St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-22
END COMES TO c. c. DU-
SON, AFTER FITFULLIFE.
One of the Best Known Men of Louisiana Succumbs
to Attack of ParaIysis.--Died At
the Phone

3
signs and report them to the officials
and that if he did not change his
course his brother would be forced
Ito take him in surveillance. But
Cornelius Duson had his course map
ped out, and his convictions were toe
strong to be changed. He stated tc
his people that if the French cause
was lost they should never hear OF
him till the grass grew green over
his grave. Having thus delivered
himself, Cornelius Duson, his com
panion, S. Lombert, and eight com
rades started from their homes on an
expedition far up the Ottawa River,
to preach rebellion and raise forces
among the woodmen and trappers.
This adventure was cut short by
eight of the band of ten being cap
tured by the English soldiers. Corne-
Illus Duson, however, escaped, and
went far up the tributaries of the
Ottawa River. He soon learned that
his companions were imprisoned at
the town of Ottawa, and that the
jailer was an Irishman. Going to
Ottawa, then small town, he formed
the jailer's acquaintance, thinking to
engage him in drinking bout.
The willy jailer only indulged moder-
ately, and would taste not drop
around the Jail. After they had re-.
turned from dram shop to the Jail,
he suspected evil designs in his new.
acquaintance and ordered him away.
Cornelius Duson had thrown his
large hunters cap on a heap of wood
in the Jail on entering, and, when
ordered away, ostensibly reaching for
his cap, he picked up a stick, knocked
the jailer down, and secured the keys
from his persen, and helped his COM
panions to make their escape.
They then at once decided to
make their way to the United States
as quickly as possible. With this in
view, they went to Kingston, which
was then simply q ferry. The ferry
boat was run by Duson's cousin. He
utilized every available argument and
means in the attempt to engage him
to ferry them over to the United
States shore; but fear of the English
government prevented him from do
ing SO. As last resort the party
cut the boat loose, and ferried it
across themselves, reaching the OPP
posite shore far below the usual land
ing. They were pursued BY soldiers.
and some of the party killed, Corne-
lius Duson escaped, though severely
from a musket ball, shot
through his thigh. He secreted him
self in the hut Of a woodman until he
recovered from his wound, after
which he made his way to Boston,
Mass. There he found that a reward
was offered for him by the English
government. Upon hearing this he
determined to travel further south,
inallY landing on the Mermentau
River, in st. Landry parish, Louisiana,
near Lake Arthur. He here formed |
5he acquaintance Of a seafaring cap
tain by the name Of John Webb, a |
native of Essex, England, and a pio-
neer on the Mermentau. He loved |
md married John Webb's dangh ser,
when she was but fifteen years of |
age. The union was blessed with |
i've children, of whom Hon. G. C.E
Duson is the eldest. Cornelius Duson
afterWard followed the trade of tan
ler and saddler, and lived his latter
lays in st. Martins parish. He often
related the story of his youthful ex-
perienees to his family, and how, /
among other things, his brother
Michael broke an engagement to
marry his boon companions Is. Lom-
Dert) sister, because of the loyalty
IF the family to the French cause.
He gave his family the full history
IF his people, of where they lived on
5he ST. Lawrence River; Of their hav-
ng established large lumber interests
and saw-mills, which had been in the
family for SO many long years, but of
5he mystery of the name he bore he
not word. He had often
told his wife that when he died, he
desired her to send his sons to visit
hose from whom he had separated
himself through his loyalty to a cause
he believed to be right. When be
vas i'll he would tell his physician
that he could not afford to die with
out knowing Of ii beforehand; so ii
vas evident that he had something
If moment to reveal, but what that |
was could be judged with |
10 degree Of certainty until recent |
Years, as Cornelius Duson died sud
lenly-away from home-in the year
If 1857.
Things remained in this condition
lntil 1884, when, at his mothers
solicitation, and to fulfill his fathers
request, Hon. C. G. Duson, and his
brother. W. w. Duson, made visit
% Canada and hunted out the places
# which they had so often heard /
heir father speak. They first went
% the old sweetheart Of their fathers