result of Milhet's mission the:olonists began again to indulge their patriotic dreams.
Milhet returned from France ; instead of the good newsixpected, he brought the report of total failure. In-lignation succeeded to disappointment. Throwing off allconcealment, the colonists voiced their hatred of Spain andJlloa, and their loathing of the yoke about to be put uponhem. Calm was completely destroyed. From one end ofhe colony to the other the wildest excitement prevailed.VIeetings were held in which heated addresses increased stillnore the violence of feeling. Finally the country was againnvited to send delegates to another grand meeting to be heldn the capital.
As before, Lafreniere took an important part and madem impassioned speech. He was ably sustained by the two)rothers Milhet, and by Doucet, a lawyer lately arrivedrom France. The proceedings terminated by an address tohe Superior Council, calling upon it to declare Ulloa re-ractory and usurpatory, for having raised the Spanish flagn several places in the colony without having exhibited andegistered his authority at the Superior Council or in such ananner that the citizens could see them; for having on his^wn private authority and without reason detained captainsmd their ships in port; for having put French citizens underirrest on board the Spanish frigate ; and for having held coun-:ils with Spanish officers in which decrees of arrest had been-endered against French citizens; the citizens thereforegrayed the Superior Council to order Ulloa out of the colony,rhe paper was signed by five hundred and fifty respectablelames. It was ordered printed by the royal commissary and:irculated in every parish. After the address was read to the:ouncil and handed to a committee for consideration, the
attorney general * submitted a brief in which the duties ofcouncils and parliaments to the people were explained andthe legal points bearing upon the competency of the RoyalSuperior Council to act in the premises exposed.
On the 29th of October the petition was taken up by thecouncil, and after some debate a decree was passed order-ing Ulloa to produce his powers from the King of Spain, if hehad any, that they might be recorded on its minutes or todepart within a month. Ulloa accepted the last alternative,and on the following afternoon embarked with all his house-hold on a frigate then at the levee. Aubry with a detail ofsoldiers escorting him and leaving a guard on the vessel.
Expulsion of Ulloa.—At daylight the next morning acrowd of revelers, who had passed the night at a weddingfeast, appeared on the levee shouting, and singing patrioticsongs. The frigate, containing the hated Spaniard and hisequally hated wife, lay before them in the gray dawn. Theycould not resist the temptation; one of them cut its ropes,and with delight the crowd watched the vessel move from itsmoorings, yield to the current and drift away from the city.
A few days afterwards a memorial or manifesto, explain-ing and justifying the expulsion, was printed and dissemi-nated. The Superior Council despatched one of its members,Mr. Lesassier, with a copy of the decree and an explanatoryletter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, The^citizens sent another address to the king voicing their senti-ments against Ulloa, and praying to be allowed to remainFrenchmen, and Aubry, who had protested against the ex-pulsion, also wrote his account of the affair, reiterating what
* Lafreniere in his speech referred to the successful opposition of the BritishAmerican colonies to the Stamp Act, and dre^v the attention of the council to the;noble conduct ot the people of Burgundy in 1526, when summoned by Launoy, theviceroy of Naples, to recognize as their sovereign the emperor Charles V, to whomFrancis II had ceded the province by the treaty of Madrid. The States and courtsof justice being convened to deliberate on the emperor's message, they unani-mously answered that the province was a part of the French monarchy and that theking had not the power of alienating it. The nobles resolutely declared that ifthe king abandoned them they would resort to arms and the last drop of their bloodiwould be spilt in defence of their country.
FRENCH DOMINATION. 121
he had written shortly after the arrival of Ulloa, that notwith-standing the Spaniard's reputation in all the academies ofEurope, he was not the proper man to govern the colony,not having the qualities requisite to command Frenchmen.Instead of gaining the hearts of the people, he had doneeverything to alienate them. He seemed to despise thecolony and particularly the Superior Council, and by his m-discreet conduct had rendered the Spanish dominationdreaded, uttering threats which menaced a horrible tyrannyin the future. Aubry also described the great distress finan-cial and commercial, since the advent of Ulloa, the depressionof all values and the decrease of population.
Ulloa from Havana sent to his goverernment a reportof the insult to his king and to himself. He passed in re-view by name the men who had taken a prominent part inthe rebellion, as he called it. He described them as extrava-gant and overwhelmed with debts and only seeking in revo-lution an escape from their responsibilities. All, he said,were children of Canadians, who had come to Louisianaaxe on shoulder, to live by the work of their hands.
The momentary calm that follows the storm fell overLouisiana and the Louisianians. During the interval betweenthe sending of their communication to their government inFrance and getting an answer, there was much discussionand speculation about future events. There was somethought of casting off all monarchical allegiance, and erect-ing Louisiana into a republic, to be placed under the protec-tion of England. An emissary was sent to the English gov-ernor at Pensacola to know what support could be gainedfrom Florida in this event. The English official returned anunfavorable answer, and, it is said, transmitted the messagehe had received to Aubry, who, in his turn, delivered it to theSpanish government.
O'Reilly. ' 1769.—Like a thunderclap, six months after-wards, came the announcement from the commandant at Balize
122 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
of the arrival of Count O'Reilly, lieutenant general of thearmies of Spain, with a formidable number of ships andtroops. The news was enough to chill the colonists with fear.The pitiless, bloody record of Spain as an avenger in the pastarose before them, with the vision of their own defencelessposition. The leaders of the Spanish opposition hastened toAubry, in despair at what they had brought upon the colony.The French general reassured them. As no blood had beenshed in the expulsion of Ulloa, he thought that a prompt sub-mission would be accepted as sufficient atonement for thepast. He sent an officer to tranquilize the inhabitants alongthe coast and warn them to keep quiet.
That evening a Spanish officer arrived with dispatches fromO'Reilly, stating that he had come to take possession of thecountry for the King of Spain and would exhibit his creden-tials at his first interview with Aubry. The next day Aubryassembled the citizens and made them an address announcingthe arrival of the Spanish envoy; counseling submission andobedience, and taking upon himself to assure them that ifthey followed his advice they could have full confidence inthe clemency ot the King of Spain.
Lafreniere, with the two Milhets and Marquis, offered togo personally to O'Reilly to present their submission and thesubmission of the citizens. Aubry gave them a letter of in-troduction, and O'Reilly received them courteously. La-freniere introduced himself and companions as delegatesfrom the people, charged to make profession of submissionand respect to the King of Spain. Throwing the blame ofwhat had occurred on the illegal conduct of UUoa, he pro-tested that the credentials which O'Reilly brought weremore authoritative to the colony than the army under hiscommand; but the colony implored his benevolence for suchprivileges of time as would be needed by those who shouldwish to emigrate from it. O'Reilly responded kindly thatit was not possible for him to come to any decision until he
had examined all the facts of the case on the spot; that thecolonists could be assured that no one loved to do good morethan he, and that it would plunge him into despair to causethe smallest injury to any one. He begged the colonists tobe tranquil, and trust to his good sentiments toward them.He mentioned the word sedition; Marquis interrupted himand explained that that word was not applicable to the colo-nists. O'Reilly kept the party to dinner, treated them withall courtesy, and sent them away full of hope in regard to thepast. Their report of the interview calmed the agitationin the city, which sank into much needed repose and peace.
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of opposition to Spanish domination. Arrival ofUUoa. Refusal to exhibit his credentials. Expulsion. Their com-munication to the home government. Further proceedings of thecolonists. O'Reilly's arrival.
SPilNISH DOMINATION.
CHAPTER XVIII.O'REILLY TAKES POSSESSION.
On the night of August 17, 1769, the Spanish frigate,followed by twenty-three other vessels, sailed up the riverand anchored in front of the city.
At mid-day of the iSth Aubry had the general alarmbeaten. The troops and militia marched out and formed,facing the vessels, on one side of the Place d'Armes. GeneralO'Reilly landed, and three thousand soldiers filing afterhim formed on the other three sides of the open space.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
O'Reilly, advancing to Aubry, presented his credentialsfrom the King of Spain and his orders to receive the province.The papers were read aloud to the assembled citizens. Au-bry made a proclamation relieving the colonists from theirallegiance to France, and delivered the keys of the city toO'Reilly. The vessels discharged their guns, the soldiersfired salvos of musketry and shouted. The Spanish flagwas raised on all public buildings, the French flag lowered.Spanish guards relieved the French guards. A Te Deumwas then celebrated at the church, and the ceremonies termi-nated by a grand parade of the Spanish military, who, withtheir discipline and finished equipments, presented a trulyawe-inspiring appearance to the colonists.
O'Reilly took up his residence in one of the handsomesthouses in the city and assumed a mode of life more regal and
stately than the' people had everseen from their governors. In thelargest apartment of his hotel akind of throne was placed under acanopy, and here, like a mimicking, he gave audiences and heldreceptions. The colonists, faithfulto their professions, came in num-bers to pay their respects. Theywere accompanied by their wivesand daughters, who, with their per-sonal attractiveness and handsometoilettes, endeavored to throw thegraceful charm of society over the grim and sombre stateof a military ceremony.
The Spaniard maintained a graciousness of demeanorwhich exceeded even the most sanguine expectations. Hehad written, however, privately to Aubry, demanding fulland entire information respecting the expulsion of Ulloa,with the literal citation of all orders, protestations, and pub-
O'REILLY,
lie and private documents relating thereto, and particularlythe names of the persons who wrote and published thedecree of the council ordering the expulsion and the man-ifesto succeeding it.
Aubry, accepting the role of informer, furnished not onlyall that was officially required, but such gratuitous personalevidence as would make him agreeable to the Spaniards.Masan, Chevalier of St. Louis; Foucault, the commissary;Marquis, ex-captain of a Swiss company; the two DeNoyans, nephews of Bienville ; and Villere, were named asthe richest and most distinguished citizens who had takenpart in the Spanish expulsion. All the documents with sig-natures attached, and the manifesto with Brand's stamp asprinter, were put into O'Reilly's hands.
Upon different pretexts, O'Reilly secured the attendanceof Lafreniere, the two De Noyans, the Milhets and Bois-blanc on the same day at his levee. He received them withmore than his usual courtesy, and suavely begged them topass into the next room with him. They, unhesitatinglycomplying, walked into the apartment, to be surroundedby Spanish grenadiers with fixed bayonets. Then throw-ing off his mask, O'Reilly denounced his guests as rebels tothe King of Spain, informing them that they were prisonersof state and their property and fortunes confiscated. Thegentlemen, then under strong guard, were conveyed to theplaces which had been selected for their imprisonment; someto the barracks, some to the frigate in the river, and someto their houses, where a guard was stationed.
Villere, who had been marked also for arrest, was on hisplantation on the German coast. On the news of O'Reilly'sarrival he had intended to put himself and family under theprotection of the British flag at Manchac, when he received aletter from Aubry assuring him that he had nothing to appre-hend, and advising him, on the contrary, to come to the city.As flight seemed to imply a consciousness of guilt, this advice
was more congenial to Viller^'s character. He set out atonce for New Orleans. At the city gate he was stopped andcarried a prisoner aboard the frigate. Madame Villere,hearing of her husband's arrest, hastened also to the city, andtaking a boat had herself rowed to the frigate. She wasordered away. Villere, hearing the supplicating voice of hiswife, made an effort to get on deck to see her. The sentinelopposed him. There was a struggle, and the gallant Creolefell, transfixed with a bayonet. He died shortly afterwards.
Trial of the Patriots.—O'Reilly confided the trial of theprisoners to his own officials, who made all the examina-tions, records of testimony, etc., necessary for a prosecutionfor treason according to Spanish criminal law.
Foucault pleaded that as he was royal commissary of theKing of France, he was accountable only to him. The pleawas sustained. Brand pleaded that he had only printed themanifesto on order of Foucault, which, as royal printer ofLouisiana, he was bound to respect. He was released Theother prisoners confined their defence to a denial of the juris-diction of the tribunal before which they were arraigned.They claimed that the offences with which they were chargedtook place while the flag of France was waving over themand the laws of that kingdom were still in force in the colony,and that as the people of Louisiana could not wear the yoke oftwo kings at once, they could not at the same time, offendagainst the laws of two kingdoms. O'Reilly had decidedfrom the first, for an example, to proceed with the utmostrigor of the law against six of the prisoners, and as the lawauthorized a less severe punishment than death unless thecharge was proved by two witnesses, the trial in reality wasmerely to separate those who were to lose life and propertyfrom those who were to lose liberty and property, and asthere was no defence made, the accusation meant condem-nation. The sentence condemned Nicolas Chauvin DeLafreniere, Jean Baptiste, Bienville, De Noyan. Pierre
Caresse, Pierre Marquis and Joseph Milhet to death. Theywere to be conducted to the place of execution on asses,with ropes around their necks ; to be hung, and to remainhanging until O'Reilly ordered otherwise. Warning wasissued against any one's rescuing the bodies or in any wayfrustrating the execution of the sentence on pain of death.As Villere had already met his punishment, all that Span-nish authority could do was to condemn his memory as in-famous. Petit was sentenced to prison for life ; Masan andDoucet for ten, and Boisblanc, Milhet and Poupet for sixyears. All copies of the manifesto and all papers relatingto the event were to be burned in the public place by thehangman.
Execution of the Sentence. September 28, 1769.—
As there was no hangman* in the colony, O'Reilly was pre-vailed upon to commute the sentence to death by shooting.On the morning of the fatal day the guards were doubled atevery gate and station of the city. All the troops were putunder arms and were kept prepared for action along thelevee and on the public square. Those of the citizens whocould, fled into the country. Doors and windows werebarred ; all sign and sound of life suppressed. At 3 o'clockthe patriots were led out of their prison to the square infront of the barracks. They were tied to stakes and receivedtheir death with the calm firmness of the innocent and of thebrave.
O'Reilly Governor. 1769.—In the cession of the colony,Louis XV had expressed the hope that justice should beadministered according to the accustomed laws, forms and
* The historian Dumont relates: "As at one time there was no executioner in" the colony and no one who would take the exercise of the office, and as every*' well organized government needed an official executioner, it was decided to give'' the charge to a net^ro, named Jeannot, belonging to the Company of tlie Indies." He was summoned and told what was intended. He tried to get out of it," although tlie office would have given him his freedom. But he saw that there \vas" no escape, that he would be forced into it: * Very well,' he said, • wait a moment.'" He hastened to his cabin, seized a hatchet, laid his arm on a block of wood, and•' cut off his hand. Returning he showed his bloody stump to the commissioners."
128 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA,
usages of France. O'Reilly, in his policy of reconstruction,heeded no such desire. A proclamation in November an-nounced to the colonists that all hitherto existing form? ofgovernment were abolished and that Louisiana was to beplaced under the same regulations that reigned in otherSpanish colonies. For the Superior Council, a cabildo wassubstituted, composed of six regidores, two alcades, anattorney general, syndic and clerk, over all of which theSpanish governor was to preside. The Spanish languagewas ordered to be employed by all public officers; and thecolony was to be made as much as possible by superiorforce, Spanish at least in appearance.
During the winter the governor made a tour of inspectionof the settlements along the liver coasts. The most notableplanters were invited to meet him; but he received only adignified and cold submission from them. Some of theFrench soldiers enlisted in the Spanish service. Many weredischarged and received grants of land; those who wishedto remain in the French service were offered free passage toSt. Domingo or France. Aubry sailed with those who re-turned to France. His vessel reached the continent in safety,but foundered in the river Garonne. Aubry perished, withnearly all on board.
Large numbers of merchants and mechanics of New Or-leans, having no taste for the sample of government they hadseen, emigrated to St. Domingo. Many of the most pros-perous planters followed them. The movement, indeed,became so great that O'Reilly, to check it, withheld pass-ports from the applicants.
O'Reilly, himself, took his departure from the colony dur-ing the summer, leaving behind him a reputation whichhas become immortalized in Louisiana in the sobriquet of"Bloody O'Reilly."
He appointed as successor one of his colonels, Don Luisde Unzaga.
Unzaga Governor. 1770-1777.—Unzaga's appointmentwas confirmed by the court of Spain. His mild and easyadministration relieved the colonists from the gloom intowhich the horrible rigor of O'Reilly had plunged them. Hemarried the daughter of a prominent Creole of the province,and some of his officers following his example, good willwas not long in being established between the two nations.But the colony was nothing more than a royal apanage.The narrow-minded commercial policy of Spain which theNew Orleans merchants had dreaded was applied rigorously,and produced the effect they had predicted, by killing allenterprise. The only trade carried on was still by the alertEnglish in contraband. Besides large warehouses in Man-chac, Baton Rouge and Natchez, and their vessels of goodsmoored at Little Manchac, they now had two large boats,with their cabins fitted out like stores, which they kept trav-eling up and down the river, stopping at the call of anyplanter. Unzaga closed his eyes at the infraction of the law,without which he knew it would be impossible for the colonyto subsist.*
War of Independence. 1775.—In the British coloniesresistance to the arbitrary taxation of the home governmenthad culminated in the memorable war which was to result inthe independence of America and the federation of the UnitedStates. During the desperate struggle that ensued after thebattle of Lexington, the need of supplies by way of the Mis-sissippi brought American merchants and emissaries to NewOrleans, where, with Unzaga's connivance, they establishedcommercial connections to buy arms and ammunition to shipto the colonial forces.
* It was during Unzaga's administration that the celebrated religious war be-tween the French and Spanish Capuchins took place; from the Spanish father,Cirilo, attempting to substitute the grim fanaticism of Spanish practices for thepastoral government of the French father, Dagobert, an episode much celebratedin local fiction and poetry, and one which has elevated the French Capuchin, goodFather Dagobert, into the ecclesiastical hero of the place. Unzaga acted duringthe troublous discussion with the toleration and equity which eminently distin-guished him in all his administrative difficulties.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
Unzaga Appointed Captain General of Caraccas, wassucceeded by Don Bernardo Galvez.
Don Bernardo Galvez. 1783-1785.—Galvez was a brill-iant young officer of twenty-two, the colonel of the Spanish
regiment of Louisiana andpowerfully connected ; hisfather being viceroy of Mex-ico and his uncle secretaryof state and president of theCouncil of the Indies, anoffice second in authorityonly to the king.
Galvez, like Unzaga, didail in his power to ren-der his nation and his gov-ernment acceptable to thecolonists. He opened hisadministration by mitigatingBERNARDO DE GALVEZ. the strict dccrecs against
trade, and French vessels were once more permitted to land atNew Orleans. Competing with the English, they soon suc-ceeded to their monopoly, and enterprise and activity revivedamong the Creole merchants and planters, who were furtherencouraged by the offer of the Spanish government to buy infuture all the tobacco raised in the colony. In the city, assist-ance was furnished more and more openly to the warringAmerican colonies. Not only were regular shipments ofsupplies made to Virginia and Pennsylvania, but emissariespassing backward and forward in their effort to stir up a re-volt also in the Floridas made it a stopping place and rendez-vous. An American in Philadelphia even fitted out there anexpedition into the British territory^ which captured the fortat Manchac and ravaged the plantations as far as Natchez.War.—It could not be expected that France should remainneutral in the conflict between the Americans and her old foe.
From private encouragement and assistance she passed toopen recognition of the independence of the revolted coloniesand to a treaty of alliance with them. England responded byhostilities against France. Spain offered her mediation fora general peace based on the separation of the colonies fromthe mother country. England, haughtily refusing, Spain de-termined to take a hand herself in the quarrel, by declaringwar against England. It was the opportunity above allothers desired by Louisiana*s young martial governor.
Capture of British Forts.—Raising a volunteer corpsamong the Americans in the city, the colonial militia, peo-ple of color, and Indians, Galvez mustered a force of aboutfourteen hundred men. Marching up the river he capturedFort Bute; forced Baton Rouge to capitulate, and in hercapitulation to include Fort Panmure at Natchez, and threeother small garrisons in the neighborhood.
Mobile Captured. 1780.—Returnmg to New Orleans, heimmediately commenced preparations for an expeditionagainst Mobile, and sailed from the Balize with over twothousand men. In the gulf he was overtaken by a storm, whichcame near wrecking the whole expedition. They succeeded,however, in reaching Mobile river, where, in spite of theconfusion and demoralization of his army, Galvez marchedto Fort Charlotte and forced its surrender.
Expedition Against Pensacola. 1781.—The conquest ofPensacola was next determined on, but this place was too wellfortified to hope for the easy triumphs of the past. Galvezsent to Cuba for troops. The captain general promisedbut did not send them. Galvez then sailed there in personand obtained them. Crossing the gulf, however, he encoun-tered a terrible hurricane ; many of his transports foundered,the rest were dispersed. He put back to Havana, col-lected and refitted a new armament and sailed for Pensacolawith a ship of the line, two frigates, several transports andfourteen hundred men, with full equipment of artillery.
He landed on the island of St. Rosa in March, and erecteda battery to protect his ships while crossing the bar. Butwhen the attempt was made the commodore's ship gotaground and he refused to proceed. Galvez had the channelsounded, and found water enough for his largest vessels, butthe Spanish officers still refused to risk the royal fleet, in achannel they did not know, under fire of a formidable fort.Galvez then decided to carry through his own colonial gun-boats and thus force the Spanish commodore into followmghis example. Towards noon he went aboard, ordered thepenant at the mainmast, salutes fired and sails set. The fortcommenced a brisk cannonade, but his boats sailed trium-phantly through it, and Galvez landed on the island of St.Rosa, amid the acclamations of his men. The rest of thefleet crossed the bar next day with like success.
Attack,—After some parley, with a view of excluding thetown of Pensacola and its inhabitants from exposure to thefortunes of war, the English commander withdrew with allhis forces into the fort. The Spaniards threw up their earthworks on both sides the British walls and stationed theirbatteries. From these and from the fleet in front a tremen-dous fire was poured into the fort. Again and again themen were driven from their guns, but the Spaniards gainedno decided advantage. On the contrary, the British erecteda battery whose heavy guns soon silenced the Spanish shipsand drove them to the other side of the bay. After a month'ssiege an accident turned the uncertain victory to the accountof Galvez. The powder magazine in one of the advanced re-doubts took fire from a shell and blew up, opening a passageto him. He had barely taken possession of it when theBritish displayed a white flag. A capitulation was agreedupon by which the whole province of West Florida was sur-rendered to Spain. The garrison was allowed the honors ofwar and transportation into the English dominions.
The brilliant services of Galvez were rewarded with the
Cross of the Royal Order of Charles III, the title of Count,promotion to Lieutenant General in the army, and CaptainGeneral of Florida and Louisiana. He sailed shortly after-wards to Havana, to take command of the Spanish forces ina combined French and Spanish attack on Jamaica, leav-ing the government of Louisiana during his absence toDon Estevan Miro, colon-el of the Spanish regiment ofLouisiana.
Peace of Paris. American Independence, 1783.—Thegreat and glorious struggle of the Americans drew to anend. Great Britain was forced to acknowledge their in-dependence. The peace was signed in Paris, January 20,1783.
By a following treaty Spain retained her conquests ofFlorida, and the line between her territory and that of theUnited States was fixed at a point in the Mississippi river;latitude, 33 deg. north, extending to the middle of theApalachicola river, following it to its junction with Flintriver, thence to the St. Mary's and down its middle to theAtlantic ocean. Navigation of the Mississippi, from its sourceto its mouth, was declared free to the subjects of GreatBritain and citizens of the United States.
The new lines were, however, not fixed before they werecalled into dispute. The State of Georgia claimed a largeterritory inside the Spanish boundary, and sent commis-sioners to New Orleans, demanding its surrender. Thequestion referred to the court of Spain reopened negotiationsbetween the two countries, which lasted several years. Andthe navigation of the Mississippi, declared free on paper,was practically closed by the Spanish imposition of oppressivetaxes and duties.
1784.—During their short and brilliant war against theirEnglish neighbors, the Louisianians suffered great agricul-tural and commercial depression. The paper money fell tohalf its value; crop after crop failed. The sorely needed
peace did little to mitigate the crisis. For two years succes-sively hurricanes had swept the country bare of vegetationand buildings; and the waters of the gulf, driven inland in agreat tidal wave, had submerged land and stock. In addition,there were the usual overflows from the river, and a rainysummer following brought an epidemic of fever. The nec-essaries of life rose to an extreme height and want and suf-fering wrung bitter complaints from the inhabitants. Thewinter that succeeded was unknown in severity in all pre-vious experience. White frosts appeared in September. ByNovember the cold was intense. In February the wholewidth of the river in front of New Orleans was so filledwith blocks of ice that for five days all communication be-tween the two banks was interrupted.
Early in 1785 Galvez was appointed viceroy of Mexico,to succeed his deceased father, and Miro became governorof Louisiana.
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of O'Reilly in New Orleans. Arrest of the pa-triots. Their trial and execution. Spanish reconstruction in Louis-iana. Unzaga's administration. Administration of Galvez. Captureof the British possessions. Give account of the Peace of Paris—theboundaries it fixed and the provision regarding the Mississippi river.
CHAPTER XIX.
Governor Miio. 1785-1791.—Miro continued the wisepolicy of his predecessors, exerting himself to obtain fromthe Court of Madrid as much extension of commercial privi-leges as possible, foreseeing that in commerce lay the verylife of the colony. He was fully impressed with the impor-tance of the Mississippi as the artery of trade of the country.
**As many as forty vessels at a time/' he wrote to the homegovernment, " could be seen on its waters."*
The natural, and in that ante-railroad period the onlyoutlet for the produce of the Middle, or, as they were thencalled, the Western States, the river was indeed asserting itsimportance in a manner that both governments were forcedto consider. After the War of Independence there poureddown upon its currents one continuous line of flat-boatsladen to the edge with the produce of the rich soil fromabove. These cargoes found ready sale, and were soon themain source of food supplies to the city. The flat-boats,after being unloaded, were broken up and sold for timber.But the sturdy flatboatmen from Ohio and Kentuckv,on theirreturn, had always a long list of seizures, confiscations, im-prisonments, and vexatious interferences of all kinds by theSpanish authorities, to report, and the people of the States,strong and bold in their new liberty, were not of the kindtamely to brook such treatment. They considered that theMississippi river belonged to the people of the Mississippivalley, and they were determined to have the use of it to itsmouth. Among the violent, invasion of Louisiana and forci-ble seizure of New Orleans were talked about. The morepeaceable applied to Congress to obtain from Spain by ne-gotiation the full observance of the last treaty.
Miro, alive to the critical temper of Americans and to thedefenceless condition of the colony, redoubled his vigilanceand relaxed the restrictions upon the river trade. To fill upthe country, he encouraged emigation from the West into theSpanish possessions on the Mississippi, and another largenumber of Acadian families coming into the colony, hesettled them in the neighborhood of their compatriots on
*One of the first acts of Miro's administration was the building- of a hospital forlepers in New Orleans on what was long called *' la terre aux lepreux," or lepers'land, situated on Metairie Ridge, Ulloa had attempted to confine some of thelepers at Balize, but the public discontent caused him to desist.
both sides of the Mississippi and in the Attakapas* district.To increase Spanish population, the Spanish govern-ment had in this, and also during the previous adminis-tration, transported to Louisiana a number of families fromthe Canary Islands.f These were settled, some at Terre-aux-boeufs ; some at Bayou Manchac, where they formed avillage called Galvezton; and some at Venezuela, on BayouLafourche.
The English inhabitants of the Natchez district were en-couraged to remain and take the oath of allegiance to Spain :they were forbidden, however, the public exercise of theirworship, and the king sent out, at his own expense, Irishpriests to convert them to the Roman Church.
At the same time, Miro spared no means to conciliate theIndians, and he succeeded in drawing to New Orleansthirty-six of the most influential Chickasaw and Choctawchiefs, gave them rich presents, harangued and feastedthem.
1787.—General Wilkinson, a distinguished officer in theWar of Independence, became a prominent figure in thecrisis. He conceived the plan of relieving the strained con-dition by establishing such relations between the people ofthe interior and the Spaniards as would be profitable to both.He came to New Orleans and made the acquaintance ofMiro, who, fearful at every rise of the river of an invasionfrom the indignant Americans to the north, eagerly wel-comed any arrangement by which such a possibility mightbe avoided. He even flattered himself that Wilkinson'sfriendship and the necessity of the Mississippi to the MiddleStates, properly handled, might result in their secession fromthe Union, and the erection of a friendly republic under the
*In the beginning- of 17S7 the districts of Opelousas and Attakapas, which so farhad been under one officer, were divided into two separate commands, NichohiSForstal was appointed commander of the Opelousas district, and the Chevalier deClouet, who had before presided over both, was left in charge of the Attakapas,
t Called to this day " Islingues," from islenos, islanders.
dependence of Spain, between the Spanish and the UnitedStates boundaries.
New Orleans. 1788.—In the capital life was changingfrom the rude simplicity of the early Canadian days to thetone and fashion of European cities, of which the foreignofficers and their families set the standard. Handsome resi-dences of brick and stucco with hand-wrought iron gatesand balconies, and spacious court yards, began to replacethe low, tile-covered cottages of the first settlers. But themarch of improvement was arrested by a most disastrousoccurrence.
On Good Friday, 1788, the house of one of the Spanishofficials caught fire from the lights on the altar of thedomestic chapel. The flames spread until the entire cityseemed doomed; eight hundred and fifty-six houses, theCathedral, Convent of the Capuchins, Town Hall, thearsenal and all its contents, were consumed. Nothing couldexceed the scene of ruin and desolation that ensued. New andhandsomer buildings, however, were soon being built on theold sites, and Don Andres Almonaster,* a rich and influentialcitizen, commenced his generosities to the city by replacingthe burned schoolhouse, and laying the foundation of a newand handsome cathedral.
In the begmning of 1789 Louisiana learned that CharlesIII was dead, and that Charles IV, his son, succeeded him.But the new king was more intensely Spanish than the last,as the colony soon perceived.
Inquisition.—The Spanish Capuchin priest, Antonio deSedella, who had lately arrived, was commissioned to intro-duce the Inquisition into the city. He made his preparationswith the utmost secresy and caution, and notified the gov-
*Don Andres Almoiiastor y Roxas was a native of Andalusia. He was aKnight, of the Royal Order of Charles III, colonel of the militia, alderman androyal lieutenant of the corporation, founder and donor of the cathedral, the courthouse, of the Hospital of St. Charles and of its church; also of the hospital forlepers and of the convent and school of the Ursulines. He died in 179S, andwas buried in the cathedral, in which perpetual masses are celebrated for his soul.
ernor that he might soon, at some late hour at night, find itnecessary to require guards to assist him.
Miro did not hesitate to risk his own authority to preventan establishment, the idea of which made him shudder. Thenight following the Capuchin's notification, when the rep-resentative of the Inquisition was quietly sleeping, he wasaroused by a heavy knocking; opening the door, he saw anofficer and a file of grenadiers. Thinking they had come inanswer to his letter, he said: *' My friends, I thank you and" his excellency for the readiness of this compliance with my*' request. But I have now no need for your services, and*' you shall be warned in time when you are wanted. Retire** with the blessing of God."*
Great was his stupefaction when he was told that he wasunder arrest. "What," exclaimed he, "Will you dare layyour hands on a Commissioner of the Inquisition!" *'I dareobey orders," replied the undaunted officer; and theReverend Father Antonio de Sedilla was instantly carried onboard of a vessel which sailed the next day for Cadiz, t
Goddess of Liberty. 1791.—Tender of the political aswell as religious condition of the people, the King of Spainprohibited the introduction into the colony of any boxes,clocks, or other objects stamped with the figure of theAmerican goddess of liberty.
French Revolution. 1791.—It was a time indeed to fearthe spread of ideas of liberty. The heroic stand of theUnited States against England, and the independence andfreedom thereby gained, had fired the long discontentedFrench people into a revolt against their monarchy.
The revolution which broke out with such deplorable vio-lence in France was followed in the French colonies witheven more bloody exhibitions. In St. Domingo the negroes,
* Gayarre, Spanish domination.
tA few years later Pere Antoine returned and lived and worked in the cityuntil 1837. He made himself so beloved by the people that his memory is stillcherished by both Protestants and Catholics,
not satisfied with the freedom granted them, resolved to rulesupreme. A general massacre of the whites was plotted andcarried out with revolting cruelty. Those who could escapefled to neighboring countries; many came to Louisiana.Among the refugees were a company of French comedians.They opened a theatre in New Orleans, originating the regu-lar French dramatic performances which have still con-tinued in the city.
Miro was permitted to retire from Louisiana and return toSpain in 1791. He had endeared himself to the colonists byhis kind manners and fine moral qualities and had done muchto reconcile them with the Spanish Domination.*
Carondelet. 1792-1797.—Francois Louis Hector Baronde Carondelet, like his predecessors, was a colonel in theroyal army. He was a native of Flanders, and at the time
of his appointment was governor ofSan Salvador in Guatemala. He isdescribed as a short, plump gentle-man, somewhat choleric in disposi-tion, but not lackmg in goodnature.
As Miro had done, Carondelettolerated the open disregard of theduties imposed upon the Mississippitrade, and New Orleans was per-mitted to stride forward to the com-BARON CARONDELET. mcrcial position which her geo-graphical situation warranted. Numbers of Philadelphiamerchants established branch houses in the city, and Ameri-cans began to crowd in to fill the lucrative positions dailyoffering. But as before, whenever prosperity seemed mostassured, events in Europe disturbed it.
*Miro had a census of the population taken in 1789, with the fallowing result:Total, 31,433, showing a doubling of the population since 1769. 1 he slaves anawhites were about equally divided; the free colored amounted to uoo; the numDerof Acadians to 1587,
140 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
News arrived that the French Republic had been pro-claimed, and Louis XVI beheaded; and with it came thedeclaration of war by Spain against France.
The Spanish reconstruction had never gone to the heartsof the Louisianians, they still were Frenchmen, had neverceased to speak their own language, nor to long for anopportunity to return to their own nationality, and they hadbeen French Republicans in spirit ever since Louis XVhad thrown them off and abandoned them to the vengeanceof O'Reilly. They saw now a chance for changing theirgovernment for one animated by the freedom and progressivespirit of the United States, but French in language andnationality. One hundred and fifty of them boldly signed apetition addressed to the new republic, praying to be placedunder the protection of France. At the theatre in NewOrleans, the new French patriotic hymn, the Marseillaise,was demanded from the orchestra, and in all drinking saloonsstirring revolutionary songs were sung.
Carondelet had another paper signed, in which othercolonists pledged themselves to the King of Spain, and tothe present government of Louisiana. The orchestra at thotheatre was forbidden to play martial or revolutionary music,and revolutionary songs were prohibited on the streets and inthe drinking saloons, and six of the most violent partisans ofthe Republic were shipped away to Havana. The fortifica-tions of the city were strengthened and repaired; the gov.ernor himself going on horseback every morning regularlyto superintend the work. Fort St. Charles was built imme-diately above the city, and another fort, St. Louis, immedi-ately below. In front of the principal streets was placed astrong battery, which commanded the river and crossed its firewith that of the forts. In the rear of the city were-three otherforts: Burgundy, St. Ferdinand and St. Joseph. They weresmaller than those in front, and connected with a ditch fortyfeet wide and seven deep. With the earth taken out of the
141
ditch, a parapet, three feet high had been made protected bya palisade twelve feet high. The two batteries at EnglishTurn were abandoned. A large fort (St. Philip) was builtat Plaquemine Turn and a smaller one placed on theopposite side of the river. The militia was drilled anddisciplined.
These measures had their effect on the colonists immedi-ately under the power of Spain, but the agitation outsidecontinued unabated. A society of French Republicans inPhiladelphia circulated an address in Louisiana, callingupon their brethren, in the name of Liberty, Equality and
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Fraternity, to strike a blow against the Spanish despotismwhich enslaved them and join the nations of the free; prom-ising that down the waters of the Ohio would soon comeabundant help of men and money. The French minister tothe United States turned his efforts to getting up an expedi-tion composed of Frenchmen and Americans, which he pro-
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142 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
posed to lead himself into Louisiana. Profiting by the preju-dice against the Spaniards, he gathered a large band on theborders of Georgia and even gained a strong party of Indianwarriors to join the movement. August de la Chaise, a na-tive Louisianian (grandson of the royal commissary of 1723),was sent to Kentucky to recruit invaders there, who were todescend to New Orleans by way of the Ohio and Missis-sippi.
The authorities of the United States, however, firmly in-terfered to prevent this violation of international treaty, andthe governor of Georgia issued a proclamation against theproposed use of his territory. De la Chaise, disappointed inhis hopes, dispersed his force of two thousand men and re-tired to France.
Treaty of Madrid. 1795.—Finally the long pendingnegotiations between the United States and Spain drew to aclose. The boundary line was changed to the 31st deg.north latitude, running eastward to the Chattahoochie andthence out on the former line to the ocean. The free navi-gation of the Mississippi was again stipulated and permis-sion given to the people of the United States to use NewOrleans for three years as a place of deposit for their produceand merchandise and to export the same free of all duty; theterm of three years to be extended at its expiration or anotherplace of deposit designated on the island of Orleans.
Making of Sugar by Etienne de Bore.*—M. de Borehad settled on a plantation six_miles above New Orleans, onthe same side of the river, and, like most of the planters inLouisiana, had devoted himself to the cultivation of indigo.Huricanes and overflows, however, had much diminished hisfortune, and in addition an insect had appeared, which attack-
* Etienne de Bore came of distinguished Norman family. He was born in 1740in the Illinois, but was taken at an early age to France. "After the completion ofhis education he entered the Royal Mousquetaire or troops of the King's house-hold. Alter his marriage he returned to Louisiana and engaged in planting. M.de Bore was the grandfather of Louisiana's distinguished historian, Charle$Gayarre.
143
ing the indigo plant, soon left it nothing but a bare stem.Ruin stared him and the other planters in the face. Themanufacture of sugar had been abandoned since 1766, asimpossible in the climate, and only a few now planted cane,to be sold as a delicacy in the market or boiled into sugar ormade into a kind of rum called tafia. Bore determined to risk
what was left of his fortuneby one more attempt at sugarmaking. His wife, and hisfriends also remonstrated withhim. He nevertheless pur-chased seed cane, planted andgot ready for grinding andboiling. On the day whenthe rolling was to begin a largenumber of neighbors andfriends assembled in andabout the sugar house, watch-ing with anxiety the successor failure of the experiment." Would the syrup granu-late.?" " Would it make sugar -or not.?" The momentcame. The sugar boiler tested again and again. *' It granu-lates!" he called out, " It granulates!" " It granulates!"the crowd in the sugar house repeated. The cry was caughtup outside and flew from mouth to mouth to the city.*
But the sugar planters were then confronted by what seemedanother and more horrible ruin—an insurrection of the ne-groes. The news of the St. Domingo revolution had pene-trated to the large slave population of Louisiana. What hadbeen accomplished there, it was thought, might be accom-plished here. A conspiracy was formed at Pointe Coupeeon the plantation of Julian Poydras, one of the wealthiestplanters of Louisiana, then traveling in the United States.
?Gayarre, Spanish Domination,
ETIENNE DE BORE.
The plot spread throughout the parish and a day was fixedfor the general massacre of the whites. A disagreement asto the hour produced a quarrel among the leaders which ledto the betrayal of the plot and arrest of the ringleaders. Thenegroes rose to the rescue, but were repulsed, and the ring-leaders were tried, condemned and hung as a warning atvarious points on the river bank.
In 1795 another conflagration almost consumed New Or-leans, causing even greater financial loss than the previousone. Only two stores in the whole city escaped, but fortu-nately the new cathedral, just completed by Don Andres deAlmonaster, was spared. In order the better to avoid suchcalamities in the future, Carondelet recommended that pre-miums be granted to those in New Orleans who should re-build with terraced or tiled instead of shingle roofs.
It was also during this year, 1795, that the first regularnewspaper made its appearance in the city. It was calledLe Moniteur de la Louisiane.
Carondelet completed his extensive works in the city bydigging the Canal Carondelet, which connected the city withBayou St. John, giving access to boats from the lake. Theconvict labor and details of slaves contributed by the plant-ers were employed at it. As affording drainage for the cityand bringing into it wood and small products from the landsacross the lakes, the canal has more than justified the Baron'shigh expectation of it. In 1796 he also gave the city regularpolice protection and established eighty lamps for the light-mg of it.
The revolution in France turned at this period a tide ofemigration into Louisiana most acceptable to the Spanishauthorities. It was composed of French royalists flyingfrom the new Republic. Among the most conspicuous werethe Marquis de Maison Rouge, the Baron de Bastrop andM. de Lassus de St. Vrain. They proposed plans for theremoval of a large number of their countrymen and large
SPANISH DOMINATION. 145
tracts of land were granted them on the banks of theOuachita.*
Appointed to a command in Quito, Carondelet left NewOrleans in the autumn of 1797- He was succeeded byGayoso de l^emos.
Gayoso de Lemos Governor. 1797-1799.—De Lemosgoverned for two years.
During his intrigues to detach the Western States from theUnion, Carondelet had delayed, through various pretexts, thegiving up of the forts Panmure and Walnut Hills, held bySpain within the boundaries of the United States. Nowthat all hopes of such a secession from the United States wasended by the firm allegiance of the Western people, Gayosoevacuated the territory.| General Wilkinson arrived withfederal troops and took up his headquarters at Loftus'Height (Roche a Davion). Don Jose Vidal assumed com-mand of the Spanish fort at Natchez.
The three years fixed by the Treaty of Madrid elapsed anda royal order was issued, prohibiting New Orleans as a placeof deposit and designating no other place in its stead. Whenthis became known in the Western States, it caused the mostintense indignation and an expedition against New Orleanswas openly advocated. President Adams, obliged bypopular opinion to make some demonstration, ordered threeregiments of the regular army to concentrate on the Ohio tillfurther orders. Twelve additional regiments were orderedby Congress to be raised and other preparations were madewhich seemed to indicate an immediate campaign againstLouisiana.
In the midst of the excitement Gayoso died suddenly, andDon Francisco Bouligny, colonel of the regiment of Louisi-ana, assumed his office.
* These grants were made on certain conditions which were never complied withand a full title was never vested.
t B^ act of Congress, the land ceded was organized into the Territory ofMississippi,
146 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
Casa Calvo. 1799-1801.—The Captain General of Cubasent over the Marquis de Casa Calvo to be temporary gov-ernor in the colony.
The government of the United States, instead of proceed-ing to armed means for the protection of the rights of hercitizens, arrested warlike preparations and reopened negotia-tions with Spain. The acquisition of New Orleans was theonly sure guarantee of a final solution of the matter. . Whilethe negotiations for it were pending, the King of Spainrevoked the decree against trade and restored to thepeople of the United States a place of deposit in NewOrleans.
Salcedo Governor. 1801-1803.—Don Juan Manuel deSalcedo, brigadier general in the armies of Spain, arrived inLouisiana to relieve Caso Calvo. One of his first measureswas to send arms and equipments to the militia of the Natch-itoches district, in order that they might make a stand againstan American inroad threatened in that quarter. At the sametime, his intendant, the Comptroller of Customs, Morales,issued a decree forbidding the granting of any land to a citi-zen of the United States, and again suspended, by proclama-tion, the right of deposit in New Orleans. The news of italmost produced a revolt among the Western people; theyrose and for the last time demanded redress from Con-gress. *' The Mississippi is ours," they said, "by the law ofnature. Our rivers swell its volume and flow with it to theGulf of Mexico. Its mouth is the only issue which naturehas given to our waters, and we wish to use it for our vessels.No power in the world should deprive us of our rights. Ifour liberty in this matter is disputed, nothing shall preventour taking possession of the capital, and when we are oncemasters of it we shall know how to maintain ourselves there.If Congress refuses us effectual protection we will adopt themeasures which our safety requires, even if they endanger
the peace of the Union and our connection with the otherStates, No protection, no allegiance." *
QUESTIONS.
