Ascension County Louisiana Archives Biographies.....Landry, Capt. R. Prosper - 1826 - 1907 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Creamer marykcreamer.00@gmail.com September 19, 2021, 9:15 pm Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana; Chicago; The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1892 LANDRY, Capt. R. Prosper CAPT. R. PROSPER LANDRY'S family came from the land of Evangeline, who was not entirely a creature of Longfellow's imagination. She lived in flesh and blood, and according to tradition some descendants of her relatives may still be found among the people of her race. Among that people was his grandfather, Joseph Landry, who settled on what has since been called the New Hope plantation, in the parish of Ascension, which at that time was called the Coast of Acadia, which included also the parishes of St. James and Iberville. He was the first white owner of that land, and it remained in the possession of his family until one or two years after the war between the states. When he took possession it was a wilderness so thickly covered with trees and vines that he was obliged to clear a place to pitch his tent. With his companions in exile, he held his land by gratuitous title from the Spanish government, who appointed him commandant of the post. After cultivating indigo, cotton and rice, he was among the first and most successful sugar planters of Ascension. He left a considerable fortune to his large family of six sons and six daughters, whose numerous descendants reside mostly in Louisiana, while some are to be found in New York, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and a whole family in France. A number of his descendants have held high positions in state affairs; one, Trismond Landry, his youngest son, becoming lieutenant-governor of Louisiana, and a grandson, J. Aristide Landry, a United States congressman. Valery, one of his sons, and the father of the subject of this sketch, was a very successful planter, but the large fortune which he accumulated was mostly swept away during the war. He died in 1863, when about seventy-four years of age. He was deeply interested in the political affairs of his section, but would never accept any political position of trust. He was lieutenant of a company in the War of 1812, during which time he performed valuable service. He was married to Miss Desiree Reynaud, the daughter of Jean Reynaud, who had emigrated from Marseilles, France, to New Orleans in 1778, and together with his partner, Antoine Peytavin, had large commercial dealings in the city of New Orleans, the interior of the province, and different parts of Europe and the West Indies, and were possessed of considerable property in the city and territory of Orleans, consisting of plantations, houses, negroes and merchandise. He was naturalized in 1806, his sponsors being Jean Baptist Labatut, Samuel Winter, Paul Lanusse and Daniel Clark. To Mr. and Mrs. Landry eight children were born. The mother died after the close of the war. Capt. R. Prosper Landry was born March 2, 1826, and was educated in Georgetown college, D.C., graduating in the class of 1846. In 1853-54 he attended the old State university of Louisiana, now Tulane university, and graduated from the law department in 1854, but early ceased to practice his profession. After leaving Georgetown, D.C., he went to Europe, in which country he remained for a number of years, then returned home and studied law as above stated. In September, 1861, he left Donaldsonville as lieutenant in the Cannoneers of Donaldsonville, a company organized by Numa Augustin in 1837, and known during the war as the Donaldsonville artillery, which took an active part in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Cold Harbor, Beaver Dam, Gaines' Mill, Frazier's Farm, Second Manassas, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chantilly, Gettysburg, Williamsport and Petersburg, without counting many skirmishes and artillery duels, until it reached Appomattox. Upon his return from furlough in May, 1864, he found himself under arrest for having stayed over the time allowed. This was on the eve of the battle of the Wilderness. Richardson's Battalion of artillery, to which his company belonged, had been divided in two parts - one having gone front with Col. Charles Richardson - the other, in command of Maj. Buck Miller, being left behind for want of horses. His company was one of those left behind, for the reason stated. Instead of sending the written reason of his delay, as required, he obtained of Major Miller permission to report in person to Colonel Richardson. After marching all day he reached the battlefield about sunset. Colonel Richardson referred the matter to General Walker, and he was assigned to Huger's battery, and given the section of an absent lieutenant. He remained in command of this section until a few days after the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, when he was sent to get the rest of the battalion with horses captured at this battle. But the number of horses given was insufficient for this purpose, and he returned to the army with only one- half of his company. Although in command since his return he was still under arrest, a thought which made the hours drag still more heavily in the trenches of Petersburg; where, finally, on the 11th of July he received his commission of captain, "to date from Major Maurin's promotion" on the 27th of February, 1864. Just after the opening of the Civil war he was appointed parish attorney, which office he was filling when he entered the army. After the termination of hostilities he became a member of the police jury, and afterward acted in the capacity of notary public for a number of years, and was also parish judge for some time. During the first administration of Governor Nicholls he was appointed tax collector of his parish, after which he was appointed secretary of the police jury and parish treasurer. He has been a delegate to several state conventions, the first democratic convention held in New Orleans after the war, and was a member of the convention that nominated Governor Nicholls the first time. He is a member of the organization known as the Army of Northern Virginia, also the Cannoneers, and is captain of the company, and is also on the staff of General Behan, commander of the United States veterans. In 1855 Captain Landry was married to Miss Adele Pedesclaux, a daughter of Pierre Pedesclaux, and to their union two sons and four daughters have been born: Waldemar, named after his college friend, Waldemar Bodisco, the eldest son, is in business in Baton Rouge; Prosper is in New Orleans; a daughter is in Chicago, and the rest of the family are at home. Captain Landry was a whig while that party was in existence, but since has been a democrat. He and his family are devout Catholics. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana; Chicago; The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1892; transcribed by Kim Mohler] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/ascension/bios/landry3nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/lafiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb