Ascension County Louisiana Archives Biographies.....Marchand, Alexander - 1842 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary K. Creamer marykcreamer.00@gmail.com June 3, 2022, 2:41 am


source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana; Chicago;
The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1892 


MARCHAND, Alexander

ALEXANDER MARCHAND is the fortunate owner of Willow Grove plantation, which 
contains 225 acres of very fertile land five miles above Donaldsonville, the 
most of which is under cultivation. This land is tilled very intelligently, and 
although the place is small compared with many others, it yields a larger annual 
income than many more pretentious plantations. Mr. Marchand has lived in this 
parish all his life, for here he was born May 5, 1842. His father, Alexander 
Marchand, was also born in the state of Louisiana, and here passed a useful life 
surrounded by many friends. The subject of this sketch, who was named for his 
father, spent his boyhood days attending the schools near his home and being apt 
and possessing a retentive memory, he secured a good practical education. He 
heartily sympathized with his section in her struggle during the Civil war, and 
in 1861 he joined the Eighth Louisiana infantry, Company K, in which he served 
until the close of the war, F.T. Nicholls, who subsequently became governor of 
Louisiana, being his captain. He was in many important engagements in northern 
Virginia, and in all was in fifty-two battles, but was only slightly wounded 
twice. He was taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness and was conveyed to 
Point Lookout, Md., thence to Elmira, N.Y., and after an imprisonment of ten 
months was released at the close of the war. Being totally without means, he was 
compelled to work his way back to his home from Richmond, Va., the distance from 
Montgomery, Ala., to this parish being made on foot. He soon after secured 
employment as overseer for Benjamin Gibson in this parish, with whom he remained 
eight years, at the end of which time he became a partner of R. Beltran, of New 
Orleans, in the plantation of which he is still a part owner. No pains is spared 
to make this plantation yield abundant crops, and that it has been a success 
goes without saying when the fact is considered that Mr. Marchand and Mr. 
Beltran are its owners. They are wide-awake and pushing men of business, 
thoroughly alive to the current issues of the day, and are ardent friends and 
promoters of all public enterprises which are worthy of patronage. Mr. Marchand 
is a member of the police jury from Ward 6, and in his political views has 
always been a democrat. He has never aspired to public office, for the arduous 
duties of his plantation keep him fully occupied throughout the year. In the 
manufacture of sugar they use open pans and have made as high as 306,000 pounds 
of sugar in one season, the amount this year reaching 225,000 pounds. This 
plantation is managed by the subject of this sketch, and no more capable man for 
the position could be found. Mr. Marchand was married in 1869 to Mrs. Colhamie 
(Brady) Marchand, widow of J.B. Marchand, and their union has resulted in the 
birth of one son. Mr. Marchand is a member of the A.O.U.W. 
  


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