Give an account of Miro's administration. Of the importance ofthe Mississippi to the Middle States. Restrictive duties of the Span-ish authorities. Effect on the Western people. Inquisition in NewOrleans. French Revolution. Carondelet's administration. Treatyof Madrid. Making of sugar. Administration of Gayoso. CasaCalvo. Salcedo. Last demand of Western people for free navigationof the Mississippi river.
FROM COLONY TO STATE.
CHAPTER XX.
THE THREE POWERS.
The first years of this century witnessed some very impor-tant events in the history of Louisiana. By these events thewhole current of affairs was changed. The great territorythat then bore the name of Louisiana was brought from underthe Spanish domination and joined to the American Union.It must be noticed, however, that the interests of the Louis-ianians themselves were not at all consulted. Their countrywas simply a valuable piece of property; two other nations,we shall see, sold it for as high a price as they could obtain,and in the end the Americans carried off the prize. It was asplendid bargain for the United States, and the inhabitantsof the purchased territory soon found that under the freeAmerican Government a glorious future was opened beforethem.
* Quoted by Gayarre from Marbois' History of Louisiana.
Let us trace the history of these important events.
Napoleon's Bargain with Spain.—In the year 1800,Napoleon Bonaparte, who was then at the head of the Frenchgovernment with the title of First Consul, determined to induceSpain to give back Louisiana to France. It was his intentionto establish once more the power of France in America, andto use Louisiana as a point from which he could attack thepossessions of the English, with whom he was constantly atwar.
When he proposed to the King of Spain that the provinceshould be ceded back to France, His Catholic Majesty,* whohad not found Louisiana a very profitable possession, andwho feared that the grasping Americans might one day ta^eit from him, listened very favorably to Napoleon's proposition.He finally declared that he would give up the province, ifNapoleon would make over to the Duke of Parma, whobelonged to the royal house of Spain, that part of Italy whichwas called the Duchy of Tuscany. Napoleon promised tocomply with this condition, and October i, 1800, a secret treatywas signed at St. Ildefonso, of which the third article was asfollows: "His Catholic Majesty promises and binds himself" to give back to the French Republic, six months after the" conditions in regard to Louis, Duke of Parma, have been*' executed, the colony of Louisiana, with the same boundaries'* which it had when it was owned by France, and which it" should have according to the treaties made more recently" between Spain and other States."
Thus Spain thought she had placed between the Ameri-cans and her Mexican possessions a power friendly to her-self; if she had dreamed that Napoleon would in a fewyears sell the colony to her American rival, it would neverhave passed out of her hands.
For more than a year Napoleon kept his bargain withSpain a profound secret. His minister was the famous Tal-
* This was the official title of the King of Spain.
leyrand, who was very skilful in concealing what he knew andin baffling all inquiries. Napoleon had very good reasons forpretending that France did not own Louisiana. England hada powerful fleet, which was always sailing along the EnglishChannel and watching the movements of French vessels. Ifit were known that Louisiana belonged to France, Englandmight easily send this fleet across the Atlantic, seize the col-ony, and extend her dominion from Canada to the Gulf ofMexico. If she made the attempt, Napoleon, who was thencarrying on extensive wars in Europe, was not at that mo-ment able to prevent her.
Jefferson's Purchase.— In the meantime the Spanishgovernor, Salcedo, still remained in Louisiana, and his in-tendant. Morales, ventured to deny to the Western people theright of deposit at New Orleans. We saw in our last chap-ter how boldly the people of Kentucky protested against thisaction. If the American Government had refused to listento their complaints, they would doubtless have attackedthe Spaniards and tried to seize New Orleans. But ThomasJefferson, who was then President of the United ^States, ap-preciated the grievances of which the Kentuckians com-plained, and resolved to do all that he could to remove them.
As soon as it was finally known that Louisiana had beenceded by Spain to France, he sent over James Monroe (after-wards President of the United States), to join Robert R.Livingston, United States Minister at Paris, and he instructedthese two representatives to negotiate with Napoleon for thepurchase of New Orleans and the right of way to the Gulf.But as Napoleon saw that it would not be in his power tohold Louisiana against the English, he very shrewdly deter-mined to sell the whole country to the United States. Hewould thus prevent England from seizing it; he would atthe same time make friends of the Americans ; and he wouldhimself obtain a handsome sum to carry on the war againstthe English. Accordingly, therefore, he opened negotiations
150 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
with the American agents to find out how much they wouldgive, not for New Orleans alone, but for the whole of Louisi-ana. After long discussions with a French Commissionernamed Barbe-Marbois, Monroe and Livingston agreed uponthe sum of eighty million francs (about fifteen million dol-lars) as the price that America should pay. The treaty ofsale was signed at Paris April 30, 1803.
Napoleon was highly pleased with the result. " This ac-cession of territory," he said, " strengthens forever the powerof the United States. I have given England a maritime rivalwhich will sooner or later humble her pride." His predic-tion was fulfilled in the war of 1812-15, when the Americanvessels won many victories over the English.
In the United States, Jefferson's purchase was disapprovedof by some people, but the joy of the Western States car-ried everything before it. The result was that in 1S04 Jeffer-son was re-elected President.
Spain, very naturally, showed some indignation at Na-poleon's bold stroke, and maintained that he had agreed notto yield Louisiana to any other nation. But this agreementwas never proved, and Jefferson refused to consider theSpanish protest. It was then feared that Spain would try toprevent the transfer of the colony; but she afterwards with-drew her protest, " as a proof of her friendship for the UnitedStates."
Laussat in Louisiana.—We must now return to theevents in Louisiana. On March 26, 1803, M. Laussat, theCommissioner sent over by Napoleon to receive Louisianafrom the vSpaniards, arrived at New Orleans. As the treatyof sale with the United States was not signed till a monthlater, Laussat did not suspect that after he had taken posses-sion of the colony, he would be ordered to transfer it toanother government.
He was received with proper honors by the Spanish gov-ernor, vSalcedo, and soon after issued an address, in which he
told the Louisianians that the transfer of their country toSpain in 1763 had beeen the act of a weak and corrupt gov-ernment, but that the great and magnanimous Napoleon, assoon as his victories had given him the power, had hastenedto restore Louisiana to the care of France. Laussat did notknow that at this very time Napoleon was bargaining tosell Louisiana to the United States at the highest possibleprice.
Laussat received two addresses in answer to his own. Thefirst was from the planters of Louisiana; it was signed byManuel Andry, Noel Peret, Foucher, and many others. Theyexpressed the joy they felt in becoming citizens of France ;but they declared that they had no cause to complain of theirtreatment at the hands of the Spanish governors, with the sin-gle exception of the cruel Irishman, O'Reilly. " Let the"Spaniards, they added, " have the undisturbed enjoyment" of all the property they own on this soil, and let us share'^ with them like brotliers the blessings of our new position."The second address, signed by well known citizens of NewOrleans, such as De Bore, Fortier, Labatut, and De Buys,expressed exactly the same sentiments. Thus the Louisi-anians, for the most part, were delighted to be transferred toFrance; but many of them, says Marbois, feared that Na-poleon might set free all of the slaves in Louisiana, as he haddone in St. Domingo, and that the terrible events which hadtaken place on that island might be repeated in their owncountry. This dread of the First Consul's policy was enoughto lessen their joy in acknowledging the government ofFrance.
Laussat, who had formed great plans for building roadsand bridges in the colony, and otherwise increasing its pros-perity, soon began to hear rumors that Louisiana had beenceded to the American Government. Several months, how-ever, passed before orders finally reached him that he was toreceive Louisiana from the Spanish governor, and then hold
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
himself ready to transfer it to the young American Repub-lic.
France Takes Possession.—On the 30th of November,1803, Laussat proceeded to the City Hall (the old Cabildo),
CABILDO (supreme COURT BUILDING).
where he met Governor Salcedo and Casa Calvo, who hadbeen appointed to transfer Louisiana to France. The threegentlemen solemnly took their seats in the council chamber.After the necessary documents had been read, the keys of thecity were handed over to the representatives of France,and Casa Calvo announced that all Louisianians who didnot wish to withdraw from the colony and live elsewhereunder the Spanish rule were released from their oath offidelity to His Catholic Majesty. The three representativesthen walked out on the gallery facing the old Place d'Armes(now Jackson Square). In the centre of the square the flagof Spain was proudly waving. Since thearrival of O'Reilly,
thirty-four years before, the people of Louisiana had livedunder this banner. It now descended from its staff amidsalutes of artillery and the flag of France rose in its place.Before many days had passed the French flag was to be re-placed by the " Stars and Stripes." As this fact was alreadyknown, the ceremony that had just taken place was not re-garded by the populace with any great enthusiasm, thoughwith the fondness for display which has always distinguishediSFew Orleans, an immense crowd had assembled to wit-ness it.
When the ceremony was over Laussat issued a proclama-tion to the people of Louisiana, which in beautiful and ap-propriate words told them of the new destiny that had beenprepared for them by Napoleon's treaty with America. Hetold them that according to this treaty they would in a shorttime enjoy all the rights and privileges possessed by the citi-zens of the United States. He then prophesied that the Mis-sissippi would soon be covered with a thousand ships from allnations. *'Maya Louisianian and a Frenchman," he con-cluded, " never meet upon any spot of the earth withoutfeeling tenderly drawn to each other, and without salutingeach other with the title of brother! "
The old Spanish council was abolished, and in its steadLaussat appointed a regular city government. Etienne deBore, the rich and successful sugar planter, was chosenmayor, while the council was composed of the followingdistinguished citizens: Villere, Jones, Fortier, Donaldson,Faurie, Allard, Tureaud, and Watkins. Derbigny was thesecretary, and Labatut the treasurer. As Laussat had notroops to protect New Orleans when the Spanish garrisonwithdrew, a number of young Creoles and Americans formedthemselves into a company and offered their services to guardthe city. New Orleans was patrolled by these young men tillthe arrival of the United States Commissioners, who were toreceive Louisiana for the American Government.
154 KlSTORY OF LOUISIANA.
Rivalry of Laussat and Casa Calvo.—In the meantimethere was a gfeat deal of rivalry between Laussat and theMarquis of Casa Calvo, each trying to outdo the other in aseries of magnificent dinner parties, given to the chief in-habitants of the colony. It was the French Republic vyingwith the Spanish Monarchy. Each representative wished tojDrove how much affection his country felt for the Louisian-ians. In a history of Louisiana, by a French traveller namedRobin, who attended some of these banquets, there is an in-teresting description of the guests, and from it we translatethe following: "The ladies of the colony appear at these" fetes with an elegance which is truly astonishing; the prin-" cipal cities of France can offer nothing more brilliant.*' These ladies are generally tall and dignified. The white-*' ness of their complexion is set off by light robes orna-" mented with flowers and embroidery; so that one of these** fetes is like a scene in fairyland. Sometimes as many as"four hundred guests are grouped around the tables at sup-" per. What a pity," he continues, " that a taste for such" pleasures should spread in a new country, which has so" much need to practise economy!'*
QUESTIONS.
Who was Napoleon ? What bargain did he make ? Give an ac-count of Jefferson's purchase. Who was Laussat ? How was hisaddress to the people received ? Describe the act of taking posses-sion. Describe the banquets of that day.
155
CHAPTER XXI.
UNDER THE AMERICAN FLAG.
The American Government Takes Possession.—On
the 17th of December, 1S03, Win. C. C. Claiborne, Gover-^ ^ nor of Mississippi, accompanied
by General Wilkinson, arrived atNew Orleans to take possessionof Louisiana in the name of theAmerican Government. The 20thinstant was chosen as the day ofthe cession. That day, for thethird time in the memory of ageneration then living, the peopleof Louisiana, without their feel-ings being consulted, were trans-ferred from one government toanother. The Commissionersmet Laussat at the Cabildo. Thekeys of the city, held by France for twenty days, were nowpresented to Governor Claiborne, and as the " Stars andStripes" ran up to the head of the flagstaff, loud huzzasfilled the air. These came, it is said, from a group ofAmericans. The rest of the population, who felt that thechange of government was not an act of their free will,showed no enthusiasm. As soon as he had received the keysGovernor Claiborne arose and addressed the people. Hecongratulated them on becoming citizens of the United States,and praised the government which he represented.
Limits of Louisiana. 1803.—Thus it was that the UnitedStates came into possession of the great province of Louisi-ana. What were the limits of this new purchase.^ Theyembraced more than one million square miles and more thanninety thousand inhabitants. The boundaries were about as
GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
follows: On the north, the lower limit of Canada; on thesouth, the Gulf of Mexico; on the east, the Mississippi riverand a line drawn through Bayou Manchac and the lakes to
m^
fi"-^-
Jefferson's purchase.
the sea; and on the wes-t, the Rocky Mountains and anirregular line running from these mountains to the mouth ofthe Sabine river.
Under the same purchase the United States claimed also apart of Oregon and that portion of Florida west of the Per-dido river. These claims were not settled till some yearslater.
Division of Louisiana.—On March 26, 1804, the Con-gress of the United States passed an act for the governmentof the great territory purchased by Jefferson. This territorywas thereby divided into two parts: first, all that portionnorth of the 33d degree of latitude (the present northernboundary of Louisiana) was to be called the District of Lou-isiana. The name was afterward changed to the Territoryof Louisiana, and then to the Territory of Missouri; hencethat part of Louisiana will no longer concern us in this his-
tory. Secondly, "All that portion of the country ceded by" France to the United States which lies south of the Missis-*' sippi Territory, and of an east and west line to commence" on the Mississippi river at the 33d degree of latitude, and" extending to the western boundary of the said cession, shall" constitute a territory of the United States under the name" of the Territory of Orleans.'* We shall see that eightyears later the Territory of Orleans became the present Stateof Louisiana.
This new territory was to be under a governor and a legis-lative council, both to be appointed by the President of theUnited States. The introduction of slaves from Africa wasforbidden, and as the inhabitants thought the negroes neces-sary for the cultivation of their plantations, this measurecaused great dissatisfaction.
Claiborne Made Governor.—On Friday, October 5, 1804,Claiborne * was sworn into office as governor of the new Ter-ritory of Orleans. He had just suffered a great domesticaffliction in the death of his wife and child ; and in his open-ing address he touched the hearts of his audience by declar-ing that the only happiness left to him would consist in try-ing to govern wisely those who had been put under hischarge.
Legislative Council.—To assist Claiborne in the govern-ment of the Territory, the following council was appointed;Julien Poydras, Morgan, Bellechasse, Watkins, de Bore,Dow, Coutrelle, Clark, Roman (of Attakapas), Jones, DeBuys, Kenner, and Wikoff (of Opelousas). The first judgesappointed were Dominick A. Hall, district judge of theUnited States, with E. Kirby and J. B. Prevost, judges of theSuperior Court.
* Wm. Charles Cole Claiborne was sprung- from an old Virginia family. In 1793he had moved to East Tennessee, where he held higli offices. He was chosenjudge ot the Supreme Court and member of Congress. In 1801 he was appointed,by Jefferson, governor of the Mississippi Territory, which position he occupieduntil he was sent to Louisiana by the same President.
Discontent of the Louisianians.—Thus the new govern-ment had been organized, but there was still a great deal ofdissatisfaction among the inhabitants. To forbid the impor-tation of slaves was a great grievance, but a more serious onewas that the legislative council was not elected by the people,as in the other Territories of the United States. The newGovernor, moreover, it was declared, was ignorant of themanners and customs of the people over whom he was placed,and even spoke the French language very imperfectly. Thediscontent reached such a point that four members of thecouncil resigned, and Claiborne had to appoint others in theirplaces.
Before this, however, a committee of three—Destrehan,Derbigny, and Sauve—had been sent to Washington with amemorial, asking that the Territory of Orleans should beadmitted into the Union as a State, and that the slave tradeshould be continued. These requests were not granted ; butCongress passed a bill allowing the Louisianians to elect aterritorial legislature of twenty-five members ; and this legis-lature was permitted to send on to the President the namesof ten individuals, from whom he should choose a legislativecouncil or senate of five members. It was further declaredthat the Territory of Orleans should be admitted as a Stateas soon as the population amounted to 60,000.
Something had been gained, but neither the native Louisi-anians nor the American settlers were satisfied. Was thereany excuse for such treatment of the Louisianians by theCongress of the United States.? Had the American Govern-ment not promised that the inhabitants of the Territoryshould be admitted as soon as possible to the enjoyment ofall the rights and privileges possessed by the citizens of theUnited States.? Why then should the Territory ot Orleansnot be formed into a State, and the inhabitants permitted tochoose their own governor and elect their own judges ? Suchwere the bitter questions asked by the Louisianians. The
only answer of Congress was that the number of inhabitantsin the Territory was only forty thousand, and that the greatmajority were Frenchmen and Spaniards, who were not yetacquainted with the laws and Constitution of the UnitedStates; hence it would be wise for Orleans to serve its ap-prenticeship as a Territory before being admitted into theUnion as a " sovereign State."
This answer did not satisfy the Louisianians, and theold newspapers of New Orleans are filled with anonymousletters criticising very sharply the American Government andits representative, Governor Claiborne. The latter had be-come unpopular because he vetoed several bills passed by thelegislature.*
Other Causes of Discontent.—From one of Claiborne'sletters we learn that the trial by jury, to which the Louisian-ians had not been accustomed under the Spanish Govern-ment, and which was now introduced, was at first very un-popular. Moreover, a number ot lawyers crowded into theTerritory, and, by investigation of the titles to lands, andby sharp practice, succeeded in amassing large fortunes andgaining the hatred of the people, f Last, but not least, theintroduction of the English language into the courts of jus-tice was a serious cause of discontent. " These courts,"says Judge Martin, " had interpreters of the French, Span-' ish, and English languages. They translated the evidence,' and the charge of the judge when necessary, but not the' argument of the lawyers. The cause was opened in the' English language, and the jurymen who did not under-' stand English were then allowed to withdraw to the gal-' lery. The argument of the defence being in French, these' were then brought back ; and the rest of the jury, if they' were Amei'icans and did not understand French, were al-
*It was not possible under the territorial government to pass a bill over thegovernor's veto by a two-thirds vote of the legislature,t Gayarre.
** lowed to withdraw in their turn. All went together into" the jury room—each declaring that the argument to which*¦'¦ he had listened was the best—and they finally agreed on a"verdict in the best manner they could." To add to theconfusion in the courts, the Territory of Orleans was gov-erned partly by a set of laws drawn up in imitatiton of theCode of Napoleon,* and partly by the old Spanish laws,which very few lawyers understood.
Governor Claiborne, who appreciated the feelings of thepeople, and hoped that in time these feelings would changefor the better, bore all the attacks upon himself with patience,and tried in every honorable way to draw over to his sidethose that opposed him. He nobly declared that the news-papers could not injure him as long as he did his duty, andthat he believed the freedom of the press should be main-tained, even if injustice were sometimes the result. By hissimplicity and his pleasant manners, Claiborne soon mademany friends for himself. At first he seems to have dis-trusted the old inhabitants of Louisiana, and to have be-lieved that in case of war they would prefer the govern-ment of France to that of the United States ; but graduallyhis opinion changed, and he declared that the great majoritywould, under all circumstances, be loyal to the AmericanGovernment. In the war of 1812 the conduct of the Creolesproved that he was right.
QUESTIONS.
Why was Claiborne sent to Louisiana? What was the extent ofLouisiana? How was Louisiana divided? Who was made governor?Why were the people of Louisiana discontented with the new gov-ernment? Why did the United States decline to make Louisiana aState? Describe the courts of justice. Show the limits of Louisianaon map of 1810, and on large map of the State.
* This Code was drawn up in France by order of Napoleon; it was based ontke Roman law. It is still the foundation of our civil law in Louisiana.
CHAPTER XXIL
DESCRIPTION OF LOWER LOUISIANA AT TIME OFCESSION.
New Orleans in 1803.—The little city already had overSooo inhabitants. They were, for the most part, French andSpanish Creoles, but the Spaniards had intermarried with theFrench, and the language of the latter was generally spoken.The number of the Americans was increasing daily, andmany refugees from the island of St. Domingo sought ahome in Louisiana. Houses were being built with greatrapidity. Those along the river bank were the most attrac-tive. In a desirable street the best stores rented at eightydollars a month.*
The streets at that time, even the principal ones, werealmost impassable. There was no paving as yet, and thevehicles in rainy weather sank to their hubs. A street wasgenerally called by the name of the principal inhabitant, asthe proper designations were to be found only in the cityarchives. As soon, however, as the Americans took posses-sion, there was a change for the better. The streets wereraised and kept cleaner. Already the city was very prosper-ous. The Mississippi was crowded with barges bringingdown the products of the rich countries above, and the mer-chants of New Orleans were growing wealthy. As yet therewas no Carnival in the winter season, but splendid entertain-ments were numerous, and the different classes of societywere devoted to gayety.
The Parishes.—When Claiborne became governor of theTerritory of Orleans, his legislative council divided it intotwelve settlements, which at first were called counties. Thesewere the counties of Orleans, German Coast, Acadia, La-
* The increase in the value of property at the present day is shown by the factthat a fine store now rents at over five hundred dollars a month.
fourche, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, Concordia, Attakapas,Opelousas, Rapides, Natchitoches, and Ouachita. The limitsof these divisions were not clearly fixed, and the divisionsthemselves differed very much in size and population. Somewere three hundred miles in extent, .and others only forty-five ; some contained ten times as many inhabitants as others.Finally, by an act of the legislature, approved March 31,1807, the Territory of Orleans was divided into nineteen dis-tricts, to which the name of " parishes " was given, from thefact that the old Spanish division for religious purposes wasused as the basis in fixing the boundaries.* In no other Stateof the Union are the counties so named. Since that time ithas been found convenient, as the population increased, todivide still further the larger parishes, and they now numberfifty-nine, t
Robin, who visited many of the Louisiana parishes in theearly part of the century, gives us some idea of the inhab-itants and then' manner of life. If a traveler ascended theriver to Pointe Coupee, he saw along the banks rich planta-tions, pretty houses, and numerous settlements. In theParish of St. Charles a large number of Germans had set-tled as far back as the time of John Law and his " Missis-sippi Bubble." They had always been industrious, andmany of them were now rich. Owning few slaves they fre-quently worked their own plantations, and from their gar-dens New Orleans was supplied with every kind of vege-table. Sixty miles above the city began the "AcadianCoast," where the wanderers from Nova Scotia had settledmore than forty years before. In the early days they hadbeen largely supported by supplies from the Government;
* Hence the names of the Saints in the designation of the old parishes.
t The 19 parishes of 1S07 were: i. City of New Orleans, 2. St. Bernard, 3. St.Charles, 4. St. John the Baptist, 5. Plaquemines, 6. St. James, 7. Ascension, 8. As-sumption, 9, Interior Parish of Lafourche, 10, Iberville, 11, W. Baton Roug-e, 12.Pointe Coupee, 13. Concordia, 14. Ouachita, 15. Rapides, 16. Avoyelles, 17. Natchi-toches 18. St. Landry, 19. Attakapas, called Parish of St. Martin. Four moreparishes were added from West Florida at a later period,
but at this epoch they were very prosperous. They raisedrice and corn, and they owned immense herds of cattle.Their lives were very simple, but they were as fond of danc-ing parties as they are at the present day.
At Pointe Coupee, where Julien Poydras owned a largeplantation, there were many old and aristocratic Frenchsettlers. They lived in great luxury, surrounded by largenumbers of slaves, who did all the work. There were hardlyany taverns along the banks of the river. Indeed, they wereunnecessary, for a traveler was welcomed wherever he went;and Louisianians were as famous for their hospitality in thosedays as they are at the end of the nineteenth century.
After passing Pointe Coupee, houses became much scarcer,and as one ascended the river, one saw only small settle-ments here and there, which were protected from the Indiansby forts. Above Baton Rouge, on the east bank of the river,the inhabitants were, for the most part, Americans. Thesesupplied their French friends across the river with slaves andall kinds of provisions. Some of them had passed over tothe west bank and settled the Red river district. In theprairies below the mouth of Red river, on Bayous Lafourche,Plaquemines, Atchafalaya, and Teche, there were, says Dr.Monette, numerous French settlements. In St. Bernardparish * and on the Amite river there were many Spaniards,who had come over from the Canary Islands during theSpanish domination. These were the Isleuos or "Islanders."
Traffic on the Mississippi.—All kinds of craft plied onthe river, from the cumbersome flat-boat to the swiftly glid-ing pirogue. When they reached New Orleans the flat-boatswere broken up and the timber sold, it being almost impos-sible to haul them back against the current. In ascending thestream other boats made use of sails, oars, and sometimes ofa rope dragged along the levees. The traveler making a trip
? Nanie4 in honor of Bernardo de Galver, the Spanish governor.
up the river usually engaged some Canadians or Indians asoarsmen. What a difference between this method of traveland atrip on one of our magnificent steamboats at the presentday!
Chief Products of the Territory in 1803.—The prod-ucts of Louisiana at that period seem very insignificant whencompared with those of our time. For instance, there wereseventy-five sugar houses in the Territory, and the wholeyield was only five million pounds, which is equaled by asingle plantation of to-day. The one sugar refinery of whichthe Territory boasted produced only 200,000 pounds a year,and as the process of refining was not well understood, thesugar was poor. In his history. Judge Martin tells us thatonly 20,000bales of cotton were raised,* and that there wereonly 5000 casks of molasses. The prairies of Opelousas andAttakapas, however, were covered with great herds of cattle,and furnished New Orleans with more fresh meat than couldbe consumed.
Domestic manufactures hardly existed at this period. TheAcadians wove their homespun cloth as they do to-day, butslavery was unfavorable to the rise of factories. The slaves,though skilful enough in the cotton fields, seemed entirelyunsuited for the cotton factory.
Indians.—In 1803 there were still a number of scatteredIndian tribes in Louisiana. On Bayou Vermilion, for in-stance, there v^as a village of Attakapas (man-eaters—socalled because they were once cannibals). On the Ouachitaand Red river were found the Caddos and the Choctaws, theformer tribe still having a force of five hundred warriors.The Indians, however, seem to have given very little troubleto the whites, who traded with them for skins and other fruitsof the chase. In fact, the savages were dependent upon thewhites for the powder and ball they used in their hunting
* The sugar crop of 1891 was 492,000,000 pounds, and the cotton crop of Louis-iana averages about half a million bales.
expeditions, and they gradually lost their hatred of the "pale-faces." It must not be supposed, however, that they hadbeen civilized by their intercourse with the white men. Cath-olic missionaries from the earliest times had attempted toconvert them to Christianity, and change their savage dispo-sition, but they had met with very little success. The In-dians, from their manner of life and their traditions, wereneither willing nor able to accept the laws of civilization.They possessed, however, many fine qualities, and the storyof their gradual disappearance in Louisiana has a patheticinterest. The Indian women who to-day sell sassafras andherbs in the French market are descended from the oncedreaded tribe of Choctaws ; while those on the Teche, whomake the wonderful baskets, are all that are left of the Attak-apas.*
QUESTIONS.
Tell something about New Orleans in 1803. Why are the countiesin Louisiana called/ar/5^(?5/" Describe the German, Acadian, andFrench settlements along the Mississippi. Who are the '' Islanders ? "How was the Mississippi navigated before the day of steamboats ?What were the chief products of Louisiana ? Was there any manu-facturing ? Who were the Attakapas ? The Choctaws ?
CHAPTER XXIII.
TROUBLOUS TIMES.
Aaron Burr.—One of the most remarkable men in theearly part of this century was Aaron Burr. In 1800 he waselected Vice President of the United States, and while hold-ing this office he fought a duel with the famous statesman
* A great deal was done for the Indians around New Orleans by the poet-priest,Father Rouquctte, who devoted his life to this work. He died in iS8^.
Alexander Hamilton, in which the latter was killed. Sometime after this Burr made a journey through what was thencalled the Western Country. His manners were very attrac-tive, and he made many friends among the prominent menof the time. To some of these he seems to have confidedhis reasons for traveling in the West, but the exact purposeof his journey has never been discovered. Burr purchased300,000 acres of land on the Red river, and he afterwardsdeclared that his only intention was to settle this vast planta-tion. But when, in 1806, his secret agents were to be foundin Louisiana and Kentucky, it began to be whispered aroundthat Burr was a daring conspirator. His design, accordingto some, was to invade Mexico and make himself master ofthat country. Others declared that he intended to separatethe Southern and Western Country from the Union, and,seizing New Orleans, make this city the capital of a newUnion.
General Wilkinson, who was commander of the UnitedStates troops in the South, threw New Orleans into a state ofdefence, and arrested by military orders several of Burr'sagents, who were stirring up trouble in the city. All of thiscaused the greatest excitement in New Orleans. Troops pa-trolled the streets, and Wilkinson felt justified in suspendingthe writ of habeas corpus^-ihat is, he arrested suspiciouspersons and refused to surrender some of them when he wasordered by the courts to do so. This high-handed conductstirred up a violent opposition to him, for the people thoughtthat the laws were sufficient to protect the city.
In the meantime, however, Thomas Jefferson, President ofthe United States, having been informed of Burr's strangeconduct, had issued a proclamation against him, and in 1807,while Burr was passing through the Mississippi Territory,with one hundred men in his train, he was discovered. Hegave himself up, but afterwards escaped. A reward of twothousand dollars having been offered for his arrest, he was
captured and sent on to Richmond for trial. No act of trea-son, however, could be proved against him, and he wasreleased. All the excitement that he had caused was soon atan end.
College and Schools.—As early as the year 1805 a collegewas opened to students in New Orleans. It was situatednear the corner of Hospital and St. Claude streets, and wascalled the College of Orleans. For twenty years it offeredcourses of instruction to the young men of that day. One ofthe most distinguished of its students was the HonorableCharles Gayarre, the historian of Louisiana.*
Some years later, at the suggestion of Governor Claiborne,public schools were established in the different parishes, butso little money was given for their support that, except inthe parish of Pointe Coupee, they did not flourish. Therewere, however, a number of private schools in New Orleans,which were well attended. It was not till a good many yearslater that the importance of popular education was morefully recognized, and larger appropriations were made forthe public schools.
Revolt of the Baton Rouge District.—All West Flori-da—that is, the district north of Lake Pontchartrain, east ofthe Mississippi, south of the 31st degree of latitude, andwest of the Perdido river f—was claimed by the UnitedStates as part of the Louisiana Purchase. But Spain refusedto give up this district, declaring that she had never yieldedit to France, and that therefore France could not have soldit to the United States. Hence Spanish garrisons were stillkept at Baton Rouge and Mobile. The inhabitants of theBaton Rouge district were largely Americans, who hadcome from Mississippi and Ohio. They disliked the govern-ment of Spain, and, as early as 1805, they had tried to seizethe fort at Baton Rouge and expel the Spaniards ; but the
?Alcee Fortier, in " Memoirs of Louisiana."
f The Perdido is the present western boundary of Florida.
garrison was on the alert, and the attempt failed. In theyear 1810, however, the inhabitants determined to make an-other attempt. One hundred and twenty men were coll-ected,and, under Captain Thomas and Captain Depassau, theymarched upon Baton Rouge. The Spanish garrison con-sisted of one hundred and fifty men. The Americans at-tacked with great spirit, and the Spanish commander. Col-onel de Grandpre, was shot down at the head of his soldiers.The garrison, seeing that they had lost their leader, sur-rendered, and were allowed to retire to Pensacola.
The Americans then held a convention at Baton Rouge,in which they declared the whole territory of West Floridato be *' a free and independent State.'* At their request thePresident of the United States took the new State under hisprotection.' That portion of it, however, which lay east ofPearl river, was left in the power of Spain until 1813, whilethe Baton Rouge district, as we shall see, was added toLouisiana. Its inhabitants, by a daring feat of arms, hadwon their independence, but they were well satisfied to havetheir destiny joined to that of Louisiana.
Slave Insurrection.—The year iSii was long remem-bered on account of a dangerous uprising of the negroes inthe parish of St. John. Five hundred of them formed a plotamong themselves to march upon New Orleans, burning theplantation houses on their way and forcing all the slaves theymet to join them. They provided themselves with weapons,and as they proceeded down the banks of the Mississippiwith flags flying and drums beating, they chanted wild songsthat filled with dread the hearts of the unprotected planters.A number of white people were put to death, but the greatmajority were warned in time, and fled to places of safety.As soon as the news reached New Orleans, the militia andthe United States troops, under General Wade Hampton,were ordered out, and when they met the blacks, the latterwere soon dispersed. Many of the ringleaders were con-
demned to death, and their heads placed on lofty poles alongthe Mississippi—a dreadful warning to those who mightattempt the same thing in the future. It is said that old ne-groes still living in Louisiana tell the story of this slaveinsurrection as they heard it from their fathers.
QUESTIONS.
Who was Aaron Burr? Why was he arrested? What was the firstcollege in Louisiana? Describe- the revolt of the Baton Rouge dis-trict. Slave insurrection.
CHAPTER XXIV.
LOUISIANA ADHITTED AS A STATE.
Before Congress.—The same year (1811) permission wasreceived from the Congress of the United States to call aconvention in the Territory of Orleans for the purpose ofdrawing up a constitution. The Territory, which now hadmore than seventy-five thousand inhabitants, was at last to beadmitted into the Union as the State of Louisiana. Thispermission, however, had not been obtained without somedifficulty. When the question of admission was brought be-fore Congress, it provoked nearly as much discussion as it hadin former years. Many members declared that the Territoryof Orleans was almost a foreign country, and should not en-joy the same privileges as the original thirteen colonies. Theinhabitants, it was said, were largely Spaniards and French-men, and if they were permitted to send representatives toCongress, these representatives would interfere with the rightsof the Atlantic States. There could be no sympathy, it wasdeclared, between the people of Louisiana and the inhabi-tants of the North and the East. Josiah Quincy, of Massa-
chusetts, went so far as to say that if Louisiana were admittedinto the Union the rest of the States would be justified inwithdrawing from that Union, " amicably if they could,violently if they must."
The Convention.—In spite, however, of this bold lan-guage, the bill passed, and the constitutional conventionmet at Niew Orleans, November 4, 1811. Members camefrom the whole Territory of Orleans, but not from the BatonRouge district; for this district had not yet been added byAct ©f Congress.
The president of the convention was Julien Poydras, therich planter of Pointe Coupee. By the 22d of January, 1812,the new constitution had been prepared, and being duly for-warded to Washington, it received the approval of Congress.Under this constitution Louisiana was admitted into theUnion by Act of Congress, April 8, 1812, and the BatonRouge district, as far as Pearl river, having been added a fewdays later, the boundaries of Louisiana were fixed as theystand at the present day.
Claiborne Elected Governor of the State.—Accordingto the new constitution, the governor was to be chosen by thepeople, instead of being appointed by the President. Thetwo candidates who received the highest number of voteswere Wm. C. C. Claiborne and James Villere, the son ofthe patriot that lost his life during O'Reilly's administration.As Claiborne had a larger number of votes than Villere, hebecame governor of the new State. This was certainly ahigh compliment to his services. He had been governor ofthe Territory for eight years, and now, by the choice of thepeople, he was once more raised to that high office. By hissterling integrity he had withstood all the attacks of his ene-mies and defeated all their plans.
The first secretary of state was L. B. Macarty, a memberof a distinguished Louisiana family. There was no lieuten-
FROM COLONY TO STATE. 171
ant-governor in Louisiana till a new constitution was framedin 1845.
The First Steamboat.—On the loth of January, 1812,New Orleans was thrown into a great state of excitement bythe announcement that a steamboat had arrived at the levee.It was the first ever seen on the Mississippi. Up to this timenothing had been known on Western waters except flat-boats,barges, and lighter craft. But Robert Fulton, who some yearsbefore had built a steamboat to run between New York andAlbany, now drew the model of a second one to ply be-tween Natchez and New Orleans. It was one hundred andsixteen feet long and twenty feet wide, and cost thirty-eightthousand dollars. When this new kind of vessel left Pitts-burg and glided down the Ohio into the Mississippi, won-dering* crowds gathered along the banks and predicted thatit would never be able to ascend the swift current. The onlycabin passengers were N. J. Roosevelt, who was one of theowners, and his wife. At Cincinnati, Louisville, and Natchezthe voyagers were received with great rejoicings.
The trip, however, was not without its dangers. Oncethe vessel caught on fire and came near being consumed.Moreover, during the latter part of the year ISii, the chan-nel of the Mississippi was considerably changed by severeearthquake shocks, many of which occurred while the boatwas making the trip ; and several times the voyagers madenarrow escapes from immense trees which were hurled intothe stream by these sudden movements of the earth. Noserious accident, however, occurred, and the "New Orleans,'*as the vessel was named, arrived safely at the Crescent City.The actual time from Pittsburg was only 259 hours, whichwas considered a very quick passage in those days.
The success of this steamboat made a great change in thedevelopment of the whole Western country. Cotton and otherproducts began to come down the river in vast quantities,and New Orleans sent back all kinds of supplies. After the
war, which now broke out, was over, the Crescent City pros-pered as it had never prospered before.*
QUESTIONS.
Why did the Northern Congressmen still object to having Louisianamade a State? When was Louisiana admitted as a State? Who wasmade governor, and how was he chosen? Describe the first trip ofthe first Mississippi steamboat. Tell some of the changes made bythe use of steamboats.
WAR OF 1812-15.
CHAPTER XXV.BEFORE THE LOUISIANA CAflPAIGN.
Causes of the War.—The Act of Congress makingLouisiana a State had not been approved more than a fewmonths when the United States declared war against GreatBritain (June i8, 1812). The principal cause of the warwas this: Great Britain had determined to crush NapoleonBonaparte, and as she needed sailors to man her ships, shehad boarded some nine hundred American vessels on thehigh seas and impressed into her service several thousandAmerican sailors. It was claimed that these sailors hadbeen born in England, and that "once an Englishman**meant ^'always an Englishman;" but a great many of themwere citizens of the United States and our Government deter-mined to put a stop to these unjust seizures.
The First Years of the V/ar.—For two years the war
* It is related that an old negro at Natchez, when he saw the '• New Orleans"stemming the current, exclaimed : "Ole Mississippi got her massa dis time." SeeClaiborne's History ot Mississippi.
went on without any decisive battle on either side. TheBritish marched up to Washington and burned the Capitol;but on the sea the Americans met with brilliant success, anda large number of British vessels were sunk or captured.This was what Bonaparte had predicted, and he doubtlessheard with great pleasure the news of our victories. In1814 the English decided to attack the United States on thenorth through Canada and on the south through New Or-leans. In September of the same year the northern armywas defeated by the Americans, and forced to return to Can-ada. Another army and a fleet, however, had alreadybeen sent to Florida, with the intention of attacking NewOrleans. Thus the seat of war was transferred to the Gulfof Mexico.
Fort Bowyer and Pensacola.—The commander of theAmerican forces in the South was General Andrew Jack-son,* who was destined to be the hero of the Battle of NewOrleans. The first hostile movement of the British vessels wasagainst Fort Bowyer on Mobile Point; but Major Lawrence,who was in command of the fort, repulsed the attack so suc-cessfully that they retired to Pensacola, at that time in thepossession of Spain. Jackson marched against Pensacola,and forced the English to withdraw from the town. Thenhastening to the defence of Louisiana, he arrived in NewOrleans December i, 1814.
John and Pierre Lafitte, the Smugglers.—The Britishhad hoped that their designs against New Orleans were un-known to the Americans. But as early as September oth ofthis year (1814), John Laffitte had warned Governor Clai-borne of the approaching army and naval forces. As thisLaffitte played an important part in the conflict, we must in-quire who he was.
?Jackson was born in North Carolina, March 15,1767. He was not well edu-cated, but possessed great natural ability. Brave and skilful in war, he alwayswon the confidence and affection of his soldiers. He was twice elected Presidentof the United States, but he did not prove himself a wise statesman.
On the southern coast of Louisiana lies a beautiful littleisland called Grande Terre. Just behind this island is LakeBarataria, which forms one of the safest harbors west of theMississippi. On the inner coast of Grande Terre we find onthe old maps of Louisiana one spot marked as " Smuggler'sAnchorage." For some years before the Battle of New Or-leans this spot was the favorite haunt of a number of desper-ate men, who brought rich prizes into their little harbor anddefied the revenue laws of the United States. Whether theywere sailors who fitted out privateers under the flag of Car-thagena to seize the rich vessels of Spain, or whether theyacted on their own account as pirates, has been disputed. Itis certain, however, that they were smugglers, and that theyestablished a kind of auction exchange at Grande Terre,where they sold their rich goods to any one that dared tocome and buy them. They even sent fine stuffs to New Or-leans, and disposed of them through some of the merchants,who were induced by the large profits to violate the laws.The rules of the Spanish custom house had been so strictthat many people of New Orleans had fallen into the badhabit of regarding smuggling as an innocent occupation. Themost prominent of these Baratarian smugglers were Pierreand John Lafitte. The two brothers had come from France,and had opened a blacksmith shop on St. Philip street inNew Orleans. Soon growing weary, however, of followingthis slow road to wealth, they betook themselves to GrandeTerre, where, amid the dark bayous overhung with Spanishmoss, they became chiefs of "a rebellious clan." Theirswift vessels would dart out into the open sea, capture aSpanish ship laden with rich goods, and bring it into the bay,where the cargo, which cost them nothing, except perhaps alittle bloodshed, would be sold at a price far below its value.It was as wild and fascinating a life as Robin Hood used tolead in the forests of England, when every man was a lawunto himself.
The Governor of Louisiana, who strongly objected to theseconstant violations ot the law, declared the inhabitants ofBarataria to be pirates and outlaws; but for some years noserious attempt was made to break up this nest of evil-doers.On one occasion the Lafittes were tried for introducing con-traband goods, but they boldly employed Livingston andGrymes, two of the most famous lawyers in New Orleans, todefend them, and nothing was proved against them.*
Finally Pierre Lafitte was arrested on another charge andthrown into the calaboose in New Orleans. After remainingthere awhile he escaped in some mysterious way, and wassoon back at Lake Barataria. During his absence importantevents had been taking place at Grande Terre.
The British Visit John Lafitte.—Colonel Nichols, whowas commanding the British forces, sent one of his officerswith a letter to "Mr. Lafitte, Barataria." It was datedAugust 31, 1814, and proved to be an offer from the Britishcommander to take Lafitte and his company into the Englishservice. *'If you will join us with your men and vessels,'*said the letter, "you shall have a large sum of money, and" the rank of captain. After the war is over you and your" followers will receive large estates as a reward."
In order to gain time to warn Claiborne of the approach-ing danger, Lafitte asked for two weeks to consider thematter. This was granted, though the British oflScer beggedhim to decide immediately. " Your brother," said he, " has" been put in irons by the American Government; you your-" self have been declared an outlaw. Why not aid the" English to fight against a government that has treated you" so unjustly ?"
Lafitte Writes to Claiborne.—But Lafitte secretly sentoff to Claiborne a full account of the British plans, and asked
* The lawyers were to receive ten thousand dollars each for their services, andGrymes ventured down to Barataria to collect the fees. He was well received, andthe money was promptly paid. See Gayarre, in Mag. Amer. Hist,
permission to serve his adopted country against the enemy.As a sign of his repentance he described himself as a straysheep that wished to return to the fold. It was about thistime that Pierre Lafitte escaped from prison, and when hereached Grande Terre he also wrote to a gentleman in NewOrleans, approving what his brother had done, and askingto be taken into the service of Louisiana. No answer wassent to these letters, and the Lafittes kept the English officerwaiting until he began to suspect some snare, and sailedaway.
Expedition Against the Lafittes.—In the meantime .Claiborne had called a council of officers (General Jacksonhad not yet arrived) to decide whether the smugglers shouldbe pardoned and taken into the American service. The ma-jority of the officers voted to have no friendly communicationwith the Lafittes. Therefore, instead of returning a favora-ble answer, a body of troops under Commodore Pattersonwas sent to break up the settlement at Barataria. The expe-dition was successful and a large amount of rich booty wasseized. The two brothers, however, escaped to the Germansettlement on the Mississippi, whence they afterwards fled toLast Island, which lies south of Terrebonne parish.
