USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Asylum > Short history of Asylum, Pennsylvania founded in 1793 by the French exiles in America > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
John Becdelliere had a store. His partners were the brothers, Augustine and Francis de La Rone, one of whom had been in the police service in Paris, the other a captain of infantry. They both returned . to France with Talleyrand before the breaking up. of the colony, and one of them became his private secretary. M. Becdelliere returned to France in 1803. Dr. Lawrence Buzzard, a physician, who had been a rich planter in San Domingo, came with his wife, son and daughter, and settled in Asylum. Afterwards went to Cuba, where he died. Mr. John Brevost, a native of Paris, was interested with Mr. Dulong in the settlement at Butternuts, N. Y. He removed to Asylum where he became a farmer. In January, 1801, he advertised in the "Wilkes-Barre
-
HON. JOHN LAPORTE.
Son of Bartholomew Laporte, Sr., who was one of the French Refugees.
-
49
-
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
Gazette" that he intends to open a school at Asylum for teaching the French language. The price of teaching a child between the age of ten and sixteen years will be sixty bushels of wheat per year, to be delivered at Newtown, Tioga, Asylum, or Wilkes- Barre, at the place pointed out by the subscriber -- one-half every six months. His school at Asylum proving a failure, he went to New Orleans, where his wife and daughter established a flourishing young ladies seminary. Peter Regnier was an in- keeper at Asylum, when the settlement broke up he returned to France where he remained two years. He disposed of some property he had there and transmitted a large sum of money to his partner in Philadelphia. He returned to America and found that his partner had absconded to the West Indies,. taking his money with him, leaving Regnier and his family destitute. He had good pluck and did not give up. in despair. In a letter to Judge Gore, he says: "However, I keep up my spirits and trust in Providence, the only hope I can rely on. I have returned to this country with the intention never to quit it again, being of the opinion there is not a better one in the world.". Mr. Aubrey, a blacksmith at Asylum, went to Philadelphia for surgical aid to remove a tumor from his neck, and remained there. Mr. Beaulieu, who had been a captain in the French army, married his wife in this country and remained here, but where he resided after leaving Asylum is unknown. Madame d'Autremont's oldest son, Louis Paul, who returned to France with Talleyrand, was an able man employed in government business. He was sent on missions to Portugal and to England.
ร
18
Tors ers .
50
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
Hle re-visited the United in 1832, but returned to France, where he died. He invested considerable sums of money in real estate in this country, but in- vestments in "wild lands" seldom prove profitable possessions.
On the breaking up of the colony at Asylum, Madame d'Autremont with her two sons, went to the Butternuts, N. Y., where they had formerly re- sided, and soon after removed to Angelica, N. Y., where some of her descendants still reside, (1916). Here they were joined by Victor Dupont de Ne- mours, an exile, who subsequently removed to Dela- ware, where he and his brother established the largest gun powder manufactory in the United States, which is still conducted on an immense scale by their descendants. Madame d'Autremont died at Angelica, August 29th, 1809, aged 64 years. Alexander Hubert, who married the daughter . of Major Oliver Dodge, died at Angelica, August 4th, 1857. They had ten children, all of whom are dead. The other son, Augustine Francois Cecile, who mar- ried Sarah Ann Stewart, also had teni children. She died in Angelica in 1840, and he in 1860. The wife of Alexander Hubert died in 1866, (January 12th.)
M. Charles Bue Boulogne, who had been the very. active agent of the colony at Asylum, was drowned in attempting to ford Loyal Sock creek at, Hills- grove, July 20th, 1796, and was the first person buried there, as stated on another page.
