The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-05-23

Liberty Advance.
Alexander A. Lesueur, descendant
of one of the oldest French families of
the Mississippi valley, was born in St.
Louis November %, 1912. He was
educated at the ST. Louis university
and entered upon mercantile pursuits,
which were interrupted by the portents
of war. Young, ardent, spirited, and
with an instructive fondness for military
lite, his first experience rs n soldier
was as a member of Capt. Geo. W.
Vests company, General Frost s
brigade, in what is historically known
as the southwest expedition, in 1860.
The civil war coming on, he left St.
LOUIS May 8, 1861, as a private in
Capt. 10. KelIy's company of infantry.
Later, he was promoted to sergeant
major of battalion, and at Cassvillc he
organized an artillery company and
was captain commanding the Third
Missouri field battery, Parsons divis-
ion, G. S. A. fhe performance of
Lesueur's battery made it famous in
the annals of the war in the west, and
the brilliant record of its young COM
mander gave HIM permanent place in
the history of Missouri.
Returning to Missouri at the close of
the war, he settled in Lafayette county
in 1865, where in 1868 he married Miss
Florence E., daughter of Hon. Wm. X.
Trigg of that county, after a romantic
courtshIp beginning in Texas, whittier
the Trigg family had been banished
during the hostilities, and eliminating
at the brides ancestral home in Mis-
souri, when white-winged peace had
come again to the land.
Capt. Lesneur found the democratic
party of the state and of his county
demorilized and dispirited. But he
became the first chairman of the dem
ocratic county committee of Lafayette
county after the war, and infused his
restless and indomitable spirit into the
party until it became the superb organ
izatiOn it has been ever since. For
long years he was the editor of the
Lexington INTELLIGENCER, and in 1882
was president of the Missouri Press
association. He served his county as
representative in the thirtieth general
assembly, where he was chairman of
the penltentiary committee, and became
the author of the present penitentiary
law, which has rendered our great
penal institution well nigh self-sustaIn-
ing. He was nominated for secretary
of state on the first ballot in the state
democratic convention in 1883, was
duly elected, and was re-nominated,
without opposition, in 1892 and elected
by the largest vote on the state ticket
Capt. Lesueur is n member of the
Episcopal church, strictly moral and
temperate, of fine literary tastes and
requirements an entertaining public
speaker and, withal, singularly devoted
to his interesting family.
The Office of secretary OF state is the
most difficult of all state offices to fill.
The duties are multitudinous and
delicate; yet the present incumbent
has mastered all its details and estab-
lished well-earned reputation for
honesty, courage, fidelity and courtesy.
His executive ability finds rs finest
illustrations in his execution of the
corporation and bank examination
laws, which SO intimately concern the
peoples interests. His compilation
and publication of the Official Manual
of Missouri, of itself, entities him To
the gratitude of the state.
Capt. Lesueur will he candidate to
succeed himself, and as the 'Ihird
term" idea, of necessity, never has
applied and never should apply to the
important Office of secretary of state,
there is little doubt of his re-nomina-
ton and election.