Biography of 	BURTHE, Charles A., Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 495-496.  Edited
by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.

Burthe, Charles A., prominently identified with the management of the
wholesale grocery firm of H. T. Cottam & Co., Ltd., New Orleans, was born
at New Orleans, La., Sept. 2, 1878; son of L. Andre and Nathalie (Chalard)
Burthe, both of whom were born in the city of New Orleans, the former March
22, 1844, and the latter July 7, 1854.  Gen. Andre Burthe, a paternal
ancestor of the family, actively participated in the Napoleonic campaigns,
during which he won such recognition for gallantry, loyalty and personal
bravery that he was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, the
Grand Cross and the Iron Cross, and throughout the remainder of his career
bore himself in keeping with these distinguished honors.  In later life he
took a prominent part in civil as well as military affairs, and in the
course of these activities served as a member of the commission entrusted
with adjusting the details of the Louisiana purchase.  The paternal
great-grand father, D. F. Burthe, took part in the military operations
involved in the historic French revolution, at that time holding a
lieutenant's commission in the French army.  The paternal grandfather,
Victor Burthe, was born in Paris, France, and in recognition of his
patriotic services was decorated with the ''Croix de Juillet" for leading
law school students in the coup d'etat of Louis Phillipe of France.  After
having come to America, and located at New Orleans, he was no less active
in his service to the people among whom he was living than he previously
had been in the land of his nativity.  During the Civil war he served as a
captain of the Orleans Guard, a body of men delegated to the difficult task
of protecting property and the homes and lives of the people of New Orleans
under the chaotic conditions attendant upon the general strife and turmoil
of Civil war times.  After the surrender he occupied the bench as a judge
of the district court.  In his social connections he served as president of
the Boston club.  L. Andre Burthe, father of the subject of this sketch,
though born at New Orleans, was educated chiefly in France, where he
attended the Saint Cyr military school, from which he graduated, afterward
serving in the French army, with the rank of lieutenant.  With his command
he participated in the Mexican campaign.  Later he returned to the United
States and, like his eminent father, bore a prominent part in public
affairs throughout the remainder of a very active and highly useful life.
He died at New York, in the year 1893, but is at this time survived by his
wife, who resides in the city of New Orleans.  She is descended from a
prominent family of French and Spanish origin.  Charles A. Burthe, the
subject of this sketch, was the second of two children born to his parents,
the elder being now Dr. J. Leo Burthe, an eminent practicing physician of
the city of New Orleans, elsewhere referred to in this work.  In the course
of his finished academic education, Charles A. Burthe passed 6 years in the
city of New York --1888 to 1894 inclusive--where he graduated from high
school.  Following this, the young man returned to New Orleans and
matriculated in Tulane university, from which excellent institution he
graduated in due time.  His education being now completed, in the year 1896
he entered the service of H. T. Cottam & Co., Ltd., wholesale grocers of
New Orleans, in the capacity of a shipping clerk, and through the
succeeding years has steadily advanced from one grade of employment to
another--always upward--until today he occupies the important position of
manager, and has the supervision and direction of the intricate internal
organization of one of the city's largest and most important mercantile
corporations, in which he also is a stockholder.  The volume of business
handled by this firm, wholesale exclusively, is very probably as large as
that handled by any other one house in the South, in any line of business.
Mr. Burthe also is a stockholder and member of the board of directors of
the Klotz cracker factory.  He is a member of the New Orleans Polo club,
the Delta Duck club, City Park Gun club and Boston club.