USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 40
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upon Cadillac as a usurper. He felt that the governorship of Lou- isiana should have been given to him. Consequently friction soon arose and there were two parties struggling for the mastery. It might have been better had Cadillac listened to the suggestions of the veteran Bienville and given more attention to agriculture, but unfortunately, he was not inclined to submit to dictation, either from Bienville or from Crozat himself. Although Crozat employed every means at his command to make his patent profitable, he made the same mistake as others in supposing the greatest returns could be realized from mines of gold, silver and precious stones, or from the trade in furs. He believed that King Louis had given him a veritable treasure-land. and had accordingly ordered his governor to search for mines of precious metals, and to seek the far off and elusive trade of Mexico. Under these orders it was perhaps only natural that Cadillac should assume a dictatorial attitude, and when later he was urged to give encouragement to agriculture he wrote to the ministry: "Give the colonists as much land as they please. Why stint the measure? The lands are so bad that there is no necessity to care for the number of acres. A copious distribution of them would be cheap liberality."
Agents were sent up the Mississippi with instructions to visit all the Indian tribes and open up the fur trade. Others, among whom were M. Jonquiere, M. Dirigoin and St. Denis, were author- ized to open up the trade with Mexico, and a central depot for this trade was established on Dauphine island. But the project failed because the Spaniards had entered into a commercial treaty with England soon after the peace of Utrecht, and the ports of Mexico were closed to the French. Toward the close of the year 1714 some Canadians arrived from the Illinois country with specimens of ore, which upon analysis proved to be lead with traces of silver. This encouraged Cadillac to lead an expedition to that section, where he found lead and iron ores, but not the silver he had ex- pected. Trading posts had previously been established at the mouth of the Arkansas and near the mouth of the Red river. French traders in passing up and down the Mississippi were fre- quently robbed and sometimes murdered by the Indians. To pro- tect these traders and stimulate the traffic in furs Fort Rosalie (q. v.) was built at Natchez by Bienville. Posts were also estab- lished among the Natchitoches and west of the Sabine river to guard against the Spaniards on the west, and Fort Toulouse on the Coosa river as a protection against the English on the east. In the meantime the friction between Bienville and Cadillac and their adherents had increased to such an extent that the governor could not rely on any expedition he sent out. Those whom he despatched to look for gold and silver went their ways as they pleased and nothing was accomplished. This condition of affairs could not long endure, and in the summer of 1716 Cadillac was recalled. He was succeeded by L'Epinay, but with no better results, as it was not long until a quarrel arose between him and Bienville that added to the general demoralization.
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Added to all this, the monopoly granted to Crozat was more in name than in fact. The Canadians from the north invaded his territory at their pleasure, the Spaniards of the southwest did like- wise, and irregular traders were to be found everywhere. The king failed utterly to protect his chartered privileges and when called upon to do so admitted his inability to gant the request. The colonists themselves were opposed to the monopoly and petitioned for free trade with all nations. When told that they must not trade with Pensacola they easily found methods to evade the re- striction by becoming smugglers, and many engaged in illicit trade with the Indians. Under such circumstances Crozat grew discour- aged. In less than five years he had expended about 425,000 livres and had received in return less than 300,000. Seeing no probabili- ties of improvement in the near future, he surrendered his charter in Aug., 1717, and was soon after succeeded by the Western Com- 1. pany. (q. v.)
Cruzat, Francisco, who was prominent in Louisiana affairs under the Spanish domination, was born in 1739. In May, 1775, he suc- ceeded Don. Pedro Piernas as lieutenant-governor of Upper Lou- isiana and held the office until 1778, when he was in turn succeeded by Capt. Fernando de Leyba. The latter died in June, 1780, when Cruzat was reappointed and served until Nov. 27. 1787, at which time Capt. Manuel Perez was appointed by Gov. Miro. Cruzat has been described as "a very estimable man," and it appears that he enjoyed the confidence of his superiors as well as those over whom he was appointed lieutenant-governor. He died about 1798.
Curry, a post-hamlet in the eastern part of Winn parish, is situ- ated on Beech creek, about 14 miles east of Winnfield, the parish seat, and 5 miles east of Smith, which is the nearest railroad station.
