USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 25
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 25
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 25
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Not long after this affair, an emigrant, named Stokes, with his wife and children, was killed, fifteen miles below Clai- borne. Great alarm pervaded the whole country, and the people moved upon the hills, and began the construction of defences.
In the meantime, Governor Bibb, who had made several trips from Coosawda to St. Stephens, and who was well ap-
* In relation to the murders in Butler county, I must return my thanks to John K. Henry, Esq., of Greenville, who took the pains to procure correct statements of them from J. Dickerson and James D. K. Garrett. The late Reuben Hill, of Wetumpka, also furnished notes upon this subject.
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prised of these depredations, resorted to prompt measures to afford protection to the settlers. By his directions, Colonel Dale had marched to the scene of the late murders. Bibb sent a despatch to the Big Warrior, demanding the with- drawal of all the Indians from the lands ceded at Fort Jack- son, acquainting him with the murders committed upon undf- fending white people, and requesting that the authors be pursued and punished, by such warriors as he might think proper to send out.
Dale advanced to Poplar Spring, erected a fort, which as- sumed his name, and assisted the people to finish Fort Bibb. Both of these forts were now garrisoned. Major Youngs, of the 8th infantry, stationed at Fort Crawford, despatched a detachment of whites and Choctaws, with orders to scour the Conecuh, and afterwards to join Dale. The latter also scoured the surrounding country, but overtook none of the Indians. Governor Bibb successfully co-operated with the United States officers stationed at Montgomery Hill and Fort Crawford, for the protection of the citizens, and he visited, in person, all the newly erected stockades. On the 25th May he returned to Coosawda, and, the next day, rode up to Took- abatcha, and had a friendly interview with the Big Warrior.
Leaving the Secretary of State, Henry Hitchcock, a young New-Englander, of great ability, in charge of the government, his excellency returned to Georgia, upon urgent business.
The Red Sticks, in the meanwhile, had collected in a con- siderable band, and the country over which Dale had the
CHAPTER XL.
1818 May
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1818 September 15
CHAPTER command becoming too hot to hold them, they crossed the XL. Alabama, and marched through Marengo and Greene. In McGowan's settlement, three children, named Hall, and a negro woman, were murdered, on the 14th September. Sus- picion falling upon Savannah Jack and his party, they were pursued, and trailed to Gun Island, or Gun Shute, on the Warrior, by Colonel Thomas Hunter, at the head of some settlers. Night coming on, the pursuit ceased. The next day, a party under Major Taylor, and another under Captain Bacon, crossed the Warrior, to the western side, and, in a dense swamp, came upon the savages. An action of an hour ensued. The officers, acting with bravery and prudence, were sustained by only a few of their men. A retreat was at length made, with the loss of two men killed, and one se- verely wounded. The next day, Colonel Hunter, with fifty men, followed upon the trail of the enemy, and came upon a small party, one of whom was killed. The next morning he continued the pursuit, for twenty miles, to the Sipsey Swamp, where, from the impracticability of entering it, the enemy was left to repose .*
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October
This expedition was followed up by several others, upon the Warrior; but the Creeks had, at length, determined to leave the Americans in quiet possession of the lands, which were surrendered with such reluctance at the treaty of
* Report of Colonel Hunter to Governor Bibb, to be found among the State Archives.
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Fort Jackson. The flood-gates of Virginia, the two Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, were now hoisted, and mighty streams of emigration poured through them, spreading over the whole territory of Alabama. The axe resounded from side to side, and from corner to corner. The stately and magnificent forests fell. Log cabins sprang, as if by magic, into sight. Never, before or since, has a country been so rapidly peopled.
CHAPTER XL.
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CHAPTER XLI.
MODERN FRENCH COLONY IN ALABAMA, OR THE VINE AND OLIVE COMPANY.
CHAPTER XLI.
A COLONY of French sought Alabama as an asylum from Bourbon persecution. The winter of 1816 and 1817, found many of these distinguished refugees in Philadelphia. An ordinance of Louis XVIII. had forced them from France, on account of their attachment to Napoleon, who was then an exile upon St. Helena.
