Marengo County AlArchives History.....The County of Marengo ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carolyn Golowka November 5, 2008 From: "Alabama: Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men From 1540 to 1872,: by Willis Brewer, published 1872, pages 372-375. This county was organized by an act passed February 7, 1818, out of territory ceded by the Choctas, October 24, 1816. As originally constituted it embraced the greater portion of the present counties of Hale and Greene, extending to Five Mile creek (in Hale) on the north, and Chicasabogue creek on the south, and to the ridge dividing the waters of the Cahaba and Tombikbee; but within a year or two it took its present shape, except about 85 square miles given to Hale in 1866. It lies in the west centre of the State, south of Hale and Greene, west of Wilcox and Perry, north of Clarke, and east of Chocta and Sumter. The name was suggested by Judge Lipscomb of Washington as a compliment to the first white settlers, who were expatriated imperialists from France, and commemorates Consul Bonaparte's victory over Marshal Melas, June 14, 1800. The area is about 975 square miles The assessed value of real estate in 1870 was $2,629,903; personal property Z$769,273; total $3,399,176. The population decennially is thus shown: 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 White 2,052 4,549 5,350 7,101 6,761 6,090 Black 881 3,151 11,904 20,730 24,410 0,2058 The cash value of farm lands – 141,368 acres improved, and 227,423 acres unimproved – was $2,819,711 in 1870. The live stock – 1,377 horses, 3,629 mules, 12,431 neat cattle, 1,763 sheep, and 16,531 hogs – was $770,674. In 1869 the productions were 598,938 bushels of corn, 11,538 bushels of oats, 40,424 bushels of potatoes, 164,391 pounds of butter, 23,614 bales of cotton, 2,135 pounds of wool; and the value of farm productions was $3,034,675. Marengo is, therefore the third cotton producing and fourth corn-growing county in the State. It lies in the great alluvial belt, with much level prairie land. The northern part is the canebrake region, a district extending over nearly three hundred square miles, with a cretaceous loam which, when dry, resembles artillery powder. The first white settlers found this district covered with a thick growth, of cane of marvelous size, and almost devoid of other vegetation. It is one vast deposit of alluvium, of surpassing fertility. The southern portion of the county has a considerable area of light soil, intersected by very productive creek bottoms. The commercial facilities are: The Tombikbee river, which is the western boundary line, and navigable for steamers the whole distance at nearly all seasons; and the Selma and Meridian Railroad, which passes through the northern portion of the county. The projected Mobile and Grand Trunk Railroad is surveyed through the county. The courthouse is at Linden, a village of 300 inhabitants, named for Moreau's victory over the Archduke John in the year 1800. The seat of justice was transferred to Demopolis in 1869 but fixed at Linden a year later. Demopolis has 1539 inhabitants, of whom 574 are whites, and 965 are negroes. The name is from Greek words which signify the city of the people. It was settled in 1818 by the French and incorporated Dec. 11, 1821, and Allen Glover, Nathan Bolles, and John Dickson were appointed to hold the first election for municipal officers. Dayton has 426 inhabitants, and a seminary of learning for females. Jefferson has 233 inhabitants. The first court was directed to be holden "at or near the house of Mrs. Irby, on Chicasabogue." Bowen Bennett, Allen Glover, John Spinks, Nathaniel Norwood, and William Irons were appointed to select a location for the court-house in 1820. In 1818 election precincts were established at the houses of Tandy Walker, Jesse Birdsong, and William Hopkins; one at the house of Walter Chiles a year later; one at the house of Isaac C. Perkins in 1820; and one at Alexander McLeod's in 1822. The county was first settled in 1818 by a colony of French imperialists. Their devotion to the fortunes of Napoleon excited the enmity of the French government, and they sought a home in America. They arrived at Philadelphia in the winter of 1816-'17, and at once proceeded to secure from congress a tract of land where they could locate in a body. The federal government authorized the sale of four townships of land to them at two dollars and a half an acre, payable within seventeen years, upon condition that they should devote forty acres in each section to the cultivation of the vine and olive. Advised to settle near the confluence of the Tombikbee and the Tuskaloosa, they resolved to do so. They sailed from Philadelphia, and reached Mobile in May 1818 – barely escaping shipwreck at the entrance of the bay. Mr. Addin Lewis, collector of the port, furnished them with a large barge, on which they proceeded up the river. Landing at White Bluff, they were advised by Mr. George S. Gaines, who resided at the Chocta factorage near old Fort Confederation, to settle in that vicinity. They accordingly laid out a town, which they called Demopolis, and gave to the heads of families lots therein, as well as farms in the vicinity. There were but few settlers in the region, and it was a vast wilderness. But the French made little progress in agriculture. The vines (the Cataba) would grow only a year or two, and the olive they did not plant. They were very industrious, but their time was frittered away on trivial things. There were several prominent men among them, and others who had been wealthy in France. These spent the greater part of their time in social pleasures, and the others were not slow to follow their example. They made no wine, but they drank all they were able to import, and carried into their humble pioneer homes all the charms and graces of their native country. Thriftlessness was their error, not idleness; for the hands that had "flashed the saber bare" at Borodino and Austerlitz were not slow to mix the mud which daubed the chinks of their log cabins; and dames who had made their toilettes in the chambers of St. Cloud readily prepared the humble repast of the forest home. They were greatly annoyed in consequence of having located their improvements on other townships than those stipulated for, and unscrupulous settlers and land speculators took advantage of the fact to oust them from their first homes. It was with great difficulty and trouble that anything like an adjustment of this mistake was reached. Many of the French were greatly inconvenienced and disheartened by it. One by one the more wealthy and distinguished either returned to France, or removed to Mobile, and other cities. The descendants of others are yet in Marengo, and adjoining counties, and are among the worthiest class of citizens. It is believed that but two are now living in the State who came with the original colonists – Hon. Geo. N. Stewart of Mobile and Mr. Bayal of Hale; the latter being a boy of fourteen years when he came. The most distinguished of these settlers was Charles Lefebvre-Desnouttes.* He was born in 1773, and was aide-de-camp to Napoleon at Marengo. For gallantry at Austerlitz he was made commandant of the legion of honor. At Zaragosa he was in command of a division, and was captured in Soult's pursuit of Sir John Moore to Corunna. He contributed largely to the victory at Bautzen, and was woulded in a brilliant charge at Brienne. He was made a count of the empire and a lieutenant general when Napoleon returned from Elba, and fought at Waterloo and Fleurus. Napoleon was much attached to him ,and bequeathed him in his will 150,000 francs. He was the wealthiest of the immigrants, and expanded his means lavishly here. He had a bronze statue of Napoleon in a small cabin in which were deposited a number of sabers and other trophies of many battle-fields. He was permitted to return to France, and in 1822 was drowned in the wreck of a vessel on the coast of Ireland. Nicholas Ragul, another of these settlers, commanded Napoleon's advance guard on his return from Elba. While he lived here necessity obliged him to keep a ferry on Big Prairie creek, fourteen miles from Demopolis. He afterwards went to Mexico, took part in the wars there, and was afterwards a general in France. His wife, who resided with him here, was Marchioness of Sinabaldi, and maid of honor to Queen Caroline Murat. John A. Peniers, who resided here tow or three years, was a member of the national assembly which decreed the death of Louis XVI. He was appointed an agent to the Florida Indians, and died in that state in 1823. Marshal Grouchy, General Vandamme, Count Real, General Clausel, and General L'Allemand, were among the patrons of the colony, but none of them came to Alabama, save the last two, and they did not reside in Marengo.