|
an ACADIAN EXILE article
Cultures
of Acadiana |
Lafayette (LA), Daily Advertiser, March 30
Honore Braud thought about going back to Maryland
Acadian families balked when government tried to send them to Natchez
by Jim Bradshaw
Although Antonio de Ulloa, the Spanish governor in Louisiana, took care of the Acadians when they first arrived in Louisiana, the situation deteriorated quickly. One of the reasons is that the Acadians did not want to go where Ulloa wanted to send them. Ulloa threatened and pressured them, but they still refused.
In November 1768, Honore Braud, one of the Acadians who traveled to New Orleans from Maryland, testified before the Louisiana Superior Council about Ulloa's tactics and the Acadians' reactions.
Here are exerts of court documents dealing with his testimony:
Today appeared Mister Honore Braud, and Acadian, Born at (Pisiquid), Acadia, aged 30, and summoned to be heard under oath.
He ledges the following complaints: He left (Maryland) to come and settle in this colony. He and his family, consisting of his wife and six children, boarded an English ship. They were accompanied by his brother Alexis, his wife, eight children, a cousin, and several other Acadians. They arrived in this country believing that they would be under French rule. They would not have come, had they known that this colony belonged to Spain. They were surprised, upon arrival, to be under Spanish rule. They were all lodged on the other side of the river (opposite New Orleans), in a big warehouse belonging to the king. Mister (Andres de Balderamma, lieutenant aboard a Spanish ship stationed in Louisiana) went to see them to find out who among them were willing to go and settle at Natchez. The Acadians, however, had been informed that Natchez was not a suitable site. when (the Spaniards) realized that the Acadians showed little inclination to settle there, they discontinued the rations that the Acadians had customarily received. Returning a couple of days later alter, (Balderamma) asked (Braud) if he and his family would not go and settle at Natchez. When (Braud) answered in the negative (the Spaniards) took (the Acadians) to the other side of town and ordered them to board the ship that had carried them (to Louisiana). The Acadians complied.
Several days later, however, the witness and his brother went to see Mister Ulloa. They pointed out to him that the English had offered them great benefits to induce them to remain (in Maryland). They also told Ulloa that, wanting to be free to exercise there religion, they had refused and left. They were now beseeching Mister Ulloa to grant them freedom to settle on the German Coast or the Acadian Coast. They further started that they cost the king nothing and that they had exhausted their small financial records. However, when Mister Ulloa stubbornly persisted in his determination to send them to Natchez, the Acadians refused again. Mister Ulloa ordered the Acadians to take their families, board the vessel that had brought them, and return from whence they came. The Acadians were forced to comply. They boarded the vessel with their families and were even refused permission by (Balderamma) to leave a sick child behind. They would have sailed, had they not been afraid and apprehensive of being stopped at Balise, Later dispersed and sent to various places. Fearing this eventuality, they resolved to leave the ship shortly before it sailed and hid in a hut located on (New Orleans merchant Andre) Jung's farm, which adjoined (Etienne de) Vaugine's. When the ship was ready to sail, their cousin told them that he was going to obey and go to Natchez. In fact, he went to register with the commissary. The other Acadians, however, would not follow suit. After the ship's departure, they returned to speak with Mister Ulloa. They were going to urge him to grant them a little land, that was all that they were going to ask of the governor. Mister Ulloa not only refused their request, but threatened them and vowed to expel them from the colony. Fully that they would obtain nothing from (Ulloa), (Honore's) brother, Alexis, decided to buy a tract of land owned by (Joseph) Ducros on the Acadian Coast, and he and his family proceeded to move there. However, beforehand, (Alexis) notified (Charles-Phillipe) Aubry, and showed him his bill of sell. He asked (Aubry) if he deemed it proper for (Alexis) to show this document to Ulloa. Mister Aubry not to do it, for Mister Ulloa was sure to throw it into the fire.
After Alexis Braud and his family were well established on the land bought from Mister (Louis) Judice (commandant at St. James) to send Alexis Braud back to the city gagged and bound. Mister Judice was going to comply with the order, when Alexis told him that he was slightly sick. Alexis begged him to delay (the arrest) two or more three days, until he recovered. He also told Judice that they would then obey the order without further resistance and would go down to the city. Judice granted this request. In the meantime, Alexis, envisioning the abuse that Mister Ulloa would inflict upon him and the dire prospects for his family, boarded a boat that night and went to English Manchac.
As for (Honore), he remained at (Jacques Enould de) Livaudais' farm on the German Coast. Mr. Ulloa ordered Mister (Charles Frederic) D'Arsenbourg to arrest (Honore) immediately and to have him sent to the city. Mister Livaudais interceded with Mister D'Arsenbourg who closed his eyes (to Honore presence). The witness did not dare go out, or to go to the city, and remained hidden. We should add that the twenty families who went to Natchez were coerced into going. They feared either the unhealthy air or the poor rations of corn that were then being distributed. Almost half of them died. The wretched situation had forced three of them to go to the city to remonstrate with Mister Ulloa. Mister Ulloa, however, remained firm and would not listen to their request. To the contrary, Mister Ulloa threatened to imprison them in the (Spanish) to frigate, to bring their confreres down from Natchez, and to expel them all from the colony. The deponent added that when his cousin went up to Natchez, he was forced to leave his wife, who had just given birth, and his three children at his sister's house. Finding the Natchez area to be most unsuitable for settlement, he returned to his father-in-law's residence. Mister Ulloa would grant him neither the rations nor permission to settle elsewhere. Mister Ulloa threatened to deport him if he didn't settle in Natchez. The cousin said that he would rather be expelled than settle in Natchez. Mr. Ulloa ordered him to return and fetch his family. Mister Ulloa also told him that if he remained there with his family, he would be sent away from the colony. Mister Ulloa further started that a man by the name of Granger, who had married one of the girls aboard the ship and who had settled, having acquired a house and farm, would be ordered to leave his residence and return to Natchez.