USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 78
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On Sept. 26 a "convention of the people of West Florida" met at Baton Rouge and adopted a declaration of independence. After a long preamble, eulogizing the fidelity and allegiance of the peo- ple and setting forth the fact that the governor "has endeavored to pervert into an engine of destruction those measures which were intended for our preservation by encouraging in the most perfidious manner the violation of ordinances sanctioned and established by himself as the law of the land," the declaration concludes with the . following paragraph : "We. therefore, the representatives aforesaid. appealing to the Supreme Ruler of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do solemnly publish and declare the several districts composing this territory of West Florida to be a free and inde- pendent state; and that they have a right to institute for them- selves such form of government as they may think conducive to their safety and happiness ; to form treaties ; to establish commerce : to provide for their common defence : and to do all acts which may of right be done by a sovereign and independent nation: at the same time declaring all acts within the said territory of West Florida after this date, by any tribunal or authorities not deriving their powers from the people, aggreably to the provisions estab- lished by this convention. to be null and void: and calling upon all foreign nations to respect this our declaration. acknowledging our independence, and giving us stich aid as may be consistent with
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the laws and usages of nations. This declaration, made in conven- tion at the town of Baton Rouge on the 26th day of Sept., 1810. we the representatives in the name aforesaid and on behalf of our constituents, do hereby solemnly pledge ourselves to support with our lives and fortunes.
"By order of the Convention : John Rhea, President, Andrew Steele, Secretary."
Immediately upon the adoption of the declaration, a copy of it was forwarded to Gov. Holmes, with the following communica- tion: "We, the delegates of the people of this state, have the honor to enclose to you an official copy of their act of independence, requesting that it may be forthwith transmitted by you to the presi- dent of the United States, with the expression of their most confi- dent and ardent hope that it may accord with the policy of the gov- ernment, as it does with the safety and happiness of the people of the United States, to take the present government and people of this state under their immediate and special protection as an inte- gral and inalienable portion of the United States."
On Oct. 27, 1810, President Madison issued a proclamation direct- ing Gov. Claiborne, of the Orleans territory, "to exercise over the said territory the authorities and functions legally appertaining to his office." Conditions in the territory of Orleans prevented Clai- borne from acting at once, and on Nov. 29 Fulwar Skipwith was inaugurated as president of the republic of West Florida. On the same day the state flag-a silver star on a field of blue-was un- furled, and Reuben Kemper was sent to Mobile to establish the authority of the new government at that place. On Dec. 7, Clai- borne, with a detachment of militia, marched to St. Francisville, where he raised the Stars and Stripes and formally took possession of the country in the name of the United States. The people yielded a ready allegiance. and the state of West Florida passed into history without further trouble. Gov. Claiborne divided the new district into the parishes of Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Biloxi and Pascagoula. The first four are still sometimes called the "Florida Parishes."
West, J. Rodman, soldier, journalist and U. S. senator, was born in the city of New Orleans, Sept. 19, 1822. He was educated in the University of Pennsylvania and during the War with Mexico held a commission as captain in the volunteer army. In 1849 he joined the great army of gold seekers and went to California. where he became engaged in newspaper work until the breaking out of the Civil war, when he entered the Federal army as a lieu- tenant-colonel and rose to the rank of brevet major-general. After the war he located in Texas, but later removed to New Orleans. and from 1871 to 1877 was a U. S. senator from Louisiana as a Republican. He died at Washington, D. C., Nov. 1, 1898.
Westlake, one of the largest towns in Calcasieu parish, is situated at the junction of the Kansas City Southern and the Southern Pacific railroads, 3 miles west of Lake Charles, the parish seat.
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It has rice mills, sawmills and other lumber industries, an inter- national money order postoffice, telegraph and telephone facilities, and. in 1900 reported a population of 1,500.
West Monroe, one of the new incorporated towns of Ouachita parish, which sprang up after the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific R. R. was built, is a station on that line about 2 miles west of Mon- roe, the parish seat. It was first laid out in 1839 and called Cotton- port, but later the name was changed to West Monroe. When the railroad was built it became a center of trade. It has a bank, a money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices, good schools, churches and mercantile establishments, and in 1900 had a popula- tion of 775.
Westwego, one of the largest towns of Jefferson parish, is situ- ated on the Texas & Pacific R. R., 6 miles west of Gretna, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice, telegraph, express, and tele- phone facilities, and is one of the shipping points for the western part of the parish. The population in 1900 was 500.