Curtis, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Bossier parish, is a station on the line of the Louisiana Railway & Navigation com- pany, about 8 miles southeast of Shreveport.
Cut Off, a money order postoffice in the central part of La- fourche parish, is situated on Bayou Lafourche, about 30 miles southeast of Thibodaux. the parish seat. It has telegraph and telephone facilities and in 1900 had a population of 55.
Cutter, a post-hamlet of Pointe Coupée parish, is situated in the extreme western part on a branch of the Atchafalava river, about 3 miles northeast of Elba. the nearest railroad station.
Cypress, a village and station in the southeastern part of Natehi- toches parish, is at the junction of two branches of the Texas & Pacific R. R., about 10 miles south of Natchitoches, the parish seat. It is in the rich Red river valley and is the shipping and supply town for this productive agricultural district. It has a money order postoffice, an express office, telephone and telegraph facilities, and in 1900, had a population of 52.
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D
D'Abbadie, one of the last officials appointed for Louisiana by the French government prior to the establishment of the Spanishi domination, arrived in New Orleans on June 29, 1763, with the title of director and commandant, and Gov. Kerlerec immediately there- after departed for France. In a short time D'Abbadie informed his government that the colony was in a state of complete destitution and was a chaos of iniquities. This was a severe reflection on a government which had ruled the destinies of Louisiana for more than 60 years, during which time it had expended in the interests of the colony some 40,000,000 or 50,000,000 livres. "On April 6, 1764," says Fortier, in his History of Louisiana, "D'Abbadie an- nounced the arrival in New Orleans of four Acadian families, 20 persons."
About this time the rumor became rife among the colonists that they were soon to pass under the dominion of Spain. In Oct., 1764, D'Abbadie published a letter, signed by Louis XV and his minister, the Duke de Choiseul, dated April 21, 1764, wherein the director- general was informed of the cession to Spain by the secret treaty of 1762, and ordering him to deliver to representatives of that country, whenever they should present themselves, "the said country and colony of Louisiana, and dependent posts, together with the island of New Orleans, such as they shall be on the day of said cession." The instructions in the letter further directed him "to withdraw all the officers, soldiers and employes at my service who shall be in garrison there, and to send to France, or to my other colonies of America, those who would not wish to remain under the Spanish domination," though this was not to be done until the Spanish governor and troops had been given full possession.
D'Abbadie did not live to see Louisiana pass into the hands of Spain, as his death occurred at New Orleans on Feb. 4, 1765, greatly beloved and sincerely mourned by every one in the colony, and was succeeded by Charles Aubry, the senior captain of the troops in Louisiana, to whom fell the lot of making the formal transfer of the province to the Spanish officials a few months later. (See Aubry, and the Revolution of 1768.)
Dagobert, Father, a Capuchin priest, came to Louisiana as a young man, some years before the beginning of the Spanish domina- tion. He was not learned, but his charity and sympathetic nature made him a universal favorite. In 1752 he was engaged in the "war of the Jesuits and Capuchins," as it has been called, and after the expulsion of the Jesuits was appointed vicar-general of Louisiana by the bishop of Quebec. In 1768 he was a witness against Ulloa in the investigation conducted by Huchet de Kernion and Louis Piot de Launay, vet notwithstanding this fact O'Reilly recom- mended his stay in the colony. Later, when Father Cirilo de Bar- celona arrived to investigate the religious situation in the colony, a warfare was begun on Father Dagobert. Gov. Unzaga upheld his
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course and wrote to Bishop Echevarria at Havana: "He is beloved by the people, and, on the grounds that I have stated, I consider him entitled to the favor of your Grace." Again he was permitted to remain in the colony, where he continued to exercise his religious functions until he died at an advanced age, beloved by all who knew him. Gayarre says: "He was emphatically a man of peace, and if there was anything which Father Dagobert hated in this world, if he could hate at all, it was trouble-trouble of any kind- but particularly of that sort which arises from intermeddling and contradiction." (See Catholic Church.)
