USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 21
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According to the report of the state auditor. made in Jan., 1861, the financial condition of the state at the close of the year 1860 was as follows: Total liabilities, $10,099,074; receipts during the year. $2.378,793.44 ; expenses for the year, $2,224.702. These figures show a balance of receipts over expenditures of $154.091.44. but it was quickly dissipated by the heavy drain upon the treasury in the preparation for war.
On Feb. 15 a joint resolution was introduced in the Louisiana
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house of representatives, inviting the southern part of the states of Indiana and Illinois, where the majorities against Lincoln had been large, to unite and form a state, and to join the Southern Confed- eracy. About the same time Mr. Lincoln made a speech at Indiana- polis, Ind., which the legislature of Louisiana regarded as indicating that the policy of his administration would be to coerce the South, and it was therefore declared "that upon the first demonstration by him, the Provisional government will immediately send a large army North. The South will never wait to be invaded." Four days after this declaration the house passed a bill making an appro- priation of $1.500.000 for military purposes, and ordered the organi- zation of three regiments.
Although Louisiana, through the action of her delegates in con- vention assembled, had withdrawn from the Union, the people had not lost their loyalty to the republic as it existed in the earlier days, nor their love and respect for its founders. On Feb. 22 Washington's birthday was celebrated in New Orleans with great pomp and enthusiasm. All the troops in the city joined a parade,. after which 20,000 people listened to a speech by Judah P. Benja- min at the race-course. Mr. Benjamin had resigned his seat in the U. S. senate but a short time before, and it is said that his speech at New Orleans on Washington's birthday was one of the greatest he ever made. At its close he presented the famous Wash- ington Artillery with a stand of colors-the gift of the women of New Orleans. This standard was a beautiful state flag of the design adopted on Feb. 11. (See Flag.)
On April 21 the governor issued a call for 5,000 troops, in addi- tion to the 3.000 already called for by Jefferson Davis, the presi- dent of the Confederacy. This quota was raised in a few days. and on the 29th the new troops were inspected by the governor. The total number of Louisiana soldiers in the Confederate service, in and out of the state, at the close of the year 1861 was 60,726.
In his message of Nov. 26, 1861, Gov. Moore informed the legis- lature that he had requested the banks to suspend specie payment as such a step "was necessary to maintain the credit of the $100.000.000 of treasury notes issued by the Confederate govern- ment, in order to carry on the war." The banks were instructed to receive and pay out these notes at par. There had been expended for military purposes $1.596,807, which had been charged to the Confederate government, and on which there was a balance due of $181,000. The debts to the banks for advances to quartermas- ters, etc., amounted to $950.000. He recommended an extension of the time for paying taxes, and the issue of small notes by the banks for convenience in settling small accounts and to avoid the annoyance caused by private circulations. At this session an act was passed to suspend all judicial proceedings against those in the Confederate army or navy. A stay law, to suspend forced sales, was also passed: the sum of $2.500.000 was appropriated to meet the war tax levied by the Confederate Congress ; an issue of coupon bonds to the amount of $1,000,000 for military purposes was author-
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ized, and an appropriation of $150,000 was made for the care of the sick and wounded. Gen. Beauregard received a vote of thanks for his victories at Fort Sumter and Manassas, and Flag-Officer George N. Hollins for his victory over the Federal fleet under Capt. John Pope at Southwest pass on the 12th of October.
Early in 1862 Gen. Beauregard was assigned to the command of the army in the west, and President Davis issued a call for more troops. On Feb. 14 Gov. Moore issued a proclamation calling for five and a half regiments, and after the fall of Fort Donelson on the 16th Dr. Samuel Choppin, Beauregard's surgeon-general, vis- ited New Orleans to assist in raising the quota. Toward the close of the month martial law was declared in the city and a provost- marshal was appointed under the command of Gen. Mansfield Lovell. On May 1 New Orleans was occupied by the Federal troops under Gen. B. F. Butler, who appointed Col. George F. Shepley mayor. On June 10 Edwin M. Stanton, the U. S. secretary of war, wrote to Butler as follows: "Observing that Col. Shepley has been appointed by you mayor of the city of New Orleans, he has been selected for the important office of military governor of Louisiana. His letter of appointment and instructions are inclosed herewith to your care to be delivered to him." This peremptory action on the part of the Federal government practically ended the administration of Gov. Moore, though on the ISth he issued from Opelousas an address to the people of the state, setting forth cer- tain regulations to be observed relative to the Federals, to wit: "Trading with the enemy is prohibited under all circumstances. Traveling to and from New Orleans and other places occupied by the enemy is forbidden. All passengers will be arrested. Citizens going to those places. and returning with the enemy's usual pass- port, will be arrested. Conscripts or militiamen, having in posses- sion such passports, and seeking to shun duty under the pretext of a parole, shall be treated as public enemies. No such papers will be held as sufficient excuse for inaction by any citizen. The utmost vigilance must be used by officers and citizens in the detection of spies and salaried informers, and their apprehension promptly ef- fected. Tories must suffer the fate that every betrayer of his country deserves. Confederate notes shall be received and used as the currency of the country. River steamboats must, in no case, be permitted to be captured. Burn them when they cannot be saved. Provisions may be conveyed to New Orleans only in charge of officers, and under the precautionary regulations governing com- munication between belligerents. * * * It is only the timid, the unreflecting and the property owner who thinks more of his possessions than his country, that will succumb to the depressing influences of disaster. The great heart of the people has swelled with more intense aspirations for the cause the more it seems to totter. *
* Let us turn unheeding cars to the rumors of for- eign intervention. To believe is to rely on them. We must rely on ourselves. Our recognition as a nation is one of those certainties of the future, which nothing but our own faithlessness can prevent.
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We must not look around for friends to help when the enemy is straight before us. Ilelp yourself. It is the great instrument of national as of individual success."
Mooringsport, a village of Caddo parish, is situated on the south shore of Caddo lake and the Kansas City Southern R. R., about 16 miles northwest of Shreveport. It is the shipping and supply town for a large area in the western part of the parish, has a money order postoffice, express office, telegraph station and telephone facilities, and in 1900 reported a population of 100.
Moorland (R. R. spelling Moreland), a village and station in the eastern part of Rapides parish, is situated on the Southern Pacific and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroads, 8 miles south of Alexandria, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice, tele- graph station and express office, and in 1900 its population was 50.
Mora, a post-village in the southern part of Natchitoches parish, is about 8 miles southwest of Chopin, the nearest railroad station, and within 2 miles of the southern boundary of the parish.
Morales, Don Juan Ventura, a native of Spain, was made intend- ant of Louisiana in April. 1796. On July 17, 1799, he issued his regulations concerning the size and location of land grants to new- comers; the method of obtaining these grants ; the requirements of settlers, among which was the clearing and putting under cultiva- tion a certain portion of the concession and not to sell their hold- ings for three years, etc. He continued as intendant until Oct., 1799, when he asked permission to retire, having heard of the ap- pointment of Ramon de Lopez y Angullo to succeed him. He was appointed comptroller, however, and in the fall of 1901 Angullo turned over to him the office of intendant, ad interim. On Oct. 16. 1802, while thus serving as intendant, he issued the proclama- tion prohibiting the deposit of American merchandise at New Orleans as provided by the treaty of 1795. After the cession of Louisiana to the United States, Morales remained at New Orleans and continued to exercise the functions of Spanish intendant on American territory by grants and sales of land in West Florida, claiming authority to do so under the royal order of Oct. 22. 1798. When Casa Irujo, the Spanish minister to the United States, re- monstrated with him regarding these land sales, Morales refused to listen to him, and under date of Feb. 20, 1805, replied: "I was informed that the king expected that I should draw from this branch of revenue, with my well known zeal, all the profits of which it was susceptible for the royal treasury." About the time this was written. Morales began making preparations to establish him- self as intendant at Pensacola. but Vicente Folch, governor of Florida, sent a detachment of troops to intercept him and gave orders to the commandant at Fort Barrancas to imprison Morales in that stronghold in case he succeeded in evading the soldiers. Folchi also threatened to deprive Carlos Grandpre of his command as governor of the Baton Rouge district if he recognized Morales as intendant. These measures forced Morales to remain in New Orleans, where his presence became obnoxious to Gov. Claiborne.
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At the beginning of 1806 Morales claimed to be waiting for a sum of money-about $400,000-from the viceroy of Mexico, with which he was to pay certain Spanish debts in the province. Claiborne agreed that when the money arrived he would send Morales a blank passport, which he might fill with the name of an agent to settle the debts, and on Jan. 25, 1800, wrote to Morales, sending him a passport to leave the territory, saying: "I esteem it a duty to remind you that the departure of yourself and the gentlemen at- tached to your department will be expected in the course of the present month." Although this gave Morales but six days in which to complete his arrangements, the time was sufficient, and on Feb. 1 he left New Orleans never to return.
Morbihan, a post-village of Iberia parish, is situated on the Bayou Teche, 4 miles east of New Iberia, the parish seat and nearest rail- road station.
Moreauville, a village of Avoyelles parish, was established as early as 1844 and was first known as Borodino. but the name was changed after a few years. It is situated in the central part of the parish, on the Texas & Pacific R. R., 4 miles southeast of Mansura, has a money order postoffice with one free rural delivery route, a telegraph station, telephone facilities, express office, good schools, several mercantile establishments, and is the supply, trading and shipping town for a large area of fine cotton land. The population in 1900 was 200.
Morehouse Parish, established in 1844 during the administration of Gov. Alexandre Mouton, received its name in honor of Abraham Morehouse, who received a large grant of land in this part of the country at an early day from Baron Bastrop. The parish was erected wholly from the parish of Ouachita and contained within its original boundaries part of Richland parish. Morehouse is situ- ated in the northeastern part of the state and is bounded on the north by Arkansas; the Boeuf river forms its eastern and southern boundaries, separating it from West Carroll and Richland parishes ; a branch of the Boeuf river separates it from Ouachita parish and the Ouachita river completes the western boundary separating it from Union parish. As Morehouse parish was so long a part of Ouachita parish, its early history is that of the mother parish. Settlement was made largely by immigration from the older states. One of the first immigrants to come was Josiah Davenport, a native of Rhode Island, who located on a beautiful prairie near the center of the parish in 1805. James Barlow came with' him, and later. about 1812, James Woodburn and A. A. H. Knox. Prairie Mer Rouge was settled during the first half of the 18th century; War- ren Alford, Washington Brown. David Brown, J. E. Sisson and Thomas Andrews being residents there in 1849. Another settle- ment was made at Bayou Bartholomew or Point Pleasant. When the parish was organized in 1844 Bastrop was chosen as the loca- tion for the parish seat, and was so named in honor of Baron de Bastrop. It is the largest town in the parish, Mer Rouge comes second, and other towns and villages are, Bonita, Cleora, Collins-
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ton, Gallion, Jones and Oak Ridge. The parish is watered by the Ouachita and Boeuf rivers, Bayous Bonidee and Bartholomew. and several minor streams which furnish abundant water supply throughout the parish for stock. Morehouse has an undulating surface of 809 square miles, composed of alluvial land, rolling up- lands that become quite hilly, and wooded swamps. The alluvial land is rich and practically inexhaustible, some of the fields having been under cultivation for nearly a hundred years and still produce fine erops. The hills and uplands have a light sandy soil, easily cultivated, which produces fair crops. Cotton is the chief export product, though corn, hay, tobacco, potatoes, sorghum and sugar- cane are all raised in considerable quantities. Fruits and nuts native to this latitude grow readily and yield abundantly. Con- siderable valuable timber remains in the parish, though much has been cut in the past 20 years. The principal varieties are oak, pine, gum, cypress, hickory, holly and cottonwood. Cheap feed, a long pasture season and good markets make stock raising and dairying profitable. The principal manufacturing industries of the parish are sawmills, wood-working factories, cotton seed oil mills and other small industries. Some good government land still remains in the parish that sells at from $2.00 to $20.00 an acre. The following statistics concerning the parish were taken from the U. S. census for 1900: number of farms. 2,395; acreage, 171,863; acres improved. 86,926; value of land and improvement exclusive of buildings, $1.475,030; value of farm buildings. $525,970; value of live stock, S371.537 ; total value of all products not fed to live stock, $922,900: number of manufacturing establishments. 48; capi- tal invested, $177.837 : wages paid. $33.417 : cost of materials used. $63,695; total value of productions, $161,821. The population of the parish in 1900 was 3,911 whites, 12.722 colored, a total of 16,634, a decrease of 152 during the preceding decade.
Morey, Frank, planter and politician, was born at Boston, Mass., July 11, 1840. He was educated in the public schools of his native city and at the age of 17 moved to Illinois, where he was engaged in the study of law at the breaking out of the Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted in the 23d Illinois infantry and served throughout the war, principally on staff duty, with the rank of captain. In 1866 he removed to Louisiana, where he had been stationed for 2 years while in military service ; engaged in cotton planting and the insur- ance business ; entered politics and was elected to the general assem- bly of Louisiana in 1868 and 1869. He was appointed a commis- sioner to revise the statutes and codes of the state; in 1873 was sent as a commissioner to the Vienna Exposition; was elected a representative from Louisiana to the 41st Congress in 1868 as a Republican, and was reelected to the 42d. 43d and 44th Congresses.
Morgan City, one of the principal towns of St. Mary parish, is situated on the Southern Pacific R. R., where it crosses the Atcha- falava river. about 20 miles east of Franklin, the parish seat, in the midst of one of the richest sugar districts of the state. It was first incorporated in 1860 as Brashear City, but after some years
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the name was changed to Morgan City and the town received a new charter of incorporation under that name. Among the indus- tries are sugar mills and refineries, oyster canning establishments, and large quantities of fish and terrapin are shipped to New Or- leans and to northern markets. Morgan City has two banks, an international money order postoffice, express, telephone and tele- - graph accommodations, a number of first class mercantile concerns, good schools, churches, etc. In addition to the transportation afforded by the Southern Pacific R. R., the steamers of that com- pany touch at Morgan City, and the Atchafalava & Bayou des Glaize packet company also runs a line of steamers that furnish good shipping facilities by water.
Morgan, David B., soldier, was a resident of Louisiana at the time the state was admitted into the Union, and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1811. On Dec. 23, 1814, Gen. Morgan was stationed at the English Turn in command of some 350 Louisiana militia. (See War of 1812.) On the 26th he was ordered to cut the levee at Jumonville's plantation, then move up and take position on the right bank of the Mississippi river oppo- site Gen. Jackson's main line, where he was to occupy the unfin- ished intrenchments commenced by Maj. Latour, in order to guard against a flank movement by the enemy. On the evening of Jan. 4, 1815, Morgan was reinforced by the 2nd Louisiana militia, com- manded by Col. Zenon Cavelier. More reinforcements joined him on the evening of the 6th, and on the 7th a detachment of the Ken- tuckians, under command of Col. Davis, was added to his forces. Gayarre says that Morgan was "a worthy man in his private char- acter, brave personally, but an incompetent officer. He showed his incapacity at once by the very choice of the spot which he selected to make a stand against the enemy. It was behind a canal, it is true, but there were other canals ; and this one was at a point where the cypress swamp recedes from the Mississippi more than at any other for miles, and leaves the largest space between itself and the river. Jackson had done the very reverse on the other side, but this example was not followed."
In placing his men behind this canal, Morgan unfortunately left a space between the militia and the Kentuckians under Col. Davis. When the battle of the 8th began the British commander sent Col. Thornton with about 600 men to dislodge Morgan from the right bank. Thornton was quick to see the gap in the line, into which he sent a portion of his command, at the same time ordering a detach- ment into the wood to turn Morgan's right. Seeing that he was outgeneraled, Morgan ordered a retreat. A French soldier in Maj. Armaud's command. unable to understand the command as it was given in English, asked the nature of the order. and a comrade re- plied: "Sauve qui peut," which is about equivalent to the English "the Devil take the hindmost." The result was a complete rout, Thornton occupying Morgan's position until after the defeat of the British forces by Jackson, when he withdrew to join the re- treating army. A court of inquiry, presided over by Gen. William
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Carroll, investigated the causes of Morgan's defeat, and in the final report said: "Whilst the court find much to applaud in the zeal and gallantry of the officer immediately commanding, they be- lieve that a further reason for the retreat may be found in the manner in which the force was posted on that line, which they consider exceptionable."