In May, 1795, the Duke de Rochefoucauld de Lian- court, a French nobleman, visited the colony and gave a very full account of it in his "Journey of
1
A
3
لانن جرسا
3
51
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
Travels in North America." At the time of his visit, he says:
"Asylum consisted of about thirty houses in- habited by families from San Domingo, and from France, by French artisans, and even by Americans. Some inns (taverns) and two shops (stores) have been established. Several town shares have been put in very good condition, and the fields and gar- dens begin to be productive. A considerable quan- tity of ground has been cleared on the Loyal Sock creek. The owner can either settle there himself or intrust it to a farmer. The sentiment of the col- onists is good. Each one follows his business-the cultivator, as well as the inn keeper, or tradesman, with as much zeal as if he had been brought up to it. The real farmers who reside at Asylum live upon the whole on very good terms with each other, be- ing sensible that harmony is requisite to render their situation comfortable and happy. They pos- sess no considerable property, and their way of life is simple. Mr. Talon lives in a manner somewhat more splendid than the others, as he has to entertain home seekers and visitors, and. as he is obliged to maintain a number of persons to whom his assist- ance is indispensable. The price of the company's lands at present is $2.50 per acre. That in the town of Asylum fetches a little more. The bullocks which are consumed at Asylum are generally brought from the back settlements, but it is frequently found nec- essary to send thither for them. The grain, which is not consumed at Asylum, finds a market in Wilkes-Barre, and it is transported there on the river. In the same manner all kinds of merchandise
52
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
are transported from Philadelphia to Asylum. They are carried in wagons as far as Harrisburg, and thence by barges up the river. The freight amounts in the whole to two dollars per hundred weight. . (The freight from Wilkes-Barre was 51 cents per ewt). The salt comes from the salt houses at Gene- see, N. Y. Flax is produced in the country about Asylum. Maple sugar is made in great abundance. Each maple tree is reputed to yield from two to three pounds per year. Maple molasses and vinegar are prepared here and sold abroad. A considerable quantity of tar is made, and sold at four dollars per barrel, containing 32 gallons, Day laborers are paid five shillings per day. ( Probably it was the "York" shilling, worth 1212 cents, as it was the shilling in general use at that time). The manufacture of pot- ashes has been commenced at Asylum, and it is con- templated the brewing of malt liquors. A corn mill and a saw mill are building on the Loyal Sock.
The new land company taught by the errors of the former, will no doubt make it their principal business to promote the prosperity of Asylum which alone can in any considerable manner increase the value of the land. The soil is tolerably good, and the climate healthful. Almost all the ingredients of a prosperous colony are found in Asylum, and afford room to hope that these great natural ad- vantages will in time be improved for the benefit and prosperity of the colonists. It will be neces- sary to construct new roads and repair old ones. If these things be done, Asylum will soon be peo- pled. Motives arising from French manners and opinions have hitherto prevented even French fami-
1
53
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
lies from settling here. These are now in a great measure removed, and if the company shall proceed with judgment and prudence, as it is to be hoped, there will scarcely remain in doubt that Asylum will speedily become a place of importance. Its situa- tion on the Susquehanna 200 miles from its sonree, fits it in a peenliar manner for an emporium for the inland trade. French activity supported with money will certainly accelerate its growth, and this in time, will convince the world that the enterprise, assiduity of Frenchmen are equally conspicuous in prosperous and adverse circunstances."
The Duke also gives a list of the principal French- residents at the time of his visit in 1795 as follows: " (Ist) M. de Blacon, Deputy for Dauphine in the Constituent Assembly. Since quitting France he has married Madamoiselle de Maulde, late canoness to the chapter Bonbourg. They keep a haber- dasher's shop. Their partner is M. Colin, formerly Abbe de Sevigny, Archdeacon of Tours, and coun- seiller and grand conseil. (2nd) M. de Montule, late captain of a troop of horse, married to lady of San Domingo, who resides at present at Pottsgrove. (Brd) Madame de Seybert, a cousin to M. de Mon- tule, and relict. of a rich planter of San Domingo. (4th)'. M. Bechdelliere, formerly a canon, now a shop-keeper. His partners are the two Messrs. de la Roue, one of whom was formerly a petit gens d' armes, and the other a captain of infantry. The latter married a sister of Madame Seybert. (5th) Mademoiselle de Bercy, who intends establishing an inn on the road from Asylum to the Loyal Sock, eight miles from the former place, whither she is
-1
-
54
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