Weyanoke, a post-village in the northwestern part of West Feliciana parish, is situated on Bayou Sara, 6 miles west of Wake- field, the nearest railroad station, and about 11 miles northwest of St. Francisville, the parish seat. Its population in 1900 was 40.
Wham (R. R. name Boeuf), a post-station near the northeast corner of Ouachita parish, is on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R., 15 miles northeast of Monroe, the parish seat.
Wheeling, a postoffice in the southwestern part of Winn parish, is about 5 miles west of Emden, the nearest railroad station, and 17 miles southwest of Winnfield, the parish seat.
White Castle, one of the principal towns of Iberville parish, is situated in the southeastern part on the west bank of the Missis- sippi river and the Texas & Pacific R. R., about 9 miles southeast of Plaquemine, the parish seat. It is situated in a lumber and cane region, has sugar refineries, sawmills and wood-working factories. a bank, an international money order postoffice, telegraph and express office, good schools, churches, mercantile establishments, and is a shipping point by rail and water for the rich agricultural district in which it is located. Its population in 1900 was 1,850.
White, Edward Douglas, associate justice of the United States supreme court, is a native of Louisiana, having been born in the parish of Lafourche, Nov. 3, 1845, a son of Edward D. White, who was governor of the state from 1835 to 1839, and was but two years old when his father died. He was educated at Mount St. Mary's, near Emmitsburg, Md., the Jesuit college of New Orleans, and Georgetown college, D. C. In the war between the states he served in the Confederate army, and in Dec., 1868, was admitted to the bar. In 1874 he was elected to the state senate ; served as asso- ciate justice of the state supreme court from 1878 to 1891; was elected U. S. senator in 1891 and served in that capacity until Feb. 19, 1894, when he was appointed to his present position by Presi- dent Cleveland.
White, Edward Douglas, 7th governor of the State of Louisiana,
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was born in Maury county, Tenn., in March, 1795. His parents, James and .Mary ( Willcox) White, removed to Louisiana before the province was ceded to the United States. When the Territory of Orleans was organized, James White was appointed judge of the western or Attakapas district, and later was judge of St. Martin parish. Edward D. White was educated at the University of Nash- ville. After leaving college he studied law with Alexander Porter and began practice at Donaldsonville, La. In 1825 he was ap- pointed judge of the city court of New Orleans and removed to that city, but three years later resigned the office and retired to his sugar plantation in the parish of Lafourche. In the fall of the sanie year he was elected to represent his district in the 21st Congress, and was twice reelected, but resigned before the expiration of his last term to become governor of the state. He succeeded Gov. Roman on Feb. 2, 1835, and after serving for 4 years was in turn succeeded by Gov. Roman on Feb. 4, 1839. Mr. White had been elected to Congress before the expiration of his term as governor, and in 1840 was reelected. He was an ardent supporter of the Whig party and was a personal friend of Henry Clay. Gov. White died at New Orleans on April 18, 1847. A son, Edward D. White, Jr., is now (1908) one of the associate justices of the U. S. supreme court.
White's Administration .- In his inaugural address on Feb. 2, 1835, Gov. White expressed his regret at the "vacillating legisla- tion" of Congress with regard to one of the leading agricultural interests of Louisiana in the bill reducing the duties on imports. This measure he declared to be a "conciliatory measure" which had been adopted to put an end to an "acrimonious conflict which had shaken the Union to its very foundations," and the compromise bill of Henry Clay had been adopted "as a sheet-anchor of safety." Louisiana would suffer by the reduction on sugar, but he ventured to hope that the inherent industry and energy of her people would enable them to overcome "this precarious decision of Congress." Within the year following his inauguration the revolution in Texas, where the people were striving for independence, produced a state of warlike agitation in Lonisiana, and the governor was compelled to issue a proclamation "threatening with condign punishment" all those who should violate the laws of neutrality, which they were bound to observe.
