New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-27
mississippi II "Reminiscences.



In my last alluded to Sir William Dunbar as
one Of Missssippi's great men Of the past. will
/ here say few words of Audubon. the great Natu-
| ralist. met him on Broadway about fourteen
years ago, looking hale and hearty, and OF the
4 hanasomest old gentlemen in the world. His long
1 flowing hair was as white as the driven snow his
| face ford and healthy, his fine eyes piercing and
| as bright with enthusiasm as in his younger days
/ when he was q resident Of our State. This wss
nearly forty years ago. One day the neigh
bors Of a small house in Washington that had been
| some time without tenant, observed that it was
occupied by a foreign looking gentleman with
dark eyes and black hair, who wore hunting shirt
and leggings.
His habits awcke their curiosity; for although
Washington, Adams county, was then the capital
Il was not go large that people did not pry into
their neighbors' affairs. They observed that he
never went ont without Q donbe-barreled gun and
three dogs, and that sometimes he would be abb
sent a week, when he would return, laden with
birds Of all sorts and sizes. These be would spend
days in stuffng, and making them look " as if they
were all alive again. and then he would draw and
paint them. He formed no acquaintance. He
lived alone and like q hermit. Speculation was at
fault as to who he was. The general opinion went
that he was deranged, as no reasonable man would
pass weeks shooting little birds, without cooking
and eating them, but only to stuff and paint them.
But having one day saved the life DIT young lady,
guest at Governor Sargent's, who lived then on
the hill near the cottage as she was trying to cross,
on horseback, the st. GATHERINGS, when swollen,
and had got into the quicksands, he was then re-
spected aud left alone IN his mystery.
Ny mother says she often met him on the road
with his gun, birds and dogs, and he never failed
10 lift his cap with that polifeness which French
sort of acquaintance in this way sprung up, and
one day he came to her gate, where she stood
experimenting the clipping Of hedge Of Lauri-
mund and said, with slight accent:
/. Pardon, madam, bnt I see that your beautiful
grounds are alive with humming birds. see they
love the place. observe among them greater
variety than have met with in the forests. My
pursuit is that Of naturalist. My name is I'M
mems Of all American birds to preserve and paint,
intending. one Of these years far in the future to-
publish book illustrating the habits and forms of
Nc BIRDS ! SHOULD esteem it o favor if you will |
permit me 10 catch some of the hummng-birds / |
see lowering about the cape jessaInines''
], NY mother cheerfaly invited him in, He shot |
NY plras ~ coveted with an Indian blow. gun
ssl them to the ground without nurng
theiF brilliant plumage. Several he caught with
ned adroitly thrown 80 as to fall over them.
d Inc book then prophesied by him II Nh noh,est |
monument. and the name Audubon, then { mn /
known !. as he said, has now become jn,mortai
His archaeological works are ainano tha mas 70, W.
liable aud costly the world has produced. His san
NOW mn shuhg new series at cost Of 300
ssospy. Iney have become necessity to eyery
library where its purchase can be afforded + -
The house he dwelt ID ii now Included n ~
grounds OF the residence Of Madame Brookes. n
the same house subsequently lived Gov Geo. pon.
leAteri anu pIaoa 70 Auahnons occupation Of IL
RlenueThassett. Burr's victim, passed Winter
there Mrs. Blennerhasseit, several wears ,ater
came to Natchez, and lived in close retirement il
It's suburbs About twelve years since the last al
the Bannerhassetts, her son, man Of fifty died Il
deiitna f1en,eils Under the Hill at Natchezl HoH
all that Aaron Burr touched withered The gaz,
of his eyes seemed to blast all who came unde
their Influence The desolate condition and wretche
4 end of that unhappy family were his work.
And this recalls the fact that Burr after his al
i vesf ali Gales Creek was placed under guard a
washington, and temporarily imprisoned in ID
brick edi6ce now known as the Preparatory D.
1 nartment or Campus Of Jefferson College. II
was, however, Immediately released on parole, an
spent several weeks enjoying himself at the Dime
parties which in that day characterized the societ
Of the place. It was from Washingto ton he escape
and on horseback made for Mobile across the c0us
n try, intending to embark for Europe. He wa.
i however, pursued and efertaken AZ st. Stephens
the Bgbee river, seventy miles north Of Mobile