The refugees despatched Nicholas S. Parmentier to the Federal city, to obtain from Congress a tract of land in the wild domain of the West, upon which they had resolved to establish a colony. On the 4th March, 1817, Congress au- thorized the sale of four townships to them, at two dollars per acre, on a credit of fourteen years, upon condition that they cultivated the vine and olive. 'In the meantime, the refugees had entered into a correspondence with intelligent persons of the West, in regard to the soil and climate of dif- ferent regions. Dr. Brown, of Kentucky, who had travelled in France, and had become much interested in these unhappy people, advised them to settle near the confluence of the
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Warrior and Tombigby, which they determined to do. Or- CHAPTER ganizing in Philadelphia, the company was found to consist XLI. of three hundred and forty allottees, and the land was divided among them ; some acquiring a full share of four hundred and eighty acres, and others half and quarter shares, and some not more than eighty acres. To each man was also assigned a lot in the town which they were to establish, and also one in the suburbs. Associated with them, as assist- ants, were Prosper Baltard, A. Mocquart, and J. le Francois. George N. Stewart, then a youth of eighteen, and now a dis- tinguished lawyer of Mobile, was their secretary.
The schooner McDonough was chartered, and the com- missioners, with many French emigrants, set sail from Phila- delphia. Late one evening, in the month of May, this vessel, bearing these romantic voyagers, was seen approaching Mo- . bile Point, in the midst of a heavy gale. Governed by an obsolete chart, the captain was fast guiding her into danger. Lieutenant Beal, commanding at Fort Bowyer, perceiving her perilous situation, fired an alarm gun. Night coming on, and overshadowing both sea and land with darkness, he caused lights to be raised along the shore as guides to the distressed vessel. The wind continuing to increase, she was thrown among the breakers, and immediately struck. Sig- nals of distress being made, the noble lieutenant threw him- self into a boat, with five resolute men, and with Captain Bourke, formerly an officer. Mounting wave after wave, they reached the wreck about one o'clock in the morning. The wind had somewhat abated, and Real crowded the women
1818 April
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CHAPTER and children into his boat, and conducted them safely to shore. XLI. The larger number of the colonists remained on board the schooner, which was ultimately saved, by being washed into deeper water. Bestowing upon the refugees every attention while they remained at the Point, Beal accompanied them to Mobile, and partook of a public dinner, which they gave him, in token of their gratitude.
The commissioners remained a few days at Mobile, which was then a small place, with but one wharf, and proceeded up the river in a large barge, furnished by Addin Lewis, the collector of the port. Stopping at Fort Stoddart, they were received with hospitality by Judge Toulmin, to whom they bore letters. They next visited General Gaines, then in com- mand of a large force at Fort Montgomery, and the barge then cut across to the Tombigby, and landed at St. Ste- phens-a place of some size, with refined and lively inhabi- tants. Discharging the government boat, and procuring au- other barge, the refugees once more began their voyage up the winding and rapid current. Camping upon the banks occasionally, and exploring the country around, they at length established themselves, temporarily, at the White Bluff. A portion of them proceeded to old Fort "Tombecbe," and near there, visited Mr. George S. Gaines, who was still United States Choctaw factor, whose table fed the hungry, and whose roof sheltered the distressed. He advised them to make their location in the neighborhood of the White Bluff. John A. Peniers and Basil Meslier, whom the association had despatched to explore the Red river country, now arrived.
1818 June July
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Receiving favorable reports of the country in the Alabama Territory, the association at Philadelphia took measures to colonize it. The west side of the Tombigby belonged to the Choctaws, and the east had recently been in possession of the Creeks. The region where the French emigrants had resolved to establish themselves, was an immense forest of trees and cane, interspersed with prairie ; and near the pre- sent town of Greensboro', was Russell's settlement of Tennes- seans, and some distance below the White Bluff, were a few ' inhabitants. However, the French continued to arrive in boats, by way of Mobile, and cabins were erected about the White Bluff, in a rude and scattering manner. Having been . accustomed to Parisian life, these people were very indifferent pioneers. Unprovided with wagons and teams, and unac- quainted with the shifts to which pioneer people are often compelled to resort, they made but slow progress in subduing the wilds. Provisions of all kinds were remarkably high. They, however, slowly struggled against these difficulties, and endeavored to raise provisions upon small patches, without knowing upon what tract, in the grant, they were to live in future.