In his message to the general assembly on Jan. 4. 1836, he an- nounced that in the war with the Seminole Indians in Florida the general government had called on the State of Louisiana for troops. and that "her quota had been filled with alacrity in ten days." He warned the legislature against the designs and schemes of the abolitionists of the North and West, and predicted that. should they ever succeed in their plans and purposes, they would "inundate the land with human blood." To carry on their work they had formed affiliated societies in various parts of the country, and the press itself had become their auxiliary. "Every day," said he. "books, pamphlets and all sorts of publications, calculated to oper-
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ate on both sexes from childhood to senility, and full of fantastic images, engravings and emblems destined to act on the imagina- tion, are belched forth upon the public; and the mail, which was established for the common benefit, has become an agent of de- struction and hostility to the Southern States and is now freely used for the propagation of these incendiary compositions." He advised the adoption of precautionary measures and a better organ- ization of the militia of the state. On the question of public lands he said: "Congress has been less liberal to Louisiana than to any other section of the country. Either by accident or by design, the policy pursued toward us has been a system of exclusion. Immense concessions of lands have been made to all the new states, whilst Louisiana has only been able to obtain the petty donation of two townships; and, although the grant was made so far back as 1827, it has been impossible to locate the townships, on account of the captious difficulties raised by the land office."
The year 1837 was marked by a general business depression, which affected the entire country. (See Panics.) Notwithstanding the prevailing hard times the legislature voted to loan $500,000 to the New Orleans & Nashville railroad company to expedite the building of the road, and the board of public works had under con- struction several internal improvements of considerable magnitude. In his message to the legislature this year, the governor laid before the general assembly resolutions that had been adopted by several abolition societies in the North. In presenting the resolutions he said: "In this posture of things it devolves on us, in common with those whose interests are identified with our own, to protect our- selves and ours against these pseudo-philanthropists. Let us care- fully examine our statutes on this head with the view to give them all requisite efficiency. Beyond the measures of legal precaution, for the present, whatever alternatives the progress of events may offer, will form a proper subject of reflection when the necessity for the consideration shall present itself. In the meantime we should not deceive ourselves as to the possibility of a crisis. The agitators, emboldened by impunity, boast of increasing consequence and numbers."
The legislature passed a resolution approving the governor's views on this question, and endorsed the resolutions of the South Carolina and Kentucky legislatures proposing a convention of the slaveholding states "to inquire into and determine on the best possible means to obtain 'peaceably if they can, forcibly if they must,' that respect for their institutions to which they are entitled by the positive enactments of the Federal compact and by the stronger law of self-preservation."
In the political campaign of 1838 all parties were united in oppo- sition to the doctrines of the abolitionists; the act of Congress in abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia was denounced; and the newspapers generally severely criticised the acts of North- ern men in assisting runaway slaves to escape. The question of the annexation of Texas was an absorbing one during the cam-
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paign. André B. Roman was elected governor, and on Jan. 7, 1839, Gov. White submitted his last message to the legislature. In it he made the announcement that the banks had resumed specie pay- ment, that Louisiana was beginning to emerge from her difficulties, and that it was consoling to him to leave the state in the enjoyment of her usual prosperity. His administration terminated on Feb. 4, when Gov. Roman was inaugurated.
Whitehall, a post-village in the southern part of Livingston par- ish, is on a tributary of the Amite river, about 10 miles south of Springville, the parish seat. The Brakenridge Railway & Naviga- tion company are extending their line to Whitehall, which is an old settlement, and in 1900 had a population of 85.
White League .- In the spring of 1874 many of the white people of Louisiana reached the conclusion that the salvation of the state depended upon the overthrow of the Republican party and negro domination, and began talking of organizing for that purpose. The first White League was organized at Opelousas on April 27, but the organization did not make much headway until about a month later, when steamboat captains leaving New Orleans for points up the Mississippi river reported that nearly every vessel carried arms, to be delivered to certain designated parties above, and the belief became prevalent that the purpose was to arm the negroes for the complete subjection of the whites. This knowledge stimulated the work of organization, and on June 14 the league was organized in the parish of St. Martin. On the 26th Archibald Mitchell wrote to F. C. Zacharie a letter favoring the movement. In this letter he said: "If we possessed a general armed organization in this state, we would obtain our rights, in great part at least, without firing a gun or shedding one drop of blood. * * * But the armed part should be secret." In 1868 a "Crescent City Democratic Club" had been organized in New Orleans and had maintained its exist- ence as such until June, 1874, when the name was changed to the Crescent City White League of New Orleans. On July 2 it pub- lished its platform, giving the reasons for the change of name and stating the objects of the organization to be "to assist in restoring an honest and intelligent government to the state of Louisiana : to drive out incompetent and corrupt men from office and by a union with all other good citizens the better to maintain and defend the constitution of the United States and of the state, with all laws made in pursuance thereof ; and to maintain and protect and en- force our rights and the rights of all citizens thereunder." The declaration of principles referred to the conflict that appeared to be inevitable-"a conflict between enlightenment and thick ignorance. between civilization and barbarism-a barbarism artificially stinit- lated and held up by the perverted authority of the most civilized nation in the world."