The "exceptionable" feature of the position was that 500 or more of the militia were stationed behind 200 yards of breastworks, with 3 pieces of artillery, while less than 200 Kentuckians occupied a line some 300 yards in length behind a small ditch, without artil- lery, and separated from the militia by the gap above mentioned. Although the court made as charitable a report as the circum- stances would permit. Gen. Morgan felt the rebuke, and it cast a shadow over his subsequent life.
Morganza, a village in the central part of Pointe Coupée parish, is on the Texas & Pacific R. R., 10 miles northwest of New Roads, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices, and is the shipping point for the center of the parish. Some sharp skirmishing occurred in the vicinity during the early days of June, 1864.
Morley is a post-hamlet of West Baton Rouge parish.
Morphy, Paul, one of the world's greatest chess-players, was born in New Orleans, June 22, 1837. He was a Creole of Spanish descent and belonged to one of the "good old families" that dated back to the "good old times." His father, Alonzo Morphy, was at one time an associate justice of the Louisiana supreme court. Paul Morphy is described by Grace King as "dark-skinned, with bril- liant black eyes, black hair; slight and graceful, with the hands and smile of a woman, his personality held the eye with a charm that appeared to the imagination akin to mystery." He was taught chess by his father, and at the age of 12 years was one of the best amateur players in the city. He attended a South Carolina col- lege and afterward studied law, but as a matter of fact .he gave himself up to the game of chess. At the American chess congress, held at New York in Oct., 1857, he defeated many of the best American players, and the following year went to Europe, where his playing was attended with the same success, defeating among other celebrities Staunton of England, who was regarded as the "king of chess," and Horrwitz of Paris. While in Europe he played several blind-fold games that gave him a world-wide repu- tation. Later he challenged the world and agreed to give any player accepting the challenge the advantage of a pawn move, but none appeared to give him battle. About the close of the Civil war Mr. Morphy foreswore chess entirely, declining even to talk on the subject, and from that time devoted himself to the practice of law. He died at New Orleans on July 10, 1884.
Morris, a post-hamlet of Grant parish, is + miles north. of Meade, the nearest railroad station, and 10 miles southeast of Colfax, the parish scat.
Morrow, a village in the northern part of St. Landry parish, is a
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station on the Texas & Pacific R. R., about 20 miles north of Ope- lousas, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice, express and telegraph offices and in 1900 had a population of 170.
Morse, a village of Acadia parish, is situated on a branch line of the Southern Pacific R. R., 10 miles southwest of Crowley, the parish seat. It is in the rice district, has a rice mill, a money order postoffice, an express office, and is the shipping and supply point for a considerable district. The population was 45 in 1900.
Morse, Isaac Edward, lawyer, diplomat and politician, was born at Attakapas, La., May 22, 1809. He received a military and classical education at Capt. Partridge's academy, graduated at Harvard college in 1829. After graduating he studied law; was admitted to the bar and began practice at New Iberia ; soon entered public life as a member of the state senate : was elected a represent- ative from Louisiana to the 28th Congress, as a Democrat, in place of Pierre E. Bossier, who had died ; was reelected to the 29th, 30th and 31st Congresses, but was defeated for the 32nd Congress in 1850. Soon after his last term in Congress expired he was elected attorney-general of Louisiana. President Pierce appointed him minister to New Granada to demand indemnity for the murder of American citizens crossing the Isthmus. He followed the for- tunes of his native state when she seceded from the Union, and died at New Orleans, La., Feb. 11, 1866.
Morville, a post-hamlet of Concordia parish, is situated on the Mississippi river, 3 miles southeast of Forest, the nearest railroad station and 10 miles southeast of Vidalia, the parish seat.
Moscoso, Don Luis de (also called Moscoso de Alvarado), a Spanish soldier and explorer, was born at Badajoz in 1505. He served under Hernando de Soto in the conquest of Florida and the discovery of the Mississippi river, and upon the death of De Soto was chosen commander. The route followed by the expedition from that time is somewhat problematical, but the most generally accepted theory is that, after suffering untold hardships, the rem- nant of the company that left Florida in 1539 (some 300 men) de- scended the Mississippi river to the Gulf of Mexico. Moscoso afterward published a map of the region traversed by the expedi- tion, and this map shows the country for a considerable distance west of the Mississippi. He died in Peru about 1560.
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