Lafitte Visits Jackson.—When General Jackson arrivedin New Orleans, John Lafitte paid him a visit, and againoffered his services and those of the other Baratarian outlaws.The stern General had once declared that the Lafittes were aset of bandits with whom he would have no dealings. Butnow that he found himself face to face with the daring out-law, he seems to have been won over by his manly bearingand his attractive manners. Jackson liked a brave man, andhe knew that he needed every one he could find to defend thecity of New Orleans. So he accepted the services of theBaratarians. Some of them were placed at the forts on theRigolets ; others at Fort St. Philip; while Captain Domi-nique (who afterwards lived for many years in New Orleans),
commanded an important battery on the field of Chalmette.Everywhere that they were placed the Baratarians foughtlike tigers. Jackson himself admired their courage so muchthat, it is said, he never failed to stop and chat with themwherever he saw them.
QUESTIONS.
What was the cause of the war of 1812? What happened duringthe first years of the war? Who was Andrew Jackson? How did theEnglish begin operations in the South? Who were the Lafittes?Why did Lafitte write to Claiborne? Tell of the expedition to Bara-taria. What was the result of Lafitte's visit to Jackson? Find Bara-taria Bay on large map of Louisiana.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE BRITISH IN LOUISIANA.
Jackson in New Orleans.—We have seen that Jacksonreached New Orleans December i. Governor Claibornehad already been very active in organizing the militia to meetthe British invasion. His proclamations had stirred thepatriotism of the people, and every one was ready to do hisduty.* As Louisiana had become a self-governing State,all classes felt that they had a common interest in protectingher. It was soon seen that Jackson was the right man todefend New Orleans. Though his constitution was weak-ened by constant sickness, his energy was untiring. Heseemed to rise above bodily weakness by means of his in-domitable spirit. Wherever he went he inspired the inhab-
*The following incident is given by Major I^atour, who served under Jackson:"Madame Bienvenu, a rich widow of Attakapas, afler sending her four sons to thedefence of their State, wrote to Governor Claiborne that she regretted having noother sons to offer her country, but that if her services in taking care of thewounded should be thought useful, notwithstanding her advanced ege and the greatdistance of her residence, she would hasten to New Orleans."
itants with confidence. "The streets," says Latour, "re-sounded with Yankee Doodle, the Marseilles Hymn,* andother martial airs, while those who had long been unaccus-tomed to military duty were polishing up their arms andpreparing for battle. The women of New Orleans pre-sented themselves at the windows and balconies to applaudthe troops in their evolutions and to encourage their hus-bands, sons, fathers, or brothers to protect them from theinsults of the enemy."
On the day of his arrival Jackson reviewed the militiacompanies of Creoles and Frenchmen, and declared that hewas much pleased with their appearance and manoeuvres.Besides the white companies, two battalions were formed ofthe " free-men-of-color," who were put under distinguishedwhite officers, and who were afterwards highly complimentedby Jackson for their bravery.
Defences.—With many hundred miles of sea coast, Lou-isiana was almost without defences; for the various fortswere in a bad condition. However, Jackson strengthened,as best he could. Fort St. Philip, Spanish Fort, and a forton the Rigolets called Petites Coquilles (now Fort Pike).There was not enough ammunition, and arms were so scarcethat he ordered private houses to be searched for fowling-pieces. At his suggestion, moreover, an order was giventhat all the bayous leading into the interior should be closedwith logs or other obstructions, so that the English vesselscould not pass. Unfortunately one important bayou wasneglected, and the consequences were very serious.
Battle of Lake Borgne, December 14, 1814.—To pro-tect the entrance to Lake Pontchartrain, there were on LakeBorgne five United States gunboats. These were underLieutenant Thos. Ap Catesby Jones, and were armed withtwenty-three guns and one hundred and eighty-two men. Assoon as Jones saw the English fleet approaching from Ship
*The national hymn of France,
Island, he decided to retire towards the Rigolets. But whenhe reached a point about fifteen miles off, he found the waterso low that he had to cast anchor and await the enemy. TheBritish sent against him a little fleet of forty-five barges andlaunches, armed with forty-three cannon and more than onethousand men. Though this force was far superior to hisown, Jones made a fierce resistance, and many of the enemy'sbarges were sunk. But finally he himself was wounded inthe shoulder, and the British, boarding the gunboats, cap-tured them all. Their loss, however, was about three hun-dred, while the Americans had only ten killed and thirty-fivewounded.
Martial Law.—The report of this disaster reached Jack-son on the following day, and having heard that there weresome British spies in New Orleans, he promptly declaredthe city to be under strict martial law. This meant that thecity was to be controlled by the military orders of the Gen-eral himself. Such a regulation was doubtless necessary atthe time, but it will be seen that trouble grew out of it lateron.
Landing of the British.—After the battle on LakeBorgne, the British decided to land some of their forces andmarch towards New Orleans. As they knew that their armywas twice as large as that of the Americans, they expectedto meet with very little resistance, and they actually imaginedthat the Creoles would come over to their side. We shallsoon see what a mistake they made.
Bayou Bienvenu, leading from Lake Borgne to the plan»tations just below the city, had for some unknown reasonbeen overlooked by the Americans, and there were no ob-structions at its mouth. Some Spanish fishermen, who livednear by, doubtless acted as guides to the invading forces.About sixteen hundred men and two pieces of artillery werelanded and placed in barges, which were silently rowed upthe bayou. General Jackson had sent out some pickets to
watch the movements of the enemy, but these, bein^ takenunaware by the British, were all captured except one whoescaped through the marshes.
The British had never before seen a Louisiana marsh. Asthey gazed around upon the tall reeds and the "tremblingprairies," with no human being and no dwelling in sight,they declared that they had never beheld a more desolatecountry. It was just the kind of country, however, that theyneeded to conceal their movements. Their plan was to reachsolid ground and then send the boats back for reinforcementsfrom the ships. So during the morning hours of December23rd they rowed up the bayou until they came to GeneralVillere's plantation, about nine miles from New Orleans.Sending out detachments, they surrounded Villere's house andcaptured two of his sons, who were stationed there with sometroops. The elder of these. Major Villere, jumped througha window, and though he was fired at several times, he es-caped, and was one of the first to inform Jackson of theenemy's approach.
The British now marched towards the river and campedon Villere's and LaRonde's plantations, within nine miles ofthe city. They took their time, for they felt confident ofcapturing New Orleans whenever they chose to advance.
They then drew up a proclamation, which was signed bythe British commander, and copies of which were posted onall the fences. It was in these words: "Louisianians, re-" main quiet in your houses. Your slaves shall be preserved" to you and your property respected. We make war only" against Americans. " This proclamation excited nothingbut indignation among the Creoles; they were more deter-mined than ever to show the British that they were not trai-tors, but patriots.
Jackson Marches to Meet the Enemy.—General Jack-son was quietly sitting in his headquarters at New Orleanswhen Major Villere and two other gentlemen came rushing
WAR OF 1S12-15. 181
in to inform him that the British were approaching. Whenthe General heard this news, it is said that he started up, andstriking the table with his fist, cried out: "By the Eternal,they shall not sleep on our soil." As we shall see, no Britishsoldier closed his eyes that night.
All the available troops under Jackson's command wereordered to march out to meet the enemy. The General tooka position in the lower part of the city, where the mint nowstands, to see the battalions go by. The right, composed ofeight hundred and eighty-four men, was to be commandedby Jackson liimself. Then came Major Flau?he's battalionof Frenchmen and Creoles ; next, the free-men-of-color underMajor D'Aquin, and next, the left, under General Coffee,which was composed of Tennesseeans, Mississippians, andthe Orleans Rifle Company.
Jackson's whole force was only two thousand, one hun-dred and thirty-one men.
Commodore Patterson, of the United States navy, was or-dered by Jackson to let two gunboats, the Carolina and theLouisiana drop down the river and bombard the enemy.As there was little wind, the Louisiana^ which was a heavyvessel, could not be steered ; and so the Carolina^ which wasmuch lighter, sailed down alone and took up her position op-posite the British camp.
In the meantime it had grown dark, and when the Britishsaw the Carolina they thought she might be one of their owncruisers, and hailed her from the levee. All at once theyheard some one on board cry: " Give them this for the honorof America! " Then the guns flashed out, and a deadly hailof shot swept over the British camp, and in ten minutes cov-ered the ground with dead bodies. Those who were able,rushed to take refuge under the levee, where they lay for anhour shivering in the dark, but afraid to move.
Suddenly the rapid firing of the pickets informed the Eng-*lish that the Americans were attacking them on the land side.
182 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
Rushing to their arms, they defended themselves as best theycould. At first the contest was in the dark, but the moon,then in her first quarter, afterwards gave a feeble light. Thefighting lasted from 7 o'clock till 9:30.
During the battle the English landed and brought up addi-tional troops till they had about five thousand on the field.Both sides fought with great bravery, but the advantage re-mained with the Americans. The English fell back to theircamp, where they passed the night under arms. Jackson, fear-ing that he might come within range of the Carolina's guns,stopped his men. His loss in killed, wounded, and prisonerswas two hundred and thirteen, while the English lost overfour hundred. For the most part it was a hand-to-hand con-test. An English ofBcer, who afterwards went over the field,declares that in some places he found two soldiers lying deadtogether, each pierced with the other's bayonet.
Jackson was seen in the very front of the battle, exposinghimself to every danger, and exhorting his men until theircourage rose to the level of his own.
This bold attack on the British saved New Orleans. Ifthe enemy had been allowed to march forward with theirlarge army, Jackson would not have had time to build thefortifications necessary to resist them. But after the battleof the 23d of December, the British, seeing that the way wasnot open and that the Creoles would not join them, did notventure to advance till they had received large reinforcements.
QUESTIONS.
Tell about Jackson's arrival in New Orleans. How did he defendthe citv? Describe the battle of Lake Borgne. What is martial law?Describe the landing of the British. Describe the battle of Decem-ber 23.
CHAPTER XXVII.THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
Preliminary Skirmishing.—Jackson now fell back twomiles nearer the city and fortified the Rodrigues canal onthe plain of Chalmette. The English spent the next few daysin bringing up more troops, landing heavy artillery, and pre-paring for a vigorous campaign. This delay was fatal tothem, for it gave Jackson time to build those terrible breast-works which the English long remembered.
Until the 25th instant, the British had been commandedby General Keane ; but on Christmas morning the army wasdelighted by the arrival of the commander-in-chief. Sir Ed-ward Pakenham, brother-in-law of that famous Duke ofWellington who, some months later, was to overthrow Na-poleon at Waterloo.
The Louisiana^ the other American war ship, had nowdropped down the river and anchored above the Carolina,As these two vessels rendered any advance very dangerous,Pakenham's first step was to attack them. Bringing up hisartillery, he threw red-hot shot at the Carolina until shetook fire and blew up. The crew, however, escaped, andthe Loziisiana, Ending herself in danger, succeeded in sailingup the river.
On the 27th of December the British troops advanced oncemore as if to attack the breastworks that Jackson was com-pleting along the Rodrigues canal. But it was a useless at-tempt ; for the American batteries poured a heavy fire intotheir ranks and forced them to retire.
On the 31st instant, Pakenham threw up embankments infront of the American lines, and having placed his heaviestartillery, he prepared to silence the American guns. Themorning of January i, 1815, dawned upon a thick Louisianafog; but as soon as the mist cleared away both sides began a
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
tremendous cannonading, which was continued till late in theafternoon. The Americans proved themselves so much moreskilful in the use of artillery that the English despaired ofovercoming them by this method of fighting. Nearly all theBritish batteries were silenced.
Arrival of the Kentuckians.—On January 5th the Ken-tucky militia arrived in New Orleans, and were put underthe command of Major-General John Thomas. These troops,however, as well as many soldiers from other States, were inwant of proper clothing to protect them from the intensecold and the rains of the month of January. " TheLegisla-" ture of Louisiana," says Latour in his history, "voted six" thousand dollars, and this amount was increased to sixteen*'thousand dollars by the private subscriptions of the New" Orleans Volunteers and the inhabitants of Attakapas and" the German Coast. With some of this money blankets" were bought, and the ladies of New Orleans quickly made" them into clothes. The rest was expended in the purchase" of shoes, mattresses, and other necessities, till all the needy" soldiers were well provided." In this noble way did Lou-isiana show her gratitude to those who had come to her de-fence.
Preparations for the Fight.—The 8th of January wasthe day chosen by the British to decide the fate of New Or-leans and Louisiana. From the first of that month to theseventh they had busied themselves in digging out and ex-tending Villere's canal till it reached the Mississippi. It wasPakenham's intention to transport a body of troops on bargesthrough this canal and land them on the opposite bank of theriver. Colonel Thornton, who was put in command of thesetroops, was directed to cross the river before day on themorning of January 8, seize the American batteries on theright bank, and turn them against Jackson's lines as soon asPakenham's army advanced. Unfortunately for Thornton,his barges stuck in the heavy mud of the canal, and when he
186 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
reached the other bank with six hundred men, day haddawned and he was too late to render any assistance toPakenham.
Jackson's Line.—Jackson's breastworks, which were onemile long, extended from the Mississippi back to a cypressswamp. They were thrown up behind an old mill race, orcanal, which separated the plantation of Rodrigues from thatof Chalmette.* At first some bales of cotton had been usedto strengthen portions of the embankment, but this inflam-mable stuff had been set on fire by the enemy's shot, and theheavy Louisiana mud was found to be far more useful.t Insome places the works were twenty feet across the top andseven feet high, in others they covered the men only to thebreast. The long line was defended by eight batteries and3200 men. In the rear there were 800 more troops, consistingof the Mississippi cavalry and Attakapas dragoons, to act asa reserve and rearguard.
The line of 3300 was composed of various bodies of troops.Among them may be mentioned the uniformed militia ofCreoles, under Major Plauche; Captain Beale's company ofriflemen, stationed near the river, and the two battalions offree-men-of-color, under Lacoste and D'Aquin. Furtheron were the Kentuckians and Tennesseeans, under MajorGeneral Carroll and General Coffee; nor must we forgetthe Baratarian privateers under Captain Dominique, whocommanded Battery No. 3.
The Fight.—Long before dawn on the morning of the8th, the Americans, lying in their intrenchments, had heardsounds in the British camp which told them there was to bean attack on their lines. They waited calmly for the sun torise and show them the enemy. It was a cold foggy morn-ing. At dawn two rockets went up from the British camp.They were the signal of attack. The mist that covered the
* Alexander Walker's Life of Jackson.
t Hence the old story that Jackson fought behind cotton bales on January 8th is amistake.
plains as with a veil slowly lifted, and revealed the Englishcolumns approaching under General Gibbs. In front wasthe famous 44th regiment, composed largely o£ Irish soldiers.It was intended that these should bring up bundles of sugarcane to fill up the canal, and short ladders to mount theAmerican fortifications. But by the negligence of their col-onel they came unprovided, and had to be sent back to getthem. Before they could fall back, however, the Americanbatteries had opened upon them a murderous fire, whichcut great gaps in their ranks. Jackson was everywhere alonghis lines, crying out: " Stand to your guns; don't wasteyour ammunition; see that every shot tells!" The Ten-nesseeans and Kentuckians came forward in turn andpoured a shower of bullets into the advancing British col-umns, while the American batteries on the other side of theriver broke the enemy's lines with their shells. The effectwas terrible ; the field in front of Jackson's works was strewedwith dead bodies. The 44th, headed by Pakenham him-self, now advanced; but what could bravery do againstopponents that never showed themselves, while they sweptthe field with volley after volley of grape-shot and shell andbullet? All that was left of Gibbs' command had to giveway, and Keane brought to the front his splendid body oftroops, headed by the Scottish Highlanders. As these gal-lant soldiers swept forward, Pakenham raised himself in hisstirrups and cheered them.* But all was in vain. Out of thebody nine hundred strong that advanced, only one hundredand thirty left that bloody field alive. Pakenham himself, ashe bravely led his men, was wounded in the arm; but still hepressed forward. Suddenly a shell burst near by, killinghis horse and wounding him in the thigh. He fell intothe arms of his aid, and, as he was raised up, another shotstruck him. Borne to the shelter of an oak near by, theyoung commander-in-chief expired before he witnessed the
* Walker's Life of Jackson.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
total defeat of his army. Nor did the other principal officersescape. Gibbs received a mortal wound and welcomed deathas a release from pain, while Keane was wounded tooseverely to take command.
Still the British pushed forward under Major Wilkinson,who succeeded in climbing to the top of the American forti-fications. Here he too fell, pierced by twenty bullets. His
pakenham's oak.
men were glad to fall upon their faces in the muddy canaland thus escape the hail of lead. Near the levee theBritish, under a brave officer named Rennie, rushed forwardand captured the redoubt that guarded this point. But totake it was one thing, and to hold it another. The Ameri-can riflemen soon forced them to retire with the loss of theircommander.
General Lambert, who on Pakenham's death became com-mander-in-chief, brought up his reserve to shelter the columnsas they fell back, but he did not venture to renew the attackon Jackson's lines. As the British retired, the Americanartillery continued to fire upon them, and the cannonadingdid not cease till 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
The Contest on the Right Bank.—Jackson had placedGeneral Morgan on the right bank to oppose the advance of
the British. Morgan's position, though it was protected bya canal, was not a strong one, and could easily be turned bythe enemy. His force was composed partly of Louisiana andpartly of Kentucky troops—in all about six hundred men.These troops, however, seem to have been without disci-pline, and General Morgan did not manage them wisely. Onthe morning of the 8th, as we have seen. General Thorntoncrossed the river with about six hundred men. He immedi-ately began to advance up the right bank towards Morgan'slines. Almost no resistance was offered by the Americans.The Kentuckians fled in disorder, and were followed by therest of Morgan's command.
The British, however, when they heard of Pakenham'sdefeat on the other bank, retired across the river, and theAmericans occupied their former position. The flight ofMorgan's troops, though they seem to have had some excusefor their conduct, brought a sharp rebuke from GeneralJackson, who did not understand how an American couldretire before an Englishman.
British and American Losses.—An English writer whowas present at the battle of New Orleans, states that Pakenhamhad seven thousand men on the field, and lost two thousand.Jackson lost only eight killed and thirteen wounded!
Fort St. Philip. Retreat of British.—The British fleetsailed up the Mississippi and attacked Fort St. Philip, but itwas so bravely defended by the Americans under MajorOverton that, though the English bombarded it from the 9thto the 18th of January, they were unable to take it. Finally,on the iSth, they retired down the river. On the same dayGeneral Lambert commenced his retreat across the marshesto Lake Borgne. He had given up all hope of taking NewOrleans.
QUESTIONS.
Who commanded the British? What was Pakenham's first step?Tell about the arrival of the Kentuckians. Give the date of the Battle
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
of New Orleans. How did the British prepare for the battle? DidJackson fight behind cotton bales? What troops fought under Jack-son? Describe the battle. Tell about the contest on the right bank.What were the losses on both sides? Describe the retreat of theBritish. Point out on the map the position of the British and theAmericans.
-?-?-
CHAPTER XXVIII.AFTER THE BATTLE.
Rejoicings in New Orleans.—What had been happening
in the city during this time.?
¦m^f
Jackson's statue.
field no message had come.
The roar of the cannon on themorning of the 8th had beendistinctly heard by the inhabi-tants. Some veterans, whowere no longer fit for activeservice in the field, had beenleft to defend the city ; but thewomen and children were in astate of great excitement. Fewpersons believed that Jacksonwould be able to resist such asplendid army as Pakenhamwas known to have. Therewas a rumor, moreover, thatthe British had sworn to giveover the city to a pillage of themost dreadful kind. Everyone trembled at the thought ofsuch a fate. From the battle-Suddenly, however, the sound
of a horse's hoofs was heard, and a messenger, almost breath^
WAR OF 1812-15. 191
less, galloped through the streets, crying: "Victory! Vic-tory ! Pakenham is defeated ! Hurrah for General Jackson! "
Then the people poured out into the public square, andthere was shouting and rejoicing such as had never beenheard before in New Orleans. Not only had Jackson won agreat victory, but he had lost only a few of his brave sol-diers ; and had not these met a glorious death in dying fortheir country?
All hatred of the English was lost in pity. The woundedBritish soldiers were brought up to the city on the steam-boat, and everything was done for their comfort. Many ofthem were nursed by the colored women of New Orleans,who volunteered their services.
The Treaty of Peace.—Two weeks before the battle ofNew Orleans a treaty of peace between Great Britain andAmerica had been signed at Ghent in Belgium ; but alas!this was not known in Louisiana till February loth. For thewar took place before there was any telegraph and before asteamer had ever crossed the Atlantic, so that news traveledvery slowly.
Jackson's Praise of His Troops.—On January 21st,Jackson issued general orders praising in the highest termsthe conduct of the soldiers under his charge. The volunteersfrom the other States were thanked for their brave services,as were also the Creoles, many of whom he mentioned byname. The free-men-of-color, he declared, had acted withcourage and perseverance; and the Baratarians, under theLafittes and Dominique, had all deserved the thanks of thecountry. At his suggestion, the President of the UnitedStates pardoned the Baratarians for all their past misdeeds.
Jackson^s Reception in New Orleans.—The 23d of Jan-uary was appointed as a day of thanksgiving for the greatvictory. A triumphal arch was erected in the middle of thelarge square in which Jackson's equestrian statue now stands.The scene that followed is thus described by an eye-witness,
Major Latour: "The windows and balconies of the city*' hall (the old Cabildo) and all the adjacent buildings were" filled with spectators. When General Jackson, accom-" panied by the officers of his staff, arrived at the entrance" of the square, he was requested to proceed to the cathe-" dral by the way prepared for him. As he passed under the" arch he received crowns of laurel from two children, and" was congratulated in an address spoken by Miss Kerr, who" represented the State of Louisiana. The General then pro-" ceeded to the church amidst the salutations of young ladies" representing the different States, who strewed his passage" with flowers. At the entrance of the church he was re-" ceived by the Abbe Dubourg, who conducted him to a seat" prepared for him near the altar. Te Deum was chanted" with solemnity, and soon after a guard of honor attended" the General to his quarters; and in the evening the town," with its suburbs, was splendidly illuminated.*'
The Trial of Jackson.—It would be pleasant to recordthat General Jackson left New Orleans with the praises ofthe whole population ringing in his ears. But such was notthe case. By a mistake of the authorities at Washington theGeneral did not receive official notice that the Treaty ofPeace had been ratified by Congress till March 13th, 1815.It is true that he had heard the news of the peace on the lothof February; but as he believed in strict discipline, he in-sisted on keeping New Orleans under martial law till theofficial notice reached him; and he even went so far as to ar-rest Dominic Hall, judge of the District Court, who had dis-pleased him.
After the official notice arrived the hero of Chalmette wassummoned before Judge Hall, and fined one thousand dollarsfor having made an " unnecessary and arbitrary use of martiallaw." This fine the General promptly paid. As he left theCourt House his friends hauled a carriage to the door, and,forcing the General to enter, they dragged him in triumph to
WAR OF l8l2-Ii
193
a neighboring coffee-house. Here he made a speech, whichconcluded with these noble words: "Considering obedi-" ence to the laws, even when we think them unjustly ap-
^,
COURT HOUSE IN WHICH JACKSON WAS TRIED.
'* plied, as the first duty of every citizen, I do not hesitate to" comply with the sentence you have heard pronounced. Re-" member the example I have given you of respectful sub-" mission to the administration of justice."*
QUESTIONS.
How did New Orleans receive the news of Jackson's victory ? Ifthe telegraph had been in use at this time, would the Battle of NewOrleans have been fought ? How was Jackson received in New Or-leans ? Tell about Jackson's trial. What did Jackson say aboutobedience to law ?
* Soon after this General Jackson left Louisiana. When he visited New Or-leans again in 1S2S, he came as the guest of the State, and was received as anational hero. In the same year he was elected President of the United States.In 1S45 Congress paid back to him the fine of one thousand dollars, with interestfor thirty years ; the Legislature of Louisiana offering at the same time to give therequired amount out ot the State Treasury. A few years later a splendid eques-trian statue of the General was placed in the old Place D'Armes, which was re-christened "Jackson Square."
PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT.
CHAPTER XXIX.
GROWTH OF THE STATE.
James Villere, Governor. 1816-1820.—After the Britishretired from Louisiana, no war came for many years to dis-turb the peace and happiness of the State, and Louisianabegan to enjoy a period of wonderful prosperity. As soonas the soldiers who had served under Jackson laid down theirarms, they returned to their various occupations and went towork with a new spirit. The fame of Louisiana's fertilelands had spread in all directions; and very soon settlersfrom Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia came crowdingin to find homes in the new State. For many years, how-ever, no great events took place; as we glance over theperiod, there seems to be nothing worth relating. But if welook more closely we find that what an English historian callsa " noiseless revolution " was going on. It was the revolutioncaused by the increase of population and the development ofindustries. In 1815 the population of the State, white andblack, was only 90,000, but in 1820 it had grown to 153,407.Sugar and cotton were produced in greater quantities; andbefore many years had passed new methods of refining sugarhad made this staple more profitable than ever before.
In 1816 Claiborne's term as governor came to an end. Fortwelve years he had held this office; and as a mark of theiresteem for his high qualities, the legislature, in 1817, electedhim as a representative of Louisiana in the United StatesSenate. A few months afterwards, however, he died. Hissuccessor as governor was General James Villere, a Creole,who had distinguished himself alike in war and peace. It
195
will be remembered that he was a rival candidate in the elec-tion of1812.
Governor Villere found thatwith the new population agreat many persons of badcharacter had slipped into theState, and that the morals ofNew Orleans needed correc-tion. Measures were quicklytaken to put down all lawless-ness in the city by establishinga Criminal Court and by pass-ing severe regulations. Bythis means good order seemsto have been very soon re-stored, for we hear no furthercomplaint of the evil-doers.
Yellow Fever and Overflow.—The only things that in-terrupted the prosperity of the State at this time were theyellow fever and the overflows of the Mississippi, both ofwhich came with terrible regularity. There was a great dealof discussion in regard to the necessity of building betterlevees, but very little work seems to have been done. Infact the native inhabitants appear to have regarded the over-flows and fever as a matter of fate—something that couldnot be avoided. Moreover those who were acclimated soonceased to fear the fever; its victims were to be found chieflyamong the new settlers. According to Gayarre, many of theold Creoles even welcomed its coming, because they hoped itwould keep out the bustling, pushing Americans, who threat-ened to take possession of the State. This jealous feelingtoward the Americans continued for some years, and keptthe Creoles a kind of separate race in Louisiana. Finally,however, the two mingled freely, and all ill-feeling was for-
GOVERNOR JAMES VILLERE.
gotten. In our day it is hard to believe that any such troubleever existed ; for the Creoles, though they like to preservethe French language, take pride in being Americans, andwelcome settlers from all parts of the Union.
Banks and Speculation.—The business of New^ Orleansincreased with the prosperity of the State. Great warehouseswere built, fine residences were seen on every hand, and cityproperty rose rapidly in value. As forty millions of dollarshad been invested in sugar plantations, many banks werenecessary for the large transactions that were taking place.In 1818 the Bank of Louisiana, with a capital of two mil-lions, had been incorporated. Others soon followed, andevery one was eager to take stock in them. Unfortunately,however, this craze for new banks went too far. As theseinstitutions lent money freely, the planters borrowed largesums on their lands, and, as the money seemed easy to get,they spent it lavishly. On their estates they displayed asplendid hospitality and lived like princes. The State itselftook shares in the new banks, and for a time all went well.But soon there was a period of wild speculation. Propertyin and around New^ Orleans was bought at prices far exceed-ing its value; even the swamp lands back of the city, whichwere useless for any purpose, were eagerly purchased byspeculators.
The banks had been allowed to issue notes, which wereaccepted as money ; for it was supposed that there was suffi-cient specie in their vaults to exchange for these notes when-ever the holders wished to have them redeemed. Finally,however, there was what is now called a " panic." It wasdiscovered that the banks had gone far beyond their means,and were not able to redeem their notes. In the year 1837,the crisis came, and in one day fourteen banks suspended.Of course the paper money became of no value, and manypersons were ruined. Property that during these times ofrash speculation had risen very high, now fell very low. But
this bitter experience taught every one to be more cautiousin conducting business, and the general prosperity of theState was not long interrupted. As nothing could preventthe rich soil from producing fine crops of sugar and cotton,and as a ready market w^as found for these staples, the plant-ers rapidly recovered from the " panic." *
Lafayette.—In the year 1825, the Marquis de la Fayette,the distinguished Frenchman who had fought for the inde-pendence of America in the Revolution of i77^? came overto the United States. He was received everywhere withgreat honor, and was invited by the people of Louisiana tovisit their State. He consented, and on the 9th of April hearrived at Chalmette field. Here he was met by a committeeof citizens and escorted to the city. The State legislaturehaving voted fifteen thousand dollars for his entertainment,the old Cabildo on Jackson Square was fitted up as a resi-dence. In this historic building Lafayette received the citi-zens, who came in great numbers to do him honor. Tri-umphal arches were erected ; there were many splendid ban-quets ; and the city gave itself up to enjoyment. Louisianahad not been one of the American colonies in 1776, but theSpanish governor of that day, it will be remembered, hadaided the struggling colonies as much as he could ; and now,in 1835, the people of Louisiana wished to shoW that theyjoined the rest of America in their love and respect for thisnoble " guest of the nation." After leaving New OrleansLafayette ascended the Mississippi river. Everywhere thathe stopped he was received with the highest honors. TheUnited States Government presented him with the sum oftwo hundred thousand dollars and a large tract of land inFlorida.
The Capital Removed.—In the same year (1835) an actof the legislature was passed to remove the Capital from
* Our present State National Banks, which issue paper money secured by bondsdeposited in the U, S. Treasury, and which consequently can not refuse to redeemtheir notes, were not established until 1S63.
198 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
New Orleans to Donaldsonville. This was done partly be-cause the country parishes wished a more central locationthan New Orleans, and partly because it was thought thatthe legislators would do their work better in a quiet countrytown than in a gay city. The sum of five thousand dollarswas expended on a building in Donaldsonville, and the trans-fer was made. But the legislators found the little town sodull after the pleasant life to which they had been accus-tomed, that they longed to return. Finally, in 1831, theyadjourned the house one day, and taking the steamboat, weresoon back in the Crescent City, which thus became the Cap-ital once more.*--^ First Railroad.—Before it left Donaldsonville, the legis-lature passed an act incorporating the Pontchartrain RailroadCompany. This railroad is the oldest in Louisiana, and thesecond that was completed in the United States. It is still inexistence, and connects New Orleans with the pleasant littletown of Milneburg. Some years passed before other rail-roads were built.
New Orleans Lighted by Gas.—Just four years later(1834), New Orleans was for the first time lighted by gas.Up to this time, as we learn from old newspapers, the privi-lege of furnishing oil and matches to light the city had beensold every year to the lowest bidder. When gas was intro-duced it was soon found that the increase of light diminishedvery much the number of crimes committed on the streets atnight. But it is only since the introduction of electricitywithin the last ten years, that it has been clearly shown thatplenty of light will do as much to free a city from criminalsas will the best of laws.
* New Orleans remained the Capital till 1849, when the legislature met for thefirst time in Baton Rouge, which had been made the seat of government. Afterthe Civil War the legislature assembled in New Orleans till 1882 when a transferto Baton Rouge once more took place.
QUESTIONS.
Tell about the noiseless revolution in Louisiana. Who succeededClaiborne as governor? What interrupted the prosperity of theState? What caused the bank failures in 1837? Who was Lafayette?How was he honored on his return to America? Why was the Capitalremoved from New Orleans? What was the first railroad in Louisiana?
CHAPTER XXX.GROWTH OF THE STATE —CONTINUED.
During the period which we have been reviewing Louisi-ana was blessed with a succession of excellent governors.As there was little political strife in these times, and as theState was generally very prosperous, some modern writersbave named^tjiis period the " Golden Age of Louisiana."
Public Domain.—In 1820 Governor Villere was succeededDy Thos. B. Robertson, a distinguished lawyer, who greatlyendeared himself to the people by his wise and useful ad-ninistration. After nearly four years' service he retired,*ind the governor's chair was occupied from 1824-28 byHenry Johnson, who had previously held a seat in the UnitedStates Senate. The messages of these governors declare that:he State was then in a prosperous condition ; but they con-:ain constant complaints of the United States authorities for:heir management of the public lands in Louisiana. Innaking Louisiana a State the Government at Washington had•eserved for itself large tracts of land that were not then oc-:upied. As the population increased, the State GovernmentA^ished to get possession of these lands, which were becomingTiore valuable every day ; but for some time the General Gov-
* Governor Robertson, having- been appointed United States district judge, re-;iffned the office of governor one month before his term expired.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
ernment refused to surrender them. Finally, however, anarrangement was made by which Louisiana received a greatpart of this public domain, as it was called, and from thesale of certain portions money was obtained to build levees,to found institutions of learning, and to pay a part of theState debt. Large areas are still owned by the State.*
Pierre Derbigny.—In 1828, Johnson was succeeded asgovernor by Pierre Derbigny, who had previously been a
judge of the Supreme Court andsecretary of state. In the follow-ing year, however. GovernorDerbigny was thrown from hisgig and killed. As there was no
PIERRE DERBIGNY.
lieutenant-governor underthe old constitution, thepresident of the senate, A.Beauvais, acted as gov-ernor until the legislaturemet, when he was followedby a second president ofthe senate, Jacques Dupre.Finally, in 1830, a regularelection was held, and the governor chosen was A. Bien-venu Roman.
*The University at Baton Rouge is partly supported by funds obtained from thesale of public domain. The United States Government still owns many thousandsof acres in the upper parishes of Louisiana. This land is given away in certainquantities to settlers.
GOVERNOR A. B. ROMAN.
201
A. B. Roman, Governor. 1831-1835.—Governor Romanwas a fine type of the Louisiana Creole, and his services tohis native State were very important. He founded Jeffer-son College in St. James parish, and when the legislaturemade an appropriation for its support, he added a subscrip-tion from his own fortune. Professors were brought overfrom Europe, and many students were educated in the newcollege. In managing the affairs of the State, GovernorRoman showed great ability. Being violently opposed to thewild speculations of his time, he did all that he could to keepthe State from indulging in them. To him also, we owe theestablishment of the first experimental farm to advance thestudy of agriculture. As we shall see he was the first gov-ernor of the State to enjoy the honor of a second term.
Refining of Sugar.—During Roman's first term, and inthe next few years, great progress was made by some prom-inent planters in the refining of sugar. Up to this time it
CARRYING CANE TO THE MILL.
had been often said that Louisiana sugar was not suitable forrefining, and there were many complaints of its inferiorquality. About the year 1830 some of the richest planters
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
determined to show that a fine grade of sugar could be pro-duced in the State. The result of their experiments waswatched with the same interest that was shown when Etiennede Bore made his successful attempt to produce granulation.What is called the " vacuum process " had been introducedby two planters, Messrs. Gordon and Forstall, and was very
PICKING COTTON.
successful. Two Other rich planters, ValcourAime and Thos.Morgan, of St. James parish, now purchased expensive ma-chinery and the best chemicals for the refining process.Their first experiment succeeded beyond their expectations.They produced a high grade of refined sugar, several tonsof which were sent to the North as a proof that Louisianacould compete with other countries in supplying the marketsof the United States. It was even hoped that all the inhab-itants of America could be supplied with Louisiana sugar.
Cholera.—In 1832, Louisiana was visited by a terrible dis-ease called Asiatic Cholera. It proved to be a far worsescourge than ever the yellow fever had been. Beginning inAsia it had spread over Europe, and was then brought by a
ship to Canada. From Canada it finally reached Louisiana.Here as many as five thousand persons died of it. The ne-groes, who generally escaped the yellow fever, died in largenumbers of this new disease.
Edward D. White, Governor. 1835-39.—^^ ^^35' E. D.White,* who had for several years been an able representa-tive in the Congress of the United States, was elected gover-nor. During his administration there was a great increasein the amount of cotton produced. The price of sugar fellto six cents a pound, which in those days was considered toolow for a profit. Every one, therefore, began to neglectsugar and cultivate cotton. In 1836 Louisiana produced325,000 bales, which was nearly double the crop of 1834.After 1840, however, a new tariff brought up the price ofsugar, which became once more the great staple of Lou-isiana. Nineteen of the southern parishes devoted them-selves to its cultivation, while Rapides, Avoyelles, Concor-dia, Catahoula, and Calcasieu, which had, before this, raisedonly cotton, now prepared to try the cane. The result wasthat in 1844 the crop was 200,000 hogsheads.
Growth of New Orleans.—New Orleans, which alwaysprospers with the State, had grown rapidly. The city wasspreading beyond its old limits of Canal and Esplanadestreets ; for its population, which in ten years had more thandoubled, now reached 103,000. In one year 2000 sailingvessels and 1600 steamboats arrived at its levees.
Overflow of 1840.—In the meantime Governor White hadbeen succeeded by A. B. Roman, whose second term lasteduntil 1843. During his administration there was an unusualrise in the Mississippi river. There had not been such a flood,says an old historian, since that of 1782, when the prairies ofthe Attakapas and Opelousas country were partly overflowed.The Mississippi now spread over the parishes of Lafourcheand Concordia, while the waters of Red river covered the
* The father of our present United States Senator,
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
extensive cotton lands along its banks. When the flood dis-appeared, however, it was found that the overflowed districthad received a rich deposit of mud, and the next year a finecrop was produced.
QUESTIONS.
What was the trouble about public domain? Name the governorsthat preceded Roman. Tell the chief services of Governor Roman.Give an account of the refining of sugar. What w^as the change inagriculture while White was governor? Give an account of the over-flow.
CHAPTER XXXI.INCREASE OF DEflOCRACY —TROUBLE IN TEXAS.
A. Mouton, Governor.—In 1843 Alexander Mouton waselected governor. He had previously been a United StatesSenator. Open-hearted, frank, andendowed with good judgment, Mou-ton enjoyed great popularity amongthe people of Louisiana. He alwaysshowed himself ready to sacrificehis personal interests for the good ofhis State. During his administrationLouisiana paid off a large portionof the debts she had contracted whenshe took stock in the new banks.
The New Constitution.—In 1845a new constitution was framed forLouisiana, which differed in someimportant points from that of 1812.It was far more democratic—that is, it gave more privilegesto the people than they had possessed before. Thus, under
ALEXANDER MOUTON.
the old constitution no one was allowed to vote who had nota certain amount of property. Now all this was changed ;the right of suffrage was granted to any male white twenty-one years of age who had resided two years in the State.
Formerly the governor was obliged to own a landed estateworth five thousand dollars ; but now the poorest man inLouisiana could be elected to the highest office. Moreover,a change was made in the method of electing the governor—a change which is found in all the subsequent constitutions.By the constitution of 1812, the general assembly was per-mitted to choose the governor by ballot from the two candi-dates that had received the highest number of popular votes.Thus it was in the power of this assembly, if it wished, tochoose the candidate that had received a smaller number ofpopular votes than his opponent; though such a disregard ofthe people's wishes never occurred. The new constitution,however, provided that the general assembly must declare thecandidate receiving the highest number of popular votes tobe the duly elected governor.
It was under this constitution, also, that the ofiice of lieu-tenant-governor and that of superintendent of public educa-tion were created.
During this early period duelling had been very commonin Louisiana, and the framers of the constitution determinedto try to check it. Hence we find a provision that no Stateofficer could enter upon his duties unless he swore that, sincethe adoption of the constitution, he had not engaged in aduel. A still severer article is found in the later constitutionof 1852, which declared that no one who had been engagedin a duel should be allowed to vote. In our latest constitu-tions, those of 1868 and 1879, all provisions in regard toduelling have been dropped ; and the practice itself seemsto be disappearing.
Isaac Johnson, Governor. 1846-50. The Mexican War.—Under the new constitution, Isaac Johnson, who had held
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
ISAAC JOHNSON.
the office of district judge, was elected governor. Scarcelyhad he begun his duties when a serious war began betweenthe United States and Mexico. The cause of the war wasthis: When Louisiana was pur-chased, Texas remained a part ofMexico. As many American set-tlers, however, had moved into thisterritory, the United States Govern-ment tried to purchase it, but Mex-ico would not sell. In 1835 Texasboldly took the matter into her ownhands. Throwing off her allegianceto Mexico, she declared herself a'!"*) free republic, and asked to be'admitted into the Union as aState. At first Congress wouldnot consent, for there was a party in the North who wishedto abolish slavery, and who opposed the admission of Texasbecause she would be admitted as a slave State. In spite,however, of this and other objections, Texas was finallymade a State in 1845. It was a fine thing for the UnitedStates to acquire this splendid piece of territorjr; but Mexicowas very angry at the interference of the American Govern-ment, and before a year had passed war was declared be-tween the two countries.
General Zachary Taylor, who owned an estate near BatonRouge, was sent with a small army to defend the border ofthe new State. As the Mexicans threatened him with asuperior force, he called upon Governor Johnson for addi-tional troops. When the governor brought the matter beforethe legislature, the sum of one hundred thousand dollarswas immediately voted for the purpose of sending help. NewOrleans was wild with enthusiasm. The military companiesseemed as anxious to fight as they had been some thirty yearsbefore at Chalmette. " In a few days," says General Owen,
PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT. 207
in his account of the Mexican War, " the Washington Regi-" ment, of New Orleans, looo strong, was on its way on" transports down the Mississippi." Other troops followeduntil Louisiana had sent a considerable force to aid her sisterState against the Mexicans. The details of the war that fol-lowed can not be given here. It is sufficient to say that theMexicans were defeated on every side, and that finally theAmerican army under General Scott fought its way to theCity of Mexico and captured it. The last defence of thecity was the fortress of Chapultepec, which was taken bystorm. In this portion of the campaign as well as in thebattles of Monterey and Buena Vista, the Louisiana troopsserved with splendid courage. General G. T. Beauregard(then major), distinguished himself, and was twice wounded.As we look over the list of officers from Louisiana we seesuch well known names as Dessommes, Musson, Blanchard,Bourgeois, Soniat, and Hunt.
With the surrender of the Mexican capital the war ended,and the Mexicans were glad to make peace. It was agreedthat Texas should take as her southern boundary the RioGrande river—a boundary which Mexico had not been will-ing to grant before the war.
General Joseph Walker, Governor. 1850-53.—The suc-cessor of Isaac Johnson was General Joseph Walker, whohad previously held high offices in the State. During hisadministration, the people, having already become dissatis-fied with the constitution of 1845, decided to have anotherframed. The result was the constitution of 1853, which wasstill more democratic than the previous one. Among otherthings it declared that the judges of the State SupremeCourt instead of being appointed by the governor, as theyare at the present day, should be elected by the vote of thepeople. The object of this measure was to limit the powerof the governor, but it was not a wise step. Moreover, theprivilege of creating new debts for the State, which had
been denied the legislature by the constitution of 1845, wasnow once more granted.
Paul Hebert, Governor. 1853-56.*—Under the new con-stitution Paul Hebert was elected governor. He had pre-viously occupied, says Gayarre, the position of State engi-neer, and had been president of the late constitutional con-vention. During his administration there occurred one ofthe most terrible yellow fever epidemics that Louisiana hadever seen. Formerly the disease had generally confineditself to New Orleans, but now it spread over every part ofthe State, and thousands of the inhabitants died. Neversince the coming of the cholera had such sorrow and dismaybeen felt throughout the State. When the fever was over,however, trade was resumed and the State began once moreto prosper. Among the signs of this prosperity it may bementioned that during this period the public school system,which up to this time had not been successful, was aided byState funds and put upon a better basis. A few years before(1847) the University of Louisiana (now Tulane) had beenestablished in New Orleans. The State now made appro-priations to complete the University buildings and to aidother institutions of learning.