The meridian line was established. and the grant divided into townships and sections. A town was formed at the White Blutf, which, according to the request of Count Real, of Philadelphia, was called Demopolis-the city of the people .*
* Afterwards, it proved that Demopolis was not embraced in the townships of the French grant. An American company parchased it of the United States, at fifty-two dollars per acre.
CHAPTER XLI.
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CHAPTER To secure the river front, two fractional townships were chosen XLI. by the commissioners, instead of two entire townships. Emi- grants continuing to arrive, great confusion and controversy arose in the selection of lots and tracts of land, while the association at Philadelphia, unacquainted with the localities, were unwisely and arbitrarily planning their own forms of loca- tion. By a new contract, made between Mr. Crawford, Secre- tary of the Treasury, and Charles Viliar, agent of the associa- 1819 December tion, the lands were sold, and the tracts of each person designated. The allotments made at Philadelphia, and rati- fied by Mr. Crawford, being different from those already made by the settlers, forced the latter to abandon many of their hard-earned improvements, and to retire further into the forest. This wretched state of things caused General Le- febvre Desnoettes, who had opened a farm on his Tombigby allotment, to proceed to Philadelphia to adjust these con- flicting interests. He succeeded only in securing his own improvements, while the claims of the others were disregarded, and the contract made at Washington was ordered to be en- forced. The settlers were then forced to retire upon the lands assigned them in township Eighteen, range three east, and township Eighteen, Nineteen and Twenty, in range four east.
Among the French emigrants were many distinguished characters. Count Lefebvre Desnoettes had been a cavalry officer, under Bonaparte, with the rank of lieutenant-general Accompanying Napoleon, in his march to Russia, he rode with him in his carriage in his disastrous retreat over the snows of that country. He had served in Spain in many
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bloody engagements, and was an active participator in the CHAPTER dreadful battle of Saragossa. Vivacious and active, handsome XLI. in person and graceful in carriage, he was the most splendid rider of the age in which he lived. His imperial master was so much attached to him, that when forced to abdicate the throne, and about to depart for Elba, and while addressing his weeping and sorrowing officers at Fontainbleau, said, "I cannot take leave of you all, but will embrace General Des- noettes in behalf of you all." He then pressed him to his bosom in the most affectionate manner. Napoleon frequently made him valuable presents, and influenced his cousin, the sister of the celebrated banker, La Fitte, to espouse him. While he was at Demopolis, that lady made an attempt to join him in exile, but being shipwrecked on the coast of Eng- land, was forced to return to France. At length, she nego- tiated with the French government for his return, and, through the influence of her family, succeeded in obtaining permission for him to reside in Belgium. This induced Count Des- noettes, iu 1823, to leave Alabama in the ship Albion, which was wrecked upon the coast of Ireland, at Old Kinsale, in view of an immense number of people, who were standing on the cliffs. The distinguished refugee was washed overboard, and the ocean became his grave. While in Marengo county, he often received large sums of money from France, and was the wealthiest of the emigrauts. Near his main dwelling he had a log cabin, which he called his sanctuary, in the centre of which stood a bronze statue of Napoleon. Around its feet were swords and pistols, which Desnoettes had taken in
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CHAPTER
XLI. battle, together with beautiful flags, tastefully hung around the walls.
M. Peniers, another distinguished emigrant, was a republican member of the National Assembly, and voted for the death of the amiable Louis XVI. He remained about Demopolis, engaged in agriculture, but procuring an appointment of Sub- Agent for the Seminoles, died in Florida, in 1823. Distin- guished in France, and honored with many civil appointments, he was at last expatriated for his adherence to the fortunes of Napoleon.
