Office of the Historian
[Translation.]

Mr. Bougére to Mr. Fauconnet.

New Orleans, October 6, 1862.

Mr. Consul: The undersigned, Francois Bougére, a native of Angers, (Maine et Loire,) France, an inhabitant of Louisiana since 1819, has the honor to [Page 814] inform you that being on his plantation, in the parish of St. Charleston the 28th of August, 1862, a column of troops of the United States, commanded by Colonel Thomas and Captain Grant, of the 8th Vermont, took by force on his plantation seventy-two slaves of various ages and distinct sexes, proceeding from families bought by him a long while prior to 1848, besides horses, mules, carriages, linen, jewelry, and stores, the whole, according to a statement annexed, amounting to the sum of seventy thousand eight hundred dollars. Moreover, that, being deprived of his workshop, of seventy-two negroes, mules, &c., &c., it was impossible for him to gather his present crop of corn and about three hundred hogsheads of sugar and molasses which would have been produced, and he will lose by this fact eighteen thousand dollars.

The undersigned thinks it his duty also to inform you that he has taken numerous steps with the local authorities in order to obtain in a friendly manner the restoration of his slaves, horses, mules, &c., but that all his efforts have been fruitless. Having, therefore, no longer any hope of success with the authorities who govern this State, he proceeds, full of confidence, to solicit your intervention to the end that the facts above enumerated may be brought to the knowledge of the minister plenipotentiary of France at Washington, and even to that of the government of his Imperial Majesty, in order that, protected by them, his claim and his protest may be taken into consideration, and that justice may be done to a French subject who has never lost his nationality nor borne arms against the United States.

The losses suffered by the undersigned amount to more than eighty-eight thousand dollars, as is proved by the annexed list, and all the fruit of his labor and savings for nearly forty years.

Relying, Mr Consul, on the warm sympathy that you have always evinced for your countrymen, I beg you to accept in advance my sincere thanks for all which you may deem it your duty to do in my behalf, and the assurance of my profound respect.

FRANÇOIS BOUGÉRE.

The Consul of France at New Orleans.

A true copy:

FAUCONNET, Manager of the Consulate of France.
[Translation.]

Claim of Mr. Frangois Bougere, of the parish of St. Charles, Louisiana.

SLAVES.

Men:

[Page 815]
1. Trasimond, sugar maker, 30 years old $2,000
2. Kellec, cart driver, 20 years old 1,500
3. Eugene, field hand, 25 years old 1,600
4. Camise, engine man, 26 years old 3,000
5. Térence, field hand, 25 years old 1,200
6. Edouard, cooper, 20 years old 2,000
7. Antoine, field hand, 22 years old 1,600
8. Lanoute, field hand, 18 years old 1,500
9. Celestin, field hand, 17 years old 1,200
10. Simon, cart driver, 30 years old 1,500
11. Simonnette, field hand, 30 years old 1,200
12. Dominique, field hand, 19 years old 1,200
13. Felix, cart driver, 20 years old 1,500
14. Amédée, cart driver, 17 years old 1,200
15. Eugene Lamadon, cart driver, 30 years old $1,200
16. Patrick, coachman, 40 years old 1,000
17. Joe, blacksmith, 25 years old 3,000
18. André, creole, field hand, 60 years old 800
19. Julien, cooper, 58 years old 1,200
20. Adolphe Petit, stable boy, 17 years old 1,000
21. Charles, stable boy, 16 years old 1,000
22. Severin, stable boy, 15 years old 900
32,300

Women:

1. Rose, 24 years old 1,000
2. Nonne, 23 years old 1,000
3. Elizabeth, 32 years old 1,000
4. Joséphine, 31 years old 1,000
5. Aimée, 21 years old 1,000
6. Félicie, 21 years old 1,000
7. Laurenza, 19 years old 1,000
8. Solidaire, seamstress, 23 years old 1,200
9. Coralie, 40 years old 800
10. Zubette, 43 years old 800
11. Charlotte, 45 years old 800
12. Célestine, 16 years old 1,000
13. Suzanne, 45 years old 800
14. Céleste, 63 years old 700
15. Divine, 67 years old 700
16. Caroline, 35 years old 700
17. Méranthe, 40 years old 600
18. Henriette, 18 years old 1,000
19. Victorine, 16 years old 1,000
20. Angéle, 10 years old 600
21. Joséphine, 15 years old 600
22. Adéle, 16 years old 600
23. Henriette, mulatto, 18 years old 700
24. Elise, 16 years old 600
25. Liza, 17 years old 700
26. Marie, 13 years old 600
27. Suzanne, 17 years old 700
28. Elisabeth, 16 years old 700
29. Marguerite, 20 years old 700
30. Charlotte, 20 years old 700
56,600

Children:

[Page 816]
1. Joseph, 9 years old 600
2. Aristide, 7 years old 600
3. Eugène, 9 years old 500
4. Michel, 10 years old 600
5. Albert, 5 years old 500
6. Victorine, 6 years old 600
7. Modeste, 6 years old 600
8. Justine, 6 years old 600
9. Félicie, 5 years old 500
10. Joseph, 6 years old 600
11. Désirée, 8 years old 700
12. Elisabeth, 3 years old $300
13. Frank, 7 years old 700
14. Gédéon, 4 years old 400
15. Térence, 16 months old 200
16. Justin, 1 year old 100
17. Estelle, 11 months old 100
18. Joséphine, 5 months old 100
19. Julien, 10 years old 600
20. Virgile, 1 month old. 100
65,600

Miscellaneous:

One horse for cabriolet, a trotter 500
Two common horses, at $200 400
Nine mules, at $225 2,025
One barouche 300
Three carriages, at $125 375
Harness of mules 100
Provisions, wines, liquors, &c 500
Two boxes of shoes 250
Body and other linen 250
Gold watch, jewelry, gold spectacles, &c 500
70,800
Loss of crop, estimated at 18,000
Grand total 88,800

Eighty-eight thousand eight hundred dollars.

A true copy:

FAUCONNET, Manager of the Consulate.