R. C. Wickliffe.—In 1856 Governor Hebert was suc-ceeded by Robert C. Wickliffe, a native of Kentucky, whohad settled in West Feliciana. Here Mr. Wickliffe had wonprominence as a lawyer, and had afterwards been elected aState senator. During his administration there was much po-litical excitement in Louisiana, in which the leading lawyerstook an active part. Among these, three of the most promi-nent were Pierre Soule, John Slidell, and Judah P. Benjamin.Before the war all three served in the United States Senate,where they courageously defended the Southern Cause in thediscussions that arose.
* Hebert was installed as governor in January, 1S53, but by a special article ot thenew constitution the terms of all officers were regarded as beginning in January,1852.
QUESTIONS.
What was the character of Governor Mouton? Tell about thechanges made by the new constitution. What important event oc-curred during the administration of Governor Johnson? Give an ac-count of the Mexican War. What changes were made by the consti-tution of 1S52? Tell about the yellow fever in Hebert's administration.Who was the successor of Governor Hebert?
THE CIVIL WAR-1861-65.
CHAPTER XXXII.BEGINNING OF THE WAR.
The Approach of War.—The annual messages of Hebertand VVickliffe show that the great topics of discussion inLouisiana were slavery and secession. The war was not faroff, and these messages, full oi fiery sentiments, were like thelow thunder that announces the coming of a storm.
The party opposed to slavery, known as the Republicanparty, had been rapidly growing at the North, and seemedlikely at an early day to gain control of the National Govern-ment at Washington. Louisiana and the other Southern Statesthought that, if this happened, an attack would be madeupon the institution of slavery; perhaps a law would bepassed to do away with it altogether. At this period theNorth no longer had any slaves ; while the South dependedupon them for the cultivation of her plantations, which, itwas believed, could not be worked by white labor.
The Causes of the War.—From the beginning of thenineteenth century there had been some jealousy between
the Northern and the Southern States; and this feeling, un-fortunately, increased as the differences between the two sec-tions became more marked. Slavery never flourished in thecold North as it did in the warm South. Moreover, theNorthern people had no large plantations, and generally pre-ferred manufactures to agriculture. In the South the slaveswere suited both to the climate and to the occupation of thepeople. Now it was very difficult to make satisfactory tarifflaws for two portions of a large country, which depended fortheir support upon different kinds of products. A tariff, forinstance, that protected the manufacturer of the North oftenthreatened to ruin the planter of the South. Whichever sec-tion of the country, therefore, had the majority in Congresswas able, if it wished, to pass laws very injurious to theother. Thus we have seen that, in 1811, Josiah Quincy, ofMassachusetts, declared in Congress that if Louisiana wereadmitted as a State, the older States would be justified inbreaking up the Union; for, as he argued, Louisiana couldnot have the same interests as the Northern and Eastern States.Twenty-four years later (1833), there was a great debatein the United States Senate between Daniel Webster andJohn C. Calhoun. Webster, who was from Massachusetts,declared that the Constitution of the United States did notpermit a State under any circumstances to withdraw fromthe Union. Thus Massachusetts had changed her opinion ofthe Constitution since the days of Josiah Quincy. Calhoun,who was from South Carolina, maintained that the right towithdraw from the Union belonged to every State ; for, inratifying the Constitution, the States had reserved to them-selves this power. Such was the famous "State RightsDoctrine." In general the North took the side of Webster,while the South took the side of Calhoun.* The debate in
* It is interesting, however, to note that Webster's distinguished biographer,Henry C, Lodge, though a Northern man and a violent opponent of secession, ad-mits that, in this great debate, Calhoun proved his interpretation of the Constitu-tion to be the true one.
this case had arisen over a tariff law passed by Congress. Asthis law was regarded as a violation of the Constitution, SouthCarolina " nullified " or refused to obey it, and prepared tosecede, in case the President attempted to enforce obedience.The trouble, however, ended in a compromise. Each sidegave up something, and a tariff diminishing yearly till itceased, was finally adopted. Thus the great question ofwhat rights belonged to the States and to the General Gov-ernment respectively, was not settled, but only deferred.
When, therefore, some years later, the party in the Northopposed to slavery grew very strong and seemed to be on thepoint of getting possession of the Government, the Southnaturally began to discuss once more the question of seces-sion. Would the North dare to interfere with slavery, whichhad so long been an established institution in the South.? Ifa Southern State submitted to such interference it wouldlose its self-respect; secession was the only means of pre-serving its rights. This was the general feeling in the South ;while the North was determined to preserve the Union at allhazards. Each side thought itself in the right, and it lookedas if the long contest over the question of secession, whichslavery had thus brought to the front once more, could bedecided only by a war between the two sections.
As soon, therefore, as the Republicans, in i860, succeededin electing as President Abraham Lincoln, the SouthernStates prepared to secede from the Union, and to defendtheir action, if necessary, by an appeal to arms.
Louisiana Secedes.—The first State to pass an ordinanceof secession was South Carolina, which many years beforehad so boldly asserted her rights through the statesman,John C. Calhoun. Other Southern States followed. InLouisiana a convention was called at Baton Rouge to decidewhat course the State should pursue. The officer elected topreside on this important occasion was the venerable Ex-Governor Alexander Mouton, a man highly respected by all
the people of the State. By a vote of 113 yeas to 17 nays,the convention decided that Louisiana w^ould join her sisterStates in withdraw^ing from the Union (January 26, I861).*This decision was destined to bring sorrow and disaster uponthe State, but the Louisianians believed that under the Con-stitution of the United States they had the right of secession,and they were determined to fight, if necessary, to maintainit. The governor of Louisiana at this time was Thos. O.Moore, a rich planter and man of large influence. Hestrongly supported the course pursued by his State.
The New Government.—In February, 1861, the variousStates that had seceded sent representatives to a Southern
*The ordinance of secession was as follows:
"The State Of Louisiana.
'M« ordinance to dissolve the Union between the State of Louisiana and other
States tinited with her under the compact entitled
" 'the constitution of the united states of AMERICA.'
" We, the people of the State of Louisiana, in convention assembled, do declareand ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the ordinance passed by usin convention on the 22d day of November, in the year 1811, whereby the Constitu-tion of the United States of America, and the amendments of the said Constitution,were adopted; and all laws and ordinances by which the State of Louisiana becamea member of the Federal Union, be and the same are hereby repealed and abro-gated ; and that the Union now subsisting between Louisiana and other States,under the name of * The United States of America,' is hereby dissolved.
" We do further declare and ordain. That the State of Louisiana hereby resumesall rights and powers heretofore delegated to the Government of the United Stateso' America; that her citizens are absolved from all allegiance to said Government;and that she is in full possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty whichappertain to a free and independent State.
" We do further declare and ordain. That all rights acquired and vested underthe Constitution of the United States, or any Acts of Congress, or treaty, or underany law of this State, an d not incompatible with this ordinance, shall remain in forceand have the same effect as if this ordinance had not been passed."
On the iSth of February, 1861, the legislature passed the following joint reso-lution:
" I. Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State opLouisiana, in general assembly convened,That the right of a sovereign State to secedeor withdraw from the Government of the Federal Union and resume her originalsovereignty when in her judgment such act becomes necessary, is not prohibited bythe Federal Constitution, but is reserved thereby to the several St tes, or peoplethereof, to be exercised, each for itsell, without molestation.
•' 2. Beit further resolved, etc.. That any attempt to coerce or force a sovereignState to remain within the Federal Union, come from what quarter and under what-ever pretence it may, will be viewed by the people of Louisiana, as well on herown account as of her sister Southern States, as a hostile invasion, and resistedto the utmost extent,
" C. H. Morrison," Speaker of the House of Representatives." B. W. Pearce," President of the Senate." Thos O. Moore," Governor of the State of Louisiana.**
213
Congress, which met at Montgomery, Ala. A new govern-ment was formed under the title of the "Confederate Statesof America," a new constitution was adopted, and JeffersonDavis, of Mississippi, was elected President.*
The Fall of Fort Sumter.—For a short time it wasthought that the North and the South could agree on someplan of compromise and that there would be no war. Buton April 12, 1861, General G. T. Beauregard,t of Louisiana,who was in charge of the South Carolina defences, was in-structed by the Confederate Government to fire on Fort Sum-ter in Charleston Harbor. This step was taken becausea fleet, with a large supply of provisions, was on its way fromNew York to aid Sumter in withstanding any attack. Thefort was at this time occupied by United States troops underMajor Robert Anderson, and it refused to surrender until it
had been bombarded forthirty hours. This bom-bardment opened the war,for the "Fall of Sumter"aroused the North, andPresident Lincoln called for75,000 volunteers to com-pel the South to come backinto the Union. The terri-ble contest lasted four longyears. Its course was mark-ed by famous battles andgreat deeds of valor. AmongGEN. G. T. BEAUREGARD. the soldiers of the South
none gained greater fame than those from this State, but if
* The list of Confederate States was as follows: South Carolina, Mississippi,Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, andNorth Carolina. Missouri and Kentucky did not secede, but the Southern sympa-thizers in these States formed revolutionary governments, which were recognizedby the Confederacy. . ^ i ^u
t General G. T. Beauregard became one of the most prominent generals on theConfederate side. As we have seen, he opened the war by the capture ot i<ort
we followed them in all their campaigns, we should have togive an account of the whole war. In this little volume,therefore, we shall relate only those events that occurred onLouisiana soil.
Preparations for War.—When the cry To Arms! washeard in Louisiana, the greatest enthusiasm filled the heartsof the people. Business was forgotten, and preparationswere made to send as many troops as possible to Virginia,which, it was known, would be the chief battle ground of thewar. Those who failed to enlist were regarded as traitors tothe South. The famous Washington Artillery paraded thestreets of New Orleans amid the cheers of the people, andafter listening to a stirring address from an eloquent preacher,took its departure for Richmond. Other companies followed,until the old city had few troops to defend her in case shewas attacked. The soldiers of Louisiana had gone to winlaurels for themselves on battle fields far from their nativeState. At this time hardly any one thought that the warwould ever reach Louisiana ; for the South believed she couldsuccessfully defend her territory against the Northern armies.
QUESTIONS.
Describe the approach of war. Give the causes of the war. Whowas elected President in iS6o? When did Louisiana secede? Namethe Confederate States. Describe the fall ot Sumter, and the prepara-tion for war in Louisiana.
Sumter, SubsequentlyJie won great tame at Manassas and on other battle fields.After the war General Beauregard lived in New Orleans, where he died February20, 1893 His body lay in state at the City Hall, In his honor the business of NewOrleans was practically suspended and all public institutions were closed.
THE CIVIL WAR-
861-65.
215
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE WAR IN LOUISIANA.
Importance of New Orleans. Its Defences.— Fornearly a year the State remained undisturbed ; but in the
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winter of 1863 a Federal fleet and an army arrived at ShipIsland, with the intention of attacking New Orleans. Themain object was to get possession of the great highway of
America, the Mississippi river, and thus cut off the troopsand supplies which the South could bring over from Louisi-ana and Texas to aid her army. But the North knew thatunless New Orleans were captured, it would not be possibleto hold the lower Mississippi. Extensive preparations, there-fore, had been made to seize the Crescent City.
On the other hand, the Confederate Government does notseem to have appreciated the importance of New Orleans,for again, as in the days of the English invasion, the citywas by no means well protected. At the Rigolets, Barata-ria Bay, and other inlets, there were some batteries, but theywere very weak, and the only strong defences were on theMississippi, about thirty miles from its mouth. These wereFort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, the latter of which hadresisted the English so successfully in the days of AndrewJackson. Besides the guns of these forts, there were in theMississippi, "just above them, eighteen war vessels to protectthe passage of the river and prevent an enemy from slippingpast. Below the forts the river was obstructed by a line ofmastless vessels, placed across the channel and boundtogether by a number of iron chains. The entire river de-fence was under the command of General J. R. Duncan.
Farragut's Fleet.—The Federal fleet at Ship Island wasunder Flag-Officer David G. Farragut, who was afterwardsmade an admiral for his splendid services on the Mississippi.H e was a Southern man, and had once lived in New Orleans,but when the war broke out he remained in the Northernservice. He was one of the bravest and most skilful com-manders that the American navy has ever had. His fleet con-sisted of four powerful sloops of war, each one carrying oyertwenty guns, together with a number of gunboats and mor-tar schooners—amounting in all to forty-three vessels. Partof these were under Commander D. D. Porter.
Farragut's plan was to come up the Mississippi, bombardthe forts, and try to reach New Orleans. If this could be
accomplished, General B. F. Butler, at the head of 15,000troops, was to follow him and occupy the city.
The Passing of the Forts. April 23, 1862.—When thisformidable fleet came within about half a mile of the forts, aterrible bombardment began and continued several days.Fort Jackson received the greatest part of the attack, and re-turned the fire of the Federal vessels with great spirit andaccuracy. On the second day, the 19th of April, a shot fromthis fort struck one of Farragut's schooners, passed throughher bottom, and sunk her. As there seemed to be no chanceof reducing the forts, the bold Flag-officer determined tobreak through the obstructions and run past. On the 20th,after dark, two vessels were sent forward to investigate. Oneof these, the Itasca^ ran boldly against the chains whichbound the old hulks together. These chains, not being suffi-ciently strong, snapped in two, and an opening large enoughfor the passage of the war vessels was made. For threemore days, however, Farragut continued to bombard theforts, while he was busy making preparations to run thegauntlet. At 2 o'clock on the morning of the 23d, every-thing was ready, and the signal for the advance was madefrom the flag-ship. The excitement on both sides was in-tense. The forts knew that an attempt to run by them wasabout to be made ; but in the darkness the gunners could notaim very accurately. Still they made ready, and as the fleetbegan to pass, they poured upon it a terrible discharge of shotand shell. Fire rafts were sent down to render the passagedangerous, and the flag-ship Hartford was soon in flames;but her crew extinguished the fire and she pressed on. Thelittle Confederate fleet above the forts fought gallantly todefend the passage. The Governor Moore^ a Confederategunboat, commanded by a skilful officer named BeverlyKennon, rammed and fired into the Federal vessel Varuna^which was so disabled that she sunk. But the Northern fleetwas too powerful to be stopped, and though many of his gun-
boats were riddled with shot, Farragut soon scattered or de-stroyed the Confederate vessels.
The Confederates had made an heroic defence, but theenemy had fought their way through, and New Orleanswas lost. On the 35th of April Farragut reached some bat-teries placed by the Confederates on both sides of the rivernear Chalmette. Having quickly silenced these, he anchoredbefore New Orleans.
Burning of the Cotton.—As soon as the news reachedNew Orleans that Farragut had passed the forts, the dismayof the inhabitants was so great that at first nothing was done.Then as the people realized that the troops in the city werenot sufficient for its defence, they decided to destroy every-thing that might aid the enemy. The South had refused tolet any cotton be exported, imagining that the factories ofthe North would thereby be crippled, and that the want ofthis important staple would force foreign nations to aid theConfederacy. "Cotton is king,", was the cry, "and bywithholding it from the markets the South will win the day."Hence, there was at this time a large quantity of cotton inNew Orleans, and the authorities were determined that itshould not fall into the hands of the invaders. Twelve thou-sand bales were quickly piled upon the levee and set on fire ;warehouses were broken open, and barrels of sugar andmolasses were added to the burning mass. The very guttersran with molasses, and the banquettes were covered withsugar. Many of the steamers at the levee were set on fire ;and a powerful gunboat called the Mississifpi^ whichhad not been finished in time to be of any use, was sentdown the river a mass of flames to meet Farragut's fleet. Acloud of black smoke rested over the city like a symbol ofruin and destruction.
New Orleans Occupied by the Federals.—When Far-ragut had anchored in front of New Orleans, he sent an offi-cer to Mayor Monroe to demand that the city should be suj-
rendered and that the Louisiana flags should be removedfrom all public buildings. The mayor, probably hoping thatsomething might still be done to save the city, refused tosurrender, and for some days negotiations were carried onbetween him and Farragut. In the meantime, however, theConfederate forces in New Orleans under Gen. M. S. Lovell,being too weak to make a successful resistance, retired fromthe city. If any resistance had been made Farragut wouldhave bombarded New Orleans and killed thousands of theinhabitants. The retreat of Lovell, therefore, was a wisemeasure. Moreover, the forts on the river had surrenderedto Porter, who had been left in charge of the mortar schoon-ers. Finally, on the 30th of April, Farragut sent two of hisoflicers, with a strong guard, to the present City Hall, withorders to pull down the flag that waved there, and run upthe "Stars and Stripes" in its stead. An immense crowdof citizens looked on ; but resistance was now useless, andnone was made. New Orleans was in the hands of theenemy.*
On May i, the city was handed over by Farragut to thecontrol of General B. F. Butler, who had followed with alarge army. Butler was a coarse, rough man, who treatedthe people with great indignity. His tyrannical behaviorwill long be remembered in New Orleans. The only thingthat has been said to his credit is that he cleansed the cityand kept it in the best sanitary condition that k has everknown. This task, however, was rendered easy by the factthat the city had been deserted by a large number of the in-habitants. Moreover, the absence of foreign trade duringthe war helped to keep all Southern cities free from disease.
* Before Farragut had taken possession of New Orleans, a United States flag-was i)Iaced over the Mint by the crew from one of his vessels. As the city had notsurrendered, this act caused a great deal of indignation, and some bold citizens de-termined at the risk of their lires to pull it down. Accordingly four men, amongwhom was W. B. Mumford, mounted to the roof of the building. Mumford, takingthe lead, let the flag drop from the staff and dragged it through the streets. Itwas a rash deed; for when General Butler took command of the city he had Mum-ford arrested, tried, and put to death. As the flag had been placed on the Mintwithout the orders of Farragut, the execution of Mumford was unjust and cruel.
The fall of New Orleans was a great blow to the SouthernCause. It was held till the close of the war by Union sol-diers, who thus controlled the mouth of the Mississippi, andat the same time had a convenient point from which to at-tack the Confederates.
QUESTIONS.
How was New Orleans defended? Why was New Orleans an im-portant city to capture? Describe the passing of the forts. What wasthe effect of the news in the city? Describe the occupation of NewOrleans.
CHAPTER XXXIV.THE WAR IN LOUISIANA —CONTINUED.
The Opening of the Mississippi.—As a Federal fleethad already descended the Mississippi to a point some dis-tance above Vicksburg, Farragut determined to join it andthus complete the "clearing" of the river. Accordingly,after the capture of New Orleans, he sent up the river sevenof his war vessels. When these reached Baton Rouge, thattown, which was not fortified, quickly surrendered. Such,also, was the fate of Natchez ; but Vicksburg refused to sur-render. Farragut now arrived from New Orleans, andtaking a number of his vessels, he ran past the batteries atVicksburg to join the Union fleet above. As he went by,the guns on the heights of Vicksburg rained down shellsupon his fleet, but though they killed fifteen of his men andwounded thirty, they did not succeed in stopping him. Hisguns answered those on the heights, but did no damage tothe Confederates.
Thus Farragut had shown that he could pass the fortifica-tions, though he had clearly seen that Vicksburg was toostrong to be captured without the help of a land army. After
joining the upper fleet and remaining with it awhile, he re-turned to New Orleans. The river was falling rapidly andthe malaria had attacked so many of his sailors that he wasglad to escape from the unhealthy district around Vicksburg.Some powerful vessels, however, were left above BatonRouge to watch a dangerous Confederate ram named theArkansas. This ram was armed with ten guns and coveredwith railroad iron three inches thick; and when Farragutwas above Vicksburg she had come down the Yazoo river,run the gauntlet of the whole Union fleet, and taken refugeunder the batteries of the city.
The Confederates Attack Baton Rouge. —When Far-ragut retired, a strong Federal force under General ThomasWilliams took possession of Baton Rouge. This was theCapital of Louisiana, and the Confederates determined tomake a desperate attempt to drive away the Federals and re-cover the town. If Baton Rouge could be retaken, the Mis-sissippi from that point to Vicksburg would be practicallyunder the control of the South, and the Red river, from thebanks of which all sorts of supplies could be brought for thesupport of the Southern army, would be open to Confeder-ate steamboats. Accordingly a large force under GeneralJohn C. Breckinridge, a brave Kentuckian, was sent downfrom Vicksburg to attack General Williams. As the Fed-eral gunboats were still in the river, General Breckinridgeordered the ram Arkansas to drop down the Mississippi,clear the river, and join hina at Baton Rouge. With the as-sistance of the ram on the water side, he hoped to make asuccessful attack upon the town. As soon as the Arkansasleft Vicksburg, the telegraph announced the fact to Breckin-ridge, and he waited to hear her guns upon the river. But alas !the famous boat never reached Baton Rouge. Her engines,which had been badly constructed, were now out of order.As she descended the river every effort was made to repairthem; the loud blows of hammers were distinctly heard from
the banks. Nothing, however, could be done, and when shereached a point a few miles above the town, there was acrash in the machinery, and the Arkansas\?iy almost helplessupon the Mississippi. Without the power to move quicklyshe was useless. And now the enemy began to draw near.What was to be done? The decision was prompt. Head-ing the vessel for the bank, the men jumped ashore, and hercommander, Lieutenant Stevens, set her on fire and turnedher adrift. It was a memorable scene. The Confederateflag still waved above her, and every gun was loaded. Asthe flames began to spread, her great guns pealed out, oneafter another, threatening destruction to the approachingenemy. Then when the fire reached her magazine there wasa mighty report, and the fragments of the powerful Confederateiron-clad were hurled in every direction. Though no Arkansascame to his aid, Breckinridge bravely attacked the Federaltroops in the town, and in his first assault carried everythingbefore him. General Williams on the Union side was killed atthe head of his men, and if Breckinridge had been supportedfrom the river, the capture of Baton Rouge would have beencomplete. But in the face of the Federal gunboats, whichwere now rapidly firing, the Confederates could not holdtheir position, and Breckinridge was compelled to order aretreat. The attack was one of the boldest feats of the war,for the Federals were superior in numbers and weresplendidly equipped, while Breckinridge's soldiers were,many of them, without coats, shoes, or socks. Already thegreater wealth of the North was shown by the bountiful sup-plies that came for her soldiers ; the poor Confederates oftenlacked the necessities of life. The very table covers in NewOrleans had been cut into coats for Southern soldiers shiver,ing with cold upon the bleak hills of Virginia.
After the failure to take the Capital, the Confederatesfortified Fort Hudson, and the Union soldiers soon after gaveup Baton Rouge and retired to New Orleans.
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General Taylor in Southern Louisiana.—Some weeksafter the attack on Baton Rouge there arrived at Opelousasone of the most gallant of the Confederate generals. This wasGeneral " Dick" Taylor, who had already distinguished him-self in Virginia under Stonewall Jackson, and who was now
sent to take command of all theforces in Louisiana. He was anative of the State, and was a sonof General Zachary Taylor, who,after his famous campaign in theMexican war, had been electedPresident of the United States."^"^^ Having inherited his father'sskill in battle, General " Dick "proved himself a splendid officer.As soon as he arrived, GeneralTaylor, with great energy, under-took the raising: of an armv to
GENERAL RICHARD TAYLOR. ^ ¦j'
defend the State against the ad-vance of the Federals, and to keep open a road for the pas-sage of supplies to the Confederate troops east of the Mis-sissippi. The Governor of Louisiana, Thos. O. Moore, methim at Opelousas and turned over to him a few State troops.To these were soon added some companies from Texas.Great assistance was given by Ex-Governor Mouton, ofLafayette, who was very popular in that portion of thecountry, and who brought many of the Acadians under theConfederate flag.* Five companies of soldiers from St.Mary parish, under Colonel Fournet, took service, and thusTaylor's little army gradually increased. When he arrivedthere seemed to be no money and no troops ; but he tells usthat the brave Creoles of that portion of the State were devotedto the Confederacy, and gave him invaluable help. Very
* See Taylor's " Destruction and Reconstruction," a work to which we wish toacknowledge our great obligations for the account of the Louisiana campaign.
soon, also, Taylor was joined by General Alfred Mouton, ason of Governor Mouton. This general served with greatgallantry till he met his death at Mansfield.
The Salt Mines.—About this time an important discoveryv^as made on Avery's Island, near New Iberia, a discoverywhich may best be described in General Taylor's own words.' Salt wells had long been known to exist on Avery's Island,' and some salt had been boiled there. The want of salt' was severely felt in the Confederacy, our only considerable' source of supply being in Southwestern Virginia, whence' it was not easily obtained. Judge Avery, the owner of' the island, began to boil salt for h s neighbors, and desir-' ing to increase the flow of brine by deepening the wells,'came unexpectedly upon a bed of pure rock salt, which' proved to be of immense extent. Intelligence of this' reached me at New Iberia, and induced me to visit the' island. Devoted to our cause, Judge Avery placed the' mine at my disposal for the use of the Government. Many' negroes were assembled to get out salt, and a packing' establishment was organized at New Iberia to cure beef.' During succeeding months large quantities of salt, salt' beef, sugar, and molasses were transported by steamers' to Vicksburg, Port Hudson, and other points east of' the Mississippi. Two companies of infantry and a' section of artillery were posted on the island to preserve' order among the workmen, and to secure it against a' sudden raid of the enemy, who later sent a gunboat' up the Petite Anse to shell the mine, but the gunboat' became entangled in the marsh, and accomplished' nothing."
Since the war this salt mine has been found to be practi-cally inexhaustible, and it will long continue to be a sourceof wealth to its owners. At the present day the mine is oneof the most remarkable sights in Louisiana. Vast hallsadorned with pillars have been cut out of the solid salt, and
when the whole is illuminated by artificial light, it resem-bles some enchanted subterranean palace.
QUESTIONS.
Tell about the ''clearing" of the Mississippi. Tell about the ramArkansas. Why did the Confederates attack Baton Rouge? Describethe attack. Tell about the hardships of the Southern soldiers. Whatgeneral now took command of the forces in Louisiana? What troopsdid he muster? Tell about the discovery of the Avery salt mines.
CHAPTER XXXV.THE WAR IN LOUISIANA —CONTINUED.
Fighting on Bayou Lafourche and the Teche.—GeneralTaylor had not long to wait for the enemy. On the 27th ofOctober, 1862, General Weitzel, with a large body of Fed-eral troops, advanced from Donaldsonville towards Labadie-ville in Assumption parish. The Confederates, under Gen-eral Mouton, were on both sides of Bayou Lafourche, and asthere was no bridge, they could not combine against theenemy. At Labadieville, however, Colonel Armant, withabout five hundred men and a battery, opposed the advanceof Weitzel's army, which numbered four thousand. Thecontest was brief but sharp. Many were killed on both sides ;but Armant, having used all his ammunition, was forced toretire. General Mouton then fell back with all his troopsto Berwick Bay below Morgan City.
Finding here that Federal gunboats were preparing tocome up from AtchafalayaBay, he retreated along the Teche.Weitzel followed slowly, and there were a number ofskirmishes. In one of these the Federal gunboats attackedthe Cotton^ a river steamer which the Confederates had
armed, and forced her commander, Captain Fuller, to burnher in the Teche. Weitzel seems now to have been contentwith his success, for he remained quiet during several monthsat Berwick Bay.
In the month of April, 1863, he was reinforced by largebodies of troops until the Federal army numbered 16,000 men.The officer in command was General N. P. Banks, who hadsucceeded General Butler in New Orleans. Though Tay-lor's entire force was only 3000 men, he felt that some effortmust be made to resist the enemy, and he determined tothrow up breastworks at Bisland, between Franklin andMorgan City. Here the Contederates made a magnificentstand for two days, but finding that a portion of the Federalarmy was trying to cut them off in the rear, they wereforced to retreat. As the Confederates fell back, the Unionarmy advanced northwards through Louisiana until it reachedAlexandria on Red river, while General Taylor stationedhimself at Natchitoches.*
Trans-Mississippi Department.—In March of this year(I863) Lieutenant-General E. Kirby Smithf had been sentby President Davis to take charge of the whole Trans-Mis-sissippi department, which consisted of Missouri, Arkansas,Texas, Louisiana, and some of the Territories. Great powerswere given to the new commander; he was to conduct thecampaign as he thought best, and all the other generals westof the Mississippi, including General Taylor, were to obeyhis orders. His headquarters were at Shreveport on Red river.
Port Hudson and Vicksburg.—After remaining someweeks at Alexandria, General Banks retired from Louisiana,and crossing the Mississippi laid siege to Port Hudson,
* On the 20th of April Fort Butte a la Rose had fallen into the hands of theenemy. This little fort had been established on the Atchafalaya, not very far dis-tant from St. Martinsville. With four guns and a garrison of only sixty men, it hadbravely defended the Atchafalaya and driven off some of the enemy's gunboats;but it was finally captured by a superior force of Federals.
t After the war General Smith becarne a professoj at Sewanee, Tenn., where he4ied in 1S93.
227
LIEUT. GEN. E. KIRBY SMITH(Taken in 1893.)
which, as we have seen, was held by the Confederates. Atthis time Vicksburg, also, was undergoing the horrors of asiege. General Grant had shut up there the Confederate
army under General Pemberton,and with the assistance of a fleet,he was bombarding the city. IfVicksburg and Port Hudson fell,the Mississippi would be in thepovver of the Federals, and theprospects of Louisiana would beindeed gloomy.
Taylor at Berwick Bay.—When the enemy retired acrossthe Mississippi, General Taylordetermined to return to SouthernLouisiana and attack a body ofFederals that had been left atBerwick Bay. His expedition was planned with great skilland was entirely successful. The forces under GeneralThos. Green and General Mouton, who were then about onehundred miles apart, were ordered to meet at the Bay onthe 23d of June. They arrived on time, and GeneralGreen planted a battery on the west side of the Bay. Hisobject was to drive off a Federal gunboat, which had beenleft there to protect the camp of the enemy on the eastbank. General Taylor then ordered Major Hunter with abody of Texas troops to await the opening of Green'sguns, and then dash in upon the enemy from the rear.All this was well executed. Before the astonished Fed-erals could arouse themselves. Green had charged with hisTexans and captured the whole camp, with the exceptionof a few men who escaped on a railroad train. GeneralTaylor describes the scene as one of great excitement andconfusion. Seventeen hundred prisoners were taken, butthree-fourths of them were wounded and convalescents left by
General Banks. These were cared for, and as many aspossible were sent to New Orleans with their surgeons. Thespoils found in the camp were immense. They consisted oftwelve cannon, many small arms, and a great quantity ofammunition, provisions, and medicines. So much rich bootythe poor Confederates had not seen for a long time, andduring several months they lacked nothing that was necessaryfor their comfort.
Fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson—Taylor's Re-treat.—After this successful expedition, General Taylormarched over to the Mississippi, and placed a battery oftwelve guns on the river, with the hope of cutting off theFederal communication between Port Hudson and New Or-leans. In about a week, however, sad news reached him.On the 4th of July, 1863, Vicksburg had surrendered toGeneral Grant. Five days later Port Hudson, finding fur-ther resistance useless, had capitulated to General Banks.*Thus at last the Mississippi was wholly in the power of theNorth; the Confederacy was split into two parts, whichcould no longer communicate with each other. As we shallsee, however. General Taylor did not despair of holdingWestern Louisiana.
Having accomplished their object on the east bank of theriver, the Federals under General Weitzel—six thousandstrong—crossed over to Donaldsonville. Taylor, who had aforce of only three thousand men, and who feared that theenemy might come down the Atchafalaya and cut him off,retired with his little army to Berwick Bay. This he crossed,carrying with him the rich plunder which he had captured.During the next few months there was lively skirmishing inthe country between Opelousas and New Iberia. The onlyconsiderable engagement was at Bayou Bourbeau near Ope-
*The defence of Port Hudson by Louisiana troops under General Gardner,who was ably seconded by his cnief of artillery, Col. Marshall J. Smith, was one ofthe most gallant that occurred during the war.
lousas, where the Federals were defeated by General Greenand six hundred prisoners taken.
Southern Losses in 1863.—During the rest of the year1863, and the first months of 1864, there was no fighting ofimportance in Louisiana. But the year 1863 had beenmarked by great misfortunes for the Confederates. On theist of January President Lincoln had issued his famousEmancipation Proclamation, by which he declared all theslaves to be free. Many of them still remained faithful totheir old masters ; but some ran away from the South andenHsted in the Northern armies. Moreover, not only hadVicksburg fallen and the Mississippi passed into the handsof the Federals; but on the 3d of July, General Lee hadbeen defeated at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a loss of21,000 men. This was a series ot disasters from whichthe South could never entirely recover. Her means ofcarrying on the war were diminishing every day, while theNorth seemed to be as rich as ever. Still many brilliantvictories were yet to be won b} Southern leaders, espec-ially by Lee in Virginia; and the war was to last nearlyone and a half years longer.
QUESTIONS.
Tell something about the fighting around Bayou Lafourche. Whereare Bayou Lafourche, the Teche, Berwick Bay? What power wasgiven to General Kirby Smith? Who was in charge of the Unionarmy? Tell about the seige of Vicksburg. Taylor at Berwick Bay.Fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson. Tell about the Southern lossesin 1863.
CHAPTER XXXVI.THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
Banks' Raid ; the Federals Attempt to Occupy West-ern Louisiana.—In the spring of the year 1864, the Fed-erals seemed determined to crush all opposition in Louisiana.On the 12th of March seventeen gunboats under the com-mand of Admiral Porter entered the mouth of Red river.This fleet protected 10,000 men under General A. J. Smith.The troops landed at Simmsport on the Atchafalaya,and marching forward the next day, reached De Russey, alittle fort on the Red. As the fortifications here had not beencompleted, there could be no successful resistance, and theenemy seized the garrison and ten guns. Another Federalarmy of 18,000 men, under General Franklin, now-marched up the Teche to join Smith at Alexandria.Thus the force that was intended to overwhelm Louisianaconsisted of 28,000 men and a strong fleet of gunboats. Thecommander-in-chief of the expedition was General N. P.Banks, who had occupied Alexandria the year before. Be-sides his present army, Banks was informed that GeneralSteele, with 7000 men, would march down from Arkansasand join him at Shreveport.
Taylor's Retreat to Pleasant Hill and Mansfield.—General Taylor had been warned of the arrival of this greatforce, and he had fallen back towards Pleasant Hill andMansfield. General Kirby Smith, who had fortified himselfat Shreveport, thought it unwise for Taylor to try to make astand against so large an army. But Taylor determined torisk a battle as soon as he saw a good opportunity. His armyhad been reinforced, and he had under him some excellentsoldiers, and several distinguished officers. The chief ofthese were General Mouton, General Thos. Green, and Gen-eral Charles Polignac. The last was a French Prince, who
had come over to America to fight for the South. He hadcharge of a Texas Brigade, who did not at first like to becommanded by a Frenchman, but Polignac soon proved him-self so brave and so skilful that his men regarded him withadmiration and affection.
The Battle oi Mansfield, April 8, 1864.—When Taylorhad collected his troops at Pleasant Hill and Mansfield, hediscovered that Banks was following him. Banks' army,however, was divided into large bodies, which were sepa-rated from one another by considerable distances. Taylorimmediately decided to attack each body in turn, and thustry to rout the whole army. On the 8th of April he drewup his forces at Sabine Cross Roads, three miles in front ofMansfield. He had 8800 men—3000 horse, 500 artillerymen,and 3300 infantry. Of Banks' large army only 5000 werein sight, but more troops were rapidly coming up. Whenthe advance columns of the enemy appeared, it was im-possible to restrain the Louisiana troops, for they feltthat they were defending their native soil. Rushing for-ward under General Mouton they carried everything be-fore them. The other brigades were equally successful;but as the Louisianians approached the Federal lines, theyhad to meet a deadly fire from the enemy's artillery. Oneof the first to fall was the brave Mouton. It is said thathe stopped to protect some Federal soldiers who hadthrown down their arms and surrendered. While he satupon his horse, waving to his men not to fire, some of theFederals picked up the guns they had thrown down and shottheir protector through the breast. Not one of them, how-ever, survived this act of treachery. Polignac quickly tookMouton's place, and the Confederates pressed on, routingeach new body of Federal troops as it was met. The pur-suit was stopped only by the darkness. " The fruits of thevictory of Mansfield," says Taylor, " were twenty-five hun-*' dred prisoners, twenty pieces of artillery, several stands of
" colors, many thousands of small arms, and two hundred" and fifty wagons." It is estimated that Banks' force en-gaged in this battle amounted to about 13,000 men.
Pleasant Hill, April 9.—To complete his victory by at-tacking Banks on the following morning was Taylor's im-mediate decision. By that time, however, the enemy hadtaken a strong position at Pleasant Hill, and being reinforcedby fresh troops, had in line about 18,000 men. Taylor,therefore, waited till he could be joined by GeneralChurchill, who was coming up with several brigades com-posed of Arkansas and Missouri troops. With the additionof these, his army amounted to 12,500, but the newmen were so wearied from a long march that the at-tack on the Federal lines could not be made before3 o'clock in the afternoon. Churchill's troops were orderedby Taylor to march around through some woods and "turnthe enemy's left." Having passed through the woods, theMissouri troops charged with great bravery, but unfortunatelythey made a mistake in choosing the point of attack, andwere finally forced to retreat. Polignac's division, however,and General Green's dismounted horsemen drove back theenemy on their front, and at nightfall the Confederates werein possession of the field. Under cover of the darkness theFederals retreated as fast as possible to Grand Ecore on Redriver. Banks afterwards claimed a victory at Pleasant Hill,and declared that he retired because his army lacked waterand provisions; but Admiral Porter, in his report, describesthe whole expedition up the Red river as a complete failure.The Confederates, on their side, considered that they hadwon the day, and General Smith issued the following generalorders:
" Shreveport, La., April 19, 1864: God has blessed our" arms with signal victories at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill." The General commanding finds it an appropriate occasion" to pay a well merited tribute to the endurance and valor
" of the troops engaged in these battles. Collected from re-" mote points—from Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and" Texas—after long and tedious marches, their combined" courage has gained on the soil of Louisiana the patriot sol-" dier's highest reward, victory. * * * In the name of" a grateful people I thank them for this splendid result." While we mourn for the glorious dead and sympathize" with the heroic wounded, let us take courage for the" future. * * * The names of Mansfield and Pleasant" Hill will be inscribed on the colors of the regiments en-" gaged in these battles. By command of General E." Kirby Smith."
The Pursuit of Banks.—General Kirby Smith and Gen-eral Taylor did not agree as to the best manner of conductingthe campaign after the battle of Pleasant Hill. Taylorthought that Banks should be pursued with all the availableforces, and every effort made to destroy his army. GeneralSmith feared that General Steele with 7000 Federalswould advance to attack Shreveport, and taking a por-tion of Taylor's iufantry, he set out to meet Steele. Thelatter retired into Arkansas, and as Smith pursued him, Tay-lor was left without sufficient force to do more than worryBanks on his retreat. Taylor thought that he had been badlytreated by his commanding officer; but it w^as simply an hon-est difference of opinion as to what was the best course topursue.
From Grand Ecore, Banks retired to Alexandria, destroy-ing property as he went; while the Federal fleet, a part ofwhich had ascended as high as Springfield Landing, aboutthirty miles below Shreveport, now dropped down the Redto cover Banks' retreat. A small battery of. four guns (theFederals maintain that there were eighteen) under CaptainCornay, a brave officer, had been placed by the Confed-erates near the junction of Cane river and Red river. Itwas supported by two hundred riflemen. As Porter's fleet
reached this point the little battery opened fire upon his gun-boats. One of them was cut to pieces, while the others suf-fered terribly. Captain Cornay, however, was killed, andPorter succeeded in passing. The battery's fire, Porter after-wards declared, was the heaviest he ever witnessed.
When the Federal fleet reached the Red River Falls, nearAlexandria, it was discovered that the water was too low toallow the gunboats to pass. There was a depth of onlythree feet four inches, while the largest boats required aboutseven feet. At first it looked as if the fleet must fall into thehands of the Confederates. But finally an engineer, ColonelJoseph Bailey, proposed a plan by which a dam might bebuilt across the river. The task was a very difficult one, forat this point the river is seven hundred and fifty-eight feetwide and the current is swift. For eight days, however, sev-eral thousand men worked day and night, and finally the damwas completed. But as a portion of it was carried away bythe current, it became necessary to build an additional oneabove. By means ot the two the depth of the water was in-creased sufficiently to allow all the vessels to pass over. Thiswas a splendid piece of engineering work, the remains ofwhich were still visible a few years ago. Colonel Bailey,who planned it, was raised to the rank of brigadier general,and received the thanks of the United States Congress. Withthe protection of the fleet. Banks now retreated to Simmsport.The Confederates, hanging upon his flanks, succeeded incutting off many of his men; but on May 20th he crossedthe Atchafalaya. Here, as the Mississippi was in the pos-session of the Federals, the Confederates had to give upthe pursuit.
End of the War.—From this time on there was no morefighting in Louisiana. Nearly a year later General RobertE. Lee, the great Southern commander-in-chief, surrend-ered to General Grant in Virginia, and thus put an end tothe war. The South had fought a noble fight, but it was
THE CIVIL WAR—1861-65.
235
impossible for her to struggle any longer against the over-whelming numbers of the North.
By this terrible contest between the two sections, the ques-tion of secession was settled forever. Perhaps it could nothave been settled in any other manner. At the present daythe Southern people, while they still maintain that their in-terpretation of the Constitution was the true one, have ac-cepted " the judgment of war," and are now firm in theirloyalty to the Union.*
General H. W. Allen, Governor.—In 1864, while thewar was going on, an election for governor was held in
Louisiana. In the New Or-leans district, Michael Hahn,a Union man, was chosen ; buthis authority was recognizedonly in that portion of theState which was controlled bythe Northern soldiers. Therest of the State chose as gov-ernor General Henry W. Allen,who, though born in Virginia,was an adopted son of Louis-iana. General Allen had beena gallant soldier, and hadserved under Breckinridge inthe famous attack on BatonRouge. Here he was wounded so desperately that it wasthought he must die. Thanks to a good doctor, however, herecovered. As governor he won the love and respect of allLouisianians. Shreveport became the capital of the State,and it was here that Allen resided. The State had been de-
* The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, passedafter the war (i86S), declares: "All persons born or naturalized in the UnitedStates, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United Statesand of the State" wherein they reside." This amendment abolishes forever the con-stitutional right of secession. No " citizen of the United States " can take up armsfigainst the General Government.
vastated by the armies that had occupied it so long; and atthe close of the war the misery and want were such that, inmany cases, the inhabitants of the parishes were on the pointof starvation. Governor Allen nobly came to their relief.To raise money for the purchase of provisions was almost animpossibility; but, by his heroic exertions, it was accom-plished. Not only was food sent wherever it was needed,but a great number of the poor were aided in their efforts tobegin life anew. Other good deeds of the "War Governor "are held in grateful remembrance. When, however, peacewas finally made, Governor Allen, whose health had beenshattered by his wounds, retired to Mexico, where he died in1866. His remains are buried in Baton Rouge.
QUESTIONS.
What was Banks' whole force? What was the difference of opinionbetween Taylor and Smith? Tell about the battle of Mansfield. Howmany soldiers fought on each side? Tell about the battle of PleasantHill? What was the result of Banks' Red river campaign? Describethe pursuit of Banks. How did Porter pass Red River Falls? Howdid the war end? Give an account of Governor Allen.
RESTORATION TO THE UNION.
CHAPTER XXXVII.AFTER THE WAR.
Reconstruction.—Louisiana had suffered terribly duringthe war. Her rich fields had been laid waste, her sugarhouses had been burned, and, saddest of all, thousands ofher brave sons had perished on the battle field. When thesurvivors returned to their homes, they took up once more theduties of life with the hope of restoring their fortunes bycourage and industry.* The war had served one good pur-pose ; it had taught those who fought in it to bear misfor-tunes bravely. But alas! for the next twelve years Louisianawas destined to suffer almost as much as during the waritself.
