Iberville Stone

Louisiana State Museum - See also URL
Fort Maurepas

Louisiana Surnames Louisiana Researchers updated

The surname database for this blog has been updated today. You are free to add or search for yours. The database has reached eight pages. Thank you for contributing!

Pierre Soule

According to the New York Times, Pierre Soule arrived in New York as a prisoner on the Ocean Queen June 18, 1862 with his "negro servant" and "free man", Jule.

The former Congressman was successful in lobbying against the death penalty in 1846, but  Union troops executed Mumford at the US MINT during the Civil War while Soule was provost marshall. You may read more here about the infamous incident.

Pierre Soule was pardoned by the President November 1, 1865.

More was written in 1918 about Soule's duels.  "Soule attended a ball in Madrid where a remark by the Duke of Alva was accidentally heard by Mr. Soule's son, Nelvil, who considered it offensive to his family, and, though the duke denied any such intention, a duel with swords was the result. Mr. Soule then challenged the French ambassador, the Marquis de Turgot, as responsible for what had taken place under his roof, and crippled him for life." URL

Pierre Soule was provost marshall in New Orleans at the time of his arrest.  His possible duties included: (From URL)

- Suppression of marauding an depredations, and of brawls and disturbances, preservation of good order, and suppression of disturbances beyond the limits of the camps.

- Prevention of straggling on the march.
- Suppression of gambling houses, drinking houses, or barrooms, and brothels.
- Regulation of hotels, taverns, markets, and places of amusement.
- Searches, seizures, and arrests.
- Execution of sentences of general courts-martial involving imprisonment or capital punishment.
- Enforcement of orders prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.
- Deserters.
- Countersigning safeguards.
- Passes to citizens within the lines and for purposes of trade.
- Complaint of citizens as to the conduct of soldiers.
- Confiscation of contraband.
- Prisoners of war.
- Intelligence.
- Passports for travel.
- Arrest of "Draft-dodgers" and men who were "AWOL".

A Provost Marshall would have had access to telegraph ciphers and telegraphs.   There were a number of New Orleans investors in the Louisville and New Orleans telegraph in 1849. Soule was known prior to the Civil War for opposing succession although he did agree and acknowledge that he would follow the wishes of his state.

  The Library of Congress [LOC] has a  broadside from the Louisville and New Orleans telegraph written in 1849.  I have written a previous post about telegraphs in Louisiana.

Below is a photograph of Soule's burial from Find A Grave, Added by: Pat Dupuy 3/09/2010. Pierre Soule burned most of his personal papers before he died and has no formal biography according to many sources.  He led a curious life. The wikipedia article on Soule indicates that he was imprisoned in Massachusetts at Fort Warren and moved to The Astor House while other sources indicate Soule was imprisoned at Fort Lafayette. There are a few very notable differences between Fort Lafayette Prison and The Astor House! The Astor House a lavish hotel.

Fort Lafayette Prison

Astor House

St. Pelagie Prison France

Soule was no stranger to prison and this was not his first prison term!  He was also sent to prison for publishing revolutionary articles in France in 1825. He escaped the French prison, St Pelagie,  before going to England and then to New York.  At that time he knew little English and learned it while working as a gardener in Kentucky before finally moving to New Orleans. (More)

"The latter [i.e. Pierre Soule] from being a noisy Unionist had been persuaded, by his appointment to the office of Provost Marshal, to fly the colors of the Confederacy." --Retrospections of an Active Life: 1817-1863 (Google eBook) John Bigelow, Baker & Taylor, 1909 - History

"Beauty and booty":
the watchword of New Orleans (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Marion Southwood
0 Reviews
Pub. for the author by M. Doolady, 1867 - Travel - 303 pages

See also: Louisiana Civil War blog and here.
Find A Grave Mumford and Col. Nevil Soule's Regt.