Dairying .- Butter and cheese were among the early exports from the American colonies along the Atlantic coast, but dairying did not appear as a special branch of agriculture until about the middle of the nineteenth century. Prior to that time New York, Vermont and Massachusetts were the only states that were especially known for their dairy products, but with the growth of cities and the introduction of improved transportation facilities the dairy industry came into greater prominence and extended westward, so that today Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa are among the leading states in the production of butter and cheese. The first cheese factory in the United States was established in Oneida county, N. Y., in 1851, and the first creamery in Orange county, N. Y., ten years later. In 1899 the output of the cheese factories of the country was 281,972,324 pounds, and the amount reported as having been manufactured by farmers 16,372,330 pounds. The total butter production for the same year was nearly 1.500,000,000 pounds, less than one-third of which was turned ont> by the creameries.
It is only within recent years that any attention has been paid to dairying by the farmers of Louisiana, where sugar and cotton have been the principal agricultural products. A handbook issued by the Louisiana state board of agriculture and immigration a few years ago says: "Dairying, while in its infancy, has many advantages in Louisiana. The natural conditions of climate, cheap feed, and native pastures, pure water, and plenty of cool shade, are all pro- vided liberally by nature in Louisiana. The selection of the proper dairy cow, improved dairy machinery and appliances, the necessary knowledge to operate the dairy and to make good butter, become the only considerations. Dairies are now operated in all the cities and towns of the state. while farm dairying is rapidly gaining ground in the rural districts where limited quantities of good butter are made in the family, and much of it is supplied to the home markets. There is great need for creameries in Louisiana, and the growth of this industry will ultimately give rise to their introduc- tion. * *
* For the enthusiastic, expert dairyman, Louisaina is a most inviting field."
According to the U. S. census for 1900. there were on June 1 of that year 184.815 dairy cows in the state, and 1,646 farms that · derived over 40 per cent. of their income from dairy products, the total value of which during the preceding year was $4.168.015. The
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sales from these farms were 4.356.979 gallons of milk ; 3,853 gallons of cream ; 564,250 pounds of butter, and 116,177 pounds of cheese. Lyman Carrier, a representative of the U. S. agricultural depart- ment, who recently spent some time in Louisiana investigating conditions, mentions an instance where a dairy farmer near Monroe cleared over $3,000 a year for two years in succession on a farm of 36 acres. These figures show what may be accomplished by the application of proper methods. and with the natural advantages offered it is quite likely that in the years to come Louisiana will occupy a higher place in the dairy industry than she does at present.
Daisy, a post-village in the central part of Plaquemines parish, is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi river, just across the river from Homeplace, the nearest railroad station, and about 10 miles southeast of Pointe a la Hache, the parish seat. In 1900 it had a population of 66.
Dalcour (R. R. name Stella), a post-village in the northern part of Plaquemines parish, is situated on the east bank of the Missis- sippi river, and is a station on the Louisiana Southern R. R., about 14 miles southeast of New Orleans. It is the shipping point for fruit and garden vegetables, has telegraph and telephone facilities, and in 1900 had a population of 50.
Dalley, a post-hamlet in the central part of Jackson parish, is about 4 miles west of Avard, the nearest railroad station, and 9 miles southeast of Vernon, the parish seat. It has telephone and telegraph facilities and in 1900 had a population of about 75.
Danville, a post-hamlet and station in the southeastern part of Bienville parish, is on a confluent of the Dugdemona river and the North Louisiana & Gulf R. R., about 20 miles south of Arcadia, the parish seat.
D'Arges Colony .- While Gardoqui was serving as Spanish min- ister to the United States he employed agents to solicit and encour- age emigration from the states to the Spanish possessions of Lon- isiana and Florida. One of his principal agents was Don Pedro Wouver d'Arges, who visited New Orleans late in the year 1787 to make arrangements for the location of some 1.500 families from Kentucky at some point in the Spanish domain, if the promises of Gardoqui were fulfilled. About that time Gen. Wilkinson began negotiations with the Spanish authorities for the delivery of Ken- tucky to His Catholic Majesty, and on Jan. 8, 1788, Gov. Miro wrote to Valdez, minister and secretary of state for the department of the Indies, as follows: "I have been reflecting many days whether it would be proper to inform d'Arges of the ideas of Wilkinson, and the latter of the errand of the former, in order to unite them, that they might work in accord with each other ; but I do not dare to . adopt the first idea, because d'Arges may consider that the great projects of Wilkinson might destroy the merits of his own and precipitate (a thing which is possible) the confiding of them to some one capable of having Wilkinson arrested as a criminal, and also because the latter would be greatly disgusted that another person should share a confidence on which depend his life and honor,
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as he himself says in his memoir. For these reasons I am not able to declare the matter to d'Arges, nor could I confide the errand of the latter to the former before knowing the intentions of His Majesty about Wilkinson. The delivery of Kentucky to His Majesty, the principal object, to which Wilkinson has promised to devote himself entirely, would assure forever this province as a rampart to New Spain, for which reason I consider the project of d'Arges a misfortune."