In December, 1865, there was added to the Constitution ofthe United States the Thirteenth Amendment, which declaredthat slavery was forever abolished. But Congress, whichwas now largely composed of Republicans, was afraid thatthe freedmen might not obtain the right of suffrage in theSouth. It decided, therefore, that the Southern States shouldnot send representatives to Congress and should not controltheir own governments until they had been "reconstructed."This meant that in these States strong military governmentswere to be established by the President, and that these wereto frame new constitutions, guaranteeing to the freedmen theright to vote, and excluding from office all prominent Con-federates, f As soon as the rights of the freedmen had been
* General Richard Taylor tells us that at the close of the war his plantation hadbeen confiscated, and that his whole fortune consisted of two horses, one of whichwas lame and unfit for service.
tAlter "rtconstruction" these Confederates were not admitted to Congress untilthey had been pardoned.
238 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
thus secured, the States were to be readmitted to theUnion.
Political Adventurers.—In 1868, Louisiana having beenduly "reconstructed," was readmitted to the Union.* Butthis was not to be the end of her troubles. Crowds of Re-publican adventurers, who had hurried down from the North,got possession of the State Government. This was easy todo ; for according to the new constitution, framed in 1868, theSouthern Democrats who had taken a prominent part in thewar were not allowed to vote, and the freedmen naturallythought that they must support the Republicans, who hadabolished slavery. Hence, a bitter contest arose between theDemocrats, who owned all the property in the State, and thepolitical adventurers, who held all the offices. These latterwere called in the South "carpet-bag" politicians, because itwas said that they brought with them from the North noth-ing but their carpet-bags.
The new-comers soon began to seize the public money,large sums of which they put into their own pockets or spentin keeping themselves in office. All their actions were sup-ported by a band of soldiers called the Metropolitan Police,and by United States troops, which had been sent by thePresident " to keep order in Louisiana." Hence there fol-lowed a period of shameless corruption. In a few years thepublic debt of Louisiana was increased by the sum of $40,-000,000. Taxes became extremely high, and the people ofthe State, who had been much impoverished by the war,were now overwhelmed with debt. After a while, however,the Republicans began to quarrel among themselves. H. C.Warmoth, who had been elected governor in 1868, was im-peached and suspended from office in 1873 by a hostile wingof his own party. For one month P. B. S. Pinchback acted
* Michael Hahn,who was elected governor in 1864, resigned in 1865, and was suc-ceeded by another Union man, J. M. Wells. The "reconstruction" governorswere B. F. Flanders and Joshua Baker. The former served from June, 1867, toJanuary, 186S, and the latter from January, 1S68, till July of the same year,
as governor. In 1873 he was succeeded by another Repub-lican, Wm. P. Kellogg.
The White League.—The Louisianians soon saw that ifthey wished to enjoy their right of free government, they musttake up arms against the oppressors. A great number of themost prominent men in various parts of the State, therefore,formed themselves into what was called the White League.The object of this organization was to rescue the State fromthe " carpet-bag" government and restore it to the whiteDemocrats. " Resistance to tyranny! " was the cry in all theparishes. At St. Martinsville the people rose and droveback an armed vessel called the "Ozark," which the Repub-lican governor, Wm. Pitt Kellogg, had sent to arrest theprincipal citizens of town because they refused to pay taxesfor the support of his government. Finally, on the 14th ofSeptember, 1874—a day ever memorable in the annals ofNew Orleans—there was a battle between a detachment ofthe League and Kellogg's Metropolitan Police. Some fire-arms for the League had been brought to the city by steamer,and Kellogg declared that they should not be delivered totheir owners. The forces of the White League, under Gen-eral Fred N. Ogden, marched to the foot of Canal streetwith the intention of taking possession of the arms. Herethey were met by the Metropolitan Police under GeneralLongstreet, and there was a sharp contest, in which fortymen were killed and one hundred were wounded. TheW^hite League was victorious. The Metropolitans werescattered, and the pieces of artillery which they had placedupon the levee were turned against themselves.
When the battle was over it was found that sixteen mem-bers of the League lay dead upon the street.* With their
* On the 14th of September. 1891, a monument to the memory of these heroeswas dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. It stands at the foot of Canal street,and bears the names of those who fell in defence of free government. These namesshould never be forgotten: Bozonier, Betz, Brulard, Crossin, Considine, Feuil-lan, Gautier, Gourdain, Graval, Lindsey, Mohrmann, Newman, Robbins, Tole-dano, Wells, and West.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
deaths, however, began a new era in Louisiana; for the peo-ple of the State felt that their cause had been sanctified bythe blood of these brave citizens, and that they must nevergive up the struggle until they had won back the right togovern themselves.
Kellogg's troops had been defeated ; but he himself hadtaken refuge in the Custom House. While here he appealedto the President for help. His request was granted, and withthe aid of United States troops he was once more installedas governor.*
F. T. NichoUs, Governor.—In 1876, however, a newelection was held. The Democrats, by a majority of 8,000,
carried the State for FrancisT. Nicholls. Many of thecolored people, preferring tolive in peace with the whitelandowners, left the Republi-can party of their own freewill, and voted with the Dem-ocrats. Kellogg's party, how-ever, maintained that a ma-i'jority of the votes had beencast for their candidate, aUnited States marshal namedPackard, whom they hoped tokeep in office by means ofUnited States soldiers. Nich-olls, who had been a brave soldier, now showed that hewas a devoted patriot. With calm courage he declared thatat all hazards he would guard the rights of his State. "I" have been elected governor," he said, "and I intend to"be governor." The Louisianians rallied around him, readyto defend him at the point of the bayonet.
FRANCIS T. NICHOLLS.
* The Democrats had elected John McEnery governor, and D. B. Penn lieuten-ant-governor, but both were now forced to retire.
In January, 1877, therefore, two governors were inaugu-rated in Louisiana; Nicholls openly on the balcony ofthe court building that overlooks Lafayette Square, andPackard behind closed doors in the State House (nowHotel Royal). Here, guarded by Federal troops, Packardand his followers remained for several months, while theWhite League held all the courts for Nicholls.* Finally, inApril, 1877, a committee sent down from Washington toto investigate the strange condition of affairs in Louisiana,advised the President to withdraw the Federal troops.Without troops, Packard could do nothing, and his govern-ment immediately fell to pieces. The "carpet-baggers"soon after departed from Louisiana, and the State once moreenjoyed a free government.
Such is a brief summary of the important events from theclose of the war to the year 1877. It is a far more agreeabletask to take up the subsequent history of Louisiana, and tellhow the State drew herself out of the " slough of despond "and began again that career of wonderful prosperity whichhad been interrupted by the war.
QUESTIONS.
What was the Thirteenth Amendment? What was ^'reconstruc-tion? " Tell about the '' carpet-bag politicians," and the increase ofthe State debt. What was the White League? Tell about the " Ozark."Tell about the Fourteenth of September. Whom did the Democratselect governor in 1876? Tell about the two governors. How did thecontest end?
*The seizure of the Supreme Court on Jackson Square by Governor Nicholls'troops was one of the most exciting and important events that occurred during thisperiod. It was on the 9th of January, a biiter cold day. At six o'clock in themorning the White League, well armed, gathered around the court, in which Pack-ard had stationed a guard of Metropolitans, Cannon were placed at the head ofneighboring streets; for it was expected that the Republicans would make a fierceresistance and that the United States troops would lend them aid. At the last moment,however, the courage of the Metropolitans failed them, and they decided to sur-render. There being no actual conflict the United States troops refused to interfere.As Packard's judges had already left the building and sought places of safety,Nicholls' appointees took their seats. They were Judges Manning, Marr, Egan,Spencer, and DeBlanc, with Alfred Roman'as clerk. The other courts having beensurrendered soon after, the judicial business of the State was conducted wholly bythe Nicholls government.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.PROGRESS.
Nicholls and the New Constitution.—We have seenthat, in 1868, under the Republican administration, a newconstitution was framed for Louisiana; but it was clear thatthis constitution contained many unwise provisions, whichmust be corrected or removed. Accordingly the leadingmen of the State assembled in convention at New Orleansand drew up the constitution of 1879, under which we arenow living. It is given in full, at the end of this volume.
This constitution contained some important changes. In allprevious constitutions (except in one framed in 1864, duringthe military rule of General Banks), there was a provisionthat the governor should not be elected for a second term untilfour years after the expiration of his first term. This provisionwas now abolished. Moreover, the courts of the State wereremodeled on a novel plan, the chief feature of which was theestablishment of courts of appeal, subject to the supervisionof the Supreme Court. In general, we may say that thisconstitution made provision for the immense debt that hadbeen contracted by the State ; it established a better systemof public schools than had ever before existed in Louisiana;and it confined within very narrow limits the powers of the leg-islature, so that the State might not be injured by unwise laws.
Louis A. Wiltz, Governor, 1880-81—S. D McEnery,Governor, 1881-88.—Louis A. Wiltz, who had been electedgovernor under the new constitution, was inaugurated inJanuary, 1880. One of the provisions of the constitutionwas that the seat of government should be removed fromNew Orleans to Baton Rouge. The old Capitol build-ing in the latter city had been burned during the war, butimmediate steps were now taken to rebuild it. Wiltz, whohad been lieutenant-governor under Nicholls, and had won
243
an enviable reputation for himself as mayor of New Orleans
in 1873-74, did not live through
his term. At his death, in 1881,
the lieutenant-governor, S. D.
McEnery, succeeded him, and
after serving the unexpired term,
he was elected governor in 1884.
Governor McEnery thus held the
highest position in the gift of the
people for seven years.
The Jetties.—Up to the year1879 New Orleans lacked a goodchannel through the mouths ofthe Mississippi. Dredging ma-chines had been used to remove governor louis a. wiltz.the sand bars that constantly formed in the passes, and atvarious times iron harrows had been dragged over the obstruc-tions ; but nothing permanent had been accomplished.Vessels containing a million dollars' worth of goods were
often aground on the bar for days,and the commerce of New Or-leans was seriously injured. In1874, however. Captain Jas. B.Eads, a distinguished engineer,proposed to try a plan that hadbeen suggested by a French en-gineer soon after the founding ofNew Orleans. This was to buildjetties, which, by confining theimmense volume of water be-tween them, would force theriver to dredge itself. TheUnited States Government thought favorably of this propo-sition, and made large appropriations for the work. Thusencouraged, Eads began his jetties in 1871^ and finished them
GOVERNOR S. D. m'eNERY.
244 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
in four years. They are built in what is called the SouthPass, and consist of two long lines of willow " mattresses,"ballasted with stone and held in place by piles. Theeast jetty is a little over two miles long, while the westone is about a mile and a half. The work was a perfectsuccess; for a channel from twenty-six to thirty feet in depthwas obtained where there had not been fifteen feet before ;and large vessels can now come up to New Orleans withoutany detention. Up to the year 1881, nearly six millions ofdollars had been spent on the jetties ; and the success of theplan gained for Captain Eads the gratitude of Louisiana anda world-wide reputation.
THE JETTIES.
The Levees.—About the time the jetties were completed(1879), important progress was made in protecting Louisi-ana against the overflows and crevasses which every yearseemed to become more destructive. In 1882, however, therecame a great flood, which produced 384 crevasses. The extentof levee embankment swept away amounted in all to morethan fifty-six miles. At first it seemed impossible to raiseenough money to rebuild these levees, though it was clear that
the prosperity of the State depended upon the protection ofthe rich plantations that lie along the banks of the rivers. In1883, however, a levee convention was called in Baton Rouge ;great interest was aroused ; money was raised; and leveebuilding on a large scale was undertaken. Timely assist-ance, moreover, came from the United States Government,which had already begun to appreciate the fact that the careof the levees on the Mississippi is a matter of national im-portance. In meeting the terrible difficulties of this period.Governor McEnery showed such zeal and ability that hegained for himself the gratitude of the whole State.
This good work was continued on a larger scale than everbefore during the second term of Governor Nicholls. Fromthe time of the convention down to the year 1S93, the sumsspent upon the levees by the General Government and theState Boards amounted to many millions of dollars. Theresults of this wise policy were seen in the flood of 1890. Inthis year the water rose higher than in 1882 ; but the wholebreakage in eleven hundred miles of levees was only fourand one-quarter miles in extent.* Since then the UnitedStates Government has made an appropriation of ten milliondollars for the Mississippi. With this sum and the amountsraised by the States most interested, it is promised by the en-gineers that the South shall have "a system of levees capableof controlling all floods in the Mississippi."
Maritime Sanitation.—In 1878 over four thousand per-sons died of yellow fever in Louisiana. Some years later,however, Dr. Joseph Holt, of New Orleans, established atthe mouth of the Mississippi a system of disinfecting vesselswhich won for him a national reputation. Improvementswere made by his successor. Dr. C. P. Wilkinson, and by Dr.S. R. Oliphant, until the quarantine station is now the bestequipped in the world. Since the establishment of this newsystem there has been no yellow fever in Louisiana; at last
* ''Memoirs of Louisiana."
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
the State seems to have been freed from the terrible scourgewhich formerly did so much to injure commerce and to pre-vent immigration. Many physicians once believed that thedisease originated in New Orleans and could not be kept outby quarantine ; but the present admirable system has provedthe contrary. It may be added that Louisiana is now one ofthe healthiest States in the Union ; for the mildness of the cli-mate, and the out-door life which such a climate renders pos-sible, preserve the inhabitants from many of the terrible dis-eases so common in the North,
THE CAPITOL AT BATON ROUGE.
The Cotton Centennial Exposition.—In the year 1784the earliest shipment of cotton was made from Charleston,S. C. It consisted of six bags (about one bale). To cele-brate the one hundredth anniversary of this event, a greatCentennial Exposition was opened in New Orleans duringthe year 1884. The largest exposition building the world
247
had ever seen was built, and thousands of visitors flocked toLouisiana from the North, the East, and the West. Theysaw the beauty of our Southern land and enjoyed the hospi-tality of our Southern people. The Exposition, if it accom-plished nothing else, enabled the Northern and Southern peo-ple to know each other better, and removed much of the bit-terness that had been handed down as a relic of the war.
The annual Carnival of New Orleans, probably the mostsplendid pageant ever seen in the world, has also played itspart in drawing the two sections of the country more closelytogether.S ' ' --^
THE LEVEE AT NEW ORLEANS.
Nicholls' Second Term as Governor. 1888-1892.—
In 1S88, Francis T. Nicholls was called once more to thegovernor's chair. His great services in asserting the rightsof his State and standing firm during the troublous times of1876-77, had greatly endeared him to the people of Louis-iana, and they showed their appreciation of his sterling qual-ities by giving him a second term. During his administra-tion a fierce contest arose over the renewal of the LouisianaLottery charter. As the Lottery Company offered a large
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
4
annual sum to the State for this renewal, many people werein favor of granting it. But the Governor and some otherprominent men declared themselves opposed to the contin-uance of lotteries, and a strong anti-lottery party sprung up.As both sides canvassed the State, there was a great deal ofexcitement. Finally, however the United States Govern-ment refused the Lottery Company the use of the mails;whereupon the managers of that corporation withdrew theiroffer.
Murphy J. Foster, Governor. 1892. —.—Murphy J. Fos-ter, "the man from St.Mary," who had been theanti-lottery candidate for gov-ernor, was soon after electedover three opponents. Thelieutenant-governor chosen atthe same time was CharlesParlange, of Pointe Coupee.Coming into office after thisbitter contest, in which thepassions of two parties weregreatly excited. GovernorFoster, by his personal mag-GovERNOR MURPHY J. FOSTER, nctism aud his wise adminis-tration, has won the praise even of his political enemies.
Prosperity.—During the last sixteen years the prosperityof the State has been very remarkable. Now that there isdeep water at the mouth of the Mississippi, thousands of ves-sels visit every year the docks of New Orleans, and bear-away to all parts of the world not only sugar and cotton, theproducts of the South, but also great cargoes of grain sentdown by the Western States.
Sugar and Cotton.—Improved methods have made greatchanges in the sugar industry. "A quarter of a century ago" the yield of sugar was one pound from forty-five pounds of
'^ cane; at the present day in large factories the yield is one" pound from nine pounds of cane." Moreover, large cen-tral sugarhouses have been built, which buy the cane fromthe small planter and save him a great deal of expense. Thiseconomy in the manufacture, together with the bounty nowpaid to the planters by the United States Government, hasgiven a new impulse to sugar planting.
The cotton crop of 1891-92 was the most extraordinary inthe history of the South. It amounted to nearly nine millionsof bales. Of this crop Louisiana produced about 740,000bales—more than her usual share.
Immigration from the West—Cultivation of Rice.—Within the last few years a thousand families of settlers fromIowa, Kansas, and other Western States have crowded intothe parishes of Southwestern Louisiana. The changes thatthese worthy people have produced in this portion of theState are so remarkable that they seem to be the result of amagical transformation.
The chief settlements of the new-comers are in Calcasieu,and in parts of Vermillion and Cameron. At first they de-voted themselves more particularly to grass-growing, fruit-raising, and the breeding of fine stock. In all these they werevery successful on account of the new and improved methodswhich they introduced. Their greatest success, however,has been won in the cultivation of upland rice. This wasfirst tried on a small scale, but the crop was made with solittle expense, and was so profitable, that more lands weresoon drained and more rice was planted, until an immensearea is now under cultivation. In St. Charles, Plaquemines,and other river parishes, rice has been cultivated for a num-ber of years. In 1880, however, the crop of the State wasonly 80,000 barrels; while in 1893, with the addition of thenew plantations in Southwestern Louisiana, it is estimatedthat the crop will be about 850,000 barrels. Hence ricemust now be placed among the great staple products of the
250 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
State. Formerly it was grown chiefly in the Atlantic States ;but Louisiana nowyields far more than all these States to-gether. As the quality of the Louisiana rice is very fine,and as the crop can be produced here at less expense than inany other State, the planters have a new source of wealth.
The settlers from the West, therefore, have introduced awonderful spirit of activity and enterprise into Louisiana.The Acadians themselves, who have generally been slow inaccepting improvements, are now imitating their Westernbrethren, and are trying new methods of agriculture. As aresult the assessed value of property in this portion of Louis-iana has been trebled during the last ten years. No wonder,then, that the Louisianians appreciate the importance ofbringing good immigrants into their State.
Education and Literature.—Louisiana may well boastof her progress in education and literature. Every year herpublic school system is improving.* It is now clearly seenthat the State can not depend upon private schools, howeveruseful they may be; a public system is the true method ofpreparing the youth of the land to become good citizens. Inthe higher education, also, there has been much progress.The Universities for white and colored in New Orleans, theUniversity at Baton Rouge, the Normal School at Natchi-toches, together with the numerous colleges scattered overthe State, are offering better advantages than ever before.The young men of Louisiana no longer need to seek an edu-cation in Northern colleges or in foreign countries.
Finally, with peace and prosperity, there has sprung up inthe South a new literature, and in the production of it Lou-isiana has played an important part. Brilliant writers inFrench and English are to be found within the State. Creoleand American authors are successfully describing to the out-side world the manners, the customs, and the scenery of our
* New Orleans owes a debt of gratitude to John McDonogh, who gave a largesum of money for the erection of handsome school buildings in the city.
RESTORATION TO THE UNION. 251
Southern land. This new literature has excited great en-thusiasm in the North, and we may predict that Louisianawill gain a high place for herself in the literary world. Herwriters have an interesting field to explore, for no historyis richer in romantic nicideats than that of Louisiana.
With a glorious past to be proud of, and splendid oppor-tunities before her, the Pelican State can not fail to win stillgreater fame for herself and greater happiness for her peo-ple.
QUESTIONS.
Tell about the constitution of 1879. What two governors servedafter Nicholls ? To what city was the capital removed ? Tell aboutthe jetties. Tell about the levees. The quarantine system. Whatdid the Exposition of 1884 celebrate ? Influence of the Nevv^ OrleansCarnival. Nicholls' second term and the lottery contest. Who suc-ceeded Nicholls in 1892 ? Give some evidences of the prosperity ofLouisiana. Tell about sugar. Cotton. Tell about the Western im-migrants and the cultivation of rice. Education and literature inLouisiana.
PHYSICAL FEATURES, POPULATION, ANDRESOURCES.
The area of Louisiana is 45,420 square miles. The population in1810 was 75,556; it was in 1890 1,118,587. The State is divided intofifty-nine parishes, the names of which are as follows:
Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier,Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Con-cordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana,Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette,Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches,Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River,Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James,St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany,Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermillion, Vernon, Wash-ington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana,Winn.
The chief cities, with their population in 1890, are:
New Orleans, 242,039; Shreveport, 11,979; Baton Rouge, 10,478.
Rivers and Streams.—Besides the three great rivers, the Missis-sippi, the Red and the Ouachita, there are innumerable little lakesand over two hundred bayous; so that Louisiana doubtless has morewater courses than any other State in the Union.
Soil and Products.—The geological features of Louisiana are verysimple. The three formations found in the State are the cretaceous orchalky^ the tertiary^ and the post-tertiary.* It is said that the chalkyformation underlies the whole State; it may be seen cropping out inthe limestone hills of St. Landry and Winn. All the salt deposits arefound in this formation. Above this comes the ^e;'//a;'j, which under-lies the bluff lands; and on top of this is the post-tertiary, of whichthe rich alluvial lands of the State are composed.
The following is the description which Prof. Lockett, formerly ofthe Louisiana State University, has given of the formation of thesebluff and alluvial lands:
"It is likely," says he, "that a broad estuary or arm of the sea once
?This term in geology is applied to all the most recent formations.
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
extended as far inland as the junction of the Ohio and tlie Mississippi.Fine mud and silt, however, were washed into this estuary from thehigher lands, and floating gently towards the sea, were deposited in adeep stratum, whose upper surface was a broad submerged plain.This stratum of silt completely filled up what we now call the Missis-sippi bottom, and the broad plain extended out to the hill-side slopeson the east and west to a distance of twenty miles from the limits ofthe present alluvial lands. But a great continental upheaval tookplace, and this plain was raised several hundred feet above its old-time level. The old Mississippi had then to wash out for itself a newchannel to the sea, and having the easily dissolved silt to work upon,the mighty river swept much of its former bed into the gulf. In sodoing it left those high bluffs on which Baton Rouge, Natchez, andVicksburg now stand."
Products.—South of 31 deg. north latitude the State is well adaptedto the production of sugar, cotton, and rice; but north of that linethe great staple is cotton. Indian corn, also, is grown in consider-able quantities. In the parishes of St. James and Natchitoches thelight, sandy soil produces the famous strong tobacco called ^'perique."This tobacco derives its name from Senor Perique, a Spaniard, whofirst planted it many years ago. It is much sought after in Europeand America. In the southern part of the State, tropical fruits reachgreat perfection, especially oranges, bananas, and figs. The Louisi-ana oranges are superior in sweetness to those of Florida.
Animals.—Deer, wild-cats, panthers, and bears are found in Louis-iana. The birds of the State, whichare very numerous, have been madeknown to the world by the illustriousJohn James Audubon. Audubon wasborn on a Louisiana plantation in 1780.When he was young he showed hisfondness for birds by keeping a num-ber of them as pets. When he grewup he published the ^'Birds of Amer-ica," a work that contained life-sizeddrawings made by himself. It was soldby subscription at one thousand dol-lars a copy, and made Audubon fa-mous. He died in New York, and onthe 26th of April, 1893, a beautiful monument to his memory was un-veiled in that city.
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON.
Minerals.—One of the most important minerals in Louisiana issalt, which is found in various parts of the State, but chiefly, as wehave seen, on Avery's Island. From this island the exports in oneday frequently amount to 400 tons. Near Lake Charles there is a largedeposit of sulphur and gypsum. The other mineral products of Louis-iana are not important.
The Lands of Louisiana.—According to Prof. Lockett, there areeight kinds of land in the State: good uplands, pine hills, blufflands, pine flats, prairies, alluvial lands, wooded swamps, and coastmarsh.
Thus we see that Louisiana has a very diversified surface. Besidesthe rich plantations and the broad prairies for cattle raising, there areimmense forests containing oak, cypress, pine, and many other valu-able kinds of trees. According to the report of the Hon. T. W.Poole, Commissioner of Immigration, from which we draw many ofthe following details, the good uplands embrace chiefly the parishesof Sabine, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier, Red River, Bienville, Webster,Lincoln, Jackson, Union, and portions of Morehouse and Ouachita.
These, which are the northwestern parishes of the State, were set-tled principally by worthy people from Georgia, Alabama, and otherAtlantic States. They have adopted various professions; but most ofthem are industrious and successful farmers, who have raised thisportion of the State to a high degree of prosperity. Instead of largeplantations, such as exist in Southern Louisiana, we find here a num,ber of small farms, with numerous towns and villages.
The pine hills embrace chiefly the following parishes: Vernon-Grant, Winn, Catahoula, Rapides, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Wash-ington, and St. Tammany. The timber in these parishes is extremelyvaluable.
In the bluff lands are included parts of the following parishes:West Carroll, Richland, Franklin, Livingston, East and West Feli-ciana, and East Baton Rouge. The pine flats are found in the west-ern portion of Calcasieu parish. They form an area of poor lands,generally covered with water.
The prairie lands are found in St. Landry, Lafayette, Acadia, St.Martin, Iberia, Vermillion, and St. Mary. '^ These seven parishes,"says Col. Hillyard, " contain more than 3,000,000 acres of tillableland, most of it of inexhaustible fertility. Even most of the sea-marsh, and all of the swamp lands, may be reclaimed by local leveesand draining machines, and may become the most productive rice andsugar lands of the State. On thousands of acres the grass grows on
256 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
a smooth surface under the waving branches of noble trees. The fatherds grazing upon these green prairies help in giving the finishingtouch to this magnificent landscape scenery." Five of these parishes,St. Mary, Iberia, Vermillion, St. Martin, and Lafayette, once formedthe Attakapas region, and they are still called the ^'Attakapas par-ishes."
Through this beautiful region runs the lovely Teche, which hasbeen described in the "Evangeline" of Longfellow. For it was theTeche that the heroine of this poem ascended, seeking in vain for herhusband Gabriel, from whom she had been separated in her nativecountry. The following is Longfellow's description of the Attakapasregion:
" Beautiful is the land with its prairies and forest and fruit trees;Under the feet a garden of flowers, and the bluest of heavensBending above, and resting its dome on the walls of the forest.They who dwell there have named it the ' Eden of Louisiana.' "
In this '^Eden of Louisiana " still reside the descendants of theAcadian exiles. Until they began the cultivation of rice their man-ner of life had changed very little since they settled the countryabout the middle of the eighteenth century. They are industrious,prosperous, and many of them rich. When the day's work is donethey delight to assemble and spend the evening in dancing and merry-making. They still weave the wonderful Attakapas cloth, so wellknown in Louisiana. Some of the most distinguished men in theState are descended from Acadian ancestors.
In St. Mary parish it is said that there is not an acre of poor land.The chief product is sugar, and the quantity produced is so greatthat St. Mary has won for herself the title of the " banner parish" ofthe State.
Alluvial Lands.—These lands are so-called from alluvium, whichmeans ^'earth, sand, and gravel, transported by rivers, floods, andother causes, and deposited upon land not permanently submergedbeneath the waters of lakes or seas." The alluvial lands constitutethe plantations along the banks of all the streams in Louisiana.They are exceedingly rich, and form an area of about 12,300 squaremiles.
Wooded Swamps and Coast Marsh.—The last divisions of whichwe have to speak are the wooded swamps and coast marsh. Theseswamps, which were formerly very extensive, are now being redeemedby drainage. Many of them, when they are properly drained, andthe trees are felled, will be classed as alluvial lands. The coast marsh
PHYSICAL FEATURES, ETC. 257
is valuable for game and for pasturage. A large quantity of it isowned by the State, and may be purchased for less than one dollaran acre.
The South-Eastern Parishes.—It has been impossible within ourlimits to give an account of all the parishes in the State; though thehistory of many of them is extremely interesting. A few words, how-ever, may be added in regard to St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Orleans.The first two produce large quantities of sugar, rice, and vegetables.They contain also the most important orange groves in the State.There is no more beautiful sight in Louisiana than the acres oforange trees along the banks of the Mississippi, from New Orleans toFt. Jackson. These lands are extremely valuable. A one hundredacre grove, says Commissioner Poole, produced in 1890, a crop oforanges that sold for $12,000. Of late years Cameron, in Southwestern Louisiana, has also become a great orange-raising parish.
The whole of the parish of Orleans is included within the limitsof the city of New Orleans, so the city may be said to have an areaof about 187 square miles, a larger area than that of any other cityin the Union * New Orleans is now a magnificent city, and is in-creasing every year in manufactures, in population, and in wealth. Ithas taken its position as one of the great commercial centres of theworld.
QUESTIONS.
What is the area of Louisiana.? Increase of population from iSioto 1890? How many parishes are there? Chief cities and their pop-ulation. Three great rivers. How many bayous? Give the maingeological features of Louisiana. Tell about the formation of the*' Mississippi bottom " and the origin of bluff lands. What are thechief products of Louisiana? Its minerals? What animals are found?Who was Audubon? Tell about Louisiana uplands. Pine hills. Blufflands. Pine flats. Prairie lands. Tell about the Teche and the Attak-apas region. What are the alluvial lands? Wooded swamps? Coastmarsh? Where are the orange groves of Louisiana? What is the areaof New Orleans?
* The actual area of the city is estimated at 37 square miles.
LIST OF STATE OFFICERS, 1893
Governor, Murphy J. Foster, of St. Mary.
LteHte?iant-Goverfior, Charles Parlance, of Pointe Coupee.
Secretary of State, T. S. Adams. Treasurer, W. W. Heard.Auditor, John Pickett, Atfy-General, M.J. Cunningham.
SHperinte7ident of Education, A. D. Lafargue.
JUDICIARY.
Supreme Court—Chief Justice, F. T. Nicholls; Associate Justices,S. D. McEnery, Chas. E. Fenner, L. B. Watkins, and Jos. A.Breaux.
LEGISLATURE.
The number of Senators is 37. The number of Representatives is98. The list of names can not be given here.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
This Board consists of the Governor, the Attorney-General, and theSuperintendent of Education, who are all ex-ojficio members, and ofthe following citizens, appointed by the Governor, one from eachCongressional district: Alcee Fortier, of New Orleans; MaxHeller, of New Orleans; Thomas Overton, of Marksville; WilliamClegg, of Lafayette; F. Seip, of Alexandria, and FranklinGarrett, of Monroe.
CONSTITUTION OF LOUISIANA.
ADOPTED JULY 23, 1879.
Wi^/t the Amejidments doiv7i to iSgj inserted in their proj>er places.
PREAMBLE.
We, the people of the State of Louisiana, in order to establishjustice, insure domestic tranquillity, promote the general welfareand secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,acknowledging and invoking the guidance of Almighty God, the au-thor of all good government, do ordain and establish this constitution.
BILL OF RIGHTS.
Article i. All government of right originates with the people, isfounded on their will alone, and is instituted solely for the good ofthe whole, deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed.Its only legitimate end is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment oflife, liberty and property. When it assumes other functions it isusurpation and oppression.
Art. 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons,houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizuresshall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue except uponprob-able cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describ-ing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
Art. 3. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security ofa free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall notbe abridged. This shall not prevent the passage of laws to punishthose who carry weapons concealed. D. sec. 915, 2309.
Art. 4. No law shall be passed respecting an establishment ofreligion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging thefreedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the peoplepeaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redressof grievances.
Art. 5. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude inthis State otherwise than for the punishment of crime, whereof theparty shall have been duly convicted. Prosecutions shall be by in-dictment or information; provided^ that no person shall be held toanswer for a capital crime unless on a presentment or indictment bya grand jury, except in cases arising in the militia when in activeservice in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person betwice put in jeopardy of life or liberty for the same offence, excepton his own application for a new trial, or where there is a mistrial, ora motion in arrest of judgment is sustained. D. 977.
Art. 6. No person shall be compelled to give evidence againsthimself in a criminal case or in any proceeding that may subject
him to criminal prosecution, except where otherwise provided inthis constitution; nor be deprived of life, liberty or propertywithout due process of law.
Art. 7. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy theright to a speedy public trial by an impartial jury, except that, incases where the penalty is not necessarily imprisonment at hard laboror death the general assembly may provide for the trial thereof by ajury less than twelve in number; provided, that the accused in everyinstance shall be tried in the parish wherein the offence shall havebeen committed, except in ca«es of change of venue. Acts 1880, p.35, No. 35, sec. 4; D. sec. 1021, 1031.
Art. 8. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy theright to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to beconfronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory pro-cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to defend himself andto have the assistance of counsel, and to have the right to challengejurors peremptorily, the number of challenges to be fixed by statute.D. sec. 992.
Art. 9. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines beimposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. All personsshall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offences,where the proof is evident or the presumption great, or unless afterconviction for any crime or offence punishable with death or im-prisonment at hard labor. D. sec. loio, ion.
Art. 10. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not besuspended, unless when, in case of rebellion or invasion, the publicsafety may require it. C. P., art. 791.
Art. II. All courts shall be open, and every person for injury donehim in his rights, lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have ade-quate remedy by due process of law and justice, administered withoutdenial or unreasonable delay.
Art. 12. The military shall be in subordination t® the civil power.
Art. 13. This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to denyor impair other rights of the people not herein expressed.
DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS.
Art. 14. The powers of the government of the State of Louisianashall be divided into three distinct departments, and each of them beconfided to a separate body of magistracy, to-wit: Those which are,legislative to one, those which are executive to another, and thosewhich are judicial to another.
Art. 15. No one of these departments, nor any person or collectionof persons holding office in one of them, shall exercise power prop-erly belonging to either of the others, except in the instances herein-after expressly directed or permitted.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Apporttonme?it.
Art. 16. Representation in the house of representatives shall beequal and uniform, and shall be regulated and ascertained by the
total population. Each parish shall have at least one representative.The first enumeration to be made by the State authorities under thisconstitution shall be made in the jear eighteen hundred and ninety;and subsequent enumerations shall be made every tenth year there-after, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law, for the purposeof ascertaining the total population and the number of qualified elec-tors in each parish and election district. At its first regular sessionafter each enumeration the general assembly shall apportion the rep-resentation among the several parishes and election districts on thebasis of the total population as aforesaid. A representative numbershall be fixed; and each parish and election district shall have asmany representatives as the aggregate number of its population willentitle it to, and an additional representative for any fraction exceed-ing one-half the representative iiumber. The number of representa-tives shall not be more than ninety-eight nor less than seventy.
Art. 17. The general assembly, in every j'ear in which they shallapportion representation in the house of representatives, shall dividethe State into senatorial districts. No parish shall be divided in theformation of a senatorial district—the parish of Orleans excepted.Whenever a new parish shall be created it shall be attached to thesenatorial district from which most of its territory was taken, or toanother contiguous district, at the discretion of the general assembly,but shall not be attached to more than one district. The number ofsenators shall not be more than thirtj^-six nor less than twenty-four,and they shall be apportioned among the senatorial districts accord-ing to the total population contained in the several districts.
Art. 18. Until an enumeration shall be made in accordance witharticles sixteen and seventeen the State shall be divided into the following senatorial districts, with the number of senators hereinafterdesignated to each district:
The first senatorial district shall be composed of the eighth andninth wards of Orleans, and of the parishes of St. Bernard and Plaque-mines, and shall elect twa senators.
The second district shall be composed of the fourth, fifth, sixth andseventh wards of Orleans and shall elect two senators.
The third district shall be composed of the third ward of Orleans,and shall elect one senator.
The fourth district shall be composed of the second and fifteenthwards (Orleans right bank) of Orleans, and shall elect one senator.
The fifth district shall be composed of the first and tenth wards ofOrleans, and shall elect one senator.
The sixth district shall be composed of the eleventh, twelfth, thir-teenth, fourteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth wards of Orleans, andshall elect two senators.
The seventh district shall be composed of the parishes of Jefferson,St. Charles and St. John the Baptist, and shall elect one senator.
The eighth district shall be composed of the parishes of St. Jamesand Ascension, and shall elect one senator.
The ninth district shall be composed of the parishes of Terrebonne,Lafourche and Assumption, and shall elect two senators.
The tenth district shall be composed of the parishes of St. Mary,Vermillion, Cameron and Calcasieu, and shall elect two senators.
The eleventh district shall be composed of the parishes of St. Mar-tin, Iberia and Lafayette, and shall elect one senator.
The twelfth district shall be composed of the parish of St. Landry,and shall elect two senators.
The thirteenth district shall be composed of the parishes of Avoyellesand Pointe Coupee, and shall elect one senator.
The fourteenth district shall be composed of the parishes of Iber-ville and West Baton Rouge, and shall elect one senator.
The fifteenth district shall be composed of the parishes of East andWest Feliciana, and shall elect one senator.
The sixteenth district shall be composed of the parish of East BatonRouge, and shall elect one senator.
The seventeenth district shall be composed of the parishes of St.Helena, Livingston, Tangipahoa, Washington an-d St. Tammany, andshall elect one senator.
The eighteenth district shall be composed of the parishes of Rapidesand Vernon, and shall elect one senator.
The nineteenth district shall be composed of the parishes ofNatchitoches, Sabine, DeSoto and Red River, and shall elect twosenators
The twentieth district shall be composed of the parish of Caddo,and shall elect one senator.
The twenty-first district shall be composed of the parishes ofBossier, Webster, Bienville and Claiborne, and shall elect two sen-ators.
The twenty-second d'istrict shall be composed of the parishes ofUnion, Morehouse, Lincoln and West Carroll, and shall elect twosenators.
The twenty-third district shall be composed of the parishes ofOuachita, Richland, Caldwell, Franklin and Jackson, and shall electtwo senators.
The twenty-fourth district shall be composed of the parishes ofCatahoula, Winn and Grant, and shall elect one senator.
The twenty-fifth district shall be composed of the parishes of EastCarroll and Madison, and shall elect one senator.
The twenty-sixth district shall be composed of the parishes ofTensas and Concordia, and shall elect one senator.
Thirty-six senators in all.
And the representatives shall be apportioned among the parishesand representative districts as follows: For the parish of Orleans:
First representative district, first ward, one representative.
Second representative district, second ward, two representatives.
Third representative district, third ward, three representatives.
Fourth representative district, fourth ward, one representative.
Fifth representative district, fifth ward, two representatives.
Sixth representative district, sixth ward, one representative.
Seventh representative district, seventh ward, two representatives.
Eighth representative district, eighth ward, one representative.
Ninth representative district, ninth ward, two representatives.
Tenth representative district, tenth ward, two representatives.
Eleventh representative district, eleventh ward, two representatives.
Twelfth representative district, twelfth ward, one representative.
Thirteenth representative district, thirteenth and fourteenth wards,one representative.
Fourteenth representative district, sixteenth and seventeenth wards,one representative.
Fifteenth representative district, fifteenth ward, one representative.
The parishes of Ascension, West Baton Bouge, Bienville, Bossier,Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, East Carroll, West Carroll, Cata-houla, Concordia, West Feliciana, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Jackson,Jefferson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Ouachita,Plaquemines, Pointe Couple, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Ber-nard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St.Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermillion, Vernon,Washington, Webster and Winn, each one representative.
The parishes of Assumption, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, Caddo,Claiborne, DeSoto, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Madison,Natchitoches, Rapides, St. Mary, Tensas and Terrebonne, each tworepresentatives.
The parish of St. Landry four representatives.
This apportionment of senators and representatives shall not bechanged or altered in any manner until after the enumeration shallhave been taken by the State in eighteen hundred and ninety, in ac-cordance with the provisions of articles sixteen and seventeen.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Art. iq. The legislative power of the State shall be vested in a gen-eral assembly, which shall consist of a senate and house of represent-atives.
Art. 20. The style of the laws of this State shall be. Be it enactedby the general assembly of the State of Louisiana.
Art. 21. The general assembly shall meet at the seat of govern-ment on the second Monday of May, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, at twelve o'clock noon, and biennially thereafter. Its first ses-sion under this constitution may extend to a period of ninety days,but any subsequent session shall be limited to a period of sixty days.Should a vacancy occur in either house the governor shall order anelection to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the term.
Art. 22. Every elector under this constitution shall be eligible to aseat in the house of representatives, and every elector who has reachedthe age of twenty-five years shall be eligible to the senate; provided,that no person shall be eligible to the general assembly unless at thetime of his election he has been a citizen of the State for five years,and an actual resident of the district or parish from which he maybe elected for two years immediately preceding his election. Theseat of any member who may change his residence from the districtorparish which he represents shall thereby be vacated, any declara-tion of a retention of domicile to the contrary notwithstanding; andmembers of the general assembly shall be elected for a term of fouryears.
Art. 23. Each house shall judge of the qualifications, election andreturns of iis own members, choose its own officers, except presidentof the senate, determine the rules of its proceedings, and may punish
its members for disorderly conduct and contempt, and, with the con-currence of two-thirds of all its members elected, expel a member.
Art. 24. Either house, during the session, may punish by im-prisonment any person not a member who shall have been guilty ofdisrespect by disorderly or contemptuous behavior, but such impris-onment shall not exceed ten da3^s for each offence.
Art. 25. No senator or representative shall, during the term forwhich he was elected, nor for one year thereafter, be appointed orelected to any civil office of profit under this State which may havebeen created or the emoluments of which may have been increased bythe general assembly during the time such senator or representativewas a member thereof.
Art. 26. The members of the general assembly shall in all cases,except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged fromarrest during their attendance at the sessions of their respectivehouses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for anyspeech or debate in either house they shall not be questioned in anyother place. D. sec. 1538.
Art. 27. The members of the general assembly shall receive a com-pensation not to exceed four dollars per day during their attendance,and their actual traveling expenses going to and returning from theseat of government; but in no instance shall more than thirty dollarseach way be allowed for traveling expenses. D. sec. 1532, 1535.
Art. 28. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings andcause the same to be published immediately after the close of thesession. When practicable the minutes of each day's session shall beprinted and placed in the hands of members on the day following.The original journal shall be preserved after publication in the officeof the secretary of State, but there shall be required no other recordthereof.
Art. 29. Every law enacted by the general assembly shall embracebut one object, and that shall be expressed in the title.
Art. 30. No law shall be revived or amended by reference to itstitle, but in such cases the act revived or section as amended shallbe re-enacted and published at length.
Art. 31. The general assembly shall never adopt any system orcode of laws by general reference to such systein or code of laws, butin all cases shall recite at length the several provisions of the laws itmay enact.
Art. 32. Not less than a majority of the members of each house ofthe general assembly shall form a quorum to transact business; but asmaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall have powerto compel the attendance of absent members.
Art. 33. Neither house during the session of the general assemblyshall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than threedays nor to any other place than that in which it may be sitting.
Art. 34. The yeas and nays on any question in either house shall,at the desire of one-fifth of the members elected, be entered on thejournal.
Art. 35. All bills for raising revenue or appropriating money shalloriginate in the house of representatives, but the senate may proposeor concur in amendments as in other bills.
Art. 36. No bill, ordinance or resolution, intended to have theeffect of a law, which shall have been rejected by either house, shallbe again proposed in the same house during the same session, underthe same or any other title, without the consent of a majority of thehouse by which the same was rejected.
Art. 37. Every bill shall be read on three different days in eacl.house, and no bill shall be considered for final passage unless it hasbeen read once in full, and the same has been reported on by a commit-tee; nor shall any bill become a law unless, on its final passage, thevote be taken by yeas and nays, the names of the members voting foror against the same be entered on the journal, and a majority of themembers elected to each house be recorded thereon as voting in itsfavor.
Art. 38. No amendment to bills by one house shall be concurred inby the other, except by a vote of a majority of the members electedthereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting foror against recorded upon the journal thereof. And reports of com-mittees of conference shall be adopted in either house only by a ma-jority of the members elected thereto, the vote to be taken by yeasand nays, and the names of those voting for or against recorded uponthe journal.
