# Eugene Chassaignac

Eugène Chassaignac (1820 – January 25, 1878) was a French-American musician, professor, composer and music critic. Eugene was a prominent member of the New Orleans community and is known for desegregating Scottish Rite Freemasonic lodges in New Orleans in 1867 for which he won a gold medal. Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi personally sent Eugene a letter of praise for his courageous act of kindness towards people of color. His son Charles Louis Chassaignac became a prominent doctor in New Orleans and worked for Charity Hospital and was a humanitarian. His daughter Marie Chassaignac married Baron Randolph Natili. Natili's parents were involved in an interracial marriage and he was a member of the prominent Creole Dimitry Family. Natili became closely associated with Italian American composer Giuseppe Ferrata because of the marriage of his first cousin's daughter Alice. Natili's relationship with his father-in-law Eugene benefited Ferrata because of Natili's knowledge and appreciation for musical composition.
Eugène was born in Nantes, France in 1820. He studied music with French author and playwright Ludovic Halévy in Paris, France. Eugène eventually settled in New Orleans, Louisiana
where he wrote about theater and music for the French-language newspapers Le Moniteur du Sud, La Chronique, Le Meschacébé, and Le Louisianais. He taught music in New Orleans and created a significant number of musical compositions including a comic opera entitled La Nuit aux echelles, which was performed in 1850 at the Théâtre de St. Martinville. Most of his music manuscripts were destroyed in a fire in Morgan City at his wife's home after his death. Some of his compositions survived and are part of the collection of Duke University and the Library of Congress.

## History

Eugene was born in Nantes, France. His brother was famous French physician Edouard Chassaignac. Eugene decided to study music with composer Ludovic Halévy in Paris. Eugene migrated to New Orleans in the 1840s where he wrote theatre and music columns for Le Meschacébé, Le Moniteur du Sud, La Chronique, and Le Louisianais. He married Elvire Porche in 1842, she was from a family of well-to-do planters. Her parents were Severin Porche (1798–1840) and Helene Porche (1800–1842), they were first cousins and their aunt was a Creole woman named Marie Louise Porche (1736–1802). Marie was the child of an unknown slave woman with rights within the wealthy Porche family. The family was from Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana where Eugene and Elvire lived during the 1850s, he taught music at the Collège de la Mobile while also presenting a comic opera, La Nuit aux echelles at the Théatre de St. Martinville. By 1857, he taught music history in New Orleans and two years later along with his friend Adolphe Elie he opened a music store called Elie et Chassaignac. The two men eventually had a disagreement which almost led to a duel which was stopped by local police. Eugéne was a captain during the American Civil War for the Confederacy.
In 1861, he was a partner in the New Orleans music publishing company Sourdes and Chassaignac. Eugene partnered with Lieutenant H.H. Strawbridge to produce Confederate Land and Lieutenant Col. A Garard to create War to the Yankees both were southern patriotic songs published in three languages. By 1864, Eugene collaborated in creating a song in New Orleans entitled Bride du Sud the text was by Louis Placide Canonge, and the music was by Eugène.
Eugene was a Freemason and the supreme grand commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Louisiana and on May 2, 1867, he ordered that white lodges under his jurisdiction welcome all without distinction as to race or color. Eugene wanted masonry to march in the forefront of the struggle against prejudice. Around this period Louisiana was emersed in racial violence and segregation Louisiana rejoined the Union on July 9, 1868, and the Opelousas massacre occurred two months later. By late 1868, Eugene was given a gold Medal for desegregating the lodges. Three years later his daughter Maria married Alexander Dimitry's nephew Randolph Natili. Natili was a part of the Dimitry family and Marianne Celeste Dragon's grandson. Eugene's son Charles Louis Chassaignac was an important doctor in New Orleans. He was the medical examiner for the New York Life Insurance Company and district surgeon for the Illinois Central Railroad Company in New Orleans. Most of Eugene's compositions that were in the possession of his wife after his death were lost in a fire. Some of his works can be found in the collection of Duke University and the Library of Congress.

## Compositions

Music authored by Eugene Chassaignac :
| Date | Title |
| 1850 | Tell me! Dis-moi |
| 1850 | La Nuit Aux Echelles |
| 1861 | Confederate Land |
| 1864 | War to the Yankees |
| 1864 | Bride du Sud |
| 1864 | Egg-Nog Song |
| 1865 | Lu-Lu Polka |
| 1871 | Home Again Polka Mazurka de Salon : Op. 9 |