Colonel Nicholas Rooul, a remarkable personage, had been a colonel under Bonaparte, and had accompanied him in his banishment to Elba. When his imperial master left that island, Rooul commanded his advanced guard of two hundred grenadiers upon the march from Caenes to Paris. When this small band was preparing to fire upon the king's troops under Marshal Ney, who had come to capture the emperor, Bonaparte advanced to the front of the lines, and gave the command to "order arms." Bearing his breast to Ney's division, he exclaimed, " if I have ever injured a French sol- dier, fire upon me." The troops of Ney shouted "vive la Em- pereur!" and Bonaparte marched at their head, through the gates of Paris. Colonel Rooul lived several years upon his grant, and, becoming much reduced in his circumstances, was forced to keep a ferry at French Creek, three miles from De- mopolis-being accustomed to ferry over passengers himself. Often would the American traveller gaze upon his foreign countenance, martial air and splendid form, and wonder what
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order of man it was who conducted him over the swollen CHAPTER stream. At this time, Rooul being in the prime of life, was XLI. a large, fine looking man. He was firm and irascible in his disposition, and was a dangerous competitor in any contro- versy in which he might engage. His wife was a handsome woman, of the Italian style of beauty. She was a native of Naples, and had been Marchioness of Sinabaldi, and maid of honor to Queen Caroline, when Murat was king of that coun- try. She brought with her to Alabama two children by a ' former husband. In 1824, she left her lonely cabin upon French Creek, and followed Colonel Rooul to Mexico, where he engaged in the revolution, and fought with his accustomed fierceness and impetuosity. At length, once more reaching his beloved France, he there for a long time held an honora- ble commission in the French army.
J. J. Cluis, one of the refugees, cultivated a farm near Greensboro'. He had been an aid to Marshal Lefebvre, the Duke of Rivigo, who was afterwards at the head of the police department of Paris. Colonel Cluis was then his secretary. At another time, Cluis had the custody of Ferdinand VII., King of Spain, while he was imprisoned by Napoleon near the Spanish frontiers. Like all the other refugees, he found planting the vine and olive a poor business in Alabama, and, having become much reduced in fortune, kept a tavern in Greensboro .. He died in Mobile not many years since.
Simon Chaudron, one of the Tombigby settlers, formerly a resident of Philadelphia, where his house was a centre of ele- gance and wit, was distinguished for his literary attainments.
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CHAPTER He had been the editor of the " Abeille Americaine," and XLI. was a poet of considerable reputation. He delivered a eulogy upon the life and character of Washington, before the Grand Lodge of Philadelphia, which was pronounced a splendid effort, both in Europe and in America. He died in Mobile, in 1846, at a very advanced age, leaving behind him interest- ing works, which were published in France.
General Count Bertand Clausel had been an officer of merit throughout Bonaparte's campaigns. During the Hun- dred Days, he commanded at Bordeaux, and making the Duchess of Anglouleme prisoner, released her, for some un- known cause. The general did not occupy his grant, but became a citizen of Mobile in 1821, living on the bay, fur- nishing the market with vegetables, and driving the cart him- self. Returning to France in 1825, he was subsequently made, by Louis Philippe, governor and marshal of Algeria.
Henry L'Allemand who had been a lieutenant-general, commanding the artillery of the imperial guard, was an offi- cer of great merit, and a man of high character. He mar- ried the niece of Stephen Gerard. General Charles L'AI- lemand, his brother, had also been an officer of distinction, in France. Filled with daring and ambitious projects, he em- ployed the following language, in writing to his brother : " I have more ambition than can be gratified by the colony upon the Tombigby." This was literally true, for he soon made a hazardous expedition to Texas, collecting followers at Phila- delphia and in Alabama. Arriving at Galveston Island, which was shortly afterwards submerged, his people suffered greatly
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for provisions, and were generously relieved by the pirate, La Fitte. Annoyed by the Indians, and prostrated by disease, in a short time most of the colonists perished, and the establish- 'ment failed.
The celebrated Marshal Grouchy was one of the Philadel- phia associates. He was a man of middle stature, and had very little, apparently, of the military about him. Not being popular with the refugees, in consequence of his conduct at Waterloo, to which they imputed the loss of that day, he became involved in controversies with them in the American gazettes. He never came to Alabama, but one of his sons, who had been a captain in the French army, settled his grant near Demopolis. The marshal afterwards returned to France, and enjoyed honors under the Bourbons.
M. Lackanal, a savant, and member of the academy, at the head of the department of public education, under the empe- ror, settled on the bay, near Mobile, in 1819. He was one of those members of the National Assembly of France, who voted for the death of Louis XVI. After a long residence in Mobile, he went to France, and there died in 1843.