With regard to the rights and status of the negro the platform said : "Where the white race rules, the negro is peaceful and happy ; where the black rules, the negro is starved and oppressed. But it is worse than idle to reason with those people. They have become
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maddened by the hatred and conceit of race, and it has become our duty to save them and to save ourselves from the fatal probabili- ties of their stupid extravagance and reckless vanity, by arraying ourselves in the name of white civilization, resuming that just and legitimate superiority in the administration of our state affairs to which we are entitled by superior responsibility, superior numbers, and superior intelligence : and while we declare it our purpose and fixed determination not to interfere in any manner with the legal rights of the colored race, we are determined to maintain our own legal rights by all the means that may become necessary for that purpose, and to preserve them at all hazards."
These were not mere idle words, uttered by a lot of political adventurers without a definite object in view, but a solemn declara- tion of facts by men of character and standing, ready to make any sacrifice to carry out their ends. Among the organizers of the White League were such men as Col. John B. Walton, Benjamin R. Forman, James Buckner, Frank C. Zacharie, Archibald Mitchell, and many others whose names were synonyms for honesty and moral courage. The first officers of the Crescent City White League were Frederick N. Ogden, president; William J. Behan, first vice-president : Washington I. Hodgson, second vice-president ; Donaldson Jenkins, corresponding secretary ; Theodore Shute, re- cording secretary ; William A. Bell, treasurer ; William T. Vaudry, first marshal ; John Payne, first assistant marshal ; Harrison Watts, second assistant marshal. All over the state the press and the con- servative people generally gave support to the league in its efforts "to put the control of the state government in the hands of the white people of the state." as it was expressed by the Opelousas Courier of July 4, 1874. This accord with the movement was plainly shown by the resolutions adopted at a convention of "the white people of Louisiana." which was held at Baton Rouge on Aug. 24. The platform adopted declared that it was the intention of the people "to have a free and fair election, and to see that the result was not changed by fraud or violence." William Pitt Kellogg, governor de facto, was denounced as a usurper, and his government as arbitrary, unjust and oppressive. (See Kellogg's Adminis- tration.)
About Sept. 12 the steamer Mississippi landed at New Orleans. having on board a large consignment of arms for the league, and it was feared that the police would attempt to capture the arms. On the morning of the 13th a call appeared in the New Orleans papers for the "citizens of New Orleans" to meet at the Clay statue on Canal street at 11 a. m. the following day. To assist the league in any movement that might become necessary, Acting-Gov. Penn called out the militia and appointed Gen. Ogden "provisional gen- eral of the Louisiana state militia." An account of the conflict that occurred on that memorable Sept. 14. and which resulted in the ' temporary overthrow of the Kellogg regime. is best told by the report of Gen. Frederick N. Ogden, from which the following are extracts :
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"On Monday, Sept. 14, at 1 p. m., upon the uprising of the citi- zens en masse, and immediately upon receipt of commission from Lieut .- Gov. D. B. Penn, acting governor during the temporary absence of Gov. McEnery, appointing me major-general, command- ing the state militia, and in pursuance of his orders to assemble my troops, I at once proceeded to form a defensive line of battle on Poydras street, my right resting on the levee, my left on Carondelet street, with the intention of throwing the city into a military camp, for the purpose of thoroughly organizing the state forces. With commendable alacrity the following commands reported at my headquarters, on Camp rear Poydras street, viz .: Crescent City White League, Col. W. J. Behan commanding, composed of : Section A, Capt. W. T. Vaudry ; Section B, Capt. George H. Lord; Section C, Capt. S. H. Buck; Section D, Capt. Archibald Mitchell ; Section E, Capt. R. B. Pleasants ; Section F, Capt. Thomas Mclu- tyre; Section G, Capt. D. M. Kilpatrick. The 11th ward White League, Capt. F. M. Andress. The 10th ward White League, Capt. Edward Flood. The 6th district White League, Capt. H. E. Shrop- shire. The 6th district White League, Capt. C. H. Allen. The 6th ward White League, Capt. George W. Dupre. The 7th ward White League, Capt. O. M. Tennison. The Washington White League, Capt. A. B. Phillips. The St. John White League, Capt. Charles Vautier. The 2nd ward White League, Capt. R. S. Dennee. The 3d ward White League, Capt. J. R. S. Selleck. Maj. Le Gardeur, with Capt. Charles Roman's company (the remainder of his bat- talion being present unarmed). Col. John G. Angell, commanding the 1st Louisiana infantry, composed of the following companies : Co. A, Capt. Borland; Co. B, Capt. F. McGloin; Co. C. Capt. Blanchard; Co. E, Lieut. F. A. Richardson. Together with two companies of artillery, under Capt. John Glynn, Jr. (acting chief of artillery), and Capt. H. D. Coleman.