This is the first time that Gen. Wilkinson's name appears in the Spanish documents. Notwithstanding Gov. Miro's dilemma as to what course was best to pursue under the circumstances, in Febru- ary he sent to Spain a copy of his instructions to Col. Grandpré, commandant at Natchez, regarding the proposed Kentucky colony. Each family not owning negroes was to have a concession of land, 6 arpents fronting on a water-course by 40 in depth ; families with from 2 to 4 negroes, or composed of 4 to 6 adult males-unmarried sons-10 arpents in front by 40 deep, and those with more than 20 slaves were to receive a concession 20 arpents by 40. The religious opinions of the immigrants were to be respected, though they were not to build churches nor have salaried ministers. Every immigrant was to take an oath, the principal clause of which obligated them to take up arms against "those who may come as enemies from the settlements above." They were to pay no taxes and the royal treas- ury was to purchase all the tobacco they might raise. Grandpré was about this time succeeded by Gayoso, and if any of the Kentucky colonists ever came to Louisiana their numbers were so few that no authentic record of them has been preserved. In a despatch to Valdez, dated Aug. 7, 1788, Miro acknowledges the receipt of orders to pay d'Arges $100 a month, dated from Jan. 1. A few days after this communication was sent, d'Arges asked permission to go to Kentucky, or, if that could not be granted, to Martinique, where his family was. Permission was given him to go to Martinique, provided he would agree to return to Louisiana by Feb., 1789. He promised to return in March, but the promise was never kept. He left an unsavory history, the chief interest in which is that it shows how Miro was trying to protect Spain from the encroachments of the United States.
Darlington is a village in the northwestern part of St. Helena parish, is situated on Darling's creek, about 10 miles northwest of Greensburg, the parish seat. and is a station on the Kentwood, Greensburg & Southwestern R. R. It has a money order postoffice and in 1900 had a population of 54.
Darrali, C. B., planter and member of Congress, was born in Somerset county, Pa., June 24, 1842. . He was educated in the common schools; studied medicine and graduated at the Albany medical college. When the war broke out he entered the Union army as assistant surgeon of the 86th N. Y. volunteers ; was pro- moted to surgeon, but resigned from the army while in Louisiana .
. to engage in mercantile pursuits and planting. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Philadelphia in 1872. and
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to the Cincinnati convention in 1876; was elected to the state sen- ate of Louisiana in 1868; and a representative to the 41st, 42d, 43d, 44th, 45th and 47th Congresses as a Republican. After leaving Congress he served as registrar of the U. S. land office at New Orleans, and engaged in planting.
Darrow, a village in the southern part of Ascension parish, is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi river about 3 miles north of Donaldsonville, the parish seat. It is in a rich agricul- tural district, has sugar and rice industries, a money order postoffice, and reported a population of 425 in 1900.