Among all the refugees who sought homes in Alabama, none had passed through more stirring and brilliant scenes, than General Juan Rico, a native of Valencia, in Spain, who had been proscribed in that country, upon the return of Fer- dinand VII., because he was a republican, and a supporter of the constitution of 1812. An eloquent member of the Cortes and a distinguished officer of the Spanish army, lie resisted to the last the invasion of Napoleon. One day, an interesting
VOL. II.
21
CHAPTER XLI.
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CHAPTER scene occurred between General Rico and the elegant Des-
XLI.
noettes. Both being invited to dine at Demnopolis, the con- versation turned upon the campaigns in Spain, when allusion was made to the obstinate and sanguinary siege of Saragossa, where one of them had commanded the troops of France, and the other those of Spain. They were now assembled at a hospitable table, in an humble cottage, in the wilds of Ala- bama. They had met before, amid the din of arms, arraying their troops against each other, and pouring out rivers of blood, at the head of the best trained troops of Europe, who had figured in the most eventful times of France and Spain. Each had been expelled from his native country, and each had been blasted in his ambitious hopes. Nevertheless, good hunior prevailed in the cabin, and the sorrows of all were drowned in wine, amid merry peals of laughter. In 1825, General Rico was re-called to Spain, and, arriving there, again became a member of the Cortes, under his favorite constitution. He met with singular reverses of fortune, was expelled from Spain the second time, became an inhabitant of England, and was again re-called to assist in the government of his country. When he lived in Alabama, he was fifty years of age, and was of a dark complexion. He possessed great energy and decision of character, and was a most excellent farmer. If our limits would permit it, many other interesting persons among the French emigrants might be described.
The principal portion of the French grant lay in Marengo county. This name was proposed by Judge Lipscomb, while a member of the legislature at St. Stephens, in honor of the great
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battle fought during the French republic. It also extended CHAPTER into the county of Greene, embracing some of the best lands XLI. in the vicinity of Greensboro'. It has been seen that much ' difficulty arose among the French about their respective loca- tions, and that three times they lost their improvements. Forced to abandon their settlements in Demopolis, they laid off the town of Agleville, and erected cabins, but the drawing , at Philadelphia not embracing this place, they were once more forced to go deeper in the forest. The want of wagons and teams, and the great scarcity of water in the cane-brake, induced them to dwell on small allotments, while their more valuable tracts were unoccupied. Owning no slaves, a num- ber of German redemptioners were imported, through the enterprise of Desnoettes, but these people proved a burden and expense, and also disregarded their obligations. The French were less calculated, than any other people upon earth, to bring a forest into cultivation. The provisions which they raised, were made at the expense of extravagant hire, and Desnoettes expended over twenty-five thousand dollars in opening and cultivating his farm. In this manner, the whole colony, after a few years, became poor, and many were forced to sell their claims to Americans, who soon opened large plantations, and made the earth smile with abundant products. However, a majority of the French still held on to their grants, and, in good faith to the goverment, entered upon the culti- vation of the grape and olive. Importations of plants were often made from Bordeaux, but the newness of the land, and the ignorance of the colony in regard to their cultivation,
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1
CHAPTER XLI. were among the reasons why the experiment failed. The im- portations frequently arrived out of season, when the vines withered away and the olive seeds became defective. At. length, with difficulty, grapes were grown, but they failed to produce even a tolerable wine, because the fruit ripened in the heat of sammer. Before the vinous fermentation was completed, the acetic had commenced. In 1821, the French planted three hundred and eighty-three olive trees upon the grant, and a large number in 1824. Every winter the frosts killed them down to the ground, but new shoots, putting up, were again killed by the succeeding winter. The usual mode of planting the grape, was at the distance of ten feet in one direction, and twenty in the other. They were trained to stakes, and cultivated with cotton.
In addition to the ruinous failure of the vine and olive, the French were continually annoyed by unprincipled American squatters." Occupying their lands, without a shadow of title, they insultingly told the French that they intended to main- tain their footing at all hazards. Several law-suits arose, and although our Supreme Court decided in favor of the grantees, yet the latter became worn out with controversies, and allowed the intruders, in many cases, to retain possession for a small remuneration. On the other hand, many honorable Ameri- cans purchased their grants, for fair considerations, and thus the French refugees were gradually rooted from the soil.
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