on the point of removing with her husband. (6th) M. Beaulieu, former a captain of infantry in the French service who served in America during the late war in the legion of Potonsky. Ile has remained ever since in this country, has married an English lady, and now keeps an inn. (7th) M. Buzzard, a planter of San Domingo, and a physician in that country, who has settled at Asylum with his wife, daughter, son and some negroes, the remains of his fortune. (8th) M. de Noailles, a planter of San Do- mingo. (9th) M. Daudelot of Frenchcourte, late an officer of infantry, who left France on account of the Revolution, and arrived here destitute of prop- erty, but was kindly received by Mr. Talon, and is now engaged in agricultural pursuits with spirit and success. (10th) M. du Petithouar, an officer of the navy who, encouraged by the Constituent As- sembly, and assisted by a subscription, embarked in an expedition in quest of M. de la Peroufe. Hle was detained on the coast of Brazil by the governor of that colony, Fernando de Noriguez, and sent with his crew to Portugal, where he was very ill-treated by the Portugese government, stripped of all his property, and only escaped further persecution by fleeing to America, where he lives free and happy without property, yet without want. Hle is em- ployed in clearing about 200 or 300 acres of wood- land. His sociable, mild, and truly original temper and character are set off by a noble simplicity of manner. 1
" (11th) M. Nores, a young gentleman who em- barked with M. de Petithouar and escaped with him to this country. He formerly wore the Petit collet,
55
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
(or little band which was formerly a distinguishing mark of the secular clergy in France) was a pupil of M. de la Capelle, possessor of a small priory, and now earns his subsistence by cultivating the ground. " (12th) John Keathig, an Irishman, and late cap- tain of regiment of Welch. At the beginning of the Revolution he was in San Domingo where he pos- sessed the confidence of the parties, but refused the most tempting offers of the commissioners of the Assembly; though his sentiments were truly democratic. It was his choice and determination to retire to America without a shilling in his pocket rather than to acquire power and opulence in San Domingo by violating his first oath. He is a man of uncommon merit, distinguished abilities, extraor- dinary virtue, invincible disinterestedness. His de- portment is grave but affable. His advice and pri- dence have proved extremely serviceable .to M. Talon in every department of his business. It was he who negotiated the arrangements between Messrs. Morris and Nicholson, and it may be justly said that the confidence which his uncommon abili- ties and virtues inspire enables him to adjust mat- ters in dispute with much greater facility than most other persons. ( 13th) M. Benand, a rich merchant of San Domingo, has just arrived with his family and a very considerable property preserved from the wreck of an immense fortune. (14th) M. Carles, a priest and cannon of Guernsey, who re -. tired to America with a small fortune, and who has now settled at Asylum. He is an industrions and much respected farmer. (15th) M. Brevost, a citizen of Paris, celebrated for his benevolence. He was a
56
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
member of all benevolent societies, treasurer of the Philanthropic Society, and retired to America with some property, a considerable part of which he ex- pended on a settlement he attempted to establish on the banks of the Chenango River, N. Y., but which did not eventually succeed. He now culti- vates his lot of ground on the Loyal Sock as if his whole life had been devoted to the same pursuit, and the cheerful serenity of a gentle, candid, phil- osophical mind still attends him in his laborious re- treat. His wife, and sister-in-law, who have also settled here, share in his tranquility and happiness. (16th) Madame d'Autremont, with her three chil- dren. She is the widow of a steward of Paris. Two of her sons are grown up. One was a notary, the other a watch maker, but they have now become hewers of wood, and tillers of the ground, and se- cure by their zeal, spirit, politeness and unblem- ished character the sympathy and respect of every feeling mind.
"Some families of artisans are also established at Asylum and such as conduet themselves properly earn great wages. This cannot be said of the greater part of them. They, in general, are very indifferent workmen, much addicted to drunken- ness. In time they will be superseded by more valuable men, and American families of a better description will settle here, for those who reside at present are scarcely worth keeping.
"One of the greatest impediments to the prosper- ity of the settlement will probably arise from the prejudice of some Frenchmen against the Ameri- cans unless self-interest and reason should prove
57
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
the means of removing them. These are frequently manifested with that inconsistent levity with which Frenchmen decide on things and persons, of the greatest moment. Some of them vauntingly de- clare that they will never learn the language of the country or enter into a conversation with an Ameri- can. Whether particular facts and occurrences can justify this prejudice in regard to individuals, I will not affirm, but certain it is that they can never justify it in the latitude of general opinion.
