The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-09-16


and usefulness of its improvements. The one
million pounds Of the hest white sugar. and
more, which are yearly made on this place, in6i-
cate conclusively that the cultivation of the
land and its general management are as perfect
as the surroundings and appliances are grand
and imposing. The Hall opens like fan in the
rear, and contains, besides the cultivated fields,
large extents of cypress lands. Every body finds
ready employment on the place. White, colored
and Chinese laborers are there seen side by side,
working tho crops; and the machinery tasks the
skill of the best mechanics and engineers to
| keep in order and motion.
Below is the Valery Landry plantation, which
| is the last sugar estate one meets going to DON
aldsonville. which is about two and half miles
distant. Valery Landry was thorough planter
and under his directions his place produced
large crops, but being gentleman remarkably
simple In his tastes and averse to show of any
kind, the Improvements of the plantation were
few and plain. He died during the war; the
place was sold and, like many others, it was
purchased by stranger; but after while it
| returned to the possession of one of its heirs,
! Capt r. P. Landry, who named it Souvenir y
After short reign over the homestead, the Cap
| tain had the modification to see it again trans
ferred, first to Mrs. Legare, and then to Leon
Godchauxs its present owner.
The boast of Mr.. Godchaux is that he began
life by carrying bundles on his back. This is a
feather in his cap. In his young days he was
| what is known here as a ntdrchund de paquets,
and he may now brag that in his later days he
has caused more than one planter to make his
paquet and depart from his home to make room
for the e1-colporfeur. Chueun son tour, is moth
ing but fair play, and If one nowadays can not
hold his own, and his neighbors too 'tant pis. !"
As Mr.. Godchaux is an enterprising man, full Of
vim and possessed of ample means, we will soon
see Souvenir rapidly improved, and bloom like
| rose under the competent overseership of its
| present manager, Mr.. Bourgeois.
Souvenir-pleasant and sad ones crowd upon
the mind, of former ease, comfort and happiness;
Of subsequent troubles and difficulties; death of
| father, mother, and loss of family inheritance.
Such are the ups and downs of life. Then throw
dull care to the dogs. Que diable! Does one
expect to absorb all the good things of this
world; to have to,iours perdrir and his bread
buttered on both sides? Is it not enough that
| one has carried triumphantly over IN hundred
bloody fields the beloved Confederate flag and
furled it only when the immortal Lee himself
had surrendered his sword? Adversity, bah!
what is TIA school to temper the nerves Of the
brave, to prepare the man for future combats.
Antaeus-like, the fearless RECEIVERS new strength
with every fall the envious fates give him. So
let us labor and economize, be patient and
watchful,
For Heaven shall make amends for all,
When the - shall enjoy his own again.
What are we now going to do about the good
people who have in days of yore inhabited the
stretch of land between Souvenir and the Bayou
Lafourche, called Smoke Bend? The settle
ment is so thick, houses SO near together. and
SO many changes of men and scenes have taken
place there that vol1me would scarce suffice
to even note them all. Old Pep, Juan Curse,
Simonette Landry, Michel Richard, Adelard
Dicharry and hundreds of others, who have
lived and died on that strip of land of some two
miles in length on less than half mile in width
what more can be said of them than that they
were honored when living, and their memories
revered after they had left us? Among the few
who yet linger with us are the great architect of
chimneys, honest old Victorin Melancon; Fran
els Straightman, the gardener; Adam Guedry,
the sugar maker, and good Mrs. Michel Richard.
Betwixt the old residence of Mrs. Adelard Di-
charry and the Bayou lies the delightful Port
Barrow, which was founded by the late R. r.
Barrow, with Thomas Jefferson Walton oHcia-
ting as godfather ard factotnm,
During the first part of the war the Port was
the seat of stirring scenes. There the redoubted
Home Guards were wont to assemble in mus
ters. Evolutions were performed by them
unknown to Hardee Upton, and the tactics
of the world renowned Georgia Colonel put in
practice. As there were no fences against
which to form in line, westraightened up by the
pecan trees, of which there were then SO many
on the parade ground. I have now only a con-
fused recollection Of the commands. such rs,
"ortlers handy, drops of brandy; you fall back,
paddy whack; stand at ease butter'd peas;
balancez, fire a volley and be d. to you'll, To
stand at ease, and fall back on drops of brandy.
were orders which We executed with prompti-
tude, but when commanded to march against
the gunboats, which patrolled the river, we
did not move with much alacrity. Our camp
laid back of the pond which runs through
| 0AAOh0 ASOAus ohN PAcAOto "CAo oe2OAcuou ucdE
the public road. As soon as the iron -clads were
seen, we we're signaled and up boys, orders
handy, drops of brandy" would sing out our
Colonel, when with the speed of lightning we
would empty our whisky TASKS, replenish them,
shoulder our shot guns, buckle on our revolvers,
swords and hunting knives and in slow meas
ured steps, and in broken ranks. we rendezvoued
at the base of the levee, where in obedience to
command, we would lie fat on our faces await
ing the Yanks. Slowly would the gunboats
steam up and down again, their yard-arms
glasses, and the sailors standing by their guns guns
ready to fire. We laid low, very low, behind
our ramparts; awaiting with the chivalric
generosity OF the French at Agincourt for the
they knew better thsn to do it. but kept moving
about, and when we'll out of sight we would
draw long sigh Of relief mean of regret,
dust our shirt bosoms, pull down our vests and
! march back again under our briar bushes, when
wonderful stories were told of what we would
have done had the blue coats dared to join
issues.
During the whole campaign our advances
we're made with all the deliberation and stra-
tegic caution of a Fabius or Joe Johnston; our
retreats were e.s meaeled upen the ever glorious
petuosity Of our charges we'll, as was one of
the boys, l will not extol our provess. Such a
! hot contest could not continue long. and soon
our AumuiAtlOu WE seItl1is 6CaFce. Il0 WHISKY
running low. hen roosts depopulated; SO one
bright day the Home Guards were incontinently
marched to Berwicks Bay. thence ferried across
and d1smembered and distributed among the
different corps of the trans Mssissippi army. at
which time lost sight of my boon companions.
But history has recorded their deeds of valor
and patient suffermgs. Many, ah, too many.
fell faithful to the hst.
Though overpower'd triumphant and in death
UDconquer'd Holy be your memories
Blessed and glorious now and evelmore
Be your heroic names.
Others returned, after an arduous service of
! four years