Louisiana bolsters Easter Lily shortages during World War II

An Old Catholic Good Friday Tradition in Louisiana

Civil War Confessions Accepted

Miscellaneous Documents Printed by the order of The House of Representatives During the First session of the thirty-first congress, begun and held at the city of Washington December 3, 1849, and in the seventy-fourth year of the independence of the United States In Two Volumes
(Google eBook)


1880

Who took our books and stuff during the Civil War out of the Louisiana state library?  Hmmm this was interesting.  Wisconsin had it, but graciously gave it back. I know there is a story hiding behind this somewhere. Any other states have a Civil War confession to make?

Hunley in Louisiana

Captain Horace L. Hunley's will and succession documents can be found at the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court? According to this post from the St. John Parish mailing list , URL,  Captain  Hunley was also a Covington, Louisiana plantation owner.  Covington is located in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. This 2005 article reveals a bit of background information on just how the Hunley records were lost and found. Below you will find the BLM GLO record dated May 10, 1860 is for land located in West Baton Rouge Parish for Horrace L. Hunley. Hmmm a mystery.  There are two other Hunley's available in the BLM GLO records:  H. S. Hunley 1883 St. Charles Parish and Henry Hunley 1838 Ouachita Parish. The LSU Library has more information about a submarine built by Hunley in New Orleans around 1861-1862.

The Louisiana Surnames - Louisiana Researchers list needs to be updated.  I haven't updated the page since February and it is now the end of April. Visitors have filled up an entire page since the last update. I am falling behind but will catch up with this task ....most likely after Easter.

Damon Veach's column Vol. 3 No. 5, April 11, 2011 was also a great read today :).  Also of interest were these articles on the same subject:  Louisiana State Museum and this article in the  Google Newspaper Archive.

Lafayette Genealogical Society Meeting - Using old and new maps in Louisiana

From the LALGS list:
Members of the Lafayette Genealogical Society,

This is your reminder that the regular monthly meeting of the Lafayette
Genealogical Society will meet this Thursday, April 21, 2011 at the South
Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA beginning at 6:00 P.M.

Our guest speaker will be Ms. Carolyn French, who has received her Masters
and Doctorate degrees in History and Anthropology. Please plan to attend
and and hear how she used old and new maps to determine the changing make-up
of a part of a Louisiana parish.

Members will be updated on the Grand Revile Acadien/Great Acadian Awakening
to be held October 7-16, 2011 when we will be hosting Stephen White, author
and premier Acadian genealogist, here in Lafayette. Please consider what
you may do to help the society in this endeavor.

Another reminder is about the Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society
that will hold a seminar on April 30th at the Embassy Suites in Baton Rouge.
Registration fee is $35.00. John Sellers, a genealogists living in Texas,
will speak on "What Are They Saying About Your Family in the Paper?", "Was
Grandpa His Brother's Keeper?", "Here Comes the Judge." and "The Other
Louisiana." He is both knowledgeable and entertaining, and may give us some
little gems to push us forward in our genealogical researches. Please let
me know if you are interested in going; several members are.

Dues will be accepted. Articles for our annual 2011 CD may be donated. The
Jefferson St. Library is now open and in working order! The genealogical
section is neat and complete. Kudos to all the librarians that made our
area open, user friendly, and available. Every member needs to make a visit
just to see the temporary library, and possibly USE it.

I look forward to seeing you at our meeting this Thursday evening.

Brenda Fuselier, President
Lafayette Genealogical Society

Royal fuss - Great Britain refuses Louisiana

Yahoo this morning encouraged me to share my wishes and words of advice for the Royal couple in signing a Royal Wedding guest book. You've seen the wedding advertised everywhere, lately for Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Yahoo declared: "Share your wishes and advice for a happy marriage with the royal couple. Sign the guestbook and you'll be entered to win a trip for two to Las Vegas! More details."   I thought the announcement a little odd coming from Yahoo as America has no connection to the Royal family; minus our Independance, of course. Over 108 years ago, the Province of Louisiana was offered by Louis XV to Great Britain. Great Britain declined to accept. I wonder why? What would the history of Louisiana have been like if Great Britain accepted the Province of Louisiana? You can read the 108 year old story below. 


It was most interesting to note this quote: "I fear that any cession in the Gulf of Mexico might lead to serious consequences."