St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-17
ST. Landry Parish.

New Iberia Enterprise.
After you get through the Plal-
sance district and wander up to-
ward Vile Platte you make several
new and pleasant acquaintance,
one of whom is Mr.. Louis Fontenot.
With him conversation is a pleasure
and with a good memory in attend
ance, carries you through q most in
teresting channel of experiences
and history-in his company time
passes acknowledgements needed.
The other pleasant acquaintance
you meet with is DR.. Louis DeBall-
lion, who was born in 1910. After
graduating at Emmetsburg, Md,
he visited Paris in 1928 and was
there during the troubles of Charles
the tenth, 1880. The doctor pos
sesses remarkable memory-to
this day he retains vivid recollec-
tions of old times and times since
the war. He has been q successful
physician and surgeon, practicing
now only in stated cases. lntimates
of his were Alex. Dumas, pere; Nc
Closky and Purcell (afterward Car
dinal and Bishop,) the two latter
were in the same class at college.
Grant Louis Fontenot was the
grand father of Doctor DeBaillon !;
he settled in Vile Platte prairie
about 1870, cultivated cotton and
raised stock. During one night,
both Grand Louis and his wife Bull
lard died-1S1G. Their son, Petit
Louis, after arriving at the no small
bodily weight Of $50 pounds, re-
tanned the soubriquet LIE Pit Louis
in spite Of his silent but enormous
circumstances in the flesh.
Scklaac ma qoula Yes, you hear
it quite often through this country
when you get intimate with the In
dams, who sell baskets, ETC., and
speaking of the Indian reminds me
Of O thrilling story | heard concern
ing certain conference.
The year. that the "wanderinG,
Jew passed through to Washing
ton"-lS2S, is a common expression
among the old folks out here. The
wandering jew was seen in Mobile,
Ala. in 1911, through old accounts,
and by Vile Platteans in 1928.
How the mystery got foundation is
something not to be found out.
"Well," said my friend Louis Fon,
tenot, E'let me take You to see and
talk with q genuine living souvenir
of Napoleon's time-old corporal
Bataille.' Corporal I. C. Bataille
was born IN 1898, in France, and
though he has passed As years of
his active life in America he had
done extraordinary war duty under
Napoleon the First, entering all
those battles, getting wounded al
most to death and yet living to give
the third and fourth generations
lectures on the past. A regular
war pension from the French gov
eminent arrives every fonr months
to this father Of battles.
Corporal Bataille's signature is
as "untrembling' at 96 as a book
keepers would be at 80 years of
age. When complimented on his
firmness of hand and correctness
of sight, the wonderful old fellow
laughs outright and replies: "My
grandfather at the age Of 104 years
defended himself from the attack Of
twelve Russian cossacks-after one
half hour Of terrible battle he was
killed.
Amongother souvenirs he showed
us a gold watch 800 years old ian
immense turnip) with regular sugar
house machinery to run it. One
hundred and odd years ago it was
presented by an English minister
mot theologicaD to the Corporal's
grandfather family relic, And
finally, Corporal B. had two sons,
one died gamely nearly a half cen
Jury ago for his country at Sebas-
other is a living honor
10 the family.
ssNow, before we retire for the
night, let me tell you one more !,
'eminiscence,a urges the hospitable !,
Mons. Louis, and / was not 10th to i
listen: tYou remember the battle a
# New Orleans-?' q
"N0, no! I don'tn Iurriedly. 81
II don't mean the actual battle. Il
,ut the account
ooh, yesw I answered. !,
ssWell, do you know who killed 81 -
General Packenham I? No, I know d
-ou don't-it was a free mulatto il
FAMED Sayary from Attakapas. Yes, 2,
,assed all doubt, it was that mu- :
alto, and Gen. Ed. Packenham's .
py-glass You never liealel9 No! Y,
guess not! Well, it was picked ii
lp by an American soldier on the 81 g.
ield of Chalmette aud given to :
len. Garrigues-he, who was pro-
noted by Gen. Andrew Jackson for
alent and bravery in battle and I,
rho was afterWard d planter in
'laisance, near here. Yes sir, not {
lany years ago a Scotchman by
he name Of John Mcdonald hav-
aQ haarl1 of tho rnstinr Mace Of c