Saturday, June 2, 2012

A French Nobleman in Louisiana

It's quite a story.
The story of Louis Joseph Paul Antoine Garrigues de Flaugeac began Sept. 5, 1780, in Montfaucon, France, where he was born to Jean Charles and Marie Jeanne Sabrejon. His father was a Field Marshal and body guard to King Louis XVI.

De Flaugeac began his military career with Napoleon's Dragoons taking part in the Italian Campaign. After Italy, he served in the San Domingo expedition.

Most of the army would die of yellow fever, but the willful de Flaugeac survived. He was, however, wounded, captured and then sent to a British prison camp in Cuba.

When peace was declared, the British put him on a ship to sail back to France. But a storm threw the ship off course and de Flaugeac and his comrades ended up in the Gulf of Mexico, where they were picked up by an American ship headed to New Orleans.

In January of 1805, Garrigues met Poste de Opelousas resident Grand Louis Fontenot, who was in New Orleans on business. Fontenot encouraged de Flaugeac and his companions, Benoit Van Hille and Jean Marie De Ballion, to travel back to Opelousas and build a home and prosper on the area's fertile soil.

In August, de Flaugeac married Marie Louise Fontenot, daughter of Grand Louis Fontenot and Marie Joseph Fontenot. Meanwhile two other daughters of Grand Louis and Marie Joseph would marry de Flageac's comrades. In 1815, Benoit Van Hille married Caroline Fontenot. Jean Marie De Baillion married Marie Josephe Nicette Fontenot.

De Flaugeac settled into his new town becoming a surveyor, landowner and judge.
He even joined Stephen W. Wikoff, George King, Eliakim Little and Benoit Vanhille as owners of the Opelousas Steamboat Company.

When Louisiana became a state in 1812, de Flaugeac was elected a state senator from Opelousas. As a senator, he was not obliged to fight in the War of 1812, but General Andrew Jackson sought him out because he was an experienced artillery military officer.

In the Battle of New Orleans at Chalmette, de Flaugeac took center position of the line. Research indicates that his discharge of grape shot artillery wounded and then killed British Commander Edward Packinham.
"The account of the commander's death coincides with Garrigues shooting him," said Harvey Weir, descendent of de Flaugeac. Senator de Flaugeac returned to his family. He died in 1845 and is buried in St. Landry Catholic Cemetery, where his gravesite his marked with a marble table top. (Read entire article.)
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3 comments:

Staceydejean said...

Garrigues Flaujac is my 4th great grandfather! I love his story. I'm a direct descendant of his only son Adolph Garrigues de Flaujac. His daughter Lise Garrigues DeJean is my Great Great grandmother. My father, my great uncle and my brother are all named Garrigues A DeJean. Very proud of my roots.

Unknown said...

High Stacey deJean--I am Garrigues H. Andrus Jr., and Garrigues de Flaujac is my 3rd great-grandfather as he is of James C. Andrus(my brother) I,too am a direct descendant of Adolph Garrigues. I just recently met a cousin, Jacqueline Laird, from New York, who came to Opelousas to visit in February. I am planning to visit her at her and her husband's lodge in the Catskill Mountains at the end of July/first of August.I will give her your name, if you don't mind, and maybe you can communicate. Garrigues de Flaujac is also her 4th great grandfather. Your cousin, Garrigues

Staceydejean said...

My apologies for the delay in the response. It’s so exciting to find relatives on my paternal side. I would love to hear from all of my Garrigues cousins. I hope the visit went well at the Catskills last year and please reach out when you can. My Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/staceyangeliquedejean. I also have a Garrigues/DeJean Family page (it’s definitely a work I’m progress). The purpose of that page is to connect the relationships of the pioneer families of Louisiana. Contact me through Facebook if possible. Thanks so much for responding.