Art. 39. Whenever a bill that has been passed by both houses isenrolled and placed in possession of the house in which it originatedthe title shall be read, and, at the request of any five members, thebill shall be read in full, when the speaker of the house of representa-tives or the president of the senate, as the case may be, shall act atonce, sign it in open house, and the fact of signing shall be noted onthe journal; thereupon the clerk or secretary shall immediately con-vey the bill to the other house, whose presiding officer shall cause asuspension of all other business to read and sign the bill in open ses-sion and without delay. As soon as bills are signed by the speaker ofthe house and president of the senate they shall be taken at once andon the same day to the governor by the clerk of the house or secretaryof the senate.
Art. 40. No law passed by the general assembly, except the generalappropriation act, or act appropriating money for the expenses of thegeneral assembly, shall take effect until promulgated. A law shall beconsidered promulgated at the place where the State journal is pub-ished the day after the publication of such law in the State journal,and in all other parts of the State twenty days after such publication.
x\rt. 41. The clerical officers of the two houses shall be a secre-tary of the senate and clerk of the house of representatives, with suchassistants as may be necessary; but the expenses for clerks and em-ployes shall not'exceed sixty dollars daily for the senate nor seventydollars daily for the house.
Art, 42. All stationery, printing, paper and fuel used in the legis-lative and other departments of government shall be furnished, andthe printing, binding and distributing of the laws, journal and depart-ment reports, and all other printing and binding, and the repair-ing and furnishing the halls and rooms used for the meetings of thegeneral assembly and its committees, shall be done under contract, tobe given to the lowest responsible bidder, below such maximum price
and under such regulations as shall be prescribed bj law; provided^that such contracts shall be awarded only to citizens of the State. Nomember or officer of any of the departments of the government shallbe in any way interested in such contracts; and all such contractsshall be subject to the approval of the governor, the president of thesenate and speaker of the house of representatives, or of any two ofthem. D. sec. 2986, 3005.
LIMITATION OF LEGISLATIVE POWERS.
Art. 43. No money shall be drawn from the treasury except inpursuance of specific appropriation made by law; nor shall any ap-propriation of money be made for a longer term than two years. Aregular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all pub-lic moneys shall be published every three months, in such manner asshall be prescribed by law.
Art. 44. The general assembly shall have no power to contract orto authorize the contracting of any debt or liability, on behalf of theState, or to issue bonds or other evidence of indebtedness thereof,except for the purpose of repelling invasion or for the suppression ofinsurrection.
Art. 45. The general assembly shall have no power to grant or toauthorize any parish or municipal authority to grant any extra compen-sation, fee or allowance to a public officer, agent, servant or contrac-tor, nor pay nor authorize the payment of any claim against the State,or any parish or municipality of the State, under any agreement orcontract made without express authority of law; and all such unau-thorizr.d agreements or contracts shall be null and void. D. sec. 2448.
2743-
Art. 46. The general assembly shall not pass any local or speciallaw on the following specified objects:
For the opening and conducting of elections, or fixing or changingthe place of voting.
Changing the names of persons.
Changing the venue in civil or criminal cases.
Authorizing the laying out, opening, closing, altering or maintain-ing roads, highways, streets or alleys, or relating to ferries andbridges, or incorporating bridge or ferry companies, except for theerection of bridges crossing streams which form boundaries betweenthis and any other State.
Authorizing the adoption or legitimation of children or the emanci-pation of minors.
Granting divorces.
Changing the law of descent or succession.
Affecting the estates of minors or persons under disabilities.
Remitting fines, penalties and forfeitures, or refunding moneyslegally paid into the treasury.
Authorizing the constructing of street passenger railroads in anyincorporated town or city.
Regulating labor, trade, manufacturing or agriculture.
Creating corporations, or amending, renewing, extending orexplaining the charter thereof; provided, that this shall not apply to
CONSTITUTION. 269
the corporation of the city of New Orleans, or to the organization oflevee districts and parishes.
Granting to any corporation, association or individual, any specialor exclusive right, privilege or immunity.
Extending the time for the assessment or collection of taxes, or forthe relief of any assessor or collector of taxes, from the due perform-ance of his official duties, or of his securities from liability; nor shallany such be passed by any political corporation of this State.
Regulating the practice or jurisdiction of any court, or changingthe rules of evidence in any judicial proceeding or inquiry beforecourts, or providing or changing methods for the collection of debts,or the enforcement of judgments, or prescribing the effects of judicialsales.
Exemption of property from taxation.
Fixing the rate of interest.
Concerning any civil or criminal actions.
Giving effect to informal or invalid w^ills or deeds, or to any illegaldisposition of property.
Regulating the management of public schools, the building orrepairing of schoolhouses, and the raising of money for such pur-poses.
Legalizing the unauthorized or invalid acts of any officer, servantor agent of the State, or of any parish or municipality thereof.
Art. 47. The general assembly shall not indirectly enact special orlocal laws by the partial repeal of a general law; but laws repealinglocal or special laws may be passed.
Art. 48. No local or special law shall be passed on any subject notenumerated in article forty-six of this constitution, unless notice ofthe intention to apply therefor shall have been published, without costto the State, in the locality where the matter or thing to be affectedmay be situated, which notice shall state the substance of the con-templated law, and shall be published at least thirty days prior to theintroduction into the general assembly of such bill, and in the samemanner provided by law for the advertisement of judicial sales. Theevidence of such notice having been published shall be exhibited inthe general assembly before such act shall be passed, and every suchact shall contain a recital that such notice has been given.
Art. 49. No law shall be passed fixing the price of manual labor.
Art. 50. Any member of the general assembly who has a personalor private interest in any measure or bill proposed or pending beforethe general assembly shall disclose the fact to the house of which heis a member, and shall not vote thereon.
Art. 51. No money shall ever be taken from the public treasury,directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination ofreligion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof,as such; and no preference shall ever be given to, nor any discrimina-tion made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any formof religious faith or worship; nor shall any appropriations be madefor private, charitable or benevolent purposes to any person or com-munity; provided, this shall not apply to the State asylums for theinsane" and deaf, dumb and blind, and the charity hospitals and publiccharitable institutions conducted under State authority.
Art. 52. The general assembly shall have no power to increase theexpenses of any office by appointing assistant officials.
Art. 53. The general appropriation bill shall embrace nothing butappropriations for the ordinary expenses of the governrnent, intereston the public debt, public schools and public charities, and such billshall be so itemized as to show for what account each and every ap-propriation shall be made. All other appropriations shall be madeby separate bills, each embracing but one object.
Art. 54. Each appropriation shall be for a specific purpose, and noappropriation shall be made under the head or title of contingent;nor shall any officer or department of government receive any amountfrom the treasury for contingencies or for a contingent fund.
Art. 55. No appropriation of money shall be made by the generalassembly in the last iive days of the session thereof. A.11 appropria-tions, to be valid, shall be passed and receive the signatures of thepresident of the senate and speaker of the house of representativesfive full days before the adjournment sine die of the general assembly.
Art. 56. The funds, credit, property or things of value of the State,or of any political corporation thereof, shall not be loaned, pledgedor granted to or for any person or persons, association or corpora-tion, public or private; nor shall the State or any political corpora-tion purchase or subscribe to the capital or stock of any corporationor association whatever, or for any private enterprise; nor shall theState nor any political corporation thereof assume the liabilities ofany political, municipal, parochial, private or other corporation orassociation whatsoever; nor shall the State undertake to carry on thebusiness of any such corporation or association, or become a partowner therein; provided^ the State, through the general assembly,shall have power to grant the right of way through its public lands toany railroad or canal. D. sec. 711, 724.
Art. 57. The general assembly shall have no power to release or ex-tinguish, or to authorize the releasing or extinguishing, in whole orin part, the indebtedness, liability or obligation of any corporationor individual to this State, or to any parish or municipal corporationtherein; provided, the heirs to confiscated property may be releasedof all taxes due thereon at the date of its reversion to them.
EXECUTIVE department.
Art. 58. The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieu-tenant-governor, auditor, treasurer and secretary of State.
Art. 59. The supreme executive power of the State shall be vestedin a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the governor of Louisiana.He shall hold his office during four years and, together with the lieu-tenant-governor, chosen for the same term, shall be elected as follows :The qualified electors for representatives shall vote for a governorand lieutenant-governor at the time and place of voting for represen-tatives. The returns of every election for governor and lieutenant-governor shall be sealed up separately from the returns of election ofother officers, and be transmitted by the proper officer of every paristito the secretary of State, who shall deliver them, unopened, to thegeneral assembly then ndxt to be holden. The members of the gen-
eral assembly shall meet on the first Thursday after the day on whichthey assemble, in the house of representatives, to examine and countthe votes. The person having the greatest number of votes for gov-ernor shall be declared duly elected; but in case two or more personsshall be equal and highest in the number of votes polled for governor,one of them shall be immediately chosen governor by the joint voteof the members of the general assembly. The person having thegreatest number of votes for lieutenant-governor shall be lieutenant-governor; but if two or more persons shall be equal and highest innumber of votes polled for lieutenant-governor, one of them shall beimmediately chosen lieutenant-governor by joint vote of the membersof the general assembly.
Art. 6o. No person shall be eligible to the office of governor orlieutenant-governor who shall not have attained the age of thirtyyears, been ten years a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe State for the same space of time next preceding his election, orwho shall be a member of congress, or shall hold office under theUnited States at the time of or within six months immediately pre-ceding the election for such office.
Art. 6i. The governor shall enter on the discharge of his dutiesthe first Monday next ensuing the announcement by the generalassembly of the result of the election for governor; and shall con-tinue in office until the Monday next succeeding the day that hissuccessor shall have been declared duly elected and shall have takenthe oath or affirmation required by this constitution.
Art. 62. In case of the impeachment of the governor, his removalfrom office, death, refusal or inability to qualify, disability, resigna-tion or absence from the State, the powers and duties of the officeshall devolve upon the lieutenant-governor for the residue of theterm, or until the governor, absent or impeached, shall return or beacquitted or the disability be removed. In the event of the death, orfrom whatever cause the office of lieutenant-governor shall becomevacant, then, and in that event, the president j>ro tern, of the senateshall fill the office of lieutenant-governor, performing all the dutiesincident to the office and receiving its emoluments.
Art. 63. The lieutenant-governor or officer discharging the duties ofgovernor shall, during his administration, receive the same compen-sation to which the governor would have been entitled had he con-tinued in office.
Art. 64. The lieutenant-governor shall by virtue of his office, bepresident of the senate, but shall have only a casting vote therein.The senate shall elect one of its members as president pro tempore ofthe senate.
Art. 65. The lieutenant-governor shall receive for his services asalary which shall be double that of a member of the general assembly,and no more.
Art. 66. The governor shall have power to grant reprieves for alloffences against the State; and, except in cases of impeachment ortreason, shall, upon the recommendation in writingof the lieutenant-governor, attorney-general and presiding judge of the court beforewhich conviction was had, or of any two of them, have power to grantpardons, commute sentences and remit fines and forfeitures after
conviction. In cases of treason he may grant reprieves until the endof the next session of the general assembly, in which body the powerof pardoning is vested.
Art. 67. The governor shall receive a salary of four thousanddollars per annum, payable monthly on his own warrant.
Art. 68. He shall nominate and, by and with the advice and con-sent of the senate, appoint all officers whose offices are established bythis constitution, and whose appointments or elections are notherein otherwise provided for; J>rovided, however, that the generalassembly shall have the right to prescribe the mode of appointmentor election to all offices created by it.
Art. 69. The governor shall have the power to fill vacancies thatmay happen during the recess of the senate, in cases not otherwiseprovided for in this constitution, by granting commissions, whichshall expire at the end of the next session; but no person who hasbeen nominated for office and rejected shall be appointed to the sameoffice during the recess of the senate. The failure of the governor tosend into the senate the name of any person appointed for office, asherein provided, shall be equivalent to a rejection. D. sec. 2606.
Art. 70. He may require information in writing from the officersin the executive department upon any subject relating to the dutiesof their respective offices. He shall be commander-in-chief of themilitia of the State, except when they shall be called into the actualservice of the United States.
Art. 71. He shall from time to time give to the general assemblyinformation respecting the situation of the State, and recommend toits consideration such measures as he may deem expedient.
Art. 72. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,and he may, on extraordinary ^occasions, convene the general assem-bly at the seat of government, or, if that should have become dan-gerous from an enemy or from an epidemic, at a different place. Thepower to legislate shall be limited to the objects enumerated specifi-cally in the proclamation convening such extraordinary session.Therein the governor shall also limit the time such session may con-tinue; provided^ it shall not exceed twenty days. Any legislative ac-tion had after the time so limited, or as to other objects than thoseenumerated in said proclamation, shall be null and void.
Art. 73. Every bill which shall have passed both houses shall bepresented to the governor. If he approve, he shall sign it; if not, heshall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated,which house shall enter the objections at large upon the journal andproceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirdsof all the members elected to that house shall agree to pass the bill,it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other house, by whichlikewise it shall be reconsidered, and if passed by two-thirds of themembers elected to that house it shall be a law; but in such cases thevotes of both houses shall be taken by yeas and nays, and the namesof the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered onthe journal of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be re-turned by the governor within five days after it shall have been pre-sented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had
signed it, unless the general assembly, by adjournment, shall preventits return, in which case it shall not be a law.
Art. 74. The governor shall have power to disapprove of any itemor items of any bill making appropriations of money, embracing dis-tinct items; and the part or parts of the bill approved shall be law,and the item or items of appropriation disapproved shall be void,unless repassed according to the rules and limitations prescribed forthe passage of other bills over the executive veto.
Art. 75. Every order, resolution or vote to which the concurrenceof both houses may be necessary, except on a question of adjourn-ment or on matters of parliamentary proceedings, or an addressfor the removal from office, shall be presented to the governor, andbefore it shall take effect be approved by him, or, being disap-proved, shall be repassed by two-thirds of the members elected toeach house.
Art. 76. The treasurer, auditor, attorney-general and secretary ofState shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State for theterm of four years; and in case of vacancy caused by death, resig-nation or permanent absence of either of said officers, the governorshall fill such vacancy by appointment, with the advice and consentof the senate; provided, however, that notwithstanding such appoint-ment, such vacancy shall be filled by election at the next electionafter the occurrence of the vacancy.
Art. 77. The auditor of public accounts shall receive a salary oftwo thousand five hundred dollars per annum; the treasurer shall re-ceive a salary of two thousand dollars per annum, and the secretaryof State shall receive a salary of one thousand eight hundred dollarsper annum. Each of the before named officers shall be paid monthly,and no fees or perquisites or other compensation shall be allowed tosaid officers; provided, that the secretary of State may be allowedfees as may be provided by law for copies and certificates furnishedto private persons.
Art. 78. Appropriations for the clerical expenses of the officersnamed in the preceding article shall specify each item of such appro-priations; and shall not exceed in any one year, for the treasurer,the sum of two thousand dollars; tor the secretary of State, the sumof one thousand five hundred dollars, and for the auditor of publicaccounts, the sum of four thousand dollars.
Art. 79. All commissions shall be in the name and by the author-ity of the State of Louisiana, and shall be sealed with the State seal;signed by the governor and countersigned by the secretary of State.
JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT.
Art. So. The judicial power shall be vested in a supreme court, incourts of appeal, in district courts and in justices of the peace.
Art. 81. The supreme court, except in cases hereinafter provided,shall have appellate jurisdiction only, which jurisdiction shall ex-tend to all cases when the matter in dispute or the fund to be distrib-uted, whatever may be the amount therein claimed, shall exceed twothousand dollars, exclusive of interest; to suits for divorce and sep-aration from bed and board; to suits for nullity of marriage; to suits
involving the rights to homesteads; to suits for interdiction,*and to all cases in which the constitutionality or legality of anytax, toll or impost whatever, or of any fine, forfeiture or penaltyimposed by municipal corporation, shall be in contestation, what-ever may be the amount thereof; and in such cases the appeal onthe law and facts shall be directly from the court in which the caseoriginated to the supreme court; and to criminal cases on ques-tions of law alone, whenever the punishment of death or imprison-ment at hard labor may be inflicted, or a fine exceeding three hundreddollars is actually imposed. D. sec. 1913.
Art. 82. The supreme court shall be composed of one chief-jus-tice and four associate justices, a majority of whom shall constitutea quorum. The chief-justice and associate justices shall each re-ceive a salary of five thousand dollars per annum, payable monthly ontheir own warrants. They shall be appointed by the governor, by andwith the advice and consent of the senate. The first supreme courtto be organized under this constitution shall be appointed as follows:The chief-justice for the term of twelve years; one associate justice forthe term of ten years; one for the term of eight years; one for theterm of six years; one for the term of four years; and the governorshall designate in the commission of each the term for which suchjudge is appointed. In case of death, resignation or removal fromoffice of any of said judges the vacancy shall be filled by appoint-ment for the unexpired term of said judge; and upon expiration ofthe term of any of said judges the office shall be filled by appoint-ment for a term of twelve years. They shall be citizens of the UnitedStates and of the State, over thirty-five years of age, learned in thelaw, and shall have practised law in this State ten years precedingtheir appointment.
Art. 83. The State shall be divided into four supreme court dis-tricts, and the supreme court shall always be composed of judges ap-pointed from said districts. The parishes of Orleans, St. John theBaptist, St. Charles, St. Bernard, Plaqviemines and Jefferson shallcompose the first district, from which two judges shall be appointed.The parishes of Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Bienville, Claiborne, Union,Lincoln, Jackson, Caldwell, Ouachita, Morehouse, Richland, Frank-lin, West Carroll, East Carroll, Madison, Tensas and Catahoula shallcompose the second district, from which one judge shall be appoint-ed. The parishes of De Soto, Red River, Winn, Grant, Natchi-toches, Sabine, Vernon, Calcasieu, Cameron, Rapides, Avoyelles,Concordia, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. Landry,Lafayette and Vermillion shall compose the third district, from whichone judge shall be appointed. And the parishes of St. Martin,Iberia, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. James,Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, St.Helena, Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Washingtonshall compose the fourth district, from which one judge shall be ap-pointed.
Art. 84. The supreme court shall hold its sessions in the city ofNew Orleans from the first Monday in the month of November to the
*As Amended in 1882.
end ot the month of May in each and every year. The general assem-bly shall have power to fix the sessions elsewhere during the rest ofthe year. Until otherwise provided the sessions shall be held as here-tofore. They shall appoint their own clerks and remove them atpleasure. D. 1894.
Art. 85. No judgment shall be rendered by the supreme courtwithout the concurrence of three judges. Whenever three memberscan not concur, in consequence of the recusation of any member ormembers of the court, the judges not recused shall have authority tocall upon an}'judge or judges of the district courts, whose duty itshall be, when so called upon, to sit in the place of the judge orjudges recused, and to aid in the determination of_the case.
Art. 86. All judges, by virtue of their office, shall be conservatorsof the peace throughout the State. The style of all process shall be''the State of Louisiana." All prosecutions shall be carried on inthe name and by the authority of the State of Louisiana, and con-clude, " against the peace and dignity of the same."
Art. 87. The judges of all covirts, whenever practicable, shall re-fer to the law by virtue of which every definitive judgment is ren-dered; but in all cases they shall adduce the reasons on which theirjudgment is founded.
Art. 88. There shall be a reporter of the decisions of the supremecourt, who shall report in full all cases which he may be required toreport by law or by the court. He shall publish in the reports thetitle, numbers and head notes of all cases decided, whether reportedin full or not. In all cases reported in full he shall make a briefstatement of the principal points presented ani authorities cited bycounsel. He shall be appointed by a majority of the court, and holdhis office and be removable at their pleasure. His salary shall befixed by the court, and shall not exceed fifteen hundred dollars perannum, payable monthly on his own warrant. D. sec. 3221, 3229.
Art. 89. The supreme court and each of the judges thereof shallhave power to issue writs of habeas corpus at the instance of all per-sons in actual custody, in cases where it may have appellate jurisdic-tion. C. P., art. 792.
Art. 90. The supreme court shall have control and general super-vision over all inferior courts. They shall have power to issue writsot certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo xvarranto and other remedialwrits.
Art. 91. The general assembly shall provide for appeals from thedistrict courts to the supreme court upon questions of law alone,when the party or parties aggrieved desire only a review of thelaw.
Art. 92. Except as herein provided no duties or functions shall everbe attached by law to the supreme court, courts of appeal or districtcourts, or the several judges thereof, but such as are judicial; and thesaid judges are prohibited from receiving any fees of office or othercompensation than their salaries for any official duties performed bythem. No judicial powers, except as committing magistrates in crim-inal cases, shall be conferred on any officers other than those men-tioned in this title, except such as may be necessary in towns andcities; and the judicial powers of such officers shall not extend further
than the cognizance of cases arising under the police regulations oftowns and cities in the State.
Art. 93. The judges of all courts shall be liable to impeachmentfor crimes and misdemeanors. For any reasonable cause the governorshall remove any of them on the address of two-thirds of the mem-bers elected to each house of the general assembly. In everj case thecause or causes for which such removal may be required shall bestated at length in the address, and inserted in the journal of eachhouse.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
Art. 94. There shall be an attorney-general for the State, who shallbe elected by the qualified electors of the State at large every fouryears. He shall be learned in the law, and shall have actually residedand practised law as a licensed attorney in the State five years nextpreceding his election. He shall receive a salary of three thousanddollars per annum, payable monthly on his own warrant.
COURTS OF APPEAL.
Art. 95.* The courts of appeal, except in cases hereinafter pro-vided, shall have appellate jurisdiction only, which jurisdiction shallextend to all cases, civil or probate, when the matter in dispvite or thefunds to be distributed shall exceed one hundred dollars, exclusive ofinterest, and shall not exceed two thousand dollars, exclusive of inter-est.
Art. 96. The courts of appeal shall be composed of two circuitjudges, who shall be elected by the two houses of the general assem-bly in joint session. The first judges of the courts of appeal underthis constitution shall be elected for the following terms: One judgefor each court for the term of four years and one judge for the termof eight years. They shall be learned in the law, and shall haveresided and practised law in this State for six years, and shall havebeen actual residents of the circuit from which they shall be electedfor at least two years next preceding their election.
Art. 97. The State, with the exception of the parish of Orleans,shall be divided into five circuits, from each of which two judges shallbe elected. Until otherwise provided by law the parishes of Caddo,Bossier, Webster, Bienville, DeSoto, Red River, Claiborne, Union,Lincoln, Natchitoches, Sabine, Jackson, Winn and Caldwell shallcompose the first circuit.
The parishes of Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse, West Carroll,Catahoula, Franklin, Madison, East Carroll, Concordia and Tensasshall compose the second circuit.
The parishes of Rapides, Grant, Avoyelles, St. Landry, Vernon,Calcasieu, Cameron, Lafayette,Vermillion, St. Martin and Iberia shallcompose the third circuit.
The parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville,East Feliciana, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Tammany,
* As amended in 1882.
Washington, Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana shall compose thefourth circuit.
And the parishes of St. Mary, Terrebonne, Ascension, Lafourche,Assumption, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson, St. Charles, St.John the Baptist and St. James shall compose the fifth circuit.
Art. 98. The judges of the courts of appeal, until otherwise pro-vided by law, shall hold two terms annually in each parish composingtheir respective circuits.
Art. 99. Until otherwise provided by law the terms of the circuitcourts of appeal shall be as follows:
First Circuit.
Caddo—First Mondays in January and June.Bossier—Third Mondays in January and June.Webster—First Mondays in February and July.Bienville—Second Mondays in February and July.Claiborne—Third Mondays in February and July.Union—First Mondays in March and October.Lincoln—Second Mondays in March and October.Jackson—Third Mondays in March and October.Caldwell—Fourth Mondays in March and October.Winn—First Mondays in April and November.Natchitoches—Second Mondays in April and November.Sabine—Fourth Mondays in April and November.De Soto—First Mondays in May and December.Red River—Third Mondays in May and December.
Second Circuit.
Ouachita—First Mondays in January and June.Richland—Fourth Mondays in Janviary and June.Franklin—First Mondays in February and July.Catahoula - Second Mondays in February and July.Concordia—Fourth Mondays in February and July.Tensas—Second Mondays in March and October.Madison—Fourth Mondays in March and October.East Carroll—Second Mondays in April and November.West Carroll—Fourth Mondays in April and November.Morehouse—First Mondays in May and December.
Third Circuit.
St. Landry—First Mondays in January and June.Avoyelles—Fourth Mondays in January and June.Rapides—Second Mondays in February and July.Grant—Fourth Mondays in February and July.Vernon—First Mondays in March and October.Calcasieu—Second Mondays in March and October.Cameron—Fourth Mondays in March and October.Vermillion—First Mondays in April and November.Lafayette—Second Mondays in April and November.
Iberia—Fourth Mondays in April and November.St. Martin—Second Mondays in May and December.
Fourih Circuit.
East Baton Rouge—First Mondays in January and June.West Baton Rouge—Fourth Mondays in January and June.Livingston—First Mondays in February and July.Tangipahoa—Second Mondays in February and July.St. Tammany—Fourth Mondays in February and July.Washington—First Mondays in March and October.St. Helena—Second Mondays in March and October.East Feliciana—Fourth Mondays in March and October.West Feliciana—Second Mondays in April and November.Pointe Coupee—Fourth Mondays in April and November.Iberville—Second Mondays in May and December.
Fifth Circuit.
St. Mary—First Mondays in January and June.
Terrebonne—Third Mondays in January and June.
Assumption—First Mondays in February and July.
Lafourche—Third Mondays in February and July.
St. Charles—First Mondays in March and October.
Jefferson—Second Mondays in March and October.
St. Bernard—Fourth Mondays in March and October.
Plaquemines—First Mondays in April and November.
St. John the Baptist—Second Mondays in April and November.
St. James—Third Mondays in April and November.
Ascension—Second Mondays in May and December.
Art. ICO. Whenever the first day of the term shall fall on a legalholiday the court shall begin its sessions on the first legal day there-after.
Art. ioi.* Whenever the judges composing the courts of appealshall concur their judgment shall be final. Whenever there shallbe a disagreement the two judges shall appoint a lawyer having thequalifications for a judge of the court of appeals of their circuit, whoshall aid in the determination of the case; a judgment concurredin by any two of them shall be final.
Art. I02. All causes on appeal to the courts of appeal shall be triedon the original record, pleadings and evidence in the district court.
Art. 103. The rules of practice regulating appeals to and proceed-ings in the supreme court shall apply to appeals and proceedings inthe courts of appeal, so far as they may be applicable, until otherwiseprovided by law.
Art. 104. The judges of the courts of appeal shall have power toissue writs of habeas corpus at the instance of all persons in actualcustody, within their respective circuits. They shall also haveauthority to issue writs of mandamus, prohibition and certiorari^ inaid of their appellate jurisdiction.
* As amended in 1882.
Art. 105. The judges of the courts ot appeal shall each receive asalary of four thousand dollars per annum, pajablj monthly on theirrespective warrants. The general assembly shall provide by law forthe trial of recused cases in the courts of appeal. D. sec. 3190-3195.
Art. 106. The sheriff of the parish in which the sessions of thecourt are held shall attend in person or by deputy to execute theorders of the court.
District Court.
Art. 107. The State shall be divided into not less than twenty normore than thirty judicial districts, the parish of Orleans excepted.D. sec. 1927.
Art. 108. Until otherwise provided by law there shall be twenty-six districts.
The parish of Caddo shall compose the first district.
The parishes of Bossier, Webster and Bienville shall compose thesecond district.
The parishes of Claiborne, Union and Lincoln shall compose thethird district.
The parishes of Jackson, Winn and Caldwell shall compose thefourth district.
The parishes of Ouachita and Richland shall compose the fifthdistrict.
The parishes of Morehouse and West Carroll shall compose thesixth district.
The parishes of Catahoula and Franklin shall compose the seventhdistrict.
The parishes of Madison and East Carroll shall compose the eighthdistrict.
The parishes of Concordia and Tensas shall compose the ninth dis-trict.
The parishes of DeSoto and Red River shall compose the tenthdistrict.
The parishes of Natchitoches and Sabine shall compose the eleventhdistrict.
The parishes of Rapides, Grant and Avoyelles shall compose thetwelfth district.
The parish of St. Landry shall compose the thirteenth district.
The parishes of Vernon, Calcasieu and Cameron shall compose thefourteenth district.
The parishes of Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana shall composethe fifteenth district.
The parishes of East Feliciana and St. Helena shall compose thesixteenth district.
The parish of East Baton Rouge shall compose the seventeenthdistrict.
The parishes of Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Tammany and Wash-ington shall compose the eighteenth district.
The parishes of St. Mary and Terrebonne shall compose the nine-teenth district.
The parishes of Lafourche and Assumption shall compose thetwentieth district.
The parishes of St. Martin and Iberia shall compose the twenty-first district.
The parishes of Ascension and St. James shall compose the twenty-second district.
The parishes of West Baton Rouge and Iberville shall compose thetwenty-third district.
The parishes of Plaquemines and St. Bernard shall compose thetwenty-fourth district.
The parishes of Lafayette and Vermillion shall compose thetwenty-fifth district.
And the parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles and St. John the Baptistshall compose the twenty-sixth district.
Art. 109. District courts shall have original jurisdiction in all civilmatters where the amount in dispute shall exceed fifty dollars, exclu-sive of interest. They shall have unlimited original jurisdiction in allcriminal, probate and succession matters, and when a succession is aparty defendant. The district judges shall be elected by a pluralityof the qualified voters of their respective districts in which they shallhave been actual residents for two years next preceding their election.They shall be learned in the law, and shall have practised law in theState for five years previous to their election. They shall be elected forthe term of four years. All elections to fill vacancies occasioned bydeath, resignation or removal shall be for the unexpired term, andthe governor shall fill the vacancy until an election can be held. Thejudges of the district courts shall each receive a salary of three thou-sand dollars per annum, payable monthly on their respective warrants.D. sec. 1930.
Art. 110. The general assembly shall have power to increase thenumber of district judges in any district whenever the publicbusiness may require.
Art. III. The district courts shall have jurisdiction of appealsfrom justices of the peace in all matters where the amount in contro-versy shall exceed ten dollars, exclusive of interest. D. sec. 2047.
Art. 112. The general assembly shall provide by law for the trial ofrecused cases in the district courts by the selection of licensed at-torney-at-laws, by an interchange of judges or otherwise. D. 3190-3195-
Art. 113. Wherever in this constitution the qualification of anyjustice or judge shall be the previous practice of the law for a term ofyears, there shall be included in such term the time such justice orjudge shall have occupied the bench of any court of record in thisState; provided^ he shall have been a licensed attorney for five yearsbefore his election or appointment.
Art. 114. No judge of any court of the State shall be affected inhis term of office, salary or jurisdiction as to territory or amountduring the term or period for which he was elected or appointed.Any legislation so affecting any judge or court shall take effect onlyat the end of the term of office of the judges, incumbents of the courtor courts to which such legislation may apply at the time of its enact-
ment. This article shall not affect the provisions of this constitutionrelative to impeachment or removal from office.
Art. 115. The district judges shall have power to issue writs ofhabeas corpus at the instance of all persons in actual custodj- in theirrespective districts. C. P., art. 791.
Art. 116. The general assembly at its first session under this con-stitution shall provide by general law for the selection of competentand intelligent jurors, who shall have capacity to serve as grandjurors and try and determine both civil and criminal cases, and mayprovide in civil cases that a verdict be rendered by the concurrence ofa less number than the whole. C. P., art. 493; D. sec. 2125, 2154;Act iSSo, No. 54.
Art. 117.* In those districts composed of one parish thereshall not be less than six terms of the district court each year. Inall other districts there shall be in each parish not less than fourterms of the district court each year, except in the parishes of Cam-eron, Franklin and Vernon, in which there shall not be less thantwo terms of the district court each year. Until provided by law theterms of the district court in each parish shall be fixed by a rule ofsaid court, which shall not be changed without notice by publicationat least thirty days prior to such change. There shall be in eachparish not less than two jury terms each year, at which a grand juryshall be empaneled, except in the parishes of Cameron, Franklin andVernon, in which there shall not be less than one jury term each year,at which a grand jury shall be empaneled. At other than jury termsthe general as^^embly shall provide ror special juries when necessaryfor the trial of criminal casts. D. sec. 1928.
SHERIFFS AND CORONERS.
Art. 118. There shall be a sheriff and coroner elected by thequalified voters of each parish in the State, except the parish ofOrleans, who shall be elected at the general election and hold officefor four years. (D 652, 676, 353S, 3539, 3238.) The coroner shall actfor and in place of the sheriff whenever the sheriff shall be partyinterested, and whenever there shall be a vacancy in the office ofsheriff until such vacancy shall be filled; but he shall not, during suchvacancy, discharge the duties of tax collector. (C. P., art. 760; D.676.) The sheriff, except in the parish of Orleans, shall be ex officiocollector of State and parish taxes. He shall give separate bonds forthe faithful performance of his duty in each capacity. Until other-wise provided the bonds shall be given according to existing laws.The general assembly, after the adoption of this constitution, shallpass a general law regulating the amount, form, condition and modeof approval of such bonds, so as to fully secure the State and parish;and all parties in interest. Sheriffs elected at the first electionunder this constitution shall comply with the provisions of such lawwithin thirty days after its promulgation, in default of which theoffice shall be declared vacant and the governor shall appoint for theremainder of the term.
*Art. 117. As amended in 1886.
Art. ]I9. Sheriffs shall receive compensation from the parish fortheir services in criminal matters (the keeping of prisoners, convey-ing convicts to the penitentiary, insane persons to the ins-ane asylumand service of process from another parish, and service of process orthe performance of any duty beyond the limits of his own parish,excepted) not to exceed five hundred dollars per annum for eachrepresentative the parish may have in the house of representatives.(D. 3563, 3567.) The compensation of sheriffs as tax-collectors shallnot exceed tive per cent, on the amount collected and paid over; pro-vided^ that he shall not be discharged as tax-collector until he makesproof that he has exhausted the legal remedies to collect the taxes.
Art 120. The coroner in each parish shall be a doctor of medi-cine, regularly licensed to practise, and ex officio parish physician;provided^ this article shall not apply to any parish in which there isno regularly licensed physician who will accept the office. D.650.
Art. 121. There shall be a clerk of the district court in each par-ish, the parish of Orleans excepted, who shall be ex officio clerk of thecourt of appeals. (D. 462, 484.) He shall be elected by the qualifiedelectors of the parish every four years, and shall be ex officio parishrecorder of conveyances, mortgages and other acts, and notary pub-lic. He shall receive no compensation for his services from theState or the parish in criminal matters. He shall give bond andsecurity for the faithful performance of his duties, in such amount asshall be fixed by the general assembly.
Art. 122. The general assembly shall have power to vest in clerksof courts authority to grant such orders, and to do such acts as maybe deemed necessary for the furtherance of the administration of justice; and in all cases powers thus vested shall be specified and deter-mined.
Art. 123. Clerks of district courts may appoint, with the approvalof the district judge, deputies, with such powers as shall be prescribedby law; and the general assembly shall have the power to provide forcontinuing one or more of them in office, in the event of the death ofthe clerk, until his successor shall have been appointed and duly quali-fied.
district attorneys.
Art. 124. There shall be a district attorney for each judicial districtin the State, who shall be elected by the qualified electors of the judi-cial district. He shall receive a salary of one ihousand dollars pera:mum, payable monthly on his own warrant, and shall hold his officefor four years. He shall be an actual resident of the district and alicensed attorney-at-law in this State (D. 1140). He shall also receivefees; but no fees shall be allowed in criminal cases except on convic-tion. Any vacancy in the office of district attorney shall be filled byappointment by the governor for the unexpired term. There shall beno parish attorney or district attorney pro tempore. (This articleshall not apply to the parish of Orleans.) D. 1142, 1178, 1189.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Art. 125. In each parish, the parish of Orleans excepted, thereshall be as many justices of the peace as may be provided by law (D.2044, 2045). The present number of justices of the peace shall remainas now fixed until otherwise provided. They shall be elected for theterm of four years by the qualified voters within the territorial limitsof their jurisdiction. They shall have exclusive original jurisdictionin all civil matters when the amount in dispute shall not exceed fiftydollars, exclusive of interest, and original jurisdiction, concurrentwith the district court, when the amount in dispute shall exceed fiftydollars, exclusive of intere-t, and shall not exceed one hundred dol-lars, exclusive of interest (D. 2047). They shall have no jurisdictionin succession or probate matters, or when a succession is a defendant.They shall receive such fees or salary as may be fixed by law.
Art. 126. They shall have criminal jurisdiction as committingmagistrates, and shall have power to bail or discharge in cases notcapital or necessarily punishable at hard labor. D. 2058, 2059.
CONSTABLES.
Art. 127. There shall be a constable for the court of each justiceof the peace in the several parishes of the State, the parish of Orleansexcepted, who shall be elected for the term of four years by the qual-ified voters within the territorial limits of the jurisdiction of the sev-eral justices of the peace (D. 631). The compensation, salaries orfees of constables and the amount of their bonds shall be fixed by thegeneral assembly.
COURTS OF the PARISH AND CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
Art. 128.* There shall be in the parish of Orleans a court of ap-peals for said parish, with exclusive appellate jurisdiction in all mat-ters, civil or probate, arising in said parish, when the amount indispute or fund to be distributed exceeds one hundred dollars, interestexcluded, and is less than two thousand dollars, exclusive of interest.Said court shall be presided over by two judges, who shall be electedby the general assembly in joint session. They shall be residents andvoteis of the city of New Orleans, possessing all the qualificationsnecessary for judges of circuit courts of appeal throughout the Stale.They shall each receive an annual salary of four thousand dollars, pay-able monthly upon their respective warrants. Said appeals shall beupon questions of law alone in all cases involving less than five hundreddollars, exclusive of int-rest, and upon the law and the facts in othercases. It shall sit in the city of New Orleans from the first Mondayof November to the last Monday of June of each year. It shall haveauthority to issue writs of mandamus, prohibition, certiorari andhabeas corpus in aid of its appellate jurisdiction.
Art. 129. The provisions of this constitution relating to the termof office, qualifications and salary of the judges of the circuit courts
*As amended in 1S82.
of appeal ihroughont the State, and the manner of proceeding anddetermining causes, as applicable to such circuit courts of appeal,shall apply to this court and its judges, in so far as such provisionsare not in conflict with the provisions specially relating to said courtand its judges. Said court of appeals shall have jurisdiction of allcauses now pending on appeal from the parish of Orleans before thesupreme court of the State where the amount in dispute or fund to bedistributed is less than one thousand dollars, exclusive of interest;and the supreme court shall at once transfer said causes to the courtof appeals.
Art. 130.* For the parish of Orleans there shall be two districtcourts and no more. One of said courts shall be known as the civildistrict court of the parish of Orleans, and the other as the criminaldistrict court for the parish of Orleans. The former shall consist ofnot less than five judges and the latter of not less than two judges,having the qualifications prescribed for district judges throughoutthe State. The said judges shall be appointed by the governor, byand with the advice and consent of the senate, for the term of eightyears. The first appointments shall be made as follows: Threejudges of the civil district court for four years and two for eight years;one judge of the criminal district court for four years and one foreight years—the terms to be designated in their commissions. Thesaid judges shall receive each four thousand dollars per annum. Saidcivil district court shall have exclusive and general probate and ex-clusive civil jurisdiction in all causes where the amount in dispute orto be distributed exceeds one hundred dollars, exclusive of interest,and exclusive appellate jurisdiction from the city courts of the parishof Orleans when the amount in dispute exceeds twenty-five dollars,exclusive of interest. All causes filed in said court shall be equallyallotted and assigned among said judges in accordance with rules ofcourt to be adopted for that purpose. In case of recusation of anyjudge in any cause such cause shall be reassigned; or in case of ab-sence from the parish, sickness or other disability of the judge towhom any cause may have been assigned, any judge of said courtmay issue or grant conservatory writs or orders. In other respectseach judge shall have exclusive control over every cause assigned tohim from its inception to its final determination in said court. Thecriminal district court shall have criminal jurisdiction only. Allprosecutions instituted in said court shall be equally apportionedbetween said judges by lot. Each judge or his successor shall haveexclusive control over every cause falling to him from its inceptionto final determination in said court. In case of vacancy or recusa-tion, causes assigned shall be reassigned under order of court.
Art. 131. The general assembly may increase the number of judgesof the civil district court, not, however, to exceed nine judges, andthe number of the criminal judges not to exceed three.
Art. 132. The court of appeals and the civil and criminal districtcourts for the parish of Orleans shall respectively regulate the orderof preference and trial of causes pending, and adopt other rules to
As amended in 1882.
govern the proceedings therein, not in conflict with the provisions oflaw.
Art. 133. The civil district court for the parish of Orleans shall se-lect a solvent incorporated bank of the city of New Orleans as a judi-cial depository. Therein shall be deposited all moneys, notes, bondsand securities (except such notes or documents as may be filed withsuits or in evidence, which shall be kept by the clerk of the court),so soon as the same shall come into the hands of any sheriff or clerkof court; such deposits shall be removable in whole or in part onlyupon order of court. The ofiicer making such deposits shall makeimmediate and written return to the court of the date and particularsthereof, to be filed in the cause in which the matter is pending, underpenalties to be prescribed by law. Act 1880, No. 33.
Art. 134. There shall be a district attorney for the parish of Or-leans, who shall possess the same qualifications and be elected in thesame manner and for the same period of time as the district attorneysfor other parishes, as provided by this constitution. (D. 1140). Heshall receive a salary of one thousand dollars per annum and suchfees as may be allowed bj'law; but no fee shall be allowed in crimi-nal cases except on conviction. (D. 1145, 1146.) He may appoint anassistant at a salary not to exceed fifteen hundred dollars per annum.
Art. 135.* There shall be in the city of New Orleans four citycourts, one of which shall be located in that portion of the city onthe right bank of the Mississippi river, presided over by judges hav-ing all the qualifications required for a district judge, and shall beelected by the qualified voters for the term of four years. They shallhave exclusive jurisdiction over all sums not exceeding one hundreddollars, exclusive of interest, subject to an appeal to the civil districtcourt when the amount claimed exceeds twenty-five dollars, exclusiveof interest. The general assembly shall regulate the salaries, territorialdivision of jurisdiction, the manner of executing their process, thefee bill and proceedings which shall govern them. They shall haveauthority to execute commissions, take testimony and receive there-for such fees as may be allowed by law. (D. 2070-2loi; Act 1880, No.45, 67.) The general assembly may increase the number of citycourts for said parish not to exceed eight in all. Until otherwise pro-vided by law each of the said courts shall have one clerk, to be electedfor the term of four years by the qualified voters of the parish, whoshall receive a salary of twelve hundred dollars per annum and nomore, and whose qualifications, bond and duties shall be regulatedby law.
Art. 136. The general assembly may provide for police or magis-trates' courts; but such courts shall not be vested with jurisdictionbeyond the enforcement of municipal ordinances or as committingmagistrates.
Art. 137. There shall be one clerk for the civil district court andone for the criminal district court of the parish of Orleans. Theformer shall be ex officio clerk of the court of appeals of said parish.Said clerk shall be removable in the manner provided for the removalof the sheriffs of said parish. The clerk of said civil district court
*As amended in 1882.
shall receive an annual salary of three thousand six hundred dollarsand no more; and the clerk of the criminal court an annual salary ofthree thousand dollars and no more; both payable quarterly on theirwarrants. They shall be elected by the qualified voters of the parishfor a term of four years. (D. 507.) The amount and character of thebonds, and qualification of the sureties to be furnished by said clerksshall be prescribed by law. D. 462.
Art. 138. The court of appeals and each judge of the civil andcriminal district courts of the parish of Orleans shall appoint a min-ute clerk, at an annual salary of not more than eighteen hundreddollars, whose duties shall be regulated by law. Each clerk of courtshall appoint, by and with the consent of the district court of whichhe is clerk, such deputies as may be necessary to perform efiicientlythe duties of said oflfice, at salaries to be fixed by law. He shall beresponsible for said deputies, and may require from each such securityas he may deem suflicient to secure himself; and said deputies shallbe removable at his pleasure.
