Hon. C. C. Duson, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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The state senator from the Twelfth Senatorial district composed of St. Landry and Acadia, Hon.
C. C. Duson, of Opelousas, was born on, the Mermentau river, St. Landry parish, La., August 31,
1846.  The history of C. C. Duson's father, Cornelius Duson, as he was known in Louisiana, and
the mystery so long thrown around his real family name, sounds more like a legend culled from
the days of romance, or of knight errantry, than the actual life of a citizen in this prosaic
nineteenth century.  He was born at Point Levis, opposite the city of Quebec, Canada, on the
St. Lawrence river, June 8, 1819.  He was the youngest of the family of six sons, and when the
French rebelled against the English government, in 1837, all his family, except himself, were
found to be ultra English loyalists.  But our young hero of seventeen years had a bosom friend
and companion, one S. Lombert, whom he had learned to love from childhood.  Through Lombert's
influence he was induced to join the French revolutionists, and as soon as this fact reached
the ears of his family, Cornelius Duson was called before a family council, consisting of his
father and five brothers.  They remonstrated with and begged him not to disgrace their
time-honored family name by joining in an attempt to overthrow his government.  But Cornelius
Duson had his course mapped out, and his convictions were too strong to be changed.  He stated
to 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 companion, S.
Lombert, and eight comrades started from their homes on an expedition far up the Ottawa river,
to preach rebellion and raise forces among the woodmen and trappers.  Having succeeded they
then at once decided to make their way to the United States as quickly as possible.  In
crossing the border he was wounded by soldiers, and secreted himself in the hut of a woodman
until be 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 farther south, finally landing on the Mermentau river, in St. Landry parish, La.,
near Lake Arthur.  He here formed the acquaintance of a seafaring captain by the name of John
Webb, a native of Essex, England, and a pioneer on the Mermentau.  He loved and married John
Webb's daughter, when she was but fifteen years of age.  The union was blessed with five
children, of whom Hon. C. C. Duson is the eldest.  Cornelius Duson afterward followed the trade
of tanner and saddler, and lived his latter days in St. Martin's parish.  Cornelius Duson died
suddenly away from home in the year 1857.  Things remained in this condition until 1884, when,
at his mother's solicitation, and to fulfill his father's request, Hon. C. C. Duson and his
brother, W. W. Duson, made a visit to Canada and hunted out the places of which they had so
often heard their father speak.  The Senator and his brother proceeded to the house of S.
Lombert, the companion of their father's earlier years, certain they would at once learn all,
but when they mentioned the name Duson he said he was sure he had never heard it before.
Senator Duson insisted that Lombert and his father had often rowed together the same boat and
played at the same games when boys, and that when on the verge of manhood they had enlisted in
the political scheme which was the cause of their separation.  But still the old man insisted
that he had never before heard the name Duson.  Senator Duson then repeated the story of his
father's political adventure, and how Lombert had induced him to join the French, repeating the
christian names of his father's brothers.  'Twas then the feeble old man burst into tears, and
with an effort rose to his feet and said, "No, no! I see it all now, you are Con's children"
(Con, abbreviation for Cornelius).  Your name is not Duson, but McNaughton; let me lead you to
your people."  The Duson brothers were thunderstruck.  Senator Duson., with 
his characteristic readiness, retorted, "No, if my father has had sufficient reason to change
his name, and there is something dark in the background, I will never see my people!"  But the
old man soon assured him that the rebels of 1837 were the patriots of 1884; that the McNaughton
family had long since procured a pardon from the English government for their brother Cornelius
Duson McNaughton, and had sent agents to Boston and elsewhere and advertised for him in all
directions, but all in vain.  The Dusons spent several months visiting their people in Canada,
whom they found to be wealthy and among the most cultured people in Canada.  They returned
borne with the intelligence that they were McNaughtons, and not Dusons, and that instead of
being of French blood they were purely Irish Scotch Canadians, their grandfather, William
McNaughton, having been a native of Ireland, who settled in Canada.  As subsequently
ascertained, the father of the Duson family dropped the McNaughton part of his name on leaving
Boston, Mass.  It was further learned that he had a confidential friend in St. Martin's parish,
who repeatedly visited the neighborhood in Canada where the McNaughtons lived, and that under a
pledge to Cornelius Duson he kept him always informed of all particulars concerning the
McNanghton family in Canada, but never divulged his secret to them.  Cornelius Duson McNaughton
knew of his people advertising for him, and of their securing the pardon from the English
government; but with terrible determination he kept his vow, and his people never did hear of
him till "green grew the grass over his grave."  Hon. C. C. Duson was reared on a farm, and
received a common-school education.  He commenced his official career as deputy sheriff of St.
Landry pariah under Sheriff Hayes, in 1866, and served until 1873, when he was elected sheriff
of St. Landry, and served for fourteen consecutive years, when he resigned the office to accept
the position of state senator.  The appreciation of these long years of service by the people
of St. Landry is shown in the fact that the last time he was a candidate for the office, Mr.
Duson received, in a total of 6,200 votes, a majority of 1,843 over a strong candidate.  No
other man in the same capacity in the state of Louisiana ever gained the reputation that Mr.
Duson did during his fourteen years' service as sheriff.  One of the first things he
accomplished was the breaking up of organized bands of outlaws who had for years scourged the
country and baffled all attempts to execute the law.  Aside from his active official life,
Senator Duson has been a leading spirit in all matters pertaining to the material interest, of
this section of the state.  He is one of the leading members of the Southwest Louisiana Land
company, of which mention is made elsewhere, and the organization of Acadia parish is due
greatly to his influence.  He and his brother, W. W. Duson, are among the large land owners of
Southwest Louisiana, and are the largest rice growers west of the Mississippi river.  Hon. C.
C. Duson was married in 1867 to Miss Isora A. Andrus, who was born in this parish.  To this
union have been born eight children, viz.:  Morton E.,  Walter W.,  Rodney R.,  Clayton C.,
Jesse,  Meta,  Lola and  George.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 478-479.  Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.