"A conduct founded on such prejudices would prove extremely hurtful to the interest of the colony, the progress of which has already been retarded by so many unfavorable obstacles that there is certainly no occasion to create new ones by purposely excit - ing the animosity of a people among whom the colony has been formed, and who, in the judgment of every impartial man, must be considered as in a state of less degeneracy than many. European nations:
"The real farmers who reside in Asylum live upon the whole on very good terms with each other, be- ing duly sensible that harmony is requisite to render their situation comfortable and happy. They pos- sess no considerable property and their way of life is simple. M. Talon lives in a manner somewhat , more splendid, as he is obliged to entertain a num- ber of persons, to whom his assistance is indispeu-" sable. It is to be wished and hoped that the whole settlement may prove ultimately successful. A more convenient spot might have been chosen, but not to mention that all ex post facto judgments are unfair, the present situation of the colony appearing so advantageous as to warrant the most sanguine hopes
1
58
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
of success. Industrial families, without whom no settlement can prosper, must be invited to it, for it must be considered that however polished its pres- ent inhabitants may be, the gentlemen cannot so easily dispense with the assistance of the artisan and husbandman, as these can with that of the gen- tleman. A speedy adjustment of the present diffi- culties between Connecticut and Pennsylvania with the estates contiguous to the lands of Asylum would also prove a desirable and fortunate circumstance for the colony. None but. persons of indifferent character are willing to settle on ground, the title to which remains in dispute. Even the small number of colonists we found between Wilkes-Barre and Tioga, are by no means praiseworthy in their morals and they are poor, lazy, drunken, quarrelsome, and extremely negligent in the culture of their lands. The valuable emigrants from New England who should be encouraged to settle here, will certainly not make their appearance till they can be sure of cultivating their lands without opposition and re- taining the undisturbed possession of their estates. It is, therefore, of the greatest importance to the company at Asylum that this weighty business should be speedily and finally adjusted. When that is accomplished, the company will undoubtedly embrace the earliest opportunity of advertising the whole million aeres (they own). They will endeavor to combine separate estates with each other by pur- chasing the intervening lands. They will perceive how advantageous and important it is to place Asylum as it were in full activity by reconstructing the roads already projected and commenced; by es-
59 .
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
tablishing a school; by inviting industrious settlers and endeavoring to improve the breeds of horses and cattle; in short, by encouraging useful estab- lishments of every kind.
"Everything in the settlement at present appears in a precarious condition. The price of provisions depends on a variety of fluctuating circumstances. By the activity and prudence of certain individuals the town is abundantly supplied with grain and meat, and their honest economy keeps provisions at a moderate price. But men of a less liberal way of thinking have it also in their power to occasion scarcity of the first necessaries of life, and raise their price to a rate beyond all proportion to that of other commodities. The information that I have been able to collect relative to the state of agriculture, however accurate at the present moment, can hardly be thought sufficient for the direction of a planter who should be inclined to settle here. The land behind the town is tolerably good. That on the banks of the river consists of excellent meadows, laid out by those who settled here before the pres- ent colonists, producing very good hay in consid- erable quantities, and they are capable of still fur- ther improvement. The price of the company's lands is at present $2.50 per acre. Very little of it, however, is sold. There is little doubt that the price will raise to $10 per acre, Hitherto the grain has suffered very little from the Hessian fly, or from blight. The winter here lasts from four and a half to five months. Both the oxen and cows are of the very indifferent sort, and little attention has yet been paid to the breeding of cattle. The land yields
1
1
60
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
about 15 to 20 bushels of wheat per acre; 60 bus. of corn, and three tons of hay per acre. In plowing, they generally employ oxen. They are sometimes driven to Philadelphia."
In concluding his account of Asyhun, the Duke says: "On our arrival at Asylum it was not our intention to have stopped more than four days in. that place, but the pleasure of meeting with M. and Madame de Blacons, a desire to obtain a knowledge of the present state of the colony as well as the pros- peets of future improvement, and the cordial recep- tion we received from all its inhabitants, induced us to add four days to our stay, and in the whole we stopped twelve days. On Tuesday, the 2nd of June, we took our. departure, Messrs. de Blacons and Dupetithouar joined our caravan. The latter, who traveled on foot, set out the preceding morning."