"As before stated, my line of defense was formed on Poydras street, at 3 p. m., the right under command of Col. W. J. Behan, consisting of Cos. A. B. C, E and G, Crescent City White League, and the commands of Capts. Flood, Andress, Allen and Shropshire, supported by one 12-pounder gun, extended from the levee to Tchoupitoulas street. The center, composed of the commands of - Capts. Dupre, McIntyre and Phillips, extended from Tchoupitoulas to Camp street : the left, with the commands of Capts. Roman, Ten- mison and Vantier, from Camp to Carondelet street. Col. John G. Angell was ordered by me to take position on St. Charles street. above Poydras, to guard against attack from the central police station on Carondelet street. Maj. J. D. Hill, of the above bat- talion, with Co. E. Lieut. Richardson commanding, was directed to place himself on the corner of Camp and Common streets, to check any advance of the enemy by way of Chartres and Camp streets. Capt. H. D. Coleman's company of artillery, supported by Section D. Crescent City White League, under command of that trusty leader, Capt. Archibald Mitchell, together with Capt. Den- nee's section, were stationed at the corner of Camp and Julia streets,
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and the Louisiana Rifle Club, together with the unattached forces, under command of Maj. John Augustin, at the corner of Carondelet and. Julia streets, with pickets on the extreme left and right, formed my reserve force and second line of defense.
"While strengthening my lines and arranging my troops more perfectly, the enemy, consisting of about 500 metropolitan police, with 6 pieces of artillery, under Gens. Longstreet and Badger, moved by way of Chartres, Peters and Decatur street, taking posi- tion on Canal street, about the U. S. custom-house and in front of the Iron building and Mobile railroad passenger depot, leaving a reserve of the 1st Louisiana brigade to guard the state house and the arsenal at Jackson square. At 4:15 p. m., Brig .- Gen. Badger, with about 300 metropolitans, armed with the most improved weapons, one Gatling gun and two 12-pounder Napoleon guns, opened fire on my extreme right, which was promptly responded to by that gallant, experienced and vigilant officer, Col. W. J. Behan, whose celerity and brilliancy of movement are deserving of the highest praise. Capt. Pleasants, Section E. C. C. W. L., whose command was armed with improved weapons and amply supplied with ammunition, gained the enemy's flank and poured a deadly fire into their ranks, which caused them to waver. Capt. John Glynn, Jr., finding his piece of artillery useless, acted with the promptness and dash of a trained soldier, and ordered Lieut. E. A. Guibet to charge. which he did with gallantry, in conjunction with Co. A, Capt. Vaudry, and B, Capt. Lord, down the open levee and street, driving back the enemy and capturing his guns. At the same time Co. C, Capt. Buck, Co. G. Capt. Kilpatrick, and com- mands of Capts. Allen, Shropshire, Andress and Flood, charged down Front. Peters and Tchoupitoulas streets, forcing the enemy completely from his position. To this result Maj. J. D. Hill con- tributed by a timely withdrawal of his command from the position assigned him, and aided materially in driving the metropolitans from their last stand. In the meantime Capt. A. B. Phillips was ordered to make a flank movement on the enemy's right, in which he was assisted by Capt. Tennison's command and a portion of the. St. John White League. He met and dispersed a body of them at the corner of Chartres and Customhouse streets, losing 2 killed and 3 wounded, and then returned to his former position in the center of the line.
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