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Details
LALLEMAND, Charles (1774-1839), General. Eleven autograph letters signed, plus 3 autograph letters signed of General Henri LALLEMAND (1777-1823), all to Arsne Lacarrire Latour; plus one autograph draft of Latour to Charles Lallemond, various places (New York, New Orleans, Havana, Paris), 28 December 1817-19 June 1834. Together 42 pages, folio, several with tears or other defects, but generally in good condition. In French.
UNPUBLISHED CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE FOUNDERS OF THE CHAMPS D'ASILE SETTLEMENT IN TEXAS
After Waterloo (June 1815) and Napoleon's exile, General Charles Lallemand embarked with his brother Henri and other French exiles for the United States. From New York and Philadelphia they traveled to New Orleans, then to Galveston Bay and up the Trinity River, where they established their "field of exile" colony in 1818. This attempt to create a refuge for Napoleonic exiles in an almost unexplored area was an ambitious one "pour trouver une existence aise et tre un jour riches habitants." (Henri Lallemand, Philadelphia 26 June 1818) In this correspondence with Lacarrire Latour, Lallemand reveals a great deal about the planning and execution of his scheme, from its earliest conception. Latour was well acquainted with the territory, which he had surveyed with Jean Lafitte: "Demain, si le vent le permet, nous mettrons la voile. Nous emmenerons d'ici quelques colons; quelques autres nous suivrons de prs; un plus grand nombre est parti de Philadelphie, il y a huit dix jours... et nous attendent la Nouvelle Orlans... Bientt nous serons tous runis pour rester ensemble et ne former qu'une seule masse, pour faire cause commune, pour forcer enfin la fortune par notre fermet, notre persvrance et arracher quelques faveurs cette inconstante et capricieuse Divinit!" (Charles Lallemand, New York, 28 December 1817) As an engineer and close friend of Charles Lallemand, Arsne Lacarrire Latour was asked to assist in the project: "mon frre, qui est all sur la rivire Trinity, province du Texas, avec beaucoup de franais pour y tablir une colonie, m'a charg de vous demander si vous pouviez vous y rendre pour l'arpentage des terres" (Henri Lallemand, New Orleans, 14 April 1818). Lacarrire Latour's response to Charles Lallemand affirms strong support for the Champs d'asile settlement: "vous annoncs l'intention de former dans un pays pour ainsi dire inhabit, un Etablissement agricole dont les commencements devenant prospres ne peuvent manquer de vous attirer plus de 50 mille franais qui vgtent dans les E.U. sans compter ceux qui viendront d'Europe... ils vous seront tous redevables d'une nouvelle existence et d'une nouvelle patrie." Strongly cautioning Lallemand about the dangers of American encroachment (see previous lot), he suggests he seek support from Spain: "je crois qu'il serait possible de rentrer en arrangement avec le gouvernement espagnol pour ne pas tre troument pour peut-tre mme facilit l'tablissement de votre colonie." Charles and Henri Lallemand provide information on their plans for agriculture, especially cotton and sugar, for trade with Indians and Spanish, etc. This ambitious project failed rapidly, as recorded by Charles Lallemand here. Later letters relate to different episodes of Charles Lallemand's life, and various projects he pursued in Mexico, Cuba and New York, following the failure of the Texas colony.
The letters directly relating the Champs d'asile in Texas give important historic and geographic information; the later letters recount the numerous interesting economic, political, ethnographic and geographic elements about these regions and include important biographical details about Charles Lallemand. (15)
UNPUBLISHED CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE FOUNDERS OF THE CHAMPS D'ASILE SETTLEMENT IN TEXAS
After Waterloo (June 1815) and Napoleon's exile, General Charles Lallemand embarked with his brother Henri and other French exiles for the United States. From New York and Philadelphia they traveled to New Orleans, then to Galveston Bay and up the Trinity River, where they established their "field of exile" colony in 1818. This attempt to create a refuge for Napoleonic exiles in an almost unexplored area was an ambitious one "pour trouver une existence aise et tre un jour riches habitants." (Henri Lallemand, Philadelphia 26 June 1818) In this correspondence with Lacarrire Latour, Lallemand reveals a great deal about the planning and execution of his scheme, from its earliest conception. Latour was well acquainted with the territory, which he had surveyed with Jean Lafitte: "Demain, si le vent le permet, nous mettrons la voile. Nous emmenerons d'ici quelques colons; quelques autres nous suivrons de prs; un plus grand nombre est parti de Philadelphie, il y a huit dix jours... et nous attendent la Nouvelle Orlans... Bientt nous serons tous runis pour rester ensemble et ne former qu'une seule masse, pour faire cause commune, pour forcer enfin la fortune par notre fermet, notre persvrance et arracher quelques faveurs cette inconstante et capricieuse Divinit!" (Charles Lallemand, New York, 28 December 1817) As an engineer and close friend of Charles Lallemand, Arsne Lacarrire Latour was asked to assist in the project: "mon frre, qui est all sur la rivire Trinity, province du Texas, avec beaucoup de franais pour y tablir une colonie, m'a charg de vous demander si vous pouviez vous y rendre pour l'arpentage des terres" (Henri Lallemand, New Orleans, 14 April 1818). Lacarrire Latour's response to Charles Lallemand affirms strong support for the Champs d'asile settlement: "vous annoncs l'intention de former dans un pays pour ainsi dire inhabit, un Etablissement agricole dont les commencements devenant prospres ne peuvent manquer de vous attirer plus de 50 mille franais qui vgtent dans les E.U. sans compter ceux qui viendront d'Europe... ils vous seront tous redevables d'une nouvelle existence et d'une nouvelle patrie." Strongly cautioning Lallemand about the dangers of American encroachment (see previous lot), he suggests he seek support from Spain: "je crois qu'il serait possible de rentrer en arrangement avec le gouvernement espagnol pour ne pas tre troument pour peut-tre mme facilit l'tablissement de votre colonie." Charles and Henri Lallemand provide information on their plans for agriculture, especially cotton and sugar, for trade with Indians and Spanish, etc. This ambitious project failed rapidly, as recorded by Charles Lallemand here. Later letters relate to different episodes of Charles Lallemand's life, and various projects he pursued in Mexico, Cuba and New York, following the failure of the Texas colony.
The letters directly relating the Champs d'asile in Texas give important historic and geographic information; the later letters recount the numerous interesting economic, political, ethnographic and geographic elements about these regions and include important biographical details about Charles Lallemand. (15)
Provenance
From the descendants of Lacarrire Latour.