Art. 139. There shall be a civil and a criminal sheriff for the parishof Orleans. The civil sheriff shall be the executive officer of all the civilcourts, except city courts, and the criminal sheriff shall be the execu-tive officer of the criminal district court. (D. 3537 et seq.') Theyshall attend the sittings, and execute the writs and mandates of theirrespective courts. They shall be elected by the voters of the parishof Orleans every four years. They shall be citizens of the State,residents and voters of the city of New Orleans, at least twenty-fiveyears of age, and shall be removable, each by the district court ofwhich he is the executive officer, upon proof after trial, without jury,of gross or continued neglect, incompetency, or unlawful conduct,operating injury to the court or any individual. The two districtcourts for the parish of Orleans shall immediately, upon organizationunder this constitution, in joint session, adopt rules governing thelodging of complaints against and trial of such officers; and suchrules, once adopted, shall not be changed, except by the unanimousconsent of all the judges composing the said courts. D. 3537.
Art. 140. The civil sheriff of the parish of Orleans shall receivesuch fees as the general assembly may fix. He shall render monthlyaccounts, giving amounts and dates, number and title of causes,wherein received or paid out, of all sums collected and disbursed byhim, which shall be filed in the civil district court of said parish andform a part of its public records. He shall be responsible to the Statefor all profits of said office over ten thousand dollars per annum, andshall settle with the State at least once a year in such manner as thegeneral assembly may provide. The criminal sheriff shall receive anannual salary of thirty six hundred dollars and no more. He shallreceive no other compensation. He shajl charge and collect for theState, from parties convicted, such fees and charges as may be fixedby law and shall render monthly accounts of the same.
Art. 141. Said sheriffs shall appoint, each with the consent andapproval of the district court which he serves, such a number ofdeputies as the said court may find necessary for the proper expedi-tion of the public business, at such salaries as may be fixed by law.Each sheriff shall be responsible for his deputies, may remove them
at pleasure and fill vacancies with the approval of the court, and mayexact from all deputies security in such manner and amount as suchsheriff may deem necessary. D. 3542.
Art. 142. The civil sheriff for the said parish shall execute abond, with sureties, residents of said parish, conditioned for the law-ful and faithful performance of the duties of his office, in the sum offifty thousand dollars. The sureties shall be examined in open courtby the judges of the civil district court for the parish of Orleans, andthe questions and answers shall be reduced to writing, and form aportion of the records of said court. (D. 3538.) A similar bondshall be executed by the criminal sheriff of said parish in the sum often thousand dollars, with sureties to be examined and approved asto solvency by the criminal district court ot said parish, as hereindirected for the civil district court of said parish in the case of thecivil sheriff.
Art. 143. There shall be one constable for each city court of theparish of Orleans, who shall be the executive officer of such court.He shall be elected by the qualified voters of the parish of Orleans forthe term of four years. The general assembly shall define his quali-fications and fix his compensation and duties, and shall assimilate thesame so far as practicable to the provisions of this constitution relat-ing to the civil sheriff of said parish. The judges of the city courtsshall sit in biDic to examine such bonds, try and remove constables,and adopt rules regulating such trial and removal. They shall insuch proceedings be governed so far as practicable by the provisionsof this constitution regulating the proceedings of the district courtsof the parish of Orleans in the case of the sheriffs of said parish.D. 642.
Art. 144. There shall be a register of conveyances and a recorderof mortgages for the parish of Orleans, who shall be elected by thequalified voters of said parish every four years. The register of con-veyances shall receive an annual salary of twenty-five hundred dollarsand no more, and said recorder of mortgages an annual salary of fourthousand dollars and no more. The general assembly shall regulatethe qualifications and duties of said officers, and the number of em-ployes they shall appoint and fix the salaries of such employes, not toexceed eighteen hundred dollars for each. D. 3152, 3171.
Art. 145. The general assembly, at its first session after the adop-tion of this constitution shall enact a fee bill for the clerks of thevarious courts, including the city courts sitting in New Orleans, andfor the civil and criminal sheriffs, constables, register of conveyancesand recorder of mortgages of said parish. In the same act provisionshall be made for a system of stamps or stamped paper for the collec-tion by the State, not by said officers, of such fees and charges, so faras clerks of courts, register of conveyances and recorder of mortgagesare concerned. D. 77S, 3163, 3172.
Art, 146.* All fees and charges fixed by law for the variouscourts of the parish of Orleans, and for the register of convey-ances and recorder of mortgages ot said parish shall enure tothe State; and all sums realized therefrom shall be set aside and held,
* As amended in 1882.
as a special fund, out of which shall be paid by preference the ex-penses of the clerk of the civil district court, the clerk of the citycourts, the registrar of conveyances, and the recorder of inortgagesof the parish of Orleans; provided, that the State shall nevermake any payment to any sheriff, clerk, register of conveyances orrecorder of mortgages of the parisla of Orleans, or any of their depu-ties, for salary or other expenses of their respective offices, exceptfrom the special fund provided for by this article; and any appropria-tion made contrary to this provision shall be null and void.
Art. 147. There shall be one coroner for the parish of Orleans,who shall be elected every four years by the qualified electors of saidparish, and whose duties shall be regulated by law. He shall be exofficio city physician of the city of New Orleans, and receive anannual salary of five thousand dollars, and no more. He shall be apractising physician of said city, and a graduate of the medicaldepartment of some university of respectable standing. He mayappoint an assistant, having the same qualifications as himself, at anannual salary not exceeding three thousand dollars. The salaries ofboth coroner and assistant to be paid by the parish of Orleans. (D.649, 674). The maintenance and support of prisoners confined in theparish of Orleans, upon charges or conviction for criminal offences,shall be under the control of the city of New Orleans.
GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Art. 148. No person shall hold any office, State, parochial or mu-nicipal, or shall be permitted to vote at any election or act as a juror,who, in due course of law, shall have been convicted of treason,perjury, forgery, bribery or other crime punishable by imprisonmentin the penitentiary, or who shall be under interdiction.
Art. 149. Members of the general assembly and all officers, beforethey enter upon the duties of their offices, shall take the followingoath or affirmation: ^'^ I, A B, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that Iwill support the constitution and laws of the United States, and theconstitution and laws of this State; and that I will faithfully andimpartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me as
, according to the best of my ability and understanding. So
help me God." D. sec. 2550, 2558.
Art. 150. The seat of government shall be and remain at the cityof Baton Rouge. The general assembly, at its first session after theadoption of this constitution, shall make the necessary appropria-tions for the repair of the statehouse and for the transfer of the arch-ives of the State to Baton Rouge; and the city council of Baton Rougeis hereby authorized to issue certificates of indebtedness in suchmanner and form as to cover the subscription of thirty-five thousanddollars tendered by the citizens and the city council of said city toaid in repairing the capitol in said city; provided, the city of BatonRouge shall pay into the State treasury said amount of thirty-fivethousand dollars before the contract for the repairs of the statehousebe finally closed.
Art. 151. Treason against the State shall consist only in levyingwar against it, or adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and com-
fort. No person shall be convicted of treason except on the testi-mony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on his confession inopen court. D. 85!;.
Art. 152. All civil officers shall be removable by an address oftwo-thirds of the members elected to each house of the generalassembly, except those whose removal is otherwise provided for bythis constitution.
Art. 153. No member of congress nor person holding or exercis-ing any office of trust or profit under the United States, or either ofthem, or under any foreign power, shall be eligible as a member ofthe general assembly, or hold or exercise any office of trust or profitunder the State.
Art. 154. The laws, public records and the judicial and legislativewritten proceedings of the State shall be promulgated, preserved andconducted in the English language; but the general assembly mayprovide for the publication of the laws in the French language, andprescribe that judicial advertisements in certain designated cities andparishes shall also be made in that language. D. 1522, 2166; Act1880, No. 38, p. 37.
Art. 155. No ex post facto law, nor any law impairing the obliga-tion of contracts, shall be passed, nor vested rights be divested,unless for purposes of public utility and for adequate compensationpreviously made.
Art. 11^6. Private property shall not be taken nor damaged forpublic purposes without just and adequate compensation being firstpaid. D. 1479, 1493.
Art. 157. No power of suspending the laws of this State shall beexercised unless by the general assembly or its authority.
Art. 158. The general assembly shall provide by law for change ofvenue in civil and criminal cases. D. 3891, 3910.
Art. 159. No person shall hold or exercise at the same time morethan one^office of trust or profit, except that of justice of the peaceor notary public.
Art. 160. The general assembly may determine the mode of fillingvacancies in all offices for which provision is not made in this consti-tution. D. 2606.
Art. 161. All officers shall continue to discharge the duties of theiroffices until their successors shall have been inducted into office,except in case of impeachment or suspension. D. 2608.
Art. 162. The military shall be in subordination to the civil power,and no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any housewithout the consent of the owner.
Art. 163. The general assembly shall make it obligatory upon eachparish to support all infirm, sick and disabled paupers residing withinits limits; provided, that in every municipal corporation in a parishwhere the power of the police jury do not extend the said corporationshall support its own infirm, sick and disabled paupers. D. 2743et seq.
Art. 164. No soldier, sailor or marine in the military or naval ser-vice of the United States shall hereafter acquire a domicile in thisState by reason of being stationed or doing duty in the same.
Art. 165. It shall be the duty of the general assembly to pass such
laws as may be proper and necessary to decide differences by arbitration.
Art. i66. The power of courts to punish for contempt shall be lim-ited by law. D. 124.
Art. 167. The general assembly shall have authority to grant lot-tery charters or privileges; provided, each charter or privilege shallpay not less than forty thousand dollars per annum in money into thetreasury of the State; provided further^ that all charters shall ceaseand expire on the first of January, eighteen hundred and ninety-five,from which time all lotteries are prohibited in the State. The fortythousand dollars per annum now provided by law to be paid by theLouisiana State lottery company, according to the provisions of itscharter, granted in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, shallbelong to the charity hospital of New Orleans, and the charter of saidcompany is recognized as a contract binding on the State for theperiod therein specified, except its monopoly clause, which is herebyabrogated; and all laws; contrary to the provisions of this article arehereby declared null and void; provided^ said company shall file awritten renunciation of all its monopoly features in the office of thesecretary of State within sixty days after the ratification of this con-stitution. Of the additional sums raised by licenses on lotteries thehospital at Shreveport shall receive ten thousand dollars annually, andthe remaining sum shall be divided each year among the several par-ishes in the State for the benefit of their schools.
Art. 168. In all proceedings or indictments for libel the truth thereofmay be given in evidence. The jury in all criminal cases shall bejudges of the law and of the facts on the question of guilt or inno-cence, having been charged as to the law applicable to the case by thepresiding judee. D. 3641.
Art. 169. No officer whose salary is fixed by the constitution shallbe allowed any fees or perquisites of office, except where otherwiseprovided for by this constitution. D. 138.
Art. 170. The regulation of the sale of alcoholic or spirituousliquors is declared a police regulation, and the general assembly mayenact lav,?s regulating their sale and use. D. 1211, 1216.
Art. 171. No person who, at any tiine, may have been a collectorof taxes, whether State, parish or municipal, or who may have beenotherwise entrusted with public money or any portion thereof, shallbe eligible to the general assembly or to any office of honor, profit ortrust vinder the State government, or any parish or municipalitythereof, until he shall have obtained a discharge for the amount ofsuch collections and for all public moneys with which he may havebeen entrusted.
Art. 172. Gambling is declared to be a vice, and the generalassembly shall enact laws for its suppression. D. 911, 913.
Art. 173. Any person who shall directly or indirectly offer or giveany sum or suins of money, bribe, present, reward, protnise orany other thing to any officer, State, parochial or municipal,or to any member or officer of the general assembly, with the intentto induce or influence such oflficeror member of the general assemblyto appoint any person to office, to vote or exercise any powerin him vested, or to perform any duty of him required
with partiality or favor, the person giving or offering to give, and theofficer or member of the general assembly so receiving, any money,bribe, present, reward, promise, contract, obligation or security, withthe intent or for the purpose or consideration aforesaid, shall beguilty of bribery, and on being found guilty thereof by any court ofcompetent jurisdiction, or by either house of the general assembly ofwhich he may be a member or officer, shall be forever disqualifiedfrom holding any office, State, parochial or municipal, and shall beforever ineligible to a seat in the general assembly; provided^ thatthis shall not be so construed as to prevent the general assembly fromenacting additional penalties. D. 860, 861, 3962.
Art. 174. Any person may be compelled to testify in any lawfulproceeding against any one who may be charged with having com-mitted the offence of bribery, and shall not be permitted to withholdhis testimony upon the ground that it may criminate him or subjecthim to public infamy; but such testimony shall not afterwards beused against him in any judicial proceedings, except for perjury ingiving such testimony. D. 860, 861.
Art. 175. The general assembly shall, at its first session, pass lawsto protect laborers on buildings, streets, roads, railroads, canals andother similar works against the failure of contractors and sub-con-tractors to pay their current wages when due and to make the cor-poraton, company or individual for whose benefit the work is doneresponsible for their ultimate payment.
Art. 176. No mortgage or privilege on immovable property shallaffect third persons unless recorded or registered in the parish wherethe property is situated, in the manner and within the time as is nowor may be prescribed by law, except privileges for expenses of lastillness and privileges for taxes, State, parish or inunicipal; provided,such privilege shall lapse in three years. D. 2877, 2888, 3093, 3188,31S9.
Art. 177. Privileges on movable property shall exist without regis-tration for the same, except in such cases as the general assemblymay prescribe by law after the adoption of this constitution.
Art. 178. The general assembly shall provide for the interest ofState medicine in all its departments, for the protection of the peoplefrom unqualified practitioners of medicine; for protecting confiden-tial communications made to medical men by their patients while vm-der professional treatment and for the purpose of such treatment;for the establishment and maintenance of a State Board of Health.D. 3034.
Art. 179. The general assembly shall create a bureau of agricul-ture, define its objects, designate its officers and fix their salaries, atsuch time as the financial condition of the State may warrant therri,in their judgment, in making such expenditures; provided, that suchexpenditures never exceed ten thousand dollars per annum. Act1880, No. 56.
the new canal and shell road.
Art. 180.* The new basin canal and shell road and their appurte-nances shall not be leaded nor aliepated.
*As amended in 1886,
MILITIA.
Art. i8i. The general assembly shall have authority to provide bylaw how the militia of this State shall be organized, officred, trained,armed and equipped, and of whom it shall consist. D. 2309, 2315.
Art. 182. The officers and men of the militia and volunteer forcesshall receive no pay, rations or emoluments when not in active ser-vice by authority of the State.
Art. 183. The general assembly may exempt from military servicesthose who belong to religious societies whose tenets forbid them tobear arms; provided^ a money equivalent for these services shall beexacted. The governor shall have power to call the militia into activeservice for the preservation of law and order, or when the publicservice may require it; provided., that the police force of any city,town or parish shall not be organized or used as a part of the Statemilitia.
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTION.
Art. 184. In all elections by the people the electors shall vote byballot; and in all elections by persons in a representative capacity thevote shall be viva voce. D, 1379-1435.
Art. 185. Every male citizen of the United States, and every maleperson of foreign birth who has been naturalized or who may havelegally declared his intention to become a citizen of the United Statesbefore he offers to vote, who is twenty-one years old or upwards,possessing the following qualifications, shall be an elector and shallbe entitled to vote at any election by the people, except as hereinafterprovided: i. He shall be an actual resident of the State at least oneyear next preceding the election at which he offers to vote. 2. Heshall be an actual resident of the parish in which he offers to vote atleast six months next preceding the election. 3. He shall be an actualresident of the ward or precinct in which he offers to vote at leastthirty days next preceding the election.
Art. 186. The general assembly shall provide by law for the properenforcement of the provisions of the foregoing article; provided.,that in the parish of Orleans there shall be a supervisor of registra-tion, who shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the adviceand consent of the senate, whose term of office shall be for the periodof four years, and whose salary, qualifications and duties shall beprescribed by law. And the general assembly may provide for theregistration of voters in other parishes.
Art. 187. The following persons shall not be permitted to register,vote or hold any office or appointment of honor, profit or trust in thisState, to-wit: those who shall have been convicted of treason, embez-zlement of public funds, malfeasance in office, larceny, bribery, illegalvoting or other crime punishable by hard labor or imprisonment inthe penitentiary, idiots and insane persons.
Art. 188. No qualification of any kind for sufftage or office, norany restraint upon the same, on account of race, color or previouscondition shall be made by law,
Art. 189. Electors shall, in all cases except for treason, felony orbreach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendanceon elections, and in going to and returning from the same.
Art. 190. The general assembly shall Vy law forbid the giving orselling of intoxicating drinks, on the day of election, within one mileof precincts, at any election held within this State.
Art. 191. Until otherwise provided by law the general State electionshall be held once every four years on the Tuesday next following thethird Monday in April. Presidential electors and members of con-gress shall be chosen or elected in the manner and the time prescribedby law.
Art. 192. Parochial and the municipal elections in the cities ofNew Orleans and Shreveport shall be held on the same day as the gen-eral State election, and not oftener than once in four years.
Art. 193. For the purpose of voting no person shall be deemed tohave gained a residence by reason of his presence, or lost it by reasonof his absence, while employed in the service^ either civil or military,of this State or of the United States; nor while engaged in the navi-gation of the waters of the State or the United States, or of thehigh seas, nor while a student of any institution of learning.
Art. 194. The general assembly shall provide by law for the trialand determination of contested elections ot all public officers, whetherState, judicial, parochial or municipal. D. 1417-1435.
Art. 195. No person shall be eligible to any office, State, judicial,parochial, municipal or ward, who is not a citizen of this State and aduly qualified elector of the State, judicial district, parish, munici-pality or ward wherein the functions of said office are to be exercised.And whenever any officer. State, judicial, parochial, municipal orward, may change his residence from this State, or from the district,parish, municipality or ward in which he holds such office, the sameshall thereby be vacated, any declaration of retention of domicile tothe contrary notwithstanding.
IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVALS FROM OFFICE.
Art. 196. The governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of State,auditor, treasurer, attorney-general, superintendent of public educa-tion and the judges of all the courts of record in this State, shall beliable to impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, for non-feasance or malfeasance in office, for incompetency, for corruption,favoritism, extortion or oppression in office, or for gross misconductor habitual drunkenness. D. 1738, 1745.
Art. 197. The house of representatives shall have the sole power ofimpeachment. All impeachments shall be tried by the senate; whensitting for that purpose the senators shall be upon oath or affirmation,and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators present. When the governor of the State is ontrial the chief-justice or senior associate justice of the supreme courtshall preside. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall extend onlyto removal from office and disqualification from holding any office of.honor, trustor profit under the State; but the party, whether con-
victed or acquitted^ shall nevertheless be liable to prosecution, trialand punishment according to law.
Art. 198. All officers against whom articles of impeachment maybe preferred shall be suspended from the exercise of the functions oftheir office during the pendency of such impeachment; and, exceptin case of the impeachment of the governor, the appointing powershall make a provisional appointment to replace any suspended officeruntil the decision of the impeachment.
Art. IQ9. For any reasonable cause the governor shall remove anyofficer on the address of two-thirds of the members elected to eachhouse of the general assembly. In every such case the cause or causesfor which such removal may be required shall be stated at length inthe address and inserted in the journal of each house.
Art. 200. For any of the causes specified in article one hundred andninety-six judges of the courts of appeal, of the district courts through-out the State and of the city courts of the parish of Orleans, may beremoved from office by judgment of the supreme court of this Statein a suit instituted by the attorney-general or a district attorney, inthe name of the State, on his relation. The supreme court is herebyvested with original jurisdiction to try such causes; and it is herebymade the duty of the attorney-general or of any district attorney toinstitute such suit on the written request and information of fiftycitizens and taxpayers residing within the territorial limits of the dis-trict or circuit over which the judge against whom the suit is broughtexercises the functions of his office. Such suits shall be tried,after citation and ten days' delay for answering, in preference to allother suits, and wherever the court may be sitting; but the pendencyof such suit shall not operate a suspension from office. In all caseswhere the officer sued as above directed shall be acquitted, judgmentshall be rendered jointly and in solido against the citizens signing therequest, for all costs of the suit. Act. 1880, No. 122.
Art. 201. For any of the causes enumerated in article one hundredand ninty-six district attorneys, clerks of court, sheriffs, coroners,recorders, justices of the peace, and all other parish, municipal andward officers shall be removed by judgment of the district court of thedomicile of such officers (in the parish of Orleans, the civil districtcourt) ; and it shall be the duty of the district attorney, except whenthe suit is to be brought against himself, to institute suit in the man-ner directed in article two hundred, on the written request and infor-mation of twenty-five resident citizens and taxpayers in the case ofdistrict, parish or municipal officers, and of ten resident citizens andtaxpayers in the case of ward officers. Svach suit shall be brought againsta district attorney by the district attorney of an adjoining district,or by counsel appointed by the judge for that purpose. In all suchcases the defendant, the State, and the citizens and taxpayers onwhose information and at whose request such suit was brought, orany one of them, shall have the right to appeal, both on the law andon the facts, from the judgment of the court. In all cases where theofficer sued as above directed shall be acquitted, judgment shall berendered jointly and /?/ solido against the citizens signing the requestfor all costs of the suit. In cases against district attorneys, clerks,sheriffs and recorders the appeal shall be to the supreme court, and
in cases against all other officers the appeal shall be made to the courtof appeals of the proper circuit. Such appeals shall be returnablewithin ten days to the appellate court, wherever it maj be sitting orwherever it may hold its next session, and may be transferred byorder of the judges of said court to another parish within theircircuit, and such appeals shall be tried by preference over all others.In cases of the refusal or neglect of the district attorney or attorneygeneral to institute and prosecute any suit provided for in this andthe preceding article, the citizens and taxpayers making the request,or any one of them, shall have the right by mandamus to compel himto perform such duty.
REVENUE AND TAXATION.
Art. 202. The taxing power may be exercised by the generalassembly for State purposes, and by parish and municipal corpora-tions, under authority granted to them by the general assembly, forparish and municipal purposes. D. 3233-, 3363.
Art. 203. Taxation shall be equal and uniform throughout the ter-ritorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and all property shallbe taxed in proportion to its value, to be ascertained and directed bylaw; provided^ the assessment of all property shall never exceedthe actual cash value thereof; and provided further, that the taxpayersshall have the right of testing: the correctness of their assessmentsbefore the courts of justice. In order to arrive at this equality anduniformity the general assembly shall, at its first session after theadoption of this constitution, provide a system of equality and uni-formity in assessments, based upon the relative value of property inthe different portions of the State. The valuation put upon propertyfor the purposes of State taxation shall be taken as the proper valua-tion for purposes of local taxation in every subdivision of the State.
Art. 204. The taxing power shall be exercised only to carry on andmaintain the government of the State and the public institutionsthereof; to educate the children of the State, to pay the principal andinterest of the public debt, to suppress insurrection, repel invasion ordefend the State in time of war; to supply the citizens who lost alimb or limbs in the military service of the confederate States withsubstantial artificial limbs during life; and for levee purposes, ashereinafter provided.
Art. 205. The power to tax corporations and corporate propertyshall never be surrendered nor suspended by act of the generalassembly.
Art. 206. The general assembly may levy a license tax, and insuch case shall graduate the amount of such tax to be collected fromthe persons pursuing the several trade<=;, professions, vocations andcallings. All persons, associations of persons and corporations pur-suing any trade, profession, business or calling, may be renderedliable to such tax, except clerks, laborers, clergymen, schoolteachers,those engaged in agricultural, horticultural, mechanical and miningpursuits, and manufacturers other than those of distilled alcoholic ormalt liquors, tobacco and cigars, and cotton seed oil. No political
corporation shall impose a greater license tax than is imposed by thegeneral assembly for State purposes.
Art. 207.* The following property shall be exempt from taxation,and no other, viz: All public property, places of religious worship orburial; all charitable institutions; all buildings and property usedexclusively for colleges or other school purposes; the real and per-sonal estate of any public library and that of any other literary asso-ciation used by or connected with such library; all books and philo-sophical apparatus, and all paintings and statuary of any company orassociation kept in a public hall; provided^ the property so exemptedbe not used or leased for purposes of private or corporate profit orincome. There shall also be exempt from taxation household prop-erty to the value of five hundred dollars. There shall also be exemptfrom taxation and license for a period of twenty years from the adop-tion of this constitution, the capital, machinery and other propertyemployed in the manufacture of textile fabrics, leather, shoes, har-ness, saddlery, hats, flour, machinery, agricultural implements, man-ufacture of ice, fertilizers and chemicals, and furniture and other ar-ticles of wood, marble or stone, soap, stationery, ink and paper, boatbuilding and z\\oq.o\2Xq\ provided^ that not less than five hands areemployed in any one factory.
Art. 208. The general assembly shall levy an annual poll tax, forthe maintenance of public schools, upon every male inhabitant in theState over the age of twenty-one years, which shall never be less thanone dollar nor exceed one dollar and a half per capita; and the gen-eral assembly shall pass laws to enforce payment of said tax.
Art. 209. The State tax on property for all purposes whatever, in-cluding expenses of government, schools, levees and interest, shallnot exceed in any one year six mills on ihe dollar of its assessed val-uation, if the ordinance regarding the bonded debt of the State isadopted and ratified by the people; and if said ordinance is notadopted and ratified by the people, said State tax for all purposesaforesaid shall not exceed in any one year five mills on the dollar ofthe assessed valuation of the property; and no parish or municipaltax for all purposes whatsoever shall exceed ten mills on the dollar ofvaluation;/rof/(^^^, that for the purpose of erecting and construct-ing public buildings, bridges and works of public improvement, inparishes and municipalities, the rates of taxation herein limited maybe increased when the rate of such increase and the purpose forwhich it is intended shall have been submitted to a vote of the prop-erty taxpayers of such parish or municipality entitled to a vote un-der the election laws of the State, and a majority of same voting atsuch election shall have voted therefor. Act 1880, No. 88; No. 42,sec. 4; Act 1882, No. 126; 35 A., Duperier's case.
Art. 210. There shall be no forfeiture of property for the non-payment of taxes, State, levee, district, parochial or municipal; butat the expiration of the year in which they are due the collectorshall, without sait, and after giving notice to the delinquent in themanner to be provided Dy law (which shall not be by publication exceptin case of unknown owner), advertise for saie the property on which
* As amended in 1886.
the taxes are due, in the manner provided for judicial sales; andon the day of sale he shall sell such portion of the propertyas the debtor shall point out, and in case the debtor shall notpoint out sufficient property the coUector shall at once and with-out further delay sell the least quantity of property which any bidderwill buy for the-amount of the taxes, interest and costs. The saleshall be without appraisement, and the property sold shall be redeem-able at any time for the space of one year, by paying the price given,with twenty per cent, and costs added. No sale of property for taxesshall be annulled for any informality in the proceedings until theprice paid, with ten per cent, interest, be tendered to the purchaser.All deeds of sale made, or that may be made by collectors of taxesshall be received by courts in evidence as J>rima facie valid sales. D.3292-3312.
Art. 211. The tax shall be designated by the year in which it iscollectible, and the tax on movable property shall be collected in theyear in which the assessment is made. D. 3293.
Art. 212. The legislature shall pass no law postponing the pay-ment of taxes, except in case of overflow, general conflagration, gen-eral destruction of the crops or other public calamity. Act 1880,No. 97.
Art. 213. A levee system shall be maintained in the State, and atax not to exceed one mill may be levied annually on all propertysubject to taxation, and shall be applied exclusively to the main-tenance and repairs of levees.
Art. 214.* The general assembly may divide the State into leveedistricts, and provide for the appointment or election of levee com-missioners in said districts, who shall, in the method and manner tobe provided by law, have supervision of the erection, repairs andmaintenance of the levees in said districts; to that effect the levee com-missioners may levy a tax not to exceed ten mills on the taxable propertysituated within the alluvial portions of said districts subject to overflow;provided, that in case of necessity to raise additional funds for thepurpose of constructing, preserving or repairing any levees protectingthe lands of a district, the rate of taxation herein limited may beincreased when the rate of such increase and the necessity and pur-pose for which it is intended shall have been submitted to a vote ofthe property taxpayers of such district, pacing taxes for themselvesor in any representative capacity, whether resident or non-resident,on property situated within the alluvial portion of said district sub-ject to overflow, and a majority of those in number and value, votingat such election, shall have voted therefor. Act 80, No. 78.
Art. 215. The provisions of the above two articles shall cease tohave effect whenever the federal government shall assume permanentcontrol and provide the ways and means for the maintenance oflevees in this State. The federal government is authorized to makesuch geological, topographical, hydrographical and hydrometricalsurveys and investigations within the State as may be necessary tocarry into effect the act of congress to provide for the appointment ofa Mississippi river commission for the improvement of said rivex
*As amended in 1884.
from the head of the passes, near its mouth, to the headwaters, and toconstruct and protect such public works and improvements as may beordered by congress under the provisions of said act.
Art. 2i6. The general assembly shall have power, with the con-currence of an adjacent State or States, to create levee districts, com-posed of territory partly in this State and partly in such adjacentState or States, and the levee commissioners for such district ordistricts shall possess all the power provided by article two hundredand fourteen of this constitution.
Art. 217. Corporations companies or associations, organized ordomiciled out of this State, but doing business herein, may be licensedby a mode different from that provided for home corporations orcompanies; provided^ said different mode of license shall be uniform,upon a graduated system as to all such corporations, companies orassociations that transact the same kind of business. D. 735.
Art. 218. All the articles and provisions of this constitutionregulating and relating to the collection of State taxes and tax salesshall also apply to and regulate the collection of parish, district andmunicipal taxes.
HOMESTEADS AND EXEMPTIONS.
Art. 219. There shall be exempt from seizure and sale, by any pro-cess whatever, except as herein provided, the homesteads bona fideowned by the debtor and occupied by him, consisting of lands, build-ings and appurtenances, whether rural or urban; of every head of fam-ily or person having a mother or father, a person or persons dependenton him or her for support; also, one work-horse, one wagon or cart,one yoke of oxen, two cows and calves, twenty-five head of hogs, or onethousand pounds of bacon or its equivalent in pork, whether these ex-empted objects be attached to a homestead or not; and on a farmthe necessary quantity of corn and fodder for the current year, andthe necessary farming implements to the value of two thousand dol-lars (D. 1691, 1696); provided^ that in case the homestead exceedstwo thousand dollars in value the beneficiary shall be entitled to thatamount in case a sale of the homestead under any legal process real-izes more than that sum. No husband shall have the benefit of ahomestead whose wife owns and is in actual enjoyment of property ormeans to the amount of two thousand dollars. Such exemptions tobe valid shall be set apart and registered as shall be provided by law.The benefit of this provision may be claimed by the surviving spouseor minor child or children of a deceased beneficiary, if in indigentcircumstances.
Art. 220. Laws shall be passed as early as practicable for the set-ting apart, valuation and registration of property claimed as a home-stead. Rights to homesteads or exemptions under laws or con-tracts, or for debts existing at the time of adoption of this constitu-tion, shall not be impaired, repealed or affected by any provision ofthis constitution or any laws passed in pursuance thereof. No courtor ministerial officer of this State shall ever have jurisdiction or au-thority to enforce any judgment, execution or decree against theproperty set apart for a homestead, including such improvements as
may be made thereon from time to time; provided^ the propertyherein declared to be exempt shall not exceed in value two thousanddollars. This exemption shall not apply to the following cases, to-wit: I, for the purchase price of said property or any part thereof;2, for labor and material furnished for building, repairing or improv-ing homesteads; 3, for liabilities incurred by any public officer orfiduciary, or any attorney-at-law, for money collected or received ondeposit; 4, for lawful claims for taxes or assessments.
Art. 221. The owner of a homestead shall at any time have theright to supplement his exemption by adding to an amount alreadyset apart, which is less than the whole amount of exemption hereinallowed, sufficient to make his homestead and exemption equal to thewhole amount allowed by this constitution.
Art. 222. The homestead shall not be susceptible of mortgage,except for the purchase price, labor and material furnished for thebuilding, repairing or improving homestead; nor shall any renuncia-tion or waiver of homestead rights or exemptions be valid. The rightto sell any property which shall be recorded as a homestead shall bepreserved, but no sale shall destroy or impair any rights of creditorstherein.
Art. 223. Equitable laws shall be passed for the protection of cred-itors against the fraudulent claims of debtors, for the punishment offraud, and for reaching property and funds of the debtor concealedfrom the creditor.
PUBLIC education.
Art. 224. There shall be free public schools established by the gen-eral assembly throughout the State for the education of all the childrenot the State between the ages of six and eighteen years; and the gen-eral assembly shall provide for their establishment, maintenance andsupport by taxation or otherwise. And all moneys so raised, exceptthe poll tax, shall be distributed to each parish in proportion to thenumber of children between the ages of six and eighteen years. D.1217 et seg.
Art. 225. There shall be elected by the qualified electors of theState a superintendent ot public education, who shall hold his officefor the term of four years, and until his successor is qualified. Hisduties shall be prescribed by law, and he shall receive an annual salaryof two thousand dollars. The aggregate annual expenses of his office,including his salary, shall not exceed the bum of three thousand dol-lars. The general assembly shall provide for the appointment ofparish boards of public education for the different parishes. Theparish boards may appoint a parish superintendent of public schoolsin their respective parishes, who shall be ex officio secretary of theparish board, and whose salary for his double functions shall notexceed two hundred dollars annually, except that in the parish ofOrleans the salary of the parish superintendent shall be fixed by thegeneral assembly, to be paid out of the public school fund accruingto each parish respectively.
Art. 226. The general exercises in the public schools shall be con*ducted in the English language, and the elementary branches taught
therein; provided, that these elementary branches may be also taughtin the French language in those parishes in the State or localities insaid parishes where the French language predominates, if noadditional expense is incurred thereby.
Art. 227. The funds derived from the collection of the poll taxshall be applied exclusively to the maintenance of the public schoolsas organized under this constitution, and shall be applied exclusivelyto support of the public schools in the parish in which the same shallbe collected; and shall be accounted for and paid by the collectingofficers directly to the competent school authorities of each parish.
Art. 228. No funds raised for the support of the public schools ofthe State shall be appropriated to or used for the support of anysectarian schools.
Art. 229. The school funds of this State shall consist of—i, theproceeds of taxation for school purposes, as provided in this constitu-tion; 2, the interest on the proceeds of all public lands heretoforegranted by the United States for the use and support of the publicschools; 3, of lands and other property which may hereafter bebequeathed, granted or donated to the State, or generally for schoolpurposes; 4, all funds or propeity, other than unimproved lands,bequeathed or granted to the State, not designated for other purposes;5, the proceeds of vacant estates falling under the law to the State ofLouisiana. The legislature may appropriate to same fund the pro-ceeds, in whole or in part, of public lands not designated for any otherpurpose, and shall provide that every parish may levy a tax for thepublic schools therein, which shall not exceed the State tax; provided^that with such tax the whole amount of parish taxes shall not exceedthe limits of parish taxation fixed by this constitution.
CONCERNING A STATE UNIVERSITY.
Art 230.* An act to foster, maintain and develop the University ofLouisiana, to that end to make the Board of Administrators of theTulane Education Fund, as presently constituted, with the additionof the Governor, Superintendent of Public Education, and Mayorof the city of New Orleans, as ex-officio members thereof, the Ad-ministrators of the University of Louisiana, which shall hereafterbe known as the '^Tulane University of Louisiana;" to investsaid Tulane Board with all the powers, privileges, franchises andimmunities now vested in the Board of Administrators of theUniversity of Louisiana; and with such other powers as may benecessary or pertinent to develop, control, foster and maintain itas a great University in the city of New Orleans. To give to theAdministrators of the Tulane Education Fund the control, man-agement and use of all the property of the University of Louisiana,in tlie city of New Orleans, for the purposes aforesaid: To ex-empt, in consequence of the terms of this act, and the dedicationof its revenues to the purposes stated in this act, all the property,real and personal, present and future, of the said Board of Ad-ministrators of the Tulane Education Fund, from all taxation,
*As amended in 1884.
whether State, ;;>arochial or municipal: To make a contract,irrevocable and conclu'^ive, between the State and the Adminis-trators of the Tulane Education Fund, covering the provisions ofthis act: To enable the said Board of Administrators of the"Tulane Education Fund " to decline to accept the provisions ofthis act, unless the same, in all its provisions, be ratified and ap-proved bj a constitutional amendment, to be submitted at thenext general election: To give said Board of Administrators ofthe " Tulane Education Fund," upon the adoption of said con-stitutional amendment, not only the full powers of administrationover the University of Louisiana conferred by this act, but alsothe power to create, develop and maintain a great University inthe city of New Orleans, which University so to be created shallperpetually be under their full and complete control: To enablesaid Board, should they act under the provisions of this act, pend-ing the submission of said constitutional amendment, to with-draw and relieve themselves from all the effects of said actionshould said proposed constitutional amendment be rejected, andto provide for the submission of a constitutional amendmentratifying the provisions of this act to the people of the State atthe next general election;Whereas, Paul Tulane, Esq., formerly a resident of this State, andnow of Princeton, New Jersey, with the beneficent purpose of foster-ing higher education in this State, did, in May, 1882, express to cer-tain citizens of this State his intention to donate for such purposesvaluable real estate to him belonging, situate in the city of New Or-leans; and,
Whereas, The citizens to whom the intentions of Paul Tulane, Esq.,were expressed, did, by act, before Chas. G. Andry, a notary publicin the city of New Orleans, organize themselves into a corporation,under the name of the "Administrators of the Tulane EducationFund," with the objects and purposes specified in said act of incor-poration; and,
Whereas, Since the formation of said corporation, Paul Tulane,Esq., in the execution of his previously expressed intention, hasdonated to said Administrators of the " Tulane Education Fund "nearly one million dollars, the revenues whereof are to be used forthe promotion and encouragement of intellectual, moral and indus-trial education, and has expressed his intention to largely increasesaid donation should this act be adopted; and,
Whereas, The said Board of Administrators of the " Tulane Educa-tion Fund," in order to make their work fruitful in results, haveexpressed their desire to take charge of the University of Louisiana,in the city of New Orleans, and to devote the revenues of the propertynow owned, or hereafter to be owned, by said Board, to its expansionand development; and upon the adoption of a constitutional amend-ment to that end, to apply all the revenues of property now owned,or hereafter to be acquired by them, to the creation and developmentin the city of New Orleans of a great University, whereby the bless-ings of higher education, intellectual, moral and industrial, may. begiven to the youth of this State; and,
Whereas, Under the terms of this action, as proposed bj said Board,the property of said Board, and the revenues thereof, will not be usedfor purpose of private or corporate income or profit, but will be ex-clusively dedicated to school purposes, and to the service of the Statein maintaining and developing the University of Louisiana, an insti-tution recognized in the Constitution, therefore entitling the saidproperty of said Board to exemption from all taxation, both State,parochial and municipal; therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana,
Section i. That the Board of Administrators of the University ofLouisiana shall hereafter, instead of the Board appointed as providedby section thirteen hundred and fifty-one (1351) of the RevisedStatutes, consist of the seventeen administrators of the " Tulane Edu-cation Fund," with power, perpetually, to fill any vacancy in theirown n\\xu}oQ.x\ provided, that the said Board shall, on the passage ofthis statute, recognize by formal notarial act the Governor of the State,the Superintendent of Public Education, and the Mayor of the city ofNew Orleans, as ex-officio members of said Board.
Sec. 2. Beit further enacted, etc., That the Board of Administratorsof the ''Tulane Education Fund," as Administrators of the Universityof Louisiana, shall have all the rights, powers, privileges, franchisesand immunities, now vested in tlie Board of Administrators of theUniversity of Louisiana by existing laws. That they shall furtherhave full direction, control, and administration of the University ofLouisiana, now established in the city of New Orleans, in all its de-partments as also of all the property belonging to the State of Louis-iana, and now dedicated to or used by the University of Louisiana aswell as of all property controlled or used by the said University ofLouisiana, and for the purposes thereof, and the Board of Adminis-trators of the University of Louisiana are hereby empowered and di-rected to turn over to the Board of Administrators of the " TulaneEducation Fund" all the property, rights, books, papers and ar-chives now under their administration or control; provided, that ifthe custody of the State library should be transferred to the TulaneUniversity of Louisiana, as herein established by the consolidation ofthe University of Louisiana at New Orleans with the Board of Ad-ministrators of the " Tulane Education Fund," as herein providedfor, through the University of Louisiana, at New Orleans, as it nowexists, or otherwise, it shall be on the express condition and agree-ment that the State of Louisiana may resume the custody and controlof said State Library, whenever it maybe deemed advisable; and pro-vided further, that after the establishment of the "Tulane Universityof Louisiana," as herein provided for, and after the transfer of thecustody of the State Library thereto as aforesaid, if the custodythereof shall be transferred to the "Tulane University of Louisiana,"as herein established, then and in that event, the State of Louisianashall be relieved of and released from all obligations to pay the salaryor compensation of the State Librarian or his assistants, as is now ormay hereafter be fixed by law, during the period said State Librarymay remain in the custody of said "Tulane University of Louisiana;"but that during said period the salary or compensation of said StateLibrarian shall be paid by the " Tulane University of Louisiana,"
An inventory shall be made ot all the property, movable and immova-ble, belonging to the University of Louisiana, and transferred by thisact to the control and administration of the Administration of theTulane Education Fund, by two appraisers to be appointed for thatpurpose by the Governor of the State and sworn, which appraisementshall be filed in the office ot the .Secretary of State, as evidencing thedescription and appraised value of the property so transferred, andalso in order that the liability of the said Administrators of theTulane Education Fund may not be extended beyond a return of theproperty, so transferred, in any contingency; provided further, thatthe property so transferred may not be sold or disposed of, exceptunder legislative sanction; provided further, that if the '' TulaneUniversity of Louisiana," as herein established, should cease to usethe property, and exercise the privileges, franchises and immunities,now under the control and administration of, and enjoyed by theUniversity of Louisiana, as now constituted and transferred by thisact for the exclusive purposes intended by this act, then and in thatevent the State of Louisiana shall have the right to resume the cus-tody, control and administration of*^said property, and the exerciseof said privileges, franchises and immunities.
Sec. 3. Be it enacted, etc., That the said Board of Administratorsof the "Tulane Education Fund," shall perpetually as Administratorsof the University of Louisiana as above provided, have full and com-plete control of all the property and rights, and now vested in theUniversity of Louisiana. The said Board shall have the powers aboveprovided in addition to those conferred by its charter, by act passedbefore Chas. G, Andry, Notary Public, in the city of New Orleans,on the 29th day of May, Anno Domini 1882, including the power tohold and own all real and personal property, now to said Board be-longing, or hereafter to be by it acquired, during its corporate exist-ence, for the purposes and objects of its being, or the revenueswhereof are to be solely applicable to such purposes.
Sec. 4. Be it enacted, etc., That in honor of Paul Tulane and inrecognition of his beneficent gifts and of their dedication to the pur-poses expressed in this act, the name of the University of Louisianabe and the same is hereby changed to that of the "Tulane Universityof Louisiana," under which name it shall possess all the powers, privi-leges, immunities and franchises, now vested in said University ofLouisiana, as well as such powers as may flow from this act or maybe vested in said Board, under the term of this act, from the adoptionof the Constitutional Amendment hereafter referred to. The purposeof this act being to invest the Board of Administrators of the" Tulane Education Fund " with all the rights now vested in the Uni-versity of Louisiana; to give said Board moreover complete controlof said University in all its departments, and in every respect, withall powers necessary or incidental to the exercise of said control.To enable said Board, besides the powers designated by this act, tohave irrevocably upon the adoption of said Constitutional Amend-ment, full power with the rights hereby conferred to create and de-velop a great University in the city of New Orleans to be named i^saforesaid. Said University to be established by the said Board ofAdministrators of the " Tulane Education Fund," to be dedicated to
the intellectual, moral and industrial education of the youth of theState, in accordance with the Charter of said Board of Administratorsof the "Tulane Education Fund."