The Duke was a copious, voluminous writer with a vocabulary abundantly stocked with excellent language, but it seems as if he might have made the record in his journal just as clear in fewer words. However, we must honor him for giving us much information about the place and the people, which we would not have obtained from any other source.
As the Duke intended to publish an account of his travels (which he did) he took extraordinary pains to get all the reliable information about the place, its people and their history that was possible.
M. Becdelliere, one of the store keepers, was evi- dently generous and fond of children. He fre- quently gave candy and raisins to Abraham Vander -. pool, a little boy four years old, which kindness was never forgotten by the boy.
61
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
CHAPTER X.
THE FIRST WEDDING.
T HIE town covered 300 acres. The first build- ing erected after the dwellings were com- pleted, was a theatre, and the next a small log chapel. The first wedding was the marriage of M. de Blacons, late deputy in the Constituent Assem- bly, to Madame de Mauldee, late Canoness of Bom- berg. She had fled from France with Abbe de Sevigny.
Alexander Wilson, author of American Ornithol- ogy, made a journey to Niagara Falls in 1804 and stopped at Asylum, where he wrote his impressions of the place in. verse as follows:
"Gauls exiled and royalists, a pensive train, Here raise the hut. and till the rough domain. The way-worn pilgrim, to their fires receive, Supply his wants, but at his tidings grieve. Afflicting news forever on the wing ;-
A ruined country and a murdered King. Peace to their lone retreat, while sheltered here May these deep shades to them be doubly dear, And powr's proud worshippers wherever placed, Who saw such grandeur ruined, and defaced By deeds of virtue to themselves secure; Those inborn joys that spite of Kings endure, Though thrones, and states, from their foundation part, The precious balm of a pure blameless heart."
Mr. Wilson may have been an excellent describer of the feathered songsters and their songs, but he was not a good poet, and might better have extolled "Gauls exiled royalists" in prose.
Chevalier de Pontgibauld, one of the young French officers who came over with General Lafay- ette and served in the American army, visited Asylum and wrote as follows: "The most conspicu-
السيد
62
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
ous spectacle was to see these Frenchmen fallen from their greatness and now exercising some trade or profession. One day I entered a shop and found the proprietor to be a nobleman who had been a member of The Constituent Assembly."
When the purchase of the Schufeldt flats was con- cluded the deed of conveyance commenced as fol- lows: "Beginning at a remarkable rock on the west side of the Susquehanna river, known as the Standing Stone, and from thence, &c." The stone stands in the edge of the river on the west side, about one or two rods from shore. It is about 18 feet high on the upper side, and 23 feet on the lower, and four feet thick. One corner has been broken off. It is said to have been done by General Sulli- van's army by firing a cannon ball at it when en- camped on the opposite side of the river. There is no doubt that the rock was loosened by some con- vulsion of nature, slid from the top of the mountain, struck on one end, sunk so deep into the mud and gravel that the ice floods have not been able to move it.
At the end of the street leading directly to the river from the village, a wharf was built for load- ing and unloading boats, as the river at that time was the only public means of transportation. The roads were so execrably bad no heavy loads could be drawn on them, and oxen were used for teaming more than horses, for the reason that they were .. patient and slow to step over stumps and rocks, and wade through the mud.
一
63
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM.
CHAPTER XI.
DISCOURAGING OBSTACLES.
T HERE is said to be a tradition in the d'Au- tremont family that after they found the title to their land at The Butternuts, N. Y.,- worthless, that Alexander d'Autremont followed Boulogne, who had gone to the West Indies on a business trip. Alexander's mission being to recover their money. The vessel in which he, according to tradition, sailed, encountered a furious storm and was wrecked. He escaped to land but was attacked by yellow fever and nearly died. As soon as he re- covered he returned home, not having seen Boulogne. The story, no doubt, is pure fiction and there was never any such tradition in the d'Autre- mont family, as they knew Boulogne was not to blame. Land titles in the state of New York were as precarious as in Pennsylvania. Mr. Boulogne was the agent of Treat and Morris in selling their lands. He had examined their patent and deed, and believed their title was good. Alexander d'Autre- mont did not charge Boulogne with deception and dishonesty. They had been deceived by believing the reports that Asylum was a prosperous place to live and make money. In his letter to Mr. Boulogne, dated July 20th, 1795, he says:
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.