D'Artaguette .- Among the conspicuous names identified with the early French period in Louisiana is that of D'Artaguette. The first mention of his name occurs in 1708, when there arrived at Dauphine island on Feb. 10 of that year Diron D'Artaguette, who had come to succeed Nicholas de la Salle in the office of intendant commissary, a post second in importance only to that of governor. The colony at this period was at a very low ebb, consisting of only 14 officers, 76 soldiers, 13 sailors, 3 priests, 6 mechanics, 1 Indian interpreter, 24 laborers, 28 women, 25 children and 80 Indian slaves, all the rest having been cut off by sickness. The new commissary was especially charged by the French minister to investigate and report on the past conduct of all the officers of the colony, includ- ing Bienville; to examine the port of Mobile and decide on the propriety of maintaining headquarters there, or of removing them according to new plans prepared by the ministry. D'Artaguette was a man of high character and later rendered a report to the French minister which entirely exonerated the young governor, though it set forth the deplorable condition of the colony. D'Arta- · guette remained in the colony until Nov., 1711, when he returned to France "carrying with him the regrets of the colony." During his stay the first settlement on the Mobile was flooded by a dis- astrous rise in the river. and D'Artaguette and Bienville, after con- sultation, moved the headquarters nearer the sea, to the present site of Mobile. Diron D'Artaguette subsequently obtained a large con- cession on the Mississippi at Baton Rouge. His son arrived in Lou- isiana in 1717 on the same vessel that brought Gov. De l'Epinay. In 1719 he was commissioned inspector-general of the troops of the colony. Father Charlevoix, on his journey down the Mississippi, spent New Year's day in 1721 at D'Artaguette's grant, which he described as very well situated, but not as yet very much improved, "and which they call le Baton Rouge (the red stick)." While serv- ing as inspector-general of Louisiana, according to la Harpe, and Pénicaut, the younger D'Artaguette was ordered by the council to remove the colony from Dauphine island to Biloxi and the Missis- sippi, as it was the wish of the king to have the lands on the river cultivated for the support of the colony, the coast lands being re- garded as sterile. Diron was later appointed royal lieutenant of the province (1732), and Dumont says that he was commandant at Fort Conde de la Mobile in 1735. He finally died at Cape Fran- sois, in the island of St. Domingo, where he was filling the position
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of king's lieutenant. A younger brother of D'Arteguette, Pierre, was also prominent in the early annals of Louisiana. This brother was commissioned captain of a company of troops destined for the Illinois post in 1718, afterward served with distinction in the Natchez wars, and was rewarded by the appointment of com- mandant of the Illinois district with headquarters at Fort Chartres. He was thus serving when ordered by Bienville to lead an auxiliary force to his assistance, during the latter's disastrous campaign of 1736 against the Chickasaws, and was burned at the stake. Says Fortier : "The unhappy fate of D'Artaguette struck the imagina- tion of the colonists, and his name has been connected with a proverb in Louisiana. In speaking of something very old, one says: 'As old as the time of D'Artaguette-vieux comme du temps D'Artaguette.'"
Davey, Robert C., the popular congressman from the second district of Louisiana, for several years, was born on Oct. 22, 1853, in New Orleans, where he received his elementary education, and graduated at St. Vincent's college at Cape Girardeau, Mo., in 1871. He was elected to the state senate from New Orleans in 1879, 1884 and 1892, and during the senatorial sessions of 188+ and 1886 he acted in the capacity of president protempore of that body. In 1880, 1882, 1884 and 1886, he was elected to the judgship of the first recorders' court in New Orleans; was defeated for the mayor- alty of his native city in 1888; in 1892 the Democrats of his Con- gressional district selected him as their candidate for representa- tive, and at the election which followed he was overwhelmingly successful. He acquitted himself with credit as a member of the 53d congress, but absolutely refused to become a candidate for reelection in 1894. But two years later he yielded to the demands of his former constituents and became a successful candidate for a seat in the 55th Congress. He assiduously and zealously continued to represent the people of his state and district to the day of his death, which occurred on Dec. 26, 1908.
Davezac, Castera, was a Creole of St. Domingo, but at the time of the war of 1812 was a resident of New Orleans. He volunteered his services and became an aide-de-camp to Gen. Jackson, who in a letter to the secretary of war dated Dec. 27, 1814, says that Davezac "faced danger wherever it was to be met, and carried my orders with the utmost promptitude." In his report of Jan. 21, 1815, Jackson speaks of Maj. Davezac, who as judge advocate "has mer- ited the thanks of the general by the calm and deliberate courage he has displayed on every occasion, etc." He also acted as interpreter for Jackson, and was a witness before the committee to investigate the charge that the legislature was about to turn the country over to the enemy.
Davidson, Thomas G., hwyer and member of Congress, was born in Jefferson county, Miss., Ang. 6, 1805. He received a liberal edu- cation ; studied and began the practice of law at Baton Rouge, La .: was a member of the lower house of the state legislature from 1833 to 1846; was elected a representative from Louisiana to the 34tli
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Congress as a Democrat, and reelected to the 35th and 36th Con- . gresses. He died on his farm in Livingston parish, La., Sept. 11, 1883.
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