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, etc., That in consideration of theagreement of said Board to develop and maintain the University ofLouisiana, and thereby dedicate its revenues not to purposes of pri-vate or corporate income or profit, but to the public purposes of de-veloping and maintaining the University of Louisiana, all the prop-erty of the said Board, present and future, be and the same is herebyrecognized as exempt from all taxation, State, parochial and munici-pal; this exemption to remain in force as long as the revenues of thesaid Board are directed to the maintenance of the University of Lou-isiana, as aforesaid, or until said Constitutional Amendment beadopted. The adoption of said amendment shall operate such ex-emption in consideration of the said Board expending their revenuesas aforesaid, or creating, maintaining and developing a great Univer-sity in the City of New Orleans; provided, that the property exemptedfrom taxation by this act shall not exceed in value five millions ofdollars, invested in real estate ifot otherwise exempted, which saidvalue shall be determined in the mode required by law for the assess-ment and valuation of property subject to taxation, it being the truemeaning and intent hereof, that all the property of the Tulane Uni-versity of Louisiana, of whatsoever character, shall be exemptedfrom taxation, State, parochial and municipal, except the excess ofreal estate belonging thereto, over and above the value of five milliondollars, as above stated.
Sec. 6. Be it further e?iacted, etc.. That in consideration of thevesting of the administration of the University of Louisiana in thesaid Administrators of the "Tulane Education Fund," of the trans-fer of the rights, powers, privileges, franchises and immunities of thesaid University to said Administrators, and of the exemption from alltaxation as hereinabove provided, the said Administrators herebyagree and bind themselves, with the revenues and income of theproperty heretofore given them by Paul Tulane, Esq., as well as fromthe revenues of all other property, real, personal or mixed, hereafterto be held, owned or controlled by them, for the purposes of educa-tion, to develop, foster and maintain, to best of their ability andjudgment, the University of Louisiana, hereafter to be known as the*' Tulane University of Louisiana," and upon the adoption of theConstitutional Amendment aforesaid, to perpetually use the powersconferred by this act, and all power vested in them, for the purposeof creating and maintaining in the city of New Orleans a great Uni-versity, devoted to the intellectual, moral and industrial educationand advancement of the youth of this State, under the terms of thedonation of Paul Tulane, and the previous provisions of this act.The said Board further agree and bind themselves to waive all legalclaim upon the State of Louisiana for any appropriation, as providedin the Constitution of this State, in favor of the University of Louis-iana. Besides the waiver of the claim, as aforesaid, as an additionalconsideration between the parties to this act, the said Board agreesto give continuously, in the academic department, free tuition to onestudent from each Senatorial and from each Representative district
or parish, to be nominated by its member in the General Assemblyfrom among the bona fide citizens and residents of his district orparish, who shall comply with the requirements for admission estab-lished by said Board. The meaning of this provision being that eachmember of the General Assembly, whether Senator or Representa-tive, shall have the right of appointing one student, in accordancewith the foregoing provisions. The free tuition herein providedfor shall continue until each student has graduated from the academicdepartment, unless his scholarship has ceased from other causes.Whenever a scholarship becomes vacant, from any cause, the Senatoror Representative who appointed the previous student, or his suc-cessor, shall, in the manner prescribed by this section, immediatelyname a successor.
Sec. 7. Be it further etmcted, etc., That this act, in all its provi-sions be and the same is hereby declared to be a contract between theState of Louisiana and the Administrators of the " Tulane Educa-tion Fund," irrevocably vesting the said Administrators of the '^ TulaneEducation Fund " with the powers, franchises, rights, immunitiesand exemptions herein enumerated and hereby granted, and irrevo-cably binding said administrators to develop, foster and maintain asabove provided, the University as aforesaid in the city of New Or-leans, subject to and in accordance with the terms of this act.
Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, etc., That this act, in all its terms,provisions and stipulations, without in any manner affecting thevalidity thereof, or casting any doubt upon its constitutionality,be submitted for ratification at the next general election by constitu-tional amendment, as hereinabove and hereinafter provided.
Sec. 9. Be it further efiacted, etc., That upon the passage and pro-mulgation of this act the said Administrators of the "Tulane Educa-tion Fund," shall have the right to avail themselves of the provisionsof this act pending the submission of the constitutional amendmentaforesaid. In case they should so elect to do, the said Administrators,upon the passage of this law and the promulgation thereof, shall givenotice of such intention to his Excellency, the Governor of this State,which notice shall authorize said Board to act under the provisionsof this act and to exercise all the powers, privileges, franchises, im-munities and rights which this act confers, and to undertake the per-formance of the duties by it imposed. In case the said ConstitutionalAmendment as aforesaid be not ratified, the said Board shall not inany way be held bound by its said action, but shall have the right torelieve itself of all liability growing out of such action by turningover to the Governor of the State, any property received by it fromthe State, or from the Administrators of the University of Louisiana,under the terms of this act, which to the extent of its imposing anyobligation on the said Administrators of the *'Tulane EducationFund," shall by said return, become null and void; provided, that thesaid Board may in the event of the defeat of the said ConstitutionalAmendment continue to secure and to avail themselves of the provi-sion of this act to the full extent that, the same are legal without con-stitutional enactment.
Sec. 10. Be it further enacted, etc., That Sections 1357, 1362, 1363,1365^ 1366, 1367, 1370, 1372, 1373 and 1374 of the Revised Statutes, be
and the same are hereby repealed, and that all laws and parts of lawsconflicting in any manner with the terms of this act, be and the sameare hereby repealed.
Sec. 11. Be it further enacted^ etc., That at the next general electionto be held in this State, there shall be submitted to the people of theState the following amendment to the Constitution: (The terms ofthe Act No. [here inserting the number of this act] adopted at thesession of the Legislature in the year 1884, are hereby ratified and ap-proved; and all provisions of the Constitution of 1879 repugnantthereto, or in any way impairing the passage thereof, are hereby re-pealed, so far as the operations of said act are concerned.)
Sec. 12. Be it further e?iacted, etc., That all electors who desire tovote at said election for said amendment, shall write or print upontheir ballots the words: '^For the Tulane Universit}' amendment,"and all electors who desire to vote at said election against said amend-ment shall write or print upon their ballots the words: "Against theTulane University amendment."
The Louisiana State university and agricultural and mechanicalcollege, now established and located in the city of Baton Rouge, ishereby recognized, and all revenues derived and to be derived from thesales of land or land scrip, donated by the United States to the State ofLouisiana, for the use of a seminary of learning and mechanical andagricultural college, shall be appropriated exclusively to the main-tenance and support of said university and agricultural and mechan-ical college; and the general assembly shall from time to time makesuch additional appropriations for the maintenance and support ofsaid Louisiana State university and agricultural and mechanical col-lege as the public necessities and the well-being of the people of theState of Louisiana may require, not to exceed ten thousand dollarsannually.
Art. 231. The general assembly shall also establish in the city ofNew Orleans a university for the education of persons of color, pro-vide for its proper government, and shall make an annual appropria-tion of not less than five thousand dollars nor more than ten thou-sand dollars for its maintenance and support.
Art. 232. Women over twenty-one years of age shall be eligibleto any ofiice of control or management under the school laws of thisState.
THE FREE SCHOOL FUND, SEMINARY FUND AND AGRICULTURAL ANDMECHANICAL COLLEGE FUND.
Art. 233. The debt due by the State to the free school fund ishereb}' declared to be the sum of one million one hundred and thirtythousand eight hundred and sixty-seven dollars and fifty-one cents inprincipal, and shall be placed on the books of the auditor and treas-urer to the credit of the several townships entitled to the same; thesaid principal being the proceeds of the sales of lands heretoforegranted by the United States for the use and support of free publicschools, which amount shall be held by the State as a loan, and shallbe and remain a perpetual fund, on which the State shall pay an an-nual interest of four per cent, from the first day of January, eighteen
hundred and eighty; and that said interest shall be paid to the sev-eral townships in the State entitled to the same in accordance withthe act of congress, number sixty-eight, approved February fifteenth,eighteen hundred and forty-three; and the bonds of the State hereto-fore issued, belonging to said fund and sold under act of the generalassembly, number eighty-one of eighteen hundred and seventy-two,are hereby declared null and void, and the general assembly shallmake no provision for their paymctnt, and may cause them to be de-stroyed. (D. 1313-1331.) The debt due by the State to the seminaryfund is hereby declared to be one hundred and thirty-six thousanddollars, being the proceeds of the sales of lands heretofore grantedby the United States to this State for the use of a seminary of learn-ing. And said amount shall be placed to the credit of said fund onthe books of the auditor and treasurer of the State as a perpetualloan, and the State shall pay an annual interest of four per cent, onsaid amount from January first, eighteen hundred and eighty, for theuse of said seminary of learning. And the consolidated bonds of theState now held for use of said fund shall be null and void after thefirst day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty, and the generalassembly shall never make any provision for their payment, and theyshall be destroyed in such manner as the general assembly may direct.The debt due by the State to the agricultural and mechanical collegefund is hereby declared to be the sum of one hundred and eighty-twothousand three hundred and thirteen dollars and three cents, beingthe proceeds of the sales of lands and land scrip heretofore grantedby the United States to this State for the use of a college for the ben-efit of agriculture and the mechanic arts. Said amounts shall beplaced to the credit of said fund on the books of the auditor andtreasurer of the State as a perpetual loan, and the State shall pay anannual interest of five per cent, on said amount from January first,eighteen hundred and eighty, for the use of said agricultural andmechanical college. The consolidated bonds of the State now heldby the State for the use of said fund shall be null and void after thefirst day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty, and the generalassembly shall never make any provision for their payment, and theyshall be"^destroyed in such manner as the general assembly may direct.The interest provided for by this article shall be paid out of any taxthat may be levied and collected for the general purposes of publiceducation.
CORPORATIONS AND CORPORATE RIGHTS.
Art. 234. The general assembly shall not remit the forfeiture ofthe charter of any corporation now existing, nor renew, alter oramend the same, nor pass any general or special law for the benefitof such corporation, except upon the condition that such corporationshall thereafter hold its charter subject to the provisions of this con-stitution. C. C. 427-447, 677-746; Act 1880, No. 79.
Art. 235. The exercise of the police power of the State shallnever be abridged or so construed as to permit corporations to con-duct their business in such manner as to infringe the equal rights ofindividuals or the general well-being of the State.
Art. 236. No foreign corporation shall do any business in thisState without having one or more known places ot business, and anauthorized agent- or agents in the State, upon whom process may beserved. D. 735.
Art. 237. No corporation shall engage in any business other thanthat expressly authorized in its charter or incidental thereto; norshall it take or hold any real estate for a longer period than ten years,except such as may be necessary and proper for its legitimate busi-ness or purposes. C. C. 433; D. 681, 682; Act 1880, No. 79.
Art. 238. No corporation shall issue stock nor bonds except forlabor done or money or property actually received; and all fictitiousissues of stock shall be void, and any corporation issuing such ficti-tious stock shall forfeit its charter. C. C. 433; D. 692.
Art. 239. The stock shall not be increased, except in pursuance ofgeneral laws, nor without consent of persons holding the largeramount in value of the stock first obtained, at a meeting of stock-holders to be held after thirty days' notice given in pursuance oflaw. D. 687.
Art. 240. The term corporation as used in this constitution shallbe construed to include all joint stock companies or associations hav-ing any power or privileges not possessed by individuals or partner-ships.
Art. 241. It shall be a crime, the nature and punishment of whichshall be prescribed by law, for any president, director, manager,cashier, or other officer or owner of any private or public bank orbanking institution to assent to the reception of deposits, or the cre-ation of debts by such banking institution after he shall have hadknowledge of the fact that it is insolvent or in failing circumstances.Any such officer, agent or manager shall be individually responsiblefor such deposits so received, and all such debts so created with hisassent. D. 809-832.
Art. 242. The general assembly shall have power to enact generallaws authorizing the parochial or municipal authorities of the State,under certain circumstances, by a vote of the majority of the propertytaxpayers in numbers and in value, to levy special taxes in aid of pub-lic improvements or railway enterprises; provided^ that such tax shallnot exceed the rate of five mills per annum, nor extend for a longerperiod than ten years. D. 711-714; Act 1880, No. 78.
Art. 243. Any railroad corporation or association organized forthe purpose shall have the right to construct and operate a railroadbetween any points within this State, and connect at the State linewith railroads of other States. Every railroad company shall havethe right with its road to intersect, connect with or cross any otherrailroad, and shall receive and transport each the other's passengers,tonnage and cars, loaded or empty, without delay or discrimination.
Art. 244. Railways heretofore constructed or that may hereafterbe constructed in this State are hereby declared public highways,and railroad companies common carriers. D. 466, 1697; C. C.2745» 2751.
Art. 245. Every railroad or other corporation, organized or doingbusiness in this State under the laws or authority thereof, shall haveand maintain a public office or place in this State for the transaction
of its business, where transfers of stock shall be made, and whereshall be kept for public inspection books, in which shall be recordedthe amount of capital stock subscribed, the names of owners of stock,the amount owned by them respectively, the amounts of stock paidand by whom, the transfers of said stock, with the date ot transfer,the amount of its assets and liabilities, and the names and places ofresidence of its officers. C. C. 38.
Art. 246. If any railroad company organized under the laws of thisState shall consolidate, by sale or otherwise, with any railroad com-pany organized under the laws of any other State or of the UnitedStates, the same shall not thereby become a foreign corporation; butthe courts of this State shall retain jurisdiction in all matters whichmay arise, as if said consolidation had not taken place. In no caseshall any consolidation take place except upon public notice of atleast sixty days to all stockholders, in such manner as may be pro-vided by law.
Art. 247. General laws shall be enacted providing for the creationof private corporations, and shall therein provide fully for the ade-quate protection of the public and of the individual stockholder. D.677-746; C. C.427-447.
Art. 24S. The police juries of the several parishes and the consti-tuted authorities of all incorporated municipalities of the State shallalone have the power ot regulating the slaughtering of cattle andother live stock within rheir respective limits; provided^ no monopolyor exclusive privilege shall exist in this State, nor such business berestricted to the land or houses of any individual or corporation;provided, the ordinances designating the places for slaughtering shallobtain the concurrent approval of the board of health or othersanitary organization. D. 2743, 3033.
PAROCHIAL AFFAIRS AND BOUNDARIES.
Art. 249. The general assembly may establish and organize newparishes, which shall be bodies corporate, with such powers as maybe prescribed by law; but no new parish shall contain less than sixhundred and twenty-five square miles, nor less than seven thousandinhabitants; nor shall any parish be reduced below that area or num-ber of inhabitants.
Art. 250. All laws changing parish lines or removing parish seatsshall, before taking effect, be submitted to the electors of the parishor the parishes to be affected thereby, at a special election held forthat purpose, and be adopted by a majority of votes of each parishcast at such election.
Art. 251. Any parish may be dissolved and merged by the generalassembly into a contiguous parish or parishes, two-thirds of thequalified electors of the parish proposed to be dissolved voting infavor thereof at an election held for that purpose; provided^ thateach of the parishes into which the dissolved parish proposes tobecome incorporated consents thereto by a majority of its qualifiedelectors voting therefor.
Art. 252. Whenever a parish shall be enlarged or created from ter-ritory contiguous thereto it shall be entitled to a just proportion of
the property and assets and liable for a just proportion of the exist-ing debts or liabilities of the parish or parishes from which such ter-ritory shall be taken.
THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
Art. 253. The citizens of the city of New Orleans or any politicalcorporation which may be created within its limits shall have theright of appointing the several public officers necessary for theadministration of the police of said city, pursuant to the mode ofelection which shall be provided by the general assembly.
Art. 254. The general assembly at its next session after the adop-tion of this constitution shall enact such legislation as may be properto liquidate the indebtedness of the city of New Orleans, and applyits assets to the satisfaction thereof. It shall have authority to cancelthe charter of said city, and remit its inhabitants to another form ofgovernment if necessary. In any such new form of government nosalary shall exceed three thousand five hundred dollars. Act 1S80,No. 74.
Art. 255. The general assembly shall pass necessary laws to pre-vent sailors or others of the crew of foreign vessels from working onthe wharves and levees of the city of New Orleans; provided^ thereis no treaty between the United States and foreign powers to thecontrary.
AMENDMENT AND REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Art. 256. Propositions for the amendment of this constitutionmay be made by the general assembly at any session thereof; and iftwo-thirds of all the members elected to each house shall concurtherein, after such proposed amendments have been read in suchrespective houses, on three separate days, such proposed amend-ment or amendments, together with the yeas and nays thereon,shall be entered on the journal, and the secretary of State shall causethe same to be published in two newspapers published in the parishof Orleans, and in one paper in each other parish of the State inwhich a newspaper is published, for three months preceding thenext election for representatives, at which time the said amendmentor amendments shall be submitted to the electors for their approvalor rejection; and if a majority voting on said amendment or amend-ments shall approve and ratify the same, then such amendment oramendments, so approved and ratified, shall become a part of theconstitution. When more than one amendment shall be submittedat the same time they shall be so submitted as to enable the electorsto vote on each amendment separately. The result of said electionshall be made known by the proclamation of the governor.
SCHEDULE.
Art. 257. The constitution of this State, adopted in eighteen hun-dred and sixty-eight, and all amendments thereto, is declared to besuperseded by this constitution; and in order to carry the same intoeffect it is hereby declared and ordained as follows*
Art. 258. All rights, actions, prosecutions, claims and contracts, aswell of individuals as of bodies corporate, and all laws in force at thetime of the adoption of this constitution and not inconsistent there-with, shall continue as if the said constitution had not been adopted.But the monopoly features in the charter of any corporation nowexisting in the State, save such as may be contained in the charters ofrailroad companies, are hereby abolished.
Art. 259. In order that no inconvenience may result to the publicservice from the taking effect of this constitution, no office shall besuperseded thereby; but the laws of the State relative to the duties ofthe several officers—executive, judicial and military—shall remain infull force, though the same be contrary to this constitution; and theseveral duties shall be performed by the respective officers of theState, according to the existing laws, until the organization of thegovernment under this constitution, and the entering into office ofthe new officers to be appointed or elected under said government,and no longer.
Art. 260. Appointments to office by the executive under this con-stitution shall be made by the governor, to be elected under itsauthority.
Art. 261. All causes in which appeals have been or may be here-after taken or now pending in the supreme court, under the constitu-tion of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and of which jurisdictionhas been vested by this constitution in the courts of appealj shallafter the adoption of this constitution, be transferred for trial to thecourt of appeal of the circuit from which the appeal has been or maybe taken. All other causes that may be pending in the supreme court,under the constitution of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, shall betransferred to the supreme court created by this constitution as soonas it shall be organized. All causes that may be pending in all othercourts, under the constitution of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight,upon the adoption of this constitution and the organization of thecourts created by this constitution, shall be transferred to the courtsrespectively having jurisdiction thereof under this constitution.
Art. 262. Immediately after the adjournment of this conventionthe governor shall issue his proclamation, directing the several offi-cers of the State, authorized by law to hold elections for members ofthe general assembly, to open and hold a poll in every parish in theState, at the places designated by law, upon the first Tuesday in themonth of December next, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, forthe purpose of taking the sense of the good people of this State inregard to the adoption or rejection of this constitution; and it shallbe the duty of said officers to receive the votes of all persons entitledto vote under the constitution of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight.Each voter shall express his opinion by depositing in the ballot box aticket, whereon shall be written or printed, ^^ for the constitution,"or " against the constitution," or some such words as will distinctlyconvey the intention of the voter. It shall also be the duty of thegovernor in his said proclamation to direct the said officers author-ized by law to hold elections to open and hold a poll at the above •stated time and places for the election of governor, lieutenant-gov-ernor, members of the general assembly, secretary of State, attor-
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ney-general, State auditor and superintendent of public education,and of all other officers whose election by the people is provided forin this constitution; and the names of the persons voted for shallbe written or printed on the same ticket and deposited in the samebox as the votes for or against the constitution. And the said electionfor the adoption or rejection of the constitution and for the said offi-cers shall be conducted and the returns thereof made in conformitywith existing laws upon the subject of State elections. Upon receiptof the said returns, or the last Monday in December, eighteen hun-dred and seventy-nine, if the returns be not sooner received it shallbe the duty of the governor, lieutenant-governor, the secretary ofState and the attorney-general, in the presence of all such persons asmay choose to attend, to compile the votes given at the said polls forratification and rejection of this constitution; and if it shall appearfrom said returns that a majority of all the votes given on the questionof adoption and rejection of the constitution is for ratifying thisconstitution, then it shall be the duty of the governor to make imme-diate proclamation of that fact, and thenceforth this constitution shallbe ordained and established as the constitution of the State of Louis-iana, and the general assembly elected in eighteen hundred andseventy-eight shall thereupon be dissolved. Whethsr this constitutionbe adopted or rejected it shall be the duty of the governor to cause tobe published in the official paper of the convention the result of thepolls, showing the number of votes cast in each parish for and againstthe said constitution. If the constitution be ratified it shall be theduty of the secretary of State to examine and compile the returnsand publish the result of the election of officers herein ordained,and in the manner provided by existing laws.
Art. 363. The general assembly first elected under this constitution shall convene in the city of New Orleans upon the second Mon-day in January next, eighteen hundred and eighty, after the election,and the governor and lieutenant-governor elected shall be dulyinstalled in office during the first week of the session, and before itshall be competent for the said general assembly to proceed with thetransaction of business beyond their own organization.
Art. 264. The State auditor, attorney-general, secretary of Stateand superintendent of public education, elected at the first electionherein provided for, shall enter upon the discharge of the duties oftheir respective offices on the second Monday of January, eighteenhundred and eighty, after complying with the requisites of existinglaws; and all other officers whose election or appointment is providedfor by this constitution shall enter upon the discharge of the dutiesof their respective offices on the first Monday of April, eighteenhundred and eighty, after complying with the requirements of exist-ing laws; until which period all officers under the constitution ofeighteen hundred and sixty-eight shall receive the pay and emolu-ments provided for under said constitution; provided^ that the pay ofthe officers elected or appointed under this constitution shall notcommence until after their induction into office. The State treasurerelected in November, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, shall con-tinue in office as if elected at the election to be held on the firstTuesday in December, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine; but the
salary of said officer shall be as established by this constitution fromand after the second Monday in January, eighteen hundred andeighty.
Art. 265. The time of service of all officers chosen by the peopleat the first election under this constitution shall terminate as thoughthe election had been holden on the first Tuesday after the first Mon-day in April, eighteen hundred and eighty.
Art. 266. The judges of the courts of appeal, district judges, cityjudges, district attorney, coroner, clerks of courts, sheriffs, recorderof mortgages and register of conveyances, all of w^hose election andappointment are provided for by this constitution, in the parish ofOrleans, shall only enter on the discharge of the duties of their re-spective offices on the first Monday of August, eighteen hundred andeighty, and the present incumbents shall continue until then in theperformance of the duties of their respective offices and the enjoy-ment of the emoluments thereof as now prescribed by law.
Art. 267. The general assembly is required to make provision forpaying J. H. Gosgrove, printer of the convention, for the balance duehim for work done previous to adjournment, and for all work thatmay be done by him after adjournment of the convention by its direc-tion; and shall make a special appropriation to liquidate the debtwhich this convention has contracted, authorizing the fiscal agent ofthe State to negotiate a loan of twenty-five thousand dollars; and alsofor the payment of such vouchers as may be issued by the chairmanof the committee on contingent expenses, under the authority of thisconvention, in excess of the foregoing appropriation, for the purposeof enabling this convention to complete its work; provided, saidvouchers are approved by the president of the convention.
Art. 268. There shall not be any municipal election in the cities ofNew Orleans and Shreveport in December, eighteen hundred andseventy-nine. The general assembly shall provide for a municipalelection in the city of New Orleans or such municipal corporationsas may be created within the territorial limits of the parish of Orleansduring the year eighteen hundred and eighty. The general assemblymay fix the time for a municipal election in the city of Shreveportbefore April, eighteen hundred and eighty-four.
MISCELLANEOUS ORDINANCES.
Relief of Deli?iqueni Taxpayers.
Art. I. Be it ordai?ied by the people of the State of Louisiana inconvention assembled^ All interests, penalties, costs, fees and chargeswhatever on taxes and licenses due the State, or any political corpora-tion therein, prior to the first day of January, eighteen hundred andseventy-nine, and yet unpaid, are remitted, and all property forfeitedto the State or any political corporation on account of non-payment oftaxes or licenses, or to which the State or any political corporation nowhas a title, shall be redeemable, and the title to the State or any politi-cal corporation thereto annulled, upon the payment by the debtor orany interested party of the principal of all taxes and licenses that maybe due thereon at the datejof redemption, and this right of redemption
shall continue until the first day of January, eighteen hundred andeighty-one. In the event the principal of said taxes and licenses is notpaid by said time, the interest, penalties, costs, fees and charges here-inbefore remitted shall revive and attach to the property upon whichthe taxes and licenses are due, and such property shall be then soldin the manner to be provided by law, and the title of the purchasersshall be full and complete; provided^ that nothing herein containedshall be construed as affecting the rights of third persons who mayhave purchased property, legally assessed and sold at tax sales, orfrom the State or any political corporation after the same was legallyforfeited to or purchased by the State or such corporation; and pro-vided further^ that nothing in this ordinance shall be taken as grant-ing any time for the payment of the principal of said taxes andlicenses; ajidprovided further^ that interest shall accrue and be col-lected on the principal of said delinquent taxes and licenses at therate of eight per cent, per annum from January first, eighteen hun-dred and eighty; and on all said taxes and licenses paid a discount often per cent, per annum shall be allowed from the date of payment toJanuary first, eighteen hundred and eighty-one. (Act 1880, No. 49,93, 107.) That all taxes and licenses due the State prior toJanuary first, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, may be paid asfollows: I. That portion of said taxes and licenses due the generalfund and all other funds, except as hereinafter provided, in any validauditor's warrants outstanding at the date of the adoption of this consti-tution, except all warrants issued prior to the first of January, eighteenhundred and seventy-four, and also all warrants issued from the firstof January, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, to first of January,eighteen hundred and seventy-five, for other purposes than for salariesof constitutional officers, or for the support of charitable institutionsfor the year eighteen hundred and seventy-four. That at the optionof the holders of any of said warrants the said warrants may befunded in bonds of the denomination of five dollars, with interestcoupons attached thereto, at the rate of three per cent, per annuminterest from the first day of July, eighteen hundred and eighty; thesaid bonds to be due and payable six years from the first day of Jan-uary, eighteen hundred and eighty; the said coupons being payableat the State treasury on the first day of February and August of eachyear. All moneys received in the treasury for all taxes and licensesdue the State prior to the first day of January, eighteen hundred andseventy-nine, except such as are otherwise provided for by this ordi-nance, shall be set aside to pay the interest on said five dollar bonds,and to provide a sinking fund to redeem the same. The bonds aboveprovided and interest coupons shall also be receivable for amounts dueto the State for the redemption or purchase of property which hasbeen forfeited or sold to the State for delinquent taxes and licenses ofany of the years named in this article. The bonds so issued shall bereceivable for the said taxes and licenses and the obligations of thepublic charitable institutions of the State given for purchase of neces-sary supplies of food, clothing, medicine and hire of employes. 2.That portion of said taxes and licenses due the interest fund subse-quent to January, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, in any maturedcoupons issued by the State since that date. 3. That portion of said
tax due the levee fund since the year eighteen hundred and seventj-one to the year eighteen hundred and seventy-six, inclusive of bothyears, in any valid warrants issued by the levee company and endorsedby the auditor and treasurer of the State as follows: "Receivable forlevee tax due for eighteen hundred and seventy-one to eighteen hun-dred and seventy-six inclusive;" and the auditor and treasurer arehereby authorized to so endorse warrants issued by the levee company,as provided above, to an amount sufficient to cover the balance due onthe judgment recovered by said company in the case entitled Louis-iana Levee Company vs. the State of Louisiana, No. 7163 in the su-preme court of Louisiana.
Be it further ordauied, etc., That no auditor's warrants shall betaken as valid for the purpose of payment of taxes and licenses or forfunding, as hereinbefore prescribed, until the same shall have beenexamined by the auditor, treasurer and attorney-general of the State,and endorsed by them as valid. Said warrants when so endorsed, maybe surrendered to said officers and by them registered and canceled;and in lieu thereof said auditor and treasurer shall issue certificatesin sums of five, ten, twenty or fifty dollars, as may be desired by theholder of said warrants, which shall be receivable for all taxes andlicenses due the State prior to January the first, eighteen hundred andseventy-nine, except the taxes due the interest fund and levee fund.
Beit further ordained, That all taxes and licenses due any parishor municipal corporation prior to January first, eighteen hundred andseventy-nine, may be payable in any valid warrants, scrip or floatingindebtedness of said parish or municipal corporation, except judg-ments.
INDEBTEDNESS OF THE STATE TO ITS FISCAL AGENT.
Be it ordained by the people of the State of Louisiana in conventionassembled, That the debt due from the State to its fiscal agent, beingin amount one hundred and eighty-seven thousand, seventy-seven dol-lars and twenty-four cents, subject to such reduction as may resultfrom credits arising out of taxes due to the interest fund since Junethe thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, which said debt wascreated under the contract made between the board of liquidators andthe fiscal agent, under date of the twenty-fifth of May, eighteen hun-dred and seventy-seven, and under act number twenty-eight, sessionof the legislature of eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, is herebydeclared to be a valid obligation of the State; and the legislatureshall, at its first session after the adoption of this constitution, pro-vide for the payment of the same; and the fiscal agent shall, as a con-dition precedent to said payment, surrender and deliver to the auditorof the State for cancellation the interest coupons which were takenup and held by said fiscal agent at the time of making the advanceswhich created'the said indebtedness; but the interest to be allowedsaid fiscal agent shall be at the rate of four per cent, per annum untilthe debt is paid.
LOAN BY FISCAL AGENT.
Article i. Be it ordained by the people of the State of Louisiana inconvention assembled, That the fiscal agent of this State shall be and
316 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
is hereby empowered, by authority of this convention, to negotiate aloan of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may benecessary, at seven per cent, per annum, to defray the residue of theexpenses of this convention not provided for by the act of the gen-eral assembly calling this convention, and to enable the conventionto complete the work of framing the new constitution.
Art. 2. The said loan shall be evidenced by certificates of indebt-edness, signed by the president of this convention and countersignedby the secretary thereof, under seal of this convention, in sums offive hundred dollars or under, bearing seven per cent, per annum in-terest from the date of such certificates until paid, and payable onthe fifteenth day of March, A. D. eighteen hundred and eighty, atthe State National Bank of New Orleans, in the city of New Orleans.
Art. 3. The first general assembly convened under this constitu-tion shall make a special appropriation to liquidate the debt whichthis convention has contracted or may contract, as per ordinanceadopted authorizing the fiscal agent ot the State to negotiate a loanof twenty-five thousand dollars for the purpose of enabling this con-vention to complete the work of framing this constitution.
STATE DEBT.*
Article i. Be it ordained by the people of the State of Louisiana^as provided by law, That the State debt ordinance read as follows:That the interest to be paid on the consolidated bonds of the State ofLouisiana be and is hereby fixed at two per centum per annum forfive years, from January i, 1880, and four per centum per annumthereafter, payable semi-annually; and there shall be levied an an-nual tax suflScient for the full payment of said interest, not exceed-ing three mills, the limit of State tax tor all purposes being herebyfixed at six mills, and said bonds and coupons shall be duly stamped:'^ Interest reduced to two per centum per annum for five years fromJanuary i, 1880, and four per centum thereafter."
Art. 2. That the holders of the consolidated bonds may at anytime, in order that the coupons may be paid, present their bonds tothe treasurer of the State, or to agents to be appointed by the gover-nor in the city of New York and the other in the city of Lon-don, and the said treasurer or agents, as the case may be, shall en-dorse or stamp thereon the words: "Interest reduced to two percentum per annum for five years from January i, 1880, and four percentum per annum thereafter," and said treasurer or agents shallendorse or stamp on said coupons the following words: "Interestreduced to two per centum per annum," 01 "Interest reduced tofour per centum per annum," as the case may be."
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the foregoing provisionsand articles shall not form any part of the constitution, except ashereafter provided, as follows: At the election, as provided by law, itshall be lawful for each voter to have printed or written on his ballotthe words "for amendment to ordinance relative to State debt," orthe words, "against amendment to ordinance relative to State debt;"
* As amended in 1882.
CONSTITUTION. 317
and in the event that a majority of ballots so cast be for the amend-ment to ordinance relative to State debt, then the said foregoingpro-visions and articles of this amendment shall form a part of the con-stitution, as if the same had been originally so ratified; and if amajority of the ballots so cast shall have on them the words, '^ againstthe amendment to ordinance relative to State debt," then said pro-visions and articles shall form no part of the constitution.
PAGE.
Aaron Burr 165-66
Abadie 113
Acadians..ii4,ii5,i35,i62,i64,
223,250, 256
Aime Valcour 202
"Alabamma Mingo " 96
Allen, H. W 235
Almonaster Don Andres 137
Americus Vespucius 2
Annochy Indians 34, 38
Apalaches 58, 62
Apalachicola 58
Area 253
Arkansas Indians 14, 19
Arkansas, Ram 221
Armant, Col 225
Ascantia Bayou 43
Aubrj 114, 120, 128
Audubon 254
Austrian Succession, war of.. 108
Bailey, Joseph 234
Baker, Joshua 238
Banks, N. P 226, 228, 234, 242
Barataria 174
Barbe, Marbois 150
Bastrop 144
Baton Rouge, 41, 80, 167, 168,
198, 200, 211, 220
Bayougoula Indians 34, 38
Berwick Bay 226
Bienville 29, 48, 54, 90, 98,
100, 107, 108
Biloxi, Fort 47, 57
Biloxi, New 84
Capital of Colony 83
Black Code 90
Boisblanc 116, 125, 127
Boisbriant 49
Bor6, Etienne de 142, 143
Borgne, Lake, Battle of 178
Bouligny, Francisco 145
Braud, D 116, 125
Breckinridge, John C 221, 222
PAGE.
Butler, Benj. F 217, 216
Cabildo 153,155, 192
Caddodaquois 55
Cadillac, Lamothe 71
Calhoun, John C 210
Canada 8
Canal, Carondelet 144
Capital—
Donaldsonville 198
New Orleans 198
Baton Rouge 198
Shreveport 235
Capuchins, French and Span-ish 129
Caresse, Pierre 127
Carnival 247
Carondelet, Francois Louis
Hector, Baron 139
Carroll, Major-General 186
Casa Calvo 146,152, 154
Cat Island 32
Cattle 164, 255
Cession to Spain 112
Chalmette 218
Chandeleur Islands 31
Charity Hospital 107
Chateauguay 49, 91
Chepart 93
Chickasaws .58, 99, 104
Churchill, General 232
Civil War 209, 236
Company of the West or Mis-sissippi ,77
Constitutions--
Of 1811-12 170
Of 1845 204
Of 18^2 207
Of 1864 272
Of 1868 238, 242
Of 1879 242, 259
Cote des Allemands ' 88
Cotton 164,185,194,203,218,
249, 254
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.
PAGE.
Cotton Seed 50
Council, Superior and In-ferior 77
Crevecoeur Fort i7
Crozat, Antoine de 70
D'Aquin, Major 181, 186
D'Artaguette, Diron 67
D'A-rtaguette, Commandant
of the Illinois 100, 103
Davion, Father 62
Davis, Jefferson 213
DeBore 151,153,157, 202
DeClouet, Chevalier 136
DeGraff, Lawrence 29
De LaChaise 85
Auguste 142
Democrats 238, 240
DeMuys 67, 68
Derbigny 158, 200
DeSoto, Hernando 5, 7
Dominique, Captain..i76,i86, 191
Doucet 119
Dueling 205
Duvergier 90
Eads, Jas. B 243
Education—
College of Orleans 167
Public Schools ¦.... 167
University at Baton Rouge.. 200
Jefferson College 201
Tulane 208
Emancipation 229
England Seizes American
Sailors 172
English Turn 48
Epinaj, de 1', Governor 75
Evangeline 256
Exposition, Cotton Cen-tennial 246
Farragut, David G 216, 220
Filibusters 35
Filles a la Cassette 93
Flanders, B. F 238
Florida ....2, 3
Forstal, Nicholas 136
Fort Bowyer 173
Fort Butte a la Rose 226
Fort de Russy 230
Fort Jackson 216
Fort Pike, Petites Coquilles.. 178
Fort, Spanish 178
PAGE.
Fort St. Philip 178, 189, 216
Fort Sumter 213
Fortier 151, 153
Foster, Murphy J 248
Foucault, Father 62
Foucault, Royal Commissary.. 125
Fournet, Colonel 223
France Buys Louisiana....148, 152
Frontenac, Count of 11
Fort t6
Fruits 254
Fuller, Captain 226
Galvez, Don Bernardo 130
Gas, Introduction in New Or-leans 198
Gayarre 117, 167, 208
Gayoso, Governor 145
Geological features 253
Germans 162, 185
Gettysburg, Battle of 229
Gibbs, General 187
Grande Terre 174
Gravier, Father James 62
Green, General Thomas
227, 230, 232
Gypsum 255
Hahn, Michael 235
Hall, Dominic 157, 192
Hebert, Paul 208
Hennepin 18
Holt, Joseph 245
Houmas 42, 80
Hubert 90
Iberville, Pierre Lemoyne d'
27,56, 59
Iberville Bayou 43
Immigrants 249, 255
Indians 6,12,14,19,20,34,38,
39,42,50,58,62,71,72,80,88,
93,96, 164
Inquisition 137, 138
Islingues 136, 163
Jackson, Andrew 173, 176
179,181, 187, 191
Jackson Square 152, 191
Jefferson, Thomas 149, 156
Jesuits 92
Jetties 243
Johnson, Henry 199
Johnson, Isaac 205
Joliet, Louis 10, 11
INDEX.
321
PAGE.
Jones, Thomas Ap Catesby.... 178
Joutel 25, 28
Jumonville, de Villiers no
Jury, trial by 159
Kappas Indians 14, 19
Keane, General 183, 187
Kellogg, William P 239, 240
Kennon, Beverly 217
Kentuckians 185
Kerlerec, de, Governor 109
Labadieville 225
Lacoste.. 186
Lafayette 197
Lafittes 174, 176
Lafreniere 116, 121^
Lake Borgne 178
Lambert 188
La Ronde 180
Laussat 150
La Salle 21, 25
Law, John 76
Lee 229, 234
Legislature 157
Leon, Ponce de 3
Lesassier 120
Levees 109, 2^4
Lincoln 213
Literature 250
Lottery 247
Louis XIV 70
Louis XV 70
Louisiana, named i, 21
45, 70, 112
Sold to France 148
Purchased 149
Limits in 1803 155
Division 156
Territory 157
State 170
Secedes , 212
Reconstructed 238
Lovell, M. S 219
Manchac 41, 80
Mansfield 231
Marquette, Jacques 11, 15
Maison Rouge, Marquis de.... 144
Marquis, Pierre 122, 125, 127
Masan 125
Massacre Island 31
Changed to Dauphin 80
Matagorda Bay.. 25
PAGE.
Maurepas Fort 50
Maurepas Lake 44
Maurepas, Jerome, count of.. 26
Mauvilla Indians 6
McEnery, S. D 242, 245
McEnery, J 240
Metropolitan Police 238
Mexican War 206
Milhet, Jean 116, 125, 127
Milhet, Joseph 116, 125, 127
Miro, Estevan i33"39
Mississippi Bubble 85
Mississippi River i, 2,3,8,
. 12, 133, 162, 216, 217Mobile Bay 30
Fort St. Louis de la 59
Mongoulacha Indians ..34, 39, 71
Monroe, James 149
Monroe, Mayor 218
Moore, Thos. 0 212, 223
Morgan, Thos 202
Morgan, General 188
Mouton, Alex 204, 211
Mouton, Alfred 224, 227, 230
Mumford, W. B 219
Napoleon 148, 160
Narvaez 4
Natchez 20, 50, 72, 88, 93, 96
Natchitoches 54, 71, 75
Necessity Fort no
Negro Insurrection 144
Negroes 178, 181, 186, 191,
203, 229, 237, 240New Orleans 38, 79, 86, 80, 219
Battle of 183
Nicholls, F. T 240, 241, 247
Noyan de Bienville 91, 125
Ogden, F. N 239
Oranges 50, 254
O'Reilly 121, 128
Orleans, Duke of 70
Packard 240
Pakenham 183, 189
Panmure Fort 113
Parishes 162, 203, 253, 257
Pascagoula 34, 80
Pauger 85, 87
Pennicault 69
Pensacola 30, 81, 131, 88
Ferier governor 92-
Perique 254
HISTORY OF LOUISIANA,
PAGE.
Pinchback, P. B. S 238
Pineda 3
Plauche, Mayor 181, 186
Pleasant Hill 232
Polignac, Prince 230, 231
Pontchartrain, Count Louis
de 26, 44
Porter, D. D 216, 230, 232, 234
Port Hudson 222, 226, 228
Poupet 127
Poydras 157, 163, 170
Public Domain 199
Quarantine 245
Quincj, Josiah 169
Quinipissa Indians 38, 39
Railroad, First 198
Reconstruction 237
Rice 249, 254
Red River 7, 20
Right of Deposit 142, 146
Robertson, Thos. B 199
Roman, Governor 200
Rosalie, Fort 71, 75
Salcedo 149, 152
Salt Mines.. 224, 253
Sauvole 29, 56
Secession 170, 210, 212
Secession, Right of 235
Sedella, Antonio de 137, 138
Serignj, de 81
Ship Island 31
Slaves—
Insurrection of 144, 168
Introduction Forbidden 157
Slavery Abolished 237
Smith, A. J 230
Smith, Kirby 226, 232, 233
Soil 253
Spain sells Louisiana 148
Speculation 196, 201
Steamboat, First 171
St. Denis 49, 55, 63
St. Ildefonso, Treaty 148 |
PAGE.
St. Louis, Bay 80
Sugar Cane—
First planted 49
Refining 201
Cultivated by Jesuits 109
Increased Cultivation 203
Sugar Making 113, 143
Supreme Court, Seizure of.... 241
Taylor, Geneial Z 206
Taylor, General Richard..223, 237
Teche 225, 230
Tensas village and Indians..51, 52
Tonty, Henri de 39, 50, 66
Treaty of St. Ildefonso 148
Treaty of Madrid 142
Treaty of Utrecht 72
Ulloa 117, 121
University, see Education.
Unzaga, Don Luis de 128, 130
Ursulines Sisters 92
Utrecht, treaty of 72
Vaudreuil, Marquis de 107
Vicksburg 227-28
Villere, Joseph..116, 125, 126, 127
Villere, Gov. James 194-95
Villere, Major 180
Walker, Governor 207
War 1812 172
War, Mexican 205
War, Civil 209-236
Warmoth, H. C 238
Washington Artillery 214
Webster, Dan 210
Weitzel, General 225-28
Wells, J. M 238
White, Gov. E. D 203
White League 239, 241
Wickliffe, R. C 208
Wilkinson, General 136, 155
Wiltz, L. A 242
Wisconsin River 12
Yellow Fevei .195, 208, 245
m^
yi\%%
Notes
- Capuchin A Catholic friar.
Text prepared by:
- John Waskom
- Catherine Weldon
- Spencer Willis
Source
Cable, George Washington. "Posson Jone'" and Père Raphaël: With a New Word Setting Forth How and Why the Two Tales Are One. Illus. Stanley M. Arthurs. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909. Google Books. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. <http://books. google.com/books?id=bzhLAAAAIAAJ>.